Return to Transcripts main page

Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Decision Day on Mexican Tariffs; Biden No Longer Supports Hyde Amendment; Vacation Resort Mystery; Fallen from the Sky; St. Louis Blues One Win Away From Stanley Cup. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired June 07, 2019 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:00] CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: That's a different of more than 30 grand and a college degree is still a good investment. A college degree has 14 percent average return on investment, really important in this world of student loan debt. Incredibly important not to take on too much debt that you can pay back.

Consider this: you can afford to pay back about as much debt as you think you're going to earn in your first year out of school. So, if you think that maybe you have an engineering degree where you're going to earn 50 or 60, fine.

DAVE BRIGGS, CNN ANCHOR: Fine. If you're a journalist --

ROMANS: If you're a music major, you can't have $60,000 in debt or you will be one of those statistics.

BRIGGS: That is a massive problem in this country, student debt.

EARLY START continues right now with the latest on the Mexican tariffs.

(MUSIC)

BRIGGS: Mexico says it will send 6,000 troops to its border with Guatemala to curb migration. Will that keep President Trump from imposing tariffs?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I make no apologies for my last position and I make no apologies for what I'm about to say.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Democratic front-runner Joe Biden flip-flops on federal funds for abortion.

BRIGGS: A Colorado couple says they became violently sick at the same Dominican resort where three American mysteriously died on vacation.

ROMANS: Plus, how did an airplane door fall from the sky right into a Las Vegas neighborhood? That's a surprise. Good thing it didn't hit anybody. Good morning, and welcome to EARLY START, everyone. I'm Christine

Romans.

BRIGGS: Good morning. Good morning to all of you. I'm Dave Briggs, Friday, finally Friday, June 7th, 5:00 a.m. in the East.

We start with the deadline. It's today for President Trump to decide whether to impose tariffs on goods from Mexico.

Here now a live picture of the president's golf club in Ireland where he starts had his day.

ROMANS: Is that a good golf day.

BRIGGS: Yes, that looks like a solid golf day if you ask me.

The president must set the wheels in motion to carry out his threat to impose an initial 5 percent tariffs starting Monday, unless Mexico stems the flow of migrants at the southern border. Both sides they believe there is still a chance at a deal to avert the tariffs.

Vice President Mike Pence underscored the U.S. demand that Mexico must first stop the tide of migrants.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE PENCE, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The bottom line is we made it very clear that Mexico has to step up. They have to do more and they have to do more quickly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Mexico's foreign minister announcing last night that his country is deploying 6,000 Mexican National Guard troops to the country's southern border with Guatemala to help curb migration.

Earlier, the foreign minister said he is optimistic a deal can be made with the U.S. in time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCELO EBRARD, MEXICAN FOREIGN MINISTER: We are optimistic because we have a good meeting with respectable -- respectful position from both parts. We have -- we have the opportunity -- we have the opportunity to share our point of view.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: President Trump believes tariffs are a win-win for the United States, telling Fox's Laura Ingraham they're, quote, "a beautiful thing."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Republicans should love what I'm doing because I view tariffs in two phases. Number one, it's great to negotiate with because people don't want to

be tariffed for coming into the United States. They don't want that.

And number two, frankly, they're going to make a fortune because all the companies are going to move back into the country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The president said lawmakers, including Republicans, should be ashamed of themselves for not standing solidly behind him on tariffs.

Talks between the U.S. and Mexico resume in Washington later this morning.

BRIGGS: A 180 from Joe Biden on the Hyde Amendment. The former vice president and Democratic front runner reversing a long held position on abortion funding in the space of a single day. He now says he no longer supports the measure and wants it eliminated. The Hyde Amendment blocks federal funds from being used for most abortions.

More now from CNN's Arlette Saenz in Atlanta.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Christine and Dave, after he had faced swift criticism from his 2020 rivals, Joe Biden made a major reversal when it comes to abortion. He told a group of Democrats here in Atlanta that he no longer supports the Hyde Amendment, which prohibits the use of federal funds for abortions in most cases except for rape, incest and saving the life of the mother.

Now, take a listen to what Biden had to tell Democrats in Atlanta last night.

BIDEN: I can't justify leaving millions of women without access to the care they need and the ability to exercise their constitutionally protected right. If I believe health care is a right, as I do, I can no longer support an amendment that makes that right dependent on someone's zip code.

SAENZ: Now this was a very quick reversal. You had basically seen the entire Democratic field criticize Biden for the fact that he supported this Hyde Amendment. That was really the first major fault line you had seen between the former vice president and his 2020 rivals. But, now, Biden issuing that major reversal saying that he does support ending the Hyde Amendment -- Christine and Dave.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[05:05:01] ROMANS: A candidate's views on abortion are becoming more critical to a growing number of voters. Take a look at this CNN poll, three in ten Americans say a candidate must agree with their views on abortion to win their vote in a major election. All the way back in 2004, it was only 17 percent of voters felt that way. BRIGGS: House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler is privately pushing

for an impeachment inquiry into President Trump but he's drawing resistance from Nancy Pelosi. According to "Politico", Democrats held a meeting where the House speaker argued she would rather see the president in prison than impeached.

CNN's Manu Raju has more from Capitol Hill.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine and Dave.

Now, a split between the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee over whether or not to open up an impeachment probe. Jerry Nadler, the chairman of that committee, says they should and he's been making this care privately to Nancy Pelosi on multiple occasions.

Pelosi says no. She believes that's the wrong approach. She supports a current plan which does not go down this route.

She also believes that moving to vote to impeach the president ultimately would be fruitless and help him -- Trump -- essentially be reelected because the Senate would not convict this president, and the president could essentially say he's been exonerated. She does not want to go down that path.

Nevertheless, Jerry Nadler is pressing on. I am told behind closed doors he's made the case on multiple occasions to the speaker only to get rebuffed, including at a meeting earlier this week when he told the speaker very clearly that moving forward with an impeachment inquiry could add weight to the legal case in court.

The cases involving the fight between the House Democrats and the Trump administration over the subpoenas that they are demanding for information -- subpoenas that the White House is not complying with -- he thinks they could win those cases.

Also, he believes it would be important to centralize all the investigations that are happening in the House. He says they should all happen under his committee, particularly the investigations involving potential crimes involving this president.

Now, there is pushback, not just from Pelosi but also Adam Schiff, the House Intelligence Committee chairman who, himself, is looking into different aspects of the president's conduct while in office.

But nevertheless, the Judiciary chairman is facing pressure from his own members in the House Judiciary Committee who want to move forward with an impeachment probe who are growing very frustrated at the defiance from this administration. And this tension and division only bound to intensify in the weeks ahead, particularly if the administration does not comply with their demands -- Christine and Dave.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRIGGS: All right. Manu Raju on Capitol Hill, thanks.

The president lashing out on Nancy Pelosi for that prison comment. Here's President Trump at a Fox News interview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I think she's a disgrace. I actually don't think she's a talented person.

I've tried to be nice to her because I would have liked to have gotten some deals done. She's incapable of doing deals. She's a nasty, vindictive, horrible person.

The Mueller report came out. It was a disaster for them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: Now, the interview took place at the American cemetery at Normandy, France, in front of the graves of American soldiers who lost their lives in World War II.

After several days, President Trump has designed the $19.1 billion disaster relief package as promised, tweeting a photo that appears to have been taken on Air Force One. The measure will bring much needed relief to Americans affected by hurricanes, floods, wildfires and other disaster. Several House Republicans held up passage of the bill last month after the Senate passed it.

ROMANS: All right. To the market now, and the economy, 103 straight months of job creation in the U.S., and that streak has not ended yet, and we don't expect it to this month. Economists polled by Refinitiv estimates 185,000 jobs were added in May. April was also a strong month, 263,000 jobs then.

One worrying sign: this month's report from the payroll processer, ADP. Now, ADP found the private sector in May added only 27,000 jobs. That would be this much. Not many and steep loss in construction. That caused some forecasters to lower their expectations for the Labor Department's report.

So, watch this space.

They also expect the unemployment rate overall, the economists do, hold steady at 3.6 percent. This is a generational law. And to put it in perspective, according to the Labor Department, there are more open jobs in America than there are people looking for jobs and that's been the case since February 2018. Wage growth is expected to come in at 3.2 percent. That would be the 8th month above 3 percent pay growth and that would be a solid improvement. You want to see those paychecks getting a little bit richer.

So, what's happening in the markets right now. I would call this small gains, some stability here in the markets after six weeks of lower progress for the Dow futures. Overall, world markets ended the week, Asian markets mixed and London still open.

[05:10:01] Those are gains there overall.

Opening bell rings in just over four hours. We'll have that really important jobs report to consider for the end of the weekday.

BRIGGS: A hundred eighty-five thousand jobs expected, created, does that suggest businesses are not concerned about the tariffs with Mexico?

ROMANS: I think the tariff concerns are going to be a lagging indicator, meaning right now companies are doing whatever they can to try to get past this, hoping this is all just negotiation, that this is going to reverse itself. You're not going to have a years long trade war.

If we see a smaller number, you think that's going to be the business uncertainty. At some point, that business uncertainty is going to be a problem.

BRIGGS: Starting to bake in the higher costs.

ROMANS: Yes.

BRIGGS: All right. Romans, thank you.

Ahead, a Colorado couple says they got sick at that same Dominican resort where three Americans were recently found dead. You'll hear from them next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:15:23] ROMANS: New developments in the investigation of three unexplained American deaths at a Dominican Republic resort. A Colorado couple who stayed at the same facility in La Romano last year claims they became violently ill once they arrived. Kaylynn Knull and her boyfriend Tom Schwander are suing the owners of the Grand Bahia Principe Resort. Now, they believe they were exposed to pesticides in the air-conditioning system.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAYLYNN KNULL, AMERICAN TOURIST WHO BECAME ILL AT DOMINICAN RESORT: It's too coincidental with the symptoms that we had for me to even begin to stay quiet about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: Meanwhile, autopsy reports are in for the three Americans who died at the resort, all three had fluid in their lungs.

Rosa Flores with more from the Dominican.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Dave, Christine, there are new developments into the mysterious deaths of the three Americans who died in the Dominican Republic. This is according to the Attorney General's Office, who released preliminary autopsy results.

According to the A.G., Miranda Schaup-Werner had a heart attack.

The Maryland couple, Nathaniel Edward Holmes and Cynthia Ann Day, had internal bleeding of the pancreas and fluid in the lungs.

Now, all of this is dependent upon toxicology reports, so official cause of death has not been determined yet. Now, the A.G. also mentions medications that were found inside the couple's room.

And here's another development. The FBI is assisting with the investigation. This is according to a State Department official who says that local police asked the FBI to assist with the toxicology reports.

And then, of course, there is an FBI attache here in this country that is helping with that.

And finally, health inspectors went into the resort that you see behind me to conduct a health inspection and the results of that inspection are expected Friday or Monday -- Dave, Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRIGGS: Rosa Flores there, thanks.

One person is dead following flash flooding in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The victim identified as 37-year-old William Jackson drowned while trying to escape his stranded vehicle.

Meantime, a dangerous water rescue also happening in Baton Rouge. Look at that. First responders rushing to save this person from a sinking car. Luckily the driver is OK.

ROMANS: Wow, that's something.

All right. Residents in a Las Vegas neighborhood receiving an unwelcome surprise. An airplane door falling from the sky, hitting a building, and ending up in someone's front yard. It happened yesterday afternoon. Officials say an access panel fell off an a 4 military plane shortly after it took off from nearby Nellis Air Force Base on a routine training mission.

Thankfully, no one was hurt, the FAA and Las Vegas police are investigating.

BRIGGS: All right. Ahead, the St. Louis Blues on the verge of hockey history after beating the Bruins.

Andy Scholes with that story in the "Bleacher Report", next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:23:13] BRIGGS: All right. The St. Louis Blues are now one win away from claiming their first ever Stanley Cup. They beat the Bruins in game five.

Andy Scholes here with the "Bleacher Report".

Good to see you, my friend.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Good to see you, too, Dave.

You know, Boston fans not happy with the officials after this one, and Bruins head coach, Bruce Cassidy, he said after the game, the missed call that led to the Blues second goal was egregious and he added the officiating the series has been a black eye in the National Hockey League.

And the play that got Boston fans all up in arms is right here with Tyler Bozak blatantly trips. The refs didn't call anything, and the Blues ended up scoring on the play. He hit his head on the ice. He had to leave the game, and enter NHL concussion protocol, and bruins president was so mad, he got up and threw his water bottle against the wall. That goal was end up deciding the game. Blues win 2-1, they take a 3 2 lead in the series.

All right. The NBA announcing it has banned the Warriors minority investor Mark Stevens for one year and fined him a half million dollars for shoving and cursing at Kyle Lowry when he went into the stands during a loose ball during game three of the NBA final.

Now, LeBron James in a lengthy Instagram post had called for the league to take swift action to protect the players and Lowry called for Stevens to be banned for life.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KYLE LOWRY, TORONTO RAPTORS GUARD: A guy like that shouldn't be a part of our league. I'm being honest with you. That's my personal opinion. That's just how I feel.

STEVE KERR, GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS COACH: I will also personally apologize to Kyle and to the Raptors. That's unacceptable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Stevens meanwhile released a statement last night reading in part: What I did was wrong. There's no excuse for it.

He went on to say: I made a mistake and I'm truly sorry, I need to be better and look forward to making it right.

[05:25:04] Game four tonight in Oakland, tip-off set for a little after 9:00 Eastern.

All right. Finally, it's almost becoming an annual tradition, New England Patriots getting their Super Bowl Championship rings at a party at owner Robert Kraft's house last night. This year's ring is the biggest ever, and Tom Brady now can't fit all of those rings on one hand. He's got to split them up. He's got six now. Put them on two different hands.

And Brady joining in on the beer chugging challenge going on around the NFL now. Crushing his 300 pound center David Andrews chugging that beer.

So, I mean, Dave, is there anything Tom Brady is not the best at? That is the question right now.

BRIGGS: Take that, Aaron Rodgers.

But, you know, Romans brought up a good point. I'm surprised Tom Brady would chug a beer, he doesn't even eat strawberries. That's allowed?

SCHOLES: Everybody takes a day off, right, you know?

BRIGGS: Not Tom. TB 12 diet includes chugging beers. I'm glad to hear that.

Andy, thank you.

SCHOLES: All right.

BRIGGS: Romans, terrific point.

ROMANS: That guy wants to play football forever. I'm surprised he'd do anything negative to that temple.

BRIGGS: I'm impressed he chugged it.

ROMANS: Yes, right. Let's have right after this show.

Twenty-six minutes past the hour. President Trump could sign the order to slap tariffs on Mexico. Today, the latest on negotiations to stop that, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END