Return to Transcripts main page
Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Trump Set to Attack Clinton's Foreign Policy; Clinton Calls Trump "Dangerous" for the Economy; Orlando Massacre: The Gunman's Final Hours; North Korea Test Fires Two Missiles; Brexit Vote in Britain. Aired 4:30-5a ET
Aired June 22, 2016 - 04:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:32:31] CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: In just hours, Donald Trump set to unleash a scathing new attack on Hillary Clinton, slamming her foreign policy and accusing her of corruption as secretary of state.
RYAN NOBLES, CNN ANCHOR: Hillary Clinton calls Donald Trump dangerous for America, and predicting an economy run by Wall Street if he's elected.
ROMANS: New information this morning on the Orlando club massacre. What the gunman was doing just hours before that attack.
Welcome back to EARLY START this Wednesday morning. I'm Christine Romans.
NOBLES: And I'm Ryan Nobles. It is 32 minutes past the hour.
And in just hours, Donald Trump will deliver what is expected to be a scathing speech, blasting Hillary Clinton's foreign policy.
Overnight, a source telling CNN that Trump will try to use his speech to retake control of the political narrative. Something Republicans had been praying for. Among other things, he'll accuse Clinton of pay for play corruption while she was secretary of state, attack's Clinton use of a private email server and slam her support for countries with shoddy human rights records toward women and gay people.
On Tuesday, Trump leveled a new line of attack against Clinton. Speaking to evangelical leaders, he questioned her faith and also promised to appoint anti-abortion judges if elected.
CNN's Jim Acosta has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Christine and Ryan, Donald Trump is trying to pivot away from some of the recent troubles hampering his campaign. He's got a speech set for tomorrow aimed at attacking Hillary Clinton here in New York City. And as Trump has been brushing off concerns about his poll numbers and recent fund- raising totals, the presumptive GOP nominee has been attempting to turn up the heat on Hillary Clinton. At a meeting with evangelical leaders here in New York, Trump questioned Clinton's faith.
Here's what he had to say.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: About Hillary in terms of religion. She's been in the public eye for years and years, and yet there's no -- there's nothing out there. There's like nothing out there. It's going to be an extension of Obama, but it's going to be worse, because with Obama, you had your guard up. With Hillary, you don't.
ACOSTA: And as part of the Trump campaign's full-on assault on Hillary Clinton, he's created a new website called LyingCrookedHillary.com. But the campaign says it's not ready yet and will be up and running in the coming days -- Ryan and Christine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: All right. Thank you so much for that, Jim Acosta.
Trump also on the offensive against his own party this morning as he defends a stunningly low start to his election fundraising. The Trump campaign reporting just $1.3 million cash on hand at the start of June, about $41 million behind Hillary Clinton.
[04:35:02] It's a gap many Republican leaders say they're alarmed.
But Trump is pinning some of the blame on Republican fund raisers for failing to line up in support. At the same time, Trump suggests Clinton earned her big fund raising lead by accepting, quote, "blood money".
Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: When she raises this money, every time she raises money, she's making deals. Can I be the ambassador to this, can I do that? Make sure my business is taken care of. I mean, give me a break. All of the money she's raising, that's blood money. That's blood money.
Look, she's getting tremendous amounts of money from Wall Street. She's going to take care of Wall Street. She's getting tremendous amounts of money from lots of people. She's going to take care of all those people.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: We will ask Trump's attorney, Michael Cohen, about fund- raising and more later this morning during "NEW DAY's" 7:00 hour.
NOBLES: Meanwhile, today, Hillary Clinton moves in to round two of her new attacks on Donald Trump as a menace to the U.S. economy. On Tuesday in Columbus, Ohio, Clinton gave her first general campaign speech on the economy. Following the pattern of reform policy speech earlier this month, Clinton painting the billionaire real estate mogul as a danger to America.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: You might think that because he has spent his life as a businessman, he'd be better prepared to handle the economy. Well, it turns out he's dangerous there too. Just like he shouldn't have his finger on the button, he shouldn't have his hands on our economy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBLES: CNN's Jeff Zeleny was in the room for Clinton's speech. He has more from Ohio.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Christine and Ryan, Hillary Clinton delivering the second part of her economic message today in Raleigh, North Carolina, on the heels of a speech Tuesday in Columbus, Ohio. This was a blistering take down of Donald Trump's economic policies, going at his -- heart of his economic success, his financial success, how he has in fact made his money.
Hillary Clinton made clear that all Donald Trump's products are not made in America.
CLINTON: And interestingly, Trump's own products are made in a lot of countries that aren't named America.
Trump ties are made in China. Trump suits in Mexico. Trump furniture in Turkey. Trump picture frames in India. Trump bar wear in Slovenia -- and I could go on and on. But you get the idea. And I'd love for him to explain how all that fits with his talk about "America first".
ZELENY: Now, politically speaking, that could be a problem for Donald Trump here in Ohio where the eighteen electoral votes of the state are critical for the general election race with Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
But moreover, Hillary Clinton gave a complete take down of Donald Trump on the economy but she used historical perspective, saying he would be a disaster here and she also tied in this foreign policy speech she made some three weeks ago in San Diego, another installment here of how she's trying to define him before he can define himself. Today, she continues that in North Carolina -- Christine and Ryan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: All right, Jeff. Looking forward to that.
You know, Hillary Clinton casting Donald Trump as dangerous and reckless for the American economy. Frankly, she's got more work to do to convince Americans when it comes to the economy that she is the right perform the job, try to take down Donald Trump, but she does need to build up support for what she wants to do.
You know, voters, when asked who would be the better candidate to handle the economy, 51 percent say Trump, 43 percent say Clinton. Now, that was before Clinton's speech yesterday. In that speech, she cited a new report from Moody's Analytics, a report that said Donald Trump, a Donal Trump presidency would be terrible for the American economy. A report that echoes what many mainstream economists have said.
The Moody's report said Donald Trump policies if enacted would lead to a downturn longer than the Great Recession. It would kill 3.5 million jobs, unemployment would jump back to 7 percent, home prices would fall and the stock market would plummet. Moody's says it plans to do an analysis of Hillary Clinton's economic policies next.
NOBLES: And Hillary Clinton is narrowing her list of possible running mates with a final decision expected in the next several weeks. Clinton meets privately behind closed with Democratic Party leaders today in Washington today. California Congressman Xavier Becerra will be there. Now, he's considered by Democratic leaders to be a leading choice for V.P.
Also said to be on Clinton's short list, HUD Secretary Julian Castro, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, and Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia.
Now, you can get to know Congressman Becerra. He's going to join us live on "NEW DAY", at 8:00 a.m. Eastern.
ROMANS: All right. Looking for that.
A last-gasp effort to get a gun control bill to the Senate appears to be dead on arrival. A measure floated by Maine Republican Susan Collins looks like it may be gaining traction on both sides of the aisle. But now, Democrats claim it doesn't go far enough. While the NRA blasts it from the other side, calling it constitutional.
[04:40:00] We get more from CNN senior political reporter, Manu Raju.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: Now, Ryan and Christine, Susan Collins trying to push forward a bipartisan deal, actually having some influential senators on her side about this issue trying to close the so-called terror loophole.
In other words, people who are on that no-fly list, preventing them from getting guns. She has some influential senators, like Lindsey Graham of South Carolina on the right, and people on the left like Tim Kaine of Virginia.
But what Susan Collins does not have are numbers, because Republicans have a lot of concerns over this bill, particularly leadership, Republican leaders do not believe it goes far enough in addressing constitutional concerns, due process concerns. And Democratic leaders are worried that it does not have teeth. That it would not do enough to crackdown on suspected terrorists.
And then you have the issue of politics. The NRA, of course, as we know, very powerful, is quietly lobbying against this, we are told.
And separately, Democrats don't want to lose a potent issue on gun control, heading into a critical election year. So, a lot is happening right here. There's a big, strong push. But chances for enacting this bill into law are rather slim -- Ryan and Christine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NOBLES: All right. Manu, thank you for that update from Capitol Hill.
House Republicans will not vote to block the new Harriet Tubman $20 bill. GOP Congressman Steve King of Iowa did try to amend the Treasury Department funding bill with a proposal prohibiting the redesign, but the House Rules Committee decided not to consider it on the House floor.
Representative King claims adding the abolitionist icon to the $20 bill is nothing more than liberal activism on the part of the president.
Well, we are now learning what the Orlando gunman was doing just hours before the massacre. We'll have that for you next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:46:00] ROMANS: New details this morning emerging about the Orlando gunman. A man who attended the same Florida mosque as Omar Mateen telling CNN he notified the FBI back in 2014 of his suspicions because of radical comments Mateen had made. Mateen's father says his son received a proper Islamic burial in Florida, giving no other details. All this as we learn Mateen was at the Pulse nightclub hours before the massacre -- before the massacre.
We get more from CNN's Ed Lavandera.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christine and Ryan, investigators are trying to piece together the hours leading up to the deadly shooting at the Pulse nightclub here in Orlando. Investigators are focused on building a timeline in those hours leading up to it. Law enforcement sources tell us that Omar Mateen had come to the Pulse nightclub several hours before the shooting, had actually purchased a ticket to get in and had a wristband and then left two hours before the shooting.
Now, what he was doing during those two hours, investigators weren't aren't sure, but that's one of the things they're looking at, but he did return to the club and begun the shooting spree. Investigators suspect that perhaps Mateen had come here to the club to check out the security situation inside. All of this happening several hours after Mateen had to abruptly lift and stormed out of his house which is about two hours away.
According to law enforcement sources, the say Mateen's wife has told investigators three was angry, had packed a bag full of his guns and made the drive up here to Orlando. So, that timeline of that day Saturday into early Sunday morning is something that investigators are taking a much closer look at -- Christine and Ryan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NOBLES: All right. Ed, thank you for that update.
Three suspects on an alleged vigilante mission arrested with an arsenal of weapons during a routine traffic stop at the Holland Tunnel between New York City and New Jersey. Now, police say two men and a woman were stopped on a Jersey side in a brightly colored pick up truck loaded with drugs, rifles, bullet proof vests and thousands of rounds of ammunition. There is the truck right there. They told police they were heading to New York to rescue a girl being held against her will in a drug den. All three are facing weapons charges.
ROMANS: Two Anaheim, California, men found guilty of conspiring to support ISIS. It took a federal jury just over one hour to convict them, during the two trial, jurors heard a detail account of the defendant's efforts to fight with the terror group in Iraq and Syria. One of them was arrested trying to board a plane to the Middle East. Both face decades behind bars when they're sentenced in September.
NOBLES: Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert reports to prison this afternoon in Rochester, Minnesota. He was sentenced to 15 months behind bars in April for making illegal payoffs to cover up acts of sexual abuse. The 70-year-old Hastert has publicly admitted abusing several wrestlers when he was a coach decades ago.
ROMANS: All right. Two large wildfires burning out of control in the San Gabriel Mountains, near Los Angeles. They have forced the evacuation of nearly 800 homes now. More than a thousand firefighters are on the line, battling the so-called reservoirs and fish fires. Triple digit temperatures are not helping their efforts. The cause of both fires is still under investigation.
NOBLES: And there really is no relief from this heat in sight.
Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri has more.
Pedram, good morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Ryan and Christine, good morning, guys.
Yes, the heat's still in place across the Southwest, and you look at the soil moisture across Southern California, right around 5 percent to 10 percent of normal, especially around the Los Angeles area. So, literally a tinderbox when it comes to how easily it is to ignite some of these fires.
And when you think about the areas that are being impacted, very mountainous terrain, and terrain has a lot to do with why these fire are spreading so rapidly. In fact, fire likes to doubles its speed when it comes to just a 10 degree slope. So, a 5-mile-per-hour fire on flat surfaces quickly travels to 10 miles per hour on 10 degree angles. You take that up to 20 degree angles, you get yourself a 20- mile-per-hour. And, of course, you take that up to 30, now you're talking about a 40-mile-an-hour progression off the fire spreading.
So, something, of course, to keep in mind across that region of southern California. But look at this, across the Upper Midwest, portions of the Great Lakes, now the jet streamlined up in perfect position with active thunderstorms. We think by this afternoon, ingredients in place to spark off a major wind event across the Great Lakes. And, of course, some large hail, damaging tornados possible across this region, scattered about as well, more than 40 million people and the threat zone for severe weather by this afternoon, guys.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: All right. Pedram, thank you for that.
An intense final day of campaigning before the U.K. votes, whether it will leave the European Union, a vote with consequences that will be felt around the world and your savings and 401(k) certainly. We're live, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: All right, welcome back. Fifty-five minutes past the hour.
[04:55:00] Breaking overnight, North Korea firing two more missiles from its eastern coast. According to U.S. military officials, both are believed to be intermediate range missiles The South Koreans calling the launches a clear provocation. They say one of the test missiles failed but the other traveled nearly 250 miles and that data is still being analyzed.
We want to go live to Seoul and bring in CNN's Paula Hancocks.
Good morning, Paula.
PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello, Christine.
Well, it is that second launch everyone is looking at quite closely. As you say, it went about 250 miles according to the South Korean defense ministry. And it also had an altitude of more than 600 miles according to Japan. This could be considered progress.
There have been concerns over the pace that Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader has been test firing these missiles. Since April, there have been six. And officials say that even with every failure, he is learning something. So clearly this latest launch does appear to have gone further than others.
Now, we've heard from Japan's prime minister. He said that he can never forgive this. He has launched a firm protest against this. South Korea has said it violates the U.N. Security Council resolutions, because North Korea is banned from using ballistic missile technology. And also, Washington, the State Department has said that they strongly condemn this.
But clearly, Kim Jong-un is not concerned about this at this point. The pace at which he is testing these missiles shows he wants this capability, Christine?
ROMANS: All right. Paula Hancocks for us in Seoul, following the story -- thank you, Paula.
NOBLES: Today is the final day for advocates on both sides of the Brexit debate in the U.K. before tomorrow's referendum on whether Britain should exit the European Union or remain in the bloc. The passionate debate driven by the recent surge of migrants flooding into Europe from the Middle East and North Africa. Today, the Brexit vote is the focus of leaders all across Europe.
In just hours, leaders of France, Germany, Sweden, Austria, and Poland will address the media.
CNN's Phil Black is live for us now in London.
And, Phil, a pretty fiery debate last night. The question is, is it going to change anyone's minds?
PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Ryan, it was a very strong debate by both sides of the campaign, but the arguments are what we have been hearing throughout. Those advocating Britain leaving the European Union zeroing in on the issues of Britain sovereignty, and, yes, immigration is a big issue for that side of the debate. Not just refugees, but European migrants especially. The belief, they argue, that Britain is unable to control its borders, determine who moves here, in what numbers and ultimately, who puts pressure on public services, housing, health, these sorts of issues.
The camp that wants Britain to stay with the European Union, they acknowledge that immigration is a legitimate issue here, but their very strong argument is that they do not believe that leaving the European Union and ultimately doing a great deal of damage to Britain's economy is the solution to that particular problem. The reality is that as we sit here with just a day to go before voting starts, it is impossible to know who's going to come out in front tomorrow.
The prime minister, the man who has been leading the campaign to remain with the European Union, he says he doesn't know how this is going to go. And for him, it's a big deal because for David Cameron, there is speculation he may not survive the day tomorrow in the event that Britain does, in fact, vote to leave, may not keep his job.
And, of course, it's a big issue internationally as well, not just for the British. For the Europeans, they believe that the European Union itself is stronger with Britain as a part of it. So, their argument both Britain is better off, and Europe is better off as well, and for the United States, there's a special relationship between Britain and the U.S. as we know. They cooperate on a wide range of issues from intelligence to security, to diplomacy. The U.S. and President Obama has made it very clear that they value
Britain's influence in the European Union. So, President Obama says a strong U.K. and a strong E.U. That's his preferred option.
NOBLES: All right. CNN's Phil Black live in London -- thank you, Phil.
ROMANS: All right. Let's get an early start on your money. Markets around the world waiting to see what happens with that Brexit vote tomorrow in the U.K. It is a big factor in global markets.
Asian markets closing mainly higher. European markets mixed. U.S. futures right now barely moving.
Modest gains yesterday for the Dow, 25 points higher. The S&P 500, the NASDAQ also closing up.
The big story on investor minds, Brexit, of course. Polls say the race is too close to call. It's not only the U.K. worried about the effect a leave vote might have. There's global concern as well.
Fed Chief Janet Yellen warning of significant consequences if they vote to leave the European Union. We'll hear more Yellen once she testifies in front of Congress again this morning.
NOBLES: EARLY START continues right now.
(MUSIC)
ROMANS: Donald Trump just hours from unleashing a new attack on Hillary Clinton, accusing the former secretary of corruption while on the job.
