Return to Transcripts main page

Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

President Delivers State of the Union Tonight; Trump Inaugural Committee Subpoenaed; Deal to Keep U.S. Troops in South Korea; Obesity Causes Cancer Spike n Younger Patients. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired February 05, 2019 - 04:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[04:00:19] CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: The president's State of the Union address just hours away. Aides say he will appeal for compromise, though many are not convinced.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Plus, a subpoena related to the president's inaugural committee, prosecutors are probing possible conspiracy and illegal donations from abroad.

ROMANS: A deal is reached to keep tens of thousands of U.S. troops in South Korea, a major commitment ahead of the president's next summit with Kim Jong-un.

SANCHEZ: And significant rise of cancer among millennials. The reason, obesity.

Good morning and welcome to EARLY START. I'm Boris Sanchez.

ROMANS: Nice to have you aboard. I'm Christine Romans. It is 4:00 a.m. in the East.

And tonight, President Trump delivers his second official State of the Union Address. It will his first in this new era of divided government. Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will sit over his shoulder, an optic I think that is just about --

SANCHEZ: Something to watch.

ROMANS: Something to watch. After outmaneuvering him during the government shutdown of course, this speech at a critical time in his presidency, with the divided Congress. Another shutdown looming over the border wall issue, the Mueller investigation, those and other issues the focus this week in Congress and elsewhere.

Administration officials have been previewing the president's address. The theme tonight: choosing greatness.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KELLYANNE CONWAY, WHITE HOUSE COUNSELOR: This president is going to call for an end to the politics of resistance, retribution. He is calling for cooperation and he's calling for comity, C-O-M-I-T-Y, and also compromise.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: Vice President Mike Pence and Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney were among the officials briefing surrogates at the White House last night, they say the speech will be about 50 percent foreign policy, it will touch on infrastructure and lowering drug costs to areas where there might be some common ground with Democrats. Of course, illegal immigration and the border wall still big issues and it may lead to another lapse of government funding late next week.

On that topic, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham had this message for his colleagues.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: To every Republican, if you don't stand behind this president, we're not going to stand behind you when it comes to the wall. This is the defining moment of his presidency. It is not just about a wall. It is about him being treated different than every other president.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The White House says the president does not declare a national emergency in the latest State of the Union draft. Several Republican senators say they are deeply skeptical of the idea, mainly out of the worry that the Democratic presidents might then use the same excuse to fund their priorities. The president's State of the Union guest list also highlights some of his key themes. It includes family members of a couple murdered by an undocumented immigrant, survivors of the tree of life synagogue massacre, a prison reform advocate, a man who benefited from tax cuts.

And a kid named Joshua Trump, a 6th grader Josh Trump, not related to the president. But the White House says he has been bullied at school because of his last name. He will be there front and center.

SANCHEZ: Yes, we'll be watching for him. And almost immediately after the State of the Union, Stacey Abrams, a rising star in the Democratic Party, is going to deliver the response to the president's speech. Abrams fell short in the 2018 Georgia governor's race, but she energized liberal voters in the South. She's going to be the first African-American woman to give the Democratic response.

As for how she is going to prepare, she says she is going to hydrate first. That of course a nod to Marco Rubio who awkwardly took sips of water during his speech. We've all been there.

At least four House Democrats will not be attending tonight's State of the Union. Fourteen Democrats skipped the president's address last year.

ROMANS: President Trump's the inaugural committee has been subpoenaed by federal prosecutors in New York. The move escalates a wide ranging inquiry into how a record $107 million was raised and spent. A copy of the subpoena review by CNN demands documents related to donors, vendors and finances. The investigation covers a list of potential crimes including conspiracy against the U.S., along with illegal contributions from foreign nations and contributions in the name of another person, also known as straw donors.

SANCHEZ: "The Wall Street Journal" reported last year the probe is looking at whether some donors gave money in exchange for access. A spokesman for the inaugural committee says the subpoena is being he reviewed and that it is their intention to cooperate. It is worth noting much of the committee's fundraising was headed by this man, Rick Gates.

You know him as the former senior Trump campaign official who pled guilty to a plethora of charges and is now cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation.

ROMANS: All right. Another possibly messy confirmation ahead for the Trump administration.

[04:05:02] The president nominating acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt to replace Ryan Zinke. Zinke who resigned late last year. Bernhardt is a former energy lobbyist and he is tapped to lead the department with dual, many say, contradictory missions, of developing and protecting America's natural resources including oil and gas.

"The Washington Post" has reported that Bernhardt lobbied for many of the businesses he would now regulate. Last year, he said he was committed to avoiding conflicts of interest.

SANCHEZ: There are dueling narratives over the racist photo that appeared on Virginia Governor Ralph Northam's medical school yearbook page. A member of the school's 1984 staff tells CNN the photos were chosen by each student and submitted in a sealed envelope with the student's name on it, so they were not chosen at random.

Remember, Governor Northam claims he never saw the photo in question before he was confronted with it last week. He is resisting calls to resign. He said to be weighing his options, though, it's not clear there are very many at this point.

And now, get this, the lieutenant governor who would take his place, he is facing a controversy of his own.

We get more now from Ryan Nobles.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RYAN NOBLES, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Boris and Christine, good morning from Richmond, Virginia, where a lot has happened here, but not much has changed.

The Governor Ralph Northam still in office, his Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax still in that same position, but there is a lot of uncertainty about the future of both of these men. We know Ralph Northam gathered his cabinet on Monday for a very tenuous and what was described as a solemn meeting where he essentially begged his cabinet to stick with him, to give him more time to prove that he is not the person in this racist photo that has gotten so much attention. In fact, Northam saying that he wants to stay in office in an effort

to clear his good name because he did not want to resign and be thought of as a racist for life. Now, all of this drama surrounding about Northam comes at the same time that new report has emerged about the Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax who would take over were Northam were to resign. The accusation comes from a woman who accuses the lieutenant governor of sexual assault while they were both at the Democratic National Convention in 2004.

Fairfax however is not backing down. He vehemently denies this ever took place and he called and impromptu press conference yesterday to clear his name. Take a listen.

LT. GOV. JUSTIN FAIRFAX (D), VIRGINIA: You do now have something that was 15 years ago and yet you don't have a shred of corroboration, shred of evidence. You -- it was first posed a year ago. It went to the "Washington Post" and "Washington Post" made the decision not to run the story because it is false, it's uncorroborated. The reason it's uncorroborated is because false. You just go away until you find another opportunity to get back in the media.

NOBLES: Now, there is it no doubt that the new allegations against Fairfax complicate the situation here in Richmond. There is a lot of uncertainty about what the next 24, 48 hour or even the next week could bring.

For now, we know Ralph Northam has no plans to resign and that Justin Fairfax is not going to back down as these accusations are leveled against him -- Boris and Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right. Ryan Nobles for us -- thank you, Ryan.

Senator Bernie Sanders demanding to know why the price of a low cost drug just shot up to $375,000 a year. He wrote a letter to the CEO of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals about the drug Firdapse. It is used to treat a rare neuromuscular disease. Sanders calls the price hike corporate greed at its worst and an immoral exploitation of patients. He is asking Catalyst to explain the pricing decision.

Patients were previously able to get a version of Firdapse free of charge through the Food and Drug Administration, but in November, Catalyst acquired the North American license for the drug and jacked up the price.

SANCHEZ: And check this out, we got an RBG sighting yesterday. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg spotted, making her first public appearance Monday since undergoing cancer surgery in December. Ginsburg attended a performance of "Notorious RBG in Song" at the National Museum of Women and the Arts. Her daughter-in-law, a soprano, Patrice Michaels, released an album of songs celebrated Ginsburg's life and her son James actually produced the album.

The court has not said if she's actually going to attend tonight's State of the Union, but it is not really expected given that Ginsburg has missed both President Trump's previous addresses to Congress.

ROMANS: All right. President Trump has decided to meet with Jerome Powell Monday night for an informal dinner, chat about the health of the economy. Last week, the Fed decided to keep the interest rates unchanged. You know, the president has railed against the Fed's rate changes and specifically at his handpicked Fed chief Jerome Powell, so they had dinner. Powell denouncing any idea that the Fed was caving to political pressure by taking the more dovish approach saying the situation called for patience.

The main event tonight, the State of the Union Address where the president is likely to take credit for strong economy. Here's where he could highlight that the job market is strong, unemployment is at the lowest in a generation, African-American unemployment is at a record low.

[04:10:00] You've heard him talking about his repeatedly.

Last year, the economy created some 2.6 million new jobs, best in a few years. The stock market is back above 25,000. But post-World War II and the Clinton year booms, they were bigger.

You hear the president say this is the best economy in the history of the world. Not quite. Still the economy is humming. The risks right now, trade war with China, slowing global growth, a Fed that could misfire on rate increases and not enough skilled workers in the U.S. to fill the jobs boom.

Wall Street is also bracing, by the way, for its first profit decline in three years. According to estimates from FactSet, profits for S&P 500 companies are expected to decline nearly 1 percent during the first quarter. That's rare. Last three years, it has been booming.

SANCHEZ: Yes, no doom and gloom in the president's speech expected. All positive on the economy.

ROMANS: Presidents get too much credit and too much blame, this president takes all the credit and none of the blame.

SANCHEZ: Yes, he just blames the Fed chair.

ROMANS: That's right, that's right.

SANCHEZ: The Pentagon is making an admission that President Trump likely will no want to hear. ISIS is likely to retake territory after the U.S. pulls out of Syria. So what happens to hundreds of foreign ISIS fighters detained overseas? We'll tell you next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:15:13] SANCHEZ: The U.S. and South Korea have reached a preliminary deal on keeping nearly 30,000 troops in that country. The move easing fears among President Trump's advisors that he could move to withdraw U.S. troops during his upcoming summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. Under the agreement, South Korea would boost its financial contribution to nearly a billion dollars per year, that's a $200 million decrease.

This is not a long term fix though. It is only a one-year agreement with the option of a one year extension. The U.S. special representative on North Korea is visiting Pyongyang tomorrow to prepare for the upcoming second summit between President Trump and Kim.

ROMANS: The U.S. calling on other countries to repatriate and prosecute foreign ISIS fighters detained in Syria, as the U.S. prepares to withdraw. Last week, CNN reported the number of foreign fighters held in Syria topped 800 for the first time, 800 foreign fighters in Syria, many countries reluctant to take them back because of difficulty in prosecuting suspected ISIS members based on battlefield evidence.

The State Department says despite liberating ISIS held territory in Iraq and Syria, ISIS remains a significant terrorist threat. A new report from the Pentagon inspector general says ISIS will likely retake territory and claim victory after the U.S. withdraws from Syria.

SANCHEZ: You probably won't hear that in the State of the Union tonight. We may here some about Venezuela though. More European nations now throwing their support behind Juan Guaido as leader of Venezuela. The list now tops 20 in Europe alone, including Britain, France, Spain and Germany. Guaido himself now appealing to the conscience of Venezuela's military, urging them to allow the distribution of humanitarian aid.

Foreign ministers from 14 countries in North and South America, the so-called Lima Group, is holding an emergency meeting. They also urged the military to show loyalty to Guaido.

Several countries giving humanitarian aid, with big donations from Canada and Germany, though questions remain about what actually is going to happen to the aid once it gets on the ground, whether it will be distributed to those in need or troops that are loyal to dictator Nicolas Maduro will hoard it for himself.

ROMANS: All right. Seventeen minutes past the hour.

Actor Liam Neeson says he once walked the streets wanting to kill someone because of their race. Now he is voicing regret. Hear from the actor next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[20:21:57] SANCHEZ: Schoolteachers in Oakland, California, have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike. According to their union, 95 percent are on board with a walkout. The vote authorizes the Oakland Education Association to call a strike after February 15th. That is when a neutral fact finder is expected to release a report designed to bridge the impasse.

Pay is the main issue. The school district is proposing a 5 percent raise over three years. The union is asking for a 12 percent increase along with smaller class sizes and more support for students.

ROMANS: Hawaii is considering a bill to ban cigarette sales. The measure is before the statehouse right now. If it passes, it would raise the cigarette buying age to 30 by next year, 40 the year after. With increases all the way up to age 100 by the year 2024.

The staggered rollout would give the state time to adjust to lost cigarette tax revenue about $100 million a year. The age limits would not apply to e-cigarettes, cigars or chewing tobacco. Tourists of course could still bring cigarettes with them.

SANCHEZ: Some alarming research shows obesity-related cancers are rising among millennials. The American Cancer Society found the disturbing trend among adults, 24 to 49. Six cancers associated with obesity showed startling increases among younger adults. Colorectal and endometrial, gallbladder, kidney, pancreatic and multiple myeloma, which usually show up later in life. Overall the risk is about double the rate baby boomers had at the same age.

On a global scale, the World Health Organization says obesity has reached epidemic proportions. It is estimated more than 1 billion adults are overweight.

ROMANS: It's fascinating.

All right. You may not know Austin Jones, but your kids probably do. The YouTube star facing time in prison now for pressuring underage fans to send him explicit videos. Jones raked in millions of views. The 26-year-old who pleaded guilty to a child pornography charge admits he attempted to persuade young girls to send him sexually explicit photos and videos on about 30 occasions.

Attorneys for Jones did not respond to a CNN request for comment.

SANCHEZ: A shocking revelation from former actor Liam Neeson who says that he once contemplated racist revenge and he is expressing regret for it. Neeson tells the British newspaper "The Independent" that it happened years ago. He said that -- he didn't say exactly when or where it happened, but he says that he took to the streets after he learned that a loved one had been raped.

Listen to this.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

LIAM NEESON, ACTOR: I asked, did she know who it was? No. What color were they? She said it was a black person.

I've gone up and down areas with a cosh hoping I'd be approached by somebody. I'm ashamed to say that. And I did it for maybe a week hoping some black bastard would come out of a pub and have a go at me about something, you know?

[05:25:02] So that I could kill him.

(END AUDIO CLIP) ROMANS: And Neeson says it took him about a week to process what had happened. When he looks back now, he says he is ashamed of his horrible thoughts and behavior.

The 66-year-old actor says growing up around violence in Northern Ireland taught him that revenge ultimately doesn't work. So why is he saying this? Well, Neeson gave that interview as part of the promotion of his new film "Cold Pursuit" in which he plays a father went on revenge after the death of his son.

SANCHEZ: A lighter story now, prepare to man the duck boats. A parade honoring the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots will kick off at 11:00 a.m. this morning and roll throughout streets of Boston. Expected to be a beautiful day for a championship celebration. Past parades have drawn up to a million spectators and Super Bowl MVP Julian Edelman said he wants to see 2 million fans that the year's parade.

The Patriots and their fans celebrating the team's sixth Super Bowl win after the Pats beat the L.A. Rams 13-3 on Sunday, most boring Super Bowl, the lowest scoring Super Bowl you've ever seen. The noise that you will hear during the parade is me booing as loudly as I can.

ROMANS: All right. Will the president offer compromise in tonight's State of the Union? Allies say yes, but big battles linger with Congress.

SANCHEZ: And a subpoena for the Trump inaugural committee. Prosecutors want documents on donors and more as they probe possible conspiracy and illegal foreign donations.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END