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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Trump Orders U.S. Intelligence Agencies to Assist Bill Barr; Doctored Video of Nancy Pelosi Circulating on the Internet; British Prime Minister Under Intense Pressure. Aired 4-4:30a ET
Aired May 24, 2019 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:00:58] CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: The attorney general can declassify intel from the Russia probe on new orders from President Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), HOUSE SPEAKER: I wish that his family or this administration or his staff would have an intervention.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm an extremely stable genius. OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DAVE BRIGGS, CNN ANCHOR: Hostilities reaching a new high, rhetoric a new low between the president and House speaker.
ROMANS: A $44 million settlement in a civil case stemming from alleged sexual abuse by Harvey Weinstein.
BRIGGS: And clean-up just getting underway from violent tornados in the Midwest, record heat in store for some areas this holiday weekend, blazing down south.
ROMANS: Wow.
BRIGGS: Good morning, everyone. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm Dave Briggs.
ROMANS: Happy Friday.
BRIGGS: Happy Friday indeed.
ROMANS: I'm Christine Romans. It is May 24th. It is exactly 4:00 a.m. in the East.
Up first, sensitive intelligence can be declassified thanks to an order by President Trump. He is ordering intel agencies to cooperate with the attorney general's review of the origins of the Russia investigation. The move gives Bill Barr authority to declassify sensitive material as he sees fit. And it could serve as a prelude to a larger declassification effort the president has been floating since last fall. Trump has accused his own intel agencies and former officials without evidence of conspiring against him.
BRIGGS: As CNN reported, Barr is working closely with the heads of the CIA, FBI and DNI to review surveillance activities surrounding the 2016 Trump campaign. The attorney general suggested during a congressional hearing last month that spying did occur. That's an accusation Trump has leveled repeatedly but current and former FBI officials have denied.
House Intel Chairman Adam Schiff says Trump and Barr are conspiring to weaponize law enforcement against their political enemies. He adds, quote, "The cover-up has entered a new and dangerous phase. This is un-American."
A doctored video of Nancy Pelosi making the rounds on the Internet with millions of viewed. It's been slowed down dramatically to make the House speaker sound drunk during an appearance earlier this week. A spokesman for Pelosi says the speaker is not going to comment on, quote, "sexist trash." The video has been removed by YouTube but was still circulating on Twitter and Facebook last night.
A carefully edited mash-up of Pelosi making her appear awkward and stammering also aired on FOX Business. At least one user, @realDonaldTrump otherwise known as your president, shared it. U.S. intelligence has warned video manipulation may be part of disinformation campaigns targeting voters.
ROMANS: Hostilities are at an all-time high between the House speaker and the president, and it's getting personal now. Pelosi declaring the White House is just crying out for impeachment. She says Democrats will hold back until there's no other option and she is questioning the president's stability.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PELOSI: I wish that his family or his administration or his staff would have an intervention for the good of the country. This is not behavior that is -- rises to the dignity of the office of president of the United States.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: But your comment almost suggests your concern about his well-being.
PELOSI: I am.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: A source close to the White House tells CNN Pelosi hasn't gotten under Trump's skin but she has his attention. That same source maintains Mr. Trump was calm in his brief meeting with Pelosi earlier this week despite her claims that he threw a temper tantrum. But instead of proving the speaker wrong, Trump vented.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: It was sad when I watched Nancy all moving, the movement and the hands and the craziness, and I watched that. That's, by the way, a person that's got some problems. I'm an extremely stable genius. OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Pelosi firing back, tweeting, "When the extremely stable genius starts acting more presidential, I'll be happy to work with him on infrastructure, trade and other issues."
What's remarkable, by the president there, is he's standing there announcing another initiative. He's there for another reason, right?
BRIGGS: Yes.
[04:05:01] ROMANS: And he's surrounded by all these people and he goes around the room asking them to --
BRIGGS: Asking cabinet officials.
ROMANS: To confirm his version of events that he was calm, that he was calm, that he was --
[LAUGHTER]
ROMANS: Was calm but forceful and it was just a remarkable show and tell unlike anything I've ever seen before.
BRIGGS: For a man who made his life in marketing, he is without a doubt his own worst messenger. Squashing his own message.
One day after vowing not to work with Democrats if they kept investigating him, President Trump is touting an agreement on bipartisan, $19 billion disaster relief aid bill. The money will go to cities and states that have been devastated by floods, wildfires and hurricanes. The Senate passed the measure 85-8 on Thursday. The House expected to follow suit today and Republican lawmakers say the president has agreed to sign it.
It took months for Congress and the White House to reach a deal over an impasse on funding for Puerto Rico. The measure includes at least $900 million for rebuilding Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria and no funds for the crisis at the southern border, which the president indeed wanted.
ROMANS: All right. Breaking news this morning, British Prime Minister Theresa May facing intense pressure now that her new Brexit bid failed. Is her fate sealed?
CNN's Phil Black live for us this morning at 10 Downing Street in London.
What are the breaking details, Phil?
PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And so, Christine, it certainly looks like today will be a long that has been long predicted, long fought for even by members of Theresa May's own Conservative Party. That is the day that she will formally concede she must leave office in the near future. How did we get here? Well, one word, Brexit. Theresa May has
continuously failed to get parliament to approve a divorce agreement to get -- to formalize Britain's departure from the European Union. She had already conceded that she was going to set this timetable for departure next month. But what she wanted to do first was have one more go at getting a withdrawal agreement, that divorce agreement, through parliament.
She suggested some compromises. They were simply rejected, unmasked by her own party. There was something of a result that were really met with disgust. And so she has run out of options. She has run out of road. Today we know the prime minister is meeting with senior members of her Conservative Party.
The expectation is that she is negotiating this timetable for when she will step down as conservative leader so that the party can begin the process of electing a new leader. She's likely to stay on as prime minister for a couple of weeks after that, in a caretaker capacity. But what we expect is she will formally remain prime minister and leader of the Conservative Party up until around June the 10th because that will allow her to remain leader while U.S. President Donald Trump is conducting his state visit here -- Christine.
ROMANS: Yes. Lame-duck leader for that state visit.
All right, I know there's going to be a lot happening in the next couple of hours. So stay close and bring it back to us when you have more details.
Phil Black, thank you. At 10 Downing Street.
BRIGGS: Meanwhile, President Trump travels to Tokyo today hoping to make progress on a new trade agreement with Japan. The visit will be filled with colorful activities, including a sumo wrestling match. But despite a warm personal relationship the president and Prime Minister Abe do not see eye-to-eye on policy.
Abe has been the most hawkish of all Asian leaders on North Korea which recently started firing rockets again after talks with the U.S. failed. First Lady Melania Trump will be traveling with her husband. President Trump will be the first state visitor to Japan since the new Emperor Naruhito ascended following his father's abdication.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JERRY SEINFELD, ACTOR: I guess you don't want people calling you at home?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.
SEINFELD: Well, now you know how I feel.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: All right. The Senate agrees with Seinfeld, passing a bill that cracks down on those pesky, intrusive robocalls. The measure imposes fines of up to $10,000 per call for robocallers who knowingly disregard the rules. It also increases the statue of limitations to three years. It instructs the FCC to develop further regulations to shield consumers from these unwanted calls. The bill must still pass the House.
BRIGGS: To the weather now, more violent storms expected today in the nation's midsection as the full scope of tornado damage becomes clear in Missouri. The National Weather Service declaring the tornado that hit Missouri's capital was an EF-3 packing 160 miles an hour wind. Nonessential state workers in the Jefferson City area are being told to stay home today. No one was killed in Jefferson City, though one twister did kill three people in Golden City more than 100 miles away.
ROMANS: The Jefferson City tornado tossed cars around like toys. Like at this dealership, car dealership owned by the same family for more than 80 years.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's really no words. I mean, I just sit here and find myself just staring at it. Definitely shed a few tears today. Really have.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[04:10:02] ROMANS: In the meantime, relief in Oklahoma, a dam is still holding even after two loose barges slammed into it. Those barges sank. There's more severe weather on the way for the Midwest, by the way. And there's record heat set to hit the southeast for this holiday weekend.
BRIGGS: All right. Just ahead of Memorial Day, barbecues, 62,000 pound of beef are being recalled because of e. Coli concerns. The Department of Agriculture says the meat was packed at the Aurora Packing Company in Illinois on April 19th before it was shipped nationwide. The recall includes more than 40 products, mainly cuts of steak.
You'll see the establishment number 788. That's 788 inside the USDA inspection mark. For more go to CNN.com.
ROMANS: All right. AFT is on the hunt for thousands of illegal machine gun conversion devices smuggled into the U.S.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:15:33] BRIGGS: 4:15 Eastern Time. And with the Senate now in recess, the 2020 Democrats are off and running to Iowa. Cory Booker and Kirsten Gillibrand will spend several days campaigning there beginning today. Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar will be on the ground tomorrow. A big pitch to women voters is expected. One thing to watch for, are more Democratic voters asking about impeachment? Certainly not the main topic voters ask about.
The field remains divided on how far they're willing to go but in the wake of the president's fight with Nancy Pelosi and congressional Democrats this week, more Democrats are willing to consider impeachment proceedings.
ROMANS: That's right. South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg will be in New Hampshire this weekend at an event Thursday in Washington. The Navy intelligence veteran criticized President Trump for not serving in Vietnam.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR PETE BUTTIGIEG (D-IN), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have a pretty dim view of his decision to use his privilege status to fake a disability in order to avoid serving in Vietnam.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You believe he faked a disability.
BUTTIGIEG: Do you believe he has a disability?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Yes. At least not that one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Oh. Meantime, Bernie Sanders returns home to Vermont for the holiday weekend. He holds his first home state rally tomorrow outside the capital in Montpelier.
BRIGGS: According to the "Washington Post," President Trump has been aggressively promoting a North Dakota-based construction company to build sections of his proposed wall on the southern border.
Why a North Dakota firm for a contract that could be worth billions? Well, it turns out the top executive at Fisher Industries is a Republican donor and a frequent guest on FOX News. The company is currently suing the federal government over its solicitation process for border wall contracts. A senior White House official tells "The Post" the president is pushing the company because he's been told it's cheaper and more efficient than other firms.
ROMANS: All right. Would you rather work in the cold or do you like it warm? The thermostat wars. The new gender barrier at work. A new research has an answer.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:22:37] BRIGGS: Federal authorities suspect thousands of machine gun conversion devices have been illegally smuggled into the United States from China, and in some cases, they're ending up in the hands of convicted felons. ATF and Customs officials in Chicago alone identified more than 2900 packages containing conversion devices and PayPal accounts linked to the suspected Chinese exporter reveal over 3800 sales transactions. The devices turn semiautomatic Glock pistols into fully automatic weapons.
ROMANS: A $44 million settlement in a civil case stemming from alleged sexual abuse by Harvey Weinstein. The New York Attorney General's Office filed suit last year accusing the Weinstein brothers and their company of, quote, "egregious violations of civil rights, human rights and business laws." Under the deal some $30 million will go to alleged victims, creditors and former Weinstein Company employees.
It will have no effect on Weinstein's criminal case. The disgraced movie producer is charged with several counts including rape and predatory sexual assault.
BRIGGS: Health officials in five states considered imposing air travel restrictions to limit the spread of measles. The CDC says concerns centered on eight people either confirmed infected or believed to have a high probability of spreading the disease. A spokesman says the conversations never led to a "do not board" list. Those eight people voluntarily decided not to travel.
The measles outbreak is affecting decisions by summer camps, especially in hard hit New York state. One director warning he will turn away campers if their parents cite religious or philosophical objections to the vaccine.
ROMANS: All right. Do you have the thermostat war at work? Women in the workplace may become more productive if you literally turn up the heat. A new study published in the scientific journal "PLOS One" finds most modern offices use climate control systems based on the metabolic rate of an average man. Research shows the ideal temperature for women is nearly five degrees Fahrenheit higher.
Yes, ladies, you are cold at the office because you're cold at the office. The study concludes if you want better productivity in your office and basic fairness, turn up the thermostat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Three, two, one, zero, ignition, liftoff.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[04:25:03] BRIGGS: A giant leap for SpaceX. The company launching a rocket full of 60 satellites overnight, the most they have ever deployed at one time. The satellites are the first in its Starlink mission to establish an Internet constellation that could conceivably bring chip broad band across the planet. SpaceX will now try to make contact with the satellites which should happen when they fly over Tasmania. Ultimately SpaceX wants Starlink to include potentially thousands of satellites over the next few years.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEX TREBEK, HOST, "JEOPARDY": You can breathe a sigh of relief. Made you work for it. $53,108 today and now a 26-day total of $1,991,135.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: That one was close. If James Holzhauer had gotten the final answer wrong, he would have lost but he managed to escape with a win, the 26th straight on his remarkable run on "Jeopardy." With one more victory, Holzhauer will go over $2 million in total winnings.
BRIGGS: And just to clear up the conversation about the thermostat, you can always put a sweater on, a jacket. We can't take our clothes off at least if we want to keep our job. OK.
ROMANS: I'm not even going there with you. It is cold in the office. Ladies, please, tweet me, you know I'm right. It is cold in the office. The office is built for a man in 1965, and that ain't the way it is anymore.
BRIGGS: We'll continue this conversation at the break and on Twitter.
Secret details of the Russia probe can be declassified on new orders from President Trump.
ROMANS: And can Theresa May hang on? The British prime minister facing growing pressure after another failed Brexit plan.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
