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Ben Carson Criticizes Media Scrutiny; Interview with Governor Chris Christie; University of Missouri Students Call for University President to Step Down; 1 Dead, 2 Hurt in Shooting Near New York's Penn Stations; Louisiana Deputy Marshals Charged with Murder. Aired 8- 8:30a ET

Aired November 09, 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] SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN CORRESPONDENT: -- they want to get things out before tomorrow's Republican debate in Milwaukee. For Dr. Carson, it was about going from defense the offense regarding the stories about his past. For Rubio, we saw his providing more information about his finances. And for Donald Trump, it seems to be about getting digs in at both of them, hoping that their troubles are going to stick.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN CARSON, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The burden of proof is not going to be on me to corroborate everything I've ever talked about in my life.

MALVEAUX: Over the weekend, Dr. Carson's attacks on the media intensifying, the GOP presidential contender unleashing a firestorm of verbal attacks on reporters who have challenged his stories about his past.

CARSON: Show me somebody, even from your business, the media, who is 100 percent accurate in everything that they say. Well, you said this when you were in Kindergarten. Give me a break.

MALVEAUX: Recent reports in "Politico" and the "Wall Street Journal" calling into question aspects of Carson's life story published in his book. "Politico" wrote that Carson's campaign changed their version of a story about receiving a full scholarship from West Point. The military academy doesn't charge tuition. In response, Carson's campaign clarified that he never applied nor was granted admission to West Point.

CARSON: I said it was offered. I didn't say I received it.

MALVEAUX: Carson saying he's facing harsher scrutiny than any other presidential candidate because he's seen as a threat.

CARSON: I've never seen this before, and many other people who are politically experienced tell me they've never seen it before either.

MALVEAUX: GOP rival Donald Trump calling it the beginning of the end of Carson's campaign. DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When you say hitting

your mother over the head with a hammer, when you talk about hitting a friend in the face with a lock, padlock, and, you know, you talk about stabbing someone, those are serious statements when you have a pathological disease because, as I understand it, you can't really cure it.

Look at this guy.

MALVEAUX: Meanwhile, Trump was all laughs as host of "Saturday Night Live."

TRUMP: Enrique.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I brought you the check for the wall.

(LAUGHTER)

MALVEAUX: Garnering the highest ratings the show has had in years.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MALVEAUX: And "SNL" didn't pull any punches. The cast tackled most of the criticism regarding Trump, including accusations of racism, his immigration policy, and questions around President Obama's birth certificate. This weekend we also learned from the biography of George H. W. Bush that Trump was interested in the VP slot. But Trump said on "STATE OF THE UNION" clarifying this, saying it was the other way around, that the senior adviser Lee Atwater came to him, said he'd be great, but didn't go any further than that. So we're all imagining a Bush-Trump '88 ticket.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Absolutely. Suzanne, this is also, in terms of Trump's ratings, do we know yet how big it was? Because remember, he was predicting it was going to be the biggest "SNL" ever. It turned out not to be quite in that category.

MALVEAUX: I don't think it was their biggest ratings ever, but it certainly was a boost from months that they have seen previously, giving him some bragging rights as he certainly likes to do, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: OK, fantastic, Suzanne. Thanks so much for all of that.

MALVEAUX: Sure.

CAMEROTA: And we are going to talk with Governor Chris Christie who, of course, is running for president, about this, and so much more as soon as I toss over to Chris Cuomo. And the governor has been seated now.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Wow, Stretch Armstrong has nothing on you. We have Republican presidential candidate, governor of New York, Governor Christie. It's good to have you here, sir. Thank you for joining us. So the political headline is obviously because of how they do the

poll popularity ratings you're going to have to move off the main stage to the other stage. You say I'm no whiner, I'm no complainer, but what does this mean?

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It doesn't mean much as long as I perform well. Bottom line is, if I do a good job tomorrow night, you'll be talking about me Wednesday morning. And that's all that matters.

CUOMO: You think there is a little bit of a competitive advantage?

CHRISTIE: There could be. Again, it's up to you as the candidate. If you're talking about things people really care about and talk about it in a way that connects with the American people, the folks who are watching, you are going to do just fine.

CUOMO: What's working best?

CHRISTIE: Listen, what's working best is hard work.

CUOMO: Because you're in New Hampshire. People only look at the national polls. You spent a lot of time in New Hampshire, 46 days?

CHRISTIE: Yes, sir.

CUOMO: You like that I knew that, right?

CHRISTIE: Yes, I do. That's very good.

CUOMO: Don't come after the media.

CHRISTIE: Work, baby, work.

CUOMO: So you're in New Hampshire. You've seen a bump in the polls. I think you're at eight percent in the latest poll that came out. Obviously you're going to hang on that hard. What do you think gives you the bump?

CHRISTIE: I think what it does is you start working hard up there, talking about things people care about.

CUOMO: Like what?

CHRISTIE: Drug addiction obviously is a huge concern in New Hampshire and around the country. Our $19 trillion debt people are asking about all the time. ISIS and what's going on around the world is a big concern. And student debt, Chris, is a huge concern. We're talking about those things and I think it's connecting with folks in New Hampshire and Iowa, which, as you know, is where they'll be making the initial decisions here.

CUOMO: The viral nature of the video of you talking about addiction, were you surprised? [08:05:00] CHRISTIE: Sure. First of all, I said these things a

month ago, and "Huffington Post" just put them on a week ago. And in a week we've gotten 7.7 million views.

CUOMO: I'm happy. We talk about it all the time. It's a huge problem. It seeps into all corners of society. It's got a stigma. We're hidden from it on an institutional level. Let's play a little taste of what Governor Christie said about addiction.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTIE: When I sat there as the governor of New Jersey at his funeral, and looked across the pew at his three daughters sobbing because their dad is gone, there but for the grace of God go I. It can happen to anyone. So we need to start treating people in this country, not jailing them. We need to give them the tools they need to recover because every life is precious.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: Talking about someone you knew, making it relatable. Can you be successful in politics, wanting to do what you suggested there? Because you know there is a climate of judgment.

CHRISTIE: Sure, of course there is.

CUOMO: Especially when it comes to, if you commit a crime while you are under addiction. You know as a former prosecutor, they see crime not under the influence.

CHRISTIE: Sure. And I think we have to change people's point of view on that. If someone is committing violence, Chris, they have to go to jail. If they're dealing drugs and putting this poison in the neighborhood, they have to go to jail.

But what I'm talking about are people who are everyday people who have made a bad choice and gotten addicted and then they commit petty crimes to be able to support their habit. We don't need to put those people in jail. We need to get those people treated so they can rebuild their families and rebuild their lives. And there's not a family who is watching out there today, not one, who hasn't had this touch them.

CUOMO: No question. And it leads to mental illness and a lot of other stuff.

CHRISTIE: Of course.

CUOMO: The reasons I'm bringing it up is, one, I think it matters to the campaign. Two, that why don't you have your arms more around what the president is doing with changing the population in prisons?

CHRISTIE: Listen, I don't like the way the president is doing it. First of all, he's done nothing for seven years. Now all of a sudden he's getting interested in this. We've been doing this in New Jersey for the last four years. We reformed our bail system to not have people being essentially --

CUOMO: At least he's doing it, and he's involving the system. Usually you criticize him for doing things unilaterally. Now he's doing system. It takes more time and you're giving him heat.

CHRISTIE: He just started. He just started seven years into the presidency. I started this right the beginning of my governorship. I've been working it all the way through because it's a key, important issue to me. And I disagree with him ad hoc allowing people just to be released. He hasn't done the vetting on those people. He has no idea.

CUOMO: Let the system do it.

CHRISTIE: He has a pardon system he should be using that really does complete vetting of this. He's not using that system. He is doing something that's absolutely broad brush.

CUOMO: He says the time it's taking is a function of the vetting, that it takes time. That's why he doesn't want to do what you're saying, which is just let them out all at once.

CHRISTIE: No. But he's not doing it in the normal way that we do it, Chris. He's making a broader statement. That's his choice. You're asking why I disagree with him. That's why I disagree with him. I would do it in a different way.

But the fact is we need to be able to make sure on the federal level, one thing he's not talking about let's have drug courts in every federal and district court in this country. We should have that. Of course it costs money, but you know what, Chris, the bottom line is it's going to save money in the long run.

Think about this. In New Jersey $49,000 a year it costs to incarcerate someone, $24,000 a year for education and drug treatment. Let's get smart about this. We're not only rebuilding lives and putting people back as functioning taxpayers and good moms and dads and brothers and sisters and sons and daughters, but also it cost $25,000 less a year to give them treatment. Why not try? It's not going to work every time, but when it does work we save a life and we rebuild a family.

CUOMO: On the politics side of it now, you know what's going on with Dr. Ben Carson. He said the burden of proof, which obviously will get you big eyes, right, because that means something, not on me to prove what I said, says Dr. Ben Carson. What is that about? If you have something about your life that you make central, you have a record, OK. You were a prosecutor. You were a governor. That's what we're going to come at you about. But if there is something that you say is central to who you are today as a person, and I start asking about it and people can't verify the story is the burden on me or is it on you?

CHRISTIE: It's on me. Listen, I've said this all along about Dr. Carson. We're all responsible for our own personal stories. We are responsible for our own personal stories. We bring that personal story to you and the media to say, this is me, and this is why that makes me qualified, unique for a particular position I'm seeking. So it is, of course, his burden. And I heard him this morning say he's been more scrutinized than anybody in the race, it's unfair. Is he kidding?

CUOMO: No, he's not kidding.

CHRISTIE: Did he watch what I went through in January of 2014 for months and months of relentless attacks from people in the media and in the Democratic Party when it turned out that I did absolutely nothing wrong? I haven't gotten a note of apology from anybody yet. So I've got to tell you, a couple days being asked about something you put in your books, I have to tell you, I don't have a lot of sympathy. He should answer the questions forthrightly and directly. If he does, the American people will accept it. If he doesn't, then he's got a problem.

[08:10:04] CUOMO: Look, you can come at people for how they do the job, but even with what was going on was going on with you with the bridge in Jersey, you know that was an issue. It was something that had to be looked at on a governmental level and also a media level. You may not like how it was done, but it was legit.

CHRISTIE: That's my point.

CUOMO: This is equally legit, no?

CHRISTIE: Of course. Of course, because it's our personal story. And if you're going to make your personal story part of your qualification for president of the United States, then it is absolutely open to scrutiny. And everybody understands that. My point before was with him saying no one has ever been treated like this. I have to tell you the truth, I did nothing wrong regarding the bridge situation, and I got the scars all over my back to prove that a lot of people jump to conclusions. My point is not that it shouldn't have been looked at, of course, but people jumped to conclusions about guilt and innocence. And we shouldn't be doing those things. That's why I say about Dr. Carson, come out and tell us exactly what went on.

CUOMO: Does it matter to you whether or not this story about him stabbing someone in the stomach is true, whether the things he says is true? Does it matter, or are we making too much of it?

CHRISTIE: Stories themselves do not matter. Whether they're truthful or not does matter. And he's got the responsibility for it. It's his responsibility because he put the story out there in the first place. So he has the responsibility to back it up. And if he does, believe me, Chris, we'll move on next week to something else. If you don't, that's when it lingers. And he's got to be able to do and say what all of us are responsible for in this business, which is to be responsible for our own personal story.

CUOMO: I know something that we will follow up on, I know from the team that you are working now because you're getting this residence with addiction about what needs to be done and how you'd do it. When you're ready, let me know. You come here, let's talk about it. It matters to too many people.

CHRISTIE: Absolutely. Look forward to it.

CUOMO: Governor Christie, thank you, appreciate it. Michaela?

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: All right, an emergency meeting is set for this morning as racial tensions boil over on the University of Missouri campus. Football players now boycotting games unless the college's president resigns or is fired. CNN's correspondent Coy Wire joins us live with the latest. That meeting is set to happen in a few hours' time.

COY WIRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is, Michaela. Students on campus are making some brazen moves so that their voices are heard and it's working. They've even caught the attention of Missouri's governor Jay Nixon who says racism has no place and the students' concerns must be addressed. Now with members the football players taking a stand, the spotlight on Missouri's incidents is burning brighter than ever.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WIRE: The University of Missouri's governing body just hours away from a special meeting to address the campus unrest as its racial climate comes to a boil. Missouri football's African-American players joining the deafening call demanding Mizzou president Tim Wolfe resign over how they say he's failed to handle situations of alleged racism and discrimination at the university. The athletes tweeting they would boycott football activities until Wolfe is removed. Their coach Gary Pinkel tweeting this photo with his players' arms locked in unity with white students. "The Mizzou family stands as one. We are united. We are behind our players." One grad student even beginning a hunger strike against the school's president.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My body is literally shutting down, and with each passing moment and each passing day, it gets worse. But that's not what I like to focus on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Black students are not being heard on campus from those in power.

WIRE: Wolf giving no indication that he intends to step down but meeting with several university officials Sunday night hours after releasing a statement that read, in part, "It is clear to all of us that change is needed. My administration has been doing a tremendous amount of reflection on how to address these complex matters."

Tensions on campus brewing for months, escalating since September after protesters say Wolfe failed to respond to several alleged incidents of racial abuse, including students openly using racial slurs.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WIRE: Missouri's next football game is Saturday against BYU. The football team brought in over $30 million last year, so we'll see if the bold actions from its players will be the impetus for positive change where many on campus feel it's needed. Alisyn?

CAMEROTA: Absolutely. That's so much, Coy.

We could learn more this morning about what led to the fatal shooting of a six-year-old boy with autism during a police chase in Louisiana last week. Two officers charged in the shooting are due in court today. CNN's Nick Valencia is live in Louisiana with more. What have you learned, Nick?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alisyn. Tomorrow marks one week since the shooting death of that special needs boy, six-year-old Jeremy Mardis. And there are still two big questions that remain unanswered. Why would marshals pursue his father? And why would they use lethal force? Of course that six- year-old was buckled into the passenger seat of his father's car when marshals opened fire. At least 18 rounds fired from two different guns, five of those shots hitting that little boy, killing him.

Now, we have been looking into the officers' history. They're scheduled to make a court appearance, I should say, Louisiana state police telling me that that court appearance, their first court appearance will happen between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m.

[08:15:02] Back to the history of these officers. At least one officer has a very troubled history. Back in 2011, 32-year-old Derrick Stafford was indicted on two counts of aggravated rape. A year later, those cases were dismissed. As far as we could tell, neither officer charged in this murder of the 6-year-old boy has ever been convicted of a crime.

But perhaps to make this more bizarre, what we learned yesterday from a source with knowledge of the investigation is that Norris Greenhouse Jr., one of the marshals, actually knew the victims prior to the shooting. How well he knew Chris Few and his girlfriend is still unclear. The extent of the relationship also is still unclear. But that is a big part of the Louisiana state investigation here.

Today, also, the funeral for the 6-year-old boy to happen in Hattiesburg Mississippi, where the family is from. This community here in Marksville, Louisiana, just shaken to the core. Very angered, outraged at what happened to this 6-year-old. They want closure and they want justice, Chris.

CUOMO: The answers need to come, and we know you'll stay on it for us. Check back when you have something. Thank you very much, Nick.

Also following breaking news this morning. One person killed, two others injured in a shooting near New York's Penn Station during the height of morning rush hour.

We have CNN's Deb Feyerick joining us now, breaking details.

What are they?

DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what we can tell you, Chris, is that a lot of panicked moments earlier this morning. About 6:15, a gunman opened fire, killing one man and injuring two others, those two men in serious condition. It happened just near Penn Station. We're told by a source in a subway station, A, C, E line, which runs up and down Central Park West, it's a major line there.

Police not releasing the circumstances of the shooting, what may have happened. It is an active situation as they investigate to see why those men were there, whether they were caught in some crossfire or whether, in fact, they were targeted.

We are being told by a source that the Amtrak trains, again, Penn Station being a major transportation hub, Amtrak trains are still running. But, right now, they believe it was an isolated incident, adjacent to Penn Station -- guys.

PEREIRA: Concerning when that happens in the middle of rush hour, too, right?

CAMEROTA: Absolutely terrifying.

PEREIRA: All right. We're going to have more on the tragic shooting of the 6-year-old boy caught in the crosshairs of a shootout. Two officers have been arrested. How did it happen? We're going to try to get answers from the head of the Louisiana state police.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:20:58] CAMEROTA: This morning, those two Louisiana deputy marshals who allegedly shot and killed a 6-year-old boy are expected to face second degree murder charges. The family of the little boy will bury him later this afternoon. How did this happen?

Joining us is Colonel Michael Edmonson. He's the superintendent of the Louisiana state police and they're leading the investigation into this shooting.

Colonel, thanks so much for being on NEW DAY. This is such a disturbing story.

Can you tell us what your investigation has found thus far into why these two deputies would fire these 18 rounds into the car?

COL. MICHAEL EDMONSON, SUPERINTENDENT, LOUISIANA STATE POLICE: Well, that's certainly a mystery, as far as their concerning of it. I think what was so compelling about the tape, and you heard me talk about it on TV, one of the most disturbing things I've seen is the fact that a 6-year-old boy, Jeremy Mardis, I mean, he didn't deserve to die like that. That situation is just almost unbelievable.

But what caused those two police officers at that point to pursue that vehicle and to stop the vehicle and open fire is something we're certainly trying to find out. They have not spoken to us yet. They go before the judge this morning, sometime within the next couple hours. We'll learn more and more as we move forward.

Our investigation is not over. There's a lot of moving parts. We still have people to interview and talk to and more information to find out. But we are moving forward on it.

CAMEROTA: And, Colonel, when you say what you saw, I believe you're referring to the video -- the tape from a body camera, a responding officer's body camera has a tape -- a videotape you watched. You're right, you're quoted as saying, "I've been a police officer for 35 years, as a father, much less than a state police officer, it was one of the most disturbing scenes I've ever seen."

Can you tell us what you saw on that videotape?

EDMONSON: Well, I was trying to figure out exactly why they opened fire. It didn't seem to make sense at that point. The vehicle was perpendicular to them. You saw it backing up in the frame.

You certainly saw images in the vehicle that Mr. Few was driving. Then the officers just opened fire on him. And then sitting in the seat next to him was Jeremy.

Trying to figure out why that happened, why they did that, is something extremely interesting to us. As a father, I didn't understand that. Certainly, they couldn't tell the little boy was in there, hopefully not. It's something that should not have happened.

So, we've got still got work to do. We have to put this stuff together. It's a complex case. Nothing is more important than the integrity of the investigation. Nothing is more important as a police officer. It's why we wear this badge here.

So, a lot of work ahead of us, but still compelling to me as an individual, to why this happened.

CAMEROTA: So, Colonel, you're telling us something new. It is your sense that they may not have known that the boy was in the car? It's your sense they may not have seen the boy was in the front seat?

EDMONSON: I would certainly have to hope that. I can't imagine opening fire, knowing there is a small child inside that vehicle, something like that. That's something that's so disturbing.

You certainly see it in the tape afterwards, of people just walking around and that type of deal. But our job, I have to deal with facts. I've got to deal with what we know. I have to deal with what we can pull together.

That will be read aloud in a courtroom this morning with the judge as they move forward with any type of bond set on these two individuals and where we move from there.

CAMEROTA: Colonel, our reporter has learned from a source that one of the -- at least one of the deputy officers might have known the father. They might have had some sort of relationship.

What is your investigation uncovered about any backstory between these men?

EDMONSON: Well, you're dealing with a small town like this. By the way, this is a good town. My grandfather was born -- grandmother was born and raised in Marksville. So, these are good people.

It's a small town, everyone knows everyone. Certainly, we've heard the same things.

[08:25:02] We believe they've had some type of relationship, where they met each other, knew each other. Certainly, as it progresses, we'll find out more and more information. But I think in a town like this, everyone knows each other.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

EDMONSON: Certainly, you've heard that here. A lot of rumors. We have to deal in facts.

CAMEROTA: I don't want to engage in rumors but I want to hear your police instincts, because I know that they are sound. When somebody fires 18 rounds into a car, doesn't that suggest some sort of revenge?

EDMONSON: Well, we certainly need to find out why. We can use all those words, Alisyn, and they could be appropriate, but why they fired 18 rounds, that's something that we need to find out. That's a lot of rounds to be fired at a car that certainly had no rounds being fired back. There was no gun in the car.

Trying to find a reason they stopped. There was no warrant. That's what we were told originally. They had a warrant, they were trying to effect an arrest. That simply wasn't true.

So, we need to find out why. We need to be able to put the pieces together. That family, that town, Jeremy deserves that.

CAMEROTA: Very quickly, Colonel, I want to put up what we know about the two deputies who will be charged today, because what's interesting is the last -- well, first of all, he was indicted in 2011 for aggravated rape but those charges were dropped in 2012 for some reason. He was named in five civil lawsuits, including the use of excessive force still pending. So, was his colleague, Greenhouse dossier, who was named in two civil suits including use of excessive force.

What do you know about these deputies and their past history of possible violence or excessive force?

EDMONSON: Well, we certainly know all those things. Whether that is pertaining to this particular case is something we have to put aside. It's unfortunate, those things, if they happen and how they happen and why they happen are certainly important, but it really speaks to the fact of why did they follow the vehicle? Why did they open fire?

That is something that we've got to maintain our presence on and our mindset, because that's what is important to this particular case right here. I believe as we move forward, those things will be important. Maybe the mindset sets that up.

But why -- why did this happen at 9:30 on that Tuesday evening? That's something that we've got to put our minds to, to put the pieces together. It'll be important in this case.

CAMEROTA: Colonel Michael Edmonson, we know you have a busy day ahead. Thanks so much for taking time for NEW DAY. We'll follow this story, obviously.

EDMONSON: Thank you very much.

CAMEROTA: Let's get it over to Michaela.

PEREIRA: All right. Bernie Sanders, a one-time political outsider, now quite a cultural phenomenon. His "feel the Bern" merchandise flying off store shelves. CNN sits down with the man himself to find out what fuels the Bern.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)