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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Memphis Police And Protesters Clash; Trump Says He Would Accept Dirt On Political Rivals From Foreign Governments; Two Oil Tankers Attacked In Gulf Of Oman. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired June 13, 2019 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:30:26] CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking overnight, two dozen police officers hurt in Memphis during clashes with protesters after a deadly police shooting.
DAVE BRIGGS, CNN ANCHOR: Also breaking right now, oil prices spiking on reports that a tanker was attacked in the Middle East.
ROMANS: President Trump says if Russia or China offered damaging information about a political rival he would listen.
BRIGGS: They're singing "Gloria" in St. Louis after the Blues stun the Bruins to capture their first Stanley Cup. Congratulations, everyone, and still partying at 4:30 in the morning in St. Louis.
Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Dave Briggs.
ROMANS: And I'm Christine Romans. It is exactly 31 minutes past the hour.
Breaking overnight out of Tennessee, two dozen police officers injured in Memphis during clashes with protesters after a fatal shooting by police.
Now, police cars vandalized. There's other damage, including shattered windows at a fire station.
Memphis police say the police shooting happened after officers tried to stop a man they say was wanted on multiple warrants.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELI MCALISTER, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER, TENNESSEE BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: While attempting to stop the individual, he reportedly rammed his vehicle into the officers' vehicles multiple times before exiting with a weapon.
The officers fired, striking and killing the individual. No officers were injured.
(END VIDEO CLIP) ROMANS: City officials say then six of the two dozen officers injured later in the melee were taken to the hospital and that two journalists were injured as well.
BRIGGS: President Trump says he would not necessarily report it to the FBI if a foreign government, like Russia, approached his campaign again with damaging information about an opponent.
In an interview with George Stephanopoulos, the president disputed the idea that such an offer amounted to election interference, and he said there would not be, quote, "anything wrong with listening."
The president was asked whether Donald Trump, Jr. should have gone to the FBI when he got an e-mail offering dirt on Hillary Clinton from the Russians.
Here, now, the entire exchange with Stephanopoulos.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: OK, let's put yourself in a position. You're a congressman. Somebody comes up and says hey, I have information on your opponent.
Do you call the FBI? I don't think --
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, ABC NEWS, ANCHOR, "GOOD MORNING AMERICA": If it's coming from Russia you do.
TRUMP: I'll tell you what, I've seen a lot of things over my life. I don't think in my whole life I've ever called the FBI -- in my whole life.
I don't -- you don't call the FBI, you throw somebody out of your office. You do whatever you --
STEPHANOPOULOS: Al Gore got a stolen briefing book. He called the FBI.
TRUMP: Well, that's different -- a stolen briefing book. This isn't a stolen -- this is somebody that said we have information on your opponent. Oh, let me call the FBI.
Give me a break. Life doesn't work that way.
STEPHANOPOULOS: The FBI director says that's what should happen.
TRUMP: The FBI director is wrong.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Your campaign this time around -- if foreigners, if Russia, if China, if someone else offers you information on opponents, should they accept it or should they call the FBI?
TRUMP: I think maybe you do both. I think you might want to listen. I don't -- there's nothing wrong with listening.
If somebody called from a country -- Norway -- we have information on your opponent. Oh, I think I'd want to hear it.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Do you want that kind of interference in our elections?
TRUMP: It's not an interference. They have information. I think I'd take it. If I thought there was something wrong, I'd go, maybe, to the FBI.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: All right, one important note for context. It is a crime for a campaign to knowingly solicit or accept anything of value from foreign nationals.
That and the danger of election interference were recurring themes in the furious reaction to President Trump's comments. Many of his Democratic opponents tweeted their outrage or were asked about it by reporters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He's the commander in chief and has a duty and a responsibility to the American people to be a defender, if not the greatest defender, of our democracy. And -- but, to quite the contrary, what we hear tonight is that he is, yet again, open to the idea of working with foreign governments to undermine the integrity of our election system.
It's outrageous and it tells me the guy just can't -- doesn't understand the job and can't do it very well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: House Judiciary chairman Jerry Nadler, who is leading multiple investigations into Mr. Trump, tweeted, "It is shocking to hear the president say outright that he is willing to put himself in debt to a foreign power."
One other person who said foreign dirt should be reported to the FBI, Attorney General William Barr, last month at a Senate Judiciary hearing -- listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE): Going forward, what if a foreign adversary -- let's now say North Korea -- offers a presidential candidate dirt on a competitor in 2020, do you agree with me the campaign should immediately contact the FBI?
[05:35:00] If a foreign --
WILLIAM BARR, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: A foreign government? A foreign intelligence service?
COONS: -- intelligence service -- a representative of a foreign government -- BARR: Yes.
COONS: -- says we have dirt on your opponent --
BARR: Yes.
COONS: -- should they say, "I love it, let's meet" or should they contact the FBI?
BARR: If a foreign intelligence -- if a foreign intelligence service does, yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: Now, if he is determined to cover for the president yet again, perhaps he draws that again -- that distinction about foreign intelligence service versus a government. We shall see.
Let's talk about this with "Washington Post" White House correspondent Toluse Olorunnipa, joining us live from Washington this morning.
ROMANS: Good morning.
BRIGGS: Good to see you, sir.
TOLUSE OLORUNNIPA, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, THE WASHINGTON POST: Good morning.
BRIGGS: So look, we've heard it 17 times and it is still a stunning sound bite. It's clearly unethical, it is clearly unpatriotic, but he, again, says his FBI director is wrong.
Here's what Chris Wray said in front of Congress.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTOPHER WRAP, DIRECTOR, FBI: My view is that if any public official or member of any campaign is contacted by any nation-state or anybody acting on behalf of a nation-state about influencing or interfering with our election, then that's something that the FBI would want to know about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: So, how will, Toluse, the FBI and Congress react?
OLORUNNIPA: Well, so far, with silence, at least on the Republican side of Congress and the FBI. They have not put out any statement. They've declined to comment.
They basically tried to sweep this under the rug and not approach these explosive comments by the president where on the one hand, you have the FBI and the Intelligence Community say they're very serious about making sure that there is not foreign interference in the upcoming election -- that they're working hard on this issue. And then you have the president saying that he welcomes foreign interference.
He's saying that there's no problem with what his son did back in 2016 where he said I love it if Russia was able to bring information that was dirt on Hillary Clinton to help the Trump campaign. The president's trying to cover for his son but pinning himself squarely at odds with his own Intelligence Community, which has said pretty forcefully that if a foreign government or if a foreign individual tries to offer dirt to a political campaign that they should offer that information to the FBI.
And that's something that the president is very much opposed to his own government on -- one of several issues where we've seen the president split with his FBI and other parts of his government.
ROMANS: You know --
BRIGGS: And to your point, real quickly, about Republican reaction. I searched just about every Republican senator and congressman I could find. Not a single word of criticism yet about this stunning statement.
ROMANS: I mean, James Clapper, the former director of national intelligence, on our air last night, said he's running out of adjectives -- shocking, appalling, unpatriotic. I mean, these are all things that you're hearing critics of this president and this administration's position say.
It could be that this is a -- this is a father trying to protect his son from taking that meeting with the Russians and not alerting authorities --
BRIGGS:
ROMANS: -- and like doubling down on there.
But, let me read the FEC rule on foreign interference. There are election violations -- there are election legalities on the books here.
"Commission regulations prohibit foreign nationals from directing, dictating, controlling, or directly or indirectly participating in the decision-making process of any person with regard to election-related activities."
Yet, the president, Toluse, was trying to paint this as, like, run of the mill congressional oppo research -- like hiring some sleazy firm to find out the sealed divorce proceedings of your opponent, right? That's not what this is.
OLORUNNIPA: Yes, and we've heard even some Republicans in the past, including Sen. Lindsey Graham, talk about how people should go to the FBI if anyone from a foreign government or any foreign official tries to offer dirt to a political campaign. He said it very clearly, even during some of those hearings with Dir. Wray.
And it will be very interesting to see what they saw now, especially as we've seen a number of Republicans being much less willing to cross the president and much less willing to get on his bad side.
You just heard the president say the FBI director is wrong, very clearly.
And several Republican lawmakers, even though previously, they've spoken out against this type of activity -- now it seems like they're much more willing to accept it or at least bite their tongues when it comes to the president.
And it will be interesting to see as they're asked by reporters about this interview today how they respond and whether or not they try to parse the president's language and try to find something --
BRIGGS: Yes.
OLORUNNIPA: -- in there that they like. And it will be very interesting to see how they respond to this.
BRIGGS: It sounds pretty clear they're open for business.
Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law, was asked about this by Axios. "Would you call the FBI if it happened again?" And he said, "I don't know. It's hard to do hypotheticals."
So it sure sounds like the Trump campaign and the administration is open for business as we move forward.
Curious, do you think Democrats will propose legislation to make it clear this is illegal or at the very least, unethical?
OLORUNNIPA: Yes. There is already some legislation out there being considered that would basically force anyone who is part of that -- a part of a campaign to contact the FBI if they are basically given or offered negative information about their opponents or political dirt -- any efforts by a foreign individual to interfere with the U.S. elections.
I don't know that it will go anywhere in this divided Congress and with the fact that Republicans do not want any more focus on the fact that the president's son did basically do that in 2016. He did basically say that he was much open -- very much open to getting political dirt from the Russians as part of the Trump campaign to support their efforts against Hillary Clinton.
[05:40:15] So because of that, I don't think that will move anywhere. But you will expect this to become more -- a more significant part of the 2020 elections with several --
BRIGGS: Yes.
OLORUNIPPA: -- Democratic candidates calling out the president what he did. And for Democrats in the House also pushing forward on investigating what the president said and investigating what happened with Russia --
BRIGGS: Sure. OLORUNIPPA: -- in 2016.
ROMANS: Also in that interview, this sort of stunner as we're at -- let's see, 10,796 lies or misstatements as of June seventh, according to your publication, "The Washington Post."
The president declares he loves the truth -- listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I like the truth. You know, I'm actually a very honest guy. If I thought they were correct, I wouldn't be complaining at all. I understand that.
It's like the witch hunt that goes on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: "If I thought they were correct" -- he's referring to this internal polling that leaked. There was some reporting about -- that showed that he would lose to Joe Biden in several key states. The president says that's not true, that's fake news, and he loves the truth.
This -- no little -- no irony at all here.
OLORUNNIPA: Yes, we've heard the president saying several things that are not true and my paper has documented more than 10,000 of those misleading statements or falsehoods. And I think it's very clear that this is a president that has a very loose relationship with the truth.
This is a president who likes polls that show him up. And when the polls show him sort of struggling or show a large number of Americans disapprove of his job in office, he dismisses those polls as fake news or suppression polls.
So this is a president that likes certain versions of the truth --
BRIGGS: Yes.
OLORUNIPPA: -- as long as it's in favor of his position --
BRIGGS: Yes.
OLORUNIPPA: -- but is not so comfortable with information that is not backing up his previously-held positions.
ROMANS: I think we know the fake news is just news he doesn't like --
BRIGGS: Yes.
ROMANS: -- or information he doesn't like.
BRIGGS: And fact-checking the president is now a cottage industry in 2019.
ROMANS: That's true.
BRIGGS: Toluse, great to see you, sir. Thank you.
OLORUNIPPA: Thank you.
ROMANS: All right, breaking news. The operator of a chemical tanker in the Gulf of Oman says it was attacked with some sort of shell. The Kokuka Courageous was one of two tankers involved in a security incident in the Gulf.
Now, officials say the crews of both the Courageous and the Front Altair were evacuated with one injury.
CNN's Nic Robertson monitoring the situation live in London.
We know the American Fifth Fleet is in the -- in the region. We know there have been rescues of those sailors. The Iranians say that they have rescued these sailors.
And what is the latest?
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: The latest appears to be, and not clear at the moment whether this image has been cleared for our air -- that we've been able to thoroughly check up on it.
But the image of the Front Altair that is on social media that requires us to do some further checking appears to show a large oil tanker with a fire coming from the middle of it as if it was hit in the middle of the ship.
Now, this is concurrent with what the captain of the ship describes. That the ship was hit by projectiles, that a fire broke out, and that's when he decided to get himself and all the crew off the ship. And that's what has also happened with the Kokuka Courageous as well -- both ships hit while on the move.
And the Iranian Navy saying that they have rescued those 44 people. That they now have them on an Iranian island.
The U.S. Fifth Fleet is in the area doing what it can in the way of assistance at the moment.
But this comes just a month after an attack on four commercial vessels that have certain similarities, but some differences, off the coast of the Emirates a month ago. What's different here is this seems to be an escalation.
That these ships were hit by projectiles while on the move. What we saw a month ago was ships hit while they were at anchor and targeted with mines that were put on the ships, it seemed to be, overnight.
The U.N.'s conclusion about that attack a month ago was that a state actor was involved. The United States and the Saudis have both said that Iran was the state actor.
ROMANS: All right, we'll continue to watch this.
Oil prices up about three percent because of that -- tensions there in the region.
Thanks, Nic Robertson.
BRIGGS: OK. Ahead, a tearful personal revelation from a Hollywood star.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIRA SORVINO, ACTRESS, RAPE SURVIVOR: I have never said that last part, ever, in public because it is impossible sometimes to share these sort of things.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: More from Oscar-winner Mira Sorvino, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:49:00] BRIGGS: Five forty-eight Eastern time.
And authorities in the Dominican Republic say the shooting of Red Sox legend David Ortiz was a hit job.
Police say the alleged gunman, 25-year-old Rolfi Ferreira Cruz, has confessed to shooting Ortiz at a nightclub last weekend in Santo Domingo. They say Cruz and six other men were involved in the shooting; one is still at large.
Authorities are not commenting on a possible motive but they say the suspects were offered the equivalent of about $7,800 to carry out the hit on Ortiz.
Oscar-winning actress Mira Sorvino revealed Wednesday that she is a survivor of rape. Sorvino has been one of the most vocal voices of the #MeToo movement.
She was speaking at a press conference, trying to encourage New York lawmakers to eliminate the state's statute of limitations on rape in the second and third degrees and pass additional sexual harassment protections.
She was emotional while telling her story.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SORVINO: I'm also a sexual assault victim and I'm also a survivor of date rape. So -- and I've never said that in public and I do not want to go into detail. But I have never said that last part, ever, in public because it is impossible sometimes to share these sort of things, and I'm doing it here to try and help.
(END VIDEO CLIP) [05:50:17] BRIGGS: Sorvino adding she's speaking out because she knows there are other survivors who need time to sort through the trauma and shame of what they've been through.
She did not give details about who assaulted her or when it happened.
ROMANS: Really brave yesterday.
All right, let's get a check on "CNN Business" this morning.
Taking a look at global markets, you can see Asia markets closed mixed amid those violent clashes in Hong Kong between protesters and police over that controversial extradition bill.
In the U.S., you've got futures leaning up here right now, but not even half a percent here, so I'd call this a little bit indecisive. U.S. markets closed slightly lower yesterday as trade fears stayed front of mind for investors. The Dow closed 43 points lower. Again, that's not even two-tenths of a percent.
And next week, investors will turn their attention to the Fed board meeting. Markets have been driven higher on hopes that the Fed will cut interest rates. But experts are now saying there's a chance that Jerome Powell will disappoint and the market has gotten ahead of itself in hoping for a rate cut.
States are joining the fight against big tech. At least a dozen states preparing investigations into the tech industry and three state attorneys general now say fines are not enough to rein in big companies like Google and Facebook.
Nebraska attorney general Doug Peterson referenced Facebook's motto, "Move fast and break things," saying they have to be fast and thoughtful and "once we gather information, we have to consider whether or not to break things."
A day earlier, the House Judiciary Committee started its own investigation into the tech industry.
That hit Netflix series "STRANGER THINGS" will soon have a new video game. "STRANGER THINGS 3: THE GAME" will be free to play. It will be released in 2020 on IOS and Android platforms.
The game will be in the style of a 1980s Saturday morning cartoon and will integrate Google maps so fans can play during their daily lives.
There's also another "STRANGER THINGS" video game in the works. That game will debut on July fourth, the same day as the season three debuts on Netflix.
BRIGGS: OK, the Spice Girls apparently giving fans what they really, really want.
ROMANS: Really, really want.
BRIGGS: Details, next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:56:51] BRIGGS: A truly glorious moment in St. Louis late last night for fans of the St. Louis Blues and fans of the legendary jam band Phish. The Blues have adopted Laura Branigan's 1982 hit "Gloria" as the unofficial anthem of their playoff run. Moments after the Blues won the cup last night, Phish broke out in their own heartfelt rendition of "Gloria."
ROMANS: All right. Fans of the 90s pop sensation the Spice Girls are about to get what they really, really want.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPICE GIRLS: Singing "Wannabe."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Yes, that will be in your head all day.
An animated Spice Girls movie -- all five members of the iconic girl group are on board for the new film, which is still in early development.
"Variety" reports the film will feature the girls as superheroes to send the message of girl power. It's expected to be released next year.
BRIGGS: Our daily earworm implantation here on EARLY START.
All right, the first Democratic debate now just two weeks away. So naturally, Stephen Colbert did a little debate prep with Beto O'Rourke.
Here's your "Late-Night Laughs."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, CBS "THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT": Congressman, number one, OK. On the issue of Ryans, Gosling or Reynolds?
BETO O'ROURKE (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm going to go with Gosling.
COLBERT: Gosling.
(APPLAUSE)
COLBERT: Oh, the people's choice -- safe. They're both Canadians. They cannot vote for you.
All right. Congressman, do you believe that it's OK to share streaming passwords?
O'ROURKE: Yes. (APPLAUSE)
COLBERT: That is not theft? That is not theft?
O'ROURKE: My wife's sister, Christina, who has our Netflix password, is here today. So I just want to be candid and honest on this that we are already doing that right now. So --
COLBERT: OK.
O'ROURKE: -- sorry.
COLBERT: So you're grandfathered in?
O'ROURKE: Yes, yes.
COLBERT: If trapped on a deserted island with all 22 other candidates, which would you eat first?
O'ROURKE: Oh, wow. You want to talk about health care or immigration or --
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: I'm not using anybody else's passwords for anything --
BRIGGS: OK.
ROMANS: -- anymore.
BRIGGS: Ryan Reynolds.
ROMANS: Thanks for joining us. I'm Christine Romans.
BRIGGS: I'm Dave Briggs. It's Ryan Reynolds. "NEW DAY" starts right now.
ROMANS: Ryan Gosling.
BRIGGS: We'll see you tomorrow.
ROMAN: Ryan Gosling.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: Two dozen officers injured in Memphis during clashes with protesters after a fatal shooting by police.
MCALISTER: Officers encountered a male wanted on multiple warrants. He reportedly rammed his vehicle into the officers' vehicles multiple times. The officers fired, killing the individual.
TRUMP: If somebody called from a country -- Norway -- we have information on your opponent. Oh, I think I'd want to hear it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think he should have said that but that's subjunctive whether he would or wouldn't.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is criminal. We need to hold this president accountable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Alisyn Camerota and John Berman.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world. This is NEW DAY. It is Thursday, June 13th, 6:00 here in New York.
And a dangerous situation breaking overnight. Two dozen police officers have been injured in Memphis during clashes with protesters. This happened after Memphis police shot and killed a man they say rammed into their cars, then got out.
END
