Return to Transcripts main page

New Day

Iran Shows off Downed U.S. Drone Wreckage; New CNN Poll on 2020 Race; Clooney Calls for Action in South Sudan; Brown Won't Play for NFL. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired September 23, 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]

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Worried here. And, instead, putting that drone or really what they say is left of it on display.

The RQ-4A global hawk can fly up to 400 miles an hour at 60,000 feet for 34 hours with a wingspan of a Boeing 737, but the U.S. said it was over international waters. Iran said over theirs. You wouldn't be able to tell that from the debris, just the message that Iran took it down anyway.

WALSH (on camera): Well, they say that it was destroyed over the Gulf and a lot of the wreckage went straight underwater. This is all they were able to salvage. Very conveniently, though, the American insignia remains intact.

WALSH (voice over): A fully intact U.S. predator drone is also here. We are told it was hacked as it flew over Iran. The knock-off Iranian version shown behind being launched. Older American models, Israeli, British, we can't touch them or verify independently what they are.

WALSH (on camera): It was no accident that a couple of days after the Saudi Arabian government displays devices that it said entered its territory, Iran puts on a substantial display of what it says it managed to capture over its lands or near it. A very friendly welcome here from an Iranian pilot, whose face we can't show, said his name is Mike, talked about premier league soccer and describes in English how some of these drones were hacked as they flew over Iran. But the message here clearly one of confidence and a desire for Iran to show quite how much it's been able to salvage from the drones that have flown over its territory.

WALSH (voice over): Learning from even stealing American technology is nothing new. But more and more are in on it. These drones are master class, Iranian officials have said, in reverse engineering. In Tehran, American sanctions may bite, but they want you to know Iran can too.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Tehran.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Well, thanks to Nick for that. Meanwhile, back here, for the first time, Elizabeth Warren surging to the top of the field in Iowa. Where does that leave Joe Biden? CNN's new poll, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:35:56]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: This morning, Senator Elizabeth Warren is at the top in Iowa in this brand new CNN/"Des Moines Register" poll, right alongside Joe Biden, but where does that leave the one-time front runner Joe Biden?

Let's get "The Forecast" with CNN's senior politics writer and analyst Harry Enten.

Harry, everyone has seen the top line number, which is interesting. But the numbers behind the numbers, oh, they tell a story.

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICS WRITER AND ANALYST: Right. So let's just remind you of it. Basically what we have is a top tier between Biden and Warren, right? Warren at 22 percent, Biden at 20 percent. Sanders, Buttigieg, way down, 11, 9. And everyone else is at 6 percent or below.

But I think the trend here is so important because, take a look at Warren, she was at 9 percent in March, 15 percent in June, 22 percent now. The trend for Biden going the other way, 27, 23, 20. And the trend for Sanders, really bad, 25, 16, 11.

But as you were saying, sort of the numbers behind the numbers, which I think are so important.

So basically our poll asked, who did you caucus for in 2016, Bernie Sanders or Hillary Clinton. And I think this gives you a very good understanding of why Warren is jumping up in the polls, because, yes, she is taking from the Sanders pool, 32 percent, which is actually higher than Sanders is pulling from his own pool from four years ago.

BERMAN: Just reiterate that, because that's not good for Bernie Sanders if he's losing the Bernie Sanders voters.

ENTEN: Yes, that's not good at all, folks. Not good at all. And especially not good because we had this whole idea, well, 2016 was a brutal primary. Could Sanders perhaps grab some of those Clinton supporters? The answer, no. He's at zero percent among them, versus Warren, who is actually pulling a decent chunk of those Clinton voters. She's at 22 percent, which is just behind Biden who's at 29 percent. But Biden's getting none of that Sanders support basically at 6 percent. So the key with Warren is she's pulling a little bit from both pieces of the pie.

CAMEROTA: That is really fascinating.

I know this isn't your purview, but is the sense that she just has a great ground game? ENTEN: I mean that is absolutely true. So there is that sense. But I

think what it really is, is she's able to pull from the very liberal lane, which was Bernie Sanders' lane, as well as from the well- educated lane, which was Hillary Clinton's lane.

BERMAN: And she is starting to tap into electability and things that matter to the Democratic voters, yes?

ENTEN: Yes. I would say that that's very much the case.

So we -- you know, we've been asking that question, what's more important, beating Donald Trump or having issue alignment with your candidate? And Warren's actually doing fairly well among both of those voters. Among those who say issue agreement's important, she's at 25 percent. That leads the field. Beating Trump, she's in a tie with Joe Biden at 22 percent, versus Biden who was at 22 in that beating Trump and 17 in the issue agreement.

So, again, what you see is Warren's able to pull a piece from both of those pies, and that's so important in a year in which electability is important. But in a place like Iowa, where bases really get out, she's got both of those.

CAMEROTA: As we always saying, these are early days, though John tries to remind us not so early.

BERMAN: It's not that early.

CAMEROTA: Not so early John says.

BERMAN: Yes.

CAMEROTA: So are people's minds made up?

ENTEN: So I think this is really interesting, right? You know, there's all this talk about Elizabeth Warren's voters being extremely enthusiastic. Among those caucus goers who are extremely enthusiastic, she's up 26 percent to 19 percent for Sanders, Biden back at 16.

But I think that this is important because there's also this question about the mind being made up. Not that many peoples' minds say that they're made up. But among that, which is a different view of being extremely enthusiastic, among those people whose minds are made up, Biden actually is ahead in that category. And Warren's all the way back at 14 percent. So I think, you know, there's still a lot of time where things can sort of get mixed up. Biden sort of has that steady base, as this number indicates.

BERMAN: Biden voters more likely to stay Biden voters, this suggests.

ENTEN: Yes.

BERMAN: Issues. The issues themselves, this is interesting.

ENTEN: Yes, this is really interesting. So we asked this question about Medicare. Do you -- Medicare for all.

Do you like it and want to implemented? Do you like it, fear it will hurt you in a general election? Or you don't like it and don't want it implemented? The plurality, like it and want it implemented. But this is the key group for me. This 28 percent who like it but fear it will hurt you in a general election.

And the reason that's a key group is because, look at that, Warren plus four, that pretty much matches our overall poll, right? So if I was to look at one group, I would look at this group, because, to me, this is the group that could turn against Warren if they begin to fear that this as a general election lasso around the neck.

BERMAN: Makes you see why Biden is running so hard on that and leaning into that issue.

ENTEN: Absolutely right. Absolutely right. Not surprisingly the rest of these numbers look the same.

One other thing that I'll sort of point out here, very favorable ratings. Buttigieg is second to Warren. This number usually is highly correlated to how you do in the horse race. So I would suggest that Buttigieg might have an opportunity to jump up.

[06:40:00]

BERMAN: And winning Iowa is how important usually?

ENTEN: Well, I was just going to point this out. This is basically an understanding of where these polls are at this point. Polling at about 22 percent at this point, you only win about 30 percent of the time. So, to me, Warren is the -- perhaps a top tier candidate at this point, but no guarantee that she's going to win the nomination, or win Iowa.

CAMEROTA: All right, you have once second for football, please, quickly.

ENTEN: Yes. Just want to point out, my Buffalo Bills.

CAMEROTA: Why did I do that?

BERMAN: You just did that (INAUDIBLE).

CAMEROTA: Why did I lead him there?

ENTEN: Oh, yes.

BERMAN: All right, we -- we have to go. That's a wrap.

CAMEROTA: Oh, I'll never learn.

ENTEN: Columbia, 1-0, baby.

BERMAN: That's a full wrap.

CAMEROTA: Thank you.

BERMAN: Harry, thank you very much.

ENTEN: Thank you.

CAMEROTA: George Clooney has a new cause.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE SENTRY FOUNDATION: Part of what we wanted to do was we wanted to make it really uncomfortable for the people who were profiting off of atrocities and get to put on a suit and go to a nice restaurant.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: OK, we'll bring you CNN's exclusive interview with Clooney, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:45:01]

BERMAN: Overnight, some big winners at the Emmys. The final season of "Game of Thrones," it may have been polarizing, which is to say a lot of fans were underwhelmed, but it cleaned up with the awards.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL DOUGLAS, ACTOR: And the Emmy goes to "Game of Thrones."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: That eye raise by Michael Douglas, he knew. Hit show won best drama for the fourth time. On the comedy side, it was a big night for Amazon. The British series "Fleabag" upset the final season of "Veep" and "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" for best comedy. Also "Fleabag" star and creator Phoebe Waller-Bridge beat perennial winner Julie Louis Dreyfus, and "Maisel's" Rachel Brosnahan for best comedy actress honors. There she is accepting the award. And actor Billy Porter made Emmy history by becoming the first opening gay man to win actor in a drama for the FX series "Pose."

CAMEROTA: OK, now to this. When George Clooney speaks, people listen, or at least they look. The Holly wood actor is calling for action against multinational companies and brokers who are profiting off the violence and instability in South Sudan. Clooney, and his business partner, sat down with CNN's Nima Elbagir in their only interview with a U.S. network to talk about their campaign to stop what they call the looting of this central African nation.

And Nima joins us live from London.

So what did you learn, Nima?

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, for those of us who covered South Sudan's independence, watching it descend into the chaos and corruption that it did, was incredibly heartbreaking. But, unfortunately, it disappeared like so many of these conflicts do off the news agenda. And now George Clooney and John Pendergast, together with their group The Sentry, are trying to change that. They've put together this incredibly ambitious investigative report and they let us have a little peek into it. Take a -- take a look at this, Alisyn.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELBAGIR (voice over): Polluted waters, far-reaching corruption, and an American the U.S. State department accuses of breaking U.S. arms sanctions, all allegations in a new investigation into corruption in South Sudan.

Fronted by one of the most famous faces in the world and his partner in activism.

GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR AND CO-FOUNDER OF THE SENTRY FOUNDATION: What we realized was we need to start -- we may not be able to shame war criminals, but we can sure shame people that live 15 miles from here in a beautiful home. So part of what we wanted to do was we wanted to make it really uncomfortable for the people who were profiting off of atrocities and get to put on a suit and go to a nice restaurant. That was part of it.

JOHN PRENDERGAST, CO-FOUNDER OF THE SENTRY FOUNDATION: Right now, it pays to continue the conflict. It pays to continue to subvert democracy. We want to change the incentive structure from war to peace, from the absence of rule of law to transparency and good governance.

ELBAGIR: The report identifies a lattice work of alleged criminals and corrupt individuals, including an American from Fresno, California, Ara Dolarian, who is accused of attempting to sell $43 million worth of weapons to a South Sudanese warlord. This itemized invoice alleged by prosecutors to be from Dolarian himself was presented during ongoing court proceedings in California. Dolarian eventually pled guilty to a federal charge of violating the Arms Export Control Act involving sales to Nigeria.

CNN reached out to a representative of Dolarian, but has received no response.

They also accused Chinese state petroleum company CNPC and Malaysia's Petronas of willfully polluting the environment. None of them responded to CNN's request for comment.

When South Sudan first became independent in July 2011, there was an incredible amount of hope. George Clooney and John Pendergast were among the observers helping to ensure South Sudan's referendum on independence from North Sudan was free and fair.

ELBAGIR (on camera): We first met eight years ago on the border of North/South Sudan, before South Sudan even really existed. Why South Sudan? Why is this something that has sustained your interest and your attention for this long?

CLOONEY: Well, it just gets in your blood, doesn't it? I mean I could say the same thing to you. You've spent an awful lot of time in those areas.

PRENDERGAST: Like, this isn't some African aberration that suddenly pops up and go, well, look at Africa, like, they're so corrupt. This has its roots here in Europe and in the United States.

ELBAGIR (voice over): Root the report alleges are nourished by corrupt investors from around the globe, entrenching a conflict that has engulfed South Sudan for the last six years, killing hundreds of thousands and creating widespread hunger. One that they say will require a united global solution to combat.

PRENDERGAST: You've got to close the loophole right away. You've got to create a consequence. You've got to create accountability for those that are trying to use the financial system, because if it's not -- it's not just going to remain localized.

CLOONEY: Oftentimes, western countries, people in western society look at African countries that are struggling and think, wow, they're corrupt and they're just -- they're at a loss and they don't take into consideration the fact that there are huge western companies, citizens profiting off of this.

[06:50:15]

And were they not doing that, these guys would not be able to function. That's just a simple fact.

ELBAGIR: Even in the midst of the horror, George Clooney and John Pendergast detail in their investigation on South Sudan, they say they remain hopeful that there is still time for the world to act.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ELBAGIR: Clooney and Pendergast are hopeful that governments around the world are going to take this information and act on it. They told us they have already reached out to the White House about looking at expanding their sanctions regime and, John, you know, they say they're optimistic that change will happen.

BERMAN: Look, they've already made a big difference and forced change. I think George Clooney in the United States has really pushed this issue more than anybody and I think pressured the lawmakers to take the stands they have, Nima.

ELBAGIR: Absolutely. Absolutely.

CAMEROTA: And, you know, as you point out, it's also interconnected, I mean, between the climate crisis, between widespread hunger. It has a ripple effect everywhere. And whatever happens in Sudan has a ripple effect everywhere.

Nima, thank you very much for brings us your exclusive interview with him for the U.S.

BERMAN: All right, Antonio Brown says he's done with the NFL after being dropped by the Patriots, but he's not going quietly. "Bleacher Report" is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:55:45]

BERMAN: The Patriots cut Antonio Brown, finally, and now the star receiver says he is done with the National Football League completely. This was part of a Twitter tirade.

Andy Scholes has the latest in the "Bleacher Report."

Andy.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, John.

You know, Antonio Brown says there's a double standard going on. In a series of tweets he says he's not going to play in the NFL anymore and he also called out Patriots' owner Robert Kraft and his former teammate, Steelers' quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Now, in one of these tweets, Brown posted a CBS story from 2010 about Roethlisberger being investigated for sexual assault. Roethlisberger was suspended four games by the NFL for violating the league's personal conduct policy that year. Now, the quarterback denied a sexual assault took place. The incident was investigated but no charges were filed. Brown has since deleted that tweet.

In another tweet, though, Brown said he will not be playing in the NFL anymore. These owners can cancel deals, do whatever they want at any time. We will see if the NFL Players Association holds them accountable.

Now, Brown's former trainer, Britney Taylor, has accused him of sexual assault twice in 2017 and rape in 2018. Brown has denied those accusations. He was cut by the Patriots Friday. In the meantime, the NFL says their investigation is ongoing.

All right, now to the football on the field.

Daniel Jones making his much anticipated first start for the Giants, taking over for Eli Manning. And what a start it was. The Buc were up 28-10 at the half, but Jones leading a huge second half comeback, threw for 336 yards, two touchdowns. He also ran for two touchdowns, including the game winner with under a minute and a half to go. Check out this stat. Jones now 1-0 when trailing by 18 or more. Eli Manning was 0-44 in those games in his career.

And, Alisyn, all those fans that were crying and breaking their TVs when the Giants picked Jones sixth back in April, singing a little bit of a different tune this morning.

CAMEROTA: Were you crying? BERMAN: No. Hey, look, I'm no Giants fan at all, and I think Daniel

Jones is a good quarterback, but that's unfair to Eli Manning. He's got two Super Bowl rings too. So maybe he's 0-44 at comebacks there. I'd take the two rings, which were both at my expense, I might add.

Andy, great to see you this morning.

SCHOLES: All right.

CAMEROTA: Thanks, Andy.

All right, President Trump has admitted to talking to the Ukrainian leader about investigating Joe Biden. So now what?

NEW DAY continues right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We had a great conversation. We don't want our people creating (ph) to the corruption already in the Ukraine.

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Trump did a terrible thing. Focus on the violation of the Constitution this president is engaged in.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): There's enough smoke here. Somebody other than me needs to look at it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In just hours, world leaders will gather at the U.N. amid escalating tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're not confident that we can avoid a war.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The military option is always on the table.

MIKE POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE: I know the Iranian people want a peaceful resolution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Alisyn Camerota and John Berman.

CAMEROTA: We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is NEW DAY.

And we begin with the whistle-blower scandal that is shaking up Washington and sparking a growing number of calls for action, including possible impeachment of the president. President Trump is now admitting to discussing corruption allegations against Joe Biden with Ukraine's president. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is not invoking the "i" word, but in a letter to Democrats she says the Trump administration may be, quote, entering a grave new chapter of lawlessness, which will take us to a whole new stage of the investigation, end quote. Speaker Pelosi is also setting a Thursday deadline for the Trump

administration to turn over that whistle-blower complaint ahead of the U.S. intel chief's public testimony that will be happening on Capitol Hill this week.

BERMAN: We'll be watching that deadline very closely.

The president, for his part, is waking up in New York this morning for the start of the United Nations General Assembly. He will skip today's climate crisis summit to preside over a meeting about religious persecution. Later this week he's scheduled to meet with the president of Ukraine. That will be very interesting. It is not clear whether their still secret July phone call will come up inside their discussions, but you can guarantee they will both be asked about it.

CAMEROTA: OK.

Joining us now is Congressman Jim Himes. He serves on the House Intel Committee, which will be instrumental this week.

Good morning, congressman.

REP. JIM HIMES (D-CT): Good morning, Alisyn.

[07:00:00]

CAMEROTA: OK, des this phone call between President Trump and Ukraine's president, or what you know at least thus far about the facts of this phone call including that the president.

END