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Donald Trump Leads New CNN Poll; Obama First Sitting U.S. President to visit Ethiopia; Turkey Calls for NATO Conference; Desperate Search for Missing Teens at Sea. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired July 27, 2015 - 06:00   ET

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

[06:00:00] MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: GOP voters not happy with the status quo. The majority of them saying their views are not represented at all in Washington. There's a number of democrat that is feel that way. CNN's Athena Jones live in Washington breaking it down these numbers for us on this Monday, Athena?

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Michaela. A lot of interesting numbers here. And this is the first poll we have done after Trump made those controversial remarks questioning the heroism of Senator John McCain who of course was a prisoner of war in Vietnam. But this poll shows that he is still leading the republican pack at the top there at 18 percent. Florida Governor, Jeb Bush is right behind him and Governor of Wisconsin, Scott Walker is coming in third.

But despite his popularity among republicans, that does not translate into the general electorate. You have Trump with the highest unfavorable numbers at 59 percent. That's the highest of everyone we have polled. But what is interesting here is that, there's -- you have heard a lot of talk in the last week about whether Donald Trump may decide not to run as a republican, to instead maybe run as an independent.

Well, more majority of republican voters want to see Trump stay in the race. That they disagree with cause to see him dropped out like by Iowa's biggest paper the Morning Register. You can see those numbers there. They want him to stay in the race, whether it's as a republican or an independent. And one last interesting number that's coming up here, we know that Donald Trump has focused a great deal on the issue of illegal immigration. That's really the drum he's been beating. That's the beginning of his controversial remarks.

But if you look at our poll, it's the economy that ranks first, whether you are a democrat or republican, it is the economy that is top of mind. Illegal immigration is a bit further down. So a lot of interesting numbers here in this poll. We are going to look at it all morning and talking about it all day.

Back to you, Chris?

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Athena, thank you very much. Very interesting. Immigration, 10 percent and 11 percent respectively between democrats and republicans. If that's not such a big issue why is Trump such a big deal? That's because this poll is shouting a challenge to the GOP and will they rise to it is the question. Let's discuss.

CNN's political analyst, editor-in-chief for the Daily Beast, John Avlon. Republican consultant, CNN's political commentator, Margaret Hoover known collectively as Hove Along. And I do not know that Donald Trump has ever said a more true or more selfless thing that he said about his success -- his current. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: There's a movement going on. This is more than me. This is a movement going on. People are tired of these incompetent politicians in Washington, they can't get things done, they can't make deals, they can't do anything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: Margaret Hoover, that is why people are rallying around Donald Trump because he is voicing their discontent. True?

MARGARET HOOVER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Part of it. I think the other thing that people like about Trump is he's not this polished guy. Right? I mean, people want their politicians and the people who represent them in Washington to sound like them, to look like them and to think like them. And he is this -- he doesn't speak carefully because he hasn't been in the senate for six years and he hasn't been in congress, he hasn't been running -- so, people think he talks like them. And he represents them and he thinks like them.

PEREIRA: Which is such a funny thing when you think about the fact that he's a billionaire. I mean, I can think about a thousand ways that he isn't different. But here is a real question, if you are the other what are we at 16 or 17 if the other 15 people or so that running against him, how do you either capitalize on what he's saying? If you can't beat them joined them as the old saying?

CUOMO: Right.

PEREIRA: How do you approach that?

JOHN AVLON, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, THE DAILY BEAST: I think there are a couple of candidates who are quietly or not so quietly hoping to benefit from Trump support when he unplugs. Ted Cruz seems to be on top of that class. Not too quick to criticize him, unlike Lindsey Graham and Rick Perry and George Pataki who have been taken real shots on him. Yes. Exactly and look, I mean, the mystery of the populous billionaire is a strange thing. This is a bizarre thing.

PEREIRA: It's a fascinating thing.

AVLON: Right. But the moment he starts saying, it's not about me, it's about a movement, that's stage three of demagoguery he's getting better at it. By taking steps away from the Trump centric universe. But he's been able to suck up all the oxygen very effectively. And you are starting to see candidates follow him. Thinking the more irresponsible they are, the more attention they'll get and the more debate might play with the base. CUOMO: Well, I will get to now, Mr. -- Governor Mike Huckabee who

seems to be trying to play that game in an ugly fashion. But let's stick with why this matters. All right. I mean, that's what it's all about with Donald Trump. He is relevant beyond himself.

And the question is, what do you do about this? Because the negativity of these candidates as John pointed out as Mik is asking, are coming out and saying, he's too negative. You reap what you sow. The party has gained momentum especially in this outer wing by saying, everything that's going on in Washington is terrible because they are bad people, and they are not out for you. And now, Donald Trump is doing that essentially to his own party.

HOOVER: Look, I don't think this is a reap what you sow situation. I mean, you have been saying that. This is actually a situation where you have a republican party that has been vanquished from Washington and from the executive branch for eight years. People of course are going to feel that their government doesn't represent them on the Republican party because they haven't had control of the executive branch.

[06:05:00] What I think this is an organic process of 16 candidates trying to mop their way out, get the attention of the electorate. And one guy has far more attention than anybody else because he's had an NBC show, because he has a name all over. The celebrity is what's cutting through. This is a name ID play. The reason his popularity directly correlates to a similar question and similar CNN poll, related to name identification.

CUOMO: Well, here's an interesting question. She's saying popularity. And we are saying celebrity. But there are numbers in these polls that also throw both those words on their head, right? About how people feel about him in general his negatives.

PEREIRA: The unfavorable view of Donald Trump, among democrats not a big surprise 80 percent but independents, 53 percent, republicans 42 percent. How do you make those things to make sense or do they make sense at all?

CUOMO: The third number matters the most right, the independents, 42 percent.

AVLON: Independents are of course the barometer of American politics. You want to fund the flow through, you're getting poll. You go where the independents are Donald Trump not that popular with independents. That's at a time when a lot of conservative populous are registering independent. Because they say the republican party is not conservative for me.

Donald Trump's whole play is go strong and wrong, right? It's the old school divide and conquer, let's do the us versus them. It works well for a time. Margaret is right, to the extent that he's got a celebrity play, this is a mirror up to our own culture. Where it should be a problem for republicans is when he's beating Jeb Bush and sitting governors and multiple term governors and you can't simply explain that as celebrity.

HOOVER: We haven't had a single debate yet. There are 16 people on the stage here. He's the one cutting through. Must I remind you in 2012, Herman Cane won the day in 2012. Michele Bachmann led the polls.

CUOMO: Not like this.

HOOVER: Why not like this?

CUOMO: Because he's bigger. More magnified.

HOOVER: Because he's more of a celebrity.

CUOMO: Maybe. Maybe. We have to get the numbers right. The research we have says it's 42 percent of republicans and 53 percent of independents. What we showed you on TV is the opposite. So we can figure out what you get, you can tell me in my ear what it is.

PEREIRA: Why do we take a look on what happened on Sunday. This is certainly a story that raised a lot of eyebrows and sure to cause controversy. Mike Huckabee, bring up the quote of what he said yesterday said Sunday that Obama is quote, marching Israelis to the door of the oven.

CUOMO: And he is advertising it by the way. That's Huckabee, not our graphic.

PEREIRA: And then essentially double down boosting about the statement that he made on Twitter, is this Donald Trump trying to be outrageous? I mean, this is dangerous.

HOOVER: Wall Street Journal editorial this weekend said the 1930s your analogies are overused as rarely as they are applicable. It is dangerous. It's not dangerous but it diminishes the holocaust and the policies in front of us.

CUOMO: So what's the motivation? It seems to be a naked play why he's doing it. He's got us talking about him. They are desperate for that and this is the way he wanted it.

AVLON: That is a barometer here. The more outrageous, the more irresponsible you are, the more attention you get. And all of a sudden someone start thinking that is a smart, smart play. Look, if you only take offense when your party is compared to Hitler, you are part of the problem. By throwing the Hitler card like this and then doubling down on it and presumably trying to fund raise it down the road, that is a new low. We are talking in the context of Trump, not the moral uncertainty of it.

PEREIRA: So if Trump was standing. If that hadn't been on our plate and we were looking from every angle, you think we would be more outraged?

AVLON: I think that it would resonate further as oppose to seeing a down current of the Trump play and moreover we're talking about the context of what do candidates have to do to get attention? Because this guy has thrown a demagogue language.

CUOMO: Maybe a whisper of hope, though.

PEREIRA: OK.

CUOMO: Tell us. This is NEW DAY. You know things are tough when I look for the whisper of hope.

Bernie Sanders, whether you like democratic politics or not, he is beating Trump in the head-to-head polls. One guy talking about what he sees as a positive message, he doesn't want to go after anybody. He's growing against Clinton. He is doing it one way. Trump is doing it another way. People are resonating a bit with it's better to be positive than negative.

AVLON: Yes. I think this is a philosophically choice not a fantasy here but I mean, look, this is not an echo election fantasy. In this poll, 75 percent of Americans say they want a president who will be able to compromise. Neither of the id logical plays are about that. It's a disconnection with the majority of Americans.

HOOVER: And majority say compromise can be a dirty word.

PEREIRA: We'll leave it with that. Thank you.

[06:10:00] CUOMO: Now to President Obama who in Ethiopia this morning. The first sitting U.S. president to visit the country. His two days stay comes after emotional send off from his father's home country of Kenya. Now, his focus is turned to the civil war in South Sudan and defeating the terror group Al Shah Bad. Let's go to CNN's White House Correspondent, Michelle Kosinski live in Ethiopia where we do expect the president to speak pretty shortly, right Michelle?

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, in about 20 minutes. Here in Ethiopia, another fast growing African economy with lots of potential. Trade is absolutely on the agenda, trying to expand the relationship between the U.S. and Ethiopia. Also deepening democracy here. Human rights, I mean, we're in a place where a number of journalists have been thrown in jail lately and yet you can expect the president to talk much more about counterterrorism.

It's been a big focus of this entire trip. Right now, the president is meeting with the prime minister and president here, they will have a press conference, take questions then he's going to meet with several African leaders. This has been a packed trip for the president. He just got her last night from Kenya, where he was welcomed with open arms. He gave rousing speeches and did some dancing at this dinner there. I don't know if we can call that dad dancing, really. He got into it, a little bit traditional and a little Macarena.

Michaela?

PEREIRA: But you know what with his whole heart, you got to give him that, that's a really tremendous thing. He just went for it. No shame there. KOSINSKI: He was into it.

PEREIRA: He really was. Thanks for sharing that with us.

Also new this morning, Turkey is calling for a special NATO conference Tuesday after ISIS launched an attack along the border of Syria. All of this as Turkey reaches a tentative deal with the U.S. to allow use of a Turkish air base to fight ISIS. CNN's Senior International Correspondent, Arwa Damon is live in Istanbul with the latest on all of this move from Turkey. Arwa?

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Michaela. Turkey is a country that very much did not want to get involved in the region's messy war. But it seems, it has found itself in a position where it had no choice but to take this type of decisive action because the Turkish government has put it, both ISIS and the PKK party where the terrorist organization pose national security.

That led to Turkey, for the first time, launching air strikes against ISIS targets inside Syria and also launching air strikes against PKK positions in northern Iraq, something Turkey has not done since 2011. When it comes to the PKK and effectively ending a cease-fire with the PKK that had been in place since 2013.

All of this coming against the backdrop of the negotiations ongoing between Turkey, the United States and other coalition allies about the use of Turkish air bases and air space when it comes to launching strikes against ISIS in both Syria and Iraq. It does seem, at this stage, some sort of agreement has been reached. This may not necessarily be a game changer when it comes to the war against ISIS. But it most certainly is a game shifter.

CUOMO: All right. Thank you very much. We'll check back with you in a bit.

Another story to tell you about this morning that's going through in the weekend. Coast guard crews searching through the night for two 14-year-old boys that have not been seen since Friday afternoon. They were on a sailboat that was found yesterday capsized and damaged, 67 miles of to Florida coast. Both boys are said to be avid fishermen, on the boats their whole lives they know what they are doing. Families are desperate, holding on to hope their boys are still alive. CNN Correspondent Alina Machado is live in Florida with the latest. Alina, what do we know now?

ALINA MACHADO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Chris, we know the boys have been missing several days. Families spent the day searching for them, asking for help hoping they will come home.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MACHADO (voice-over): The desperate search for two teen boaters missing off the coast of Florida since Friday evening intensifying overnight. Their capsized 19-foot vessel found overturned 67 nautical miles off the Pons Deleon with no trace of 14 year old Perry Cohen and Austin Stephanos. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's the worst feeling not knowing where your

child is.

MACHADO: Cohen and Stephanos last seen at 1:30 P.M. in the Jupiter, Florida area buying $110 worth of fuel. A few hours later, vanished. Early reports indicated the boys told others they planned to travel to the Bahamas. The search efforts on the sea and from the air spanning more than 25,000 square nautical miles.

[06:15:00] STEPHEN LEHMANN, COAST GUARD: It can be tricking searching from the air it's a needle in the haystack down there.

MACHADO: The effort to find the two teens getting big name support from family friend and neighbor, Joe Nameth, who helped the families raise a $100,000 reward for the boy's safe return.

JOE NAMETH, NFL HALL OF FAME QUARTERBACK: They know what they are feeling and feel like. Austin has been on the water. Perry, just as sharp as can be. Keep on praying.

MACHADO: The teen's family are praying for a miracle.

PAMELA COHEN, PERRY'S MOTHER: We believe they are out there and alive.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MACHADO: Even though there were early reports the teens may have been plans to go to the Bahamas, officials and family members don't know if that is, in fact, what the teens intended to do when they set sail on Friday. Their main concern, the only concern right now is bringing them home. Chris?

CUOMO: All right. 19-foot power boats, long ways offshore. There's hope among the searchers and the family. Coming up, we are going to talk live with the mother and step dad of Perry Cohen. We are going to talk with NFL great Joe Nameth.

PEREIRA: We turn now to the investigation in to the Louisiana movie theatre surveillance video capturing those final hours before the Lafayette gunman opened fire inside a crowded movie theatre last Thursday night.

Today, two young women killed in that shooting are laid to rest. Investigators are revisiting the crime scene. A lot of developments to get to. We are live in Lafayette with more. Ryan?

RYAN NOBLES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Michaela. Police have learned a lot about John Russell Houser and his potential for violence. They haven't figured out why he chose this particular theater on Thursday night.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NOBLES (voice-over): This morning as the Lafayette community mourns, new details are painting a darker picture of John Houser, the 59-year- old who shot and killed two women and injured nine others in a Louisiana movie theater four days ago.

In this exclusive surveillance video, you can see Houser staying at the local motel, seen walking the halls, stopping by the check-in desk. Thursday, 6:41 P.M., you can see his Lincoln town car pulling out. Less than an hour later, he used a handgun to shoot a dozen people at the 7:15 showing of the comedy "Trainwreck". It was methodical. He switched his car's license plate, kept wigs and glasses in his motel room and wrote about the plan in his journal.

COLONEL MICHAEL EDMONSON, LOUISIANA STATE POLICE: This man was of sound mind. He wrote it down. He said he's coming to the movie theater 7:15 on Thursday night.

NOBLES: Police said, Houser had a long history of reported mental and legal problems, refueling the debate about how he was clear to legally buy the .40 caliber pistol he used to unleash terror in the theater that night.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

The funerals for Mayci Breaux and Jillian Johnson will take place today. Nine other victims were wounded in the shooting. Six of them released from the hospital. Three are still recovering. Their conditions are improving. Chris?

CUOMO: Thank you very much. We are going to have Congressman Tim Murphy on later on to talk about that.

We do have breaking news, a selling frenzy in China. China's benchmark index fell 8.5 percent in a night. That's the largest single day decline since 2007. Why is it selling off? It's hours after the release of data showing factories in China losing momentum.

PEREIRA: Also sad breaking news overnight, Bobbi Christina Brown, the daughter of the late Whitney Houston died. The 22-year-old passed away in Georgia with her family by her side. It comes nearly six months after she was found unresponsive and face down in a bathtub.

CUOMO: The family have been getting ready for it for a long time. It's compounding the loss. The mother lost to so many issues people felt more should have been done. Now this kid, 22 years.

PEREIRA: Never had a chance, 22 years old, her life just starting.

CUOMO: All right. Turkey has gone from being on the sidelines to the front lines. They are calling for a special meeting of NATO. Why? Does that mean an international fighting force? What does it mean for U.S. fighting men and women moving forward?

[06:20:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PEREIRA: A new deal between Turkey and the United States could create a safe haven against ISIS. There are reports the U.S. and Turkey will patrol an area 60 miles long to create a safe zone in Syria. This, as Turkey steps up the fight against extremists and now asking NATO for help. Good to have you here. Come in and let's talk about the things we have going on. We have

animation to highlight what we are talking about. Over the weekend, Turkey is calling if this meeting with NATO ambassadors. They are feeling their security is threatened. How do you think this is going to play out and what do you think the talks will lead to?

BOBBY GHOSH, MANAGING EDITOR QUARTZ: For more than a year now, we have been waiting for Turkey to get involved. They are involved in the sense they have a million Syrian refugees in Turkey. That is part of the reason they did not want to get involved. Now they are. They are making the military vase 200 miles from the border of Syria, making it available for coalition aircraft. That is crucial. They can make them faster.

[06:25:00] Now, they are doing it from a long way off. That's important. Secondly, if Turkey is getting involved itself, that means it is one notch up in terms of engagement.

PEREIRA: Right, right.

GHOSH: Here is the problem, though. What is Turkey's priority? The U.S. priority is to go against ISIS. They are saying we'll do that. They have other priorities. They are interested in fighting against the Kurds, a separate ethnic group that wants independence from Turkey.

PEREIRA: The fact is, they have been allies. The Kurds have been allies to the U.S. coalition so, how does that work? That really complicated things. If Turkey is now a player this this and fighting against.

GHOSH: During the second world war, the United States had a number of allies. Say, while fighting the Nazis alongside the Americans, the British and French decided we are going to focus on Greece, you take care of Germany. That's not how coalitions work. It makes them very, very complicated. There are two groups here.

Some Kurdish groups have been very, very effective. The YPK in Syria. But, as far as Turkey is concerned, all these groups are taboo. They don't want to be on the same side of the fight as them. This creates an additional level of complication for the U.S. we are not only fighting ISIS, we are having to deal with two allies with contradictory priorities.

PEREIRA: Over the weekend, the White House said Turkey has a right to defend themselves from the Kurds. I want to talk more about the situation, the safe zone and the use of the air space, the Turkish air space by the U.S. the U.S. settled a deal to create a safe zone for civilians. What does this mean in terms of the fight against ISIS? There's a coalition forming and agreements made.

GHOSH: The safe zone is an important step. It means, for the first time outside forces will be in charge off a big chunk of Syrian territory. 70 miles by 40 miles deep. It's significant. It creates a space for refugees.

PEREIRA: Monitored by air by the U.S., right?

GHOSH: By the U.S. and NATO forces. They are saying that non-ISIS Syrian rebels will be guarding the ground. We'll figure that out later. Not a lot of those forces are available. The other question is, is there going to be a no-fly zone? What happens if Assad's planes get over that zone? Will American planes attack or if American planes are there, will the Syrians attack? It's a new level of complication. It shows that the allies, the coalition are now willing to not put troops on the ground, they are certainly putting a footprint down.

PEREIRA: Let's look at Iraq. There's a bit of development there. U.S. troops are trying to take back Ramadi. They say they have retaken it. It's been a command center ISIS was using. Are the Iraqi troops making headway? There's been criticism of them not being able to push against ISIS. Are they making headway?

GHOSH: They are making headway. If they can take Ramadi, this is the heart of the part of Iraq where ISIS was stronger. It's a large campus. If they continue and take the town of Ramadi from is, it would be a huge boost. Boost for Iraqis and the ability to fight this fight and give the Obama administration and other coalition partners relief. It means we don't have to put boots on the ground.

PEREIRA: It's not just a problem here. Egypt has seen six attacks in two weeks from ISIS. We'll have to talk about that another time. Thanks for walking us through that.

CUOMO: I am Donald Trump or Donald Trump is me. Either way, that's the message of a CNN poll. It may be the key to his success and the key to winning in 2016. Explanations ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)