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Republicans to Face Off in Fourth GOP Debate; Top Officials Resign at University of Missouri. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired November 10, 2015 - 07:00   ET

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

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie bumped off the main stage to the undercard debate.

[07:00:06] Fewer people means more time for each GOP hopeful, the network saying they'll allow the candidates to respond to each other's criticisms directly.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is a strange election, isn't it?

SERFATY: Donald Trump giving an early indication he may not be so nice with his chief rival, going after Dr. Ben Carson over questions about his violent past at his rally in Illinois Monday night.

TRUMP: This is the only election in history where you're better off if you stab somebody. What are we coming to? People are getting away with murder. I never saw anything like this. You can say anything about anybody, and their poll numbers go up.

SERFATY: The billionaire taking on Starbucks after they changed their holiday cups.

TRUMP: Maybe we should boycott Starbucks. Starbucks is taking "Merry Christmas" off. No more "Merry Christmas." If I become president we're all going to be saying, "Merry Christmas" again.

SERFATY: Trump also had guns a-blazing for Senator Marco Rubio, attacking his previous stance on immigration.

TRUMP: And then I look at a guy like Rubio who's very, very weak on illegal immigration. He was a member of the Gang of Eight.

SERFATY: Tonight, Rubio may be forced once again to answer allegations of messy finances and other attacks coming from his mentor, Jeb Bush.

KATIE PACKER, FORMER ROMNEY DEPUTY CAMPAIGN MANAGER: Jeb Bush has certainly telegraphed that, you know, Marco Rubio has a target on his back, and he's going to be coming after him.

SERFATY: Fox Business, the host of tonight's debate, hoping to draw a sharp contrast to CNBC, taking a jab at the previous moderators, saying they never really asked real questions. The network instead promising a real debate on the economy. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not so sure that these personal attacks that we're looking for will be there, because I'm not sure they'll be provided, necessarily.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SERFATY: Now the main debate will be two hours long. And in a change for tonight, the candidates will also have 60 seconds to respond to any attacks made against them. Alisyn, that is double the amount since the last debate.

CAMEROTA: OK. That's interesting. We'll be looking for that tonight. Thanks so much, Sunlen.

Here to preview tonight's big debate, Montana Republican Senator Steve Danes. Senator Danes is one of three senators who have endorsed Senator Marco Rubio already for president.

Hi, Senator. Your tie looks fantastic.

SEN. STEVE DANES (R), MONTANA: Good morning.

CAMEROTA: Good morning to you. Great to have you here on NEW DAY.

So are you expecting tonight's debate to be feisty or tame?

DANES: Well, I think one thing we know about Marco Rubio is these debates, the more the people of American get to hear Marco Rubio, the more they like him. So I'm sure there will be moments of contrast. I'm sure it will be very, very spirited. But I'm looking forward to a chance for these candidates to really lay out their visions for the future. For Marco Rubio to talk about what we need here for the next century in America and to protect this next generation of the country.

CAMEROTA: As you'll recall, there was a tense exchange last time between Marco Rubio and the man that some call his mentor, Jeb Bush.

I want to read to you something in "The New York Times" this morning. There's an excerpt from an article about how Jeb Bush's supporters are feeling about Marco Rubio. Here's what it says: "For many of Mr. Bush's longest serving advisers, Mr. Rubio's run is a betrayal. Aa few of Mr. Bush's supporters have taken to calling Mr. Rubio 'Judas'."

What do you think? Do you think that that resonates with people, that he shouldn't be running against his mentor?

DANES: Well, I think the American people don't want to see the attacks on these candidates. They really want to hear about their visions for the future.

Marco Rubio is a next-generation conservative. He's someone who inspires and unites this country. And that's what the American people are looking for. And I hope that comes out tonight in this debate.

CAMEROTA: Donald Trump does not understand the interest in Marco Rubio or the support of Marco Rubio, he says. Let me play for you what he has just said about Senator Rubio.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Remember when he was doing the message to the president? Remember the thing with the water? This guy gets the greatest press. They say, "Man is he sweating."

And then all of a sudden, "And we will fight and we will this." And then they said, "Oh, he did such a great job."

I said, "Oh, he did?" Some people are lucky or something's going on. Or something's going on. Explain it to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Donald Trump wants you to explain it to him. In the past, Donald Trump has also basically likened Senator Rubio to President Obama, saying that Senator Rubio don't have much experience either. So explain why you're all in for Rubio.

DANES: Well, he is the next-generation conservative and will inspire and unite this nation.

Interesting, though, about Marco Rubio. The more the American people hear him, the more they like him. They like what he says. That is why every time we have a debate, if you look at the post-debate polls, Marco Rubio's stock is rising.

And that's why these attacks are out there against Marco Rubio. Because they know he's going to be the strongest candidate in the general election and will likely be our next president.

He has -- he has such a great story. His dad was a bartender. His mom was a hotel maid. She worked third shift stocking shelves at Kmart. Marco Rubio understands the plight of American families, the challenges they face every day. And the more they hear about Marco, the more they like him.

[07:05:16] CAMEROTA: I believe we do have that Marist poll, Senator, that perhaps at some point we can pull up, showing that, when asked among Republican voters which candidate -- the more you hear, the more you like. I mean, the very phrase that you're using.

And he comes in there third. He gets -- actually, I think that he might get -- it's hard for me to see from here. He's second. He gets 58 percent even over Donald Trump. He's second only to Carson.

But I want to ask you about the questions revolving around Senator Rubio's personal finances. As you know, he's been bedeviled by questions about whether or not he can manage his own money. He does have credit card debt. He's talked about this on the campaign trail.

Do you think that average voters will respond to that? They can relate to having credit card debt and having to save for your children's college? Or do you think that it does say something about him and his ability; if you can't manage your own personal finances, you can't manage the country's finances?

DANES: Well, these are old attacks that have been dismissed repeatedly. In fact, Marco released two years of old credit card records, and "The Washington Post" looked them over and said there's nothing there.

And so what it says, though, is Marco Rubio can relate to the average American family. He's not a wealthy man. Dad bartender, mom was a hotel maid. He's got four kids, and he's fighting like American families fight every day for a better future for his kids and for this country.

Marco Rubio, by the way, has no debt other than his mortgage, just like many Americans who have a house mortgage. And so I think Marco Rubio can relate, can relate to the American people, to the American families better than any candidate we have now running for president.

CAMEROTA: So Senator, do you think it would be out of bounds for the moderators of tonight's debate to ask about personal issues like this?

DANES: Well, clearly, when you run for president of the United States, your entire life is exposed. And Marco knows that. He ran for the U.S. Senate. All these issues were litigated and -- and thoroughly reviewed when he ran for the United States Senate six years ago.

But I hope they can stay focused on who is going to be the next- generation leader for this country. Who's got the best ideas, the best vision to grow this economy again and defend our country. There are very, very serious issues here.

Why are we spending time looking at a few hundred dollar charges here on Marco Rubio's credit cards that have all been paid off, versus looking at the trillions of dollars of debt right now, the nation's credit card, which is sitting at $18 trillion worth of debt, and is slowing down this economy.

CAMEROTA: OK. Senator Steve Danes, thanks so much for your time on NEW DAY this morning.

DANES: Thanks. It's good to be here.

CAMEROTA: Tonight, you can watch CNN for the post-debate coverage with Anderson Cooper. That's at 11 p.m. Eastern. Keep it tuned here -- Chris.

CUOMO: All right. A big story this morning. Sweeping changes at the University of Missouri. The latest, we have the school's president and chancellor stepping down. But what will this mean for students? Protesters say changes at the top are a big first step. But it's only one step. It happens to be one not everyone wanted.

Let's check in with CNN's Stephanie Elam, live from the University of Missouri.

Stephanie, what do we know about how this started? These incidents that went unreported? What was the nature of them? The volume of them?

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Chris, when you listen to what the students are saying, you hear different complaints about what was wrong. And what they were calling for is for these figureheads to step down.

But they say the issue of racism, and be it institutionalized racism is far from over here at Mizzou.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAM (voice-over): This morning, students at the University of Missouri are waking up to a massive shake-up. One that activists say is just the beginning of change. The university system president and the school's chancellor ousted amid racial tensions and weeks of student-led protests.

WOLFE: Please use this resignation to heal, not to hate.

ALLEN: This is just the beginning in aiding and dismantling systems of oppression within higher education, specifically the U.M. system.

ELAM: Effective immediately, the resignation of university president Tim Wolfe, who some say failed to adequately address several hate crimes on Mizzou's campus.

WOLFE: We didn't respond or react.

ELAM: Wolfe striking a different tone than the one captured in this tense exchange with students.

WOLFE: Systematic oppression is because you don't believe that you have the equal opportunity for success.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you just blame us for systemic oppression, Tim Wolfe?

WOLFE: Even some long-time faculty say racism has been a problem on campus for years.

CYNTHIA FROBY (ph), STUDENT: I have been called the "N" word too many times to talk about it on camera and to write them all out.

ELAM: Tensions reaching a boiling point around mid-September after the student body president posted on Facebook that he was called the "N" word, something that happened, he wrote, "multiple times on campus."

Then in mid-October, a swastika painted in feces inside one of the residence halls. By November, second graduate student Jonathan Butler launching a hunger strike, pledging not to eat until Tim Wolfe resigned.

BUTLER: A lot of people know how corrupt the system is. And they thought I was going to die from day one, from the moment I made my announcement. People thought I was a dead man walking. ELAM: The football team and their coach also vowing to stay off the field until Wolfe agreed to step down.

GARY PINKEL, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI FOOTBALL COACH: A young man's life was on the line. And basically that's what it came down to.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ELAM: And if you take a look behind me, you'll see some tents where we know some of the student activists have been camping out. We're told that there are still some students sleeping out here. But they did get a big help by the activists on the football team. And for those people who are not from Missouri, this is a huge football town. And people really respond to what the football players have to say. So them weighing in and getting the support of their coach, making a big difference in some change here at Mizzou, Michaela.

PEREIRA: Yes. That was a bold move. Obviously, it made a difference. We're going to talk with one of the student leaders coming up right here on NEW DAY, Stephanie. So we'll be looking forward to hearing what they have to say this morning.

Another big story we've been following: a break for law enforcement in the shooting of a Texas state judge outside of her home in Austin last week. Police say a person of interest has been arrested on unrelated charges but is connected with Judge Julie Kocurek, who was shot and wounded in her own driveway. She is recovering in a hospital. Police believe that judge may have been targeted.

CAMEROTA: A fraternity at the University of Virginia filing a $25 million defamation suit against "Rolling Stone" for the now-debunked article, detailing an alleged gang rape on campus. Phi Kappa Si also naming the writer of that article in the suit. No comment yet from "Rolling Stone."

CUOMO: President Obama giving a great big "like" to Facebook. He just joined the social media giant. He's already posting things like this fun little video.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: There's a fox somewhere on the ground, because I've seen it. It's wandered around the Oval Office. There's a hawk that some kids named Lincoln, who flies around here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: That's going to go viral. He went on to encourage everyone to protect the environment, mentioning the dangers of climate change. The president says he wants his account to be a place where he can have real conversations with you.

PEREIRA: Does that mean I'm going to get Farmville invitations from President Obama on Facebook now?

CUOMO: Yes.

CAMEROTA: I hope not.

PEREIRA: You know what I'm saying.

CAMEROTA: He's wrong...

CUOMO: You should immediately freeze the screen now.

CAMEROTA: What's he talking about. If there's one thing social media...

CUOMO: You don't believe there's a fox on there?

CAMEROTA: I do believe there's a fox, and there may even be a bird named Lincoln. But what I don't believe is social media is good for real conversations. That's the one thing it's not good for.

CUOMO: If he's got a shot at it, though, Facebook is the place.

CAMEROTA: Yes. Facebook.

PEREIRA: It does give you -- it does give you sort of direct contact with people.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

PEREIRA: But you're right, is it real?

CAMEROTA: I like this.

PEREIRA: I do, too. I like this. Sorry you had to get in the middle of all that.

CUOMO: No, and I love all of it.

CAMEROTA: All right. Meanwhile, we have been having a conversation about this top story, because there's a change in leadership at the University of Missouri. What happens next? We will talk to the student who brought attention to the school's racial issues. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIM WOLFE, OUTGOING PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI: Please, please, use this resignation to heal, not to hate; and let's move forward together for a brighter tomorrow.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: Ex-President Wolfe there, the former president of the University of Missouri. The chancellor also stepping down, as well, in the wake of protests over alleged racist incidents on campus. Payton Head is the president of the Missouri Students Association. Some 27,000 depend upon his leadership. He joins us now. He is one of the students who led the charge for change.

Payton, good morning. Thank you for joining us on NEW DAY.

PAYTON HEAD, PRESIDENT, MSA: Good morning. Thank you for having me.

CUOMO: So -- pleasure. So we know that the president is gone. The chancellor is going to transition.

HEAD: Yes.

CUOMO: What does this mean for you in terms of the prospect for change?

HEAD: I think the process of change is coming. The prospects of change are already here.

What's most immediate right now is caring for the students and their mental and social health right now, which is definitely draining. So that's one of the things that we're trying to address on this campus right now. We are also meeting with student leaders across the state to look at the policies of shared governance to talk about what the next leaders of our university and of our University of Missouri system will be looking like.

CUOMO: Now, Payton, in the introduction, you may have heard I said "alleged incidents." And that's because, frankly, many of these have not been investigated.

You spoke openly about what happened to you, what you were called on campus more than once.

HEAD: Yes.

CUOMO: You also eloquently talked about different types of diversity and how they can be compromised on campus. You mentioned your mother and LGBT issues, as well. But what do you know about the actual facts on the ground, on that campus, about things that have happened that the university was aware of and did not act on?

HEAD: I think one of the things that we have to make sure that we're looking at is the experiences of these students.

I mean, I don't have the time to sit around and make up things that are happening to me. So you saying that these things are alleged, I -- we don't have the time for that. We are students, first and foremost. I need to be receiving my education, and these things are blocking students from receiving an adequate education here at the University of Missouri system.

So when we're talking about different things that have happened on this campus, you know, they are evident. You know, we see a swastika drawn, not once but twice on this campus. And the second time out of feces. And that is not something that you can say is "alleged," sir.

CUOMO: Absolutely. I agree with you 150 percent. I'm saying the university doesn't have a good catalog of actions it's taken. That's why I'm saying it's alleged. We only know from people like you who have come forward and say it. Not that it didn't happen, but that they weren't acted upon.

The shock is that you would think at the University of Missouri, my business in the media is populated with tons of alumni from there, because it's such an esteemed place. To hear that you got called the "N" word and nothing happened is shocking. To what do you account that?

HEAD: Oh, yes. I think one of the biggest things that is the problem is that we see students time and time again talk about these issues.

[07:20:06] The biggest thing for me as a student body president, I am trying to be proactive. I have been proactive in these conversations with our administration. Because this is not the first, but this is the second incident that this has happened to me.

The one thing that we are trying to get people to understand is that these are not single isolated incidents. And I think that's one of the university's failures to respond to these incidents, because they are thinking that they are single and isolated.

OK, this is just one incident. You can't blame, you know, students on one -- you know, this one particular thing. But now we are seeing a trend where students are empowered to speak up about the injustices that they face on this campus.

And with that, it comes learning on behalf of that administration as to how to respond and how to react to these incidents.

CUOMO: And you've also made the point that don't just look at us. Yes, I'm Payton at the University of Missouri, first African-American head of the students here. But this is something that's happening on many campuses.

And then we see at Yale University, my alma mater, the parents -- the students protesting about the same thing, a flash point, alleged incident at a fraternity involving a woman of color. But are you surprised to see another campus doing the same thing?

HEAD: No. And one thing that I want to clarify you on: I am not the first African-American president here at the University of Missouri. I stand on the shoulders of other people who were in this office before me.

CUOMO: I didn't know that.

HEAD: So one thing that I want people to understand is that we are not seeing more incidents. What we're seeing is students who are empowered to speak about these incidents on their campuses around the nation.

The University of Missouri is by no means a bad school. What we're seeing right here is that students are empowered to speak up about what is happening here. And it's empowering other students around the nation to speak up about what is happening on their campuses, as well.

I think the one thing that is great about this school is that we have the opportunity to facilitate dialogue on the things that are happening here and how we are going to work about creating institutional change so that we can sell a policy that lets students know that these kind of actions and these kind of behaviors will not be accepted.

I said time and time again that I wouldn't be here, you know, if I didn't love this university. And the students who are out here camping, they love this university, as well. And they want to see it better for all students who come through these doors.

CUOMO: You know, and I know what I was referring to, is that the size of the undergrads, having 27,000 kids here, young adults, you know what I mean. I'm old so I call you kids. But you know what I'm talking about. Is that for you to be the student leader of such a big population is unique. And now we're going to see if it ricochets around the country.

What do you think? I know it's not just one thing, but if you could point to one thing, and if it changes beyond this dialogue and recognition that would make a difference in a real way at Missouri, what would it be?

HEAD: I think the biggest thing is addressing our curriculum. The way in which we teach students and the way we value diversity and inclusion.

Right now, when it's something that doesn't seem to apply to students, you know, when it's not personal to them, you know, they don't care about understanding other students' experiences or over people's experiences.

But what I want people to realize is that, you know, to be inclusive- minded, to care about people of different identities is what's going to make you successful in the work force. And even when talking about diversity course requirements here at the university, I have called for a requirement that, you know, focuses on the individual colleges.

What are students studying in their majors? Diversity in journalism, you know, the way that black people, the way that people of color are portrayed in the media. You know, that's something that we can talk about, something that is, you know, for journalism students. Nursing school, addressing diversity there. The way you handle -- you know, the way you see, your biases towards people affect the kind of healthcare that you're going to give them.

We need to make sure that these issues are something that students can take home and say, you know, "This relates to what I am studying here at the university and what I'll be doing when I get out into the work force."

CUOMO: And how to be a responsible citizen is something that you don't stop learning in college, and you probably only start learning it there. So a holistic change may be the right prescription. Payton, police stay in touch with us about what happens next at the

university. And we'll stay on the story.

HEAD: OK.

CUOMO: Thank you for joining us on NEW DAY.

HEAD: Thank you. Thank you for having me.

CUOMO: What do you think? What's your take on this situation? Use the hashtag #NewDayCNN or post your comment on Facebook.com/NewDay -- Mick.

PEREIRA: All right. Ben Carson says the media is unfair to him and the other Republican candidates. Is it fair for the candidates to use that excuse to avoid answering tough questions during tonight's debate? Our panel will weigh in.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:28:28] PEREIRA: Dr. Ben Carson in the spotlight tonight when the Republicans face off for their fourth debate in Milwaukee. Carson facing intense media scrutiny over several stories that he's told about his past. Even Donald Trump thinks the race is getting, quote, "weird and strange."

Each of the candidates should have a little more air time tonight. Mike Huckabee and Chris Christie have been relegated to the earlier undercard debate, leaving eight on the stage.

CAMEROTA: Russia rocked by a doping scandal. The World Anti-Doping Agency accuses Moscow of state-sponsored doping that allowed its elite track and field athletes to cheat. The report cites a deeply-rooted culture of cheating in Russian athletics. The agency now looking at results from the 2012 Olympics and calling for Russia's track-and- field team to be banned from the 2016 games.

CUOMO: Chipotle getting the OK from the health department to re-open 43 restaurants in Oregon and Washington, linked to an E. coli outbreak. Officials say all tests of Chipotle's food came back negative for any E. coli bacteria. Company officials expect to have all the restaurants open again by Wednesday or Thursday.

PEREIRA: Friday night dinner for me, then.

All right. SeaWorld ending its killer whale shows at its San Diego park by the end of 2016. The company's reputation took a major hit, due in part to "Blackfish," a documentary co-produced by CNN Films. That film generated a great deal of criticism from lawmakers and advocacy groups like PETA. SeaWorld's CEO says it plans on re- inventing the attraction.

CAMEROTA: There you go. All right. On to politics. Ben Carson does not like the questions that journalists have been asking him. And he claims the media has been tougher on him than other candidates. Is that the case I ask you?