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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Joe Biden Launches Campaign And Rivals Attack; Measles Quarantine Ordered At Los Angeles Universities; Second Fire This Week At Pennsylvania Church. Aired 5:30-6a ET
Aired April 26, 2019 - 05:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[05:30:00] MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN ANCHOR: Renewed challenges from past and present for Joe Biden. His 2020 launch a stark reminder why he poses a threat to Donald Trump and himself.
DAVE BRIGGS, CNN ANCHOR: Hundreds of faculty and staff quarantined at two California universities. They have to stay away unless they can prove they've been vaccinated from the measles.
KOSINSKI: Police ruling nothing out after a Pennsylvania church catches fire for the second time in one week. The first time was ruled arson.
BRIGGS: And the next generation of the NFL. Who and where, and which player almost toppled the Comish at the NFL draft. What a show they put on Nashville, Tennessee last night -- back at it tonight.
Welcome back to EARLY START. Happy Friday. I'm Dave Briggs.
KOSINSKI: Happy Friday.
BRIGGS: Oh, it feels good.
KOSINSKI: I'm Michelle Kosinski. It's half past the hour.
Well, Joe Biden is in and he's already under attack from all sides. The former vice president running for the White House and no one took notice faster than the current occupant. Biden is the Democrat President Trump has long worried he would face in the general election, so the president went right after him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think that when you look at Joe -- I've known Joe over the years. He's not the brightest light bulb in the group, but he's a pretty sleepy guy.
He's not going to be able to deal with President Xi, I will tell you. That's a different level of energy and, frankly, intelligence.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: Biden's announcement video was largely free of biography and policy. Instead, he went straight at one of the president's most shocking moments.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Very fine people on both sides? With those words, the President of the United States assigned a moral equivalence between those spreading hate and those with the courage to stand against it. And in that moment I knew the threat to this nation was unlike any I'd ever seen in my lifetime.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSINSKI: Biden already faces challenges from his present and his past.
Anita Hill says she is not satisfied after having a conversation with Biden. The former V.P. shared his regret for what she endured during a 1991 Supreme Court hearings for Justice Clarence Thomas. That's a point he's also recently made in public.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: When Anita Hill came to testify she faced a committee that didn't fully understand what the hell it was all about.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: Biden oversaw the Thomas hearings.
But, Anita Hill declined to call the conversation an apology, telling "The New York Times" quote, "I cannot be satisfied by simply saying I'm sorry for what happened to you. I will be satisfied when I know there is real change and real accountability and real purpose."
KOSINSKI: Biden is also taking fire from Democrats to his left. Senator Elizabeth Warren questioning Biden's ties to Wall Street.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: At a time when the biggest financial institutions in this country who tried to put the squeeze on millions of hardworking families, they just didn't have any. And, Joe Biden is on the side of the credit card companies.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: Bernie Sanders' campaign sent fundraising e-mails with Biden's name in the subject line, attacking Biden for launching his run, quote, "...with a fundraiser in the home of a corporate lobbyist."
KOSINSKI: Biden was in Philadelphia last night for his first big donor event. Today, Biden will be on "THE VIEW."
Over the next few weeks he'll campaign in California, Nevada, Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. His big 2020 kickoff rally is set for Philadelphia on May 18th. BRIGGS: All right, let's talk about all of this with Washington, "Politico" congressional reporter Melanie Zanona. Good morning to you and Happy Friday.
KOSINSKI: Good morning.
MELANIE ZANONA, CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER, POLITICO: Good morning. Thank you.
BRIGGS: You've really paid your dues for this early morning Friday in staying up late and listening to a Trump rant with Sean Hannity --
ZANONA: Yes.
BRIGGS: -- in which you kind of get a sense of where the president wants to attack Joe Biden with this "Sleepy Joe" nickname. This was actually crowd-tested? I thought maybe he was autocorrected from "Sloppy Joe."
What do you make of the opening salvo from President Trump against Biden?
ZANONA: Yes. Well, my colleagues at "Politico" actually reported that he was workshopping this nickname and had been really trying to come up with the perfect nickname for him. I think it's sort of an evolution on "Low Energy Jeb."
BRIGGS: Kind of.
ZANONA: But look, I just think it reflects the fact that Trump is really nervous. He thinks Biden could possibly be the best candidate to beat him in 2020. And that's why you're seeing him ask questions about Biden, come up with these nicknames, going directly after him in that interview last night.
And the reason is because Biden could really win back those working- class white voters who fled the party -- the Democratic Party in 2016. And he could really sort of win back that industrial Midwest that went for Trump.
KOSINSKI: And, you know, the Anita Hill issue keeps coming up, especially with this conversation they had. I mean, whether it was an apology or not.
[05:35:04] Trump, himself, has faced accusations. Of course, it really only matters how those affect his base.
But we need to know how this will affect Biden's base. Melanie, what do you think?
ZANONA: Yes. Well look, I think the Anita Hill hearing was always going to be a weak spot for Biden. He tried to tamp down those criticisms early by calling her to apologize in the weeks leading up to his official launch. But clearly, he's going to have to do more to put this controversy to bed. Anita Hill said she wasn't satisfied and I think a lot of other people in the party are going to feel like this wasn't enough. That this apology rings hollow. I mean, he had years to apologize and he only is now doing it, so I don't know --
BRIGGS: Yes.
ZANONA: -- if that's a public apology or making it part of his campaign platform focused on combating sexual assault, but he's going to have to do more.
KOSINSKI: Yes, he started off --
BRIGGS: And he swung and missed at that thing. Twenty years to apologize.
KOSINSKI: It was just -- you don't want to start off your campaign apologizing, necessarily. It's always a tough question how to handle that.
BRIGGS: Donald Trump is president.
KOSINSKI: Yes.
BRIGGS: Apologizing, he never does. So that is not what the American people are looking for in a president.
ZANONA: That's right, that's right. But they also want to be able to draw a contrast between Trump and Biden --
KOSINSKI: There you go.
ZANONA: -- and that's difficult to do when he has these sorts of things hanging over him.
BRIGGS: Yes, but do you want a guy who's an apologist taking on the bully? I don't know.
Let's talk about the announcement video yesterday. Aside from the Charlottesville issue we highlighted on, Joe Biden really talked about the soul of this country -- about who we are -- listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BIDEN: We are in the battle for the soul of this nation. I believe history will look back on four years of this president and all he embraces as an abhorrent moment in time. But if we give Donald Trump eight years in the White House he will forever and fundamentally alter the character of this nation -- who we are -- and I cannot stand by and watch that happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: "Who we are." He said "we" 16 times in this announcement video.
And, you know, I hear my peers day after day talking about how far the party has moved.
Well, you cover Congress. What happened in the midterms? Was it the far left or was it the moderates that really represented that blue wave, and how does that message resonate with the moderates?
ZANONA: Well, when you really dig down into the numbers of the midterms it was actually these moderates and centrists who helped deliver the House to the Democrats. There's about 40 Democrats right now who are sitting in these Trump-won districts and I think that's why you do see Biden making that play for those moderate voters.
And he does have a much more centrist record than some of his other rivals in the 2020 race, so he's in a completely different lane right now.
But look, I would just say one more thing about the video -- what really struck me as a sort of darker --
KOSINSKI: Yes.
ZANONA: -- tone and message --
BRIGGS: Yes.
ZANONA: -- we saw from it, especially compared to some of the other launch videos we've seen. It's also a stark contrast to Obama's message of inspiration, and hope, and change. So it could be a risky gamble but we'll see --
BRIGGS: Sure.
ZANONA: -- if it pays off.
BRIGGS: Long way to go.
KOSINSKI: Yes, they clearly felt the timing was right for that.
So, he's taking some heat from progressives in his own party, some of them saying he doesn't represent where the energy is. And, of course, Trump has been hitting him.
Listen to how he broadened it out to the other Democratic candidates, as well.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEAN HANNITY, HOST, FOX NEWS "THE SEAN HANNITY SHOW": What about Bernie Sanders?
TRUMP: Well, he's got a lot of energy but he's got misguided energy. I think he talks a lot and doesn't get it done.
HANNITY: Robert Frances O'Rourke?
TRUMP: I think he is fading very, very fast. It looks like he's going to be a thing of the past pretty soon, but -- HANNITY: Mayor Pete, Kamala Harris?
TRUMP: I think she's got a little bit of a nasty wit, but that might be it. And, Mayor Pete is not going to make it. I would -- I hope he would -- I hope. I'm rooting for him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSINSKI: Yes, not exactly going deep there on the criticism and where he is going to hit it.
BRIGGS: He rooting for Pete, which was interesting.
KOSINSKI: Oh, I don't know if I would call that rooting for, but maybe in Trump-speak that's a glowing endorsement.
BRIGGS: Maybe.
KOSINSKI: What do you think, Melanie?
ZANONA: Yes. I mean, so with the president going after all these 2020 candidates he was really in his element. I wouldn't be surprised if we do start to see some nicknames where a Pete mayor, a Pete Buttigieg.
But look, I think the president is also a little frustrated that the airwaves are not all about him anymore. He was really used to having the spotlight.
Even Fox News has been hosting town halls with Democratic candidates, including Bernie Sanders. And you've seen him lash out at Fox News over the last couple of week and criticize their role in this.
So I think he's really trying to sort of seize back the narrative. He did that interview with Fox News last night. He'll be doing a rally tomorrow in Wisconsin in place of the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
BRIGGS: That's right.
ZANONA: So you really see him trying to get that media attention back.
KOSINSKI: Yes.
BRIGGS: The nickname that won the day yesterday was actually on Twitter -- "Deranged Donald" -- from George Conway, the prominent lawyer and the husband of Kellyanne Conway. So, you know, this is the nickname game. This is where we are in 2019. It's not all about policy --
KOSINSKI: You can sense some --
BRIGGS: -- whether we like it or not.
ZANONA: It's messaging, right. KOSINSKI: Right.
BRIGGS: Yes, yes.
KOSINSKI: And you can sense some, really, worry there, I think, about Biden and the --
[05:40:03] BRIGGS: I think so, too -- yes.
KOSINSKI: He goes a little extra there.
BRIGGS: It will be interesting.
ZANONA: Right.
BRIGGS: Melanie, great to have you here on a Friday. Have a --
KOSINSKI: Thanks, Melanie.
BRIGGS: -- wonderful weekend.
ZANONA: Thanks for having me.
BRIGGS: All right.
A quarantine ordered at two public universities in Los Angeles, trying to stop the spread of a measles outbreak. Students and staff at UCLA and Cal State L.A. exposed to a confirmed case of the highly- contagious disease have been ordered to stay home and avoid contact with others. The order affects hundreds of students and employees who cannot prove they've been vaccinated.
KOSINSKI: And now, a fourth case has been confirmed at Los Angeles International Airport. And back East, Rockland County, New York has a renewed state of emergency.
Measles cases in the U.S. this week set a new record for the highest number since the disease was declared eliminated nationwide in 2000. Now, 695 cases in 22 states. Those numbers growing daily.
Health officials say anti-vaccine myths have played a key role in this outbreak.
BRIGGS: All right.
A second fire breaking out a Pennsylvania church already damaged by arson. Firefighters were called to the Pentecostal Church of Bethlehem Thursday to put out a fire in the chapel area. An arsonist torched the same church two days earlier.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NITZA COLON, PASTOR'S DAUGHTER: It was heartbreaking and really sad that this would happen for the second time, and I said who would do such a thing? I mean, what else can they burn in the building?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: Authorities are not saying whether the latest fire is also arson but are not ruling anything out.
Ahead, some big companies -- Amazon, Ford, Starbucks, and Microsoft revealing first-quarter numbers. Which company was valued at over $1 trillion?
KOSINSKI: And it's a night of premieres. See what happens when victims and offenders of violent crimes meet face-to-face on the new CNN original series "THE REDEMPTION PROJECT WITH VAN JONES," Sunday night at 9:00, followed by the much-anticipated season four of "UNITED SHADES OF AMERICA" with W. Kamau Bell at 10:00.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[05:46:15] KOSINSKI: How does 1-day free shipping sound? Amazon is spending $800 million to make it standard for its prime customers. The company changed the game when it introduced free 2-day shipping for prime customers over a decade ago.
Amazon is not saying when the 1-day option will become standard or whether prime members will see a rate hike. Analysts say this move could expand the types of products consumers are willing to order online.
BRIGGS: All right, a check on "CNN Business."
Corporate earnings dominated Wall Street's attention with major tech and consumer companies reporting their first-quarter results.
Amazon's profit machine showing little signs of slowing down, posting a record profit of $3.6 billion. That marks the sixth-straight quarter where Amazon's profits have topped $1 billion.
Microsoft's earnings sent the company over the trillion-dollar mark for a bit. Its revenue climbed 14 percent to $30.6 billion.
Ford shares also jumped on solid earnings, reporting a revenue of $40 billion during the quarter. Ford expects sales and profits for 2019 to top last year.
Starbucks' stock rose after-hours after its positive results. Sales at U.S. stores jumped four percent, and three percent in China.
On the other hand, 3M struggled in the quarter and is now cutting 2,000 jobs. The industrial manufacturer announced the cuts after reporting weak sales and cutting its guidance for the year.
Investors around the world watching corporate earnings. Asian markets closed lower. European markets are basically flat.
And on Wall Street, futures are pointing lower as investors wait for that GDP number. U.S. stocks ended Thursday mixed.
The Dow finished 135 points down. The Nasdaq closed slightly higher but fell two points short of setting a new all-time high. The S&P 500 finished with little change.
The big event today, again, first-quarter GDP. Investors will be watching closely after worries about a U.S. economic slowdown weighed on their minds at the start of the year.
Uber lowering its target ahead of its initial public offering could value the ride-hailing giant at $90 billion. "The Wall Street Journal" reports the company is looking to price its shares between $44.00 and $50.00 when it makes its range public today.
Uber had previously said its IPO would value the company between $90 billion and $100 billion. The filing is also expected to include news of a roughly $500 million investment in Uber by PayPal.
"Avengers: Endgame" is finally here and Fortnite is getting in on the action. Fortnite debuted a limited time mode called "Fortnite Endgame" Thursday where players can join the battle for the infinity stones.
The online gaming giant had teased the project with the film's tagline "whatever it takes" and said players can even purchase moves from their favorite characters, like the black widow.
The game's free Battle Royale mode did a similar crossover last year for "Avengers: Infinity War."
Some analysts say the film could make $1 billion worldwide in the first week.
I can tell you this, there is a Fortnite reference in the new one. That's all I'll say. No spoiler, but a little teaser.
KOSINSKI: Synergy.
I thought you were going to bring your action figures in today and you were going to show some of the --
BRIGGS: I left them at home but I'm wearing Iron Man socks if it makes you feel any better.
KOSINSKI: You've got one in a pocket somewhere. I know you.
BRIGGS: We'll be right back.
[05:53:51] BRIGGS: Five fifty-three Eastern time.
A judge has given the Trump administration six months to identify potentially thousands of children separated from families along the southern border. District Judge Dana Sabraw said he would consider an extension after the government said it could take up to two years.
The administration will reportedly review 47,000 cases of unaccompanied children who were taken into custody between July 2017 and June 2018.
KOSINSKI: Officials in Washington, D.C. are reviewing police procedures after troubling incidents involving police and young kids. In March, a 10-year-old was handcuffed and arrested. And more recently, an officer forcibly handcuffed a 9-year-old who was leaning against a car and apparently talked back to the officer.
Councilman Charles Allen tells CNN the video causes distrust and damage to the community's relationship with law enforcement.
Well, it has been a soggy start to the weekend here in the Northeast. Here's meteorologist Ivan Cabrera.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
IVAN CABRERA, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning. In fact, not just a soggy start but I think the potential for severe weather as we head through later this afternoon.
We'll focus in on the mid-Atlantic and even parts of Florida with the tail end of the front. That's a marginal risk or a level one out of five.
[05:55:05] But further north, particularly North Carolina then heading into Virginia, this includes the D.C. metro for today. The potential for strong thunderstorms, damaging wind potential, hail, and even some rotating thunderstorms, although that risk, as far as tornadoes, is isolated but it's certainly not zero.
Watch as we put this into motion. You'll be able to see by later this afternoon things really get going and then by later on tonight this front is off-shore. So yes, we'll start with some rainfall for the early part of Saturday for the Northeast and then we'll begin to clear things out as head through the afternoon.
As far as the accumulation, there you go with the rainfall.
But close your eyes if you're in the Midwest. This is going to be a huge deal. Look at this snowfall. This is for late in the weekend with accumulating snowfall.
Check your calendars. My goodness, getting in May here and we're talking about some snowfall.
The East Coast will stay nice and warm with temperatures fluctuating in D.C. Staying nice and warm in the South with 70s and 80s, guys.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRIGGS: Wow, snowfall.
KOSINSKI: That's a lot.
BRIGGS: That's a little wild. All right.
The top pick in the NFL draft came as no huge surprise.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROGER GOODELL, COMMISSIONER, NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE: The Arizona Cardinals select Kyler Murray, quarterback, Oklahoma.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: The second year in a row an Oklahoma Q.B. goes number one. Kyler Murray, number one of the Cardinals.
Now the team must decide what to do with Josh Rosen, their first-round pick from a year ago and starting Q.B. last season.
Ohio State defensive end Nick Bosa the second pick, going to the 49ers. He follows his brother Joey, the Chargers first-round pick in 2016, and his father, John, a first-round choice in 1987. Amazing genes.
The New York Jets also went with defense. They took Alabama tackle Quinnen Williams at number three.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOODELL: And the New York Giants select Daniel Jones.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, no.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRIGGS: Ouch. That is how Giants fans reacted when the team selected Eli Manning's heir apparent, Duke quarterback Daniel Jones for the sixth pick.
The Miami Dolphins passed on the quarterback and took Clemson defensive lineman Christian Wilkins at 13, and he won't forget it. Neither will Roger Goodell, who got the jump-bump from the 6'3", 315- pound Wilkins. It nearly took him out on stage but the Comish kind of ducked that chest bump. Well played, avoiding the viral moment.
KOSINSKI: Good fashion game, too. We didn't even mention that.
BRIGGS: Oh, always on point. Yes, always.
KOSINSKI: An Alabama high school teacher will be there for his cancer-stricken daughter thanks to the kindness of his colleagues. David Green's 16-month-old daughter Kinsley is getting treatments for leukemia 100 miles away from their home.
When he used up all his sick days, though, to be with her, his wife went -- his wife went on Facebook to ask fellow teachers to donate one sick day each. They responded in a big way. David Green now has 100 additional sick days to spend with his little girl.
His wife says the family is blown away.
BRIGGS: Beautiful little girl --
KOSINSKI: Yes.
BRIGGS: -- and renewing our faith in humanity this morning. Well, you might remember this classic movie moment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JACK LEMMON, ACTOR, "GRUMPY OLD MEN": We'll settle this here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: You could forget "Grumpy Old Men" --
KOSINSKI: That is great.
BRIGGS: -- and if you believe Trevor Noah, a battle between President Trump and former V.P. Joe Biden could look similar.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TREVOR NOAH, HOST, "THE DAILY SHOW WITH TREVOR NOAH": Many are saying that Democrats are still likely to vote for Joe Biden, partly because of how progressive he's become and partly because of how good he is at getting under Trump's skin.
BIDEN: The press always asks me, don't I wish I were debating him. No, I wish we were in high school so I could take him behind that gym. That's what I wish.
TRUMP: And that would not last long. I'd go like this. He's down and he'll never get up -- he'll never get up.
NOAH: Old-man fights, old-man fights, old-man fights. This would be hilarious. These two dudes fighting like "Let's get ready to stumble."
It would be the most entertaining fight. They're going to knock each other's teeth out, then pick them back up and put them back in?
Honestly, I think they should make this fight happen just to raise money for charity. I think it's a win-win for everyone, right? Biden gets to stand up to Trump and Trump gets to secretly keep the money meant for charity. Everyone wins.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSINSKI: Ah --
BRIGGS: Everyone wins.
KOSINSKI: -- 2020.
Well, thanks for joining us. I'm Michelle Kosinski.
BRIGGS: It'll be fun.
I'm Dave Briggs. Here's "NEW DAY." Have a great weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This was his first fundraiser. He talked about the concern that the values of this country are at stake.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At all times, he's going to be aiming at Trump.
TRUMP: When you look at Joe, he's not the brightest bulb in the group.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Joe Biden has questions to answer just like every other candidate.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The president says he's going to block all of these subpoenas for saying that he has a right to do this.
TRUMP: I could have said nobody is going to testify. They do what I say.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You must respect the constitutional checks and balances. Trump is putting his own people in grave jeopardy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Alisyn Camerota and John Berman.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world. This is NEW DAY. Happy Friday.
END
