Return to Transcripts main page
New Day
Trump Unveils Plan to Combat Illegal Immigration; Bad Weather Hampers Efforts to Reach Plane Wreckage; North Korea Vows to Retaliate Against the U.S. Aired 6:30-7a ET
Aired August 17, 2015 - 06:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:33:45] ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back.
Donald Trump vowing to deport all undocumented immigrants and reverse President Obama's executive orders on immigration. Those are some of the key points in his newly released immigration plan. The GOP front-runner will be in New York City today, believe it or not, reporting for jury duty.
Three more Republican presidential candidates Scott Walker, Carly Fiorina, Lindsey Graham will pitch their policies today at the Iowa state fair.
MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Bad weather is forcing Indonesian officials to suspend their search for downed passenger plane. The Trigana flight lost contact Sunday before apparently crashing into a mountainside with 54 people aboard. Before the weather soured, officials say search planes spotted potential debris. Teams have been deployed. They will head into potential crash site once that weather lets off.
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Morgan Freeman's step granddaughter E'Dena Hines was found stabbed the death Sunday morning in New York City. Her 33-year-old boyfriend has been charged with the murder allegedly while trying to perform an exorcism on the street at 3:00 a.m. The Oscar-winning actor calls Hines "a star that will shine bright in our hearts, thoughts, and prayers."
CAMEROTA: Australian golfer Jason Day winning the PGA championship in record fashion. Day finished the tournament at 28 under par -- even I know that's good -- becoming the first ever to score that low in a major championship.
[06:35:08] He beat Jordan Spieth by three strokes. It is the first major title for Jason Day after three second place finish.
PEREIRA: We were lost without you to be our moral sports guru guidance force, compass. You know what I mean? Now that you are back, we can carry on.
CAMEROTA: I'm happy to teach you all I know about sports, which will take ten seconds.
PEREIRA: Ten seconds.
CUOMO: It was one of the best tournaments in recent history in terms of great shots that were made. People were wowed by it all weekend long. And who would have thought we would have a day of best of play and Tiger Woods is not mentioned.
PEREIRA: Isn't that something?
You know what else is something is this crazy weather that's been going on, we are watching the situation out west as they grappling with wildfires, soaring temperatures, are also making for a few steaming days right here in the Northeast. Heat, apparently, indices could hit triple digits for millions of people.
Our meteorologist Chad Myers is looking at it all for us from the weather center.
That's dire numbers on that board there behind you.
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: I know, 93 in the city today. Heat index 100.
You know what? The numbers are in the shade. The numbers here, 93 degrees, white box, six feet off the ground in the shade. So, 90 is what it is going to be in Boston. It will feel like 95. This, today, will be the hottest feeling day of the year, hopefully, for the rest of the year because by Thursday, we are back into the 80s.
But you know what? On a normal day, 85 is still hot when it feels like 90 in the city. But today is a bad one, guys. Make sure you have plenty of fluids, and don't run a marathon today. Not the best day for that.
CAMEROTA: All right. I'll change my plans. Thanks so much, Chad.
(LAUGHTER)
CUOMO: All right. So, Donald Trump has two major challenges for the rest of the field. He's got a plan on immigration and proof he says the he is the best to women in the field. Can he walk the walk? The debate ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[06:40:58] DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We are going to get the wall built and it's going to be built right. And Mexico is going to pay for the wall. Mexico is making a fortune of the United States. Mexico -- excuse me Mexico -- is going to pay for the wall and they are going to be happy about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CUOMO: You are going to pay for it and you are going to be happy about it. Donald Trump, man of action. He has plans, proof and a challenge on women for the rest of the field.
John Avlon, CNN political analyst and editor in chief of "The Daily Beast" is here to vet, and Kevin Madden is with him, CNN political commentator and Republican strategist.
I start with you, John Avlon as you look at the six-point plan.
It does reinforce several things he said in the past and others. But a couple new things in there, too, that will be unusually hard lines. How does it play? How does it stay?
JOHN AVLON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, look, I mean, first of all, there's finally some detail behind the bumper sticker rhetoric. It's not the deepest policy plan, but it offers some specifics, particularly on his claim to have Mexico pay for the wall itself.
But there are a couple of glaring errors. For example, there is no plan to deal with the 11 million undocumented. So, that's still bluster.
CUOMO: Send them back.
CAMEROTA: Send them back.
AVLON: Yes. But how would be part of a policy plan traditionally. The actual implementation is part of policy.
The other things that, for example, going after the family of DREAMers, suspending green cards, things that, again, they play well with the base, but the actual practical application may have a ton of unintended consequences. But, look, moving from pure bluster to some degree of policy, at least now we have something we can debate and kick the --
CAMEROTA: Kevin, what do you think, does it go far enough, did he spell out some details in these six pages?
KEVIN MADDEN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, look, I don't think the -- I don't think it's an actual plan. I agree with John. It's more about talking points. But I think that is the goal of the Trump campaign.
He wants to drive the conversation. And in that sense, he is and he is driving it on his terms and in ways that really complicates the campaigns of the other candidates. So, mission accomplished in that regard.
CUOMO: Well, does it complicate it, or does it make them have a campaign? Does it make them, after put out their ideas, and they -- you know, the plus on this for them is they can show their ideas or better.
MADDEN: That should be the opportunity. So far, we haven't seen that or gone at Trump one-on-one. But there is an opportunity here for another candidate to really start drawing contrast off of Donald Trump, to start offering a much more detailed plan, one that is much more feasible, and one that resonates with a different set of the electorate. Right now, Trump has got that 25 percent, but there's a whole 75 percent out there for the taking. It will be interesting to see whether or not one of these campaigns steps up and does that.
CUOMO: Here is the moment on what he's going to do with families and why, when tested. Let's play it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We have to make a whole new set of standards, and when people come in, they have to --
CHUCK TODD, MEET THE PRESS MODERATOR: So, you're going to split up families? You're going to deport children?
TRUMP: Chuck -- no, no, we're going to keep the families together. We have to keep the families together.
TODD: But you're going to keep them together out?
TRUMP: But they have to go.
TODD: What if they have no place to go?
TRUMP: We will work with them. They have to go.
Chuck, we either have a country, or we don't have a country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
AVLON: I mean, no, we are just going to deport the whole family together. It's important that families stay together.
CAMEROTA: Yes.
AVLON: That's a great moment, it sounds compassionate. This is all still -- this is a step away from the traditional car salesman banter, right? I mean, yes, there's some specific, so they give us something we can kick the tires as the consumer. So, now, it's our obligation to do that.
CAMEROTA: You know, John, there was this great piece in "The Washington Post" this weekend by Philip Bump that said that it's only wonky eggheads like you that need policy specifics.
CUOMO: That's going to sting.
CAMEROTA: That needs policy specifics.
(CROSSTALK)
(LAUGHTER)
CAMEROTA: American voters just want to hear he's going to make America great again and spare us the details. It's the feeling that he inspires, not the details.
AVLON: Well, look, I mean, absolutely. To the extent that Trump is this reflection of our culture, where you have celebrity and conservative populism coming together in a difficult mass for people like Kevin Madden who want to believe in the rationality and reasonableness of their party, sure this is the ultimate appeal.
[06:45:11] The strong man, don't bother me with details. Tell me you are going to make America great. Tell me you're going to be tough. I don't care if the details don't work strongly, it's OK.
That can appeal to a lot of folks. The transition to governing, the transition to reality that he is a durable front-runner right known, that should scare the hell out of people like Kevin Madden.
CAMEROTA: In the ballot box, Kevin, does that work, as ballot box?
MADDEN: John's right. Policy does matter, it does. People care about governing. Our 50 million campaign -- is it tough? Is it trust worry? It's more brawn and bluster. A lot of people supporting Trump, they like it.
CUOMO: Here's another one. Let's play a sound again quickly because this is going to be, again, this thing of would have it work? But dos it sound like it would work?.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I would have told him up front, no way. We will never give you back your money. We will never give you back your $150 million. You're not getting that money. That's number one.
Number two, before you start negotiations, you need to give us back our three prisoners, now it's four, OK? You know, when it started it was three, now it's four. You have to give us back. Without question, you have to give them back.
And you know what? You don't want them, but we do psychologically good, and it will help us make a better deal together, that's good for you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CUOMO: So, Kevin, you know those prisoners were a big deal for people, when they found about this. But is that something that sound good but ultimately, you can't put it on the balance of what ultimately was being dealt with there, which is nuclear power?
MADDEN: Yes, that answer is a perfect summery of Trump. It's a lot of big talk. It hits a nerve with a lot of voters emotionally. But, can he deliver on it?
He says it in such a convincing way that many of the voters that are supporting him right now do believe that he can. But, you know, he's shaping the debate right now.
CAMEROTA: Yes, John?
AVLON: Look, I say this. One of the thing that is happen in presidential contests is candidates that do well often are the balance, the opposite of the perceptions of the president in office. Obama was the anti-George W. Bush. To some extent, Trump's appeals, the bluster, the bull talk, I'm going to take charge, is so countered to the more nuance negotiating style of this president, which is inspirational, but not as much as about like I'm going to lay down the law. That's partly what appeals for some of Trump's --
CUOMO: Look, there's no question we give them more attention than the others and he demands it. Now that he's the front-runner, he warrants it. But, you know, you just can't keep bashing him for what he says. He says they have to step up and have better ideas now, the rest of the field.
ALVON: That's right.
CUOMO: He's put down the gauntlet. Let's see who has the best ideas.
CAMEROTA: John, Kevin, thank you.
MADDEN: Great to be with you.
CAMEROTA: You, too?
CUOMO: Mick?
PEREIRA: All right, guys. There's some tough talk coming from North Korea. They are threatening the U.S. over military exercises with South Korea. Should we be concerned? We're going to examine that, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:52:12] PEREIRA: A new threat from North Korea to the United States. Pyongyang warning the U.S. not to conduct joint military exercises with South Korea, or they will strike the U.S. here at home.
Now, those exercises are scheduled to start today. Is there reason to worry or is it just bluster from the notoriously unbalanced regime?
Bobby Ghosh is here, CNN's global affairs analyst and managing editor of "Quartz", to breakthrough the noise we are hearing.
Let me paraphrase what the message was delivered by the North Korean newscaster, sort of as per usual, basically saying we are not the same military force as before. We have become stronger. We are able to fight against the United States if the United States wants their mainland to be safe, then the Ulchi Freedom Guardian stop immediately.
We have heard this kind of threats before, this bluster before. This seemed particularly hostile. Is there reason for concern?
BOBBY GHOSH, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: The trouble is, every year, this happens, and there's a reason this happens, there's a trigger, which is that the U.S. and South Korea perform military exercises --
PEREIRA: Yes.
GHOSH: -- which are designed also to send a signal to North Korea that if you have designs on South Korea, we are here, the United States, takes our relationship with South Korea seriously and we will support South Korea if any military activity takes place.
So, that immediately sets off this belligerence from North Korea.
PEREIRA: Belligerence is a good word.
GHOSH: Yes. And I suppose every year you have to, if you are not familiar, you have to ratchet it up verbally. This is the first time they are so openly use the nuclear threat. We will use nukes, which is kind of different. And I don't think we should take it seriously, but we shouldn't ignore it. I don't think there's a serious risk that North Korea is about to put a nuclear warhead on a missile and fired off in our direction.
PEREIRA: OK.
GHOSH: Because -- although hey have some of the technology, they have rockets. Most of their rockets have tended to go badly.
PEREIRA: Right.
GHOSH: So, you don't think that any rational country would try a stunt like that.
But, we have new information recently that they are digging up more uranium. We have satellite images that show their uranium mines that they have previously used for their nuclear program, there's new activity there, a new structures, which suggested they are building up their nuclear arsenal.
And you never -- that's something you should always be concerned with, a country that is so hostile to everybody.
PEREIRA: Right.
GHOSH: Which is so difficult with it, is building up more and more nuclear weapons.
PEREIRA: We will add to that, there's discussion and rumor that Kim Jung-on is losing his power. He said to have executed more top officials recently. Could there be anything in that? Maybe this is sort of a sign of force if he is losing some power.
GHOSH: That is -- I'm sure that inform some of this. He is, the fact he is so deep into his presidency, he has to purge officials suggests that he doesn't trust the people around him.
[06:55:03] And perhaps some of his rhetoric is also designed -- well, it is designed for domestic consumption.
PEREIRA: Right.
GHOSH: It is trying to show how tough he is, what a tough guy he is.
PEREIRA: Let's turn to China, we have seen this report out of New York Times that China is using secret agents, within our borders, trying to rule out dissident and coerce them from moving back to China. The U.S. is sort of saying, warning like enough, can't do this here, not OK. What do you make of this? I mean, we know the spy game is alive and well. But this is a particularly different, outside the normal standard routine.
GHOSH: It is absolutely outside the normal routine. We have spies in China and China has spies in the U.S. This has gone on, and other countries do, too.
What's going on here, this is part of a larger campaign. The president, President Xi, is going up after economic criminals, or at least he'd like his people to think corruption is a big issue. The messages, a lot of criminals have fled the country and are living off the land, taken their money and gone up, and they're living in --
(CROSSTALK)
GHOSH: -- like New York in the U.S. And this is our way of getting it.
So, they are sending Chinese police and other security agents over without informing U.S. authorities. This is technically illegal. The U.S. and China do not have an extradition policy. That's important. It's not like China can tell the U.S., here is a list of criminals, we want you to send them back.
PEREIRA: Get them out, right.
GHOSH: So, this is their way of trying to put pressure on these guys. They're also putting pressure on the families back home, quite openly, quite bluntly and they are making a lot of propaganda out of this.
PEREIRA: Well, with the President Xi's visit to the U.S. in the coming months, is clearly going to make this relationship tense.
GHOSH: Yes, but the bigger context of this, this is the U.S. just in a diplomatic context, this is a gentle warning. If the U.S. is serious about trying to kick the Chinese agents out, we grab a few of them, make a big show of it, and put them on the plane and send them back.
We have not done that. All we're doing is telling the Chinese, don't do this.
PEREIRA: Don't do it, shaking the finger at them.
GHOSH: That is what it is. It is shaking a finger on them.
PEREIRA: All right. Bobby Ghosh, always love to walk through all these issues with you, thank you so much.
A lot of news to get to on this Monday. So, let's get right to it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TRUMP: In four years, you are going to say, what a great job you have done, President Trump.
BEN CARSON (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The can-do attitude, that's what made America great.
JOHN KASICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Conservatism is giving everybody a collapse.
MIKE HUCKABEE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's not how many headlines you'd get, it's how many voters show up.
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I did not send nor did I receive material marked classified.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Vice President Joe Biden determining whether he should make a run for the White House.
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If he does run, I promise him an issue oriented campaign.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Villagers saw the plane crash into the mountains. They spotted debris, but they simply cannot get to it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The death toll up to 114, 80 people who are missing. China is promising a criminal investigation.
ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo, Alisyn Camerota and Michaela Pereira.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CAMEROTA: Good morning, everyone. Welcome back to your NEW DAY.
All eyes on Donald Trump as he rolls out his immigration proposal. He is vowing to deport all undocumented immigrants and reverse President Obama's executive orders on immigration.
CUOMO: Meantime, new polls show GOP voters are responding to outsiders, of course, most notably, Mr. Trump, at the expense of more established candidates in the presidential race. So, who is up? Who is down? Let's figure it out.
CNN's Sara Murray live in Washington all the developments for us.
Make us smarter, Sara.
SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: Good morning, Chris.
It does look like after that first GOP debate, this anti- establishment moment is really brewing. We are seeing a big shake in the polls. Plus, we got a full dose of retail politicking at the Iowa state fair this weekend. Let's take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MURRAY (voice-over): Donald Trump keeps soaring, landing at the top of a new news poll, while winning support from one in four Republican primary voters.
Trump isn't the only one climbing. Rounding the top tier of the establishment crowed, neurosurgeon Ben Carson, drawing 12 percent support, and Texas Senator Ted Cruz with 10 percent.
Losing ground, Jeb Bush coming in fourth with 9 percent support. A six-point drop from early August. Now, Trump is offering more red meat for conservatives, a hard line immigration plan, saying on NBC's "Meet the Press", he even supports deporting children brought to the U.S. illegally, a step further than some of his GOP rivals.
TODD: You are going to deport families? You're going to deport children?
TRUMP: Chuck, no, no, we're going to keep the families together. We have to keep the families together. But they have to go.
TODD: But you're going to keep them together out?
TRUMP: But they have to go.
MURRAY: Trump's six-page proposal calls for an end of birthright citizenship, a provision enshrined in the Constitution that grants citizenship to those born in the U.S. It puts stricter limits on legal immigration and pushes penalties on Mexico if they refuse to fund the wall along the border.
For most of the weekend, a spotlight wasn't on policy, but retail politics at the Iowa state fair.
