Return to Transcripts main page
Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Dashcam Video Shows Sandra Bland's Arrest; Donald Trump: On the Attack; President Obama's Next Big Battle. Aired 4-4:30a ET
Aired July 22, 2015 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[04:00:00] POLICE OFFICER: Get out of the car! I will light you up. Get out! Now!
SANDRA BLAND: Wow. Wow.
POLICE OFFICER: Get out of the car.
BLAND: For failure to signal?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Dramatic new video revealing the police confrontation that led to Sandra Bland's arrest. Her family does not believe she killed herself in jail. A murder investigation is under way. New details ahead.
Donald Trump on the attack, unleashing a new style -- yes, a new style of revenge against one of his competitors.
President Obama celebrating political victories on "The Daily Show", revealing his next big battle.
Good morning and welcome to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans. It is Wednesday, July 21, 4:00 a.m. in the East. John Berman has the week off.
We begin this morning with the chilling new dashcam video of Sandra Bland's arrest. Texas police claim the 28-year-old civil rights activist from Illinois hanged herself in her jail cell three days after she was pulled over here and arrested during this routine traffic stop. Bland's family doesn't buy it. They believe police may somehow be responsible for her death. The dramatic new video showing how quickly the officer's encounter with Bland spiraled out of control.
Let's get more this morning from Ryan Young in Waller County, Texas.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Christine, a very active day in this investigation. People wanting to know what exactly happened to Sandra Bland.
You really can break this up into two parts. First, what happened during a traffic stop and now, we are getting to see dash cam video from inside the trooper's car. You can really see how quickly this escalated after he pulled over. There was a short conversation and then this happened.
POLICE OFFICER: Do you mind putting out your cigarette, please, if you don't mind?
BLAND: I'm in my car. Why do I have to put out my cigarette?
POLICE OFFICER: You can step out now.
BLAND: I don't have to step out of the car.
POLICE OFFICER: Step out of the car.
BLAND: Why am I --
POLICE OFFICER: Step out of the car!
BLAND: No, you don't have the right.
POLICE OFFICER: Step out of the car.
BLAND: You do not have the right to do that.
POLICE OFFICER: I do have the right. Step out or I will remove you.
BLAND: I refuse to talk to you other than to identify myself.
POLICE OFFICER: Step out or I will remove you.
BLAND: I don't --
YOUNG: Now, that struggle happens off camera. But we do know, someone arrived with a cell phone and started shooting what was going on between that officer and Ms. Bland.
That officer has been put on administrative leave during this investigation because we were told there were some violations involved in this traffic stop. But, yesterday afternoon, we got a chance to go inside the jail cell, number 95, where Sandra Bland had spent the last three days before she hanged herself, according to investigators.
The sheriff walked us through and showed us how someone could look through the window and see her feet dangling. We actually saw a trash can that had the same kind of trash liner that they believe she rolled up and put around her neck.
Now, the sheriff details how the hallway, as soon as you walk down it video cameras activates and lets everyone know that someone is in that hallway. Investigators tried to see if they can sneak under the cameras. That couldn't happen.
But this investigation remains from over -- Christine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROAMSN: All right. Ryan Young, again, this is just a really strange case. We'll continue to follow it.
In politics now, Donald Trump firing back at Lindsey Graham on the senator's home turf, one day after Graham called Trump a jackass for his comments about John McCain's military service. The billionaire reality star front-runner fired back, not only calling Graham an idiot -- an idiot but also broadcasting the South Carolina senator's cell phone number on live television.
For more on this GOP grudge match, let's bring in CNN chief congressional correspondent Dana Bash.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Christine, there is an old saying, "politics ain't bean bag", but it usually isn't a schoolyard brawl either. And that's really what this Republican presidential race is right now. You have Donald Trump here in South Carolina, calling his fellow Republican Lindsey Graham an idiot and stiff, after Graham called him a jackass first.
And then, Trump did something that is kind of unbelievable. He held up Lindsey Graham's personal cell phone number and read it on, what turned out to be national television.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I wrote the number down. I don't know if it's the right number. Let's try it, 202 (AUDIO DELETED)
I don't know. Maybe it's three or four years ago, so maybe it's an old number.
BASH: It is something that everybody kind of looked at and said, is this really happening? And the answer is, it is happening. And not necessarily that cell phone stunt, but the kind of uncensored politically incorrect Donald Trump is what is drawing crowds like we saw here in South Carolina.
About 1,100 people came from within this retirement community to hear him speak. The auditorium was filled to the gills. There was an overflow room and they were really mesmerized. I have to say that he had these potential voters in the palm of their hand.
Now it, obviously, as it always is with Donald Trump, was not a traditional stump speech. It was more of a one-man show. He had some big applause lines on the issues that he has used to rise in the polls: illegal immigration, why the administration -- the Obama administration can't, in his view, make good deals, whether it's on trade or Iran.
[04:05:11] But, for the most part, it was people wanting to come and see what all of the fuss is about. Some saying that he scares them, and that he is just a celebrity, and they wanted to see the celebrity for themselves.
But this is something that it really is apparent now, that he is tapping into a sentiment in the Republican Party, not necessarily on the issues, but on the need for somebody who says it like it is, who is a doer. These are words that voters, themselves, used with me outside this event.
So, this is his first time here in the early primary state, first in the South primary state of South Carolina and it's only a question of where he is going to go next and what is he going to say next -- Christine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: All right. Dana, thanks for that.
Certainly, Donald Trump is showing a new playbook for running for president.
Senator Graham showing his sense of humor, after Trump gave out his cell phone number on live television, the senator tweeting, quote, "probably getting a new phone, rather, iPhone or Android."
So, Trump is on top of the polls, no question. Can he stay on top?
We wanted to look to history for some perspective. History shows early leads can be hard to hold. In the summer of 2007, Rudy Giuliani was leading the Republican field with more than 30 percent of the vote. Then, Fred Thompson seized the lead from him a few months later at 19 percent and neither of them captured a single state.
In the summer of 2011, Michele Bachmann topped the GOP field with 17 percent. She plunged to 4 percent by November, with Herman Cain rising to the top -- remember that? Herman Cain had 23 percent of the vote. Once again, both candidates failed to win even a single state.
Ohio Governor John Kasich is the 16th candidate to enter the Republican field. Kasich kicking off his campaign with a rally at Ohio State University, his alma mater. He then hit the ground running with a town hall event in New Hampshire where he touted his experience and can-do attitude.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. JOHN KASICH (R-OH), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is going to be fine. We just have to get people to believe again and it's not about -- you know, you come here, because I'm running for president, OK? I'll do my part. But if you think we can fix this country from the top down, we're wrong. It gets fixed from the bottom up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Kasich says his blend of fiscal conservativism and social welfare compassion separate him from the rest of the Republican field.
Hillary Clinton raking in the campaign cash in the Sunshine State. The Democratic front-runner raising more than $3 million so far in Florida, beating out Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio in their home state. Bush has picked up $2.6 million from Floridians so far, Rubio nearly $1 million behind the former governor.
All right. A longtime al Qaeda operative with a $7 million bounty on his head killed in Syria by a U.S. air strike. The Pentagon confirming that Muhsin al Fadhli died when his car was struck on July 8th. The Kuwaiti born jihadist was the leader of the Khorasan Group. It's a collection of senior al Qaeda members operating in Syria.
A Defense Department official says his death will degrade and disrupt the external operations of al Qaeda.
The White House pulling out all of the stops to sell the nuclear deal with Iran. Secretary of State John Kerry and other top officials meeting with House and Senate members in enclosed briefings this afternoon.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter continuing a tour of the Middle East. After stops in Israeli and Jordan, Carter -- he is heading to Saudi Arabia today to meet with members of the Saudi defense ministry.
The White House deciding not to retaliate or publicly blame China for the huge hack that exposed the personal information of 22 million federal workers. According to administration officials, the U.S. does believe Beijing is responsible but the Obama administration does not want to reveal its evidence because its own espionage activities would then be exposed.
Time for an early start of your money.
Not a great day for stocks so far. U.S. stock futures moving lower. A lot of big names are down before the bell -- Apple, Chipotle, Microsoft. Those companies reported earnings Wall Street was not thrilled about. Yesterday, the Dow dropped 181 points, thanks to more disappointing earnings from IBM, United Technologies, and Verizon.
This story is pretty shocking. Chrysler is vulnerable to be hacked into and remotely controlled while you are driving. Two researchers proved that several models have flaws in their wireless service that connects them to the Sprint cell phone network.-
Watch what happens to this rider from "Wired" magazine.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can't turn it down.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is such a fun video.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Air-conditioning is blasting. The music is blasting. And I can't see anything because of the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) windshield wiper fluid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: And it gets worse. The hackers can also cut the brakes, shut down the engine, even make the car drive off the road.
[04:10:01] Chrysler acknowledges the dangerous flaws now offering a software upgrade to fix it.
All right. President Obama making his final appearance on "The Daily Show" with Jon Stewart and used it to promote his nuclear deal with Iran, insisting a catastrophic problem has been taken off the table. The president crowing about his recent Obamacare and free trade victories and he insists he is not done yet.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: So, the way I feel right now is, I've got 18 months, there are a bunch of other things that we want to get done, some of them, we got started early. Climate change is a good example, where we doubled fuel efficiency standard on cars and increased solar power by 20 times.
And now, we have got a Paris conference on climate change coming up later this year. And if we can get China and India and some of the other big countries to take a look at what we have already done, and finally get something global, that would start addressing what is going to be --
JON STEWART, THE DAILY SHOW: Fixing everything? Last 18 months, fixing everything?
OBAMA: That's my goal. Yes, basically.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: The president lamenting the fact that Stewart is leaving "The Daily Show" before he leaves the White House, even joking about issuing an executive order commanding Stewart to stay. He said he'd issue an executive order and it was tied up in the courts, being challenged in the courts. Funny stuff.
All right. Eleven minutes past the hour.
New information about the family of the Tennessee gunman who murdered five U.S. servicemen. His uncle is now being detained. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: This morning, flags at the U.S. Capitol and the White House are flying at half-staff in honor of the five military service members gunned down in Chattanooga last week. Federal authorities investigating the shooting will hold a news conference today as we learn more about this gunman, Mohammad Abdulazeez, and we learn more about his family connections in the Middle East. New evidence also suggests he may have been radicalized by a militant cleric, not ISIS.
[04:15:06] We get more from CNN's Gary Tuchman in Chattanooga.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christine, we know that Mohammad Abdulazeez, the gunman, went to Jordan last year and that U.S. authorities are investigating that trip and we are being told by a family representative that his parents wanted him to go to Jordan because of the downward spiral his life had taken in Tennessee with severe depression and drug addiction. They hope to get his life in order, living with relatives for a time in Jordan.
One of those relatives was an uncle, and we have now learned that uncle has been detained by Jordanian authorities. A lawyer for the uncle says he is not free to go, he is being questioned, and has been detained four days. He has not been arrested. It is not being considered, at this point, that he is being investigated for any crime, just that he is being questioned by Jordanian authorities who are not commenting about the interrogation that is also taking place.
Also, we want to tell you about the possibility that this gunman received any outside advice from any people who wanted him to become a domestic terrorist. The parents deny that, they do say in his weakest moments, though, that he got into, quote, "evil ideology". They say he had some writings back in 2013 after he was fired from a job at an Ohio nuclear power plant because he failed a drug test. And in those writings, he talked Anwar al-Awlaki who was a U.S.-born cleric from Yemen, who was a leader of al Qaeda, a notorious leader, a senior recruiter. And according to family representative, quote, "some of his writings had an affinity for him and also some of the writings made sense to him."
But we are told by the parents through this spokesman he did not mention any other names and did not mention any other organizations in these writings, including al Qaeda, but either way, that is certainly that is being investigated by U.S. authorities.
Christine, back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: All right. Thank you so much for that, Gary, in Chattanooga.
Protesters in Cincinnati demanding answers about the death of a black man during a traffic stop. Samuel Dubose was shot in the head Sunday after being pulled over for a missing license plate.
Officials say Dubose is a 43-year-old father of 13, handed over unopened bottle of alcohol to Officer Ray Tensing instead of his license. That's when things escalated. Tensing eventually shooting Dubose in the head, and killing him. Activists demanding the video of the incident be released.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIAN TAYLOR, BLACK LIVES MATTER CINCINATTI: We believe that the killing of Samuel Dubose by the police officer was completely unwarranted. We are seeing cases across the country over and over again, where routine traffic stops end up fatal, and quite frankly, we are tired of it. We're done. (END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Officer Tensing has been on the University of Cincinnati police force for just over a year. He is now on paid administrative leave.
Bill Cosby's lawyers responding to admissions by the comedian in a deposition from a sexual assault suit. In a new court filing, the attorneys say just because Cosby admitted giving Quaaludes to a woman he was having sex with doesn't mean he drugged other men without their knowledge or consent, or engaged in any nonconsensual sex. They say excerpts of Cosby's 2005 deposition had been accurately labeled as a confession.
A federal appeals court overturning some of the corruption convictions that sent former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich to prison. But it doesn't mean he'll end up serving anything less than his original 14- year term. The three-judge panel tossed out 5 of the 18 corruption counts for trying to sell or trade President Obama's old Senate seat. The bad news for Blagojevich, the court called his appeal frivolous and upheld much of the fraud and corruption case against him.
After a nearly a decade-long steroids persecution, the Justice Department is now dropping its criminal case against Barry Bonds. Baseball's career home run leader had his 2011 conviction from obstruction of justice overturned back in April. Prosecutors decided against an appeal to the Supreme Court. Bonds in a statement says the finality of the decision gives him, quote, "great peace."
More than a thousand security officers. baggage handlers and other contract workers voting to walk off the job at LaGuardia and Kennedy airports at 10:00 p.m. tonight. They'll remain on strike through Thursday, protesting low wages in the face of record profits by the airlines. Most of the employees work for Delta, United, and British Airways.
Delta officials telling CNN they're taking measures to make sure their customers are not affected. Many of those officers say they make 10 bucks an hour and never get raises.
Two men arrested in an ISIS targeted plot, targeting soldiers on a U.S. military base. We are live with that story, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: British prosecutors have charged a man and his uncle with trying to join ISIS in Syria. Authorities say the 24-year-old nephew was also plotting a hit and run style attack on U.S. military personnel based in the U.K.
CNN senior international correspondent Frederik Pleitgen live in London with the very latest.
How did they find these guys, Fred?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Christine.
Well, they arrested them on June 14th in a place north of London. Apparently, they've been under surveillance for quite a while. The British authorities are calling this an ongoing anti-terror operation.
And as you said, both men apparently were plotting to go to Syria but only one of them, a man named Junead Khan who was 24-year-old was plotting terror attacks against British service members here in Britain.
Now, as the charges were read out against him they say he was apparently plotting a car accident style attack as they called it. It's unclear whether or not he wanted to stage a car accident and get a service member to stop his car and attack him, or whether or not he wanted to run over a U.S. service member and attack him.
What we do however is he apparently wanted to use a knife, but there was also thought of using a suicide vest at some point in time. And that, apparently, he was also on a conversation with someone anonymous on the deep web where that person offered him the addresses of British service members and he turned that down, saying he would rather kill Americans instead.
So, these two men are set to have their trial start on August 10th, and, needless to say, they are out on bail before that, Christine.
ROMANS: Well, that's really troubling. In the dark web, you can get the addresses of military personnel. That is kind of a security privacy security angle to that already scary terrorism story.
Fred, thank you so much.
A scathing open letter from the parents of 16 high school students killed in the Germanwings plane crash, a letter to the airlines CEO.
[04:25:04] They say they are still waiting for an apology for parent company Lufthansa. They are angry over what they call deeply insulting compensation offers, $50,000 for each child which they say amounts to what CEO Carsten Spohr gets paid every week.
A Lufthansa spokesman disputes the claim, saying Spohr sent condolence letters, attend hi services in Haltern and Cologne and went to the crash site twice.
Newly released video showing activist Sandra Bland's arrest. It's a dramatic confrontation. It's caught on tape. You can see it, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POLICE OFFICER: Get out of the car! I will light you up. Get out! Now!
SANDRA BLAND: Wow. Wow.
POLICE OFFICER: Get out of the car.
BLAND: For failure to signal?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: New dashcam video revealing Sandra Bland's dramatic confrontation with police, days before she was found dead in a jail cell. Was it suicide or murder? The latest on the investigation ahead.
GOP grudge match. Donald Trump taking his feud with another presidential candidate to a whole new level.
President Obama revealing his next big political battle late last night on "The Daily Show." Two of those guys about to leave their jobs, soon, at least.
Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans. Twenty-nine minutes past the hour.
Chilling new dash cam video capturing the controversial arrest of Sandra Bland. A Texas police claiming the 28-year-old civil rights activist from Illinois hanged herself in her jail cell, with a plastic bag, three days after she was pulled over and arrested during this routine traffic stuff.
