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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

NYT: Trump Ordered Security Clearance for Kushner; North Korea Pushes Back; New Leads for Dems?; Reports: Phillies, Harper Agree to Record Deal. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired March 01, 2019 - 05:00   ET

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

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[05:00:08] DAVE BRIGGS, CNN ANCHOR: New controversy surrounds the president's son-in-law. How did Jared Kushner land a top secret security clearance?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety.

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ALISON KOSIK, CNN ANCHOR: The president says he had to walk away. Now, North Korea's pushing back

BRIGGS: Democrats in Congress are not done with Michael Cohen yet. They think his dramatic testimony left a number of new leads to follow.

KOSIK: And this man just signed the richest sports contract in North American history. Bryce Harper is going to Phillies.

Good morning and welcome to EARLY START. I'm Alisyn Kosik.

You've been talking about that since you walked in.

BRIGGS: I'm Dave Briggs.

He took the annuity. He wanted the long range 13-year deal. Could have gotten more cash probably up front.

Friday, March 1st, 5:00 a.m. in the East.

Congratulations, Philly fans.

But we start with major news from the "New York Times." They report that President Trump personally ordered a top secret security clearance for his son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner. "The Times" says the president's command to then chief of staff John Kelly came the day after the White House counsel's office urged him not to grant Kushner the clearance. So too did the CIA.

Here is the president just a few months before that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: So that will be up to General Kelly. General Kelly respects Jared a lot and General Kelly will make that call. I won't make that call. I will let the general who is right here make that call.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: "The Times" says that the directive prompted two internal memos, one from Kelly on being ordered to grant the clearance.

Here's what the president told "The Times" about a month ago.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

MAGGIE HABERMAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, THE NEW YORK TIMES: Did you tell General Kelly or anyone else in the White House to overrule security officials -- the career veterans?

TRUMP: No. I don't think I have the authority to do that. I'm not sure I do.

HABERMAN: You do have the authority to do it.

TRUMP: But I wouldn't -- I wouldn't do it.

HABERMAN: OK. You never --

TRUMP: Jared's a good -- I was -- I was never involved with the security. I know that he -- you know, just from reading, I know that there was issues back and forth about security for numerous people, actually. But I don't want to get involved in that stuff.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BRIGGS: "The Washington Post" reports the president's daughter, Kushner's wife, Ivanka, pressured the president personally about Kushner's clearance. She was asked about that clearance controversy on ABC just last month.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

IVANKA TRUMP, ADVISER TO PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: The president had no involvement pertaining to my clearance or my husband's clearance. There are literally close to a million people in the federal government who are in the pipeline to get their permanent clearance and are on temporary status.

ABBY HUNTSMAN, CO-HOST, ABC "THE VIEW": So no special treatment?

TRUMP: No.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: The spokesman for Kushner's lawyer says in 2018 White House and security clearance officials affirmed that Mr. Kushner's security clearance was handled in the regular process with no pressure from anyone. That was conveyed to the media at the time and new stories if accurate do not change what was affirmed at the time.

KOSIK: President Trump and the North Korean government now disagree about what caused that abrupt end to the Hanoi summit. According to Kim Jong-un's foreign minister, North Korea was willing to permanently dismantle its uranium and plutonium production facilities at the Yongbyon nuclear site if the U.S. was willing to partially lift sanctions. Apparently that is not what the president heard.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Basically, they wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety and we couldn't do that.

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KOSIK: All right. Let's go live to Hanoi and bring in CNN's Will Ripley.

Good morning to you.

So it is interesting to see that North Korea held a rare moment actually to have this news conference just to dispute the reason for the breakdown in negotiations.

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is very unusual for North Korea to hold a news conference with the foreign press, Alison. But that just goes to show how misrepresented they felt their position was when President Trump took the podium. North Korea saying they didn't want all the sanctions lifted, just maybe five out of the 11 which could have probably been negotiated down frankly.

North Koreans made an offer. They were expecting negotiations but instead, president walked away and it was a shocking moment for the North Koreans, particularly the fact that he snubbed their last meal that Trump was supposed to have with Kim Jong-un, a lunch. In North Korea, the dignity of the supreme leader is everything and to snub him like that, it is one of the biggest insults that you can imagine, which may explain why we heard such sharp words from the North Koreans here in the late night hours saying this is a missed opportunity, once in a thousand years, and saying that Kim Jong-un might have lost his will to negotiate.

But then this morning North Korean state media put out a news article with a much more positive spin.

[05:05:05] Obviously, Kim Jong-un wants to make it looks like a win for his own people even though it has to be incredibly disappointing to come all the way here walk all the way empty-handed. He is on an official state visit right now. He met with Vietnam's president today and he will go to the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum before departing in his train.

KOSIK: Yes, but I'm looking at these pictures and for propaganda purposes for North Koreans, for Kim Jong-un, it is priceless, isn't it?

RIPLEY: Absolutely. They can still spin it as a win by showing Kim the crowds lining the streets, the meeting with the U.S. president, article in the newspapers saying great progress was made and it also said that the two leader have committed to a third summit even though President Trump specifically said during his press conference that he is not sure if he will have a third meeting with Kim Jong-un.

KOSIK: OK. CNN's Will Ripley, thanks so much.

BRIGGS: Sticking with the summit, the president once again under fire from Democrats and Republicans for taking the word of a brutal dictator over his own intel agencies. The president says when he met with Kim Jong-un in Hanoi, he discussed the injuries suffered by Otto Warmbier while in North Korean custody, injuries that proved fatal.

Here's how the president then characterized the discussion.

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TRUMP: I don't believe that he would have allowed that to happen. It just wasn't to his advantage to allow that to happen. He felt very badly.

But he knew the case very well, but he knew it later. He tells me that he didn't know about it and I will take him at his word.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: Nikki Haley, though, former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. says on Twitter, quote, Americans know the cruelty that was placed on Otto Warmbier by the North Korean regime. Our hearts are with the Warmbier family for their strength and courage. We will never forget Otto.

And this from Republican Senator Mitt Romney --

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SEN. MITT ROMNEY (R), UTAH: I think there's no question that the government of North Korea has been responsible for a whole host of human rights abuses and atrocities.

I've never heard somebody who did something wrong jump up and say yes, I did it, I did it. Internationally, they typically try and blame someone else. So let's follow our intelligence community.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: Here is the reaction from influential conservative Ben Shapiro who tweeted: F-ing pathetic.

KOSIK: Michael Cohen returning to Capitol Hill on March 6th to finish closed door testimony to the House Intelligence Committee. Intel Chairman Adam Schiff announcing Cohen will come back next Wednesday after Trump's former lawyer and fixer finished part one of his testimony yesterday. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ADAM SCHIFF (D-CA), CHAIRMAN, HOUSE PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE: He was able to shed light on a lot of issues that are very core to our investigation and we were able to drill down in great detail. None of the questions we had for him went unanswered.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: Since it was secret testimony we don't know exactly what was said, of course. But, Cohen's attorney, Lanny Davis, appeared last night on MSNBC and offered this explanation for Cohen's return engagement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LANNY DAVIS, ATTORNEY FOR MICHAEL COHEN: Today, new information was developed that really could be game-changing. And, Chairman Schiff and everybody in the room who wasn't a partisan Republican praised him for his honesty and forthrightness. And the development of this new information is the reason that he's coming back next Wednesday.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: Davis saying his clients' new information was not about Russia collusion but about lying and obstruction. This after Cohen's blockbuster appearance before the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday. Under pointed questioning from Democratic Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Cohen claimed President Trump inflated and deflated his assets to suit his business needs, something that could amount to financial fraud.

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REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY), MEMBER, HOUSE COMMITTEE ON OVERSIGHT AND REFORM: To your knowledge, did the president ever provide inflated assets to an insurance company?

MICHAEL COHEN, PRESIDENT TRUMP'S FORMER PERSONAL ATTORNEY: Yes.

OCASIO-CORTEZ: Who else knows that the president did this?

COHEN: Allen Weisselberg, Ron Lieberman, and Matthew Calamari.

OCASIO-CORTEZ: And where would the committee find more information on this? Do you think we need to review his financial statements and his tax returns in order to compare them?

COHEN: Yes, and you'd find it at the Trump Org.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: We heard Allen Weisselberg's name at least, I'd say more than a dozen times. He's the Trump Organization CFO. He's among the Trump associates the Intel Committee says it plans to question. BRIGGS: Cohen may also be facing a perjury problem. Two of the

president's closest allies on the House Oversight Committee have referred Cohen to the DOJ for possible criminal prosecution. They claim to have evidence Cohen, quote, committed perjury and knowingly made false statements to lawmakers.

Among the areas of Cohen's public testimony they want the Justice Department to investigate is this claim --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: I was extremely proud to be personal attorney to the President of the United States of America. I did not want to go to the White House.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: CNN has repeatedly reported to the contrary that Cohen eagerly pursued and expected to get a job in the White House.

[05:10:06] Congressman Jim Jordan, you saw there, and Congressman Mark Meadows, point to court filings from federal prosecutors in Manhattan, the documents state Cohen, quote, privately told friends and colleagues including in seized text messages that he expected to be given a prominent role and title in the new administration. Cohen will soon start serving a prison sentence for previously lying to Congress.

KOSIK: President Trump's chief economic adviser Larry Kudlow has thoughts on how the green new deal would affect the economy. Listen to what he said yesterday.

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LARRY KUDLOW, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL ECONOMIC COUNCIL: The Green New Deal would literally destroy the economy, literally.

(APPLAUSE)

It would knock out energy, transportation, airlines, jobs, businesses. We'd probably lose 10 percent to 15 percent of our GDP. It's remarkable.

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KOSIK: Kudlow slammed the proposal recently introduced by Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Ed Markey. The package of legislation is aimed at addressing climate change and economic inequality.

The Green New Deal proposes providing all people with high quality health care, affordable safe and adequate housing, economic security and access to clean water, clean air, healthy and affordable food and nature. The Green New Deal has been heavily criticized by many on the right. Kudlow called universal health care and ending private insurance crazy

ideas, citing high costs. After Kudlow's remark, Senator Markey tweeted this: Climate change is literally destroying the planet. According to the Trump administration's national climate assessment, with no action climate change will result in 10 percent GDP loss by 2090. A Green New Deal addresses this climate reality, not right wing misinformation.

BRIGGS: Ahead, a potential blow to Benjamin Netanyahu's re-election bid. The Israeli prime minister facing an indictment on corruption charges. A live report from Jerusalem is next.

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[05:16:15] KOSIK: Welcome back.

A serious blow to Benjamin Netanyahu's chances for re-election in April. After Israel's attorney general announcing that the prime minister will be indicted -- accusations of bribery and breach of trust stemming from three separate investigations. Netanyahu says the impending charges are political while his main challenger is calling on him to resign.

CNN's Oren Liebermann is joining us now live from Jerusalem with the latest.

So, we are seeing Netanyahu running for a fifth term in office. Here is a question for you and what has been plaguing me, if he is reelected, can a sitting prime minister be indicted?

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: There is no -- there is nothing barring the attorney general in Israel from indicting a sitting prime minister, although it would be a momentous occasion because it has never happened before. The best analogy is ten years ago, that prime minister, and this is going back more than 10 years, Ehud Olmert, he was going to be indicted but he saw the writing on the wall and resigned before that indictment was officially handed down.

However, Netanyahu is not going to do that, he has vowed to fight these charges. He has called them political persecution, saying it is an attempt by the media and left to pressure the attorney general for issue the indictments against him. So, certainly, there's no indication that he has any intention of stepping down.

The big announcement of course coming late last night, the attorney general saying that he intends to indict the prime minister on charges of breach of trust in two smaller cases and in a much larger case on charges of bribery and breach are of trust.

Netanyahu is entitled to a hearing but that hearing won't be until after the election and his complaint is that he won't have his chance to present his case to voters before that April 9th election.

KOSIK: I know polls are coming out. It's going to be interesting to see what the polls say and continue to watch this election. Thanks so much. BRIGGS: All right. Legendary composer Andre Previn has died.

Previn won four Academy Awards including for "My Fair Lady". He was also a conductor and he won ten Grammys and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In that career that spanned accept decades, he was married for a time to Mia Farrow with whom he had six children. Andre Previn was 89.

KOSIK: An apparent health scare for actor Luke Perry. A spokesman says that actor is in a Los Angeles hospital for observation but would not elaborate. Perry rose to fame in the '80s as a brooding teen heartthrob on the show "Beverly Hills 90210".

Eighties. That was actually the '90s. And this news of the hospitalization coming on the same day Fox announced a reboot of "90210" that will feature all of the original starts, except Perry and Shannon Doherty. She posted a message of support for Perry on Instagram saying this: My friend holding you tight and giving you my strength. You got this.

BRIGGS: Dylan McKay, legendary character.

All right. Ahead on the whole he'd rather be in Philly, the Phillies and Bryce Harper agree to the richest deal in U.S. sports history. Andy Scholes has the mind blowing numbers in the "Bleacher Report."

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[04:24:04] BRIGGS: The wait is over. This year's free agency prize, Bryce Harper, agreeing to a record deal with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Andy Scholes has more in the "Bleacher Report."

Andy, I know batting average doesn't matter that much today, but he hit .249 this year. He is a .269 career hitter.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, but the potential, right, Dave. And the Phillies said that they would spend stupid money and here we are. After months of negotiations, Bryce Harper agreeing to the richest contract in U.S. sports history. According to reports, he is heading to Philly on a 13-year deal worth $330 million.

Harper spent the first seven seasons of his career with the Washington Nationals. He's one of the most coveted free agents ever because of his age. Harper is only 26 years old, but 13 years is a long time. The contract reportedly also has no opt outs as well.

And think about this, when Harper reaches the end of his deal, the players that he will be playing with are 12 years old right now.

[05:25:06] And here is a look at how Harper's deal stacked up against the richest in baseball. He's on top. Giancarlo Stanton's monster deal is now going to be the second richest. Manny Machado and Nolan Arenado followed. Three out of four of these deals were signed this offseason. And Phillies fans super excited about Harper as is Jake Arrieta, he

posted this video saying getting the house ready for Bryce Harper.

And after it just one season, "Monday Night Football" Jason Witten is returning to play for the cowboys. Witten retired from the NFL after the 2017 season but in a release yesterday said the fire inside of me to compete and play this game is just burning too strong.

Witten turns 37 years old in May. ESPN says they will determine next season's plans for Monday night football in the coming weeks. And you know, Witten didn't really get rave reviews as a commentator in the booth. So good for him deciding I still want to play the game of football.

BRIGGS: Yes, Twitter sarcastically remarked this is great news for fans -- of Monday Night Football.

Andy Scholes, good to see you.

SCHOLES: Right.

BRIGGS: Alison?

KOSIK: OK, Dave. Thanks.

"The New York Times" reports President Trump personally ordered a top secret security clearance for his son-in-law Jared Kushner, even though he was urged not to do it. Details ahead on EARLY START.

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