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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Donald Trump Defends Attack Tweet Many Call Anti-Semitic; Obama Joins Clinton on the Campaign Trail; Global Stocks Down on Brexit Concerns; New Terror Attacks as Ramadan Comes to a Close. Aired 4:30- 5a ET

Aired July 05, 2016 - 04:30   ET

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

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[04:30:49] GEORGE HOWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Donald Trump, he is blasting the media and defending a Tweet attacking Hillary Clinton that many are calling anti-Semitic.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: President Obama on the campaign trail with Hillary Clinton for the very first time. Can the president help the presumptive nominee's her sliding poll numbers?

HOWELL: New terror attacks killing hundreds of people as ISIS urging followers to attack anywhere they can. CNN has live team coverage, breaking it all down.

Good morning. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm George Howell.

ROMANS: Nice to see you.

HOWELL: Good to be here.

ROMANS: Good to be here. I'm Christine Romans. Its 31 minutes pass the hour.

Breaking overnight. The Trump campaign under fire and now offering an explanation for how a graphic that some are calling anti-Semitic, ended up on Donald Trump's Twitter feed.

Now the image with a pile of cash and six-pointed star appeared on a white supremacist message board two weeks ago. Accusing Hillary Clinton of corruption. But last night after being press on the issue to the weekend. The Trump campaign's social media director posted a statement on Facebook saying that the graphic "Was not created by the campaign nor was it sourced from an anti-Semitic site. It was lifted from the anti-Hillary Twitter user where countless images appear." This message goes on to say "As the social director media for the campaign, I would never offend anyone and chose to remove the image.

Critics thought still hammering Trump over the graphic. CNN's Sara Murray has more.

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: Good morning, Christine and George. Donald Trump is still dealing with the firestorm after he put out a Tweet that appeared previously on a white supremacist message board. It slammed Hillary Clinton as crooked Hillary. Even it also included as six-pointed star that evokes the Star of David and therefore anti-Semitic imagery.

Trump did put out a statement trying to turn this around on Hillary Clinton. Now in that statement he said "These false attack by Hillary Clinton trying to link the Star of David with the basic star, often used by sheriffs who deal with criminals and criminal behavior, showing an inscription that say 'Crooked Hillary is the most corrupt candidate ever' with anti-Semitism is ridiculous. Clinton to her surrogates, is just trying to divert attention from the dishonest behavior of herself and her husband."

And of course the Clinton campaign was highly critical with that Tweet saying it shows a pattern of behavior of Donald Trump sort of highlighting these extremist.

Now for Trump party goes been trying to turn the attention away from the scandal. Two of the Veep state he met yesterday with Iowa Senator Joni Ernst. Was not clear is how interested she would be in taking this V.P. job or even whether the Trump campaign is very curious about consider her for that second in command slot. But he had say that the meeting went very well.

Back to you guys.

HOWELL: Sara, thank you.

Both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are stumping in the crucial swing State of North Carolina today. Clinton on the campaign trail with President Obama for the very first time starting in Washington this morning and then hitching a ride in Air Force One onto Charlotte.

The President is hoping his renewed popularity rubs off on Clinton. A new poll shows says she might need that help. The USA today Suffolk University survey shows her six points ahead of Trump. That is a significant narrowing of her double-digit lead in the polls, the same poll two months ago.

For the very latest, let's turn to CNN's Sunlen Serfaty in Washington.

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Christine and George. Well, coming off this weekend's FBI interview over her use of a private e-mail server as secretary of state, Hillary Clinton will try to take back control of the narrative today. She will be campaign for the first time with President Obama in Charlotte, North Carolina.

And giving her visit a bit more presidential flair, Clinton will actually hitch a ride down there with president Obama on air force one which Donald Trump quickly seized on, Tweeting quickly last night for "Why is President Obama allowed to use air force one on the campaign trail with crooked Hillary? She is flying with him. Who pays?"

Now North Carolina as a setting for today is a strategic move for the Clinton campaign. They see this as the biggest must-win for the Trump campaign. So certainly trying to undercut him a bit there. Now aides to Clinton tell CNN, they do expect Obama today to tell the story of his rival to friend relationship with Secretary of State Clinton as well as likely lane into Donald.

[04:35:08] They expect him to echo the message that Clinton has been pushing herself that Trump is unqualified for the presidency.

Christine and George.

HOWELL: Sunlen, thank you.

So that question about Hillary Clinton's running mate speculation now running rampant on who that pick might be. The question could be this man. New Jersey Senator Cory Booker over the weekend he abruptly stop denying that he is being vetted for that job. Now referring question to the Clinton campaign. Other names that are being widely floated, Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, HUD Secretary Julian Castro and Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown.

Up to this point though the perspective pick that we've seen during the highest profile campaign with Clinton, the person that we've seen on the stage a great deal, Senator Elizabeth Warren.

ROMANS: All right, Bernie Sanders back at work in the Senate. But because he hasn't formally dropped out of the race, he is still getting secret service protection and that taxpayers are putting bill. A federal official familiar with the Homeland Security budget Tell CNN the entourage of agents cost about 40,000 a day. That adds up to more than $500,000 and counting since the last primary three weeks ago.

HOWELL: The House is back in session this morning. And the bitter battle over gun control. It is front and center, Speaker Paul Ryan announcing that he will hold the vote on an NRA-backed bill this week. The measure creates a process of barred terrorist suspects from buying weapon. But Democrats call it an empty gesture at a measure that is thought to likely fail.

ROMANS: All right, time for an EARLY START on your money to start the trading week. Global Stock Markers lower this morning on renewed Brexit concerns. Brexit is back, an increasingly unpredictable political and economic scene in the U.S. and the U.K. causing Asian and European markets to fall after there are several days of a rebound in the markets were closed yesterday for the 4th of July the Futures lower this morning as we head in first trading day of the second half of the year.

It has been a wild first six months. Stocks saw the worst start to the calendar year in U.S. history. Then market turned in a strong rally until the major drop brought on by Brexit in late June.

Things has bounce back slight now with the half point, here's where we stand. The Dow and S&P are both up nearly 3 percent for the year. The Nasdaq though is down the same amount. So are we in store for big swings for the remainder of 2016? Well, expert say periods of high volatility tend to be clustered together. We may get our first indication this week. Investors keep an eye on both meeting of the European bank, that's tomorrow. And the release of the June job report on Friday. I'd be really looking to see if job pick up. It was a disappointing report at the end of May. So, let see if jobs pick up in June.

HOWELL: Indeed.

ROMANS: All right. Hundreds killed in new attacks as Ramadan draws to a close. A new wave of terrorism that could strike anywhere. Live team coverage next.

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[04:41:30] HOWELL: Welcome back. We have seen a string of major terror attacks in the Muslim world leaving hundreds dead as the holy month of Ramadan comes to an end. ISIS is said to be responsible for bombings in Turkey, and Bangladesh, and Iraq. Those strikes followed by a suicide bombing in three Saudi Arabia cities over a 24-hour period including one here the U.S. consulate in Jeddah.

We are covering developments from Bagdad to Dhaka and Saudi Arabia and those attacks. The only way CNN can. Beginning with our International Diplomatic Editor, Nic Robertson live in London. Nic, good day to you.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yeah, good morning George. Well, the most deadliest attack in Saudi Arabia in that 24- hour period came in Islam's second holiest city Median, a mosque at the burial site at the prophet Muhammad, the founder of Islam.

There the suicide bomber approaching a Saudi security checkpoint detonated his explosives and a car nearby burst into a ball of flame. Four of the Saudi security officials were killed, several of those injured. Almost at the same time on the other side of the country in the city, of Qatif a Shia mosque was the target of the suicide bomb there. He wasn't able to get any detonated his explosive, only killing himself. No one injured there.

And earlier in the day, just outside the U.S. consulate, a suicide bomber was spotted by police acting suspiciously. They approach and he detonated his explosive killing himself, injuring two of them, three more explosives found in his vehicle just ten yards from the wall of the U.S. consulate.

Unusual for Saudi Arabia. This particular suicide bomber has now been identified as a Pakistani national. The interior ministry say a 34- year-old driver have been living in Saudi Arabia for 12 years with his mother, with his wife rather and his mother-in-law.

This is unusual in Saudi that a Pakistani national would be involved in an attack. No claims of responsibility yet. All these attacks do appear to bear the hallmarks of ISIS. And ISIS for the Saudi government is an absolutely known problem. The past several years they've arrested 2,500 ISIS supporters and members inside Saudi Arabia. Christine.

ROMANS: All right. Nic, Thanks for that. So that Saudi Arabia in Baghdad, the death toll kept rising from a suicide truck bombing there. At least 200 people killed, 175 wounded in this giant blast from the suicide truck bomb.

CNN live in Baghdad this hour Jomana Karadsheh is following the latest for us. Jomana, this is the deadliest single attack in that nation since 2003.

JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And Christine, it has been more than 48 hours since that horrific and devastating truck bomb that stuck this commercial district in Baghdad. And up until now, rescue workers are still on the scene. They are still digging through the rubble trying to find bodies or body parts even of those who were caught up in this carnage.

And family members who are searching for love ones are still showing up at the scene or even at morgues and hospitals trying to search for their loved ones. So many heartbreaking stories we have hearing breaking stories that we are hearing from the scene. Mothers and fathers coming in search of their children.

One couple who was there looking for their teenage son who was out celebrating his birthday with friends when the attack took place. A mother who has been to four morgues around Baghdad still looking for her son, who is out there shopping.

[04:45:06] We are talking about 250 lives that have been lost in this attack. More than 100 others who have been wounded. This is a really stunning death toll even for a country that has endured so much. So much violence it has become in normal reality. This is really shook Iraqis and ISIS claiming responsibility for this attack. This is the deadliest single attack Iraq has seen since 2003. And we certainly have not seen this sort of spectacular high profile attack in the Iraqi capital in years.

Really a lot of concern about ISIS still possessing this ability to carry out this sort of devastating attacks. The group has lost a lot of territory in Iraq, but still capable of carrying out attacks like this, rally underscoring the fact there that the battle against ISIS cannot only be one militarily.

George, back to you.

HOWELL: Jomana Karadsheh live for us. In Amman, Jordan. Jomana, thank you so much for your reporting.

Now we move on to Bangladesh. The terror attack in Dhaka. ISIS claimed has responsibility there. But officials say the attack was carried out by home-grown militants.

Let's bring in CNN Alexandra Field live from Dhaka, Bangladesh following the investigation. Alexandra, good day.

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi there George. The place where so much blood is shed, is still under investigation, still closed off, still under guard by security forces. That Holey Artisan Bakery where 20 people were killed, where have been there for dinner, another two police officers who died fighting the attackers who stormed the restaurant. We spoke to the owner of the cafe he had left shortly before the attack unfolded. He now said, he can't quite imagine trying to reopen a restaurant. He said, he couldn't bear the responsibility of something happened again. But he describe to this restaurant which had opened in Dhaka about two years ago as a labor of love, a place that has been decorated and created with the help of local artist and Artisan. It had a big garden, it was a place for communal gathering, a place where he said that locals and foreigners mix with one another.

There are communal tables where people would sit and share their meals, strangers would get to know one another. All of that coming to screeching hall when those gunmen stormed into the building and firing shots and lobbing explosives and holding so many people hostage.

Investigators here in Bangladesh now say that all of the attackers were Bangladeshi ranging age from 18 till their mid 20s. We spoke to the uncle of one of the woman who killed. A Bangladeshi woman Ishra Akun (ph) for uncle trying to understand a men from her own city could unleash this deadly attack right here at home.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The odds they were raised and educated and they went to school the same as my daughter went. And I see them as my children, but when I see these people, these children, they being brainwashed, despite the fact they have good education and despite the fact they have good university and school education, I feel so sad. Why would this happen?

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FIELD: While ISIS did claim responsibility for this attack, officials here in Bangladesh say they are looking at the possibility that was organized by a domestic terror network, a vocally band Islamic group. Christine.

ROMANS: Yeah, Alexandra for us in Bangladesh. Thank you for that.

The man who sparked the Brexit movement and spent nearly two decades pushing for it, is now taking his leave from politics. Nigel Farage resigning as leader of Britain right-wing Independent Party. He says he has done his part. He wants his life back.

The 52-year-old Farage quit his post twice before. Insiders though say he means it this time. Farage his critics often accuse him of racism and xenophobia. They are celebrating the announcement. To the man who called for the referendum to leave the E.U. has resigned his job. The guy who spent 20 years pushing for it has resign his job. So now others people are remain to be seen. We'll have to actually implement the divorce.

HOWELL: Farage was so vocal about it.

ROMANS: He really was.

HOWELL: Indeed. [04:49:16] ROMANS: All right, 49 minutes pass the hour. If you rent an apartment, you may be paying more money for less space. We' have the details an Early Start to your money next.

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ROMANS: In Chicago, the July 4th holiday amounted to another bloody weekend on the streets, despite the beefed up police presence. There were at least 32 people shot in the city from Friday until Monday morning. Two of the people shot died. Final totals for the four day period are set to be released later this morning.

You know, just year in Chicago 10 people were killed, 35 others wounded during the Independence Day holiday.

HOWELL: We are learning more now about the police response to that massacre at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida last month. A report by the Seminole County Sheriff's office details what deputy experience, when they arrive on the scene there. Nearly a dozen officers jumped into service along side Orlando police deputies. They reported seeing wounded and dead victims all over the floor of the club and improvising medical transport in pickup trucks. Gunman Omar Mateen killed 49 people that day inside the club.

ROMANS: The highest ranking police officer charged in the death of Freddie Gray goes on trial this morning in Baltimore. Lieutenant Brian Rice faces manslaughter, assault, reckless endangerment and misconduct chargers. Today there will be a hearing on pre-trial motions. Jury selection is schedule for Wednesday. That is if the officer choices a jury trial over a bench trial of the officer already tried. There have been two acquittals and one mistrial.

HOWELL: Overnight tight security in New York for the 4th of July celebrations. Just a day after an explosion in Central Park severely wounding a college student whose leg had to be amputated below the knee. That blast in a heavily park sparking a near panic in the city.

CNN's Jean Casarez has new details on what we're learning.

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: George and Christine, the New York Police Department wanted to make it very clear that there were no specific credible threats at all over the 4th of July. But there definitely was an enhanced police presence.

And the people down here where the Macy's 4th July fireworks show took place. They were here to have a good time, but they still had question about over the weekend, the explosive materials that went off. Three young men walking in central park, one of them who is now the victim, a University of Miami student actually stepped on those explosive materials.

And forensic testing is currently going on to find out exactly what it was. Police don't believe that it was intentionally put there to do harm to someone. But they still don't know exactly what the materials were and what it was all about. Meanwhile, the NYPD planned the 4th of July celebrations for over a year now deploying for the first time over 500 police officers that were part of the critical response command team because of the day and age we live in.

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[04:55:11] WILLIAM BRATTON, NEW YORK CITY POLICE COMMISIONER: What we have out today, we believe this is the largest detail in modern times for the event reflective of the changing world conditions which we've been watching very closely this past week and indeed this past year.

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CASAREZ: In addition to the NYPD officers having radiation devices, being in helicopters, on boats, coast guard called out and even cameras to monitor the situation, there were eight dogs that were taken out among the crowd. These were bomb-sniffing vapor alert dogs that actually on search mode all the time. So they went through the crowds, were able to sniff out anything potentially that they thought could be of bomb making materials.

Now, this is different from a regular bomb-sniffing dog that is put on search mode a certain point for a package or something suspicious. These dogs were on search mode all throughout the evening of July 4th. George and Christine.

ROMANS: All right. Jean, thank you for that.

Now if you failed to get your fireworks fix, this 4th of July weekend. Let's take a minute and look at them with the highlights from America's most spectacular shows.

Lets' start the nation's capital, of course.

An 18-minute fireworks show lit up the Washington skyline over the National Mall last night. The fireworks launched from D.C.s iconic reflecting pool.

Here in New York, there was little light rain and tight security for sure, but it didn't stop an estimated 1 million spectators from lining the east river for this spectacular 30-minute show presented by Macy's.

And now to Orlando, Florida a crowd about 150,000 people turned out for that cities annual fireworks with the fountain. This year though, 49 red flares were used in the show. One for each of the victims who died in the Pulse Nightclub terror attack.

And in Chicago, a capacity crowd of more than 100,000 jammed navy pier to watch this big show there. In fact so many people showed up, and gates had to close one hour before the 15-minute show started.

HOWELL: Chicago puts on a good show.

ROMANS: They sure do. HOWELL: That a Orlando, so touching.

ROMANS: Yeah.

HOWELL: So it is -- we're getting into July now. Temperatures are expected to climb. That's great news, right?

Let's get more from Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Christine, good morning and George, nice seeing you.

Let's talk about what's happening here with the excessive heat in store the next couple days. Pick your choice, your not going to find much of the way of cool spot, even around Boston temperatures in the 80s. Work the way well across Northern Maine area, upper 70s the best we can do.

But widespread area at least 90 degree temperatures for a pretty large area of the country there and of course being that it's mid-July, early July transitioning into mid-July.

We're talking about the heat in the season up to 100 degree or so. I notice parts of Mid-Atlantic states even getting on some of the 100 degree heat in the season over the next couple day.

Dallas, how about 107 by this afternoon? Same score out of Oklahoma City. That is at least what it feel like outside. But we don't have the excessive heat, we do have a lot of rainfall, flood watches for Eastern Kentucky, much of Virginia and West Virginia.

I notice the heavy rainfall it came down over the next 24 to 36 hours. Enough here not only for the flooding concern but also improving some of the drought conditions that are in place across parts of the south still good at least in that sense.

And maybe because of your weather treat it is going to be across part of the Midwest, upper Midwest around Minneapolis that is afternoon.

ROMANS: OK. Thanks, Pedram. That's the weather. Here's your money. Markets in the U.S. closed yesterday for 4th of July. The Futures lower this morning as we head into the first trading day of the second half of the year. And what a wild first six months it has been with both drops and rallies.

Right now the S&P and Dow are both up nearly three percent for the year. The Nasdaq is down about the same amount. Investors this week will keep an eye on both meeting of the European Central Bank tomorrow, and the release of the June U.S. job report. That's on Friday.

If you rent a home, you may be paying more money for less space. A new report found that a square footage for apartments in 2016 is smaller than it was 10 years ago, but costs more. The average rent has climbed almost $1,300. Compare that to $966 five years ago. If that seem stiff, you can always look into buying mortgage rates. By the way or add a three-year low. You can get 30-year fixed rate mortgage for 3.5 percent. Pretty easy to found those.

It may be time to buy a lotto ticket. The Mega Million jackpot reach $449 million on Friday with a drawing filed produce a winner, jackpot as well to become the 7th biggest of all time. And while the odds against is pretty high, 1 in 259 million. You still have time to end it before the next draw in Tuesday at 11:00 p.m.

I would say if you have not -- if you're not fully funding your 401(k), there's no reason to buy a lottery ticket.

HOWELL: it's always build up.

ROMANS: Make sure that is retirement.

HOWELL: That random guy, that random gas station that wins.

ROMANS: I know.

HOWELL: All right, EARLY START continues right now.

Donald Trump blaming the media and denying accusation he pleaded an anti-Semitic graphic to attack Hillary Clinton.

[05:00:06] ROMANS: President Obama on the campaign trail with Hillary Clinton and key swing state. Can the President popularity boost Clinton's poll numbers?