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Battle Looms as Trump Announcement Could be Near; Biden Urges Senate to Delay Vote Until After Election; Biden's Roots Gain Him Support in Irish Town; Biden Wades into U.K.'s Ongoing Brexit Drama; Iran Rejects U.S. Efforts to Reimpose Sanctions. Aired 4:30-5a ET
Aired September 21, 2020 - 04:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:30:00]
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ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN ANCHOR: Want to bring you up to date on our top story. The battle over replacing the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg will get underway in the coming hours when Senators return to Capitol Hill. President Trump has said he will name his nominee this week and he plans to pick a woman.
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden is calling for Republicans to hold off on considering a replacement until after the election in November. And a new poll from Reuters/IPSOS finds 62 percent of Americans think the winner of the election should appoint Ginsberg's replacement.
Meanwhile, there is much speculation about who President Trump might nominate. As he said it will be a woman. CNN White House correspondent John Harwood tells us about the possible picks.
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JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Now some conservative advisers thought it would be to President Trump's political advantage to delay a Supreme Court nomination to keep conservative voters hungry for the fall election, to dampen enthusiasm among Democrats by not having a specific name out there.
But that kind of restraint is not in President Trump's repertoire. So he has indicated over the weekend he is going to provide the nominee very rapidly, as soon as this week, and that it will be a woman.
Now some of the leading possibilities include appeals court Judge Amy Coney Barrett. She was a runner-up to Brett Kavanaugh for the last Supreme Court choice. She is a conservative Catholic. That's an important constituency for Republicans. Longtime professor at the University of Notre Dame Law School.
Also Barbara Lagoa. She is an appeals court judge from Florida, Cuban- American. Cuban-Americans are a very important constituency for President Trump, specifically in the state of Florida.
Joan Larsen of Michigan. She is also an appeals court judge. Michigan, of course, is one of the battleground states in the election.
And finally, Allison Jones Rushing. She is from North Carolina. She is a district court judge operating out of Richmond. And she is somebody who is a member of the Federalist Society with a stamp of approval from conservative jurists in the country. Also, very young, under 40 years old, she could serve for decades on the court.
The question, of course, is going to be who can Mitch McConnell get through the Republican Senate and when. That's not something the President controls directly. He does control the timing of the nomination and we expect to get that very soon.
John Harwood, CNN, the White House.
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CHURCH: U.S. Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden is asking Republicans to follow their conscience. He wants them to wait until after the U.S. Presidential election before filling the Supreme Court vacancy created by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg's death. CNN's Jessica Dean has the details.
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JESSICA DEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Former Vice President and Democratic nominee Joe Biden speaking in Philadelphia on Sunday on the Supreme Court vacancy. He called on Senate Republicans, some of them his former colleagues, to do what he considers to be the right thing and not take any vote on any Supreme Court justice to replace Ginsberg until after the election.
Joe Biden making the point that back in 2016 Senate Republicans refused to take a vote on Merrick Garland, President Obama's nominee, because it was an election year. And that was months before voting even happened.
[04:35:00]
Biden making the point that voting has already started in some states in America. And he said that bell cannot be un-rung and that they have to wait until after the election in order to take a vote on this.
He also responded to President Trump's call for him to release his list of potential nominees. Saying, he's simply not going to do it. Because it could put undue pressure on these people. It could also perhaps draw partisan attacks on them. He has always said he was not going to release that list and he seems to be staying with that as well.
But in the end, Joe Biden going back to a theme we have seen from him over and over again throughout his campaign and that this is the battle for the soul of the nation. He really framed this as what is right for America and bring Americans together. Saying that instead of being divisive like President Trump has been, using this as yet another example. Saying that he will be the President of blue states and red states for all America. Jessica Dean, CNN, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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CHURCH: Well, it's no secret which presidential candidate is favored in the Irish town of Ballina. Joe Biden's family's roots go it there. And the town is showing him love as Biden steps into the long simmering Brexit debate. Nic Robertson has our report.
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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): Crisp, clean and freshly hugged. No trouble guessing who is Irish town, Ballina, backs for U.S. President?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We did it in a warehouse. He absolutely knew it was happening.
ROBERTSON: Every moment recorded. Painting, transporting in the dead of night, hanging with the sunrise.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The reaction was just wow. Just literally blew people away.
ROBERTSON: Part of the attraction, Biden has dozens of distant cousins here.
JOSEPH BLEWITT, WHO BIDEN'S COUSIN: He's really family man. You know, we've meshed a few times now and we've been in the same room. And you know, he's just really nice, genuine, strong family man.
CATHERINA BLEWITT, WHO BIDEN'S COUSIN: He quotes Shamus Heaney, he quotes Yates. He has a real love of his Irish heritage but also has a real strong understanding of the reality of life in Ireland right now.
JOE BIDEN, U.S. DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Hi, everybody.
ROBERTSON: When then VP Biden visited Ballina in 2016, most of the town turned out. Today they love that Biden tweeted Boris Johnson against Brexit maneuvers potentially at the cost of the U.S./U.K. trade deal.
C. BLEWITT: To see Vice President Biden's tweet reiterating the importance of the Good Friday Agreement, I think here it resonated with a lot of people.
ROBERTSON (on camera): Bidens concerns are about peace and it all starts here at the border . The Republic of Ireland here, Northern Ireland up here. It's open just like driving from one U.S. state to another. But Boris Johnson's proposals could change that. Could lead to customs posts, a hard border and that in turn, could lead to violence.
(voice-over): North of the border in British Northern Ireland, pro- British Unionists vote like Biden's interfering. SAMMY WILSON, DEMOCRATIC UNIONIST PARTY MP FOR EAST ANTRIM, NORTHERN
IRELAND: He ought to be ashamed of himself because he's playing with the lives of people in Northern Ireland who pandered to some section of his votes.
ROBERTSON: Back South of the border in Ballina, former Irish government minister, Dara Calleary says Wilson has it wrong.
DARA CALLEARY, FIANNA FAIL MP FOR COUNTY MAYO, IRELAND: It's not just political. It's not about votes. The U.S. politicians recognize their role in protecting the Good Friday Agreement
J. BLEWITT: You don't want to have borders coming back again. After seeing the years and years of trouble. You know, everything is good right now and people are getting on.
ROBERTSON: Since Biden's tweet last week, President Trump special envoy to Northern Ireland, Mick Mulvaney, issued the same warning. Even so, Ballina's picked its man.
"SMILER" MITCHELL, MURAL ARTIST: Everybody is for Joe Biden in this town and we think is going to win.
ROBERTSON: If he does the town will be counting on him to keep his word.
Nic Robertson, CNN, Ballina, Ireland.
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CHURCH: And for more on Joe Biden's comments and how it could affect the so-called special relationship, let's head to the United Kingdom. David Amess Is a Conservative member of Parliament who supported the leave campaign in the 2016 Brexit referendum. And we appreciate you being with us.
DAVID AMESS, BRITISH CONSERVATIVE MP: Good morning, Rosemary.
CHURCH: Good to see you. So, what's your reaction to Joe Biden saying the U.K. can forget a U.S. trade deal if Britain endangers the Northern Ireland peace agreement by tearing up the Brexit withdrawal deal?
AMESS: I'm not going to react to what any American politician has said just six weeks before the presidential elections. Just as people in the U.K. were not very pleased when the American President made a remark during the U.K. referendum to decide whether or not we leave the European Union in 2016.
[04:40:04]
I think it would be wrong for me to comment. All I would say the internal markets bill which is what this is all about, is going through Parliament at the moment. We are not breaking international law. So there's nothing for anyone to worry about. And all we're doing we are taking reserve powers just in case our European partners do not stick to their agreements. No more, no less
CHURCH: All right. So how is the special relationship between the U.K. and the U.S. evolving regardless of who wins in November? And do you worry about a Biden win given the current friendly relationship between President Trump and Prime Minister Johnson?
AMESS: As I say, I'm not getting involved in American politicians. Got enough frankly being a British politician. What I would say is the American war of independence was a long, long time ago. And that was settled and whoever the American President is the United Kingdom wants a very close relationship. Just as I would've thought the U.S. southern border as well. And that is what's going to happened.
I mean, we've just done a trade deal with Japan, which is to be welcome. We're in the middle of agreeing one with Australia and New Zealand. And none of those countries see any problem at all. I don't anticipate any problem at all with the U.S.
And I would say, you know, as far as the issue of the difficulties in Ireland are concerned, there are some British people who think if money hadn't abandoned the dispute a long time ago, it wouldn't have lasted as long as it actually did. So the last thing the British people want is to see any return to the terrible violence that we suffered all those years ago.
CHURCH: Where do Brexit deadlines stand right now though with the latest deadline looming? And in the middle of a pandemic, do you wonder whether this was the smartest move?
AMESS: Well look, the pandemic is the focus of all of our attentions. And this is where the world together has got to work to try and defeat the invisible virus. But we left the European Union after the general election on the 12th of December last year and now it's a question of this negotiating how we lead. I very much anticipate that we will come to some sort of agreement. For goodness sake, there wouldn't be a Europe if it hadn't been for the stand that Winston Churchill in this country made all those years ago and European partners know that. We are their friends. They very much want to reach an agreement. And that is exactly what I think will happen.
CHURCH: We'll watch to see what does happen. David Amess, thank you so much for talking with us. Appreciate it.
AMESS: Pleasure.
CHURCH: And still ahead here on CNN NEWSROOM, Iran says it won't give in to U.S. pressure and bullying. And the international community is speaking out after Washington moves to unilaterally reimpose sanctions on Iran. We'll explain on the other side of the break.
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CHURCH: Welcome back, everyone. Well, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says his country won't be bullied by U.S. efforts to reimpose U.N. sanctions. He made those remarks on Sunday during a cabinet meeting. They come after Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Saturday, the U.S. would restore all sanctions against Iran under the snapback provision in the international nuclear deal. As a result Iran currency hit a record low against the U.S. dollar on Sunday.
And for more on this let's turn now to CNN emerging markets editor John Defterios joining us live from Abu Dhabi. Good to see you, John. So most of the security council members oppose the U.S. push for wider U.N. sanctions. Does the U.S. plan to push forward with other actions?
JOHN DEFTERIOS, CNN BUSINESS EMERGING MARKETS EDITOR: Well, that is usually the roadmap that the U.S. does follow, unilateral actions to encourage wider moves here by the United Nations. But I have to say, the snapback provision called by Washington at a very swift and bellicose response -- if you want to put it that way -- in some of the statements that we've seen. 13 of 15 U.N. Security Council members said this is not going to go anywhere.
The secretary general of the U.N. Antonio Guterres said there's no reason to call for a debate because there's no support within. And I think more importantly, because these are usually U.S. allies, Britain, Germany, and France were still signatories to the 2015 accord said that this is legally void. It's not going to go anywhere.
Now for its part, Secretary of State Michael Pompeo have said, look, he expects the Europeans to toe the line and because they were signatories to the original deal, they have the right to do so.
But his counterpart, Mohammad Javad Zarif was suggesting, look, you pulled out of the deal. There's no way you can enforce such a measure. Now this has given confidence to President Hassan Rouhani, who said that the United States is isolated and that perhaps even Donald Trump is doing so as 40 days ahead or just over that level ahead of the November 3rd polls. At this could be politically motivated as the tensions ratchet up here in and around the Persian Gulf.
CHURCH: Interesting timing. So is this a hollow threat by the U.S. or does it have other means to punish U.N. members?
DEFTERIOS: Well interesting that you have to bring up because you just have to look at the track record of this administration, not others. But you could talk to China about that when it comes to Huawei or WeChat or anything to do with TikTok. That's been the path it's followed.
But I think the most recent example, Rosemary, which is a good one here, because it applies, Rosemary, is Russia's pipeline that goes into Germany called the Nord Stream 2. The U.S. has sanctions in Russia. Didn't put the sanctions on Germany. But it did go after third-parties, the port operator, for example, in Germany. Contractors that have assets in the United States as well. So if you're not going to play the game, we'll use Domestic tools, was the language that Mike Pompeo have suggested.
Here that would make reference to U.S. Treasury Department, U.S. Commerce Department that has that sort of a power and authority. But we have to say that the unilateral sanctions, the case of Iran by the United States over the last three years have been fierce. We're looking at a drop of its GDP of about a fifth, about 20 percent by the end of this year. Unemployment is 16 percent. Double that and then the oil exports which Iran is so dependent on. Oil production which was at 3.5 million barrels a day three years ago.
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Rosemary, the overall production is at 1.9 million barrels a day. And as you suggested in your lead-in, that rial is under pressure at a new record low. Because all of the tensions only a week, by the way after the Abraham Accords here. Where people thought this would provide an inch of -- forward in terms of stability. But the U.S. is not changing its position against Iran.
CHURCH: All right, John Defterios, always a pleasure to chat with you. Many thanks.
Sunday's Emmy Award celebrating the biggest names in television. From hazmat suits who virtual acceptance speeches, this show was certainly one to remember. We'll explain.
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CHURCH: India's famed monument won't be so lonely anymore. The Taj Mahal has reopened after being closed for six months because of the pandemic. It will now welcome a maximum of 5,000 visitors a day. That's down from its usual count of 20,000 and all social distancing measures must be followed. India has the second highest number of coronavirus infections in the world.
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American golfer Bryson DeChambeau is celebrating his first major title after winning the U.S. Open. The 27-year-old went into the final round on Sunday two shots behind the leader, Matt Wolff. But after an eagle in the ninth hole, DeChambeau was on his way to victory with a final score of six under. He was the only golfer to finish under par. The tournament was originally scheduled for June but was pushed back because of the pandemic, of course.
Well, the 72nd Emmy Awards on Sunday was the first major Hollywood award show since the coronavirus pandemic began. Host Jimmy Kimmel was joined by presenters in an empty auditorium while representatives in hazmat tuxedos were sent to the winners' homes to hand out their awards. Big winners of the night were the cast of "Schitt's Creek." Who swept all acting for comedic acting categories.
HBO's "Succession" which one outstanding from a series. And 24-year- old Zen Diam who took home the award for outstanding leading actress in a drama. Winners and presenters like actress Regina King wore outfits with the names of Breonna Taylor and the Black Lives Matter movement along with remembering Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. Winners urged the public to register to vote in November's election.
And thank you so much for your company. I'm Rosemary Church. "EARLY START" is up next. You're watching CNN. Have yourself a wonderful day.
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