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New Day

Husband of MH-370 Passenger Speaks Out; Ted Cruz Stands By Calling Obama Biggest Financer of Terrorism; Republican Presidential Candidates Prepares For Fox Debate; Malaysia Airlines Debris Will Arrive In France. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired July 31, 2015 - 07:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:31:00] MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: The latest now on the debris that could be part of MH-370. Overnight, Australian search authorities say they are, quote, "increasingly confident the recovered debris is in fact from the missing plane." They are expecting confirmation within 24 hours.

The plane part will head to France today for analysis. Teams from Malaysia will be on site in Europe and on Reunion Island where that wing part was first discovered. Investigators are also focusing on how it came apart from the plane to try and get a sense of what caused the jet to apparently come down.

Meanwhile, the U.S. monitoring the investigation, intelligence suggesting that actions within the cockpit deliberately took MH-370 off its intended course. The big question now, is this wing part from the missing jet and how can it help search teams locate the fuselage.

For the families of those 239 souls aboard Flight 370 pain and frustration continues to mount. Some feeling that they can't get closure without definitive proof of what happened to the missing plane.

I want to bring in K.S. Narendran, his wife, Chandrika, was on the plane. We spoke to him when the plane first was lost. It is good to see you. You are looking well. How are you and the family baring up?

K.S. NARENDRAN, HUSBAND OF CHANDRIKA SHARMA: First of all, thank you, Michaela. We are doing fine. The family has been quite well over the months. I am happy and proud of how we have pulled ourselves together over these months.

PEREIRA: I'm glad you have it together to lean on. I'm curious what has been going through your mind this week with all these new developments, the debris found off Reunion Island, this assessment from U.S. intelligence. What has been going through your mind?

NARENDRAN: For many, many months -- now it seems like trace elements somewhere that's kind of shown up on the horizon. I was intrigued by the news that came in first -- an intensity to start with. The latest expectation we might get to know more or see more in the coming days. I think over the last 24 hours, or the last couple days, since I first heard the news, I developed a certain level of what do you call it, reasonable and emotional distance from what was happening.

I realized that actually, there's not much in the news, actually, that -- we don't know for certain that it's part of MH-370. That hasn't changed in the last 36 hours. We do know it's going to France for further investigation.

[07:35:04] And the joint conference of authorities doesn't necessarily mean that it makes my day any different at this point in time. The investigation suggesting there was some involvement in the cockpit, to me, to me it seems like recycling, frankly.

Because going back in March, 2014, they talked about the turn back being a human act. So now I'm wondering why -- there's nothing new to me and I was wondering -- to think something here.

PEREIRA: So, obviously, you are going to wait to hear the confirmation or the lack of confirmation once this has been researched, once they look at the piece of the plane there in France.

Investigators are able to look at it and analyze it up close. I can understand your cautiousness. We've also been hearing that some of the Chinese families, for example, they are sort of saying, unless we get 100 percent confirmation, we are not going to believe anything. We want to wait and see. It sounds like you have a similar kind of attitude toward it all.

NARENDRAN: I would imagine that anybody in our place would, perhaps, take a similar view. It doesn't help anybody to know that maybe it belongs to MH370. It has to be backed by a certain level of certainty, supported by arguments and evidence, which clearly and, what shall we say, unequivocally is part of the plane.

I think that's important. Assuming there's a product history, maintenance history and stuff like that, which in a sense be able to make the determination pretty soon.

PEREIRA: Right. Well, Narendran, I remember you telling us so much about your wife last time we spoke. She was so full of life and so full of zest. Thank you for sharing that with us. Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this week in the developments. We will check back in with you to see how things are developing. Our best to you and the family.

NARENDRAN: Thank you so much. Thank you for having me. Thank you.

PEREIRA: John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN GUEST ANCHOR: Michaela, thanks. Our thoughts are with him.

It is the final countdown to the first presidential debate. Who will win? Who will lose? One man has the answer. We are going "Inside Politics" with John King, next. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:41:29]

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everyone. Let's get to "Inside Politics" on NEW DAY with John King. Good morning, John. Happy Friday.

JOHN KING, CNN HOST, "INSIDE POLITICS": Good morning. TGIF to you, Alisyn, a very busy week in politics. Let's wrap it up. With me this morning to share their reporting and their insights, Margaret Talev of "Bloomberg" and Jeff Zeleny of CNN.

We are going to start this morning not with Donald Trump. There's a shock for you. There's an interesting back and forth between Ted Cruz and President Obama over the Iran deal.

Now, it involves Mitt Romney and Jeb Bush. I think this is part of Ted Cruz getting ready for next week's big Republican debate. The president commented on this in Africa several days ago.

Because Ted Cruz, in part of his opposition to the Iran nuclear deal says you lift sanctions, you give Iran billions of dollars, Iran is going to give that money, he says, to Hamas and Hezbollah.

So Ted Cruz says Barack Obama is going to become of the world's biggest financer of terrorism. The president says it's not nice.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: We have a sitting senator who happens to be running for president suggesting I'm the leading state sponsor of terrorism. When you get rhetoric like this, maybe it gets attention and maybe this is just an effort to push Mr. Trump out of the headlines. But, it's not the kind of leadership that is needed for America right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: That's the president on the world stage in Ethiopia. Mitt Romney tweeted yesterday, Thursday, yesterday, he said, "I'm opposed to the Iran deal, but Senator Ted Cruz is way over the line on the Obama terrorism charge, it hurts the cause."

Mitt Romney essentially saying, if you elevate the rhetoric like this, you distract from the actual facts of the debate. So will Ted Cruz listen to Mitt Romney and dial it back? Listen on the radio yesterday. No.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SENATOR TED CRUZ (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (via telephone): The unavoidable consequence of those facts is if the deal goes through, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton and John Kerry will be the leading global financiers of radical Islamic terrorism on the face of the earth. One of the reasons Republicans keep getting clobbered is we have leaders like Mitt Romney and like Jeb Bush who are afraid to say that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: This is the ultimate twofer for Ted Cruz. I think this is clearly part of his debate prep. How do you stand out in a debate against Trump? He criticizes the Iran deal. It's certain to come up in the debate and he does it by going after President Obama, Hillary Clinton, John Kerry.

But then he says one of the problems is the Republican establishment is too timid and he whacks the nominee from the past, Mitt Romney and then he whacks the guy who is going to be a couple podiums down, Jeb Bush.

MARGARET TALEV, "BLOOMBERG": Yes, I mean, Ted Cruz needs to make sure first of all that he make the top ten cut. Maybe this will lock that down. You get free points for bashing President Obama. What's interesting to me is that while Cruz is indirectly bashing Bush, Romney is helping Bush, even though Romney doesn't want to help Bush. It's sort of fun to watch. You wonder how long past August these can continue to be the parameters of the debate.

KING: That's a great point about Romney sort of in the middle. Every day is an interesting Thanksgiving dinner in the Republican Party.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: You know, but Ted Cruz is by saying that, it appeals to a small slice of even the Republican electorate. Some people may like the sound of that. The majority of people don't like the sound of that.

But you're right, John, Ted Cruz is trying to practice the talking points. He's one in the string of candidates saying pretty incendiary things to get attention here.

[07:45:09] It's the only way they can get attention. He's winning no friends inside the party. I'm not sure how long his shelf life is.

KING: But it's an interesting question. Again, in normal rules, that's over the line. It's one lesson of Donald Trump to the other candidates. There is no line or in a 17-candidate field when you just, you know, a small slice of the pie is good early on.

When they fall apart, you need a bigger piece. Next Thursday night is the debate. Let's show a graphic. We are sure Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Rand Paul, Marco Rubio, and Ben Carson, and most like Cruz and Mike Huckabee, they are in the 5 percent and 6 percent race.

The question is for those final couple of spots, that's some serious people, two-term governor of Ohio, John Kasich, three-term governor of Texas, former candidate, Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, the former senator who won a dozen states against Mitt Romney last time, may not make this debate, Carly Fiorina.

Can they do anything? Tuesday night is the cut off. Can do anything or are we set? ZELENY: At this point, I think, we are pretty much locked in because it's the average of the last national polls here. If you think of a poll as a snapshot in time, it's always behind. Any bombs that needed to be thrown needed to be by now.

But you are right. The six people who I don't think will make it are Graham, Pataki, Fiorina, Jindal, Santorum, and maybe John Kasich. We are not sure on that. It's not necessarily the worst thing, I think, to be on the lower tier. They will be debating earlier in the evening. The person who does well there will get some attention.

KING: Somebody they slingshot out of what you call the adult table.

TALEV: Ironically, many of them are the adults. I think, you know, Kasich sort of bumped with his entry in the race got people excited about the possibility that there will be almost sort of like a Jeb Bush alternative on that 9:00 panel. It's not clear they are going to be able to get it done. Christie, Trump, who else? Christie and Trump, just leave at that.

KING: Margaret and Jeff, thanks for coming in on a Friday morning. I just want to show this quickly as we get to you, Michaela. George H.W. Bush has a sense of humor, a tweet last night with a thumbs-up saying who knew? We appreciate the sense of humor from the former president. We are happy.

PEREIRA: A big smile and two thumbs up. I love that. Good for him. Good for him. Can I brag about your show? Make sure to watch John King and his "INSIDE POLITICS" panel to break down all the news of the week every Sunday 8:30 a.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

Meanwhile, on this program, the piece of debris found on the shores of a remote island in the Indian Ocean are now heading to France for analysis, but where is the part found on the 777 and what does it do? We will look at that.

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[07:51:27]

BERMAN: The plane debris found on the shores of Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean, headed to France today to be examined. A Malaysian official now says it definitely belongs to a Boeing 777. What exactly is that wing part, that flaperon that was found and what does it do?

CNN's Nick Valencia takes a closer look for us. He is live in Tupelo, Mississippi. Hi, Nick.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, John. We have been hearing a lot about this so-called flaperon on this Boeing 777. We're joined by the senior vice president of Universal Asset Management, a man that knows a lot about Boeing 777's, Michael Kenney. Tell us what is part do? Where is it on this aircraft and why is it important to the airplane?

MICHAEL KENNEY, SENIOR VP, UNIVERSAL ASSET MANAGEMENT: The flaperon itself is located right in between these two larger components. It's a combination of a flap and an alaron. Alaron is controlling roll on the aircraft. Flaps controlling maneuverability and lift that slow speeds.

VALENCIA: Do the pilots control that or is that controlled by a computer system?

KENNEY: Yes, it's mostly computer system inside the aircraft itself, setting it, again, to maximize either one of those flight characteristic characteristics.

VALENCIA: You've been so kind to bring this down, front and center for us so we can get a better view at exactly what investigators are working with. Take us through where you would start as an investigator to this crash.

KENNEY: Yes, this is a flaperon from a 777. First thing you're going to do is focus on the data plate, identify the part, the serial number, which through maintenance records you can tie directly to the aircraft. Beyond that, you're going to look for anything unusual, especially damage, how this component could have been damaged and how that could tie to investigations into the aircraft.

VALENCIA: You know, we were talking yesterday a lot about this data plate. Now we don't see that here in the debris that washed up on Reunion Island. But there were other markings on it, how is that going to help?

KENNEY: Yes, there's part numbers you could find inside the unit. This is a component made up of several panels. That could lead to some better connections.

VALENCIA: Let's go in the other side here because you were talking a little bit about the damage when you're looking at this. What does the damage to this flaperon, this piece -- what does that tell you as the expert?

KENNEY: Yes, looking at the photos, you've got damage to the hinges, a lot of damage in the back. That tells us how it was removed from the aircraft, and in this case, forcibly.

VALENCIA: This is made of what?

KENNEY: Composite. It's hollow. It could travel large distances.

VALENCIA: Michael Kenney, thank you so much for your time. We appreciate that. This six and a half foot piece of equipment, about 100 pounds in weight, hopefully will give investigators better insight to whether or not could tie this back to MH370 -- Alison.

CAMEROTA: Nick, that's really interesting. Thanks so much for showing us that.

Coming up, Planned Parenthood is under fire after the release of those undercover videos claiming they self-fetal tissue. Now a court issuing a restraining order against the anti-abortion group and those sting videos, but the group is not backing down. We will talk to the man behind those videos.

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[07:58:14]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: American intelligence suggests someone deliberately veered MH-370 off course.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The most likely theory would be intentional interference by the pilot.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On Reunion Island in the Western Indian Ocean, new debris has washed ashore.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's the first real evidence that there's a possibility that a part of the aircraft may have been found.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Until we have a body, we can't give up hoping.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The chilling moments that a gunman opened fire in a Louisiana theatre.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He shot right at people.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need everybody over here. Send anybody you've got.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nationwide protests. New under cover video --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were doing like 50 to 75 per specimen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think they're doing something with callous disregard for humanity.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CAMEROTA: Good morning, everyone. Welcome back to your NEW DAY. It is Friday, July 31st, 8:00 in the east. Chris is on assignment today. John Berman is here. Great to have you.

We do begin with breaking news. The Malaysian team investigating the MH370 now says that the debris found on Reunion Island belongs to a Boeing 777. The piece of that wing recovered does head to France today where crash investigators to analyze and make their definitive identification.

PEREIRA: More than 16 months since MH370 vanished we still do not know why. Intelligence reports suggest it was someone in the cockpit that deliberately caused that flight to go off course. We have the story covered the way only CNN can. We begin our global coverage with senior international correspondent, Nima Elbagir, live on Reunion Island -- Nima.

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Michaela. Well, this Malaysian confirmation brings families a step closer. But of course we still have so many unanswered questions. We headed down to the beach where the debris that set this all off washed ashore. Take a look at this.