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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Trump Paints Election As Stark Choice For Future Of America; Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Resigns; Hurricane Laura Leaves Extensive Damage But Could Have Been Worse. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired August 28, 2020 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[05:30:22]
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: The incumbent president with an insurgent message. President Trump warns about life under Joe Biden, and he does it while defying all guidelines for defeating coronavirus.
LAURA JARRETT, CNN ANCHOR: Jacob Blake is paralyzed in the hospital, so why does his family say he's handcuffed to his bed?
ROMANS: And breaking overnight, a major shakeup on the world stage. Why the Japanese prime minister will leave office a year early.
Good morning, everyone, this is EARLY START this Friday morning. I'm Christine Romans.
JARRETT: And I'm Laura Jarrett, about 30 minutes past the hour here in New York.
Both candidates have spoken and now America faces a choice this November. President Trump accepting his re-nomination at the Republican National Convention last night. Using the power of his office, he set the political speech at the White House -- the people's house.
He declared himself the man to end the crises gripping America right now, never mentioning that the crises exploded on his watch.
Trump staunchly defended his handling of a pandemic that's killed almost 181,000 Americans to a crowd with no social distancing and almost no masks in sight. It was the very picture of a super-spreader health event that experts warn about.
ROMANS: About 1,500 people attended on the south lawn. Some context here. About 4,000 people have died of coronavirus since the convention began Monday. A senior White House official brushed off concerns saying, quote, "Everybody is going to catch this thing eventually."
The president's very long speech painted the election as a crusade against violent disorder. And a week after Joe Biden avoided mentioning Trump's name, Trump did the opposite. He linked the former vice president to this false narrative of chaos on the streets. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Biden is a Trojan horse for socialism. If Joe Biden doesn't have the strength to stand up to wild-eyed Marxists like Bernie Sanders and his fellow radicals -- and there are many -- there are many, many -- we see them all the time -- it's incredible, actually -- then how is he ever going to stand up for you?
Joe Biden is weak. He takes his marching orders from liberal hypocrites who drive their cities into the ground while fleeing far from the scene of the wreckage.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JARRETT: At the end of the night, in the sky, fireworks. But on the ground, protests at the White House gates.
In his speech, Trump condemned violence in big cities -- a theme throughout the convention and a theme the campaign wouldn't stick with if they didn't think it might work.
The first absentee ballots go out in North Carolina in just one week.
Christine, it's interesting that the Trump campaign has really tried to rebrand Biden as some sort of radical liberal and bring all the violence to the streets when during the primaries, Biden and Kamala Harris, as well, were both pressed on their record seeming not liberal enough. Seeming that they were too hard in terms of being --
ROMANS: Right.
JARRETT: -- a prosecutor, for Harris, and the crime bill for Biden.
ROMANS: Yes. Kamala Harris put bad guys away -- prosecuted bad guys. And, Joe Biden had been a key author of that crime bill that was tough on crime, with all kinds of armchair quarterbacking now, of course.
But interesting, isn't it, that Trump is trying to rebrand two people that in the primary season it was a concern that they were too much law and order now it's anti-law and order.
JARRETT: Yes. It's why it's just so important for voters to actually look at the facts and look at their record.
ROMANS: Right.
JARRETT: Absolutely.
ROMANS: And before Trump delivered that big speech, Joe Biden was telling CNN what he thinks about the president's attacks on him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And if you think about it, Donald Trump saying you're not going to be safe in Joe Biden's America, all of the video being played is being played in Donald Trump's America. These guys are rooting for violence. That is what it is all about -- to prove that you should be scared.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR, ANDERSON COOPER 360: You think he's actually rooting for violence -- that he wants violence because --
BIDEN: Absolutely.
COOPER: -- it allows him to claim a law and order mantle?
BIDEN: Sure, and because it takes -- it takes everybody's eye off the ball. You want to talk about safety, look at the biggest safety issue in the -- in the nation -- COVID.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Both Biden and President Trump heading back out on the campaign trail. The president will be in New Hampshire tonight. Biden is planning visits to battleground states, including Minnesota, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and Arizona after Labor Day.
JARRETT: President Trump made no mention of Jacob Blake, shot seven times in the back by police in front of his kids.
Now his family says he's handcuffed to his hospital bed even though he's paralyzed from the waist down. So why is this happening?
[05:35:00]
No one -- no one seems to be able to explain this and it's a familiar theme in this case. Answers are few and far between almost a week after this incident. Blake's uncle says the handcuffs add insult to injury.
Here's Wisconsin's governor.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. TONY EVERS (D), WISCONSIN: Certainly, he's paid a horrific price already, being shot seven or eight times in the back, so I can't imagine why that's happening.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Seventeen-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse will be in court today in Illinois. He's charged with killing two people while acting as a vigilante on the streets of Kenosha this week. Police say he called a friend in between the two shootings to say he killed somebody.
Inflammatory comments from 2018 have also surfaced from the Kenosha County sheriff. This was after a car chase for black suspects.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHERIFF DAVID BETH, KENOSHA COUNTY, WISCONSIN: And I think society has to come to a threshold where there's some people that aren't worth saving. We need to build warehouses to put these people into it and lock them away for the rest of their lives.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: The sheriff went on to say several times that day that he was not being, quote, "politically correct." He did later apologize.
Protests in Kenosha remained calm last night following appeals from Jacob Blake's family.
JARRETT: For the second day in a row, athletes take a stand for social justice, sitting out games, calling for change in the wake of the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
Andy Scholes has more in this morning's Bleacher Report. Hey, Andy.
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Laura.
So much of the sports world deciding to pause, once again, on Thursday and decide not to play in order to continue to protest racial injustice.
The WNBA postponing its three playoff games that were scheduled for last night. And in a powerful image, the players getting together, locking arms in a show of unity.
And, WNBA star Nneka Ogwumike saying this is not a strike, this is not a boycott. This is affirmatively a day of reflection -- a day of informed action and mobilization.
The plan to resume play today.
In baseball, meanwhile, seven games last night were postponed as a show of solidarity in the fight against racism.
In a powerful moment at Citi Field in New York City, the Mets and Marlins took the field. And then before the first pitch, all the players came out of the dugout.
They then held a 42-second moment of silence -- a tribute to Jackie Robinson. That's the number he wore on his jersey. Today, the league celebrates Jackie Robinson Day.
Then, everyone left the field leaving only a Black Lives Matter shirt at home plate.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAEL CONFORTO, OUTFIELDER, NEW YORK METS: This is unprecedented and, you know, I think it's -- I think it's for the good of, you know, inspiring change and making the world a better place, we hope. So I think there's a lot of work to be done but, you know, at least --
DOMINIC SMITH, OUTFIELDER, NEW YORK METS: What people -- what people don't understand -- like, this is way bigger than baseball. This is life, this is humanity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: The NHL, meanwhile, announcing it was postponing playoff games set for last night and tonight. The league had come under fire from some of its players for its decision to continue to play.
Yesterday, the players gathered together in Las Vegas. Knights winger Ryan Reaves spoke about the decision to halt play.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN REAVES, WINGER, VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS: You'd be looking around this room, there's a lot of -- a lot of white athletes in here, and I think that's the statement that's being made right now. I go to war with these guys and I hate their guts on the ice, but I couldn't be more proud of these guys.
It's -- the statement that they've made today is something that's going to last, you know. These two days isn't going to -- isn't going to fix anything but the conversation and the statement that's been made is very powerful, especially coming from the -- from this league.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHOLES: Now, several NFL teams calling off practices yesterday to discuss how to best make a lasting impact in their communities.
The Baltimore Ravens demanding social change and accountability in a statement they made, and they include very specific action points, including a call for pressing charges for the police officers responsible for Breonna Taylor's killing and the shooting of Jacob Blake. The team says in a powerful statement it will continue to use the franchise's platform to unite and enact positive change.
The NBA, meanwhile, Laura, reportedly will resume its playoffs. They continue to have meetings amongst players and league officials. And Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan a part of those talks. We should hear today what they plan to do moving forward.
JARRETT: All right, Andy. Thanks so much for all your reporting, as usual.
All right, we had some major breaking news overnight from Japan. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe resigns due to health issues. The 65-year-old is Japan's longest-serving prime minister.
Let's go live to CNN's Will Ripley with the breaking details. Will, it sounds like he's not going to leave right away. He's going to actually wait for his successor to be named?
WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He is. And, you know, it's important to point out Shinzo Abe -- it's difficult to be a leader of any country, especially a leader of Japan when you had Abe's goal, which was essentially to effect major institutional change.
[05:40:04] He tried to have Japan's pacifist Constitution revised so that Japan could have a more assertive role here in Asia-Pacific, which is something that President Obama, as well as President Trump, both of whom he had a great relationship with, encouraged. You know, Abe was actually one of the first world leaders to befriend President Trump and he's managed to do that in many different cases.
Had the pandemic not happened this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping was supposed to be visiting Abe in Tokyo. That visit was, of course, canceled by the pandemic.
And probably the biggest and most disappointing cancelation due to the pandemic for Prime Minister Abe was the Olympics -- Tokyo 2020. It was supposed to be his crowning achievement. It was supposed to turn around Japan's economy.
Now, the Olympics are postponed and there is a real possibility, depending on what's happening with a vaccine and whatnot, that the Olympics may not happen, which would mean tens of billions of dollars and much of Abe's economic plan for Japan essentially lost.
But the pandemic has really been a really difficult issue for the prime minister. He's been accused of acting too late, partially because he was suspected of trying to save the Olympics in the early days of the pandemic.
And he also -- you know, he's been accused of being out of touch -- of not really connecting with the struggles of everyday Japanese who are either unemployed or are unable to work from home. Having to still ride on crowded public transportation to go to work.
And this all -- and, of course, in the background, that Japan has seen record-high daily increases in the number of infections in the country.
So he's stepping down at a time that his disapproval ratings are very high. But when you look at his overall legacy as the longest-serving Japanese prime minister, he did basically get the conversation started and a lot of people weren't talking about things like women in the workforce. And, you know, Japan potentially taking another look at its pacifist stance that it's had for more than 70 years.
So it's a mixed legacy for sure, Laura.
JARRETT: All right, Will. Thanks so much.
ROMANS: All right.
A historic shift by the Federal Reserve that will likely leave interest rates low for a very long time. The central bank will allow inflation to climb above two percent for periods of time and not preemptively raise interest rates. It's an acknowledgment that the U.S. can have both low unemployment and muted inflation.
And the Fed chair, Jerome Powell, says he won't be inclined to boost interest rates when unemployment does fall again. That would make it easier to borrow money and help the economy recover.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEROME POWELL, CHAIRMAN, FEDERAL RESERVE: It reflects our view that a robust job market can be sustained without causing an outbreak of inflation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Powell also said the decision reflects the benefits of a strong labor market, particularly in low-income communities.
We'll be right back.
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[05:46:46]
JARRETT: Welcome back.
The Centers for Disease Control now forecasting more than 200,000 deaths in the U.S. from coronavirus by September 19th. That's about 850 people per day, meaning this graph right here will decline at a painfully slow rate for at least the next few weeks.
The number of Americans in hospitals, though, has dropped significantly, down almost 40 percent from the peak five weeks ago. The national average of new cases is down 37 percent in that time as well.
ROMANS: But new cases are up in 16 states, six more than earlier this week. And one hotspot is Iowa, which saw the biggest increase in the entire U.S. pandemic yesterday. The governor there has now ordered all bars, taverns, breweries, and nightclubs closed in six of Iowa's 99 counties.
In Alabama, the governor extended a mandatory mask order for an additional five weeks. Cases on college campuses there have kept the numbers up in that state.
JARRETT: At least 32 states are reporting coronavirus cases at colleges and universities. More than 8,000 cases have been confirmed among students and staff, and plenty more are in isolation due to close contact with those infected by COVID.
North Carolina State, with 34,000 students, has ordered a majority of those living on campus to move out following a rise in case numbers there. And at USC, in L.A., more than 100 students tested positive for COVID in just three days.
ROMANS: All right.
A new study finds e-cigarette companies -- e-cigarette companies have been exploiting the pandemic to sell their products. Some vaping ads offered free toilet paper, face masks, or hand sanitizer with a qualifying purchase. Researchers found in most giveaways, the sanitizer came in the same
bottles as e-liquids. Part of the concern is that packaging could confuse consumers into thinking the sanitizer is for vaping, doing serious harm to people's lungs.
JARRETT: Six people are dead in the wake of Hurricane Laura. We are now getting our first real sense of the damage. A major storm surge inland was largely avoided, no doubt a relief for everyone during a pandemic. But the wind did cause major destruction, especially in and around Lake Charles, Louisiana.
Overnight, the mayor said residents coming home must understand the reality there. He says look and leave is truly the best option.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHAD LEJEUNE, HOMEOWNER: It wasn't a howling, it was more like a screaming. You could actually hear the shingles being ripped off the house. So, yes, it was -- it was -- it was very crazy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Lake Charles also dealing with a chemical fire at a plant in the area.
The CDC now warning about also carbon monoxide poisoning since thousands of homeowners and businesses could turn to gas generators for power and propane grills for cooking. Those can be very dangerous in confined spaces.
CNN's Martin Savidge is on the ground for us in Lake Charles.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Morning, Christine; morning, Laura.
The damage to Lake Charles, Louisiana is extensive and it's severe. It's like they had a tornado, only on a much more massive kind of scale. And whether it's a commercial district or a residential area, like where we are, it's pretty much all the same.
This apartment complex just got nailed. The roof's been ripped off and it's unlivable for the time being. And then you take a look at the street we're on. The side streets are all choked still with debris, downed power lines, and trees that have come crashing to the ground.
[05:50:04]
Power is out in most areas; so is the water. When it comes to the electricity it's not going to be a quick fix.
It's not just some power lines down on the ground. No, it's the power poles that have literally been slammed to the ground. The transformers have all been trashed and it stretches for miles and miles and miles. The basic grid will have to be replaced in some areas. If you stayed for this storm you'll probably never forget it. If you left, you're probably grateful that you did. But just know it's not the same Lake Charles that you're coming back to.
The governor says actually, it could have been worse and he's right. Because there was all this talk about the severe storm surge, especially up here. That never materialized. But what the water didn't do, the wind definitely did.
It's going to be a long and very painful recovery -- Christine and Laura.
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JARRETT: Martin Savidge, thank you so much for that report.
The U.S. is keeping a close eye on Russia after two separate incidents involving the Russian military.
The U.S. Northern Command monitoring a Russian submarine that surfaced in international waters off the coast of Alaska Thursday. Defense officials say Russian sub activity is at its highest level since the Cold War.
Separately, the Pentagon is accusing Russia's military of deliberately provocative and aggressive behavior after U.S. troops were hurt in a collision between armored vehicles in Syria.
ROMANS: A college basketball legend has died. Lute Olson coached the University of Arizona for 24 seasons from 1983 to 2008. Under Olson, Arizona won the 1997 National Championship and made the Final Four three other times.
Olson won National Coach of the Year honors five times and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.
Lute Olson was 85.
JARRETT: Singer R. Kelly attacked in his Chicago jail cell by a fellow inmate. According to his attorneys, guards stopped the assault almost immediately and Kelly suffered only minor injuries. The incident renewed calls by his lawyers for Kelly to be released on bond. He's awaiting trial on multiple sex crimes in Illinois, Minnesota, and New York.
Well, some U.S. Coast Guard crew members and their inflatable unicorn had a close encounter with a shark during a dip in the middle of the Pacific earlier this week.
Thirty crew members on the Cutter Kimball were taking a swim break when a six to eight-foot shark was spotted heading straight for them. A watchman shot bursts of gunfire at the shark while everyone jumped out of the water. Thankfully, no one was hurt -- apparently, not even the shark.
ROMANS: All right. Taking a look at markets around the world this Friday, the Nikkei closed lower after the news of Shinzo Abe's resignation. You can see that European shares have opened slightly higher; mixed in Frankfurt.
In the U.S., on Wall Street, also a mixed futures performance. Stocks closed mixed Thursday.
The Dow briefly turned positive for the year for the first time since the pandemic. It closed up 160 points. The S&P 500 hit another record high. The Nasdaq fell slightly.
Walmart trying to get into the tech game beyond online ordering. Walmart teaming up with Microsoft in an attempt to buy TikTok. Walmart said the app could increase its access to consumers.
TikTok is under intense pressure from the U.S. government. President Trump has threatened to ban the app in the U.S. if it isn't sold to a U.S. company by September 15th, citing security concerns.
America's first department store is officially going out of business. Lord & Taylor will close its remaining 38 locations. Just last week it said it would keep 14 open.
This company is 194 years old. It filed for bankruptcy earlier this month. Lord & Taylor said it's still looking for options for the company's brand. Liquidation sales in-store and online have already begun.
As corporate America reckons with racism, Amazon has appointed its first black executive to its senior leadership team. Alicia Davis is Amazon's vice president of global customer fulfillment. The appointment makes her just the fourth female on Amazon's senior team.
Amazon has been criticized for its lack of diversity and gender disparities in its executive roles. Its workforce consists of nearly 43 percent women, but among managers, only 28 percent.
For more stories on moving equality forward, go to cnn.com/represented.
All right, that's it for us for this week. I'm Christine Romans.
JARRETT: And I'm --
ROMANS: Have a good weekend.
JARRETT: -- Laura Jarrett. Have a great weekend, everyone. "NEW DAY" is next.
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[05:58:47]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: This is the most important election in the history of our country. My administration has a very different approach. To save as many lives as possible, we are focusing on the science, the facts, and the data.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His whole speech was about a big lie about where we are in this country. We have 180,000 dead.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And his son is handcuffed to the bed and was very angry at that.
EVERS: And we have no personal understanding why that would be necessary.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police arrested 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A young white man who killed people is not shot and is taken alive.
(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 all around the world. This is NEW DAY. It is Friday, August 27th (sic), 6:00 here in New York.
And this morning, the coronavirus death toll in the U.S. approaching 181,000 Americans. The CDC predicts that number will grow to 200,000 Americans in the next few weeks.
Since just the start of the Republican National Convention, Monday, more than 4,000 Americans have died -- more than were killed on 9/11. But those tragic numbers were overlooked at the Republican convention last night.
And social distancing rules were also overlooked last night. One thousand people packed tightly onto the south lawn of the White House.
