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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Government Shutdown, Day 31; Frigid Weather; Epic NFL Championship Sunday; Washington Post, Time For Dems To Consider Trump's Offer; Brexit Plan B. Aired 4-4:30a ET
Aired January 21, 2019 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
DAVE BRIGGS, CNN HOST: The president's compromise offered to end the government shutdown, a nonstarter for Democrats. Is there anything that can break the month long impasse?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: You just acknowledged that it is possible that President talked to Michael Cohen about his testimony.
RUDY GUILIANI, ATTORNEY FOR PRESIDENT TRUMP: Which would be perfectly normal.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAURA JARRETT, CNN HOST: Perfectly normal for the subject of an investigation to talked to a key witness about his testimony.
BRIGGS: And the snow is gone, but some of the coldest weather in a year, greeting the northeast this morning, it is frigid.
JARRETT: And the Super Bowl is set after one of the craziest days of football you'll ever see. Super Bowl Nine for Brady and Belichick. And did a missed penalty cost the Saints a trip to the Super Bowl?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Congratulations to New England. Your 11 month Super Bowl drought is over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: The nation not happy to see the Patriots in another Super Bowl.
JARRETT: But you seem pretty happy.
BRIGGS: Well, look, my kids were born in Boston. They are so spoiled that they've seen six of these in 11 years, but it was probably the greatest championship Sunday the NFL has ever seen. I know you weren't too engaged in it, but America --
JARRETT: To say the least.
BRIGGS: -- it was a brilliant Sunday. Good to see you.
JARRETT: Well, thanks you so much for having me. Good morning and welcome to "Early Start." I'm Laura Jarrett in for Christine Romans today.
BRIGGS: And I'm Dave Briggs. It is Monday, January 21st, Martin Luther King Day, 4:00 a.m. in the East and day 31 of this government shutdown after a 40 tweet Sunday. President Trump trying to find the political middle ground to end the government shutdown. Instead, he got hammered by the left and the right.
It was the president's most significant move yet to end the stalemate, offering temporary protections for some undocumented immigrants in exchange for a $5.7 billion in border wall funding. And that offer triggered action by Mitch McConnell, the senate majority leader vowing to bring the president's plan to a vote this week, even though the odds of getting to 60 votes to pass it are slim.
JARRETT: McConnell's proposal expected to include measures to entice Democrats. So, if they vote no on the entire package, they will also be turning down add-ons they favor, like an extension of the Violence Against Woman Act. We get more now from CNN's Sarah Westwood on the shutdown state of play.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARAH WESTWOOD, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDET: Laura and Dave, President Trump and senior administration officials defending the president's immigration proposal against almost unanimous Democratic opposition this weekend.
Now, the president on Saturday rolled out this deal that would involve him getting $5.7 billion for the construction of his border wall. And in exchange, the president said that he would agree to a three year renewal of DACA protections for those young undocumented immigrants, known as DREAMers, and as well as a three year extension of temporary protective status for the roughly 300,000 immigrants who are right now facing the prospect of the expiration of their TPS.
House Democrats though say that's dead on arrival. They do not want to negotiate on any kind of deal until the government is reopened. Now, President Trump has been lashing out at Speaker Pelosi for opposing his plan, claiming that Pelosi is beholden to the left-wing at her party while also defending his proposal from the right-wing of his own party with conservatives accusing the president of extending an offer of amnesty to the nearly 1 million immigrants who would benefit from this plan if were put into law.
But the bottom line is that this is not a new idea. Trading DACA for wall money is an idea that has been tried and has failed on Capitol Hill several times. Although this is the White House's attempt to try to peel some moderate Democrats off, build a bipartisan coalition of support at the moment, it appears Democrats are united in their opposition to the president's immigration agenda. Laura and Dave. (END VIDEOTAPE)
BRIGGS: Sarah, thank you. The "Washington Post" Editorial Board said that it's time for Democrats to consider the president's offer. In a piece entitled, Make a Deal Save the DREAMers, the Editorial Board writes, "to refuse to even talk until the government reopens does no favors to sidelined federal workers and contractors. Undeniably a deal would contain galling elements for both sides, that's the nature of compromise."
Meanwhile, the cost of the government shutdown continues to grow. At the TSA, the unscheduled absence rate on Saturday was 8 percent compared to just 3 percent last year. In Maryland, Baltimore Washington International Airport had one security checkpoint closed for the last two days.
JARRETT: As for food stamps, they will be paid through February, but final food stamp payments for now went out yesterday. U.S. federal courts will run out of operating money this Friday and federal housing assistance contracts are expiring in just nine days, which will impact 1.2 million households.
[04:05:09] BRIGGS: All right. Rudy Giuliani admitting President Trump might have talked to Michael Cohen about his congressional testimony ahead of time. The president's lawyer telling CNN he does not know for sure, but he claims if Mr. Trump did, so what.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GUILIANI: As far as I know, President Trump did not have discussions with him -- certainly had no discussions with him in which he told him or counseled him to lie. If he had any discussions with him, they would be about the version of the events that Michael Cohen gave then, which they all believe was true.
TAPPER: But you just acknowledged that it is possible that President Trump talked to Michael Cohen about his testimony.
GUILIANI: Which would be perfectly normal. Which the president believes was true.
TAPPER: So it's possible that that happened, that President Trump talked to Michael Cohen about his testimony?
GUILIANI: I don't know if it happened or didn't happen. And it might be attorney-client privilege if it happened where I can't acknowledge it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JARRETT: Giuliani made those comments after Special Counsel Robert Mueller took the extraordinary step of publicly disputing a report from BuzzFeed last Friday. That report said Mr. Trump directed Cohen to lie to Congress about a Trump Tower project in Moscow. BuzzFeed editor-in-chief, Ben Smith, and reporter, Anthony Cormier, standing by their reporting in this CNN interview. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN SMITH, EDITOR IN CHIEF, BUZZFEED NEWS: We are eager to understand which characterizations Mueller is talking about there and obviously we take that incredibly seriously.
ANTHONY CORMIER, REPORTER, BUZZFEED: If further confirmation that this is right, we're being told to stand our ground, this is -- our reporting is going to be point out to be accurate and we're 100 percent behind it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JARRETT: Giuliani claims BuzzFeed should be sued and investigated over their reporting.
BRIGGS: That Kentucky teen, who went face-to-face with a Native American man at a march near the Lincoln Memorial Friday, now says he was trying to diffuse the situation. Judge for yourself, these students may now face expulsion. The Diocese of Covington Kentucky released a statement condemning the high school students.
JARRETT: The diocese says this behavior is opposed to the church's teachings on the dignity and respect of the human person, but the student at the center of the controversy claims a look at all of the video tells a different story.
CNN's Sara Sidner has more for us on this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Catholic high school student who comes face-to-face with a Native American elder in a viral video is now responding. In a statement, student Nick Sandman (ph) says the viral video does not reflect the true nature of events when the students arrived at the Lincoln Memorial.
When we arrived, we noticed four African-American protesters who were also on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. He said, the protestors said hateful things. Indeed, a small group of black men who identify as Hebrew Israelites did say hateful things to seemingly everyone around them including a priest --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's make a point we're trying to get, a bunch of child molested (muted) --
SIDNER: -- and the students.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: See how you got these pompous bastards come down here in a middle of a native rally with their dirty ass hat on.
SIDNER: When a black visitor tries to stand up against their rhetoric, he faces hate too.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have all these dirty ass crackers behind you with a red -- with a red Make America Great hat again on and your cone ass, you want to fight your brother.
SIDNER: At first, the catholic students there for the March for Life are still in small numbers but more and more show up, watching but not engaging. The small group of men continue taunting them.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A bunch of incest babies. A bunch of babies made out of incest.
SIDNER: Sandman says the rhetoric was startling, "Because we were being loudly attacked and taunted in public, a student asked one of our teacher chaperones for permission to begin school spirit chants to counter the hateful things that were being shouted at our group." And they do.
At one point a student removes his shirt and the chants drown everything out. Two minutes later, you hear a drumbeat and that is Nathan Phillips, an Omaha tribe elder, and another drummer. Phillips says it was their attempt to thwart potential violence. The kids danced to it. They began chanting along.
NATHAN PHILLIPS, NATIVE AMERICAN DRUMMER/ACTIVIST: I realized I had put myself in a really dangerous situation, you know. It was like here is a group of people who were angry at somebody else and I put myself in front of that.
SIDNER: Phillips, a Vietnam veteran, walks around, other students avoid him, until you see him come face-to-face with a student who has now gone viral. In his statement, the student says, "he was the one trying to deescalate the situation, not Phillips. I believe that by remaining motionless and calm, I was helping to diffuse the situation. I realized everyone had cameras and that perhaps a group of adults was trying to provoke a group of teenagers into a larger conflict."
Sandman has every opportunity to move back, so does Phillips, neither do. While they faced off, the kids faced more taunting from the Hebrew Israelite.
[04:10:08] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a bunch of school shooters.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's right.
SIDNER: While Phillips maintains he felt the kids were mocking him and being rude, Sandman says it was the adults using hateful words and trying to provoke the kids, not the other way around.
After seeing the initial viral video, the diocese that oversees the Covington Catholic High School in Kentucky condemned the student's behavior towards Native Americans saying, they would also investigate. The mayor of their city, also condemned them.
But now, Congressman Thomas Matthew, who represents their district, is praising them, tweeting in part, "in the face of racist and homosexual slurs, the young boys refused to reciprocate or disrespect anyone, even when taunted by homophobic bigots, which was obviously bewildering to them, they insulted no one." The Congressman said it was his honor to represent them. Back to you. (END VIDEOTAPE)
BRIGGS: We have not heard the last of that story. Sara, thanks. It is all about trade when it comes to stocks these days. Investors cheering recent into progress on ending the trade war between the U.S. and China, reports suggesting positive developments in the talks between trade officials for the two countries carried the DOW 500 points higher. During the end of the week, all three major averages rallied 3 percent last week, their longest winning streak since the summer.
The clock is ticking on a possible trade deal between the U.S. and China, the two sides, face a March 1st deadline before a 90-day ceasefire agreed to a December officially expires. But talk-talk (ph) continuing, China's chief trade negotiator will travel to Washington at the end of the month. The Chinese commerce ministry confirming Vice President Li (ph) would will be in D.C. for two days of talks starting January 30th.
All eyes will be on the World Economic Forum in Davos this week, but several of the world's biggest leaders will be missing from the event. President Trump says he won't attend because of the government shutdown. Theresa May canceled her trip because of Brexit. And French President Emmanuel Macron will also be skipping the event.
But a piece in the New York Times this morning, Laura says, by the numbers, China's economy is much worse than it looks could give a lot of leverage to President Trump in those trade talks. They are in rough shape in terms of their growth in China.
JARRETT: Yes, more there, for sure. Well, passengers on a flight from Newark to Hong Kong spent 14 hours on a tarmac in frigid weather and didn't even make it to Hong Kong. What happened, up next?
[04:15:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BRIGGS: OK. Super Bowl 53 all set after two epic conference title games. Both going to overtime, first time in NFL history. Late fourth quarter in Kansas City, the New England Patriots going for their ninth Super Bowl appearance in the Brady-Belichick. Rex Burkhead in for the go ahead touchdown with 39 seconds left. Chiefs, who scored 24 points in the fourth quarter, marched all the way down the field in 30 seconds, game time field goal there from Harrison Butker and we go to overtime.
That's when Tom Brady does what Tom Brady always does, 75 yards drive, 37-31 securing his third consecutive Super Bowl appearance.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What it means to go back to the Super Bowl?
TOM BRADY, QUARTERBACK NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: Unbelievable, bro. I never -- I mean, this is crazy. What a game.
(END VIDEO CLIP) BRIGGS: What a game, what a day in the NFC title game, Rams beat the
Saints in overtime in New Orleans, 26-23. The big play of this game, a non-call late in the fourth quarter on this apparent and obvious pass interference that would have given the Saints a first down and a victory. Instead, they kick the field goal.
The Rams end up punching their ticket to the Super Bowl at the 57 yards field goal from Greg Zuerlein that would have been good from 70. That was in overtime. So, that non-call late the fourth quarter, not easy to stomach for Saints Coach, Sean Payton.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN PAYTON, NEW ORLEANS SAINTS HEAD COACH: It is a disappointing way to lose a game. Frustrating, you know, just getting off the phone with the league office, they blew the call. And there were a lot of opportunities, though, but that call puts it first and 10, we only need (ph) three plays, and it is a game changing call.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: No question about it. Something has to be done. The NFL has to change the rule. You can't lose a Super Bowl because of a non- call. Patriots now get the Rams, Super Bowl 53 in Atlanta, February 3rd. By the way, the Rams, a one point favorite when it opens.
JARRETT: You can see the disappointment in his voice.
BRIGGS: Yes, look, there are a lot of rule changes that happened as a result to plays like that, you have to do something to allow a coach to say, you missed a call there, we have it on videotape, go to the video, review it, out of rule change because the Saints were flat out robbed.
That's not to take it anywhere from the Rams. A brilliant job by Gof (ph), by Nekvader, head coach, 33 years-old, but that's the game, right there. That's the game and the Saints were robbed of another Super Bowl appearance, so, we'll see what happens.
JARRETT: If only they have consulted you. Well, your morning cup of coffee could get more expensive and taste worse.
BRIGGS: What?
JARRETT: Or even go instinct. Important news for coffee drinkers, next.
[04:20:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JARRETT: Passengers aboard United Airlines flight from New Jersey to Hong Kong want answers after getting stuck on that tarmac for more than 14 hours in frigid weather with a dwindling supply of food. The incident began shortly after 3:00 p.m. on Saturday when the flight was diverted to Canada due to a medical emergency. But as the flight was set to take-off, again, it experienced a mechanical issue. Passengers were not allowed off the plane, because the airport did not have a customs officer on duty.
On Sunday morning, after more than 14 hours, passengers were able to get off the plane finally. Another aircraft then showed up to transport the customers back to New Jersey. United Airlines has apologized for the incident.
BRIGGS: All right. Some really bad news for you folks that are coffee drinkers. And if you are up at 4:24, that's you. Sixty percent of coffee species found in the wild could soon go extinct. Researchers at the Kew -Royal Botanic Gardens in the U.K. warn climate change, deforestation, droughts and plant diseases are putting the future of coffee at risk. Fewer coffee crops mean your cup of Joe, could get more expensive and start tasting worse.
JARRETT: "Saturday Night Live" back from its holiday break, taking on the government shutdown.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[04:25:00] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You went on TV and you told the American people that you want to make a deal.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is right, Steve.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. So we decided to do this in the only format that you could understand, a TV game show with women holding briefcases. All right. What do you say, Mr. President?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Five.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You want to open briefcase number five?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, I'm saying a lot of these women are fives. Who is on case eight, is that Cardi B?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, that is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's OK, Steve. Trump and the GOP are just terrified of me, because I'm under 100 and I know how to use Instagram. I mean, just look at Mitch McConnell, he's already bird boxing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can hear the barrel.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to open that case from the Clemson football player.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. That is not a briefcase, that is a crave case from White Castle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Relax. I'd still like to have him open it, Steve.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh my God, OK. Fine. Open the case, please.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hamburgers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: Yes, that's Ham Burder's with a D, in case you missed the misspelling on Trump's twitter over the weekend. Pretty good job by SNL, an AOC, making her SNL debut.
JARRETT: They're back.
BRIGGS: Ahead, Democrats and conservatives actually agree, the President's compromise offer to end the government shutdown is no good. 31 days in. Is there any hope to end the impasse?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
