Return to Transcripts main page
Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Will Trump Run As An Independent?; International Furor Over Trump Proposal; Republicans Worry Over Trump; San Bernardino Massacre Investigation; Chicago Bracing For More Protests. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired December 10, 2015 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(HEADLINES)
ALISON KOSIK, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Alison Kosik.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Christine Romans. It's 30 minutes past the hour. Donald Trump is resurrecting his threat to run as an independent if the Republican Party does not treat him, in his view, fairly.
From his opponents to party leaders to establishment figures, nearly the entire Republican Party now slamming the frontrunner and slamming his proposal to bar Muslims from entering the United States.
A third party run by Trump could doom Republican chances in November. CNN's Don Lemon putting Trump on the spot waving that pledge that he signed not to run as an independent.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Here's the pledge that you signed. You saw this pledge. Are you going to break this pledge?
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think it is highly unlikely unless they break the pledge to me because it's a two-way street.
LEMON: What does that mean?
TRUMP: They said they would be honorable. So far, I can't tell you if they are, but the establishment is not exactly being very good to me. But I'm leading in every poll by a lot. It looks like I'm going to win. My whole life has been about winning.
I'm not like so many other people that you talk to that are essentially losers, OK. I know how to win. I intend to win. It's the best way of beating the Democrats if I get the nomination.
In the Fox poll that I'm sure you saw, I'm way ahead of Hillary. I will beat Hillary. The one person that Hillary doesn't want to run against and I know a lot of people. I get along with Democrats and Republicans and liberals, everybody. The one person they don't want to run against is me.
LEMON: I just want this plain spoken for the viewer. What do you mean you say if they break this pledge then you'll break the pledge? What do you mean by that?
TRUMP: If they don't treat me with a certain amount of decorum and respect, if they don't treat me as the frontrunner, by far the frontrunner, if the playing field is not level, then certainly all options are open. That's nothing I want to do.
LEMON: How will you know that? What determines that?
TRUMP: I think I'll know that over a period of months. We will go you there the primaries and I'll make determination. I imagine they treat me properly because I'm leading by a lot.
LEMON: So the pledge is you keep your word if they keep their word.
TRUMP: Don, I want to run as a Republican.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: For more on the jitters Trump's campaign is causing inside the GOP, let's bring in senior Washington correspondent, Jeff Zeleny.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Christine and Alison, Donald Trump is on a roll so far and an unstoppable one. That is what worries many Republicans. The GOP ranks are rattled over Trump's proposal to ban Muslims from entering the country.
Afraid it could cost Republicans the White House and threaten their congressional majority. Now the international outcry is intensifying. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he rejects Trump's plan to block Muslims.
Now Trump is set to meet with Netanyahu later this month in Jerusalem. The prime minister is now facing pressure to cancel that meeting. Back in the U.S., Republican leaders across the country fear Trump at the top of the ticket could doom their party.
Matt Borges is the chairman of the Ohio Republican Party. He said he worries about the fallout.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT BORGES, OHIO REPUBLICAN PARTY CHAIRMAN: We will have to distance ourselves from this kind of messaging. It will not help us win the national election. It will not help us win the general election in November. We would not win Ohio with that kind of message. We realize that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: Now he and other Republican leaders are afraid Trump could damage the party's chances of holding on to the Senate in particular and even more winning back the White House. At the same time, Trump supporters are loyal. That loyalty could help him win the Republican primary. The Iowa caucuses are 53 days away -- Christine and Alison.
ROMANS: Thanks, Jeff.
KOSIK: OK, so let's breakdown the GOP jitters over Trump and all the day's political news. Let's bring in CNN politics reporter, Eric Bradner. Thank you for getting up with us.
ERIC BRADNER, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: Happy to do it.
KOSIK: We are reeling from Donald Trump's reaction to the president's address on terror earlier this week. A lot of critics saying it did not instill a lot of confidence in Americans in the U.S. fight against ISIS.
But then you have Donald Trump solidifying his place in history as the anti-Obama. Not hiding his contempt for the president. Listen to what he told our Don Lemon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[05:35:08] TRUMP: We cannot be politically correct stupid people. We have a president -- I think he is a stupid person because there is no way that a normal president can make the speech that he made the other night.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSIK: Even with those harsh words for the president, we are seeing a new Fox News poll, most of which was taken after Trump said let's go ahead and ban Muslims from entering the U.S. We are seeing him rise in the South Carolina Republicans choice for nominee. What is going on here?
BRADNER: This is the type of rhetoric and candidate who Trump supporters signed up to get. This is what they're looking for and what they want. Other candidates are saying he is preying on people's fears. And fair or not, there is certainly a segment of the Republican Party today to whom this rhetoric appeals.
These are people who are frustrated with President Obama, who perhaps never saw him as quite legitimate in the first place. They are frustrated with the Republican establishment.
Donald Trump entered the race insulting John McCain's war hero status. That never hurt him. These are people who are sort of ready for a candidate who will say no to everything and everyone that's been in power for a good long time.
So, no, this rhetoric, while inflammatory, while perhaps troubling to a lot of leaders in both parties does nothing to hurt him with supporters. In fact, it probably helps.
ROMANS: Many of the supporters as we know are looking for the alternative to Barack Obama. He has two sets of standards. He is asking for decorum and respect as the frontrunner. He wants everybody to treat me properly. When you call the sitting president of the United States twice
elected stupid, clearly not treating the president with decorum and respect there. Something that just goes right to the core of what his supporters -- it's why they are supporting him.
Let me ask you this, he said in the Don Lemon interview, he said I get along with everybody. I get along with Democrats, Republicans, liberals, I get along with everybody.
That goes to the conspiracy theory that you've been hearing out there for a few days now. He used to be a Democrat. He is now a Republican. He is friends with Hillary Clinton. He said he likes Hillary and Bill Clinton. His daughter is good friends with Clinton's daughter. Is this all some sort of --
KOSIK: Could it be a rouse?
BRADNER: You laid it out effectively. Prior to the campaign, Donald Trump had a phone call with Bill Clinton where they talked. Republicans like Jeb Bush and Carly Fiorina are tweeting about how all of the stuff that Donald Trump is doing really helps Hillary Clinton more than anyone.
Talking about running as an independent, the inflammatory rhetoric, now, whether he is like a falsified candidate who is running to help Hillary. I don't think anyone really believes that, but there is no doubt his ties to Hillary Clinton and financial ties to Democrats and history of supporting the Clintons, that will come up.
Republicans will bring that up in the early stage. Is it a conspiracy theory? I think there is some Republicans so frustrated with all of this and cannot see the ultimate political gain for the party that --
ROMANS: It makes an interesting movie script.
KOSIK: Could it be any more interesting?
ROMANS: It is some movie script. It's so interesting.
KOSIK: There is a lot of frustration from all around about how Donald Trump is leading the charge. Now he is resurrecting his threat to run as an independent.
BRADNER: Yes. Trump is impressive the way he can set the rules for his own world. He talks about needing to be treated fairly while he is insulting his fellow Republican candidates and the president. He talks about -- there's no definition for being treated fairly.
Is he talking about the actual party? The Republican National Committee and states that are running these elections or is he talking about his foes or Republican establishment, which is a class of donors and operatives.
They frankly don't like him, but they are not the party. They are part of it. Just like he and his supporters are part of it. He is making up the rules and forcing everyone else to live by them. He is sucking up so much of the oxygen.
[05:40:05]He is forcing the candidates to respond to his moves. They are bigger and more bombastic, more surprising than any of the other 2016 candidates are doing.
KOSIK: And we are spending at least 45 minutes on him this morning. Eric Bradner, thanks so much for your analysis today.
ROMANS: It's 40 minutes past the hour. New information revealed about the San Bernardino shooters, when they were radicalized and their ties to the friend's guns used in the attack.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KOSIK: New information on the San Bernardino terror shootings this morning, as investigators dig deeper into the backgrounds of the couple who killed 14 people, Syed Rizwan Farook and Tashfeen Malik.
Malik's father is speaking out from Saudi Arabia where he lives. He is telling the "Associated Press," quote, "Only God knows why did it happen."
[05:45:05]Meantime, the head of the FBI said both shooters were radicalized before they met and married.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: Was the woman shooter in San Bernardino radicalized before she came to America?
JAMES COMEY, FBI DIRECTOR: It looks like she was. But so far, the data we collected, it indicates she was before she connected with the other killer and came here.
GRAHAM: Is there any evidence that this marriage was arranged by a terrorist organization or terrorist operative or was it just a meeting on the internet?
COMEY: I don't know the answer to that yet.
GRAHAM: Do you agree with me that if it was arrange by a terrorist operative organization, that is a game changer?
COMEY: It would be a very, very important thing to know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSIK: And there are also new questions about the man who bought some of the assault rifles used in the massacre. Enrique Marquez telling the FBI, he and Farook had planned and then dropped an earlier attack.
Officials cautioning that Marquez may be lying to cover up his role buying the weapons used in last week's attack. CNN's Kyung Lah has the latest from San Bernardino.
KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Alison, Christine, investigators are focusing on the man who purchased the weapons that would be used, two of those long guns that would be used in the San Bernardino massacre, Enrique Marquez.
They have been interviewing him. U.S. officials tell CNN that Marquez says that he and Farook hatched a 2012 terror plot and they abandoned it because they got spooked. The FBI at that time had made another terror arrest so they gave up on this plan.
Marquez also telling U.S. officials that he and Farook had been radicalized as far back as 2011. There are new questions about the visa application process. How Tashfeen Malik, the wife, was able to enter the United States undetected.
She applied for a fiancee visa in Pakistan. Now a senior State Department official is telling CNN that Malik was not questioned about her jihadist leanings. She had already been radicalized, but was able to enter the United States without raising any red flags -- Alison, Christine.
KOSIK: OK, Kyung, thanks.
ROMANS: Let's take a look at what is coming up on "NEW DAY." Michaela Pereira joins us bright and early this morning. Hi, Michaela.
MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. We will talk about the latest that Kyung Lah was talking about. One of the attackers was not ever asked about her terror links before she entered the U.S. We want to know how that's possible.
We will put that question to our national security experts to see if this points to an intelligence failure and what potentially can be done.
Also, Donald Trump is sitting down with CNN, our Don Lemon. He is defending his position on Muslims and talks about a potential third party run once again. Is it still on the table? You will hear from Trump supporters why they stand behind him.
ROMANS: Great. I know Alisyn Camerota had a great conversation with some of those supporters. They are firm in their support. Thank you for that.
KOSIK: Chicago protesters demanding the mayor step down over allegations of misconduct within the city police department. New developments next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:52:46]
ROMANS: Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel calling for a painful and honest reckoning of the embattled police force as hundreds of protesters take to the streets to call on him to step down. The mayor is under fire for allegedly covering up cases of excessive police force. He is apologizing, but it doesn't sound like he is planning to leave office anytime soon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAHM EMANUEL, MAYOR OF CHICAGO: I take responsibility for what happened because it happened on my watch. If we are going to fix it, I want you to understand it is my responsibility with you. If we are also going to begin the healing process, the first step in that journey is my step and I'm sorry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Emanuel was giving that press conference and hundreds of people take to the streets to demand his resignation, that conference not calming the furor in Chicago. We get more from CNN's national correspondent, Martin Savidge.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine, Alison. Chicago is bracing for another round of protests. Protest organizers are promising that. Yesterday's protests went for hours and hours through the heart of downtown streets and neighborhoods.
It began around the noon hour and that was just after Mayor Rahm Emanuel delivered the speech where he apologized and there would be significant change. It was well received inside of the council chambers, but it wasn't well received out on the streets by many of the protesters.
They say they are well beyond this point of wanting to see some kind of change or hollow words. They want to see the mayor to resign. The mayor is not necessarily likely to do that.
But what's clear is that this has gone from a confidence crisis in the police department to a full blown political crisis for the mayor. On the streets, we have seen several hundred protesters. Not necessarily working in cooperation with the police department.
But clearly there were some coordination going on. It was peaceful. It was loud. You could see that this group was constantly on the move. They would stop at a certain intersection and move on as did the police, which were almost out in equal numbers.
They would jump ahead and make sure that everything remained safe. There were some arrests, but by the end of the day, those people were all released -- Christine and Alison.
[05:55:06]KOSIK: Martin, thanks for that. The defense continues its case later this morning in the trial of William Porter, one of six Baltimore police officers facing charges in the death of Freddie Gray.
During four hours of testimony Wednesday, Officer Porter told the jury he thought Gray was faking his injuries and had no idea his life was in danger until he found Gray shackled and unresponsive.
Officer Porter combative at times telling prosecutors he was offended by their allegations of no snitching culture in the Baltimore Police Department. More heavy rain and snow in Washington and Oregon today. The
latest from meteorologist, Derek Van Dam. Good morning.
(WEATHER REPORT)
ROMANS: Let's get an EARLY START on your money. Stock markets are down around the world. U.S. stock futures are up. Yesterday, the Dow extended a losing streak of falling 75 points. The S&P 500 down almost 1 percent. It is now negative for the year. What is weighing down markets, low oil prices.
The middle class is shrinking according to a brand new study by Pew. The culprits here slow wage growth and higher cost of living. The middle class makes up less than half of the country's population today, compare that to 61 percent back in 1971.
It's another sign of growing income inequality. The middle class is shrinking. There are only two places people are going either to the highest end of the highest income bracket or low end of the lowest.
Free snacks are back on United Airlines. Snacks will be available beginning next February for all passengers traveling economy with North and Latin America. Early morning flights will serve waffles. Later flights will serve snack packs of crackers and sesame sticks and wasabi peas.
United got rid of the free snacks back in 2008. The airline now says it wants to improve customer service. Stock is down 14 percent this year.
KOSIK: Better than pretzels and peanuts.
New information on the California terror attack inside the shooters' relationship, "NEW DAY" starts now.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were radicalized before they started courting or dating each other.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Was never questioned about whether she had jihadist or radical views prior to arriving in the United States.
WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST, "THE SITUATION ROOM": Farook and his childhood friend plotted an earlier attack in 2012.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Focus remains on the couple and whether this marriage was simply designed for terror.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Holding that video clearly built up distrust.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is no question there's a crisis in confidence in Chicago about the mayor's leadership.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You covered up a videotape. We want you fired. LEMON: Why don't you sit on your big lead and let it ride?
TRUMP: Don, I have to do what is right.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What is the solution to mass shootings?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Guns aren't bad. Guns aren't dangerous.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome to your "NEW DAY." It is Thursday, December 10th, 6:00 in the east. We have new information about the San Bernardino murders and it makes clear this was no simple plot.
There's word now the marriage between the two terrorists may have been a sham designed to help pull off an attack. The FBI now thinks both were radicalized before they even met. A hole in the system revealed CNN learned that the wife wasn't questioned about jihadist intentions before getting a visa to come here.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: The focus also growing on a childhood friend and a neighbor of the terrorist, Enrique Marquez, who provided the two AR-15 rifles that were used in the attack last week.
Marquez also admitting to investigators that he was involved in a 2012 plot with Farook that they abandoned for some reason so why hasn't he been charged with anything?
Let's begin our coverage with CNN's Ana Cabrera live in San Bernardino. What have you learned, Ana?
ANA CABRERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alisyn. The intelligence failures appear to be bigger this morning than first thought, as the time line when these killers became radicalized is becoming clear and testimony from the head of the FBI raising new questions about --
