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Turkey Captures al-Baghdadi's Sister; Cat Steals Show during Monday Night Football; Trump Asks Supreme Court to Rule on Tax Returns; Giuliani Associate Talks with Investigators; Michigan Voters Split on Impeachment. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired November 05, 2019 - 06:30   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:32:16]

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news, a senior Turkish official tells CNN they have captured the sister of former ISIS leader al- Baghdadi, along with other family members in a raid in northern Syria. They're being interrogated and Turkey calls them an intelligence goldmine.

Clashes continue along the Turkey-Syria border despite a fragile ceasefire that allowed Turkey to capture territory once held by U.S. backed Kurdish forces.

Over the weekend, a car bomb went off, as you can see, in one Syrian city. It killed 19 people.

Jomana Karadsheh is embedded with Turkish forces as they conduct a demining operation.

Tell us what's happening, Jomana.

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, for more, Alisyn, on that raid, a senior Turkish official is telling us that Baghdadi's sister was captured, along with her husband and a daughter-in-law. They were captured in the town of Azaz (ph) in northern Syria in a housing container. And now they are basically -- Turkish authorities are interrogating them.

And, as you mentioned, they believe that this could potentially be an intelligence gold mine. They're hoping to get insights into how ISIS operates. It's something that would help Turkey and Europe understand the threat that is caused by ISIS.

Now, while ISIS does remain a serious threat for Turkey, another threat, officials say, is Kurdish separatists, Syrian Kurdish fighters who, up until recently, were operating in this area.

We're in the town of Talabia (ph). As you recall, this was one of the locations that saw some seriously intense fighting when that Turkish offensive began on October the 9th. And it's been about three weeks since major combat operations came to an end here. But, still, we're seeing Turkish forces, who were embedded with, today, carrying out clearance operations. They're sweeping areas and sweeping them multiple times checking for explosives, for devices that have been left. And we are told by Turkish officials that they're finding explosives on a daily basis and diffusing them, anywhere between 10 to 100 devices on a daily basis according to a senior Turkish official.

And just a short time ago, a car bomb, we're told, exploded in the center of the town of Telabia. This just coming a few days after that devastating car bomb attack that you mentioned took place at a marketplace, a civilian area where at least 19 people were killed in that attack on Saturday. Now, no one claimed that attack, but Turkey blames Kurdish fighters for that attack. The Syrian Democratic Forces, that mainly Syrian Kurdish fighting force, have denied any responsibility for that attack.

[06:35:03]

But these kinds of missions right now are critical, especially as they're seeing civilians starting to return to their homes. According to the United Nations, more than 20,000 people have returned to the town of Telabia in the past few days. So this is what makes these clearing operations very critical, John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Jomana, please stay safe and keep us posted because the livelihood of these people who are returning is so important. Thank you very much.

So the Cowboys beat the Giants on Monday night football thanks to the fact the Giants stink, and also they had an assist from a black cat. Really.

Andy Scholes has more in the "Bleacher Report."

Andy.

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

You know, Halloween was last week, but the black cat's apparently still out at MetLife Stadium in New York. And this particular one apparently bad luck for the Giants. This little guy came onto the field with the Giants up 9-3 in the second quarter. And listen to this. Westwood One's Kevin Harlan had an all-time great radio call for the people listening at home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEVIN HARLAN, SPORTSCASTER, WESTWOOD ONE: Walking to the three, he's at the two, and the cat is in the CDW red zone. CDW. People who get it. Now a policeman. A state trooper has come on the field and the cat runs into the end zone. That is a touchdown! And the cat is elusive. Kind of like Barkley and Elliott. And the fans are running for their -- now it goes back on the field again. There's running in the back of the end zone. And runs up the tunnel.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SCHOLES: And the fact that Harlan mixed in a sponsor in that call, just incredible. Now, from that point on in the game, the Cowboys outscored the Giants 34-9. Dak Prescott throwing three touchdowns. Cowboys improve to 5-3 on the season. Dallas now won six straight over the Giants.

And, John, I know how much you love to keep track of your New York sports teams. The Jets, Giants, Knicks and Nets a combined 7-24 right now.

BERMAN: Yes, the basketball team's, I think, have a future. The football teams may want to consider alternative employment.

Andy, thank you very much for being with us.

CAMEROTA: That play by play was great. And it's a touchdown.

BERMAN: The cat, by the way, a better football player than any member of the Giants.

CAMEROTA: Well, the cat wasn't carrying the ball. The cat didn't have to catch the ball.

BERMAN: Yes, the Giants can't either. They don't either. So it's, you know, it's all the same.

CAMEROTA: Wow.

BERMAN: So President Trump has been fighting to keep his tax returns private. Now the case appears to be headed to the U.S. Supreme Court. At least the Supreme Court will decide if they get to hear it. We'll discuss, next.

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[06:41:52]

BERMAN: The decision about whether President Trump has to hand over his tax returns is now headed to the U.S. Supreme Court. An appeals court unanimously ruled against the president, rejecting his legal team's argument that he has immunity from criminal investigation while in the White House.

Joining us now is CNN legal analyst Elie Honig. He's a former federal prosecutor.

I guess I have three questions here. Number one --

CAMEROTA: You only get one.

BERMAN: I only get one. All right, bottom line here is, the Supreme Court may just not hear this at all. May say, you know what, there's no case here because the appeals court was so sweeping in its ruling, which was to say, you know what, you don't really have the immunity, but we don't even have to make that decision because your case is so bad. Explain. ELIE HONIG, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes, so the Supreme Court does not have to take any case it does not want to. People need to understand that. In fact, the Supreme Court only takes a very small fraction of the cases that people try to get in front of it. It varies year to year, but usually under 5 percent.

Now, when the Supreme Court's deciding whether to take a case, they're looking typically at a few things. First of all, is this a close call? I think the second circuit opinion that we -- came out yesterday makes clear, in their view, it's not a close call at all. It was a 3-0 decision. Same as the judge below. So there are four judges now who have said this is not a close call.

They're also looking for, is this the kind of thing that different courts around the country are disagreeing on and we need to straighten out. And there's no disagreement. This is the first time this specific issue has come up. So I do think there's a chance the Supreme Court says, no thanks. And if that happens, then yesterday's decision stands and the D.A. gets the tax returns.

CAMEROTA: That's interesting.

When could all of this play out? What's the timeline for the Supreme Court deciding whether to take it or not?

HONIG: So the Supreme Court is on its own timeline. They have the luxury of doing that. But I think we will know within the next two, three weeks whether they are taking it or not.

BERMAN: And this was a case that was about, is the president immune from investigations and the judges in their writing said we don't think that's the case, but our ruling isn't based on that. Our ruling is based on the fact that, what, it's actually the accounting firm, correct?

HONIG: Right. Right. So one of the distinctions that the court made yesterday is, this is not even a subpoena served on the president himself. This is a subpoena served on a third party, a bank, Mazars, an accounting firm. And the president's trying to come in from the outside and stop it. And they said, no you cannot do that.

But I think really the most important part of this decision is what you said before, John, the court of appeals said no way to this 5th Avenue defense. You've gone too far in arguing that you cannot even be investigated while you're in office. The second circuit yesterday said absolutely you can be investigated and they said that evidence can be used to prosecute you, not you Donald Trump, but a president, after you're out of office.

CAMEROTA: OK, let's talk about these two Giuliani associates, Ukrainians, who were arrested for basically laundering money, foreign money, to influence U.S. elections. Lev Parnas is one of their names. They ran a company called Fraud Guarantee, just by the by.

And so now CNN's reporting is that Lev Parnas may be open to cooperating with impeachment investigators. Why? HONIG: It's such an interesting development. And I tried to think

about this from, what if I was the attorney for Lev Parnas. So there's two tracks here. I would say to him, if you're going to dig in and fight this case, you're not talking to anybody about anything. You're not talking to Congress. You're not talking to the prosecutors. You're taking the fifth if you get a subpoena and we'll go to trial.

[06:45:05]

On the other hand, if you're interested in cooperating, this could be a first step in that direction. If you show the Southern District, hey, I'm willing to come forward with some information, it's potentially valuable, and I would bank on the fact that the Southern District and Congress may be coordinating here, at least to stay out of each other's way. So it's consistent with him taking a step towards cooperating.

BERMAN: And it will be complicated on how the coordination between Congress and the federal prosecutors work because one doesn't want to grant immunity without the other. But how would you characterize whether this is good or bad news for say Rudy Giuliani?

HONIG: It's bad news for Rudy Giuliani, I think, decisively. I would be very worried about these guys cooperating. And one thing to know is, if they do cooperate with the Southern District, that's all or nothing. You have to tell everything you know about everybody. If I have a chance to cooperate this guy, as a prosecutor, I would say, OK, let's start with Rudy Giuliani and go from there.

CAMEROTA: It's going to be very interesting.

HONIG: We'll see.

CAMEROTA: Elie Honig, thank you very much for walking us through it all.

HONIG: Thanks.

CAMEROTA: OK, coming up, a closer look at how voters in the key swing state of Michigan feel about the impeachment inquiry.

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CAMEROTA: Michigan was key to President Trump's victory in 2016, and it will be a key battleground again in 2020. So, how is impeachment playing in one swing district in that swing state?

CNN's Jason Carroll went there to find out. He joins us live from Detroit.

What'd they tell you, Jason?

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And good morning to you, Alisyn.

As you can imagine, no shortage of opinions here. We really got an earful. This district, much like the rest of the country, people here split on how they feel about the impeachment inquiry.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL (voice over): Picturesque small towns, affluent suburbs and overwhelmingly white, Michigan 11th is a congressional district carved out of an area just northwest of Detroit.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Who won the state of Michigan after decades?

CARROLL: It's also a district that voted for Trump in 2016 --

[06:50:02]

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Haley Stevens, the Democrat --

CARROLL: Then flipped and elected a Democratic congresswoman, Haley Stevens, in last year's midterms.

It's a swing district in a swing state. So no surprise voters split on the impeachment inquiry.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's a sham, OK? I think the president --

RITA DUNNING, TRUMP SUPPORTER: It's horrible.

CARROLL (on camera): Horrible?

DUNNING: Yes. It's horrible.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

DUNNING: Just horrible what they're doing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The president's doing a great job.

CARROLL (voice over): In Plymouth, Michigan, Rita Dunning, a former autoworker, proudly shows her support for Trump on her Ford pickup truck.

DUNNING: Women in Michigan love President Trump. End of story.

CARROLL (on camera): Well, I saw your truck. I saw your truck.

DUNNING: Yes.

Women keep -- quit saying women are not for Trump.

CARROLL (voice over): Tell that to Amy Neale, a marketing director who says the inquiry is long overdue.

AMY NEALE, SUPPORTS INQUIRY: I think it's heading in the right direction finally, the impeachment. I think we're getting the evidence we need. And I -- you know, I hope he gets what's coming to him.

CARROLL: UPS worker Steven Play (ph) says it's the Democrats who deserve to have what's coming to them, he says for undermining a president who has done so well on the economy.

STEVEN PLAY, UPS WORKER: Look at the real estate. I mean, house goes on the market, it's gone in a week. I mean, the economy's just booming.

CARROLL: Since Trump's election, the state's unemployment rate has dropped nearly one point. It should be noted, he narrowly won Michigan in 2016 by just over 10,000 votes, after Obama won it twice.

CHRISTINE WILLIAMS, SMALL BUSINESS OWNER: He needs to face consequences for his actions.

CARROLL: Christine Williams is a small business owner who supports the inquiry. She says it's about more than just the bottom line.

WILLIAMS: I think it's important that the inquiry be going on. I also think it's important that we not be distracted by it and that there's actually governance going on as well too.

CARROLL: About 30 miles northeast of Plymouth, in the upscale suburb of Birmingham, former Marine Paul Kane (ph) also supports the inquiry.

PAUL KANE, FORMER MARINE: I wouldn't define myself as left or right wing. I'm more middle of the road. I've just been very disappointed in President Trump's behavior.

CARROLL: Kane says he's upset over how the president and his allies have criticized decorated war veteran and White House official, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman.

KANE: That was just totally uncalled for.

CARROLL: James Melstrom, a financial adviser, could not disagree more.

JAMES MELSTROM, FINANCIAL ADVISOR: I think that the Democrats are really just trying to overturn the results from 2016. And I think it's going to fail miserably.

CARROLL: Melstrom also says his newly elected Democratic congresswoman, Haley Stevens, will pay a political price for supporting the inquiry.

So much division, but that doesn't mean those who may disagree cannot be friends.

CARROLL (on camera): All of you 50.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

CARROLL: You've been friends, some of you, since grade school.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Right.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

CARROLL: And you can all talk politics? UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Even after we have a couple drinks.

CARROLL (voice over): This group celebrating their lifelong friendship, and their differences.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think, as a country, we've forgotten that we're all the same on some level. Political divisiveness isn't what is going to further this country. We have to act on a common ground.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL: So as you heard there, a lot of disagreement out here, John. But here's one point where both sides can agree. We found a lot of people out here who seem to be confused about a whole -- how the whole impeachment inquiry works, how long it will take, and whatever the result may be if the country will end up being more divided than ever.

John.

BERMAN: All right, Jason Carroll for us in Detroit. Really interesting to hear from people.

Joining me now is CNN political commentator Terry McAuliffe. He's the former Democratic governor of Virginia, and former DNC chair.

Mr. Governor, thank you so much for being with us.

What does it tell you that there is such division out there on the issue of impeachment, particularly in these swing states, combined with what we saw yesterday from "The New York Times" polls which show a razor thin margin in these battleground states? What does that all tell you?

TERRY MCAULIFFE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I think if you go up to Virginia, today we have elections. And it looks like, for the first time, John, in 26 years, the Democrats will take control of both the House, the Senate, and have the governor's mansion.

And I would say that, you know, impeachment's out there. People are thinking about it. But that's not what's driving people to the polls today. It's the Democrats are, you know, going to lower prescription drug prices. They've got an economy moving forward. We're going to raise the minimum wage. We're going to pass the ERA.

I think folks in the states, they pay attention to the issues that affect them every single day. But what impeachment has done, I can tell you here in Virginia, it's kept people engaged in politics. They're paying attention. And in Virginia, this is a state that Donald Trump, you know, the White House is 1.4 miles from Virginia. He's gone in Kentucky. He's gone in Mississippi. He's gone to Louisiana. We're a huge election today, and he has not been able to come into this state.

So it tells you something. And I think, one, when he did the government shutdown it hurt so many federal workers in this state. In addition, we're a huge defense state, largest naval base in the world, the Pentagon, Quantico, they don't like what he's done with the Kurds in Syria.

[06:55:02]

So Trump is not on the ballot, but he's there because of the actions he's taken, and it's reminding people that they need to get out and vote. We, in 2017, lost one seat, John. We had won it on election night by one vote.

BERMAN: Right.

MCAULIFFE: And then an over vote got counted and then the winner got picked out of a bowl. So I think people realize, we're changing Virginia for the future today and Trump's a part of it but he's not a big part of it.

BERMAN: You sound very confident about the outcome in Virginia. And these are very important elections.

MCAULIFFE: Yes.

BERMAN: How confident and what will it tell you given all these environmental advantages for Democrats in Virginia that you just listed? What will it tell you if somehow they don't come out victorious in both houses?

MCAULIFFE: I would be shocked. I personally have done about 131 events, so I've seen the crowds, I've seen the enthusiasm. I feel confident we'll win the House and the Senate because, I mean, it's the Republicans who have been obstructionists. You know, I inherent a record deficit when I became governor, left a big surplus. It's Democrats that create jobs and who are fiscally responsible.

But, John, we have not been able to pass the ERA here in Virginia. We haven't been able to raise the minimum wage. Democrats are the ones that have given the teachers' pay raises. And we could move forward as of tomorrow with a Democratic majority.

BERMAN: Let me ask --

MCAULIFFE: Yes.

BERMAN: Let me ask you about your neighbor, Kentucky --

MCAULIFFE: Sure.

BERMAN: Because it's a different situation in Kentucky --

MCAULIFFE: Yes.

BERMAN: Where the president did go last night to campaign for Matt Bevin, who is trying to nationalize the election, saying an election in Kentucky -- by the way, the government of Kentucky has no power over the impeachment inquiry whatsoever, is bringing up impeachment. So what does it tell you that a Republican there might be able to save his seat by nationalizing the election on the issue of impeachment?

MCAULIFFE: Well, good question, John, but I look at it the other way. Here is Kentucky, as red a state that you can have in the United States of America, and today we're basically tied in that race for governor. So what does that tell you? In Kentucky, a red, red state, in Mississippi, a red, red state, our Democratic nominee for governor is basically tied or within a couple points. So I would look at it the other way. This is a state that they should be running away with.

You know, you look at Trump in Kentucky and Mississippi, I mean, huge wins for him, and yet, for these governors races today, these races are basically tied.

So I think this is a very ominous day for Trump. I think he's going to take a beating at the polls. As I say, this will be the first time since 1993, think of that, Bill Clinton's first year that the Democrats have taken total control. And the reason is, it's because Democrats produce on those issues that matter to them.

BERMAN: We've got about -- we've got about 30 seconds left and I do want to ask one question about the presidential election.

MCAULIFFE: Sure.

BERMAN: Elizabeth Warren, who did come out with a plan to pay for her Medicare for all policies, how do you think it's playing? And as you see the focus go on Elizabeth Warren, you know, what do you see the other candidates doing?

MCAULIFFE: Well, listen, the other candidates are going, obviously, as it relates to the cost of the Medicare for all. John, I've been on your show many times. I think the debate is, how do we get those missing individuals in America to get them the health coverage? How do we reduce prescription drug prices? That should be the debate that the Democratic candidates are having for president.

I've always say, when they get in this Medicare for all debate, watching it, it's mind-numbing for the public. Talk to the American voters about what they deal with and experience every day, high prescription drug costs. So I'm a little concerned about the debate and where it's going. I want the Democrats to focus on the issues that matter to them each and every day and not get into these big, shiny objects up here, which I think are confusing voters.

We win on the issue of health care. Democrats have been at the forefront. President Obama got us tens of millions of more people coverage in this country. Let's build on that. Let's not take apart what President Obama was able to accomplish. Let's build it. And I think that should be the debate. And the good news is, this will be a debate going forward.

BERMAN: Governor Terry McAuliffe, we know you have a big night and night ahead of you.

MCAULIFFE: A big day, John.

BERMAN: Keep us posted as to what you hear.

MCAULIFFE: All right. Go vote!

BERMAN: Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: All right, John, we are following some breaking news right now out of Mexico. There's a heinous murder mystery this morning. Nine members of an American family, mothers and their children, have been killed.

NEW DAY continues right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Explosive comments under oath by former ambassador to Ukraine and a former top aide to the secretary of state.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Both of them basically said that Rudy Giuliani was running foreign policy in the Ukraine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The details show you our own State Department became a cesspool.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Several years of the Donald Trump presidency, our policies are more supportive of the Ukraine and tougher on Russia.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Voters will be casting ballots in races that could give us a sense of where things stand heading into next year.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The people of Kentucky will vote to reelect your terrific Republican governor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Virginia's going to be a battleground. If Democrats take over, it gives them total control.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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

BERMAN: Welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is NEW DAY. And it is a big day.

[07:00:00]

Republicans, they demanded transparency in the impeachment inquiry, and that's exactly what they are getting.

END