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Turkey Terror Attack: New Details; Trump Abandons Conservative Trade Gospel; President: Trump Isn't a Populist; Body Parts Wash Up in Rio de Janeiro. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired June 30, 2016 - 04:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[04:00:14] MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Death toll rising in the Turkey terror attack. Forty-two people now dead, hundreds injured as we learn new information on how the three suicide bombers carried out their airport attack.

Good morning and welcome to EARLY START. I'm Miguel Marquez.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Nice to see you this morning, Miguel.

I'm Christine Romans. It is Thursday, June 30th. It is 4:00 a.m. in the East.

Breaking news at this hour: the death toll rising in the Istanbul airport terror attack.

Officials say 42 people are now dead after one woman taken to an assemble hospital later died. More than 230 people injured in this attack, an attack that world leaders believe was carried out by ISIS. Surveillance video now giving us a closer look at the attackers who opened fire before blowing themselves up. Now, none of these terrorists have been identified, but senior Turkish officials tell CNN they believe attackers were foreign.

New information also coming into CNN on how this attack was carried out.

For the latest on that, we turn to CNN's Alexandra Field live for us in Istanbul.

Walk us through these new developments.

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey there, Christine. Look, officials here in Turkey have not yet identified who the three bombers are, but this is what we know about them -- they arrived at this airport in a taxicab and authorities have now questioned the taxicab driver to see what kind of information this person can provide. He was questioned, he was released, he gave authorities a statement.

But they have pieced together more of the sequence of events of how the attack was unleashed on this airport at the international terminal. They now tell us that one of the attackers entered the departure hall. He was seen carrying an AK-47, that's when a security guard the shot at him, he fell to the ground and detonated one of the explosives.

Meanwhile, there was another attack at the arrival hall. Then, another suspect approached the hall also with an AK-47. We understand that he began firing shots and we're told that that bomber then detonated his suicide vest before actually going through the security gate, which is posted at the arrival hall. The third attacker, who was also armed according to officials with a gun and a suicide vest, never went into the international terminal. Instead, he detonated his bomb just outside the doors.

A coordinated attack involving both armed and explosives carried out by three people who officials believe are linked to ISIS. ISIS has not claimed responsibility for this attack, but authorities, intelligence authorities both in the U.S. and in Turkey say that this attack, there's the hallmark of an ISIS attack, Christine.

ROMANS: Directed by or inspired, just don't know. And no arrest yet.

Thank you so much for that, Alexandra Field, this morning.

MARQUEZ: Now, many wondering this morning why ISIS would attack Turkey, a Muslim country that for years a terror group has relied on as a supply line.

CIA Director John Brennan says he believes Turkey may now be paying the price for helping the U.S.-led coalition fight ISIS in that region.

Within the past year, Turkey started sealing its border, arresting and deporting suspected militants. The country has taken in millions of refugees from Syria, a main ISIS battle front. And last summer, Turkey allowed the U.S. to supply air strikes against ISIS out of Incirlik Air Base in southern Turkey.

But the CIA chief says he's not surprised ISIS did that formally claim responsibility for the airport attack.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BRENNAN, CIA DIRECTOR: At least in most instances, if not all, ISIS has not claimed credit or responsibility for attacks that are perpetrated inside of Turkey. I think what they do is they carry out these attacks to gain the benefits from it in terms of sending a signal to our Turkish partners, at the same time not wanting to alienate some of individuals inside of Turkey that they may still be trying to gain the support of.

The United States, as we all know, is leading the coalition to try to destroy as much of this poison inside of Syria and Iraq as possible. So, it would be surprising to me that ISIL is not trying to hit us both in the region as well as in our homeland. If anybody here believes that, you know, the U.S. homeland is hermetically sealed and that Daesh or ISIL would not consider that, I would guard against that.

(END VIDEO CLIP) MARQUEZ: For more, let's bring in CNN correspondent and anchor, Hala Gorani. She is in Istanbul.

Hala, what's the status of the investigation at this point?

HALA GORANI, CNN CORRESPONDENT AND ANCHOR: All right. Well, it is an absolute deluge here outside Istanbul Ataturk Airport where investigators are continuing to try to figure out exactly who carried out these attacks, these triple suicide bombings.

[04:05:02] They continue to look at surveillance video, as well. And we're learning more about how this attack was carried out just about 36 hours ago.

There were three individuals, one of the three men detonated a suicide vest outside of the terminals, we understand that at least one was inside the departures area after shooting his way in. And another one of the three suspects in the arrival terminal where there is lot less security.

Now, remarkably today is a day much like any other at Ataturk International Airport. I've been here many times. The traffic is the same. It was bustling yesterday when we flew in. The airport opened a mere five hours after this devastating attack that left 42 people dead.

We're also learning more about the nationalities of those who were killed so mercilessly. Most of them were Turks, but also five Saudi nationals, other from Ukraine, China and Jordan. And this is a reflection of the international nature of this worldwide transport hub. Now, Turkey wants to send a very strong signal by reopening so quickly.

And you see the traffic behind me. This is the main gate to enter into the airport perimeter. To say, we will not be frightened, we will not allow these terrorists to rule our daily lives. That being said, some people forensic experts in particular have said that opening a crime scene so quickly could cause issues in terms of collecting evidence and trying to figure out how this crime unfolded.

Back to you.

ROMANS: All right. Hala, thank you so much for that. Hala Gorani for us outside that busy airport this morning.

Airports across the United States are ramping up security in the wake of the terrorist attack in Turkey. The TSA increasing security at major airports from New York to Los Angeles. Authorities will be adding highly visible security personnel on the perimeter of the terminals. That includes heavily armed officers who will conduct ran tomorrow security sweeps and searches. One lawmaker tells us authorities are doing all they can to keep people safe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ANGUS KING (I), MAINE: In the FAA bill that went through the Congress a month or so ago, we did some significant beefing up of airport perimeter security, something called Viper Teams, which usually involve dogs, exposes sniffing dogs are trying to protect the perimeter of airport. So, we're working on it. It's impossible. I mean, this is the dilemma of being a free society.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUEZ: And breaking overnight, dozens of ISIS fighters killed in a series of U.S. air strikes. Iraqi defense officials say the operation hit a convoy in the desert south of Fallujah. Terrorists were apparently trying to escape the region. Officials say at least 500 vehicles were targeted. President Obama on Wednesday linking ISIS terrorist attacks abroad to the territory it is losing in Iraq and Syria.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They are continually losing ground, unable to govern those areas that they've taken over. That they're going to be defeated in Syria. They're going to be defeated in Iraq.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: All right. Eight minutes past the hour.

President Obama unleashed a rant against Donald Trump-style of populism. We've got that story next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:12:20] MARQUEZ: Donald Trump turning his back on decades of conservative free trade gospel. At a rally in Maine, the presumptive Republican nominee pushing a protectionist trade agenda, slamming the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for backing trade deals he called sinister.

Trump also speaking out on the airport attack in Turkey preaching the need for a tougher stance against terror and stronger military.

CNN's Jim Acosta has more from Maine.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM ACOSTA, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Christine and Miguel, Donald Trump continued to ramp up his rhetoric on national security following the terror attack in Turkey. At a rally here in Maine, Trump talked about the appeal of ISIS saying the terror group is, quote, "looking strong and signing up people over the Internet." Near the end of his remarks, Trump lamented the current state of the nation's military and made false claim that the U.S. hasn't won a war since Vietnam.

Here's what he had to say.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: When I was young, we won everything. We always were. They used to brag, America has never lost a war. Then we had Vietnam. You know, we lost -- since then I think we only lose.

We're going to start winning again. Our military is depleted. It's going to be rebuilt.

We have old obsolete equipment in our military. Our jet fighters, we get our parts from the plane graveyard and from museums, that's how bad it is.

ACOSTA: And Trump returned to his tough message on trade, accusing the U.S. Chamber of Commerce of being controlled by special interest groups, a startling attack coming from a Republican presidential candidate.

Trump is set to deliver another speech on trade in Manchester, New Hampshire later on today -- Christine and Miguel.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right, Jim. Thank you for that.

President Obama disputing the idea Donald Trump is spearheading a campaign seeking to represent the interests of ordinary people. During a news conference in Canada, the president went on a tear about populism. And without mentioning Trump by name, he said in part that, quote, "anyone who has never shown regard for workers or fought on behalf of any social justice issues is not for the American people."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: They don't suddenly become a populist because they say something controversial in order to win votes. That's not the measure of populism. That's nativism, or xenophobia, or worse. Or it's just cynicism.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Donald Trump has used that populism, of course, to push this protectionist agenda on trade, saying that trade kills American jobs. Does it? Many primary voters on both sides say yes.

CNN Money analyzed years of trade deals and found it is not that simple.

[04:15:04] About 5.5 million manufacturing jobs have been lost over the past 25 years, but nearly a million have returned since the recession and experts tell us, there are several factors contributing to the drop. Yes, free trade is one, but a noted Harvard economist says that only accounts for about 5 percent of the overall job losses.

Technology is the bigger factor. It requires more skilled workers and in some cases machines replace workers. Plus, corporate America was already shifting jobs overseas where it could pay workers less before many of these trade deals. Experts say that would have happened regardless of trade deals.

Now, did those agreements make the situation worse? Factory jobs increased after NAFTA was signed. After NAFTA was signed, factory jobs in the U.S. actually increased, making it easier for U.S. companies to get their goods in foreign markets.

But NAFTA also allowed companies to move protection to Mexico which eventually eliminated jobs.

It is much more complicated, Miguel, than just saying free trade deals kill American jobs. And the architects of these trade deals say globalization happens no matter what. You can't flip a switch and say we're going to go back -- it's been happening for 10,000 years, frankly. These trade deals that navigate the globalization.

MARQUEZ: The transition to technology -- this giant transition, literally, that we're all in that bring wages down and make it more difficult.

(CROSSTALK)

ROMANS: There's no question there are losers, you know? There are losers, and it's the people who don't have the right skills and right education. And that is really the hard part here.

MARQUEZ: I can't wait for robots. We're all in trouble then.

ROMANS: I like a robot, a robot anchor. That would be interesting.

MARQUEZ: Hey, it basically happened today.

A new poll finds Hillary Clinton widening her lead over Donald Trump. The latest FOX News poll of registered voters finds Clinton leading Trump by six points, 44 percent to 38 percent. That doubles Clinton's three-point advantage over Trump from FOX News' poll three weeks ago. This as long time Clinton aide testifies her private email server may have interfered with Clinton's ability to do her job.

Huma Abedin saying in a newly released deposition that Clinton missed a call from a foreign minister because aides at any time receive her e-mails. Abedin also repeatedly explaining that Clinton used a personal server to prevent her private e-mails from being read, not to hide government communications.

ROMANS: Questions being raised this morning, as word surfaces Attorney General Loretta Lynch and Bill Clinton met as his wife's e- mail probe was under way. The duo apparently an unscheduled meeting at an airport in Phoenix. Lynch making clear Hillary Clinton's email probe was not discussed, saying the conversation was social, centered around his grandchildren and golf.

MARQUEZ: Don't look good.

New this morning, the Senate throwing Puerto Rico a lifeline to keep it from drowning under its $70 billion debt burden. Lawmaker passing legislation with a complicated system for restructuring its huge debt. Puerto Rico owes creditors nearly $2 billion by tomorrow.

The bill -- that's a big bill -- the bill offers no money to help pay the debt, but puts in place legal protections and fiscal oversight board to come up with a plan for ending the nearly decade long economic crisis. President Obama is expected to sign the bill as soon as it hits his desk. Some needed relief there.

ROMANS: Absolutely.

MARQUEZ: Now, body parts washing up on Rio shore, exactly where the Olympics are set to be held. Skyrocketing violence raising new questions of safety in a city for athletes, coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:23:02] ROMANS: Twenty-three minutes past the hour. Welcome back.

New details this morning from the black box aboard EgyptAir Flight 804. Egyptian officials confirming the flight data recording shows smoke on board the doomed aircraft. Investigators said wreckage from the front section of the plane show signs of high temperature damage and soot.

The black box data is consistent with automated electronic messages sent by the plane showing smoke detectors went off in a bathroom and an area below the cockpit. It is still unclear what caused the smoke. The plane crashed en route from Paris to Cairo last month, killing all 66 on board.

MARQUEZ: Disturbing finding in Rio de Janeiro. Police say a foot and other body parts have washed ashore on a beach where the Olympic beach volleyball games are set to take place. That is just the latest incident in a crime-battered city. At least ten people have been killed and 50 shot over the past nine days, because of shootings triggered by police searches for a drug trafficker.

ROMANS: Michael Phelps is going for the gold. The 22-time Olympic medalist came out of retirement and a stint in rehab is now the first American male swimmer to make five Olympic teams when he competes at the summer games in Rio. Phelps came in first in the men's 200 meter butterfly at last night's Olympic trials in Nebraska. Phelps splashed a high five to the crowd after he qualified in a show of appreciation for his fifth opportunity.

You're going to say 22-time gold medalist.

MARQUEZ: He's had a tough time after all of that.

ROMANS: He had.

MARQUEZ: Hoping the best.

The death toll in southern California now climbing to four as a series of wildfires rips across that state. State officials say 4,000 firefighters are battling a dozen large wildfires. Officials say more than 60,000 acres of land have been scorched homes destroyed. They say the flames are fueled California's fifth year of severe drought.

And speaking of severe, thunderstorms of that ilk are on tap for the plains, let's check in with pede -- meteorologist Pedram Javaheri, or pedeorologist.

[04:25:06] Here he is.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Christine. Welcome back, Miguel. Good seeing you.

You know, you talk about what has been happening here in the past couple of day, plains have been hit hard with storms. The past 24 hour, over 120 severe weather reports largely related to damaging winds across the area. And we take a look where the front is setting up over the next 24 hours, right there, similar spot, similar region for thunderstorm activity, damaging winds again and hail going to be a concern at least Nebraska all the way toward the Great Lakes.

And speaking of the Great Lakes, see the green contours? That is the coolest air in the country happening right there across the Great Lakes the next couple of days. In fact, places like Chicago, nice day today, 82 degrees. Just shy of the average temperature.

But 73 degrees on Friday, in fact, is comparable to what you would see in late May and it continues to remain the on the cool side, the cool side for the Midwest over the next couple of days.

Now, the southwest, it's a different story. A lot of monsoonal moisture beginning to surge in. In fact, look what happens in Phoenix, high temperature of only 93, after flirting with the 120s a couple days ago. Certainly a big time cooling trend across that region.

But here's what it looks like for highs around Nashville today, should be around 90, Washington around 85, guys.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right. Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri, thank you for that.

New information this morning and a closer look at the suicide bombers behind the Istanbul terror attack. What we're learning new as airports around the world increase security.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)