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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin
House to Go on Public with Impeachment Inquiry; Trump Moving to Florida; Trump Calls for Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage to Team Up. Aired 4-4:30a ET
Aired November 01, 2019 - 04:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:00:31]
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: The president's namesake tower losing its most tenured resident. Why is Donald Trump moving to Florida?
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking overnight, a new wildfire growing fast in Southern California. Thousands forced to evacuate. Is relief on the way?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT LEBLANC, ACTOR: Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.
DAVID SCHWIMMER, ACTOR: Happy Thanks --
JENNIFER ANISTON, ACTRESS: Happy Thanksgiving.
LEBLANC: Well, this has been great.
SCHWIMMER: See ya.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: If you're looking for a helping of "Friends" this Thanksgiving, classic holiday episodes are coming to movie theaters nationwide. You're going to have your unagi ready, Christine.
ROMANS: That's right.
SANCHEZ: Good morning to you, Christine. And good morning to you, all of your viewers in the United States and around the world. This is EARLY START. I'm Boris Sanchez, in for Dave Briggs.
ROMANS: Nice to see you this morning. And I'm Christine Romans. It is Friday, November 1st, 4:00 a.m. in New York, 1:00 a.m. in California.
All right. Just hours after the House officially made Donald Trump the fourth president in history to face impeachment, a defiant chief executive made very clear he has no plans to concede anything. In an Oval Office interview with "The Washington Examiner," the president said, "This is over a phone call that is a good call. At some point, I'm going to sit down, perhaps as a fireside chat on live television and I will read the transcript of the call because people have to hear it."
That's a reference to FDR's radio addresses from nearly a century ago, those fireside chats.
SANCHEZ: Yes. Something tells me Trump's fireside chats might be a little bit different. Maybe more gold plated than FDR's.
With Speaker Pelosi holding the gavel, not a single Republican voted to support the impeachment inquiry. Two Democrats did defect, crossing over to vote against it. The vote paves the way for a very private process to go public in the coming weeks. And while that was going on, a top National Security Council official who was on that call between President Trump and President Zelensky of Ukraine testified to impeachment investigators.
A source says he told lawmakers his predecessor advised him to stay away from the shadow Ukraine foreign policy being pursued by Trump's personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani. The NSC official also backed up damaging claims about the president.
Lauren Fox reports from Capitol Hill.
LAUREN FOX, CNN POLITICS CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: Well, a huge day on Capitol Hill yesterday as lawmakers, Republicans and Democrats, both forced to be on the record when it comes to where they stand on impeachment. The resolution they voted on yesterday sets out the rules for the next stage of this impeachment inquiry when these testimonies become public.
Also yesterday, Tim Morrison up on Capitol Hill where he largely corroborated testimony from Bill Taylor. He was a career diplomat who told lawmakers last week in a 15-page opening statement that he had concerns when he had learned that the president was trying to use nearly $400 million in U.S. military aid to Ukraine as a way to try to extract investigations that he hoped the Ukrainian government would announce against his political rivals.
Now, Morrison also testified yesterday on Capitol Hill that he didn't have any concerns about the legality of what President Trump said on that July 25th call, but he did say he had concerns about information leaking from that call because he said he worried that it could damage the U.S. relationship with Ukraine.
He also said he was part of the conversation about what to do with the call transcript following the July 25th call -- Boris and Christine.
ROMANS: Thank you for that, Lauren.
Washington has been fixated on impeachment for more than a month now. But in a lot of states Trump won in 2016, voters have been saying this is not their priority.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it's a waste of the taxpayers' money.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: You don't really follow the whole impeachment thing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. I don't really know what's about it at all.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the ones of us that support him will continue to support him. If you look at the economy, there's no way to deny that we're doing pretty amazing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He don't need to be taken out. He's the only one who's going to tell the truth and he can't be bought.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If it was out in the open, and everything was discussed, and he did something wrong, impeach the guy. I just don't like the secrecy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: And the "New York Times" and Sienna College pulled voters in Pennsylvania, Michigan, Florida, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Arizona, these where the states with the closest popular votes that went for Trump in 2016. Now, three years later, just 43 percent of voters in these six states want the president impeached and removed from office.
SANCHEZ: President Trump is giving up his namesake Manhattan tower as a permanent residence and declaring himself a resident of Florida.
[04:05:02]
Court documents and a series of tweets show the native New Yorker is moving to Mar-a-Lago whenever he's done in Washington. He writes, quote, "I cherish New York, but unfortunately, despite the fact that I pay millions of dollars in city, state and local taxes each year, I've been treated very badly by the political leaders."
Important to note, he doesn't mention federal taxes. There's obviously know where to check the rest because he hasn't released his personal tax returns.
ROMANS: And New York Governor Andrew Cuomo tweeting, "Good riddance. It's not like Donald Trump paid taxes here anyway. He's all yours, Florida." A source close to the president tells "The New York Times" the change was primarily for tax purposes. Florida has no income tax. The source says the president was also enraged by the Manhattan prosecutor's lawsuit to obtain Trump's tax returns. That case is likely headed to the Supreme Court in an election year.
SANCHEZ: We're following some breaking news overnight. A fast- growing fire in Ventura County, California. The Maria Fire has spread to about 5,000 acres, zero containment. 7500 residents in Santa Paula, northwest of L.A., are under mandatory evacuations.
You can see in this video fire vehicles driving straight through the flames. The Ventura County Fire Department says 400 firefighters are battling the fire from the ground and air. A pilot for KTLA was overhead as trucks narrowly avoided being seared by the flames. Look at that. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The second one in here, that fire is a little bit closer so he's just going to make a run for it. Get down here as quickly as possible and get away from the fire and continue down here to the east. Now he's right up on top of the hill. You see a big flare-up right there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Wow. All right. Several Ventura County school districts will be closed today.
In Northern California, 6700 PG&E customers remain without power as a result of a shutoff that began last weekend. The utility giant CEO was asked about struggling Californians having to clear out their refrigerators during these shutoffs.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL JOHNSON, CEO, PG&E: These events can be hard on people. Really hard on people, and particularly people who have struggles anyways. We didn't cause any fires. We didn't -- for these people. We didn't burn down any houses. The Kincade Fire is still under investigation. I got that. But, you know, one of the things we did was give them the opportunity to actually refill their refrigerator because their house is still there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Fourteen fires are burning across California. More than 200,000 acres have burned. That's more than 150,000 football fields. Fortunately, the danger is decreasing. High winds are starting to subside after a week of red flag warnings that have allowed fire crews to gain some ground.
ROMANS: All right. In just a few hours, the Labor Department will release the jobs report. Many expect the market -- the labor market took a hit. Analysts estimate that around 89,000 jobs were added in October, down from 136,000 in September. The unemployment is expected to tick up to 3.6 percent. That would be the slowest monthly jobs growth since May when only 62,000 jobs were added.
Among the sectors people will be watching manufacturing. Recent measures have shown the sector is in a technical recession. It's also expected to show how much the General Motors strike affected hiring. 50,000 people were not working during the six-week strike. And it affected not only GM, but also think of all the suppliers. Analysts have said the strike could account for 60,000 fewer jobs.
But the strike is now over so economists will likely take today's numbers with a grain of salt. Still, Wednesday's GDP reports showed the economy is slowing. So a slowdown in jobs growth may be cause for concern.
SANCHEZ: Outgoing California Congresswoman Katie Hill delivering some parting shots in her final speech on the House floor yesterday. The 32-year-old Hill resigned after admitting to an affair with a campaign worker. She has denied accusations that she was involved with a member of her congressional staff. An investigation was launched using rules implemented recently following a series of MeToo complaints mostly against men in Congress. Nude pictures of Katie Hill were also posted online by a right-wing blog. She says her soon- to-be ex-husband is to blame.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. KATIE HILL (D-CA): I will never shirk my responsibility for this sudden ending to my time here. But I have to say more because this is bigger than me. I am leaving now because of a double standard. I'm leaving because of a misogynistic culture that gleefully consumed my naked pictures, capitalized on my sexuality, and enabled my abusive ex to continue that abuse, this time with the entire country watching.
The forces of revenge by a bitter, jealous man, cyber exploitation and sexual shaming that target our gender and a large segment of society that fears and hates powerful women have combined to push a young woman out of power and say that she doesn't belong here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: CNN has reached out to Hill's husband for comment. We have yet to hear back.
ROMANS: All right. They are the two leaders pushing hardest for Brexit. Now, President Trump thinks that Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage should team up to avoid losing power.
[04:10:00]
CNN is live in London.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SANCHEZ: They are the two men most closely associated with Brexit. And now President Trump is calling on Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage to team up ahead of December's election in the U.K. The prime minister's Conservative Party and Farage's Brexit Party could be competing for votes.
Here's what the president said on Farage's radio program.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You know, the president of the United States, I have great relationships with many of the leaders, including Boris. He's a fantastic man. And I think he's the exact right guy for the times.
[04:15:06]
And I know that you and him will end up doing something that could be terrific if you and he get together -- you know, unstoppable force. (END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Farage launches his party's campaign today.
Let's get straight over CNN's to Anna Stewart. She is live for us in London.
Anna, Trump also warning Farage about the opposition leader, Jeremy Corbyn.
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Reporter: He really waded strongly into British politics, and this was the first day of the U.K. election campaign and what a day it was. Now the president called Boris Johnson his friend. He said he is the best man for the job. He possibly didn't do him many favors, though, in suggesting that Boris Johnson should form an alliance or work together with Nigel Farage, the leader of the Brexit Party. And that is Number 10's position at all. The Brexit Party could be a major rival and eat up many votes of many constituencies.
Now the president also said that the new Brexit deal that Boris Johnson inked with Brussels so recently may actually preclude the U.S. and the U.K. from reaching a trade deal. So pretty heavy criticism there, although he did save, as you said, most of his criticism for Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the main opposition party, the Labour Party. He said he would be bad for the country and take it into bad places. No surprises there. Corbyn has also been highly critical in turn of the U.S. president.
Now this interview came on the first day of the U.K. election campaign. I don't think it will be the last time we hear from President Trump or have him included in the campaign itself. He's actually due to visit London in just a few weeks time for the NATO summit. It will he week before the U.K. election -- Boris.
SANCHEZ: All right. Anna Stewart, reporting from London. Thank you so much.
ROMANS: All right. The president's travel ban could be expanding. Two sources tell CNN the administration is considering adding more countries. Not yet clear which ones. The discussion revolves around countries not complying requests to share electronic documents and information. Fewer than five countries are being discussed. Restrictions will be tailored to them as opposed to a total ban. Critics have long said Trump's travel ban is meant to keep Muslims from entering the U.S.
The first attempt to implement the travel ban caused total chaos at airports nationwide. As of mid-September, more than 31,000 people have been denied entry to the U.S. because of the ban. The State Department has also issued more than 7600 waivers.
All right. Halloween takes an ugly turn in Chicago. A 7-year-old girl shot while trick or treating.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [04:22:18]
ROMANS: A company that fact-checks Facebook ads thinks it has a solution to the social network's refusal to reject false political ads. Lead Stories is one of the fact-checkers Facebook hired to curb misinformation after the 2016 election. It was co-founded by a former CNN journalist. At a meeting next week, Lead Stories will propose that fact-checkers vet ads from politicians, that those fact-checks then be reviewed by a new nonpartisan panel. Lead Stories says there's an urgent need for a fair method to identify egregiously false political ads.
There's been a growing backlash over Facebook's hands-off policy toward political advertising. Twitter have said Wednesday it will no longer accept political ads.
SANCHEZ: A 7-year-old-girl in Chicago is fighting for her life after being shot while trick or treating. According to police she was hit in the neck by a stray bullet when at least two people walked up to a group and opened fire. Police say the girl is in critical condition. And a 31-year-old man who was shot in the hand is in stable condition. Detectives are now reviewing surveillance video. They're asking for help from the community. No one is in custody right now.
ROMANS: More than 25,000 Chicago public schoolteachers return to the classroom this morning after an 11-day strike. Teachers protested outside city hall in the snow Thursday demanding they be paid for the schooldays lost to the strike. Mayor Lori Lightfoot agreeing to pay them for five days. More than 350,000 Chicago public students were affected by the strike. In addition to a 16 percent pay raise over five years, the new teachers contract calls for smaller class sizes and an increase in support staff.
SANCHEZ: WeWork former CEO Adam Neumann is accused in a lawsuit of gender and pregnancy discrimination. The suit by Neumann's former chief of staff, Medina Bardhi, says that she was demoted twice after becoming pregnant. Bardhi claims that she was repeatedly derided and marginalized by Neumann who referred to her maternity leave as a vacation or a retirement. She was fired about six months after giving birth to her second child and just a few weeks after raising concerns about discrimination. Neumann stepped down as the company's chief executive in September.
ROMANS: "Friendsgiving" coming to a theater near you.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEBLANC: Food smells great, Ma.
SCHWIMMER: Yes. And the place looks so nice.
LEBLANC: Yes. And hey, hey, Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.
SCHWIMMER: Happy Thanksgiving.
ANISTON: Happy Thanksgiving. LEBLANC: Well, this has been great.
SCHWIMMER: See ya.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: All of the Thanksgiving-themed episodes from the classic TV series "Friends" will screen in movie theaters across the country for two days during the "Thanksgiving" weekend. The eight episodes have been newly remastered in 4K. The "Friendsgiving" marathon event comes after the success of the show's 25th anniversary celebration that also screened in theaters in September.
[04:25:04]
All right. The impeachment inquiry now official. How moving the process from behind closed doors to the public changes the dynamic.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): The resolution is adopted without objection.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: A divided House takes a critical step. The impeachment inquiry now official. So when will a private process go public?
ROMANS: The president's namesake tower losing its most tenured resident. Why is Donald Trump moving to Florida?
[04:30:00]
