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President Trump Suggests Again He Plans To Declare National Emergency For Border Wall; CNN Reality Check: Why Republicans Don't Want An Election Day Holiday; Beyond The Call Of Duty: How Officers Worked Tirelessly To Find Missing 3-Year-Old Boy; Juan Guaido Won't Rule Out Accepting U.S. Military Support; Nicolas Maduro; Sen. Cory Booker Announces 2020 Presidential Run. Aired 7:30-8a ET
Aired February 01, 2019 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[07:30:00] JACKIE KUCINICH, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Because no one feels like that anything negotiated inside the House and the Senate is going to be accepted by this president.
So that, in and of itself, creates a really -- a tough mission for these Congress folks that no one really thinks they're going to get anything done by the end of the day.
ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Although, what's amazing is -- and John and I spoke to them yesterday. We spoke to a Republican and a Democratic. Those 17 seem to be only people who are optimistic that something can happen, right?
You have the president basically saying this was never going to work. I was going to wait it out for 21 days. I'm going to do exactly what I need to do. I'm going to drum up support to say that this is an emergency.
By the way, if it was an emergency it would have been declared a long time ago if it was a real emergency.
But you have -- again --
JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes.
HILL: -- lawmakers who are willing to do something. But to your point, its leadership.
And listen, Nancy Pelosi is coming out, too, and saying -- I mean, she's not necessarily --
AVLON: No.
HILL: -- all behind this let's find a solution.
KUCINICH: Members of the committee aren't going to come out and be like hey, we're inept.
AVLON: But --
HILL: No, they're not, but they didn't have to be -- I don't think that they needed to be --
AVLON: We --
HILL: -- perhaps as optimistic as they were.
AVLON: No.
HILL: No, they're not going to say that.
AVLON: But we all know what a deal looks like. And the far-left and the far-right will be unhappy about it, but it will be some form of border security, including a partial wall for Dreamers' path to citizenship. That's what a deal looks like.
VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, HOST, "THE VAN JONES SHOW": (INAUDIBLE).
AVLON: Ann Coulter will be upset.
JONES: That's a deal.
AVLON: The far-left will be upset. Can the president actually endorse that to get help --
HILL: All right, that's the real question.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well --
NIA-MALIKA HENDERSON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: And we -- so we know the answer to that -- no.
JONES: Well, I --
KUCINICH: Right.
HENDERSON: That was -- that was a deal that has been floated and we know that he is mainly looking at Ann Coulter. The president finds himself in this position because he made a promise he could never keep, which is that he would build a wall from sea to shining sea -- or shiny sea, he'd sometimes say.
AVLON: And that Mexico would pay for it.
HENDERSON: And that Mexico would pay for it. So now, he's in this position where he's just going to declare a national emergency, most likely. And we'll see what the courts do and we'll see what Republicans do as well.
BERMAN: All right. Jackie, Nia, Van, John, thank you very much.
We talked to those optimistic members of the Conference Committee yesterday. That was before the president spoke.
HILL: Yes, it was.
BERMAN: I doubt they'd be all rainbows and unicorns this morning. HILL: No. But you know what? You know what? They might be up for puppies and we have puppies later. So if you want a rainbow and a unicorn and you can't find one, stick with us. You'll get puppies.
BERMAN: Yes. A shutdown coming, but we have puppies.
HILL: Yes.
BERMAN: All right, should Election Day be a federal holiday? Some Democrats are proposing it, but the Senate majority leader is calling it a power grab. A reality check, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[07:36:10] BERMAN: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is facing Democratic backlash after criticizing a House proposal to make Election Day a federal holiday.
CNN senior political analyst John Avlon has our reality check.
AVLON: If politicians could agree on one thing, it's usually that it's important to go out and vote. That's why Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell drew fire and fury for mocking a House bill designed to open up our elections and increase voter participation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), SENATE MAJORITY LEADER: Speaker Pelosi and her colleagues are advertising it as a package of urgent measures to save Americans' democracy. A power grab that's smelling more and more like exactly what it is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AVLON: Look, Election Day is a power grab, but not like blocking a vote on a Supreme Court nominee. It's a power grab by the people to hold their politicians accountable. And this is often an uphill battle because of the obstacles intentionally put in their way.
Look, these range from the rigged system of redistricting, to rollback of the Voting Rights Act, to archaic rules that tamp down turnout. And that's why the House bill seeks to make Election Day a federal holiday so more people can go out and vote.
But, McConnell really doesn't dig this idea.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCONNELL: A new paid holiday for government workers. Just what America needs, another paid holiday and a bunch of government --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AVLON: OK, so two things. First, state workers in McConnell's native Kentucky already get presidential election days off. Second, this comes right after McConnell presided over the longest shutdown in government American history, which left hundreds of thousands without pay for weeks.
But could it be that McConnell doesn't want more people to vote because he sees increased participation as a Democratic plot?
Well, it reminds me of a Chris Rock line. Quote, "They don't want you to vote. If they did, we wouldn't vote on a Tuesday in November.
You ever throw a party on a Tuesday? No. Because no one would come."
So why else would Chicago hold its mayoral elections in freezing February or why would Georgia close its polls at 7:00 p.m. and Kentucky at 6:00, when many folks are just getting off work? Spoiler alert. It's about to make turnout smaller, more predictable, and more dependent upon hard partisans which only further polarizes our politics.
Now, you might be asking why do we vote on Tuesday. Not a crazy question. It was from when farmers needed to take a day to take their horse and wagon into town and back, and no one wanted to travel on the Sabbath. Today, those reasons don't really apply.
This House bill includes plenty of other changes like outlawing the purging of voter rolls, killing gerrymandering by requiring independent redistricting commissions, and automatic voter registration.
Now, McConnell is calling this the, quote, "Democrat Politician Protection Act." It's an ironic twist given that McConnell voted for LBJ in 1964 because he says he was so disappointed that Barry Goldwater voted against the Civil Rights Act.
Now, Johnson's support for civil rights and voting rights realigned American politics. But while McConnell has led Republicans in the Senate, there's been a steady erosion of voting rights.
According to the Brennan Center, since 2010, no fewer than 25 states have put in place new voting restrictions.
We should be making it easier for citizens to vote, not harder, and it shouldn't be a partisan issue.
Ronald Reagan railed against redistricting, calling the right to vote, quote, "The crown jewel of American liberties."
So, bottom line, folks. More voting, not less, is good for America -- even Republicans.
And that's your reality check.
BERMAN: All right, John. Thank you very much.
HILL: A 3-year-old boy lost in the woods found alive nearly three days after disappearing. CNN follows the heroic rescuers as they retrace their steps. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [07:43:23] HILL: Sources telling CNN a second summit between President Trump and Kim Jong Un is being planned for the end of this month in Vietnam. The coastal city of Da Nang is the likely location.
The president claims progress is being made toward the denuclearization at the Korean Peninsula. Earlier this week, the director of National Intelligence testified North Korea is unlikely to give up its nuclear weapons.
BERMAN: A letter containing a white powder was sent to the set of "EMPIRE" days before one of the show's stars, Jussie Smollett, was allegedly attacked. Chicago police say it was received last week at Cinespace Studios where "EMPIRE" is filmed. The powder turned out to be aspirin.
Smollett says two attackers assaulted him and called him homophobic and racist slurs as he returned from an early-morning trip to a sandwich shop.
HILL: A 3-year-old boy in North Carolina missing for nearly three days in the rain and freezing temperatures found alive.
CNN's Brynn Gingras introduces us to the officers who went beyond the call of duty to find him.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Deep in this swath of pine trees amongst the thorns and briars, a lost little boy was found.
CAPT. SHANE GRIER, EMS, CHOCOWINITY, NORTH CAROLINA: It took some force to get him out of it. I actually had to pull him out of the vegetation.
GINGRAS: Against all odds, 3-year-old Casey Hathaway was rescued 55 hours after he went missing from his great grandmother's North Carolina home.
It was a tip that led Grier to this very spot at the edge of the woods.
GRIER: And that's when we heard him say "momma."
GINGRAS (on camera): Clear as day?
GRIER: Clear as day.
GINGRAS (voice-over): Grier is one of hundreds of local and federal emergency responders who tirelessly searched for Casey through rain and freezing temperatures.
[07:45:03] SHERIFF CHIP HUGHES, CRAVEN COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA: Casey is a small child. He's cold, he's hungry.
GINGRAS: The massive operation was under the command of Craven County sheriff, Chip Hughes.
HUGHES: We started looking at the percentages of what is the chance a 3-year-old child in the elements with the wildlife that's in the area -- bears, coyotes -- is going to survive this? The odds were not in our favor.
GINGRAS: It's a search that captivated the nation and brought a community together.
HUGHES: People were -- when they showed up, you could see the look of determination. You know, Casey is -- he belongs to all of us now.
GINGRAS: All the while, Hughes promised Casey's family he'd bring their boy home.
HUGHES: That was a tall promise I made to this lady and we were committed to stay to the end.
GINGRAS (on camera): And you kept that in your mind, it sounds like?
HUGHES: Exactly. When the rescue pulled up, the doors opened, and I saw this 25-pound child -- 3-year-old there with his eyes open -- big brown eyes -- it was tear-jerking. This was when we made good on our promise. I would have stayed out there an entire year just to make that happen.
GINGRAS (voice-over): Casey's body temperature was low but he only had scratches. He told his parents he befriended a bear.
His family emotionally thanked law enforcement.
BRITTANY HATHAWAY, MOTHER OF CASEY HATHAWAY: We're very thankful that you took the time out to come search for Casey and prayed for him.
GINGRAS: As for Grier, he'll never forget that gratitude. He now keeps this picture in his office, a gift from Casey's family of Grier and the little boy he saved.
GRIER: I think everybody, at some point in time, was expecting a real bad ending from this. And for the needing to be so good -- I mean, a little boy is home because of the efforts that everybody did here.
GINGRAS: A reminder of what he humbly calls a miracle.
Brynn Gingras, CNN, Craven County, North Carolina.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BERMAN: You know, it's a reminder these officers who are out there working day and night, they have kids, too.
HILL: Absolutely.
BERMAN: I mean, they feel this.
HILL: Yes, they get it. And you know what's nice, too? So many times you see this and as the days drag on you never want to say it out loud but your heart drops. And to have this 3-year-old boy be OK, to hear him calling for his mom, to have him be home safe and sound now, it's the good news that we all need.
BERMAN: That's why you don't give up.
HILL: Yes.
He spent four months behind bars as a political prisoner in Venezuela. Now he is free, talking about the humanitarian crisis there as he prepares to meet with Vice President Pence later day.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[07:51:37] HILL: The self-declared interim president of Venezuela, Juan Guaido, refusing to rule out accepting U.S. military support as the nation's embattled dictator, Nicolas Maduro, is facing growing international pressure to step down.
Joining us now is Francisco Marquez. He's a former political prisoner under the Maduro regime. He's also been traveling with a Venezuelan delegation here in the United States to represent the interests of the Guaido administration.
Good to have you with us.
As we look at this, in an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour, as you know, Guaido did not rule out accepting U.S. military support. You've been meeting with lawmakers and later this morning you're set to meet with Vice President Pence. Is that something you plan to specifically ask for?
FRANCISCO MARQUEZ, CHIEF OF STAFF TO CARLOS VECCHIO, FORMER POLITICAL PRISONER UNDER VENEZUELA'S NICOLAS MADURO: Well, first of all, I'd like to say as a former political prisoner, thank you for this window for the Venezuelan people.
I think it's very important to state some facts here. President Guaido is the legitimate and Democratic president of Venezuela and this is -- this is not something that occurred spontaneously. This is because in 2015, over 14 million Venezuelans voted for a National Assembly where the opposition forces won two-thirds majority.
On May 20th of 2018, the Maduro -- the elections were not declared legitimate by the Venezuelan people and by the international community. And more importantly, by the Organization of American States, which is a community of nations that are democratic.
So because Maduro -- that election was illegitimate and then Maduro was declared illegitimate, a constitutional process took place like any other. Imagine in the U.S. if the president and vice president resigned. Who would take over? The Speaker of the House.
What happened in Venezuela is a similar situation because there were illegitimate elections, then there was no president and no vice president, and the Speaker of the House in Venezuela, Juan Guaido, was declared president.
And he didn't self-declare. This is something that's very important that we always ask the media outlets. He did not self-declare.
The National Assembly, with a unanimous resolution, asked him to assume the articles 233, 333, and 350 of the Constitution. Therefore, he is the legitimate and democratic president. And this is very clear and this is something that we have to make sure that the American people know.
These are the facts and that is why the U.S. and, right now, over 30 countries following very closely -- Spain, France, Germany, and other European unions -- recognize President Juan Guaido as the legitimate president --
HILL: So, as you --
MARQUEZ: -- and that's what we're trying to convey.
Now, regarding your question, which I think is very important, I think the framing of what's going on in Venezuela is not this reasoning that it's an intervention or it's an international community trying to intervene in our affairs. This is a solution that has been put forward by the Venezuelan people for the Venezuelan people.
And what the international community is trying to do is support that agenda -- that's what's occurring right now -- to liberate the Venezuelan people from forces like Cuba, China, and Russia that, right now, are really interfering and have been interfering in our affairs.
HILL: So --
MARQUEZ: And President Guaido -- and just -- I'll finish really quickly to a lot more questions -- has stated what our agenda is, is seizing of the usurpation --
HILL: Yes.
MARQUEZ: -- that Maduro's doing right now, create a transitional government, which we're in the process right now.
And last, but definitely not least, create free and fair elections because President Guaido has not self-declared his presidency. He is very clear that this is an interim presidency for the purpose of creating free and fair elections for the Venezuelan people to decide because there's a clear stark right now.
[07:55:02] Maduro, supported by military and using repression and force. And, President Guaido, who has people on the streets with him -- who has the legitimacy and the recognition of the democratic community.
HILL: So, I want to pick on a couple of points that you just made, but I do just want to get a clear answer from you.
When you meet with Vice President Pence today, what specifically are you asking for in terms of the United States and does it involve the U.S. military?
MARQUEZ: Yes. Well, we met with Vice President Pence a couple of days ago.
HILL: Yes.
MARQUEZ: So what was asked in that meeting was something very important. First, humanitarian assistance.
HILL: Yes.
MARQUEZ: President Guaido has asked for the U.S. and other nations to help for humanitarian assistance, which Maduro has denied that the crisis even exists.
And, we asked full support to continue the sanctions regime, especially individual sanctions to those individuals who have stolen a lot of money for the Venezuelan people.
And also, to continue to work with the U.S. partners and allies to create pressure on Maduro to support the agenda of President Guaido.
That's what was put on the table. That was what was asked --
HILL: Yes.
MARQUEZ: -- and will continue to be asked.
HILL: Guaido -- in his "New York Times" op-ed this week, he called for unity in Venezuela, but he also pointed out that the key to the support here, of course, is the military support. He says he's had secret meetings.
I'm wondering if a) you've been a part of any of those meetings and, b) is there any sense that the military is coming over to his side because we're not seeing, publicly at least, generals jumping over to Guaido's side. And that can be key, as you know all too well, moving forward.
MARQUEZ: Well, it's very clear to differentiate and not put everyone in the military in the same situation.
HILL: Yes.
MARQUEZ: Venezuelan militaries are Venezuelans and they look at the same dire situations like all Venezuelans.
And there's been a lot of public support. I can name a couple of them. National Guardsmen have publicly supported President Guaido. Even police forces run by (INAUDIBLE) governors have publicly supported President Guaido.
And what we're really asking -- and we have to reiterate this. We're asking Venezuelan military to uphold the Constitution. That is all. To uphold the Constitution, recognize President Guaido, and start this transition process. That's what we are asking of them, to respect the Constitution and
restore the constitutional order that has been ruptured for the last two years by the Maduro regime. And that process, by the way, is occurring and we expect to see more and more public stances very soon.
HILL: We will continue to follow it. We are out of time. I appreciate you joining us. Francisco Marquez, thank you.
MARQUEZ: Thank you for your time.
HILL: We have breaking news on the 2020 race. Let's get right to it.
ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
BERMAN: All right, good morning, everyone. Welcome to your NEW DAY. It is Friday, February first, 8:00 in the East.
Erica Hill is here with me, as Alisyn is off.
We have breaking news this morning. The field getting bigger.
Moments ago, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker made it official. He is running for president. The announcement comes on the first day of Black History Month.
Senator Booker spoke just moments ago on the "TOM JOYNER MORNING SHOW".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ), 2020 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I want everybody to know that I am running for President of the United States of America, and just really excited to do so.
We live in a nation where people are beginning to lose faith in what we can do together. Folks are feeling left out. Folks are feeling left behind.
And I think too many people are beginning to think that the things that are tearing us apart are stronger than the things holding us together."
HILL: With Booker now in, the Democratic field has grown to 10 candidates.
Let's get right to CNN's Rebecca Buck. She is live near Booker's home in Newark, New Jersey with more on the breaking details -- Rebecca.
REBECCA BUCK, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: That's right.
Well, as you mentioned, he announced on Black History -- the first day of Black History Month. A lot of symbolism there and tells you a lot about the audience that Booker is going to be targeting -- the voters that he is going to be targeting in this race for president, as well as the story that he is going to be telling about himself. His family's own struggle to overcome prejudice in the aftermath of the civil rights movement and how that has changed his life. As he said, a conspiracy of love that led him to where he is today.
His message is one of unity and optimism, talking about bringing people together for a common purpose again in America.
I want you to listen to part of his announcement video from earlier today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOOKER: I believe that we can build a country where no one is forgotten, no one is left behind. Where parents can put food on the table, where there are good-paying jobs with good benefits in every neighborhood.
Where our criminal justice system keeps us safe instead of shuffling more children into cages and coffins. Where we see the faces of our leaders on television and feel pride, not shame.
It is not a matter of can we?
