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New Day

Mexican Drug Lord Escapes Prison; President and Administration Defend Nuclear Deal with Iran; Plane Crash Survivor Home from Hospital; Trump Leads GOP in New National Poll. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired July 15, 2015 - 08:00   ET

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

[08:00:00] UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It looks bad, Bill. Either speak up or shut up.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We crashed and I was the only one that made it out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As they came out of the clouds, she said all she saw was trees.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is definitely a miracle that she survived.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo, Alisyn Camerota, and Michaela Pereira.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome to your NEW DAY. It is Wednesday, July 15th, 8:00 in the East. Michaela is off today. The exact moment that Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman escaped from his prison cell caught on surveillance video. Take a look at this. This was released by the Mexican authorities showing El Chapo pacing his cell, then step into the bathroom stall. Two seconds later, leans over, gone. Now we know he went into this mile-long tunnel that was built just for him.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Now U.S. drug agents say they knew a prison break might be in the works. They even warned Mexican authorities more than a year ago. CNN's national correspondent Polo Sandoval is live from Mexico for us this morning. What's the latest, Polo?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Alisyn. This brand new piece of video now considered a key piece of the puzzle. You see, not only does it show the moment of Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman's escape, but it also is said to be the last image that was taken of this cartel kingpin before he jumped into the blind spot of the camera and into a custom built tunnel below.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: This newly released surveillance video shows the second brazen prison escape of infamous drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. Watch as Guzman, still in prison uniform, calmly walks over to the shower in his cell. He bends over and then seemingly vanishes into thin air. Mexican authorities say Guzman exploited two blind spots in his maximum security prison cell which is under 24-hour surveillance, slipping through a hole under the shower to make his elaborate getaway. Guzman's tracking bracelet that monitored his every move, left behind.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To see somebody escape from supposedly a top security prison through a tunnel a mile long with lights, with an air vent, with a motorcycle on rails, it makes the government look useless.

SANDOVAL: These images showing the escape tunnel and a motorcycle on tracks inside the tunnel Guzman used to escape. According to Mexican officials, the bike was likely used to remove dirt during the excavation and transport the tools for the dig, the tunnel stretching for about a mile and ending inside a half-built house.

El Chapo, a menacing marijuana, heroin, and cocaine kingpin and head of the multi-billion Sinoloa drug cartel, is described as a complete savage with powerful ties across Mexico and the U.S. And now details emerging that after Guzman's first recapture in early 2014 U.S. DEA agents received information suggesting that Guzman's relatives and associates were looking for ways to break him out of prison again, passing this information along to Mexican authorities, a claim Mexico's government has denied.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: And back live outside the prison perimeter where there are still so many lingering questions. One of them is, of course, why did Mexico not listen to that warning from the United States? And of course, the most important one, Chris, this hour is, where exactly is Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman?

CUOMO: That's the big question. Please stay on it for us, Polo. We'll check back with you if you have any developments.

So let's get back to the Iran deal. They're done in Vienna, but the situation is far from over. President Obama has to sell the deal now to Congress. The president is defending the terms in a "New York Times" interview and we can expect more of the same in an afternoon news conference that was called. So let's start our coverage on that lever. Michelle Kosinski live at the White House. What do you think are going to be the big points?

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Chris. I think he's going to make the case as we've heard him already. But he's going to take questions, and that's where it could get interesting. But you know at this point, just as some members of Congress more than ready to sink their teeth into this deal and potentially tear it apart, the White House is just as ready to answer every element of criticism. Today we have that press conference. We have the vice president heading to Capitol Hill to talk to Democrats. And of course coming from virtually everywhere right now, reaction.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) BARACK OBAMA, (D) PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have cut off every pathway for Iran to develop a nuclear weapon.

KOSINSKI: President Obama got his nuclear deal with Iran, the job now, to defend and sell it at home.

OBAMA: I think that criticism is misguided.

KOSINSKI: Taking on the skeptics and critics, asking why the U.S. and five other countries couldn't insist that Iran dismantle its nuclear capability altogether. Here with the "New York Times."

OBAMA: The notion that the world signed up for these sanctions in order to either achieve regime change, to solve every problem in terms of Iranian behavior, or to say to them in perpetuity they can never have peaceful nuclear power, that was never something that was in the cards.

[08:05:05] KOSINSKI: But there are plenty of questions. What kind of access really will nuclear inspectors have if Iraq balks at opening certain doors? There is a process in place for that, though gaining access through it could take nearly a month or longer.

JOE LIEBERMAN, FORMER SENATOR, (I) CONNECTICUT: The most disappointing part of it is the inspection part. It's not anywhere, any time. It's nothing remotely like that.

KOSINSKI: Former senator Joe Lieberman and experts weighed in at a House committee hearing on the deal only hours after it was announced.

REP. ED ROYCE, (R) CHAIRMAN, HOUSE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE: Why would the United States sign off on such an agreement?

KOSINSKI: Many in Congress angry that Iran will still be able to enrich uranium at all, albeit at a vastly reduced supply and still retain almost all of its industrial nuclear infrastructure. At the same time it will gain billions of dollars in sanctions relief and new trade, while not unlikely continuing to fund terror, threaten neighbors, and destabilize the region. Some parts of the deal expire in 10 or 15 years.

AMBASSADOR NICOLAS BURNS, FORMER UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS: I would rather have seen 20 or 30 years rather than 10.

KOSINSKI: President Obama acknowledges the challenges.

OBAMA: Diplomacy can work. It doesn't work perfectly. It doesn't give us everything that we want.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KOSINSKI: OK, so here's what could happen now. Let's say Congress does vote disapproval of the deal to keep Congressional sanctions in place against Iran. That could cause the deal to break apart, with Iran saying that's not what we bargained for. Or it could isolate the U.S. if other countries decide to lift their sanctions and move forward. So already we have the White House essentially warning Congress that even if they were to override a presidential veto, the outcome might not be quite what they had in mind. Alisyn?

CAMEROTA: Interesting, Michelle. Thanks so much.

Overseas the response to the deal is mixed, from dancing in the streets in Iran to fury in Israel. CNN's Nic Robertson is live in Vienna with more. Tell us what you're seeing, Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Alisyn, one of the reasons they were dancing in the streets in Tehran was because the president, President Rouhani, was appearing live on national television to sell the deal to his people. He told them one of the things that was going to happen is Iran would have the sanctions lifted completely. If you look at the words of the agreement, sanctions can be snapped back on the Iran doesn't comply. But after eight years if they continue to comply through that period, then the sanctions are lifted off completely.

The celebration there is because this will be a boon for the Iranian economy. They have the world's largest oil and gas combined reserves, and this for them is unlocking the door to wealth that they haven't had until now.

What we're hearing in other parts of the region is concern precisely for that reason about the money that may come to the government there. The Saudis are saying, look, we support this idea of a deal with a Iran, but it's got to be backed up with a strong inspection regime and system. That's going to be the crux of it for them.

But they also say if Iran does make money and it will make money as the sanctions are lifted, that money should be spent on its people, not funding and fueling terrorism around the region. And that may be surprising for some people to hear. Israel on the same page as Saudi Arabia. But that's exactly the concern that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has. He said this is a gamble that's going to fail, a historic mistake. This is his words --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: The leading international powers have bet our collective future on a deal with a formal sponsor of international terrorism. They've gambled that in 10 years time Iran's terrorist regime will change while removing any incentive for it to do so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTSON: So perhaps no surprise then to learn yesterday that President Obama called not only the Israeli prime minister but also the Saudi king to explain the deal to them. Chris?

CUOMO: All right, Nic, thank you very much.

Joining us exclusively now on NEW DAY is U.S. Secretary of Energy Dr. Ernest Moniz. He was inside the negotiating room with Iran. And he was their right hand man, essentially, to Secretary of State John Kerry. Moniz is a nuclear physicist, his expertise at the center of these talks. Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary, for joining us. Please help us by responding to the first wave of criticism. The first big attacks are this deal isn't long enough and it will still allow Iran to develop its elicit nuclear activities.

DR. ERNEST MONIZ, SECRETARY OF ENERGY: Well, first of all, the deal is not a 10-year deal or a 15-year deal or a 20-year deal. It's a long-term deal that has various phases. Initially there are extremely strong constraints on what Iran can do on the nuclear front, including rolling back a whole bunch of activities. If they continue to earn the trust of the international community, and I would remind you that the interim agreement put in place about a year and a half ago was also greeted with statements that it would be ineffective, and everyone agrees it has been effective and in fact it has been followed by all the parties including Iran.

[08:10:15] So make no mistake about it. Forever this agreement would have stronger restrictions on Iran than would be the case if we had no agreement.

CUOMO: And in terms of their ability to develop, the criticism is you've now given them $100 billion they didn't have more and you're not going to be able to check how they're using that money. And the assumption is they'll be using it to get up to no good.

MONIZ: Well, first of all, we all know the sanctions were effective in bringing Iran to the table. But clearly it did not stop them from developing a nuclear program quite aggressively. It did not stop them from engaging in other behavior, of course, which troubles us and our friends and allies.

What the deal did do is provide them sanctions relief, obviously. And we know they have tremendous social issues to address on the scale of at least half-a-trillion dollars. So we think a lot of the fund will go there.

But whatever the case, our deal is not based upon an assumption as to how they will spend those funds. It's based on the idea that all of our issues will be dealt with more easily if we are confident in their not having a nuclear weapon. And then secondly, as I said, putting tremendous restraints on that program for decades.

CUOMO: From the physicist's perspective, how reduced will the capabilities be? We know the numbers, two-thirds of the centrifuges, 98 percent of the enriched stuff gets sent somewhere else. And there are numbers and different provisions within the agreement that reduce it. But from your perspective, what are they left with in terms of what they can do?

MONIZ: Well, first of all, our charge from President Obama was very clear in terms of the nuclear dimensions, and it was to assure at least a one year break out time for a decade. Break out time means the time to assemble the nuclear material that one would need for a first explosive. The reference point is today, that's estimated to be two, maybe three months. So we have bought considerable time to respond should our extraordinary transparency measures reveal that they are not living up to the agreement. So we think we have created a much more secure environment over this time period.

Clearly we also hope that this could lead to different behavior in many dimensions. But that's not what the deal is based on. It's based upon some pretty hard-nosed approaches to making sure that the program is restricted, that in fact a number of activities including in the R&D sector have been rolled back considerably to what they would have been doing.

So quantitatively, as I say, using this breakout measure, from a couple of months, to at least a year. And in fact, I haven't even mentioned that once you have the nuclear material, you have to make a weapon. Since Lausanne we have added in the agreement some substantial including some indefinite commitments in terms of not engaging in activities that would be required in getting a nuclear weapon.

CUOMO: A lot of this is based on the ability to check what they're doing. There's criticism that it's not anytime, anywhere that they have way too much notice and time to prepare for any inspections.

MONIZ: Well, first of all, I have always said that what we would have is anytime anywhere in the sense that on the anytime there is a well- defined relativity short process, about 24 days, in which to gain access when there is cause, or in fact have Iran declared in breach of the agreement.

CUOMO: People say 24 days is a lifetime in terms of being able to secret the information and any goings on from inspectors' eyes. Do you agree with that?

MONIZ: No, I don't. I think that's stated by those who don't have complete insight into our capabilities for understanding what's going on. In particular, activity using nuclear material, we feel very confident we would find, or the IAEA would find, if you like, in fact that was being used at any undeclared location anywhere.

CUOMO: Let me ask you something. You were at the table. How did it happen that -- are the American hostages that we believe are being held in Iran, that doesn't get on the table. None of the terrorist activities they're engaging in, that doesn't get on the table. But they get the U.N. sanctions against arms sales and missile sales on the table and now relaxes after maybe at the longest five and eight years respectively. How did that happen?

[08:15:00] MONIZ: Well, first of all, it was clear from beginning this was a negotiation about the nuclear, the nuclear issues, preventing a nuclear bomb pathway for Iran.

Having said that, and, of course, it was not my responsibility. But Secretary Kerry --

CUOMO: Sure.

MONIZ: -- in particular, never failed to raise the issue of the Americans held unjustly in Iran and that was yesterday as well. The day that we, of course --

CUOMO: Is there any promise or any kind of implication given that something good will happen with those hostages?

MONIZ: Well, that's something I think you'd have to discuss with Secretary Kerry. But these issues, a whole range of them were there.

On the arms embargo that you mentioned, Secretary Kerry has said and it's true -- I was there -- that's one area where the P5+1 or the E3+3, the six countries, did not have unanimity, number one. Number two, as Secretary Kerry has said, the arms embargo was in fact in the U.N. resolution to come off when Iran went to the negotiating table.

So, what we have actually is retained a full five years of this arms embargo, agreed to by the entire P5+1.

CUOMO: It's fair point. The U.N. had given that as a carrot to Iran to come to the table. I guess you could see that as a plus.

Thank you so much, Mr. Secretary, for coming on.

As we learn more about the points of push back, please come back on NEW DAY so you can explain the deal from the perspective of those who made.

MONIZ: I would be pleased to. Thank you.

CUOMO: Thank you, Mr. Secretary.

Alisyn?

CAMEROTA: Chris, we have some breaking news to tell you about in Washington state. Search crews finding wreckage near a wooded area where a teenager managed to survive a plane crash on Saturday. Now we're hearing her 911 call for the first time.

CNN's Sara Sidner is live for us in Bellingham, Washington, with the latest.

What have you learned, Sara?

SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Alisyn, we do know this (INAUDIBLE) right now and we do expect there to be the search to continue first from the air and then they're going to try and get crews on the ground. But it is extremely difficult and very rugged terrain. This area is known as America's very rugged mountain range called the Northern Cascades.

So, very, very difficult to try to get there. Ands you could imagine for this young lady who is 16 years old who survived the plane crash, she then made her way out. And the sheriff's department and her father are calling it a miracle. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER (voice-over): Overnight, search crews locating the wreckage of the Washington state plane crash where 16-year-old Autumn Veatch emerged as the sole survivor.

The state's department of transportation says crews can't yet reach the crash site located deep in the northern cascades. Family and friends say it's a miracle that Autumn was released from the hospital on Tuesday just three days after surviving the crash.

OPERATOR: Hi. This is Michael with the Okanogan County 911. What is your name?

AUTUMN VEATCH: Autumn Veatch.

SIDNER: On Saturday, Autumn took this selfie just before flying in a small private plane with her step grandparents, Leland and Sharon Bowman.

VEATCH: I was riding from Kalispell, Montana, to Bellingham, Washington and about -- well, I don't know where, but we crashed and I was the only one that made it out.

OPERATOR: OK, made it out from the collision --

VEATCH: From the plane.

OPERATOR: -- or survived?

VEATCH: Yes, the only one that survived.

SHERIFF FRANK ROGERS, OKANOGAN COUNTY: She said they came out of the clouds and all she saw was trees.

SIDNER: Autumn says they crashed into the side of the mountain. The sheriff says she tried to pull her grandparents out of the plane, but it was on fire.

OPERATOR: Are you injured at all?

VEATCH: Yes. I have a lot of burns on my hands and I'm kind of covered in bruises and scratches and stuff.

SIDNER: After waiting for help for nearly a day, Autumn hiked her way out of the treacherous terrain, following a creek downstream until she reached a trail, and then the highway, a driver bringing her to this store.

RICK LEDUC, STORE OWNER: It's amazing that she was able to accomplish what she did.

SIDNER: Her father speaking about Autumn's resilience.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She's had to deal with a lot of loss. She's just an amazing kid. (END VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER: And amazing, she was out of the hospital so very quickly, just spending one night. She also made it back here to her home with her dad -- Alisyn.

CUOMO: I'll take it. Thank you very much. Appreciate it.

We have dramatic dash cam video released in a deadly California police shooting. Gardena officers are yelling at three men with their guns drawn. But a third steps forward and the officer begins firing. The police department fought to keep the two-year-old video a secret following the $4.7 million settlement.

[08:20:05] CAMEROTA: Well, Eric Garner's family insists the $5.9 million settlement with New York City is not a victory. They say they will not rest until civil rights charges are filed. It's been nearly a year since the police officer's chokehold lead to Garner's death. A sergeant's union official calls the settlement obscene, accusing the mayor of paying out to satisfy a political agenda.

CUOMO: We have a personal note here from the CNN family. We want to offer our condolences to our colleague Jeffrey Toobin on the death of his mom, Marlene Sanders. There she is. She was the pioneer in broadcast journalism, the first woman to anchor a primetime network news broadcast, and the first network news woman to report from Vietnam among many other accomplishments. Marlene Sanders was 84. Our thoughts are with the family.

CAMEROTA: What a full life and what accomplishments those are.

CUOMO: She raised a great son.

CAMEROTA: Yes, she did.

All right. A new poll finds that Donald Trump is leading the pack of Republican presidential contenders. Can the brash billionaire keep this up? We're talking to our political panel, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: The Donald trumps everyone.

(LAUGHTER)

CUOMO: That was good.

CAMEROTA: According to a new poll, Donald Trump is leading the national Republican race for president.

With us this morning to talk about these findings, our Ben Ferguson, CNN political commentator and host of "The Ben Ferguson Show", and CNN political commentator and Democratic strategist, Paul Begala.

[08:25:01] Paul is also senior adviser for a Super PAC supporting Hillary Clinton. Gentlemen, thanks so much for being here.

BEN FERGUSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: You've been planning that intro all morning with the Trump, haven't you?

CAMEROTA: I'm planning it, yes.

FERGUSON: I like it.

CAMEROTA: Finally, I have an opportunity to use it.

Let me put up the poll for you. This is a Suffolk University/"USA Today" poll. It shows Donald Trump in the lead with 17 percent.

I believe he's within the margin of error of Jeb Bush -- with Jeb Bush has 14 percent. You could see Scott Walker, 8 percent, Ted Cruz 6 percent. Marco Rubio is 5.

CUOMO: The margins are big. It's like 5-plus percent and the undecided is 30 percent. But still, he's on top.

CAMEROTA: There you go. Paul, is it time to officially begin taking Donald Trump seriously for everyone?

PAUL BEGALA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Absolutely. I've been taking him seriously from the beginning.

Well, no, actually I haven't. He's not going to be the Republican nominee. He's not going to be president.

It is -- this will make Donald mad, I should say this. The legendary football coach at my school the University of Texas used to say about cockroaches, it's not what they carry off that bothers me, it's what if they fall into and mess up, I use a different word.

Donald can't carry off the nomination, OK?

CAMEROTA: How do you know? How do you know? He's leading the polls.

BEGALA: Because I'm smart. I do this for a living. He got a 61 percent negative, 61 nationally, nationally.

This is the thing. "Washington Post" just had a new poll out today too, he's got a favorable of 57 percent Republicans. Republicans -- because Republicans tend to be like Mr. Trump white and angry and filled with grievance and bombastic. They're lovely people, many of them my best friends and relatives.

But Americans generally really dislike Trump. Republicans love him. The rest of the country hates him. He's got a 61 percent negative nationally, but a 57 percent favorable among Republicans.

This is an enormous problem for the Republican Party. He is defining their party as anti-immigrant, anti-Latino --

CUOMO: Yes, but it's working. Ben, what is he tapping into that is motivating people in your party against Begala's point, there is proof it's resonating beyond your party?

FERGUSON: First, here's the thing. He's the most hated politician in the race. That's the other side of this. He is. He is legitimately the most hated person in the race. That's not a good way to start when you're running for president or any office for that matter.

The second thing is he's filling a void. All the other candidates are actually running real campaigns, trying to set up their networks in Iowa, New Hampshire and other places, trying to raise money and trying not to peak too early.

Donald Trump has come out like the election is this Tuesday coming up, when, in fact, it's more than a year from now.

CUOMO: Why do you want to ration speaking the truth about the outrage surrounding major issues?

FERGUSON: Well, what I'm saying is this -- he's blunt and people like that. When everyone else is trying to get their campaign set up and start connecting with people, Donald Trump is saying things that people say, you know what, he doesn't sound like a politician. He isn't scripted. He's not using a teleprompter. He isn't being perfect. He's being politically incorrect, and I think that's something that people aspire and they like. It's like, finally, someone that's going to be blunt.

Now, you're only talking about 17 percent of the people who like him, with more than 30 percent undecided out there. Seventeen percent doesn't get you elected to anything. And we're a long ways away.

So, I think this is -- he's going to be big. And guess what? He's going to go away and screw up just like he did with his intern tweeting a picture yesterday that was incredibly incompetent.

CUOMO: We do have that picture, if we want to show it right now. He says that an intern tweeted this picture of his face behind the flag and it turned out that the soldiers on the flag were Nazi soldiers, some have said --

FERGUSON: Poor intern. Probably fired, right?

(CROSSTALK)

BEGALA: Cut him a break on that.

CAMEROTA: Wait a second, Paul.

BEGALA: Cut him a break.

CAMEROTA: OK, we'll cut him a break on that.

But, Paul, you're painting with an awfully broad brush stroke in saying that all Republicans are white, they're all angry. That's not fair.

BEGALA: Of course not.

CAMEROTA: And even some Republicans running for president like, say, Jeb Bush, are trying to now distance themselves from Donald Trump. So, listen, to what Jeb Bush said in Iowa yesterday about this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEB BUSH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And on our side, there are people that prey on people's fears and angst as well. I don't know about you, but I think it is wrong. I believe we need to unify our country. We need to stop tearing and separating ourselves by race and ethnicity and income. We need to focus on the things that tie us together. Whether it's Donald Trump or Barack Obama, their rhetoric of divisiveness is wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: Sorry, let's grant Jeb Bush that Donald Trump represents the little red guy on one shoulder. Who is establishing themselves as the man or woman on the other shoulder, Ben Ferguson, that will wind up galvanizing your country?

FERGUSON: Look, I think Scott Walker is a great example. I think he's very much been underrated by people. He's been flying under the radar. He's an incredibly intelligent guy who is also very disciplined when it comes to politics.

With his recall election, he did not have missteps. He's got a solid team around him. He's an actual real Republican candidate running for president and people are going to respond to people like that.