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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
President Trump Trying To Open Backchannel To Iran; Alabama Enacts Most Restrictive Abortion Ban In U.S.; Chinese Telecom Giant Huawei Barred From U.S. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired May 16, 2019 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:30:41] CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Photos of missiles in the Persian Gulf force the U.S. to up the ante on Iran. President Trump now pursuing a backdoor to talks. We go live to Tehran.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PAT ROBERTSON, EVANGELIST: I think Alabama has gone too far.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAVE BRIGGS, CNN ANCHOR: Even televangelist Pat Robertson says a near-total ban on abortions in Alabama goes too far. The governor has signed it into law.
ROMANS: A Chinese telecom giant now barred from doing business with American firms. The move escalating tensions amid an ongoing trade war.
BRIGGS: Is a leading e-cigarette company downplaying the dangers of nicotine to minors? A new lawsuit says yes. And you might be surprised where that lawsuit comes from -- tobacco road.
Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Dave Briggs.
ROMANS: And I'm Christine Romans. It is 31 minutes past the hour this Thursday.
BRIGGS: Good morning.
ROMANS: Good morning, everyone. All right --
BRIGGS: Almost Friday, as we like to call it.
ROMANS: Almost. I know you always love the Thursday-Friday.
All right.
Breaking overnight, though, pictures of missiles in the Persian Gulf are what spurred the White House to escalate warnings about Iran. That's according to "The New York Times." The missiles were on small boats and fully assembled, raising fears they could be fired at U.S. naval ships.
As military officials struggle to show the threat from Iran was growing, intelligence officials declassified one photo carrying what was described as a functional Iranian missile. CNN was first to report last week that Iran moving short-range missiles was one of the reasons the U.S. decided to move an aircraft carrier strike group into the region.
BRIGGS: And now, after aggressive posturing toward Iran, President Trump wants to lower the temperature by speaking to the Iranians.
The president will meet today with the president of the Swiss Federation. Last week, CNN reported that the White House passed along a phone number to the Swiss in case Iranian leaders wanted to call the president. A source tells us today's meeting with the Swiss is an effort to move that along.
Fred Pleitgen live now in Tehran. Fred, should the president be waiting by the phone?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: No, probably not.
Iran's supreme leader, Dave -- he came out and said -- not so long ago -- and he said, look, at this point in time, absolutely no negotiations with the United States. He said America is engulfed in what he calls a policy of coercion towards Iran, as he puts it, trying to bring Iran to its knees. The supreme leader saying that under these circumstances, Iran absolutely not willing to negotiate with the U.S.
Now, it's interesting because the country's president, Hassan Rouhani -- he took those comments that President Trump made about leaving that phone number with the Swiss and he said look, the Iranians have all the phone numbers that they need and if they want to talk to the U.S. it simply isn't going to happen at this point in time.
One of the interesting things that we've learned is that the Iranians actually say a precondition for them wanting to talk -- or would -- or talking to the United States would be America going back into the nuclear agreement that, of course, the Trump administration went out of. Of course, the chances of that happening very, very slim, at least at this point in time.
Meanwhile, the head of Iran's elite Revolutionary Guard Corps -- he came out late last night and he said right now, Iran is at the height of its confrontation with the United States. He says he believes that the U.S. is trying to bring Iran to its knees and that this is a key moment for the Islamic Revolution, as he said.
At the same time, of course, President Trump, we've learned, not very happy with some of his advisers. Apparently, he thinks that they are moving too quickly and too forcefully into what could be an armed confrontation between the U.S. and Iran.
Of course, one of the things that President Trump has said that he wanted to do -- well, that's really a bedrock of one his policies -- he said is to keep America out of costly wars in the Middle East. Right now it seems as though America might be steering towards one.
At the same time, also a bit of a problem between the U.S. and some of its allies. The Brits sticking by one of their generals who said at this point in time that there are no increased military movement by Iranian militias. The U.S., of course, saying that is not true, Dave.
BRIGGS: OK. Fred Pleitgen live for us in Tehran with all those developments. Thank you, sir.
ROMANS: All right. Joining us here -- excuse me -- Princeton University historian and professor Julian Zelizer, a CNN political analyst. Good morning, Julian.
JULIAN ZELIZER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST, HISTORIAN AND PROFESSOR, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY, CO-AUTHOR, "FAULT LINES: A HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES SINCE 1974": Good morning.
BRIGGS: Good morning.
ROMANS: You've heard that report from Tehran. You have a president who really has been vocal about withdrawing the United States from costly foreign conflicts.
BRIGGS: Yes.
ROMANS: And he's frustrated with his advisers around him who he thinks are itching for confrontation.
[05:35:00] ZELIZER: Yes. The president is clearly worried about getting caught up in his own Iraq and he doesn't want that to happen. But he has members of the administration -- including John Bolton, the national security adviser -- who are pushing that way.
So the question is do events overtake Trump's own instincts and does he almost get checked into a place where there's no other option in his mind other than using military force.
ROMANS: It's so dangerous. There's so much that can go wrong.
BRIGGS: Yes.
ROMANS: There's so much that can go wrong there.
BRIGGS: And, John Bolton has long advocated for regime change there.
ZELIZER: Yes.
BRIGGS: But let's move to politics here and 2020, and Kamala Harris hitting Joe Biden, in particular, on the '94 crime bill. But also, said something interesting about all these questions about will there be a woman on the ticket -- flipped that and said well, maybe Biden's below me on the ticket -- listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think that Joe Biden would be a great running mate as vice president. He's proven that he knows how to do the job.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: I keep getting asked this question. I mean, the reporters ask me --
BRIGGS: Yes --
ROMANS: -- over and over again.
BRIGGS: -- over and over again.
But, context here -- a new Pennsylvania poll shows Joe Biden well ahead of Donald Trump in the key state of Pennsylvania. Bernie Sanders also leading President Trump there by seven. Harris would draw even in this very poll.
Serious question, though. Would Joe Biden be willing to be V.P. again, in your estimation, should Kamala Harris surge to the top of the field?
ZELIZER: Sure, I think he might. I think he likes being part of the mix.
But I think Harris is getting right to the heart of some of the way the campaign has been covered and the attention often --
BRIGGS: Is it sexist?
ZELIZER: -- given to the male candidates in the way the questions come to the female candidates --
ROMANS: Yes.
ZELIZER: -- and she's getting right to the heart of it.
We haven't had a primary, we haven't had a caucus -- this is all early polling -- so she's raising a fair question. Why are these assumptions being made early on, especially when the polling in Pennsylvania shows Elizabeth Warren also defeats him? So it's a wide- open race right now.
ROMANS: I think Joe Biden wants to be president. I think he doesn't want to be vice president again.
ZELIZER: Yes.
ROMANS: He's running because he wants to lead the country.
BRIGGS: I can't imagine he would even take that -- just my instinct.
ROMANS: Let's talk about immigration because we know that there will be an outline -- and we have some broad brushstrokes of what the president's son-in-law Jared Kushner has put together on immigration.
What we're hearing from Republicans who've been briefed on this is that they are underwhelmed. It stays away from the stuff that's really difficult -- DACA, guest worker programs, family separations at the border, the 11 million people in the country here illegally.
If they can't get the Republicans on board, how much work do we still have to do on this?
ZELIZER: Yes, they're not going to get anywhere. It's a 'dead on arrival' bill because these are the issues that keep subverting any effort for immigration reform for two decades now.
It's not clear House Republicans are going to go along with anything that doesn't severely reduce immigration. And so leaving this off the table --
ROMANS: Right.
ZELIZER: -- isn't as if people forget what the major issues are. So I think this is a lot about politics.
BRIGGS: Yes.
ZELIZER: An effort to show the administration is working on some kind of deal. But you're going to see the anti-immigration rhetoric heat up very quickly from the president --
BRIGGS: Yes.
ZELIZER: -- so I don't think this is going anywhere.
BRIGGS: Yes, Lindsey Graham with his own plan. It's kind of like a White House budget where it's priorities rather than --
ZELIZER: That's exactly right.
BRIGGS: -- actual legislation.
All right, stick around. We want to get to the story on Alabama and then bring you back in --
ROMANS: Yes.
BRIGGS: -- related to abortion.
ROMANS: So, one day after 25 men voted in favor of the nation's most restrictive abortion ban, the female governor of Alabama, Kay Ivey -- she has signed it into law.
There are only exceptions in cases where the mother's life is threatened. There is no exception for rape or incest. Any doctor who performs an abortion faces up to 99 years in prison.
BRIGGS: Even some conservatives say the law is too extreme.
Here's televangelist Pat Robertson on the Christian Broadcasting Network.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERTSON: I think Alabama has gone too far. There's no exception for rape or incest.
It's an extreme law and they want to challenge Roe versus Wade. But my humble view is that this is not the case we want to bring to the Supreme Court because I think this one will lose.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: Now, the law won't go on the books for six months. The ACLU and Planned Parenthood are planning to file a lawsuit to block it.
Alabama one of 16 states to introduce or pass restrictive abortion bills this year.
We're bringing back in Julian Zelizer to talk about the politics of this.
I think he's right on the legality of it because the Supreme Court wants maybe a more gradual approach, if they even touch it. They don't even have to touch this bill if the lower court strike it down.
But what do you think the 2020 politics of this are because President Trump was all in on abortion, and Virginia and New York are moving far to the left? Now, it's swinging wildly to the right. How might this impact the election?
ZELIZER: I think this could be one of the biggest stories of the last few months. I think this is a radical decision -- a radical-right decision -- and it's going to mobilize many voters, including the same female suburban-educated voters who are at the core of the 2018 election.
This is a visceral decision that really shows what it means to have Republicans in power and I think it could really undercut the Republican case in 2020 more than anything I've seen recently.
[05:40:03] BRIGGS: Yes, the mid-terms swung wildly because suburban women turned out to vote for Democrats. Might they do this again?
You talked about the 25 men. Well, when you add in the House in Alabama, 92 men voted for this bill; only six women. Not good optically.
It will be interesting. Stay tuned on 2020.
ROMANS: Thank you.
ZELIZER: Thank you.
ROMANS: All right, to business now. A delay in tariffs against the European Union as the trade war with China leads to fallout for farmers. President Trump was facing a Saturday deadline to decide whether to
hike tariffs on cars coming in from Europe -- to hike them to 25 percent. That move would have alienated European allies and devastated global supply chains.
And now, the president plans to delay by six months in order to negotiate with the E.U. and Japan. This is according to a person familiar with the situation. Delaying those auto tariffs is key and shows how sensitive the markets are to trade risks.
But the president's trade hawks around him have been consistent for months. When you break down the U.S. trade deficit by country, half of the overall U.S. goods deficit is with one country -- China. When you break it down by category, half the trade deficit is one item -- the car category, right?
As the president delays one tariff, a tit-for-tat, though, with China is hurting farmers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTOPHER GIBBS, OHIO FARMER: We're in a freefall out here in agriculture. We've seen a 30 percent decrease in the prices of soybeans. The geopolitical turmoil that the president has thrown into the mix over the last year -- the markets just don't have anywhere to go.
EVAN HULTINE, PRESIDENT, BUREAU COUNTY FARM BUREAU: Are fourth- generation farms going to still be feasible two years from now, five years from now if the president doesn't wrap up these trade wars with a win? And so there's all these pressures weighing in on us.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: We are on track for the worst conditions for America farmers since the 1980s farm crisis.
BRIGGS: On the same day he delayed the auto tariffs, President Trump signed an executive order banning American companies from using telecom equipment deemed to be a national security threat.
The White House initially declined to identify China and Huawei as the intended target, but shortly after the order was issued the Commerce Department formally added Huawei to the list of companies affected.
Huawei warns if it's restricted from doing business in America, the U.S. will be left behind in the 5G race.
ROMANS: All right.
The message from the White House, no do-overs and no documents. The Trump administration flatly rejecting all requests by the House Judiciary Committee in its sweeping investigation of possible obstruction by the president.
White House counsel Pat Cipollone accusing the committee of trying to conduct its own version of the special counsel investigation in order to harass President Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JERRY NADLER (D-NY): The implication to what they're doing would make the president a tyrant in the sense of not being accountable to the American people, not being answerable to Congress, and that no one could hold him accountable. And that is simply un-American and we cannot abide it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: Judiciary chairman Jerry Nadler and other House Democratic leaders now raising the prospect of holding administration officials in contempt. That served as a backdrop for an awkward exchange yesterday between Attorney General Barr and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
They crossed paths at the Capitol Wednesday. Barr asked the speaker if she brought her handcuffs. Pelosi responded the House sergeant at arms was present should an arrest be necessary. Barr chuckled and walked away.
ROMANS: All right, so is it funny or is it --
BRIGGS: Wow.
ROMANS: -- mocking contempt? What's so funny about contempt?
BRIGGS: Not much. I would have loved to have heard the audio --
ROMANS: Yes.
BRIGGS: -- and seen the faces as that happened.
ROMANS: All right. Two students get the boot from Georgetown over connections to the college admissions scandal. Now, one of the students whose dad paid to get him in school is suing to stay.
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[05:48:04] BRIGGS: The maker of popular e-cigarette Juul is accused of deceptive advertising aimed at teens -- ads that are said to lie about the dangers of nicotine.
North Carolina's attorney general filing a lawsuit Wednesday against Juul Labs claiming thousands of kids in the state are at risk of addiction to nicotine. It's the first time a state has taken legal action over the company's alleged marketing toward teens.
The suit claims Juul's 75 percent market hold on e-cigarettes is primarily driven by middle and high school students.
A charter helicopter pilot lucky to survive a harrowing crash into New York's Hudson River. Fire officials say the 34-year-old pilot was moving his empty chopper from a fueling station to the passenger area of a heliport when he ran into some trouble. You can see the aircraft spin into the water there.
The pilot deployed the helicopter's flotation device, climbed out the aircraft, and was picked up by a nearby ferry. His only injuries were to his hand and -- well, his pride.
ROMANS: All right, let's get a check on "CNN Business" this morning.
Markets around the world are mixed. On Wall Street, futures are searching for direction this morning, barely moving.
You know, they closed higher Wednesday after reports the president would delay his decision to raise tariffs on auto imports. He put that off for six more months. The deadline was Saturday.
The Dow closed up 116 points. The S&P 500 finished about six-tenths of a percent higher. The Nasdaq closed up 1.1. percent.
You know, Boeing was big gainer Wednesday after reports the FAA will submit a software fix for the 737 MAX soon.
All right.
The Internet has revolutionized real estate and you can find homes online. You can research your own home purchase. So why are real estate agents still getting their full six percent commissions?
A new set of lawsuits wants to change that. For decades, the system allowed homebuyers to believe the seller covers the agent's cost and the consumer doesn't have a choice. Now, a trio of lawsuits is challenging that.
[05:50:01] Five law firms allege that high commissions were a result of collusion between the National Association of Realtors and the nation's largest brokerage franchises. That's in violation of federal antitrust laws.
An NRA spokesman says the suit is utterly without merit and the current system promotes efficiency and helps advance the best interests of all clients.
All right, are you looking for an internship this summer? You may want to check out Facebook. Despite all of its scandals, Facebook is still the top spot for high-paying internships.
A Glassdoor survey found Facebook offers an average monthly of $8,000 a month. That is the equivalent of $96,000 a year.
Tech companies accounted for 44 percent of all employers on Glassdoor's list. Amazon came in second, with Salesforce, Google, and Microsoft.
BRIGGS: That is $96,000 more than I ever made on an internship.
ROMANS: I hope you know how to code. Software engineering is needed here.
We'll be right back.
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[05:55:21] ROMANS: The Trump administration is refusing to back an effort led by New Zealand to combat online extremism. Eighteen governments and five U.S. tech giants support the measure. It's a response to the livestream shootings at two Christ Church mosques that killed 51 people.
White House officials claim free speech concerns prevented the White House from getting on board.
The New Zealand initiative was non-binding but it reflected the global frustration with Facebook, Google, and Twitter for their inability to restrain hateful content that leads to violence.
BRIGGS: Family and friends remembering the Colorado teenager killed while lunging to stop one of the gunmen at STEM School in Colorado. Thousands gathered in Highlands Ranch to celebrate the life of Kendrick Castillo. They were surrounded by robots, a kayak, and some of Castillo's other favorite things.
Speakers paid tribute to his sacrifice.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAKOTA MANN, CLASSMATE OF KENDRICK CASTILLO: He died for us. Now, it's time for us to live for him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: Eighteen-year-old Castillo also loved Jeeps, so a local enthusiast group arranged to escort his family to the service with those dozens and dozens of Jeeps lining the left side of the road there.
ROMANS: Wow.
BRIGGS: What a gesture.
ROMANS: All right.
Ford is recalling another 270,000 Fusion vehicles to fix a glitch that can cause cars to shift gears and roll away. The expanded recall covers certain 2013 through 2016 Fusion mid-size cars with 2.5-liter engines.
Last year, the company recalled 550,000 Fusions and Escape SUVs for this same problem.
Engineers, we're told, are developing a fix. Until then, Ford -- real important here. Ford is urging drivers to always use the parking brake.
BRIGGS: Georgetown University plans to rescind the admission of two students for their alleged involvement in the college admissions scandal.
The announcement coming just hours after one of the students filed a lawsuit against the school, aiming to stop his dismissal. That student, Adam Semprevivo, wants to keep the credits he says he earned so he can transfer to a new college.
His father, Stephen Semprevivo, pleaded guilty last week to paying $400,000 to get his son into Georgetown under the pretense he was a tennis recruit.
ROMANS: All right.
For anyone with a fear of heights, this might be your worst nightmare. Window washers trapped in a lift basket swinging out of control, crashing into the side of the tallest building in Oklahoma City. This is about 50 stories up. The impact hard enough to break windows at the very top of the Devon Tower.
It took 45 minutes for emergency crews to secure the lift and get the two workers to safety.
BRIGGS: Wow.
Will you pay $91 million for this -- a stainless steel sculpture by artist Jeff Koons called "Rabbit"? It just set the new record for a living artist in an auction.
Bidding for the 3-foot creature started at $40 million but a number of bidders chased it, smashing estimates. The winning bid was $80 million. Auctioneers' fees bumped it up to $91 million.
The winning bidder, Robert Mnuchin. He's the father of Treasury Sec. Steven Mnuchin.
ROMANS: And an avid, avid collector.
All right. For the first time in Hershey's 125-year history, its iconic chocolate bear is getting a -- chocolate bar, rather, is getting a makeover. It's like, what bear?
The new packaging will sport a variety of emojis -- thumbs up, sad face, face blowing a kiss, face with tears of joy -- more than two dozen in all.
It's a big change, for sure, but the emoji redesign, it's not permanent. The new bars will be on sale for a limited time beginning this summer.
BRIGGS: What's your emoji for right now?
ROMANS: For right now?
BRIGGS: Is there a hungry emoji?
ROMANS: I'm always hungry. I'm actually always hungry.
BRIGGS: We need a hungry -- there must be a hungry emoji.
ROMANS: Have a great rest of your day. A wonderful breakfast, everybody.
BRIGGS: Yes.
ROMANS: Thanks for joining us. I'm Christine Romans.
BRIGGS: I'm Dave Briggs. Here's "NEW DAY." We'll see you tomorrow.
ROMANS: I am always hungry.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: President Trump pursuing a backdoor channel to negotiate with Iran's leader.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If they do anything, they will suffer greatly.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would like to see this intelligence the administration keeps talking about and they just need to show members of Congress.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The nation's most restrictive abortion bill now the nation's most restrictive abortion law.
RICK SANTORUM, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: You're killing a human being. It's the fact. It's wrong.
KIRSTEN GILLIBRAND (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is an all-out assault. State after state, they want to get something to the Supreme Court.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Alisyn Camerota and John Berman.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is NEW DAY. It's Thursday, May 16th, 6:00 here in New York.
We do have breaking news. New details emerging overnight about why some corners of the Trump administration are singing the alarm bells on Iran. Officials are telling "The New York Times" there are photos of Iranian paramilitary forces loading.
END
