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Brexit Negotiations Heat Up as Theresa May Leadership Falters; Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris and Pete Buttigieg Report Large 2020 Fundraising in First Quarter; Chicago to Elect First African American Female Mayor Today; Security Clearance Whistleblower Testifying Before House Oversight Committee Today; University of North Carolina Women's Basketball Coaching Staff on Administrative Leave. Aired 10:30-11a ET
Aired April 02, 2019 - 10:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN, the most trusted name in news.
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: So if you think U.S. politics are nuts, just take a gaze across the Atlantic.
POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR, NEWSROOM: This is true.
SCIUTTO: Just 10 days ago, hope of Britain leaving the E.U. in some sort of orderly fashion with a plan, a vote in parliament, et cetera, fading fast. The U.K. parliament rejected four different alternatives to Prime Minister Theresa May's unpopular Brexit plan, leaving a lot of questions.
HARLOW: So many questions and so many global implications here. Now, Theresa May is holding a marathon five-hour-long cabinet meeting, trying to once again broker a Brexit deal with the deadline looming. How did we get here? Our Matthew Chance reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Welcome to a disunited kingdom.
THERESA MAY, PRIME MINISTER OF THE UNITED KINGDOM: This house has indulged itself on Europe for too long.
CHANCE (voice-over): This government, barely capable of governing.
JOHN BERCOW, UNITED KINGDOM SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS: : Order, order, order. There's a lot of very noisy barracking. Order, order. Order.
CHANCE (voice-over): Its lawmakers needing police protection from public rage.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fascist. (inaudible) you're a fascist.
CHANCE (voice-over): Britain's meant to be one of the richest, most stable countries in the world. Instead, its military's on standby while its people stockpile food and medicine.
BERCOW: Order. Mr...
CHANCE (voice-over): Inside the mother of parliaments, even at the best of times, it's divided and rowdy.
BERCOW: Don't tell me what the procedures of this House are.
CHANCE (voice-over): These are the worst of times. And the British parliamentary system looks paralyzed and chaotic.
BERCOW: The ayes to the right, 286. The nos to the left, 344. So the nos have it. The no's have it. Unlock.
CHANCE (voice-over): Recent weeks have seen a British government's biggest ever defeat, its Brexit plan rejected three times so far. There's now talk of a desperate fourth try to get it passed.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN ANCHOR, QUEST MEANS BUSINESS: The people have spoken. The majesty of --
(CROSSTALK)
CHANCE (voice-over): it was the shock result of the 2016 Brexit referendum that plunged Britain into such a terrible mess.
QUEST: -- the British people have voted to leave the European Union.
CHANCE (voice-over): The then-Prime Minister David Cameron who'd argued to stay in Europe, promptly quit.
DAVID CAMERON, FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF THE UNITED KINGDOM: -- expect (ph) to go to the palace and offer my resignation. So we'll have a new prime minister in that building behind me by Wednesday evening. Thank you very much.
CHANCE (voice-over): Infamously, Britain's national broadcaster recorded him humming as he walked away to write his memoirs.
Enter Theresa May, a new leader with a definite swing in her step and a clear idea, she said, of what Brexit really means.
MAY: Brexit means Brexit.
CHANCE (voice-over): What she didn't say is that it also meant torturous negotiations with the European Union where, at times, she seemed to struggle, not least with pesky car doors at important summits.
[10:35:05] Inevitably, talk has turned to a change in leadership.
CHANCE: -- you have (ph) ambitions for the leadership anymore?
MICHAEL GOVE, UNITED KINGDOM MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT: No.
CHANCE: A lot of (inaudible) saying you're a 10 to one favorite to be --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No presents (ph) for you, Mr. Gove.
GOVE: I don't believe in betting.
CHANCE (voice-over): Or possibly a general election, the third in four years, to break the deadlock. Prime Minister May herself has promised to step down if lawmakers would only back her Brexit deal.
She could be forced to resign anyway. Brexit may not be delivered by the end of May. But the end of May could still be delivered by Brexit.
Matthew Chance, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARLOW: Fascinating piece. Brilliant writing by Matthew there. Great opener, great closer. And this has huge implications. We'll keep a close eye on it for you.
So back here in the U.S. to our politics and the 2020 race for the White House. Does more money mean more support? Bernie Sanders' fundraising numbers just in for the first quarter. What are they? What does it all mean? Next.
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[10:40:41] HARLOW: All right. This just in. Money, money, money. We have learned how much presidential candidate Bernie Sanders hauled in the first quarter of 2019. Just over 18 million bucks. That's a big number.
CNN political commentator Karen Finney is with us. She's also former senior spokesman -- spokeswoman, excuse me -- for Hillary Clinton's --
KAREN FINNEY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: It's OK.
HARLOW: -- 2016 presidential campaign.
Good morning. How could I say that on Equal Pay Day, by the way?
FINNEY: Hey, Poppy. I know. It's OK.
HARLOW: Sorry. All right.
FINNEY: It's OK.
HARLOW: And I should note, you were a senior advisor to Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. So good morning to you.
FINNEY: Yes.
HARLOW: Let me just get your read on this headline number, $18.2 million raised by Bernie Sanders in Q1. FINNEY: That is very impressive. And the other thing I noted was
that I think they said something like 900,000 contributors, which also matters greatly. Because --
HARLOW: Yes.
FINNEY: -- you know, a couple things you want to look at, right, is the size of the number, obviously. But also the number of people who contribute and the -- the average size of the contribution. Because that tells you that Bernie, for example, can go back to these people again and again and again, to continue to raise big dollars.
HARLOW: So let's look at how this stacks up. We don't have everyone's numbers. We have Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Indiana, raking in $7 million. You have Kamala Harris, Senator Kamala Harris, $12 million. We're waiting for the other ones.
FINNEY: Yes.
HARLOW: Does it -- how much does it matter, the haul in the first quarter?
FINNEY: You know, I think it matters, quite frankly, I think probably less to most voters. But it matters to all of us who watch, pay attention and, you know, to these campaigns.
But, you know, it's one of the first indicators that we really have about the sort of energy and excitement. You know, we look at things like crowd sizes and, you know, financial contributions. And that's why I was saying, you know, also, the number of people who contribute.
Because, remember, those people who are donating money are also people -- potential voters. They're also potential volunteers. They're also people who have the potential to bring in other people in their networks.
So it matters in that it's just an early indication of the strength of a person's candidacy.
HARLOW: The fact that we have seen Pete Buttigieg raise $7 million when he's mayor of a town of about, you know, a little over 102,245, to be exact, it's the population of --
FINNEY: Yes.
HARLOW: -- South Bend, Indiana.
And the fact that before there was this CNN town hall with him three weeks ago or so, most Americans, I think it's safe to argue, didn't know who he was. What do you make of that haul? And what do you make of the headlines he's made and how he's utilized that newfound platform?
FINNEY: Well clearly, the CNN town hall is a must-do for any (ph) candidate --
(CROSSTALK)
HARLOW: Clearly every 2020 candidate --
FINNEY: -- I --
HARLOW: -- and the president, clearly, should join us.
FINNEY: You've got to do it, right?
HARLOW: Yes.
FINNEY: Now, I mean, look, this is the thing. The thing about Pete Buttigieg that is so impressive, that's exactly how the system is supposed to work, in that it's -- you know, he did the CNN town hall, which got him exposure to more people.
I was noticing that on social media, the -- his name has really risen. And the amount of activity around his name, people looking up information about him has increased.
And also, I mean, he's been doing the work. He's been -- you know, I think he's going back to New Hampshire later this week or next week, you know. And so as he travels and more people get to know him, he's really building a groundswell. And I think you see that also, frankly, with Kamala in the -- in, you know.
You know, I don't want us to discount these numbers, just given that Bernie's number is so big. Because these are impressive numbers in a short period of time, to raise that kind of money particularly given that -- I'll tell you, Poppy, when you talk to some of the larger sort of big-party donors, there's a couple of things. Some of them --
HARLOW: Yes.
FINNEY: -- are holding out to see if Vice President Biden's going to get in. And some of them have actually said they're going to hold out --
HARLOW: Right.
FINNEY: -- until after Super Tuesday because they don't want to fully engage until they know --
HARLOW: That's interesting.
FINNEY: -- have a better sense, who's going to be the person.
HARLOW: Sure. Are you going to be in it or not?
FINNEY: That's right.
HARLOW: All important points. Ms. Finney, thank you very much. Good to have you.
FINNEY: You bet. Take care, Poppy. [10:45:00] SCIUTTO: Smart stuff. Chicago showdown. Voters getting
ready to make history in the nation's third largest city. It's big history. A live report next.
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HARLOW: All right, so today's a big day and Chicago history will be made one way or another. Voters headed to the polls to elect the next mayor of Chicago. Big day.
SCIUTTO: Think what this means for residents of Chicago. Today's one-off is between Toni Preckwinkle, the president of the Cook County Board of Commissioners and Lori Lightfoot, a former federal prosecutor, there they are there.
CNN's Ryan Young is in Chicago.
Ryan, so no matter who wins tonight, the third largest city in America will be led by an African-American woman for the first time. That's a big day.
[10:50:02] RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's obviously a big deal. And a lot of people though, even -- including the people here at the polling center, are worried about low energy because last time there was a vote, there was only a 35 percent turnout.
They're sort of worried about the same thing because here today, in fact, we've gone (ph) inside and talked to certain people at certain polling (ph) centers. It's been slow so far, but they're hoping it'll pick up later. The campaigns themselves have been out at CTA stops, trying to shake hands and get the last bit of votes to come in.
But let's put this up so you understand who the people running for this is.
TEXT: Candidates in Chicago mayoral runoff: Toni Preckwinkle: Head of Cook County Board; Chairs Cook County Dem Party; Made education and a $15 minimum wage focal points of campaign. Lori Lightfoot: Former assistant U.S. attorney; Describes herself as "an out and proud black lesbian"; Made reforming police dept. a bedrock of her campaign
YOUNG: Toni Preckwinkle, she's considered the insider in this. She's the head of the Cook County board. She fought for education reforms in the city.
Lori Lightfoot is a former U.S. assistance attorney, and she calls herself a "proud black lesbian," and someone who has made police reform a huge topic of hers.
Now, anyone who comes (ph) into this city obviously understands that crime is a big issue here. Both women have decided they're going to go after this differently. Preckwinkle says she may fire the top person at the -- the police department and make some changes there.
Where Lightfoot says she wants to take an evaluation of the entire process and see how she can reform it from the inside out. She says she wants to make crime sort of a social issue in this city.
Now, all this comes, obviously, on the heels of Rahm Emmanuel, who's been the mayor for the last two terms. And he thinks he's gotten crime turned around in the city. In fact, we've seen numbers sort of dipping, getting lower and lower. The superintendent who's been in charge for about the last year and a half, Eddie Johnson, has really seen some success in turning crime down.
So anyone who comes in is going to have to deal with those positive numbers. Also you've got to think about the downtown. It's a bustling downtown. But everyone here is talking about trying to spread that growth from downtown into the outer parts of the city, especially the south and west side that have seen some difficulty over the years, getting (ph) that economic engine turning.
But when you think about this, the idea that a black female could lead this city, this is something that a lot of people dreamed about, especially with some of the insiders who were running for this job. People didn't really think we'd get down to this day, where these two women were running against each other.
It will be interesting, how this turns out. But a lot of people have been saying, with the polling numbers that look they've (ph) been pushing toward the outside or (ph) looks like she has the inside poll (ph) position for this position.
SCIUTTO: Ryan Young, thanks so much.
You know, we talk about all the game-changers in Congress.
HARLOW: Yes.
SCIUTTO: 2020, 2018 election, so many new, you know, historical moments and this is quite one, there in Chicago.
HARLOW: It's a really significant one in Chicago. We'll see where it lands tonight.
In the meantime, we are expecting an update very soon from the LAPD. That should come in less than an hour. This is all about the manhunt for the suspect in the murder of rapper Nipsey Hussle. Police are looking for this man, 29-year-old Eric Holder. Police say he is an L.A. resident with gang ties.
SCIUTTO: The alleged gunman was identified just hours after a stampede broke out at a vigil for Hussle in Los Angeles on Monday night. You can see it there, 19 people were hurt, some critically.
And still ahead, benched, the entire women's basketball coaching staff at the University of North Carolina has been placed on administrative leave. Why?
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[10:57:20] SCIUTTO: Just happening now in the House Oversight Committee, hearings about the White House security clearance process. And a whistleblower talking about two dozen clearance decisions being overruled. Have a listen to the chairman of the Oversight Committee, Elijah Cummings.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ELIJAH CUMMINGS, (D-MD), CHAIRMAN, HOUSE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE: This lady was scared. Can you hear me? She's scared. She's small in stature and she's already seen what is going on in the White House. She was scared to death. And she was afraid, sadly, of our Republican colleagues.
And she did not want -- she was -- she wanted to leave work on -- be able to leave work on Friday and not be retaliated against before she left work. And so she wanted to have a short notice for the hearing. That's what happened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: That's the woman behind the revelations that --
HARLOW: Right.
SCIUTTO: -- all these security clearance decisions were overruled because of real concerns about security threats.
HARLOW: Exactly. So subpoenas in the works on that front.
In the meantime, the University of North Carolina has put the entire coaching staff of its women's basketball team on leave, pending a review of the program. The question this morning is why. Bryn Gingras, following it for us.
So why?
BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That is the big question. She's a loved (ph) coach. Even people on campus are scratching their heads at this one.
Issues raised by student athletes and others. That's really the only explanation the University of North Carolina's athletic department is giving for why they put the entire women's basketball coaching staff on paid administrative leave.
Sylvia Hatchell, she's coached the Tarheels for 33 seasons. She's a Hall of Fame inductee. She's considered one of the most winningest coaches. And she'd led her team, this year, to the NCAA tournament.
TEXT: UNC Coach Sylvia Hatchell, what we know: Coached 44 seasons of women's basketball; Spent 33 seasons at UNC; Inducted into Women's Basketball Hall of Fame
GINGRAS: But it's unclear what happened. No one is really saying. We know an outside law firm will lead a review of the program's culture and overall experience for students. But there's really no timetable for how long this investigation will take, just a promise from UNC officials to be very prompt. All three coaches. Not just Hatchell. they're all sidelined during
this review. And she did release a statement, but it's also very vague. Let's see what it says.
TEXT: "I've had the privilege of coaching more than 200 young women during my 44 years in basketball. My goal has always been to help them become the very best people they can be, on the basketball court and in life. I love each and every one of the players I've coached and would do anything to encourage and support them. They are like family to me. I love them all."
GINGRAS: I've had the privilege of coaching more than 200 young women during my 44 years in basketball. My goal has always been to help them become the very best people they can be on the basketball court and in life. I love each and every one of the players I've coached, and would do anything to encourage and support them. They are like family to me. I love them all.
So again, it's very vague. We're not getting anything out of that statement. We're get -- not getting anything out of the university. So we're just going to have to wait and see what happened on this one.
SCIUTTO: Let's see what's (ph) behind it.
HARLOW: Everyone's got to be wondering. Is this tied to the admissions scandal.
GINGRAS: I think everyone is wondering that. Is it -- is it discipline to her players --
HARLOW: We don't know, right?
GINGRAS: -- is it something else we don't know?
SCIUTTO: Yes.
[11:00:00] GINGRAS: I mean, I think we would see it if it was tied to the scandal, but --
HARLOW: OK.
GINGRAS: -- not clear yet.
HARLOW: You'll stay on both those stories.
GINGRAS: Absolutely.
HARLOW: Thank you, Brynn. We appreciate it.
Thank you all for joining us today. I'm Poppy Harlow.
SCIUTTO: And I'm Jim Sciutto.
