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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Tiger Woods Wins First Masters Since 2005; Sarah Sanders: Congress is not Smart Enough to Review Trump's Taxes; Pete Buttigieg Announces White House Run. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired April 15, 2016 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:00:00] BORIS SANCHEZ, CO-HOST, EARLY START: Buttigieg launching his 2020 race for the White House. Good morning and welcome to EARLY START, I'm Boris Sanchez in for Dave Briggs, great to be with you.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CO-HOST, EARLY START: Nice to have you here this week, I'm Christine Romans, it is Monday, April 15th, tax day, it is 5:00 a.m. in the East. File your taxes are filing an extension, but don't forget. We begin with an stunning comeback for the man who once dominated the sport of golf. Tiger Woods clinching his fifth Masters, his 15th major title at age 43.
He overcame scandal, serious back problems and a tightly packed leader board to win by one shot. It was Tiger's first major title in 11 years, what a draught, in his first Green Jacket since 2005. CNN's Don Riddell has the story from Augusta.
DON RIDDELL, CNN SPORTS REPORTER: Christine, Boris, can you imagine being world famous at something, but your kids really have no idea. They can't imagine it. They have to take your word for it or watch it on video because they never experienced it for themselves. Well, that was the case for Tiger Woods kids, Sam and Charlie.
And that was one of the reasons why he wanted to pursue this comeback to see what he was capable of, but also so they could be a part of it too. And that is why the scene on the 18th green on Sunday afternoon in Augusta was just so special.
We all know it was historic. We all know it may well be the greatest sporting comeback of all time, given everything that he has been through. But to see Tiger scoop up his kids and embrace them in the same way that he hugged his dad here in 1997 when he became the youngest Masters champion at the age of 21.
That was so special and so emotional for so many people watching it. It has been an extraordinary triumph for Tiger Woods. When you think about everything that he's been through -- this is a man who once dominated his sport, who transcended it.
But since 2008, it has been so difficult. There was the scandal, the public humiliation, the fall from grace, then all the health issues, the back problems, the multiple surgeries, the spinal fusion operation, ranked 1200th in the world just a year and a half ago. Tiger Woods was telling us that it was painful just doing anything,
riding in a golf cart. He didn't think he'd necessarily be able to compete again and contend for majors, and now here we are, and the pursuit for Jack Nicklaus' 18 major titles is back on.
Finally, Tiger has come from 14 to 15. What does the future hold? Well, I'll tell you this, there's three more majors this year, and the two American ones are on courses where Tiger has already won, Bethpage and Pebble Beach, and the open championship at Royal Portrush, nobody has an advantage there because they haven't played a major tournament there since the 1950s.
This is not necessarily the end of the comeback, this could be the beginning. Good luck, managing the hype and the excitement ahead of the PGA Championship next month. This golf season just got so much more exciting. Can't wait for the next one. Christine, Boris, back to you.
SANCHEZ: It was so emotional, I have to tell you, Christine, I was actually at the airport watching the Masters on my phone as it was ending, and I had to hold back tears, people were staring at me and I wasn't alone, there were others also watching, just --
ROMANS: It was great.
(CROSSTALK)
SANCHEZ: With the moment --
ROMANS: Just great. Tiger is obviously still processing this, savoring the victory. He sat down one-on-one with our Andy Scholes, he talked about how it felt to win against the odds.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS REPORTER: Hi, Tiger, you said before it's a miracle that you could even still play golf considering the back surgeries. Eleven years, nearly 4,000 days since your last major, did you ever think that this day would come and how does it feel?
TIGER WOODS, GOLFER: Yes, I did think it would come, just because of what I did last year. You know, I had a chance with an open championship, I led on going to the back nine on Sunday, I gave Brooks a little bit of a run at the PGA, finishing second there.
I knew it was in me, now, did I know it was going to be this week? No, but I had a good feeling that the way I was chipping the golf ball that I was going to be in the mix.
SCHOLES: You joked before that your kids think of you as the video game golfer because they had never seen you win a major --
WOODS: No --
SCHOLES: Your kids, your mom, your girlfriend were there waiting for you at 18. What was that moment like when your son Charlie jumped in your arms?
WOODS: Surreal. You know, I did the same thing with my dad, and now I'm the dad with my son doing the same thing. So it's amazing how life evolves, it changes, that was 22 years ago when my dad was there, and then now my son is there, my daughter was there, my mom's there -- my mom was there and 22 years ago.
And the fact that she's still around, still kicking, still fighting, goes to show you her resiliency. It's just -- it's hard to comprehend right now, I mean, honestly, I have to -- only a few hours out of winning the tournament, I'm still trying to enjoy it and try to figure out that I should -- I won it.
I know I have the green jacket on, but it's just -- it's still, I think it's going to take a little bit of time for it to sink in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Surreal, Woods joins Jack Nicklaus as the only player to have won the Masters in three different decades. Woods first won it as a 21-year-old back in 1997.
[05:05:00] ROMANS: Yes, what a comeback, come back for the ages. All right, to Washington now where the fight to obtain the president's tax returns intensifying. A White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders coming up with a new line of attack. She argued members of Congress just are not smart enough to examine the president's returns.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH SANDERS, PRESS SECRETARY, WHITE HOUSE: I don't think Congress, particularly not this group of Congressmen and women are smart enough to look through the thousands of pages that I would assume that President Trump's taxes will be.
My guess is most of them don't do their own taxes, and I certainly don't trust them to look through the decades of success that the president has and determine anything.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: But the Congressional Research Service says there are ten accountants in this Congress. The ones right here on your screen, including two senators and eight house members. Sanders comments come after House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal ratcheted up his demands for access to the president's tax returns.
In a new letter to the IRS over the weekend, Neal stressed the law, it gives Congress a right to those returns. If the IRS doesn't respond by his new April 23rd deadline, the dispute will likely end up in federal court.
SANCHEZ: Sarah Sanders also says the Trump administration is still mulling this idea of releasing some immigrants to so-called sanctuary cities. She told "ABC" this week, "it's up to Democrats in Congress to work with the president and take action. Listen. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANDERS: This is not the ideal situation. The ideal solution is real simple. It's for Congress, particularly Democrats in Congress, to sit down with the president, do their jobs and help us stop this awful crisis that's taking place at our border. It can't be denied or ignored anymore.
They can either deal with it at the border and stop it from getting worse or they're going to have to take on some of that burden in their communities if that becomes an option.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Jerry Nadler fired back, he told CNN's Jake Tapper that migrants should not be used as pawns in a game of political retribution.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JERRY NADLER (D-NY): The president has no right to spend money appropriated by Congress for other purposes to ship immigrants all over the country. He shouldn't use them as what he imagines is retribution to political opponents in various areas. It's another misuse of presidential power against the law.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Congresswoman Ilhan Omar says death threats against her have spiked since President Trump tweeted about a speech she gave last month. In the Friday tweet, the president wrote, "we will never forget over a clip from a speech Omar gave last month to the Council on American Islamic Relations."
Now, in that speech, she described the events of 9/11 as quote, "some people did something." The clip posted by the president edited parts of her speech into footage of the Twin Tower attacks. In a statement, Omar accused the president of fostering right-wing extremist violence.
She said "violent rhetoric and all forms of hate speech have no place in our society, much less from our country's commander-in-chief. We are all Americans. This is endangering lives. It has to stop." White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders though denying President Trump was encouraging violence.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANDERS: The president is absolutely and should be calling out the congresswoman for her not only one time, but history of anti-Semitic comments. The bigger question is why aren't Democrats doing the same thing. It's absolutely abhorrent the comments that she continues to make and has made, and they look the other way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi offering Omar her support. In a statement, "the presidents words weigh a ton and his hateful and inflammatory rhetoric creates a real danger.
President Trump must take down his disrespectful and dangerous video." Speaker Pelosi says she has spoken with the House Sergeant at Arms about Omar's personal safety.
SANCHEZ: President Trump is heading to Minnesota today for what the White House describes as a tax day event. It comes as Trump world and the rest of Washington remain on high alert for the release of the Mueller report. Members of Trump's inner circle used the Sunday talk- shows to set the table for some of their talking points on the findings. CNN's Sarah Westwood has more from the White House.
SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Boris and Christine, the White House is bracing for the release of special counsel Robert Mueller's report. Attorney General Bill Barr is set to deliver a redacted version of that report to Capitol Hill as soon as this week.
And the Attorney General has said that there are no plans for anyone at the White House to exert executive privilege over parts of that report which could have led to more of it being redacted and the White House is maintaining that it wants to see as much of the report released as is allowed by law.
There will be some things like grand jury information that won't be included in the final report. And White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said Sunday that she expects that document which she has not read to match Barr's public summary of that document which included Mueller's findings, according to Barr that there was no evidence of collusion with Russia. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[05:10:00] SANDERS: I don't think it is going to be damaging to the president because the entire purpose of the investigation was whether or not there was collusion. Mueller was crystal clear in the fact that there was no collusion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WESTWOOD: And that was Sanders speaking on "Fox News", Sunday, and President Trump will be heading to Minnesota today for a tax day event while the White House and the rest of Washington waits for the release of the Mueller report.
Trump and his allies have argued that the release of Mueller's findings should be the end of inquiries into alleged collusion with Russia, into alleged obstruction of justice. But House Democrats plan to continue their oversight into these and many other areas in the months ahead. Boris and Christine.
ROMANS: All right, Sarah, thank you for that. Now President Trump battling the Fed again, his opposition over his picks to the Central Bank's board continues. Trump tweeted, Sunday, "if the Fed had done its job properly which it has not, the stock market would have been up 5,000 to 10,000 additional points and GDP would have been well over 4 percent instead of 3 percent with almost no inflation." Well, the comments come as his two picks for open seats on the Fed's
board, Herman Cain and Stephen Moore have been heavily scrutinized and criticized. Cain's bid appears to be dead on arrival, he just doesn't have the votes. Last week, four Republicans said they would not vote to confirm the businessman.
Meanwhile, Moore has been criticized for reversing his opposition to low interest rates and for his record -- economic record. Both are currently undergoing a background check. White House advisors have said Trump wants to nominate people who share his economic views.
The president has repeatedly attacked the Fed, specifically Chairman Jerome Powell over rate increases last year. Last month, Fed officials voted to keep interest rates steady, and signaled they would not raise rates again this year. The last rate hike was back in December.
And you know, this is an independent board, it's just kind of mind boggling how the president has chosen to attack this entity. But you can see why, heading into 2020, he doesn't want rate increases.
SANCHEZ: Right --
ROMANS: He wants the easiest monetary policy as possible, by the way, something that he criticized Janet Yellen for keeping rates too low --
SANCHEZ: Yes --
ROMANS: When Obama was president.
SANCHEZ: Yes, it's always what works for his --
ROMANS: Right --
SANCHEZ: Advantage, notably though Stephen Moore has defended Herman Cain, saying that he's a great choice, that his 999 plan is cool, so at least, they have each other's backs on this.
The latest Democrat in the race for president getting a warm welcome from a hometown crowd. We'll take you to Mayor Pete Buttigieg's rollout after this.
[05:15:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: People in the Southeast are assessing the damage from several deadly tornadoes over the weekend. About six of them flattening homes and snapping large trees in Mississippi. The only volunteer Fire Department in Monroe County had its fire house destroyed. One person was killed there, another ten injured. A storm chaser says that mobile homes in the area were no match for the tornadoes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The mobile homes that took a direct hit from the tornado either aren't there or are so badly damaged and mangled or flipped that you can't really recognize what they are. Mobile homes are probably the worst case scenario in a tornado or any high wind event.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: This weekend's huge storm system ravaged areas from Texas to Alabama. In addition to that, death in Mississippi, at least four people were killed in Texas, two others in Louisiana, and one in Alabama. Mississippi's governor declaring a state of emergency for areas affected by the severe weather.
ROMANS: All right, the small city mayor with the funny name Pete Buttigieg formerly declaring himself a candidate for president Sunday. The 37-year-old mayor of South Bend, Indiana, announcing his run in a hometown speech. For the most part, he focused on policy and avoided attacks on President Trump. This was one of the few exceptions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR PETE BUTTIGIEG, SOUTH BEND, INDIANA: When something is grotesque, it's hard to look away, and the horror show in Washington is mesmerizing, it's all consuming. But starting today, we're going to change the channel.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich was in South Bend for that announcement, and she filed this report for us.
VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Christine and Boris, that's right. Pete Buttigieg making his announcement to run for president official, and he gave a very policy heavy speech. He talked about his three principles, freedom, security, and democracy.
He talked a lot about the most important freedom to him being the freedom to get married to his husband, Chasten Buttigieg. They were able to get married last year, and he points to that as something that is crucially important to him, and his campaign. He also took on the president without specifically mentioning him by name. He tackled a lot of his policies and also gave a little dig at his "Make America Great Again" slogan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUTTIGIEG: The problem is that they're telling us to look for greatness in all the wrong places. Because if there's one thing that the city of South Bend has shown, it's that there's no such thing as an honest politics that revolves around the word "again".
(APPLAUSE)
It is time to walk away from the politics of the past and towards something totally different.
(END VIDEO CLIP) YURKEVICH: And as his campaign is now officially launched, he'll be
hitting the road right away, heading to New York Monday evening for a fundraiser and then heading off to Iowa and a swing in New Hampshire this weekend. Back to you, guys.
ROMANS: All right, Vanessa Yurkevich, thanks, Vanessa.
SANCHEZ: Did a "Game of Thrones" glitch let some --
ROMANS: Don't tell me -- don't tell me --
SANCHEZ: Lucky fans get a jump on all the rest. That's next.
[05:20:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: A Florida breeder of giant Australian birds called Cassowaries was killed by one of his own flock. Authorities say this rare flightless bird attacked 75-year-old Marvin Hajos after he fell on Friday morning. Cassowaries can weigh up to 160 pounds, they have razor-sharp talons up to 4 inches long, they're very aggressive animals.
Hajos first made the call to 911, and a short time later, another person called to report a medical emergency. Officials say that he was transported to a nearby hospital where he passed away. The Cassowary now remains on his property while authorities are investigating just what happened.
ROMANS: All right, 24 minutes past the hour, some DirecTV" now, customers literally got a jump-start on last night's season premiere of "Game of Thrones".
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You used to be taller.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How did you sneak up on me?
[05:25:00] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How did you survive a knife through the heart?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I didn't.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Sister and brother reunited for the first time in seasons. The episode is available on "DirecTV" four hours ahead of its scheduled airing. "DirecTV" and "HBO" of course are both owned by AT&T as is CNN. The company says
the early release was really just a glitch, not a -- not a preview. Apparently, our system was as excited as we are for the "Game of Thrones", and gave a few "DirecTV", now customers early accent -- early access rather to the episode by mistake.
OK, I haven't watched it yet --
SANCHEZ: I agree --
ROMANS: I'm trying not to look --
SANCHEZ: Not to look too closely at the screen there --
ROMANS: I want to, but I don't want to.
SANCHEZ: I guarantee you at their app, got a ton of downloads anticipating --
ROMANS: Yes --
SANCHEZ: Potentially the next episode coming out early. It might be the greatest --
ROMANS: Look at this --
SANCHEZ: Sports comeback --
ROMANS: Every --
SANCHEZ: Of all time --
ROMANS: Paper in America --
SANCHEZ: Every cover, every cover, Andy Scholes has more on Tiger Woods in this morning's "BLEACHER REPORT" live from Augusta right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
