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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Trump's "Second Amendment" Controversy; Rio 2016: Team USA Picks Up Seven More Medals; First Texas Fatality from Zika Virus. Aired 4:30-5a ET
Aired August 10, 2016 - 04:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[04:30:24] ALISON KOSIK, CNN ANCHOR: New controversy for Donald Trump. Another off-the-cuff comment causing major backlash. Did Trump intend for his supporters to harm Hillary Clinton?
RYAN NOBLES, CNN ANCHOR: And Team USA picking up seven more medals. The epic moments you have got to see.
Welcome back to EARLY START. Thank you for joining us this morning. I'm Ryan Nobles.
KOSIK: Good morning. I'm Alison Kosik. It's 30 minutes past the hour.
And there's new controversy engulfing Donald Trump this morning. That's after he made comments that critics interpreted as inciting violence against Hillary Clinton. This as Trump tries to reassert control of his message following a couple of rough-gaffed filled weeks.
CNN politics reporter Sara Murray traveling with the campaign. And she's got the latest from North Carolina.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Good morning, Alison and Ryan.
This was supposed to be the week where Donald Trump was sticking to the script, but instead, he set up yet another political firestorm with his comment.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Hillary wants to abolish, essentially abolish the Second Amendment. By the way, if she gets to pick -- if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don't know.
MURRAY: Now, the Clinton campaign quickly seized on that remark as an apparent threat against Hillary Clinton, saying that Donald Trump was promoting violence.
As for the Trump campaign, they insisted that was not the case at all, saying he was simply talking about coalescing the support of Second Amendment voters behind the Republican nominee. And this is the kind of support that Donald Trump needs. He is lagging behind Hillary Clinton in key battleground states like Ohio in the latest round of swing state polls, but it's offhand comments like that that has given some voters, including Republicans, pause about whether or not they can support the GOP nominee.
As for him, he heads to two key battleground states today, Virginia and Florida, where the latest polls show him neck and neck with Hillary Clinton in the Sunshine State.
Back to you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NOBLES: Thank you, Sara.
The National Rifle Association quickly weighing in on Second Amendment controversy, tweeting its support for Trump. The NRA also launching a new ad against Hillary Clinton, painting her as an out-of-touch elitist who would leave gun owners defenseless.
Now, Clinton herself staying focused on her own message, not commenting on Trump's remark. As her campaign is expanding its staff particularly in red states of Arizona and Georgia where it sees Trump lagging in the polls.
CNN's Jeff Zeleny is on the trail with Clinton. He has the latest from Miami -- Jeff.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Ryan and Alison, Hillary Clinton heading today for the first time since the Iowa caucuses last February. She's running close to Donald Trump there. A new poll shows she's ahead by only four percentage points. She's making this Iowa trip among a flurry of outrage and controversy over what Donald Trump said at a rally in North Carolina on Tuesday.
Now, she has not commented at all about the Second Amendment charges that he made, saying reporters at the Second Amendment rally may rally against her.
But Tim Kaine, her running mate, is not being so quite. He said this last night in Texas.
SEN. TIM KAINE (D-VA), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: Nobody who is seeking a leadership position, especially, the presidency, the leadership of the country, should do anything to countenance violence, and that's what he was saying.
ZELENY: Those words from Tim Kaine, sharply condemning Donald Trump. But don't look for Hillary Clinton necessarily to follow his lead. She is trying to broaden her appeal to Republicans who have been turned off by Donald Trump. She'll be doing that today in Iowa and on Thursday when she delivers her own economic message in Detroit. Today marks 90 days exactly before Election Day in November -- Ryan
and Alison.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOSIK: All right. Jeff Zeleny, thanks for that.
This morning, a blizzard of reaction to Donald Trump's Second Amendment comment. "The New York Daily News" proclaiming on its cover, "This isn't a joke anymore," and declaring that, quote, "Trump must end his campaign for the White House."
Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Murphy, who backs tightened gun control, tweeting this, "Don't treat this as a political misstep. It is an assassination threat, seriously upping the possibility of a national tragedy and crisis."
And then there's former CIA chief, General Michael Hayden, one of the 50 leading Republicans who signed a letter condemning Trump's candidacy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEN. MICHAEL HAYDEN, FORMER CIA AND NSA DIRECTOR: When I heard that for the first time, that was more than a speed bump, all right? That's actually a very arresting comment. If someone else would have said that outside the hall, he'd be in the back of a police wagon now with the Secret Service questioning him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[04:35:04] KOSIK: Meantime, Trump and his supporters are vehemently rejecting the claim he was suggesting violence against Hillary Clinton.
Listen to what former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani says, slamming the Clinton campaign and the media for buying its claims.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RUDY GIULIANI, FORMER NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: They spin out that what he meant by that was that it was a joke. And that what he meant by that was that they would kill her.
Now, OK, now, to buy that, you have to be corrupt. Because if you said that to me, I would say to you, are you out of your mind? I saw it. I heard it, I know what it meant.
TRUMP: Nobody in that room thought anything other than what you just said. This is a political movement. This is a strong powerful movement, the Second Amendment.
You know, Hillary wants to take your guns away. She wants to leave you unprotected in your home. This is a tremendous political movement. The NRA, as you know, endorsed me. They're terrific people, Wayne and
Chris and all of the people over there. And, by the way, they're already -- I just saw, they tweeted out basically they agree 100 percent with what I said. And there can be no other interpretation. Even reporters have told me -- I mean, give me a break.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBLES: Meanwhile, House Speaker Paul Ryan that Trump's Second Amendment remarks, quote, "sound like a bad joke", and he's hoping the GOP nominee clears things up fast. Ryan, fresh off a landslide primary win in his home state of Wisconsin, reaffirming his support for the Trump/Pence ticket. But he made clear endorsement is not a blank check and he called for the end of divisiveness without mentioning Trump by name.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. PAUL RYAN (R), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: In times as uncertain as these, it's easy to resort to division. It's simple to prey on people's fears. That stuff sells, but it doesn't stick. It doesn't last. Most of all, it doesn't work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBLES: Now, despite Trump's much publicized hesitance to endorse Ryan in his primary race, the speaker was able to win handedly.
We get more from CNN's senior political reporter Manu Raju.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: Paul Ryan rolling to victory here in Wisconsin in a race that never was expected to be close but really only got national attention after Donald Trump said he would not endorse Paul Ryan, in a rather surprising move. Suddenly, Paul Ryan's primary challenger, Paul Nehlen, who is not known, a political novice, seized on that division between the party's nominee and the House speaker.
But it really amounted to much of nothing. Trump later endorsed Paul Ryan and Paul Ryan won handedly. One reason why he won handedly, Donald Trump is not particularly popular in this district. This is a district that Ted Cruz won overwhelmingly in the April presidential primary. And that's also one reason why Paul Ryan is not afraid to criticize Donald Trump.
Now, I asked Paul Ryan at his press conference after the primary, what he thinks about Donald Trump's comments about Second Amendment enthusiasts possibly taking matters into their own hands, and this is what he had to say.
RYAN: I heard about the Second Amendment quote. It sounds like a joke gone bad. I hope he clears it up very quickly. You should never joke about something like that. RAJU: Now, today's victory really showcases the strength of the party
establishment over a lot of these Tea Party and conservative insurgents. We've seen this and have been in race after race, in congressional level, beating a Kansas conservative by the name of Tim Huelskamp last week and also an Indiana Senate candidate earlier when Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, defeated the candidate that he did not want to run in that race as well.
It showed that the party leadership knows how to win on the congressional level, but when it comes to the presidential level, that's a whole different problem -- Ryan and Alison.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KOSIK: OK, Manu, thanks for that.
And billionaire investor Carl Icahn thinks the economy will tank unless Donald Trump is elected president. Listen to what he told CNN's Richard Quest.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARL ICAHN, BILLIONAIRE INVESTOR: If Trump doesn't win and you get more of what we've had in the last eight years, we have a major problem in our economy, we do already, because we don't have jobs for the middle class, good jobs
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSIK: And those major problems that he mentioned -- slow growth, low wages, too much regulation.
Now, Trump has said he'd love to have Icahn as treasury secretary or to help negotiate trade deals with China. But Icahn has said and he said yesterday he would never take a cabinet position if Trump wins and that he'd be more of an informal adviser.
NOBLES: Michael Phelps, the final five, the United States athletes go in for the gold and getting the big wins. All the highlights when we come back.
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[04:44:08] KOSIK: American athletes awash in red, white, blue and gold at the Rio Olympics led by swimmers Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky, not to mention the U.S. women's gymnastics team crushing the competition in all around team final, winning their second consecutive gold medal in that event.
CNN's Christina Macfarlane following it all. She's live for us in Rio.
Good morning.
CHRISTINA MACFARLANE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alison. And yes, I'm sure we can say now that this is the best ladies United
States gymnastics team in history. They absolutely crushed it last night, as you say, obliterated the competition. Eight points clear of their closest rivals, Russia who finished in silver position. They won every discipline out there.
In fact, they were so dominant by the time their starter Simone Biles came out, they had rapped up the gold medal. Simone Biles spectacular on the night.
[04:45:01] She's looking to become the first gymnast to win five Olympic golds in one Olympic Games, and I wouldn't put it past her. The United States, of course, the first team now to win back to back gold since Romania did it way back in 2000 and 2004. But I'll tell you, there's more to come from them later this week.
But it was Michael Phelps antics in the pool that would steal the limelight away from the ladies, the 200 meter butterfly, his swim of redemption. Not just because he crushed his rival Chad le Clos, the guy who took the medal in London 2012 but because it's a long path for him to get back here. Remember he retired in London in 2012 saying he didn't want to be in the swimming pool ever again. He took his 20th gold medal. When he did that, he sat up, he waved his finger in the air and said I am number one before a touching moment going over and kissing his son Baby Boomer, before getting back in the pool and doing it all over again with the men's 200 meter stealing the 21st gold medal.
And sandwiched in between those two golds was a certain Katie Ledecky. This abvoslute star of this Olympic Games, she came -- won her third medal of the tournament, here second gold yesterday in the 200 meter freestyle. These now the first to win the 200 and 400 meter freestyle in the same Olympics since 1972.
Now, I just want to bring you a brief update on the women's football. It was the mixed nights for the ladies. They are through now to the quarterfinals of the women's competition. But not in the way they planned. They drew 2-2 against Colombia. Colombia taking their first point ever in the Olympic Games. They stumbled earlier, an embarrassing goal led by keeper Hope Solo. They finished 2-2.
But as I say, they are through, of course, looking to defend their 2012 Olympic gold medal. So a good night in swimming and gymnastics but not in the tennis.
Serena Williams, the world number one, crashed out yesterday against the world number 20, Elina Svitolina. Now, this wasn't the Williams that we know. She had 34 unforced errors, five double fault, if you believe in one game.
Now what was wrong? Well, she was clutching her shoulder and mouthing somebody something gone wrong potentially there. But, as I say, the 22-grand slam champion out of the competition is the men's number one Novak Djokovic.
Now, you may have seen it floating around on social media a couple of pictures of the diving pool at the Olympic Games turning completely green. There it is. On Monday, it was blue. On Tuesday, it was green.
The competitors in the pool said it was so bad under the water that they actually couldn't see one another. Now, the organizers came out, they tested the water. They said that there was no risk at all that it was completely clean. But still, no one quite knows what contributed to the green mist you can see in front of us.
Now, before I go, guys, I just want to bring your attention to one picture that we've seen in the past few hours. It is of the two standout stars in the swimming pool this year, Katie Ledecky and Michael Phelps. Look at this, it was taken ten years ago. Michael Phelps signing an autograph for Katie Ledecky, just 9 years ago old, and now, look at them now, topping the United States in the swimming pool.
Just fantastic.
KOSIK: Gold all around for them. Thanks so much, Christina Macfarlane.
NOBLES: Chaos erupting last night in Ferguson, Missouri, on the second anniversary of Michael Brown's death. Shots ringing out after a protester was hit by a car. According to police, that protester was trying to block traffic. The driver of the vehicle is cooperating with authorities, but the victim was moved from the scene before police arrived and has not been located.
KOSIK: The Justice Department set to release a long-awaited report on the Baltimore police that says cops routinely violated the rights of residents by conducting unlawful stops and using excessive force. The report also found that police practices disproportionately affected the city's African-American population. The federal investigation of Baltimore's police methods followed the death of Freddie Gray who suffered a fatal neck injury while in police custody.
NOBLES: In North Carolina, a self-described neighborhood watchman is facing murder charges after shooting outside of his home this past weekend. Police say the suspect, Chad Copley, told a 911 operator that he wanted to protect his family from a, quote, "bunch of hoodlums. They say he fired a single shotgun blast from inside his garage, killing 20-year-old Kouren-Rodney Bernard Thomas.
KOSIK: All right. If you think gas prices are cheap now, uh-hmmm, just you wait until this winter. We're going to tell you about a new forecast that drivers are going to love were we get an early start on your money next.
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[04:54:11] KOSIK: Welcome back.
A water park in Kansas City, Kansas, will reopen this afternoon just days after a 10-year-old boy died riding the world's largest water slide there. That slide will remain closed for the rest of the season.
And a Ferris wheel accident at a Tennessee County fair in which three young girls found out of a gondola is being blamed on mechanical failure.
The two incidents are prompting new questions and new calls for tighter regulations of amusement parks.
We get more now from CNN's Rene Marsh.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RENE MARSH, CNN AVIATION AND GOVERNMENT REGULATION CORRESPONDENT: Alison and Ryan, it's a patch work of oversight when it comes to amusement parks, and safety advocates say it's creating a dangerous loophole. A child is in intensive in Johnson City in Tennessee and a county fair has been forced to shut down all of its rides. This just one day after a 10-year-old boy died from a neck injury after riding a 115-foot tall water slide in Kansas City, Kansas.
[04:55:07] It's the second amusement park accident in just two days. The concern now, there's no set standard for safety regulations at these parks.
There are more than 400 amusement parks in the United States with more than 330 million visitors per year. No federal agency is responsible for oversight. It's up to the states to regulate but some are more than others. The trade group that represents amusement parks tells CNN serious incidents are extremely rare. The most recent data from 2014 shows of the millions of people who visited amusement parks in the United States, there were more than 1,100 reported injuries.
But that number does not account for water parks, traveling fairs and carnivals -- Alison, Ryan.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NOBLES: All right. Thanks, Rene.
The Zika virus has killed a newborn baby girl in Houston. This is the first fatality in Texas that's linked to the virus. Officials say the girl's mother travelled to Latin America during her pregnancy. Texas Governor Greg Abbott now asking President Obama for Zika funding.
And four more cases of the virus are being reported in Florida. There were now 21 patients in South Florida who contracted the virus from mosquitoes.
KOSIK: The rift between Russia and Turkey is over. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkey Recep Erdogan meeting in St. Petersburg, then announcing the two nations are restoring bilateral relations. The announcement coming nine months after Turkey shut down a Russian warplane at the Syrian border. The reboot with Russia comes at the time when Turkey's relationship with its NATO allies is becoming increasingly strained. NOBLES: Breaking news this morning, anti-terror raids under way in
Western Germany. Officials in the German states of North Rhine- Westphalia and North Lower Saxony saying police are conducting the raids. In North Rhine, they're under way in four cities around Dusseldorf. No word yet on the targets or reasons for the raids. We're going to bring you more details on this breaking story as we get them.
KOSIK: All right. Let's get an early start on your money.
Dow futures are flat after finishing just slightly higher yesterday. Stock markets in Europe are lower, and shares in Asia closed with modest losses overnight. We are seeing oil prices lower.
The NASDAQ is sitting at its highest level of all time, following a rise yesterday. The index is up more than 4 percent on the ar. It's really an incredible recovery after we saw it sink 10 percent at the beginning of this year with corporate earning season coming to a close.
Analysts really don't expect major swings to happen but they do say that stocks could keep setting records if the U.S. economy stays on course.
The Dow is less than 100 points away from a fresh record high. The S&P 500 just a small gain to get there as well.
Gas prices are going to drop below $2 a gallon this fall and stay there through the winter. Great news. That's the new forecast from the U.S. Energy Department. The drop is mostly because of the prolonged slump in oil prices and the seasonal switch to the winter blend of gasoline which is actually cheap tore make.
The national average is forecast across back above $2 a gallon next March, but the experts don't see it going above $2.50 anytime next year. As for today, the national average for a gallon of regular is sitting at $2.13. That's down 26 cents from a month ago, and almost 50 cents lower than this time last year. Makes you feel good when you go on those road trips.
NOBLES: Yes, I was going to say. Let's get in the car and go somewhere.
KOSIK: You got it.
NOBLES: EARLY START continues right now.
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KOSIK: Donald Trump accused of inciting violence against Hillary Clinton. What he said.
NOBLES: The U.S. women's gymnastics team winning back-to-back gold. Michael Phelps picking up has 21st gold medal. Team USA is on fire.
Good morning and welcome to EARLY START. Thank you for joining. I'm Ryan Nobles.
KOSIK: Good morning to you, Ryan.
I'm Alison Kosik. It's Wednesday, August the 10th. It's 5:00 a.m. in the East.
And there's a fierce new controversy for Donald Trump after he made comments that critics say is inciting violence against Hillary Clinton, this as Trump tries to reassert control of his message, following a couple of rough gaffe-filled weeks.
CNN politics reporter Sara Murray traveling with the Trump campaign, she's got the latest from North Carolina.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MURRAY: Good morning, Alison and Ryan.
This was supposed to be the week where Donald Trump was sticking to the script, but instead, he set up yet another political firestorm with his comment.
TRUMP: Hillary wants to abolish, essentially abolish the Second Amendment. By the way, if she gets to pick -- if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don't know.
MURRAY: Now, the Clinton campaign quickly seized on that remark as an apparent threat against Hillary Clinton, saying that Donald Trump was promoting violence.
