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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
Pelosi Stands Firm After Mueller's Final Word; Did White House Want USS McCain Moved?; Scare in Houston; Alex Trebek's "Mind Boggling" Progress. Aired 5-5:30a ET
Aired May 30, 2019 - 05:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN ANCHOR: And EARLY START continues right now.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT MUELLER, SPECIAL COUNSEL: If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.
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DAVE BRIGGS, CNN ANCHOR: The final word from Robert Mueller, some of it contradicts the attorney general. Nancy Pelosi giving no ground on impeachment.
KOSINSKI: Did the White House try to hide the name of John McCain on his namesake warship during the president's trip to Japan?
BRIGGS: A big scare in Houston. The screaming line drive hits a little girl in the stands.
[05:00:04] She is hospitalized. The batter understandably distraught.
KOSINSKI: And welcome news for Alex Trebek. The "Jeopardy" host making significant progress against pancreatic cancer. He calls it mind-boggling.
Good morning, and welcome to EARLY START. I'm Michelle Kosinski, in for Christine Romans.
BRIGGS: Good news for Alex.
Good morning to you.
Romans out in California. She'll show you that new Star Wars land out there in a bit.
I'm Dave Briggs, Thursday, May 30th, it is 5:00 a.m. in the East.
And we start with Mr. Mueller. The special counsel Robert Mueller has finally spoken up, offering up his first public comments on the Russia investigation after two years of silence. His words offering clear discrepancies with the explanations from the Attorney General Bill Barr.
And even though the Justice Department and Mueller's office released a joint statement claiming there is no conflict between them, the video suggests otherwise.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM BARR, ATTORNEY GENERAL: He was not saying that but for the OLC opinion, he would have found obstruction.
MUELLER: The special counsel's office is part of the Department of Justice, and by regulation, it was bound by that department policy. Charging the president with a crime was therefore not an option we could consider.
BARR: There was no evidence of the Trump campaign collusion with the Russian government's hacking.
MUELLER: There was insufficient evidence to charge a broader conspiracy.
BARR: The evidence developed by the special counsel is not sufficient to establish that the president committed an obstruction of justice offense.
MUELLER: If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSINSKI: There is now a focus on the DOJ guidelines that a sitting president cannot be indicted, and whether that guided Mueller's decision to punt on obstruction.
More now from CNN's Sara Murray in Washington.
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SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Dave and Michelle.
After two years of silence on his investigation, special counsel Robert Mueller appeared before the cameras Wednesday and he chose his words carefully, clearly stating that he did not clear President Trump of obstruction of justice.
MUELLER: If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so. We did not, however, make a determination as to whether the president did commit a crime.
MURRAY: Mueller explained that charging the president with a crime wasn't an option for him. Justice Department policy states a president cannot be charged with a federal crime while in office.
Instead, Mueller appeared to point the obstruction issue to Congress, ramping up pressure on Capitol Hill for impeachment. He also hammered home the seriousness of Russia's attempts to interfere in the 2016 election, saying those efforts deserve every American's attention.
Back to you, guys.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRIGGS: Sara Murray, thanks.
The White House trying to put its own spin on Mueller's remarks. It seems they see it as an opportunity to move on.
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SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: There was no real news in there. He reiterated the points he had already made in the report, and we agree with him. There's no collusion. There was no conspiracy. And we consider this case closed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: That sounded an awful lot like this tweet from the president: Nothing changes from the Mueller report. There was insufficient evidence and therefore in our country, a person is innocent. The case is closed.
KOSINSKI: Robert Mueller is a man of few words, and he made it clear in his ten-minute statement that he would like to keep it that way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MUELLER: My work speaks for itself. And the report is my testimony. So beyond what I have said here today and what is contained in our written work, I do not believe it is appropriate for me to speak further about the investigation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSINSKI: So that puts House Democrats now in a tight spot.
Phil Mattingly on Capitol Hill with more.
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PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Now, Michelle and Dave, for Democrats who have been clamoring for impeachment, who have been pressuring Speaker Nancy Pelosi to pursue impeachment, there's no question about it, Robert Mueller's public remarks provided just new ammunition for that effort.
But there's also another reality here, they are not the majority. Who's that according to? Well, the speaker herself. Take a listen.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): The House Democrats have been very, shall we say conscientious about how they reached their decisions, maybe 38 of them out of 238 have been outspoken on impeachment, and many reflecting their views as well as those of their constituents. Many constituents want to impeach the president. But we wanted what is right and what gets results.
MATTINGLY: And, guys, that's actually a really important window into the behind the scenes here. Pelosi has made clear she believes the track house Democrats are on, multiple committees conducting multiple investigations on the administration in the whole, and the president himself is the right pathway. She said repeatedly she believes impeachment is a divisive issue, particularly if the public is not behind them.
And public polling would show, that remains the case. There's also the reality of the Republican-led Senate. Republican after Republican, even in the wake of Robert Mueller's remarks, have made clear they believe the case is closed.
[05:05:00] They believe everyone should move on.
That is why Pelosi is maintaining her track, and she's not alone. House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler saying something that he has now said for the last couple of weeks, impeachment is not off the table but at least at the moment it's not on the table either. They are not going to pursue that -- guys.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BRIGGS: OK, Phil, thanks.
The House speaker insists she will not be swayed on impeachment by the Democratic candidates for president. But that's not stopping the 2020 hopefuls from weighing in.
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SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I believe that expungement proceedings will strengthen Congress's hand in getting the information and the responses that they need to come to a conclusion about ultimate impeachment.
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: These are impeachable offenses. It is our constitutional responsibility as members of Congress to bring a judgment of impeachment against this president.
SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think it's a fair inference from what we heard in that press conference that Bob Mueller was essentially referring impeachment to the United States Congress.
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It is an unprecedented moment in American history and the time is now for us to act in an unprecedented way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: Front running Democrat Joe Biden ignored questions about Mueller's remarks. His campaign calls the road blocks used by the Trump administration, quote, truly troubling. KOSINSKI: Talks were held between the White House and the Navy about
keeping the USS John McCain out of sight before President Trump's recent trip to Japan. E-mails were exchanged about moving the warship, but a senior Navy official tells CNN the plan was scrubbed once navy brass became aware of it. The president and McCain were frequently at odds before and during Trump's presidency up until the senator's death last August.
BRIGGS: "The Wall Street Journal" reports a tarp was put in place to cover the ship's name but three Navy officials deny it was there when Trump was in Japan. President Trump said late Wednesday he had not been made aware of any plans concerning the ship. Before that, McCain's daughter Meghan responding to "The Journal's" reporting, calling Trump, quote, a child who will always be deeply threatened by greatness of my dad's incredible life.
KOSINSKI: Twisters have struck the U.S. now for two weeks straight. There were 23 tornado reports Wednesday, including this one in Canton, Texas.
Severe weather in Kentucky ripping a roof off a building and on to a car, killing a person inside. No end in sight, too, for the historic flooding. The Arkansas River is now approaching record levels. Thousands of homes could be impacted in Arkansas. In hard hit Sand Springs, Oklahoma, engineers worked to repair a dirt levee protecting the town's business district, 150 homes there have been damaged. Flooding has receded slightly there thanks to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reducing flows from the keystone dam nearby.
BRIGGS: Five o'seven Eastern Time.
And more headaches on Wall Street. The Dow fell 221 points Wednesday, closing at its weakest point since February. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq both closed below 1 percent as well. Concerns about the impact to the U.S.-China trade war are rising. Investors are worried that tariffs will slow the global economy and ding corporate profits.
There's also growing concern that China will place restrictions on rare earth exports, elements crucial to the production of high-tech devices that include smartphones and missile systems. About 80 percent of all rare earth minerals imported to the U.S. are from China.
Also on the business front, a dedication ceremony last night for Disney's Star War's Galaxy's Edge, featured Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, George Lucas, and Billy Dee Williams.
Christine Romans sat down with Disney chief Bob Iger as Disney prepares to open Galaxy's Edge tomorrow.
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BOB IGER, DISNEY CEO: We wanted this to be both an homage to the past, we're believers in protecting legacy, but also a strong eye or, you know, a directional sign into the future. CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: What was the
toughest part or the challenge of creating this land, especially when you're, you know, under the eyes of Star Wars fans who really, really love this story?
IGER: There was never too much detail. We did sweat all of the details, you know, right down to their finest points. I think the biggest challenge was at some point, we had to stop and actually open the place.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGGS: Romans also asked Bob Iger about streaming wars and the trade wars. We'll have that for you tomorrow morning.
And if you go to that new land before June 23rd, just a reminder, you need reservations, don't just show up next week and expect to walk in. You need to get online.
KOSINSKI: So, that's where Christine is at.
BRIGGS: She's having some fun.
KOSINSKI: A galaxy far, far away.
BRIGGS: Well, not that far away, but I like that. Well done.
KOSINSKI: Yes.
Another state poised to ban abortions after a heart beat is detected.
[05:10:03] This time the governor who will sign it is a Democrat.
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BRIGGS: Louisiana lawmakers passing a bill to ban abortions once a fetal heartbeat is detected, with no exceptions for rape or incest. That can be as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. The state's Democratic governor, John Bel Edwards, says he will sign measure. Under the law, doctors who perform abortions after a heart beat is detected would face a thousand dollar fine or up to two years in prison.
[05:15:04] Louisiana becoming the fifth state to enact a so-called heart beat bill, along with Alabama's near total abortion ban reflects a strong conservative push to bring a Supreme Court challenge to Roe v. Wade.
KOSINSKI: Raw emotion on full display in an Oklahoma courtroom in the country's first case examining whether drugmakers can be held responsible for the deadly grip of painkiller addiction.
Craig Box took back tears describing his late son Austin's death. The football star at the University of Oklahoma died of an opioid overdose in 2011. He was just 22 and Box says he's not alone.
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CRAIG BOX, SON DIED FROM OPIOID OVERDOSE: We heard from so many parents that have lost children to similar circumstances, the same story as us, had no idea, had no clue about the prevalence of these drugs.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSINSKI: Oklahoma's attorney general pointed to a study that says the pediatric death rate tripled from 1999 to 2016 because of opioids. Mike Hunter is accusing drug makers of a cynical, deceitful brainwashing campaign to establish opioids as the magic drug. Drugmakers deny any wrong doing.
BRIGGS: The smallest baby ever born is out of the hospital and doing fine this morning. Baby Saybie was only 8.6 ounces when she was delivered last December in San Diego, at 23 weeks and three days.
Saybie's mother had to go undergo an emergency C-section, when doctors realized the baby was not gaining weight and the mom's life was at risk. Saybie was released from the hospital yesterday weighing a healthy 5.6 pounds.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEX TREBEK, HOST, "JEOPARDY!": You're going to add some money to that $43,000. How much? $25,119. That bumps you today to $69,033 and give you a 30-day total of $2,323,971.
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KOSINSKI: Two million dollars, and all you have to do is know everything.
The 30th straight "Jeopardy!" win for James Holzhauer. He's now less than $200,000 away from the all-time record for "Jeopardy!" winnings.
And "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek is on a winning streak of his own. Trebek revealing he is in near remission now after announcing in March he was diagnosed with stage-four pancreatic cancer. The five-year survival rate is 9 percent, and the 78-year-old Trebek tells "People" magazine, it's kind of mind-boggling. The doctors said they hadn't seen this kind of positive result in their memory.
Trebek still must undergo several rounds of chemo before he can be declared fully in remission.
BRIGGS: Great man.
Uber may ban passengers for rating significantly below average. Offending passengers will receive several notifications before losing access to the app, but they will get a chance to improve their rating and remain in good standing. Suggestions include being polite, avoiding leaving trash in the vehicle and refrain from asking drivers to speed.
KOSINSKI: Right.
BRIGGS: Uber did not disclose what the rating threshold would be for riders who risk getting kicked to the curb. A spokesperson telling CNN it will vary city by city.
You reportedly have some experience with being banned from Twitter -- from Uber.
KOSINSKI: I was banned.
BRIGGS: What did you do?
KOSINSKI: I don't like a dirty car, and that apparently is a problem for some.
BRIGGS: Are you still banned?
KOSINSKI: No, they banned me. I suspect often I will say to a driver, your car is too dirty, man. I can't get in that. I'm usually nice about it.
So I suspect they then complained bitterly about my poor attitude, and being a terrible human. They banned me but only for five minutes. I'm taking this to Uber court.
BRIGGS: Good to know you're back.
All right. A big league slugger reduced to tears when his foul ball hits a little girl in the stands. Coy Wire with this emotional story in the "Bleacher Report", next.
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[05:24:03] BRIGGS: A very scary moment last night during the Cubs- Astros game after a foul ball hits a young girl.
Coy Wire has this story in the "Bleacher Report".
Good morning, my friend. This was hard to watch.
COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Dave.
This heartbreaking incident in Houston made Cubs star Kris Bryant and Jason Heyward advocate for the protective netting to be extended even farther down the foul line. Cubs outfielder, Albert Almora Jr., father of two boys himself, hit a line drive down the 3rd base line and the ball hits a 4-year-old girl watching the game with her family.
Almora overcome with emotions, you can see looks of horror in the stands. The girl crying as she is carried out of the ballpark. Almora went to the area where they were sitting and broke down crying as a security guard held him in her arms.
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ALBERT ALMORA JR., CUBS OUTFIELDER: As soon as I hit it, the first person I locked eyes on was her, so that's what -- yes, with God willing I'll be able to have a relationship with this little girl for the rest of my life.
[05:25:09] But just prayers right now, and that's all I really can control.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WIRE: The Astros released a statement saying the girl was taken to a hospital but they were unable to give further details of her condition.
Before last season, all Major League teams extended protective netting to at least the far ends of the dugouts.
On to hockey, game two of the Stanley Cup final in Boston between the Bruins and St. Louis Blues. Patriots coach Bill Belichick knows a thing or six about championships, on hand, waving the Bruins banner before an overtime. They're tied at two.
Now, Blues desperate for a win and they get it. Carl Gunnarsson with a bullet in the blue line, just the third player in history to have his first playoff goal be the game winner in OT. Game two, Blues beating the Bruins 3-2, this is St. Louis's first win in the finals. Series tied at one apiece, with game three Saturday in St. Louis.
Game one of the NBA Finals tips off tonight. The Golden State Warriors are going for the third consecutive title and a fourth in five years. Standing in their way, the Toronto Raptors, playing in the finals for the very first time.
With games one and two in Toronto, it's a near certainty that Raptors rapper super fan Drake will be there. But do not expect courtside antics for him. NBA commissioner Adam Silver reportedly spoke with Drake about toning down his act. Bad news for Raptors fan Drake himself and also for coach Nick Nurse who will not be getting any back rubs, we suspect.
BRIGGS: You don't get any back rub. You got to mic Drake up, right, and just let Drake be Drake. I mean, the series could be quick. So, let's have some entertainment after all.
WIRE: I'm with you, Dave.
BRIGGS: Coy Wire, thank you, my friend.
What's coming up?
KOSINSKI: Everybody wants to get in on the act.
BRIGGS: That is indeed true.
KOSINSKI: Nancy Pelosi refuses to be goaded into impeachment, not by the president, and not by Robert Mueller.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MUELLER: If we had had confidence that the president clearly did not commit a crime, we would have said so.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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