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New Day

Remembering Beau Biden; Tracy Morgan Speaks Out; NBC Looking Into "New Role" For Brian Williams; Tributes Pour in After Beau Biden's Death. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired June 01, 2015 - 08:30   ET

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

[08:30:00] ANA NAVARRO, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: It's heart- wrenching to an almost indescribable level. You know, anybody who knows Joe Biden, and I know him quite well, knows just how important family is. How much these two sons of his that survived that first devastating accident where he lost his daughter, that's the reason that Joe Biden was able to dig himself out of that emotional hole 40- plus years ago. Family is such a grounding priority for Joe.

And, you know, I have the misfortune of belonging to the club of families that have had to bury a child. I saw my parents have to bury my brother. And there is nothing more painful, more devastating that a parent can do and it just tears my heart that Joe has now got to do it for a second time. And I would ask people today to put partisanship aside, and whatever you may think of Joe Biden's positions. Joe and his family are people of faith. Offer a prayer for the Biden family. They need it.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: And whatever you think about politics, as a man, he's shown in ways that few politicians ever do, his dedication to his family.

And, Paul, fair point, Beau Biden was a special guy and he had a real future in politics if his health hadn't gotten the best of him.

PAUL BEGALA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: He earned a bronze star in service to his country in Iraq. He was remarkable a remarkable and successful attorney general. But the most - in his state of Delaware. The most important thing to Beau was his family. He was very much his father's son, but he's also a father of his - was also the father of his two kids. And I'm with Ana.

I wrote a column at cnn.com in the opinion section about this and I cited one of Vice President Biden's favorite hymns and one of mine, he's a brother Catholic like you and I, Chris, and it's "Eagle' Wings." And I will raise you up on eagle's winds, bear you on the breath of dawn, make you to shine like the sun, and hold you in the palm of my hand. That's what we need to do for the Biden family now is hold them in the palm of our hand and ask God to hold Beau to the palm of his.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Boy, that's powerful. Ana, Paul, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts on this.

BEGALA: Thanks. CUOMO: So a little bit of a ton change here as we go into the break. You're on a plane. You ask for a soda. And you say, you know what, I'll have the whole can. And they say, nope, security risk. The woman on your screen was told that, and she's going to be here on NEW DAY to tell you why she thinks they really said it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:36:25] CAMEROTA: Time now for the five things to know for your new day.

Number one, the NSA's surveillance program's dead for now after the Senate could not reach a deal to keep three provisions of the Patriot Act alive. Senators will turn to a proposal passed in the House looking for a compromise.

And the political world mourning the death of Vice President Joe Biden's son Beau. He died of brain cancer at the age of 46. President Obama and the first lady visiting the Biden's official residence Sunday to offer their condolences.

Secretary of State John Kerry remains hospitalized in Geneva after breaking his leg during a weekend bike race - bike ride, I should say, in France. Kerry will eventually return to Boston for surgery.

Qatar has agreed to extend the existing travel ban on the so-called Taliban 5. The senior Taliban leaders were released one year ago from Guantanamo in exchange for the release of Arm Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl.

And a plane powered by the sun's energy forced to abandon its journey across the Pacific because of a predictable foe, weather. It forced the Solar Impulse to make an unplanned stop in Japan 36 hours into its journey from China to Hawaii.

For more on the five things to know, go to newdaycnn.com for your latest.

Let's go to Chris.

CUOMO: Tracy Morgan is speaking out for the first time since that terrible crash on the New Jersey Turnpike, actually wound up being deadly. What he is saying about it, his hopes, his future, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[08:40:23] TRACY MORGAN, COMEDIAN: I love comedy. I love comedy. I'll never stop loving her (ph). I love comedy and I can't wait back - to get back to her. But right now my goal is just to heal and get better because I'm not 100 percent yet. I'm not. And when I'm there, you'll know it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: And it's over a year since the horrific car crash that nearly killed him. That's Tracy Morgan there, obviously, speaking out for the first time since this accident. He was talking to NBC News about his recovery, his settlement with Walmart and his hopes, as you heard, to some day come back to comedy. He's dealing with the physical and also the emotional here to himself and he lost a friend.

So let's bring in CNN's senior media correspondent, host of "Reliable Sources," Mr. Brian Stelter.

It's good to see him there, but it reminds you what he's been through.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. He had a cane with him during the interview, and he teared up several times during it. I think viewers at home did as well, as he talked about trying to heal. He said bones heal, but the loss of his friend will never heal. And he says he has good days and bad days.

Like you said, it's been more than a year. Some days are better than others. And his emphasis is very much on recovery, not yet on returning to work.

CAMEROTA: Did he answer that question about how long and what it will take for him to return to work?

STELTER: He didn't give a timeline for it. Certainly the fact that he can sit down on a television set is a huge step forward.

CAMEROTA: That was good to see -

STELTER: Yes.

CAMEROTA: Because people didn't actually know if he was going to be capable of that -

STELTER: That's right.

CAMEROTA: Or what his mental capacity is anymore.

STELTER: That's right. I actually thought you could hear just behind the surface, or just beneath the surface, him, as the comedian we all love, wanting to let that out at some point in the future. But right now is not the moment.

But I do think it's notable to have him sit down on a television set back in 30 Rockefeller Center where he - you know, he's been known for years. That is a big step and it's probably a step for him personally in the recovery.

CAMEROTA: Yes. He talked about part of his process. And part of his process in healing, or at least an attempt at closure or understanding, is to watch the YouTube video of the accident.

STELTER: Yes. I thought this was incredible.

CAMEROTA: Yes. Hear - listen to this moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MORGAN: Every day I would just watch the accident on YouTube. And one day I came across this stream on YouTube. And I just - I lost it for about a week.

MATT LAUER, NBC NEWS: A lot of people wouldn't have wanted to go to YouTube and see that. Why did - why was it important for you to go see that?

MORGAN: Because I had to know what happened to my friend.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STELTER: He's talking about his friend, Jimmy McNair there. The idea that in this digital age you can see the aftermath of the crash that nearly killed you. You know, this was a fiery crash on the New Jersey Turnpike. The video of it was horrifying to even see. And then to be able to watch the funeral as well on YouTube, it's sort of unimaginable. And on the one hand you might think it might re- traumatize someone to see that. On the other hand, you could imagine that maybe helping with the recovery, to be able to -

CUOMO: That's not unusual for someone who has lived through something to understand why and how things happen to you and if they're terrible things is not unusual. But it also speaks to the gravity of the situation he's in.

STELTER: The moment that struck me most was when he talked about his family. That usually his wife and his child would travel with him on trips like this. But in this case, they did not. And he was so thankful about that because as he watched the video on YouTube, he concluded that his daughter wouldn't have survived. That it would not have been - that it somehow could have even been even worse for him than it was.

CAMEROTA: Here's what he said about the settlement from Walmart. He says here, "Walmart did right by me and my family, and for my associate and their families. I'm grateful that the case was resolved amicably." Do we know what he got from Walmart?

STELTER: We don't know. There's rumors about many millions of dollars. That would seem very obvious I would think. It would have to be a significant settlement. This was a case that not only had a lot of attention because it was in a metropolitan area on the turnpike, but because it was with an A-list star. He also said on the "Today" show this morning, he said the case is settled but the pain will always be there. It's a case where money is not going to obviously solve all the problems.

CAMEROTA: All right, let's talk about your reporting. You have something new on Brian Williams' fate with NBC.

STELTER: Yes, the only relation to this is that it's NBC. But this is something that the whole TV news industry is talking about because Brian Williams has been suspended for four months now from the NBC "Nightly News."

CUOMO: Two months left, right?

STELTER: Yes, he's supposed to come back in August. Very few people in the industry, though, believe he will be back. Every single week at this point people in newsrooms are chattering about whether this is going to be the week he announces he's leaving the network entirely. But it seems like there's now a third possibility. And not that he would return to the "Nightly News" desk, but that he would stay with NBC in some new role, some unspecified, new role. It sort of opens the door for some sort of rehabilitation of Brian Williams' credibility. If he can come back in some way as a reporter or do something else at the network altogether, maybe that's a way for him to stay in the network family, but not at the "Nightly News."

[08:45:00] CAMEROTA: And how have the ratings been with Lester Holt?

STELTER: You know, he's held up very well. Lester Holt taking over at a time of real tension and crisis at NBC. Some of the viewers -

CAMEROTA: Because I thought that he just recently (ph) lost the demo.

STELTER: Yes, some of the viewers seemed to turn away. But for the most part, it's held up well. It's become a more competitive race between NBC and ABC. But if you had said to people in February is Lester Holt going to hold as many viewers as he has, I think people wouldn't say --

CUOMO: (INAUDIBLE). I worked at ABC for a long time and those are friends of mine running the show now, especially David Muir, who is the anchor. He's held up well. Is that being too generous to NBC? It was a very tight race. He's now losing in the demo to ABC, which as we know, is what really matters in the business. So couldn't you also say he's not holding up well? You know, with all due respect to Lester and the team, ABC caught them and they're passing him.

STELTER: And certainly Brian Williams supporters or people who want to see Brian Williams back in the chair would say that and are saying that. You know, there's still on Facebook Brian Williams fans saying when is he coming back? I'm not going to watch this news until he's back --

CUOMO: And he may be injured, but this guy was the dominant figure, male figure certainly, in news when this happened.

STELTER: That's why this story is so incredible. He was the No. 1 anchor in the United States until this fall from grace. It's a reminder, among other things, that you can lose a lot in an instant in a business like this, but you can also recover. There are stories and there are legends of people recovering having second, third, fourth --

CUOMO: Especially in this country. Remember when Paula Deen happened. You can argue all day whether that was too severe to start with. But a lot of people are like, oh, she's done, the n-word, you'll never come back. Now she may even wind up being bigger and better than ever. People forgive if you're genuine in why you say what you did was wrong and that you want to move forward. STELTER: The apology is always important in many cases like that.

That's why this idea of a new role is so intriguing. It does keep the door open for something and maybe in the future, maybe not even in the long-term future, maybe the near future, he'll be able to rebuild and re-establish that credibility that he was able to have for so many years.

CAMEROTA: Maybe it's also a reminder that people like us don't matter as much as we think we do.

STELTER: Oh, well I wasn't going to say that, Alisyn.

CUOMO: That happens to be true. The show's always bigger than you are.

STELTER: It is.

CUOMO: But look at the ratings.

CAMEROTA: It's a product more than the personalities.

STELTER: There is a lot of truth to that, even though it's sort of awkward to say. There's a lot of truth to that. People do watch people. There's no doubt about it. People watch people. But they also align themselves with brands. A CNN, an NBC, an ABC. It's what makes these institutions special. And it's why you can't sacrifice the credibility of an institution just for an individual.

CUOMO: But it takes a long time to build up somebody on TV to have that recognition. Yes, he took a big hit but I still think that this story is not over and I know, I've been saying -- I think he comes back.

STELTER: Well, it's true. A lot of folks thought that by now this would be settled, he would have left the network or something would have happened. The fact that it's taking so long shows how important it is to NBC and to Brian Williams to get this right.

CUOMO: He may be able to step up and say I've learned a lesson that all of you want to make sure the media knows, and with me you will know it. I know that being accurate matters 150 percent, I felt the bite of it in the way most haven't and I'll live it in the way that most won't.

CAMEROTA: That will be interesting. All right, Brian. You'll be back, no doubt, for this.

STELTER: Good to see you guys.

CUOMO: All right. It matters enough that Beau Biden is no longer with us that we should take a look at his life. He was so much more than just Joe Biden's son, but being his son meant everything to Beau. But this is a father, this is a husband, and a man who served this country and could have served it in much bigger ways. So we're going to look.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [08:51:33] CUOMO: Vice President Joe Biden's son, Beau Biden, is being

remembered this morning after losing his battle to brain cancer this weekend. President Obama and the First Lady went to the Biden's residence offering their condolences and countless people have stepped up.

CNN Senior Washington correspondent Joe Johns is with us with the latest. Joe?

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Chris, the Obamas paid a visit to the vice president and his wife, Jill, at their home in Upper Northwest Washington at the Naval Observatory. A reception at the White House on Sunday was canceled out of respect for the Biden family. Beau Biden had been in failing health for a long time due to brain cancer.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHNS (voice-over): After the tragic news of Beau Biden's death, tributes and condolences are pouring in.

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R), MAJORITY LEADER: At this time, I'd just like to express my sincere condolences to the entire Biden family in their moment of such deep and profound loss.

SEN. HARRY REID (D), MAJORITY LEADER: Beau left us far too soon, 46 years old. I'm certain his family will take solace knowing he lived a selfless, noble life.

JOHNS: Vice President Joe Biden's son died Saturday evening surrounded by his entire family after battling brain cancer. In a statement his father wrote, "Beau Biden was quite simply the finest man any of us have ever known."

President Obama recalled how much the younger Biden followed in his father's footsteps. "Like his dad, Beau was a good, big-hearted, devoutly Catholic and deeply faithful man, who made a difference in the lives of all he touched, and he lives on in their hearts."

This is not the first time tragedy has struck. As a child, Beau was involved in a car accident where his mother and 1-year-old sister were killed. He recalled the incident in 2008 while introducing his father at the Democratic National Convention.

BEAU BIDEN, SON OF JOE BIDEN: My brother hunter and I were seriously injured and hospitalized for weeks. I was just short of 4 years old. One of my earliest memories was being in that hospital, my dad always at our side.

JOHNS: Weeks later, his father was sworn in as U.S. Senator from Delaware at his son's hospital bedside. The father and son shared a close bond and both went to law school and pursued a life in public service.

JOE BIDEN, UNITED STATES VICE PRESIDENT: My dad used to have an expression. He'd say a father knows he's a success when he turns and looks at his son or daughter and know that they turned out better than he did. I'm a success. I'm a hell of a success. Beau, I love you! I'm so proud of you. I'm so proud of the son you've become. I'm so proud of the father you are.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

JOHNS: Beau Biden was Delaware's Attorney General until earlier this year. He also served as a major in Delaware's National Guard and he had planned on running for governor of that state in 2016.

Chris and Alisyn?

CAMEROTA: Mm. He's just so impressive. I mean everything you hear about him. He was devoted family man, he was a public servant, he was a military man. You know, it's just they don't make them any better.

CUOMO: And look,, I get it, when someone passes you want to lionize them. We just lived through it in my own family and it's great to hear. That's not the case with Beau Biden. He is one of those people in the political world, and I know he was more than that to his family because he certainly put his wife and his kids and their gorgeous family first, but when you looked in his eyes and you heard him, even in our business you would sense this guy's got it, this guy could be something special. And he was to his family and he could have been to all of us if he had lived longer.

[08:55:02] CAMEROTA: Mm. What a life and what a loss. We need some "Good Stuff." That's next.

CUOMO: It's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: All right. We've got "Good Stuff" for you and we need your help. Ready?

CAMEROTA: OK.

CUOMO: All right. Here's the back story. This woman recently dropped off what she thought was just junk at the Bay Area Recycling Center. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some stuff like wires, keyboards, mices (ph), old stereo, something like that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: Mices: the official plural of mouse. She didn't know that one of the things in the box was an ultra rare Apple 1 computer. The kind Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak built in their garage themselves.

CAMEROTA: Really?

CUOMO: The recycling center sold it. Guess what they got? 200 grand. Now, they have a policy. Whatever they sell - Look, Woz as in Wozniak. Can you believe it?

CAMEROTA: No, I can't.

CUOMO: So they have a policy: we'll give you half of whatever we sell from your stuff. Like a consignment, you know?

CAMEROTA: Sure. Sure.

CUOMO: So they owe her 100 grand. She didn't leave her name or want a receipt.

CAMEROTA: That's terrible.

CUOMO: So the place is called the Recycling Center, it's in the Bay Area out there in San Francisco.

CAMEROTA: Right.

[08:59:58] CUOMO: Clean Bay Area, that's the name if you want to look online. And if you know someone who may have turned in stuff or you have a way to help, go to the website. Let's see if we can find this lady.

CAMEROTA: I may have turned it in. I have to check my diary.

CUOMO: You're not old enough to have something. You must have bought it very long ago.

CAMEROTA: Good point. All right. That's it for our show. Time now for "NEWSROOM" with Carol Costello.