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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
President Unveiling Gun Executive Actions; Iowa Caucus: Down the Stretch They Come; Will Markets Respond?; Bahrain and Sudan Cut Ties with Iran; Tom Coughlin Resigns as Giant Coach. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired January 05, 2016 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hi, John and Christine.
Right, you look at this, and you can see the administration trying to make every change they possibly can because these are executive actions and not acts of Congress. Immediately, you see those limits that they are up against. I mean, they are presented as proposals or guidance or encouragements. By no means are these new laws.
[05:00:06] The biggest deal is background checks. The White House now says if you are in the business of selling guns, whether that is two guns a year or 200,000, whether you're selling at gun shows or on the dark web, you need to register and all of your buyers need background checks. There will be harsh penalties if you don't do that. But the question is out there. How's the federal government going to make you do that and how they're going to track you down if you don't?
The White House also sent a letter now to every state governor, urging them to make sure more information goes into the background check system. Things like people who might be disqualified for mental illness or convictions over domestic violence, to make sure that information goes in. But again, enforcement is a question.
The White House now, too, wants to beef up the background check system itself with a lot more funding, more hiring, much more funding for mental health treatment in this country, but again, those are acts. Congress ultimately would have to approve that funding -- John and Christine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Michelle Kosinski. Thank you, Michelle.
Reaction to the gun proposal was swift from both sides. Hillary Clinton applauding the president. Promising she would keep, even expand his plan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I am so proud of what the president announced today. What the president will be doing in the next week is an executive order. The next president on the very first day could wipe it away. No, I won't wipe it away.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords gravely wounded five year ago that left six people dead, she tweeted this, , "Thank you, POTUS, Mr. President, for standing up to the gun lobby when Congress won't and ensuring fewer guns fall into the wrong hands."
The other side, Ted Cruz promised to reverse any of executive orders on guns if he is elected.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The president is expected to roll out sweeping new executive orders trying to take away our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms. Well, President Obama may have a phone and may have a pen, but if you live by the pen, you die by the pen, and my pen has got an eraser.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: House Speaker Paul Ryan slammed the executive action at a statement, "The president is at minimum subverting the legislative branch and potentially overturning its will. His proposals to restrict gun rights were debated by the United States Senate and they were rejected." Ryan said, "No president should be able to reverse legislative failure by executive fiat, not even incrementally."
To help us break down the gun restriction proposal and all the political news, I want to bring in our friend, the early bird, CNN politics reporter Eric Bradner live at our Washington bureau.
Good morning.
ERIC BRADNER, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: Good morning.
ROMANS: Let's start with guns. And I think the predictable response is from both sides, will the president's executive actions on guns this week, town hall on CNN on Thursday, is that going to be the action, oxygen for the campaign here in the next few weeks?
BRADNER: It will be. I mean, this is another piece of evidence that the party two parties live in different worlds, right? I mean, Republicans are promising to completely undo everything the president does and Democrats are saying they won't. I mean, this is kind of the way for President Obama to insert himself in the middle of this presidential election, make it a bit of a referendum on his actions.
And so, with this big PR push, including the special on CNN on Thursday night, the actions that are being rolled out today, he will take center stage and enforce gun control to be the issue that all of the candidates are confronting on the trail. But the responses are predictable, like you just said. I mean, Republicans are against them. Democrats are for them and there doesn't seem to be any evidence at all at this point of any sort of thawing between the two parties.
BERMAN: No, it is awfully hard for an incumbent lame duck president to stay relevant for the entire year of an election season. We'll see how long this last. We'll see how much of that stage he is able to seize this week, especially with all of the personalities on the campaign trail right now pulling focus, including one in New Hampshire.
For the very first time, we saw Bill Clinton out there on the stump campaigning for his wife, Hillary. He had two events in New Hampshire, in Nashua and in Exeter.
Eric, you had a close eye on the events. Let's listen to a clip if we can.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT: Every presidential election, people run and believe it or not, it's scary this year, but believe it or not, most everybody actually tries to do what they say they will do when they're running. They're telling you what they believe. And so, you got to take them seriously. You also have to take seriously if they have any chance of doing what they say they're going to do or any record of doing it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: Now, it is interesting. You know, Bill Clinton known by many as a fiery campaigner, a captivating speaker.
[05:05:00] It was more subdued. He talked less about himself and usually did seem to really make an effort to focus a lot on the candidate, his wife.
BRADNER: Yes, absolutely. I mean, the big dog was on the leash. He was taking a pass at opportunities to really slam Donald Trump by name, instead sort of sticking with the tactic that Hillary Clinton has also stuck with the last few days and trying to make this argument against Republicans about policy.
You know, talking about how -- you know, alluding to, you know, when Trump offends a big swath of people, sort of saying he'll do what he says he will do. But, yes, Bill Clinton tried to show a softer side of Hillary Clinton. He spent a lot of time talking about the details of when they met nearly 45 years.
It's sort of a role that spouses often play in presidential politics, trying to soften the candidate's image, trying to show a more human side. And that's what Bill Clinton was doing. It was fairly subdued. It wasn't like the hour-long slam liner (ph) that we're used to from Bill Clinton. ROMANS: Eric, 24 hours ago, this very moment, we're getting a first
look at a prepared ad for Donald Trump. Until now, it has been free publicity. He has been able to captivate his crowds with packed speeches and with lots and lots of television interviews. We got the first look at the ad.
And I think it's vintage Trump. It's exactly what he has been saying on the campaign trail put together beautifully in the ad. And then he talks about the border and flap about the picture. We will show you in just a second. The people --
BERMAN: That picture right there.
ROMANS: That picture right there, that is not Mexico. That is Morocco. In true Trump fashion, his -- tell us about the response of his team.
BRADNER: Well, his campaign manager released -- I can't repeat what he said. Basically no kidding, it's Morocco.
His campaign put out and statement saying that they meant to do that basically. They wanted to show the effect of a porous border. And so, they are going for a dramatic imagery.
It seems like a bit of a stretch to say somebody meant to put Morocco in a presidential campaign advertisement. But that's their story and they are sticking to it.
ROMANS: It has the desired effect. For the people who are terrified of the border, Donald Trump says he's going to build a wall, he's going to make Mexico pay for it, and you won't say images like that.
BRADNER: It's scary. Yes, absolutely. That's what Donald Trump is going for.
He is trying to say here is what we have to fear. Here is what I'm going to do to stop it. That's sort of been his tactic throughout the entire campaign, to play on people's anxieties and fears and demonstrate he has the strength and leadership qualities to do something about it in the way typical politicians don't. I mean, that's his entire argument. And agree with it or not, this ad gets right to it.
BERMAN: Look, PolitiFact, you know, said this is morocco, not Mexico. This will hurt Donald Trump exactly zero, exactly zero. But ads are about, you know -0-0
ROMANS: Fact checking has not hurt him at all.
BERMAN: No, but also for commercials, I mean, it's about emotion. It's about getting people riled up. That's what they're for.
I want to shift gears to another man who's trying to get people riled up for him, it's Chris Christie. Chris Christie on the stump. He gave a big speech in New Hampshire.
He had one bit of a speech right now if you listen carefully. He seems to lash out at everyone else running. Let's listen quickly.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R-NJ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Show time is over, everybody. We are not electing an entertainer in chief. Showmanship is fun, but it is not the kind of leadership that will truly change America.
If we're going to turn our frustration and anger with the D.C. insiders, the politicians of yesterday and carnival barkers of today into something that actually will change American lives for the better, we must elect someone who has been tested.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: All right. So, the D.C. insiders, that would be Marco Rubio and Ted Cruz. The politicians of yesterday, that would be Jeb Bush I think in Chris Christie's world. And carnival barkers, I assume he is talking about Donald Trump. That leaves in Chris Christie's world, Chris Christie.
BRADNER: Exactly. Maybe John Kasich fits the bill.
BERMAN: Maybe it was a campaign effort for John Kasich.
BRADNER: Yes.
Now, listen, Chris Christie is making a play for New Hampshire right now. He is trying to become the establishment candidate, sort of the dark horse to really consolidate establishment support.
And he does kind of have an opening here in he has the bombast, the big personality of someone like Trump. But he does also have the experience of someone in office and has been in politics. And so, he might be more of a known commodity. He is really trying to consolidate the establishment support, especially attract people who might think Jeb Bush doesn't have it this year and Marco Rubio might be a bit too plastic or something like that.
[05:10:04] And so, you're seeing him and Rubio kind of going at each other at this point. But, yes, I mean, the first term senator thing, especially, is an effective attack on Rubio, Cruz, Rand Paul, sort of portraying them as the GOP version of Barack Obama. And that's what he's trying to do here.
BERMAN: All right. Eric Bradner, great to have you here with us this morning. We'll see you again in a little bit.
Meanwhile, a special programming note. This Thursday at 8:00 p.m., President Obama joins Anderson Cooper for an exclusive live town hall live. The subject: guns in America. One hot topic will be the executive actions the president is announcing today. Also, the president will take questions from the live studio audience. That will be interesting.
A town hall on guns in America with the president moderated by Anderson this Thursday at 8:00 p.m., only on CNN.
ROMANS: All right. The big story about your money this morning. Can global markets find their footing? Stock futures are lower again this morning. Chinese stocks could not rebound from horrid losses Monday.
Tensions in the Middle East adding to all this fear on Wall Street. None of that is going away. The Dow dropped 467 points Monday, closed down 267 points. That's about 1.5 percent.
It is still about 4 percent away from being in a classic correction. That is defined as decline of 10 percent from a recent high. That did not make it feel better. And though the average dip below 17,000 for the first time since October, that is pretty much a psychological level. Bottom line, a bad start to 2016. Get used to it. It could be a rough first quarter.
China is the main reason for the Wall Street worry right now. One trigger for that big selloff, a bad December manufacturing report from China following years of wildly strong growth. What is going on with the Chinese economy? Can the government's numbers, bad as they are, even be believed?
For the latest, I want to bring in CNN's Matt Rivers in Beijing.
Matt, I mean, on the plus side, you didn't see another 7 percent loss and having to shutdown the market in Shanghai. That's the plus. The negative is, there was no decisive rebound here. I mean, this was not as if everyone said, oh, Monday was a fluke. Let's buy stocks.
MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, this was, I guess, a relatively good day here in China after the debacle that was Monday. That would be the first trading day of 2016 did not go as officials had planned here in China. I think the reason here that you saw a slightly more stable day.
At some point, actually, the Shanghai composite was actually up above yesterday's closing number for the day. It closed slightly lower than it did yesterday.
That said, the reason you saw more stability here is because the government did come out and issue a statement and take pretty serious action. One of the things they did was assure investors they would not allow the kind of selloff that occurred on Monday to happen in the coming days, which is something analysts were fearful of. The government did not say how they would do that, but they would step in if that occurred.
The other thing they did was inject more liquidity into the markets by adding roughly $20 billion. So, between those two things, I think you saw investors take a slight sigh of relief after what happened on Monday.
ROMANS: Certainly, the plunge in stocks Monday in China testing the government's ability to control and manage the fallout. Both in the economy and stock market. We will watch closely.
Matt Rivers, thanks for being there for us.
BERMAN: We have breaking news this morning out of the Middle East. A new Arab nation breaking ties with Iran. More on the dangerous pullout, the rift between Iran and Saudi Arabia. The whole region in conflict.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:16:47] ROMANS: Breaking news from the Middle East this morning. Moments ago, Kuwait is recalling its ambassador to Iran. The UAE has done the same.
Key Saudi allies, Bahrain and Sudan, have also severed ties with Tehran.
I want to bring in CNN senior international correspondent Frederik Pleitgen monitoring developments live from London for us.
Good morning, Fred.
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Christine.
And sort of the war of words with the Saudis and Iranians is escalating as the situation in general. The Saudis late yesterday said they were not only breaking off diplomatic ties with the Iranians, but economic ties and banning all flight was Saudi Arabia and Iran and also not allowing Saudi citizens to travel to Iran either.
So, certainly, we can see the Saudis who are angry accusing the Iranians of meddling with Saudi Arabia's security. Now, of course, the incident that sparked all this was the execution of a very prominent Shia cleric that then led to an angry mob in Tehran, storming the Saudi embassy there.
It's interesting because the president of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, only moments ago was quoted on state media, quote, "The Saudis cannot cover up their crime," referring to the execution, by breaking off diplomatic ties.
However, the Iranians are also trying to step back after that embassy storming, saying that was something that went too far. The Iranian ambassador to the United Nations saying that Iran regretted that this incident took place. But at this point in time, it certainly doesn't look as though either side in all of this is backing down, Christine.
ROMANS: No, it certainly doesn't and it's a dangerous and worrying situation for sure.
Fred Pleitgen, I know you keep us updated on it, thanks.
BERMAN: New this morning, an arrest following a deadly bus fire in northern China that killed 17 people and injured 32 others. Chinese authorities confirm they have taken a suspect into custody. The incident took place in the town of Yinchuan.
Films engulfed the packed bus at 7:00 a.m. local time outside a mall. Look at that picture. Police are not revealing a possible motive.
All right. Big changes in the NFL. A future hall of fame coach out of a job.
And no fewer than three teams trying to pull off a move to Los Angeles. Why? Why? When was the last time a football team worked in Los Angeles?
Coy Wire with all the details in the bleacher report, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:22:35] BERMAN: The end of the era for the New York football Giants. Head coach Tom Coughlin announced he is resigning.
ROMANS: Coy Wire has more in this morning's bleacher report.
Hey, Coy.
COY WIRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine and John.
The 69-year-old Coughlin coached the Giants for 12 seasons, winning two Super Bowls. I talked to one eight-year veteran who won a Super Bowl under Coughlin who said it was his kind heart and old school family man person that won the hearts of his players.
But after three straight losing seasons for the Giants, something that hadn't happened in 35, Coughlin resigned. Now, he said in a statement yesterday that stepping down was in the best interest of the organization.
Giants quarterback, Eli Manning, one of Coughlin's most ardent supporters, talks yesterday about the man he respects so much.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELI MANNING, GIANTS QUARTERBACK: He has done a great job. He definitely has not failed. You know, I feel we as players, we failed him by not playing to the level that we could.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: The Giants will hold a press conference today at 10:30 Eastern.
Now, in a surprising move yesterday, the Colts didn't cut head coach Chuck Pagano's time short. They extended it, a new four-year extension for Pagano, who'd been rumored to be on his way out after the Colts missed the playoffs this season. But Pagano is a fighter, proven by his battle and triumph over leukemia, just three short years ago. And according to Andrew Luck, he's a, quote, "bastion" for the team.
On the first day they were able to do so, three NFL teams filed applications to relocate their teams to Los Angeles. The Rams, along with the Raiders and Chargers, who would likely share a stadium. The NFL owners could decide as early as next week at their owners meeting which team or teams would move there if any, 24 of the 32 owners have to approve the move of any move.
Now, we had a thriller last night in college basketball. Number one Kansas hosting number two Oklahoma. Sooners senior Buddy Hield carrying the Okies on this back. Could he be the player of the year, folks? He drains this triple pointer in overtime. And he had 46 on the night.
Now, under 12 seconds to go, Oklahoma down one, trying to inbound. But as Frank Mason giving the inbounder enough room? No call. He gets the steal.
Now, then, under eight seconds, one more chance for the Sooners. Hield, a three-pointer just off the mark. Kansas hangs on for the win, 109-106.
[05:25:03] Christine, John, what a game.
Now, the big 12 representing for you, Christine. Your 13th ranked Iowa State Cyclones, they're 11-2, they're going to get a shot at those Jayhawks in about three weeks. What do you say?
ROMANS: OK, go state.
BERMAN: The Cyclones don't disappoint until the tournament, you know? When you forced me to bet them and then they blew it off for me.
ROMANS: We are doing that again this year.
BERMAN: All right. Coy, thanks so much.
WIRE: You're welcome.
BERMAN: All right. President Obama, hours from now, he will layout his executive actions on gun control. More background checks? No. He will expand those eligible to get background checks, mental health funding and more. What will it do in the battle against gun violence?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BERMAN: President Obama just hours from now unveils new gun proposals to the nation. What are the details? We'll talk about what's inside. We'll also discuss new controversy.
ROMANS: Presidential hopeful scrambling with less than four weeks to the Iowa caucuses. No surprise, Hillary Clinton is coming under fire. But you may be surprised who's doing the firing.
BERMAN: Market jitters around the world this morning. We have the close eye on the markets. How is China doing after the epic selloff yesterday? We have fresh reports from around the world. How will it hit your wallet today?
ROMANS: You've got to stop the selling before you can start to rebound.
BERMAN: All right. Welcome back to EARLY START, everyone. I'm John Berman.
ROMANS: I'm Christine Romans. Thirty minutes past the hour.
In just hours, President Obama will officially announce his executive action on guns. We already know the general shape of this plan. After meeting with the attorney general and FBI director in the Oval Office, the president previewed his gun violence plan for reporters.
Now, much of it having to do with background checks. Then he took to Twitter to sell his vision. Here is one of several tweets aimed squarely at the NRA. "The gun lobby may be holding Congress hostage, but they can't hold America hostage. We can't accept this carnage in our communities."
Now, in many ways, the president's plan on guns is narrow and limited.
