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Trump Again Attacks McCain; Subpoenas Issued in Boeing Criminal Probe; Hickenlooper Asked about Running Mate. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired March 21, 2019 - 06:30   ET

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

[06:30:00] ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Symone, do you want to weigh in quickly?

SYMONE SANDERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, I think that, one, I believe that there is no such thing as too low for the president, which is why I believe every day that we think he said the most shocking, the most damning thing, the next day he will come with something even worse. And so I'm not surprised by his comments, I'm disappointed.

But I am actually surprised by the idea that a number of Republicans are not going to speak out, or potentially not speaking out against the president because they don't think it will change his behavior. I think what's right and -- is right and what's wrong is wrong. And in times such as these, especially when it comes to the president's rhetoric, we should be able to speak up regardless of political party and say what's wrong is wrong. And I wish more Republicans would speak up to say that, instead of just saying how John McCain was such a great person.

We know John McCain was a war hero. We know how a number of Republicans feel about the -- John McCain and his service. But what we don't know is why they have yet to not hold the president accountable for what he said.

JOHN MCCAIN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, friends, thank you very much.

Boeing says it has a software patch and training program set -- set to go to make their troubled 737 Max planes safe. Is that enough? We will discuss, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:35:07] BERMAN: Sources tell CNN that Justice Department prosecutors have issued multiple subpoenas as part of an investigation into Boeing's FAA certification and marketing of 737 Max jets. This investigation began after a Lion airplane crashed in Indonesia last October, before the Ethiopia Airlines crash just a few weeks ago.

Joining me now is Mary Schiavo. She's the former inspector general at the U.S. Department of Transportation and a CNN transportation analyst. She's also an attorney who represents families of airline crash victims and does have current litigation pending against Boeing. Mary, the headline, a criminal investigation, subpoenas in a criminal

investigation into how Boeing does this. What's the significance there?

MARY SCHIAVO, CNN TRANSPORTATION ANALYST: Well, it's highly significant. Often aviation investigations do not turn criminal. The Department of Transportation's Federal Aviation Administration is usually very much against criminal investigations. They prefer to do it civilly. But if the FBI is in the case, we know several things. For example, we know there are overarching concerns. It might concern more than one federal department. There might be international implications. They might be looking at crimes that fall within FBI jurisdiction.

And when I was inspector general at the DOT, I brought in the FBI on a couple of occasions because of departmental and FAA interference and because we needed undercover and wiretapping capabilities.

BERMAN: Now, it's interesting, though, because no matter what happens in the United States, no matter what decisions the FAA or DOT ultimately make in regards to Boeing and the 737 Max 8, they face international pressures that could really limit or control what happens next, correct?

SCHIAVO: That's correct. You know, in the past, by treaty and by practice, all nations would recognize the other nation's certifications. So, for example, we recognized Airbus's certification in Europe and Europe recognized our certification of Boeing. Now nations and airlines from around the world are highly suspect, so Boeing says they're going to have this software patch by next week and all the pilots trained by May. But I doubt that. I think now that there's a criminal investigation, a civil investigation, several investigations ongoing, it's going to be suspect until those investigations are finished. Who is going to trust an FAA certification while there's a criminal investigation going on undoubtedly involving the FAA?

BERMAN: What can a criminal probe involving the certification process get that the FAA couldn't get on its own?

SCHIAVO: Well, the FAA could probably get most of the documents on their own if the FAA was inclined to be a real cop on the beat. But the FAA gave that job up decades ago. They don't like to be tough on enforcement. They'd prefer to have airlines and manufacturers like Boeing self-report. And they've been criticized back since my day at the DOT, they just don't get tough on violations. So the FBI could be looking at everything from false statements to the government to get the certification, to racketeering to some kind of a corrupt organization. The FBI has broad-ranging jurisdiction and probably looking at false statements on the certification.

BERMAN: Mary, very quickly, yes or no, even with this proposed software fix, would you feel safe getting on a 737 Max 8?

SCHIAVO: No, I'm going to wait for the investigation to finish.

BERMAN: Mary Schiavo, thanks so much for being with us.

SCHIAVO: Thank you.

BERMAN: Erica.

HILL: John Hickenlooper's answer about the possibility of a female running mate sparking backlash. That response is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:42:32] HILL: Former Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper taking some Democrats by surprise with remarks at a CNN town hall.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANA BASH, MODERATOR: Governor, some of your male competitors have vowed to put a woman on the ticket. Yes or no, would you do the same?

JOHN HICKENLOOPER (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, again, of course. But I think that we should -- well, I'll ask you another question. How come we aren't --

BASH: But I'm asking the questions.

HICKENLOOPER: I know. I know. But how come we're not asking -- we're not asking more often the women, would you be willing to put a man on the ticket?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: For the record, Elizabeth Warren was asked if she would pick a man for vice president over the weekend. Her response is, I want the person who's going to do the best job fighting for the American people.

Harry Enten, CNN's senior politics writer and analyst is here.

I mean, did he step in it that badly? Is it what about ism? Is it -- what are we looking at there?

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICS WRITER AND ANALYST: Yes. I mean, I don't know what the heck he was talking about. I mean you've got to recognize from the Democratic side so far there's a lot of enthusiasm for women candidates, right? In an NBC/"Wall Street Journal" poll, 91 percent of Democrats said they'd be enthusiastic or comfortable about a woman candidate.

But it's not just that, right? It's also the fact that there are a lot of Democrats who feel that women haven't been given their just due. There was a gallop poll that was asked earlier this year and only 48 percent of Democrats said they were satisfied with the position of women in this nation. Obviously a much higher percentage would say, you know, men have it easier than women. I think this is getting at it.

So when Hickenlooper says things like that, he's basically dismissing those concerns.

BERMAN: I -- what -- my take -- my main take away from that is that Dana Bash gets to ask the questions.

HILL: Totally. And, can I tell you, that was my favorite part of it too. So --

ENTEN: Don't mess with Bash. I've learned that lesson very quickly.

HILL: No. Yes.

BERMAN: All right, we are a week or so into the launch of the Beto O'Rourke campaign. Where does his launch rank among all the candidates at this point?

ENTEN: Yes. So, I mean, what I basically did here is I took an average of the polls in the month before each of these candidates got in and then an average of the polls a month after. Obviously, we're not a full month after O'Rourke has gotten in, but we can look at his polls so far and we can see right now that Beto O'Rourke has one of the best launches, right? He's six points higher -- we can circle that six right there -- six points higher now than he was a month before his launch. And that basically looks a lot like Kamala Harris and it looks like -- a lot like Bernie Sanders, which, of course, lines up with the metrics we spoke about on Monday, right, where we looked at the Google trends and we looked at the fundraising. All three of these candidates were in the top versus everybody else who clearly had a much worse launch. Maybe just a point raising in the polls for Booker, Klobuchar and Warren.

HILL: You're also looking at age, saying age is everything. But for this instance, we are not talking about the age of the candidates.

ENTEN: We are not.

HILL: We're talking about the age of the voters.

[06:45:01] ENTEN: I think one of the great divides in the Democratic Party -- I looked at our CNN poll basically, what was the support among those under the age of 45 in the Democratic Party, for -- top choice versus those over the age of 45, and look at this. Look at this right now with Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden. Joe Biden is 17 points higher with those over the age of 45 versions under. Bernie Sanders, look at that, 24 points lower with those over the age of 45 than under the age of 45.

BERMAN: Who usually votes?

ENTEN: Well, this is a great question, right?

HILL: Ah.

ENTEN: And so if we look here, this is the -- this is a big thing, right? Those over the age of 45 make up a much greater portion of the electorate than those under the age of 45. And that was something that Bernie Sanders learned last time because he won overwhelmingly among those under the age of 45, just like he's winning right now. But Hillary Clinton ran up the score with those over the age of 45 and she obviously won the primary.

BERMAN: So if kids want to make a difference, they've got to get out and vote.

ENTEN: It's all about voting, right? It's not just about tweeting. It's about going out, volunteering voting, putting your butt on the line for your candidate.

BERMAN: All right. There is a figure which you have pointed out which has earned you the ire of some people on Twitter.

ENTEN: What a surprise. This is the reason why I've stopped looking at my mentions. And it's not just because you throw sometimes things into my Twitter feed that perhaps are not so nice. I'm kidding.

But, no, the point is, look at this, this is Bernie Sanders -- opinion of Bernie Sanders. It says registered voters, but it's actually all adults here.

And, look at this, from January 2018 to March 2019, we've seen his number drop all the way down to 46 percent. His unfavorable rating has gone all the way up to 43 percent. Among registered voters it's actually 45 percent is his unfavorable rating. So we've seen a clear rise in his unfavorable and a clear drop in his favorable ratings.

And that might be part of the reason, right, why among Democratic voters, they say, are your chances better with Bernie Sanders or someone else? With Bernie Sanders, only 43 percent in the general election to beat Donald Trump. Without him, 56 percent. Compare that to Biden. Look at this. With Joe Biden, 51 percent of Democrats say they have a better chance of winning than 36 percent who say without. So right now Joe Biden is winning the electability argument and that's key in a primary in which voters are putting a high emphasis on electability in the general election.

BERMAN: Who -- who do you have in your March Madness poll?

ENTEN: Well, you know what, Columbia's not in it. But I will say, though, I do expect that a lot of people are going to be tuning into this and a of productivity is going to be lost in the CNN office and otherwise. Forty to 50 million plus Americans are probably going to fill out a bracket this year. And look at this, cost employers well over a billion dollars in lost productivity.

HILL: You didn't answer the question.

ENTEN: I will say this -- look, Duke is certainly the, quote/unquote top choice of most people. I hate Duke. I hope Krzyzewski loses. Please, please, please, for America, I'm rooting for America, and therefore against Duke.

BERMAN: I actually don't think America is one of the teams playing, but we take your point.

All right, Harry, thank you very, very much.

ENTEN: Thank you.

BERMAN: All right, Bob Kraft's attorney filing a motion as he fights the soliciting prostitution case against him. The evidence they don't want the public to see. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:51:52] BERMAN: New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft has filed a motion to block the release of videos and other evidence from a prostitution sting at a Florida day spa. It comes as a source tells CNN that Kraft will not accept a plea deal in this case. Prosecutors had offered to drop the charges against him but Kraft would have had to admit that he would be found guilty if it had gone to trial. He maintains he has not committed a crime.

The embattled former owner of the spa is speaking out for the first time about her alleged ties to President Trump. "The Miami Herald" reported that Cindy Yang arranged for a large group of Chinese business people to attend a 2017 fundraiser for Trump as her guests, but she denies selling access to the president and claims she is being targeted because of her politics.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CINDY YANG, EX-SPA OWNER: Nobody else have happen, only me. I think it because I'm Chinese. And, you know, Chinese Republican. That's the issue.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Democrats want the FBI to investigate allegations of foreign lobbying, human trafficking, and potential campaign finance violations against Yang.

HILL: Overcrowding detention facilities forcing Customs and Border Protection to release some migrants crossing the Texas border illegally. A border official says 50 people were released on Tuesday, about 200 yesterday, with notices to appear in court. The officials call this a temporary move due to limited bed space and says it will mitigate risks to officer safety. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has also released families along the southwest border due to capacity issues and the 20 day detention limit on families.

BERMAN: There were no winners in last night's Power Ball drawing. That means the jackpot soars to $625 million for Saturday night's drawing, making it the fourth largest in the game's history. No one has won the top Power Ball prize since December. And while no one hit the jackpot, there are 44 tickets worth $50,000 out there. That's nice.

HILL: I would take that.

BERMAN: Yes. Again, I'm on the Christine Romans team --

HILL: I know you are. Yes. BERMAN: That the lottery is a really bad investment.

HILL: Yes.

BERMAN: And I am guaranteeing that you will not win.

HILL: I think there's a strong chance that I won't. But, you know what, there's still a chance I might.

BERMAN: No, there's not.

HILL: Yes. OK. Well, you won't be getting any of it.

Taking swift action in New Zealand, what the country is doing to prevent another mass shooting, and what America could perhaps learn from their discussions and that action.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:58:17] HILL: President Trump's attacks on the late Senator John McCain drawing the ire of comics. Here's a look at your "Late Night Laughs."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES CORDEN, HOST, "THE LATE LATE SHOW WITH HAMES CORDEN": Trump just completely ignored the rule don't speak ill of the dead, and the other rule that the guest of honor at a funeral will not be sending you a fruit basket. And in the McCain family's defense, Hallmark has a very limited offering of thank you for the funeral cards.

TREVOR NOAH, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW WITH TREVOR NOAH": I really can't believe Trump is beefing with a dead man, and losing. Like, I mean, who's he going to go after next? Albert Einstein, big dummy. How can e equal mc? They're different letters. It doesn't work, folks.

STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT": As "Politico" put it, neither Mueller nor his Justice Department supervisors have said anything official about the conclusion of the special counsel's investigation. But the clues continue to pile up that at least the most high profile parts of Mueller's work are done. It's like we're three quarters of the way through a Scooby-doo episode. Just pull the mask off the monster, OK. We know it's old man Trump. I would have gotten away with it too if I wasn't totally guilty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: And the meddling kids.

HILL: The -- it's always the meddling kids.

BERMAN: Colbert left out the meddling kids.

All right, thank you to our international viewers for watching. For our CNN "TALK" is next. For our U.S. viewers, we have breaking news on the issue of gun violence prevention. NEW DAY continues right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: New Zealand will ban all military-style semiautomatic weapons.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We want to assure people bring their firearms to surrender them to us.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The prime minister said there will be changes. She's putting her money where her mouth is.

[07:00:01] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I gave him the kind of funeral he wanted. I didn't get thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's disgusting behavior. He is intimidated by people whose stature he can never achieve.

END