Return to Transcripts main page
Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Russia Expanding Regional Influence; Trump: Let Russia Fight ISIS In Syria; Carson Closes In On Trump In Poll; Clinton: Email Matter A "Drip, Drip, Drip"; Boehner Slams Republican Right Wing; Pope Meets With Clergy Sex Abuse Survivors; Uncertainty Weighs On Markets. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired September 28, 2015 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: The surprise announcement that Russia, Iraq, Iran and Syria have reached a deal to share intelligence aimed at defeating ISIS. That news comes amid U.S. concerns about Russia's recent military buildup in Syria and Kremlin efforts to expand its influence in Iraq.
For the very latest, let's bring in CNN's Matthew Chance live from Moscow. You want to be a fly on the wall when that meeting happens later today -- Matthew.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. The two men are not on good terms. They had frosty meetings in the past. That sets the scene for a potentially frosty diplomatic encounter, a lot of anticipation about that.
A lot of anticipation as well about Vladimir Putin's speech to the U.N. General Assembly, it's the first time he would address the body in a decade. So a lot of people talking about what he is going to speak about that.
It really is seizing the diplomatic initiative like Russia or Vladimir Putin or not. They are also essentially bolstering this military footprint in Syria as well, building up their naval and land base forces, and air forces as well to give their diplomatic push some military muscle behind it as well.
They have various reasons for doing that, practical reasons and military and economic reasons. Vladimir Putin is casting it as part of the battle of international terrorism. Take a listen to what he had to say on CBS "60 Minutes" over the weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): We support the legitimate government of Syria. It is my deep belief to the contrary to destroy the legitimate government will create a situation, which you can witness now in the other countries of the region or in other regions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHANCE: All about battling international terrorism calling on the United States and other countries to join in the battle as well. The suspicion is it is more about bolstering Russia's international clout and standing than fighting extremists on the ground.
ROMANS: The interesting thing here too is you know, the U.S. is operating in the region as well. You've Russia in there with heavy machinery. They need to iron out who is taking the lead here and the United States and Russia have very different views on how to fix this, you know, vis-a-vis Assad in particular.
CHANCE: Yes, they do. The real practical consideration about how these two huge militaries coordinate with each other on the ground. U.S. is leading air strikes against ISIS with other countries as well, 60 countries involved in that.
The Russians are also deploying war planes to Syria and could start air strikes on ISIS targets and other rebel groups as well. That is something they have to coordinate.
But you're right. The essential difference between the two Russia believes the battle of the Islamic state has President Assad at the center of it. The United States and other allies say Assad has no future in Syria.
ROMANS: Maybe that will get some conversation between the two men later today. Thank you so much for that, Matthew Chance.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN ANCHOR: Donald Trump thinks having Russia take the lead and getting rid of ISIS in Syria isn't such a bad idea. The Republican frontrunner saying on "60 Minutes" last night that it might also work to the American advantage to let ISIS and the Assad regime fight it out and as Trump put it we pick up the remnants. Trump said fighting ISIS in Iraq was a different problem that might require U.S. combat troops.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If you look at Syria, Russia wants to get rid of ISIS. We want to get rid of ISIS. Let Russia do it. Let them get rid of ISIS. What the hell do we care?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK, that's Syria. What do you do in Iraq with ISIS?
TRUMP: Look, with ISIS in Iraq, you have to knock them out. You have to fight them. If you need, you have to do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: All right, Donald Trump also discussing his tax plan on "60 Minutes." Trump set to unveil the details of the plan this morning at 11:00 a.m. news conference. All this as a new poll shows Trump losing some of his lead over Ben Carson. The two candidates are now neck and neck.
CNN's Athena Jones has more on that from Washington. ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine and Alison. Today is the day that Donald Trump says he will unveil his new tax plan. He says he will call for middle class tax cuts and tax hikes for hedge fund managers.
Trump says the plan will be, quote, "long on policy and very specific." This is coming as a new NBC/"Wall Street Journal" poll shows that Trump is still leading the GOP pack but barely. Ben Carson is right up there with him. They are just 1 percentage point apart, which is well within the poll's margin error.
This poll is proof that debates matter. Look at Carly Fiorina, another outsider candidate. She is tied with Florida Senator Marco Rubio at 11 percent in third place. You will remember both of them were seen as standouts in Simi Valley.
[05:35:06] They are being rewarded for their performance in the polls. They both made big gains especially Fiorina. Now the rest of the GOP field, including the establishment favorite, Jeb Bush, is languishing in single digits.
Meanwhile, Ben Carson is still facing questions about his comments on Muslims' fitness to serve as president. Take a listen to part of his exchange with Jake Tapper on "STATE OF THE UNION."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST, "STATE OF THE UNION": You are a member of a church which is surrounded by misinformation about the Seventh Day Adventist Church. You are an African-American. You know what it is like for people to make false assumptions about you and you seemed to be doing the same thing with Muslims.
BEN CARSON (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In which way am I making a false assumption?
TAPPER: You are assuming that Muslim-Americans are putting their religion ahead of the country.
CARSON: I'm assuming that if you accept all the tenets of Islam that you will have very difficult time abiding under the constitution of the United States.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: So even though that interview was cut short by Carson's campaign, the discussion continues. We'll see if it hurts him with Republican voters. So far it hasn't -- Christine, Alison.
ROMANS: All right, Athena Jones, thank you for that. Here is what we know about the Trump's tax plan. He revealed in that "60 Minutes" interview, his plan would mean a zero tax rate for some.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: There will be a large segment of our country that will have a zero rate, a zero rate, and that's something I haven't told anybody.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are talking about.
TRUMP: We are talking about people in the low income brackets that are supposed to be paying taxes. Many of them don't anyway.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are talking about making part of the population exempt from income taxes.
TRUMP: That is correct.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Zero tax rate, right now the lowest rate is 10 percent. Trump says his plan would either increase or maintain current tax revenue, how, by raising taxes on some of the richest Americans. Hedge fund managers have been a Trump target recently.
He wants to eliminate the carried interest loophole that allows them to be taxed at lower rates. Trump also plans to cut corporate taxes. He said that will keep corporations from moving overseas.
Trump also estimates it could bring $2.5 trillion back to America that businesses are stashing abroad to avoid taxes and when that happens at 11:00.
Alison, I will be interested in this. Will it be a zero tax rate for the lowest earners and get rid of their deductions or keep their deductions?
Like as you know now there are people who have a 10 percent tax bracket, but actually pay no taxes or get money out of the tax code because the tax code is full of so many benefits and loopholes.
KOSIK: As of any tax plan, the devil is in the detail.
On the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton's lead over Bernie Sanders is also fast disappearing. If Joe Biden were to get in the race, Clinton leads Sanders by just seven points, 42 to 35 percent.
Meantime, Clinton says the constant stream of questions about her use of a private e-mail server while secretary of state, are a trip down memory lane. She compares the issue to the controversies that dogged the Clintons in the White House in the '90s.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It is a drip, drip, drip. There is only so much that I can control. What I have tried to do and explaining this is to provide more transparency and more information than anybody I'm aware of who has serve in the government and I'm happy to do that.
I want these questions to be answered. I can't predict to you what the Republicans will come up with and what kind of charges or claims they might make. I have no control. I can only do the best I can to try to respond.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSIK: Clinton called Republican suggestions she used a private e- mail server to avoid the freedom of information requests or congressional subpoenas totally ridiculous.
ROMANS: All right, House Speaker John Boehner blasting right wing Republicans in Congress as false prophets who press for doomed strategies like government shutdowns that they know they cannot win.
Boehner speaking on CBS "Face The Nation" two days after his surprised announcement that he is stepping down at the end of October. He lashed out at conservative groups and lawmakers who quote, "whip people into a frenzy promising things they know will never happen."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JOHN BOEHNER (R-OH), HOUSE SPEAKER: The Bible says be aware of false prophets. There are people out there spreading noise about how much can get done. This whole idea we will shut down the government to get rid of Obamacare in 2013. This plan never had a chance.
But over the course of the August recess in 2013 and the course of September, a lot of my Republican colleagues who knew it was a fool's errand really have never getting all this pressure from home do this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Boehner vowed to avoid the next possible shutdown passing a funding bill before the Wednesday deadline. A funding bill does not meet the conservative plan to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood.
All right, Pope Francis meeting with sex abuse survivors of the church with new message for them. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:43:42]
KOSIK: Pope Francis is back in Rome this morning following his historic trip first to Cuba and then three U.S. cities in six days. Before celebrating his final mass in Philadelphia on Sunday, Pope Francis met with victims of clergy sex abuse and then addressed the issue with bishops from around the world.
The pope promised that abusers within the church will be held accountable for their actions. CNN's Delia Gallagher has that part of the story.
DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Christine and Alison, it was a private meeting that lasted just over 30 minutes. The Vatican says that Pope Francis told survivors of clerical sex abuse that he was profoundly sorry for the crimes that had been committed against them and for the times that they had tried to speak out but were not believed. The Holy Father hears you, the pope said, and believes you, and deeply regrets that some bishops failed in their responsibility to protect children. The pope also told the survivors that bishops and clergy would be held accountable.
This is an important point for survivor groups. Bishops who may have known about some of these cases be brought to justice by the Vatican. The pope immediately following this meeting went and met with his bishops and had some strong words about clergy sex abuse.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POPE FRANCIS (through translator): God weeps for the sexual abuse of children. This cannot be maintained in secret and I commit to a careful oversight to ensure that youths are protected and that all responsible will be held accountable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[05:45:11] GALLAGHER: This is the second time that Pope Francis has met with survivors of victims of clerical sex abuse since his election in 2013 -- Christine and Alison.
ROMANS: All right, Delia, thank you for that. Let's take a look at what is coming up on "NEW DAY." Alisyn Camerota joins us this Monday morning. Hi, Alisyn.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR, "NEW DAY": Hi, Ladies. Great to see you, guys. As you know, President Obama will be speaking to the U.N. this morning, but all eyes will be on his meeting with Russia President Vladimir Putin. The focus is expected to be Syria and Russia's military buildup.
Will the two reach any agreement or is this all more of a sort of photo op? We will talk to the White House and former secretary of state, Madeleine Albright about all of that.
Also Pope Francis is back at the Vatican this morning after his whirlwind U.S. visit. Wait until you hear what he said on the flight home. Our Rosa Flores has that story. We will talk about his message to the priests over sex abuse cases.
KOSIK: We'll see you then.
ROMANS: In 14 minutes, I can't wait. I know the pope made news on the plane. We will find out on "NEW DAY."
Anxiety on Wall Street this morning over the possible government shutdown, we are breaking it down live next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:50:04]
ROMANS: Friday's bombshell Boehner announcement. He is resigning from Congress and from his position as speaker of the House, and what happens next in Washington could have major repercussions on Wall Street and for your money.
Here to tell us why is Greg Valliere. He is a political economist and our chief strategist for Potomac Research Group. Greg, this puts off the concerns of the government shutdown in the near term over Planned Parenthood. But everything lines up in December for chaos now.
GREG VALLIERE, CHIEF STRATEGIST, POTOMAC RESEARCH GROUP: You are absolutely right. Good morning, Christine. I do think we will avoid a crisis this week as you said. In December, we have this continuing spending resolution expiring. The debt ceiling which has to be raised and you have, I think, the new speaker of the House, Kevin McCarthy, not willing to do what Boehner did. That is dealing with Nancy Pelosi.
ROMANS: We have concerns that in December you could be actually facing the chance of a debt default. The risk of a debt default grows higher.
VALLIERE: Yes, I don't think there will be one, but you cannot dismiss this as a concern for the markets. Get a load of this, Christine. You have this FOMC, the fed meeting that sets interest rates, as you guys know. The FOMC meets the week after this December 11 deadline. If there is a shutdown, could this influence Janet Yellen? Could this thwart her in her efforts to raise rates?
ROMANS: I say there is never a good time to raise rates. When you look at this happening, you could almost argue they should have done it by now. They should have -- it is never a good time to start a diet, never a good time to raise interest rates.
Let me switch gears and ask you about Donald Trump. He will unveil his tax plan at 11:00 a.m. We will carry all of these details. He talked about it on "60 Minutes." Listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: There will be a large segment of our country that will have a zero rate. That's something I haven't told anybody.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You are talking about?
TRUMP: We are talking about people in the low income brackets that are supposed to be paying taxes. Many of them don't anyway.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: We know these broad brush strokes. He said the zero rate. Right now the lowest income tax bracket is 10 percent although there is a substantial portion of low income Americans who do not pay taxes already because the way the tax code is written to give them benefits in the tax code. Cut corporate taxes. Change that carried interest. Does this sound like a presidential tax plan to you?
VALLIERE: Two quick comments. Number one, there are not enough rich people on Wall Street and elsewhere to pay for a big middle class tax cut. It won't be revenue neutral. It will lose money. Number two, this is good politics. This polls well. Taxing Wall Street polls well. It is politics with a lot of populous Tea Party types. It's good politics with the Bernie Sanders crowd. So this is going to be a very interesting story uniting the right and the left.
ROMANS: Very interesting. Do you think you will see tax reform in the next 18 months or with the next president? Will we really get tax reform?
VALLIERE: Easier said than done. I'll believe it when I see it.
ROMANS: Me too. All right, Greg Valliere, it's so nice to see you this morning.
KOSIK: You know, interesting he said it polls well, but how realistic is Trump's tax plan?
ROMANS: You have to deal with Congress.
KOSIK: The little thing.
China's president is in the United States. He has been hanging without with some tech executives and the White House, the usual thing. He is also posting on his own Facebook page and breaking his own social media rules. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:57:38]
ROMANS: I'm Christine Romans. Let's get an EARLY START on your money this Monday morning. European shares are lower so are U.S. stock futures. Uncertainty reigns namely what is the Federal Reserve's plan for interest rates?
Also new this morning, oil giant, Royal Dutch Shell, says it will stop all offshore drilling in Alaska. A key exploration well did not uncover much oil or gas, and cheap oil prices are squeezing profits.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has broken his own rule. He signed up for Facebook. On his verified page, you can see status updates and videos from his first official visit to the U.S.
There he is strolling with President Obama at the White House. Even meeting Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, but none of the 1.3 billion people back home in China can see it because Facebook is one of many sites blocked in China, a country known for its censorship.
It's 58 minutes past the hour. The pope back at the Vatican this morning, "NEW DAY" picks that up now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KOSIK: Pope Francis now back in Rome.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The longest trip that Pope Francis has taken since he's been pope.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Pope Francis told survivors of clergy sex abuse that he was profoundly sorry.
ROMANS: Donald Trump and Ben Carson neck and neck.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Neither party likes you very much.
TRUMP: I would say that's true, yes.
TAPPER: You don't think that in any way you said anything could have been said more clearly about Muslims?
CARSON: I made it very clear.
KOSIK: President Obama and Putin meeting face-to-face for the first time in two years.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Those countries that can must do more to accommodate refugees.
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, "AC360": Rouhani talked about possibly releasing an imprisoned American journalist.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm for anything that's going to get my brother out.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome to your NEW DAY. It is Monday, September 28th, 6:00 in the east. We have a busy morning ahead of us. We have a lot of going on in the world.
Pope Francis is back at the Vatican this morning after a six-day trip to the United States that captivated the collective. He saved his best for last in a speech in Philadelphia. We will show it to you.
In hours, President Obama will address world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly and he will sit down with Russia's President Vladimir Putin. What will happen?
CAMEROTA: All right, so we will talk about all of this global news with lots of big brained people who will be in our studio. We have former secretary of state, Madeleine Albright.
