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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
800,000 Government Workers Back On The Job Today As Government Reopens; Sen. Kamala Harris Kicks Off 2020 Presidential Campaign; Roger Stone Does Not Rule Out Cooperating With Special Counsel Robert Mueller; Maduro And Guaido Battle For Power In Venezuela. Aired 5:30- 6a ET
Aired January 28, 2019 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[05:30:32] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICK MULVANEY, ACTING WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: The president's commitment is to defend the nation and he'll do it, either with or without Congress.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAVE BRIGGS, CNN ANCHOR: The president doubts lawmakers will reach an acceptable deal on border wall funding. Another shutdown could be less than three weeks away.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), 2020 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have foreign powers infecting the White House like malware.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Kamala Harris kicks off her 2020 campaign, but will a former Starbucks executive play spoiler for the Democrats?
BRIGGS: Roger Stone won't rule out cooperating with Robert Mueller. What's the next domino to fall in the Russia probe?
ROMANS: And, the interim president of Venezuela in talks to oust dictator Nicolas Maduro who is blaming the U.S. for the upheaval.
BRIGGS: And why the highly anticipated live T.V. production of "Rent" was mostly not live.
Welcome back to EARLY START, everybody. Happy Monday. I'm Dave Briggs.
ROMANS: And I'm Christine Romans. Thirty-one minutes past the hour. Nice to see you all -- a very busy week.
And, 800,000 federal workers are back on the job today. They won't be paid, maybe, until the end of the week but they are back on the job. And even as a deal to end the record, like, 35-day shutdown -- there
are huge issues here. Look at this list, and this is the short version. Lengthy backlogs, looming deadlines, a gigantic bureaucratic reboot.
Of course, those workers haven't been paid. Again, they could see checks maybe later this week.
And the clock ticking down toward a new deadline now just 18 days away.
BRIGGS: Even the president less than optimistic, telling "The Wall Street Journal" he doubts lawmakers will reach a deal over new border wall funding that he'll accept. He told the "Journal" another shutdown is quote "certainly an option" and he will build the wall anyway, using emergency powers if necessary.
Earlier Sunday, acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney said the same.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARGARET BRENNAN, MODERATOR, CBS "FACE THE NATION": Is the president really prepared to shut down the government again in three weeks?
MULVANEY: Yes, I think he actually is. Keep in mind, he's willing to whatever it takes to secure the border. But at the end of the day, the president's commitment is to defend the nation and he'll do it, either with or without Congress.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: President Trump also dismissing the suggestion he offered Democrats protection for Dreamers in exchange for border wall funding.
After a politically damaging 5-week shutdown, Senate Republicans are not in the mood for more.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), FLORIDA: I don't think shutdowns are good leverage. It's a lesson I've certainly learned in my time here. But there's been two shutdowns since the time I've been there and the aggressor in neither one was the winner.
SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R), MAINE: Shutdowns are never good policy, ever. They are never to be used as a means to achieve any kind of goal. I think what will happen is that the efforts to continue to build physical barriers, which have gone on in the last two administrations, will continue but not to the degree that the president has requested.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: So, does the administration dare try to do it again?
Joining us here, Princeton University historian and professor Julian Zelizer, a CNN political analyst. Good morning.
It was sort of telling about that Mick Mulvaney sound bite, too, is that he is saying that the president owns the shutdown, essentially. He said and would do it again.
JULIAN ZELIZER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST, HISTORIAN AND PROFESSOR, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY, AUTHOR, "FAULT LINES: A HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES SINCE 1974": Right. Both times they want to claim credit for the shutdown and they remember -- Republicans remember the first time Trump took ownership of the shutdown and he was blamed for the shutdown. So, they're doing it once again and I think many Republicans are pretty nervous to hear this kind of language right now.
BRIGGS: We should always remind viewers that Republicans did not give President Trump the wall money. Republicans' last spending bill had $1.6 billion for border security -- no wall for the money. So why would Democrats give them that money? Hard to believe.
So next, would be declaring an emergency, an idea Marco Rubio says is terrible.
So is that where we're headed, and how would that play out?
ZELIZER: That's certainly the best option on the table in the president's mind. He doesn't have to deal with Congress, he doesn't have to get an agreement. He doesn't need legislation.
He can try to invoke these powers. If he does it, he will be challenged in court and House Democrats can also challenge him in Congress to take those powers back.
I don't think it will work. This is not an emergency; it's only the president saying it is. But I think that's an easier route for him. Fight the battle on different turf rather than on this one again.
ROMANS: Right, and how is it any more an emergency today than it was 35 days ago or, in fact, for the past two administrations? They've been trying to get border security.
[05:35:03] BRIGGS: Right. If it's an emergency now, why wasn't it then?
ROMANS: Let's talk about 2020.
ZELIZER: Yes.
ROMANS: Kamala Harris is off and running. And then comes the news this weekend that Howard Schultz, who used to run Starbucks, may be coming in with an Independent bid and Democrats all nervous. And, news that Hillary Clinton, according to Jeff Zeleny, hasn't completely shut the door on coming back.
What do you make of the 2020 situation today, on a Monday?
ZELIZER: Sure. Well, first, we have on the Democratic side a very diverse field of candidates which is already exciting the party. Then, Schultz makes this announcement, which no Democrat is happy about because any vote that goes to him instead of to a Democrat or instead of not voting, Democrats see as damaging.
So they're very worried about a Ralph Nader with money --
BRIGGS: Yes.
ZELIZER: -- essentially, playing a spoiler in purple states.
And, Hillary Clinton -- there's not a lot of stomach for her running again among many Democrats. Even voters who liked her are not excited to see her as the face of the party again.
ROMANS: She got more votes than Donald Trump, I mean --
ZELIZER: Yes.
ROMANS: -- and then she -- more people voted for Hillary Clinton than Donald Trump but is there appetite?
BRIGGS: But is there appetite -- right.
And is Schultz a venti-sized challenge? I was wondering if we could write that pun in.
ROMANS: Bad pun.
BRIGGS: Let's get back to Kamala Harris who kicked off --
ZELIZER: Yes.
BRIGGS: -- her campaign and opened -- she's going to be on CNN tonight -- Town Hall with Jake Tapper, 10:00 eastern time. You might hear some things like this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: We must answer a fundamental question. Who are we? Who are we as Americans? America, we are better than this.
When we have foreign powers infecting the White House like malware --
(CHEERS)
HARRIS: Let's speak that truth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: She's enjoying that moment.
ZELIZER: Yes, liked it a lot.
BRIGGS: How does she stand -- is she the frontrunner where we stand with the given field --
ZELIZER: Well --
BRIGGS: -- and what separates her from the pack? Wants this Medicare for All plan. Climate change, clearly, at the top of her agenda.
ZELIZER: Well, Elizabeth Warren's also pretty formidable as a frontrunner at this point.
But she's a serious candidate. She has a lot of experience within California --
ROMANS: Yes.
ZELIZER: -- on law and order issues, which is attractive for Democrats even though she's also for criminal justice reform.
BRIGGS: Right.
ZELIZER: But you heard in the speech the central message isn't about policy, it's about the character of the country, the moral fabric of the country. And I think the Democrat who figures out how to articulate that through their own story, that's who is going to be the winner because it's going to be a values election more than policy election and that's what you heard from her last night.
ROMANS: That's also the play you got from Howard Schultz. He talked about the president is not qualified to be the president and that we're at a very important moment, and America's also making a values judgment there.
Julian Zelizer, nice to see you this Monday morning.
ZELIZER: Thank you. Good morning.
BRIGGS: It's going to be interesting.
ZELIZER: Yes.
BRIGGS: Thank you, my friend.
Let's turn now to the Mueller investigation. Roger Stone appears to be leaving himself a little wiggle room when it comes to cooperating with Robert Mueller.
The longtime Trump ally was arrested at his home in Florida last week by heavily-armed FBI agents. He faces obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and five counts of lying to Congress.
The special counsel's indictment was the first time prosecutors alleged people close to the president coordinated with Stone as he sought out stolen e-mails from WikiLeaks.
Mueller's team asked the judge to secretly indict Stone. They argued any publicity would increase the risk of him destroying evidence, an argument stone rejects.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) ROGER STONE, LONGTIME TRUMP ASSOCIATE: I've been under investigation for two years. I've destroyed nothing. But if I were going to destroy evidence, wouldn't I have done it a long time ago?
They could simply have called my lawyers and I would have turned myself in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: The president's supporters quick to point out, once again, Stone's indictment contains no charges of conspiracy. But, Mueller's team has documented a series of lies by Trump advisers that mask efforts to develop ties to Russia. Now, those lies came before and after the election in public and private. The question is why?
BRIGGS: Yes, why lie to Congress? Why lie to the FBI? Why lie to the American public? That is the question as we move forward.
Let's bring in CNN's Marshall Cohen, live in our Washington bureau. Good morning, Marshall.
ROMANS: Hi, Marshall
BRIGGS: Hope you had a great weekend.
MARSHALL COHEN, CNN REPORTER: Good morning.
BRIGGS: I'm going to quote Mr. Roger Stone because I would ordinarily not say these words on early-morning television. But he says the indictment is as, quote, "thin as piss on a rock."
This indictment -- is it rock-solid or is it as Roger Stone characterizes it?
COHEN: Sure. Well, I read through it on Friday, as I'm sure we all did. Parts of it seem incredibly strong. And, of course, if Mueller's team put it in there, they believe that they can prove it beyond a reasonable doubt to 12 jurors here in the District of Columbia.
[05:40:05] But to look at one example of whether or not he had any text messages with this New York radio host, he told Congress no -- that guy doesn't text. Earlier that day before he walked into Congress to testify, he texted the guy 30 times. So that shows you a little bit of how much proof the Mueller team thinks they have on this.
ROMANS: You know, Roger Stone is a famous flamethrower, conspiracy theorist, stir the pot, which I guess is fine in politics until you lie about it under oath.
COHEN: Yes. I mean, you can do one thing in the political arena and the game changes once you put your hand up and say this is the truth under penalty of perjury.
He has made no bones about it he likes to play in the dark arts and is an agent provocateur when it comes to politics. He's proud of it. But, you know, there is a line between a crime and just dirty politics, and Mueller's team says --
ROMANS: He crossed it.
COHEN: -- Roger Stone crossed that line.
BRIGGS: So is he going to jail? Well, that press conference outside on Friday, he said I will not bear false witness. Well, Chris Cuomo then pressed him on that Friday and I think requalified it again Sunday with George Stephanopoulos -- listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, HOST, ABC "THIS WEEK WITH GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS": Any chance you'll cooperate with special counsel Robert Mueller, if he asks?
STONE: You know, that's a question I would have to -- I'd have to determine after my attorneys have some discussion. If there's wrongdoing by other people in the campaign that I'd know about, which I know of none -- but if there is, I would certainly testify honestly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: That's not a no.
BRIGGS: No, we didn't hear a no, and what might that cooperation entail?
COHEN: Well, I don't want to put the cart in front of the horse here. It's -- anything is possible.
But I'm not all that convinced that Mueller's team would be looking to get cooperation from Roger Stone. He, of course, has been charged with lying, so it's challenging to put a charged or convicted liar on the stand. Usually, you need to point to that person's credibility.
It's possible that they might see his indictment more as building block against other indictments that they can then point to as part of a grander conspiracy. It's also possible, Dave, that this is -- this is where it ends. This is --
ROMANS: Yes.
COHEN: -- the furthest they can push it.
ROMANS: So, Trump supporters keep saying there's no conspiracy -- there's no conspiracy here. But others are saying maybe this is the beginning of something else, you know. Maybe that's something that they build toward.
Meantime, also yesterday, Stone talked about how he was treated and continued to sort of stir conspiracy theory -- listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) STONE: I think the way I was treated on Thursday is extraordinary. I think the American people need to hear about it.
I'm 66 years old. I don't own a firearm, I have no prior criminal record, my passport has expired.
And then, I would open the door, looking down the barrel of assault weapons. Then I would frog-marched out front barefooted and handcuffed when they simply could have --
STEPHANOPOULOS: But, Roger, let me -- let me just --
STONE: -- contacted me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Was that -- the way that arrest unfolded, was that standard operating procedure, do you know?
COHEN: Well, I've seen a lot of legal analysts in the past few days say it is standard. It doesn't happen in every case, but it does happen.
But look, Mueller's team went to a judge the day before and said we want to keep this indictment secret. We are afraid that he could be a flight risk. We are afraid --
ROMANS: Yes.
COHEN: -- that he might destroy documents.
He was charged with tampering with witnesses and obstruction. Those are the exact type of things -- clearly, they don't trust that type of guy to turn himself over with no problem and to not possibly destroy evidence.
ROMANS: Yes.
COHEN: Things like that.
ROMANS: Yes.
BRIGGS: All right. For the latest on all of this, follow him @MarshallCohen on Twitter.
Good to see you, my friend.
ROMANS: Nice to see you.
BRIGGS: We'll show you how Steve Martin --
COHEN: Thanks, guys.
BRIGGS: -- impersonated Roger Stone ahead, on "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE."
ROMANS: All right. BRIGGS: All right. Up next, though, Facebook plans to integrate Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram. What that means for billions of users.
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[05:48:15] ROMANS: All right. Efforts underway inside Venezuela to force out President Nicolas Maduro. Self-proclaimed interim President Juan Guaido telling "The Washington Post" he's negotiating with military and civilian officials right now.
So far, Maduro's defense minister and other top brass are vowing their allegiance to him. Both Guaido and Maduro pitched the military for loyalty Sunday.
Maduro blames a U.S.-led coup for the political upheaval in Venezuela.
BRIGGS: National Security adviser John Bolton warning any violence or intimidation against U.S. diplomatic personnel or Guaido will be met with a, quote, "significant response."
Meanwhile, the deadly protests we witnessed last week in Venezuela could grow in the days ahead. Guaido called for peaceful protests Wednesday and Saturday to demand fair elections.
Emergency crews searching through mud in southeastern Brazil for some 300 people missing after a dam collapse on Friday. The official death toll now at 58. No one was found alive yesterday and hope is fading that anyone else survived.
The dam collapse buried mine buildings and surrounding neighborhoods with iron or waste 24 feet deep in some spots.
ROMANS: Just a tragedy.
Let's get a check on "CNN Business" this morning.
Facebook plans to integrate its messaging services. According to "The New York Times," Facebook plans to combine WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger. The three would remain separate apps but their infrastructure behind the scenes would be the same.
The move could impact billions who use the apps. According to Facebook's recently earnings report, an estimated 2.6 billion people use Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram or Messenger each month.
The move could allow Facebook to build a single-user profile from its different apps to better target ads. Facebook says the apps could also get end-to-end encryption, which shields messages from being read by people outside the conversation.
[05:50:05] A spokesperson for Facebook said, "As you would expect, there is a lot of discussion and debate as we begin the long process of figuring out all the details of how this will work."
Facebook acquired WhatsApp in 2014 and Instagram in 2012. Global markets -- stock markets are lower ahead of a high-level U.S. and China trade talk this week. You can see that Tokyo, Shanghai, and Hong Kong basically, slightly mixed here. The European markets opened up a little bit lower. And the U.S. leaning down right now on Wall Street.
You know, Friday was a pretty good day. The Dow climbed 184 points, the Nasdaq closed up 1.3 percent, the S&P 500 also closed higher.
You know, the Dow and the Nasdaq were up for the whole week, narrowly extending their winning streak for a fifth week in a row. That's the longest streak for the Dow since July and for the Nasdaq since November 2017.
BRIGGS: All right, we'll be right back.
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[05:55:17] ROMANS: All right.
A Florida man who went magnet fishing wound up reeling in an authentic World War II hand grenade. What did he do next? Well, he put it in his trunk and drove to the local Taco Bell, and then called police.
Needless to say, that created more excitement than the $2.00 burrito combo. The bomb squad was called and had to remove the device. The restaurant was evacuated.
The grenade was safely disposed of and the Taco Bell has since reopened.
BRIGGS: Both could be explosive, though -- the burrito and the -- pardon me.
A measles outbreak has led to a state of emergency in Washington State. Officials confirming 35 cases; 30 involving people who have not been vaccinated for the disease. More than two-thirds of the cases involve children under 11.
The problem has spread to Oregon as well. Officials say people infected with measles have recently visited the Portland Airport, hospitals, schools, stores and restaurants, and a Portland Trailblazers home game.
Oregon and Washington are among the 18 states that allow philosophical vaccine exemptions because of moral or personal beliefs.
ROMANS: That's under scrutiny now.
BRIGGS: For content.
ROMANS: The top honor at the Screen Actors Guild Awards going to the 2018 box office champ.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JODI FOSTER, ACTRESS, PRESENTER, SCREEN ACTORS GUILD AWARDS: And the actor goes to "Black Panther" -- yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: The groundbreaking superhero film a surprise winner of Best Motion Picture Cast Ensemble.
Glenn Close won the award for Best Lead Female Actor for "The Wife." The win setting her up as a clear Oscar frontrunner.
Rami Malek won Best Lead Male Actor for his role in "Bohemian Rhapsody."
BRIGGS: And, actor Alan Alda, who has Parkinson's disease, received the SAG Lifetime Achievement Award.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALAN ALDA, ACTOR, RECIPIENT, SCREEN ACTORS GUILD LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD: It may never have been more urgent to see the world through another person's eyes. And when a culture is divided so sharply, actors can help -- at least a little -- just by doing what we do.
(APPLAUSE)
ALDA: And the nice part is it's fun to do it.
So my wish for all of us is let's stay playful, let's have fun, and let's keep searching. It can't solve everything, but it wouldn't hurt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Whatever you say, Hawkeye.
BRIGGS: Bravo, right?
On the T.V. side, "THE MARVELOUS MRS. MAISEL" swept the comedy categories. And, "THIS IS US" took home the Best Ensemble Drama award. A terrific show, that is.
ROMANS: A big night for "Rent," though, got off on the wrong foot.
The words "previously recorded" the first thing on the screen at the start of the live broadcast of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Broadway musical on Fox. As it turned out, the show was mostly not live because of an injury suffered by the Brennin Hunt, who played one of the lead roles.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Last night during our performance in front of a live audience, one of our cast members sustained an injury. A visit to the hospital confirms that Brennin Hunt, our Roger, has broken his foot and will be unable to perform tonight.
(END VIDEO CLIP) ROMANS: There was a live finale. The original Broadway cast joined the Fox players on stage for an encore of "Rent's" inspiring anthem Seasons of Love.
It's just so good. It's going to be -- I'm going to sing it all day.
BRIGGS: You'll be singing that all day.
All right. The Roger Stone indictment brought an old favorite back to "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEX MOFFAT, CAST MEMBER PORTRAYING TUCKER CARLSON, NBC "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE": Well, thank you for your time, Mr. Stone.
STEVE MARTIN, ACTOR, PORTRAYING ROGER STONE: Pardon me.
MOFFAT: I said, thank you.
MARTIN: Oh, no. That wasn't a question. I was saying that to the president -- pardon me.
MOFFAT: Well, I'm sure he appreciates your loyalty and your eccentricities.
MARTIN: Hey, I'm just a normal and straightforward guy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: Of course, that's Steve Martin, who 40 years ago was a loud and crazy guy.
ROMANS: Loud and crazy guy -- all right.
BRIGGS: He's hosted 15 times on "SNL."
ROMANS: You saw the favorite on YouTube and it's just fun to watch again --
BRIGGS: It is, it is.
ROMANS: -- 30-40 years later.
Thanks for joining us, everybody. I'm Christine Romans.
BRIGGS: I'm Dave Briggs. "NEW DAY" starts right now. We'll see you tomorrow.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: I stand before you to announce my candidacy for President of the United States.
SCHULTZ: I am seriously thinking of running for president as a centrist Independent. JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hillary Clinton is not closing the doors to the idea of running in 2020.
STONE: I expect to be acquitted and vindicated. This indictment is thin as piss on a rock.
REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D), CALIFORNIA: He's presumed innocent, but these are very specific allegations of lies and witness intimidation.
JEROME CORSI, CONSERVATIVE POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I can't really answer what Roger's motivation is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Alisyn Camerota and John Berman.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world. This is NEW DAY. It is Monday, January 28th, 6:00 here in New York.
Happy Monday.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, I made it. I made it in today. A small victory already.
