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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

AUTOMATIC Messages Signaled Smoke Near Cockpit; EgyptAir Pilot Remembered At Wake; Clinton, Sanders Battle For California; Clinton: Trump Is "Hollow"; U.S. Lifts Arms Embargo Against Vietnam; Warriors On The Ropes. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired May 23, 2016 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:00 ] JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Something the country really cannot afford right now -- George.

GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Jomana Karadsheh live, thank you so much.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN ANCHOR: All right. EARLY START continues now.

(HEADLINES)

HOWELL: Will this be a nail biter?

KOSIK: I think it will be. Good morning. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm Alison Kosik.

HOWELL: I'm George Howell. It is Monday, May 23rd at 5:00 a.m. on the U.S. east coast.

Happening now, Egypt is deploying a submarine to find EgyptAir Flight 804 at the bottom of the Mediterranean. The robot is searching for the jet's all-important black boxes. Those flight data recorders hold key details about what happened on this plane before it crashed.

French investigators also confirming the plane sent out automated messages signaling that smoke was at the front of the aircraft just moments before it disappeared from radar.

Investigators are also focusing on security at the airports that the plane visited before its final flight. Four of the five, Brussels, Tunis, Paris and Cairo were already under heightened terror-related scrutiny.

Joining us now following this story, our Nic Robertson is live in Alexandria, Egypt. Nic, it is good to have you with us. So what more can you tell us about the submarine and how it will help in the search?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: George, we just got details in from the French. They say that they are sending a ship or vessel to the recovery area to help the Egyptians. On board that ship, two specialist divers, a small submersible vehicle and a ping detector.

This is the first time we heard of a ping detector being deployed. This -- I called it a ping detector. This is the device that goes in the water to hear the transmissions that come from the pinger that's on the black boxes.

So this is potentially a major step forward, a major assistance for the Egyptians. The Egyptian authorities here have said that they need help in this recovery effort. They have been asking for help and now some of that help appears to be sort of appearing over the horizon if you will.

However, the way the French are characterizing the situation at the moment, they are saying, first of all, the ship has to search for -- help the Egyptian search for the debris before they will actually put that submersible and the ping detector into the sea.

The indications coming here from the French is that this search is still at an early stage, a very early stage so although the Egyptians have deployed their own submarine, their own submersible vehicle that can go to a depth of 3,000 meters, there is clearly a lot more to be done here.

The sea where these ships are is up to two miles deep, 5,000 meters deep, which is beyond the capacity of both of those submarines that will be out there now.

We are talking about a visual search so having this ping detector on- site is going to be very important to speed finding the black boxes. But everyone I think here is preparing us for what could be potentially quite a long and slow process -- George.

HOWELL: OK, so the search is certainly ramping up more equipment out there to do the job. Also doing the job of the airline. The government of notifying the next of kin. Just talk to us about the difficult process there and how these families are dealing with it days on after this plane went down.

ROBERTSON: Well, as we all saw at the airport in Cairo when families came and there in Charles de Gaulle in Paris as well, horrible for them to learn this terrible information about their loved ones.

The government here took them in and gave them as much information as they could. EgyptAir carried those families from Paris here. It's been a very difficult process. You've had services, funeral services or services for the bereaved rather has been difficult for families.

No bodies, of course, for the pilot over the weekend, for one of the air (inaudible), air crew on board. There was a service -- her family was there. Very emotional times.

For the government, a very tough job of trying to give the information to the families. It's heartbreaking. They talked about the DNA analysis. It is a tough job.

Talked about the legal process about they will get death certificates. The families' lives must go on in absence of bodies, a difficult legal process. All of this is happening. Very hard time for everyone -- George. [05:05:01]HOWELL: And you just feel for these families again with such little information out there at this point, but the search is intensifying. Nic Robertson live for us, thank you, Nic.

KOSIK: OK, turning to politics now. Bernie Sanders getting tough against the head of Democratic National Committee. Sanders blasting the party, its presidential primary process, and ramping up his battle against DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz.

Sanders and Hillary Clinton campaigning against each other in California today as Sanders claims despite his shortfall in delegates, he has a path to the White House. CNN's Sunlen Serfaty has more.

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONENT: Bernie Sanders is certainly striking a defiant tone as he barnstorms through California in the middle of a five-day swing in the state of back-to-back events leading to California's June 7th primary.

As he speaks to supporters, he is really trying to make the case to validate his path forward and validate staying in the race. Even though he is well behind in the popular vote and pledged delegates. Here is what he told his supporters here in Vista, California Sunday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We win when voter turnout is high. If voter turnout is high, with your help, we are going to win the lion's share of those delegates. If we win the nomination, I assure you, Donald Trump will not become president of the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY: Sanders is also taking on a much harsher tone towards the Democratic nominating process and the Democratic leadership. Over the weekend, that came in the form of Bernie Sanders speaking out against Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the DNC chair.

He actually endorsed her opponent in her congressional primary race over her, which of course is a bigger front to her leadership and to her personally, here's what he told Jake Tapper on "STATE OF THE UNION."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDERS: Clearly, I favor her opponent. His views are much closer to mine that Wasserman Schultz's is. Let me also say this, in all due respected to the current chairperson, if elected president, she would not be reappointed to be chair of the DNC.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY: So absolutely no mincing of words there from Bernie Sanders. Now Debbie Wasserman Schultz has responded. She said, even though Bernie Sanders has endorsed her opponent, she intends to remain neutral during the primary process. KOSIK: All right, Sunlen, thanks.

HOWELL: To help us break all of this down, the battle among the Democrats and the political action, let's bring in CNN Politics reporter, Eugene Scott, in our Washington Bureau. Good morning, Eugene.

EUGENE SCOTT, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: Good morning.

HOWELL: So look, we're looking at two candidates on the Democratic side that seemed to be fighting. The fight goes on. When you talk about Clinton and Trump at a statistical dead heat. We've seen Hillary Clinton, though, dig in on Trump. I want you to listen to a couple of things she had to say over the weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There's no evidence he has any ideas about making America great as he advertises. He seems to be particularly focused on making himself appear great. As we go through this campaign, we're going to be demonstrating the hollowness of his rhetoric and the danger of a lot of what he has said.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOWELL: So now what's happening here? Because we're seeing Trump rise. Is that because the Republicans are starting to coalesce around Trump or on Clinton's side, is it because she is still in this bitter fight, you know, with Bernie Sanders? Is that why we are seeing right now these two candidates neck and neck?

SCOTT: Well, I think one reason we are seeing Trump continue to rise is because as much as there is a never trump contingent in the electorate, there is also a never Hillary, a never Clinton group of people, group of voters who will be going to the poll very soon.

And regardless of how thorough the former secretary believes her platform and her presentation is, there are some people who simply do not agree with her positions and would prefer Trump whatever he offers no matter how insignificant compared to Clinton or Sanders.

She just cannot get those people on board with her regardless of what she brings to the table.

KOSIK: You know what's interesting, Eugene, these new polls came out basically showing Clinton and Trump in a dead heat. I want to show you right here. We have the "Wall Street Journal"/NBC News poll there. You see the percentages.

A second poll, the "Washington Post"/ABC News poll as well, these are polls among registered voters. Everybody was so quick to write off Donald Trump calling him a joke.

Dismissing him as a viable candidate, but you have voters saying you can't tell me how I will vote. I'm going to vote the way I want to vote. SCOTT: Very much so. I think, you know, much has been written about how the media and how political elites have under estimated Trump and his supporters.

[05:10:05]There are people who are very much resonating with the ideas that he is putting forward and even those who aren't. I've regularly talk to people who are Republicans, who are not excited about Donald Trump.

But at the end of the day, when it's time to vote, they will choose him over Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders because they align more with his values.

We saw this in 2012 with Mitt Romney. There were people who got on board who were not crazy about Mitt Romney. But at the end of the day, they would rather support the Republican nominee over the Democratic one.

HOWELL: We are talking about two of the most unpopular candidates that are running for president.

SCOTT: Very much so. I mean, there's a lot of dissatisfaction with our options this time around. So I would be surprised if turnout is at historic lows. I'm very interested in seeing what people will do come November.

Because I talk to people regularly who are very engaged, who are in the political process professionally and personally, who quite frankly at this point don't think they will vote at all.

HOWELL: Eugene, I will ask you. We are talking about these polls and the polls are important. But important to point out, they are a snapshot of where the race is right now. When it comes down to that all important Electoral College, though, are we seeing the map start to change?

SCOTT: Well, what we are seeing is more Republicans coming on board with Donald Trump. I think the narrative or idea that Republican leaders are not supporting Trump, while accurate right now, it is still a bit premature. I mean, we have about six more months left to go.

We have seen bigger changes and bigger things happen in that time period in an election that could have a significant impact. So it could change. Also, you know, we still do not know what the superdelegates will do on the Democratic side.

Even though many of them, most of them are leaning towards Hillary Clinton. Surely Bernie Sanders and his supporters have done a good job of putting the idea and the facts out there that this too can change.

KOSIK: All right. Eugene Scott, we've got more to talk about with you. We're going to bring you back in just a little bit, but for now thanks so much for joining us. We will come back to you.

HOWELL: Breaking news this morning, President Obama revealing a major U.S. policy change that is sure to anger China. We are live next.

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[05:16:23]

HOWELL: Breaking news this morning that is sure to anger China. President Obama announcing at a joint news conference in Hanoi with Vietnam's president that the United States is fully lifting the decades' old ban on the sale of military equipment to Vietnam.

CNN's White House correspondent, Michelle Kosinski, is traveling with the president and joins us now live from Hanoi. Michelle, this is a move certainly to strengthen ties between these two nations, but this came even as a surprise to the reporters following the president. Tell us about that.

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I think there was some uncertainty as to whether this would be announced during this trip. When the White House had talked about it prior, they put it in terms of well, it will be discussed. It doesn't seem like it was really a definite decision that would be made here.

So when the president of Vietnam was the first one to announce it and that was through a translator. Everyone wanted to make sure that that was indeed true. It took several minutes that President Obama speaking before he confirmed it. The arms embargo has been gradually lifted over the years. This finalizes it. Here's how President Obama announced it during his portion.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The United States is fully lifting the ban on the sale of military equipment to Vietnam that has been in place for some 50 years. The decision to lift the ban was not based on China or any other considerations. It was based on our desire to complete what has been a lengthy process of moving towards normalization with Vietnam.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSINSKI: He said this was based on the relationship. You heard him say it is not about China. He also said it is not tied to human rights. Human rights, though, are hard to ignore here.

I mean, President Obama emphasized he would continue to speak out for freedom of speech, freedom of the press, the right to assemble, which are universal. But when you look at Vietnam's record.

The Human Rights Watch says that the human rights situation here is dire in all areas. For its part, the new president of Vietnam today said that they are working to institutionalize an expansion of human rights.

He looked forward to continuing the dialogue with the United States to try to bridge that gap to increase human rights here. Whether or not that comes to fruition is another story. This is a place that continues to arrest political prisoners. Freedom of speech is really nonexistent here -- George.

HOWELL: Let's talk about how this move is something that certainly could anger China. We are talking about Vietnam, a country that is competitive with China there in the South China Sea. What's this significance and how will China view this?

KOSINSKI: China is never happy when the U.S. strengthens ties especially militarily with its other allies in the region. Allies like Vietnam that have current disputes going on with China. I mean, China and Vietnam have been pretty contentious over disputed islands in the South China Sea.

The U.S. by its policy doesn't like to take sides on that issue in particular, but it supports freedom of navigation and freedom of over flight and acknowledges that China doesn't follow those rules and doesn't follow them repeatedly.

So this is a way to counter China without doing it directly. I mean, strengthening ties with Vietnam gives Vietnam more of a chance to oppose China -- George.

HOWELL: Traveling with the president. CNN's Michelle Kosinski live. Michelle, thank you for your reporting today.

[05:20:04]KOSIK: A shocker in Oklahoma City. The Golden State Warriors blown out in game three of their series with the Thunder. Are the defending champs in trouble? Coy Wire with this morning's "Bleacher Report" coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOWELL: All right. The Golden State Warriors suddenly in an uncomfortable position down two games to one to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

KOSIK: Coy Wire has more in this morning's "Bleacher Report." Good morning.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alison and George. The Warriors were actually down 2-1 twice in last year's playoffs with the Grizzlies and the Cavs in the finals, but they came back to win it all.

[05:25:03]Not so sure this is the team, though, to which you want to be down 2-1. The way these guys are playing. Things getting a little chippy in the second quarter. Green on the drive. Fouled by Adams. Watch Green's leg. Swift kick to Adams thunder down under.

Green's called for a flagrant one foul. Crowd goes nuts. It gave OKC the run. Thunder win 133-105. Game four is tomorrow on TNT.

Those rumors of the Triple Crown winner this year were exaggerated. Nyquist, the undefeated Kentucky Derby winner Preakness favorite was upset by rival exaggerator. He pulls away in the mud down the stretch in front of a record 134,000 plus cold, wet dedicated horse racing fans. No back to back Triple Crown winner this year after American Pharoah accomplished that feat just last year.

Awesome story coming out in the Midwest for the hundredth running of the Indianapolis 500. James Hinchcliffe gets the pole a year after he almost bled to death on the same track last year. Hinchcliffe almost bled to death after a piece of his car went through his leg and pelvic region during a practice run wreck. Now he will lead the field to the green flag this Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Speaking of sweet stuff, fantastic news to report from the CNN sports front. Beckett Andrew Scholes joined the world over the weekend. Andy says that Mama and Beckett and big brother all are doing fine. He said my retirement plan just doubled its value. He said he loves being swaddled and watching CNN. So major congrats to Andy and his wife, Loren.

KOSIK: Congratulations to both of them. Before you know it, the little guy will be throwing a football.

HOWELL: Andy is good people. Just so happy for him and his family.

KOSIK: All right, thanks, Coy. New information from inside the cockpit of EgyptAir Flight 804 plane plunged from the sky. That's next.

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