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Bahrain Joins Saudi Arabia in Severing Diplomatic Ties With Iran; Bill Clinton to Debut on Campaign Trail Later Today. Aired 6:30-7:00a ET

Aired January 04, 2016 - 06:30   ET

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

[06:30:00] SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Several times with the camera just right at him, from a friend who's taken some pictures of him.

AMMON BUNDY, ARMED MILITIA MEMBER: We had a county representative come to us and they expressed in great emotion how he and other county representatives are being intimidated by the FBI.

SIDNER: Now, we haven't heard from this county representative that he speaks of saying that they were intimidated. The FBI says they do know about the situation, they are aware of it. We've heard from local law enforcement that there will be a command post set up right now. No police officers anywhere, no sheriff's department, no federal officers anywhere out here. It is just media and some of Mr. Bundy's supporters.

There are supporters coming from across the country. We know there are a couple people here that have come from Arizona to support his cause. Here's what one of his supporters has to say about what they're willing to do.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: Are you willing to die for this cause? And that's pretty - that sounds like what you're saying.

JASON PATRICK, ARMED MILITIA MEMBER: The constitution matters to me. No, I don't think anybody should have to die for this.

SIDNER: But are you willing to I guess is the question? I know you're saying if you don't get what you want...

PATRICK: I don't necessarily get to make that decision. I shouldn't have to be willing to die for this. Someone should choose peace and give the people their constitution.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: Now, we are way out but this isn't really in the middle of the wilderness. There isn't much near here. But again, we haven't seen a police presence. We do expect one and we're hearing from them that they may be able to stay here, they say, for years. They plan on trying to hold on to this land, Michaela? CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST: I'll take it. Thank you very much for the reporting. We're going to have a lot more on Oregon this morning. Certainly time is of the essence. There's supposed to be a big moment this morning when someone turns themselves in. Will it happen?

There's also news out of Saudi Arabia now obviously severing ties with Iran. That's a move that will surely deepen an already dangerous divide between Sunnis and Shiites in the Middle East. The question is what can the U.S. do? Is there anything? You'll going to want to keep it right here on CNN because Donald Trump will answer the questions of the news today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06: 35:32] ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: New this morning, Bahrain joining Saudi Arabia in severing diplomatic ties with Iran. This after protesters attack the Saudi Embassy as you can see in Tehran on Saturday. Iran's diplomat is given 48 hours to leave the kingdom.

The embassy attacks coming in retaliation with Saudi Arabia's execution of 47 prisoners including a revered Shiite Muslim cleric. This new tension is deepening an already dangerous divide between Sunni and Shiite Muslims.

Joining us now is CNN's chief international correspondent and host of CNNi's "Amanpour," Christiane. Amanpour, Christiane, great to see you as always. Help us understand what's going on here. Why would Saudi Arabia, knowing that this would inflame tensions around and go at least execute this cleric?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well Alysin, good morning and it is troubling on many, many levels. The -- Both the execution and the reaction by Iran and then the counter reaction in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, because it involves a whole load of U.S. allies and Iran which has now become less of an adversary because of the nuclear deal and a lot of hopes that perhaps it would come closer into the community of nations.

So, inside Iran, you have a division, a very clear division. The president, Hassan Rouhani, more moderate, has condemned these at his hand, the storming of the Saudi Embassy in Tehran called it unjustifiable, sent out a whole load of tweets, even accusing those Iranians who attacked the embassy being extremists and there have, according to Iranian authorities, been 40 arrests.

Khamenei, the supreme leader, the ayatollah more hardline, he is likening Saudi Arabia to another arm of ISIS and he's put out a tweet that shows ISIS and ISIS, in other words, the two sides of ISIS he says Saudi Arabia is one of those.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

AMANPOUR: Now, on a deeper level, you've got the whole Sunni-Shiite divide and what it means about Syria and indeed Iran, not to mention Yemen and the ongoing wars in all of those places. CAMEROTA: And Christiane, let's look at that, that graphic that Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei put out and how -- explain this to us. What does he mean white ISIS versus black ISIS?

AMANPOUR: Well, there are those who are beginning to say and who've been writing for a long time that ISIS has two parents. One is in Syria that is black ISIS, real ISIS in Syria and in Iraq. And the other, they have said is in Saudi Arabia, they accuse the Wahhabi, Salafi, very extremists hardest of the hardline kind of Islam, Sunni Islam as one of the sort of inspirations of ISIS. So that is the explanation of that graphic there.

However, the most of the government in Iran is reacting against those Iranians who have attacked the Saudi Embassies. Now, they say there have been many, many tweets and condemnations by the president, Rouhani plus arrests have been made and he's been very public about that.

The bigger picture of course is that Iran and Saudi Arabia have had terrible relations for a very, very long time. Every, you know, periodically since the Islamic Revolution of 1979, they've broken off relations. It's very well known that Saudi Arabia was very against the nuclear deal that the United States and the other world powers signed with Iran because they were concerned that Iran would then be augmented, that Iran's power would be greater in the region.

And Iran is the power center of Shiite Islam, Saudi Arabia is the power center of Sunni Islam and there is a lot of competition and adversarial, you know, movement as we know between those two big powers.

CAMEROTA: And Christiane, of course this puts America, the U.S. into a big predicament because it does have that agreement with the Iran nuclear deal but yet Saudi Arabia is an ally, so where does the US fall now?

AMANPOUR: Well, this has been a predicament for a long time and certainly throughout the nuclear negotiations but also when you look at the very things that the United States is very concerned about in the region, you've got Iraq, obviously which is an ongoing issue, you've got Syria, which is an ongoing issue. They have ISIS in common and ever since this war broke out and ISIS started to rise and war in Syria, I'm talking about nearly five years now, there has been, you know, different powers on different sides of the Syrian civil war.

[06:39:57] The Iranians have been supportive, supporting Assad along with Hezbollah and the others and the studies have been supporting those anti-Assad rebels and some of those are very hardlined, very extremist so there's been that going on as well.

However, recently, there was a U.S. brokered kind of agreement, you know, that Vienna talks all the interested parties were meant to come along and, you know, try to make this all better and try to figure out a political end to the Syria Civil War so it is very, very complicated. Certainly, the United States is calling for restraint, calling for, you know, some kind of, you know, calming of tensions in the region but also condemned the Saudi Arabian execution of that cleric indeed so did the E.U., so did the U.N., so do human rights organizations, the U.N. Human Rights Organization have condemned the execution of that cleric specifically.

CAMEROTA: Chistiane Amanpour, thanks so much for helping us understand this very complicated situation. Let's turn over to Michaela.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN HOST: All right, back here at home, Donald Trump on the attack, hammering Bill Clinton as he prepares to hit the trail to campaign for Hilary. Should the former president's past indiscretions be fair game on the campaign trail?

Stay with CNN because in 20 minutes time, we're going to pose that question among others to Donald Trump and he joins us live right here on New Day at the top of the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PEREIRA: The first real votes in the 2016 presidential race will be cast in four weeks in the Iowa caucuses.

Bill Clinton is set to make his first solo appearance on the campaign trail at a pair of rallies in New Hampshire today.

[06:45:03] Ted Cruz, who is leading the Republican field in recent Iowa polling is launching a six-day bus tour across the states and Donald Trump unveiled his first television ad this morning. We should mention, Mr. Trump will be live on New Day at the top of the hour.

CUOMO: Authorities in Israel are in at all out man hunt for the gunman behind a deadly shooting in Tel Aviv on Friday. Police say an Israeli-Arab man named Nashat Melhem open fire in a popular bar killing two people and wounding several others. Frightening scene captured on surveillance, a motive for the shooting unclear at this point but it does come amid three months of deadly street attacks by Palestinians against Israelis.

CAMEROTA: Well, it's looking like a rough start to the New Year on Wall Street, U.S. stock features down sharply after authorities in China halted trading this morning. The markets in China suspended after stocks plunged 7 percent on concerns over weak manufacturing data. Stocks also falling in Japan, Australia, and Europe.

PEREIRA: We are seeing the first images of the final resting place of the doomed cargo ship El Faro. That vessel as you recall sank some three months ago after getting caught in a fierce category 4 hurricane near the Bahamas all 33 crew members on board died. Federal investigators are considering launching a search of that wreckage some 15,000 feet down at the bottom of the Atlantic in an attempt to locate that all important black box of the ship to get some answers.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN : Action packed final day of the NFL regular season yesterday did your favorite team make the playoffs or were they the Jets? We bring in Coy Wire, he is mourning this morning's Bleacher Report have had it (inaudible).

COY WIRE, SPORTS BROADCASTER AND JOURNALIST: Thank you sir Chris. Yesterday's game was going to be who is going to win and get in, who's going to have home field advantage or who'd going to lose and be forced to watch the playoffs from home on their couches like Chris Cuomo's Jets.

Let's start with the Broncos though Brock Osweiler leading the Broncos looking for them to become the top overall seed in AFC. Well Osweiler struggled a bit guys against the Chargers he threw two interceptions including this one here he got hit as he threw, there will be five turnouts overall. So in the third quarter in comes Peyton Manning and the fans went crazy. They approve of this, his first game since mid- November Peyton looked pretty sharp, threw nine passes led the Broncos to the go ahead drive Broncos went 27-20 earning the top seed in AFC and now we're the bona fide quarterback controversy in Denver guys.

Now, the New York Jets facing their old coach Rex Ryan and my former team to Bills so Jets just need to win and they're in the playoffs Bills were pumped including Dan Carpenter the kicker, oh he is so without me. He actually was mad because he missed an extra point but that's going to leave a mark.

Now, in this game Ryan Fitzpatrick really struggled especially in the 4th quarter where he would throw not one not two but three interceptions Bills went 22-17 and spoil the Jets playoffs hopes Chris Cuomo still weeping.

Now, only the top of the NFL's food chain remains Saturday wild card game start off the Chiefs at the Texans that's going to be a good one to watch and also the Steelers versus the Bengals that will be a physical, physical match up. On Sunday you're going to have the Vikings hosting the Seahawks in NFC action and Washington hosting Green Bay Alyson please make sure Chris doesn't forget my Bills crush his Jets' playoffs hope, Alyson.

CAMEROTA: Based on his expression I think he's not forgetting he's actually weeping openly.

PEREIRA: Come on, quite sincerely.

CUOMO: I don't want to say anything because Coy is not only better looking but bigger and stronger.

CAMEROTA: All true. OK, Coy thanks so much.

WIRE: Thanks guys.

CAMEROTA: All right well Donald Trump says former President Bill Clinton's pass with women is fair game, we'll debate that next and Donald Trump will be with us live at the top of the hour stick around.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [06:47:38] CUOMO: All right. This is a big moment in the election right now. Former President Bill Clinton hits the campaign trail today in New Hampshire. This is his first official appearance on the stomp, obviously, for his wife's presidential bid.

Now, this has created a big dynamic between Trump, other people in the GOP and the Clinton's. Should Bill Clinton's personal life disqualify him for being relevant? Should he mean the end for Hillary Clinton?

Let us discuss with CNN political commentator and democratic strategist, Mister Paul Begala. Paul, senior adviser to a pro Hillary Clinton's super PAC was, of course, an adviser to Bill Clinton. We also have former political director for George W. Bush, and chairman of the American Conservative Union, Mister Matt Schlapp.

Matt, you make the case obviously. Begala is going to be playing defense turning to offense. So, what do you see when you see Bill Clinton taking the stomp? Do you believe that he should be disqualified or at least a negative because of his past?

MATT SCHLAPP, FMR. GEORGE W. BUSH POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Well, he's a negative for me, of course, Chris. But I think the American people will make that judgment. I'm glad he's going to go out there, because I think it reminds people of all these Clinton scandals.

Remember what Bill Clinton, it's not so much about his sex life, which I don't care much to talk about. It's the fact that he was impeached, he was disbarred. He paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines, both to the Supreme Court and to the special prosecutor. He lied under oath. And all of these scandals that we're now revisiting with Hillary Clinton being investigated by the FBI, reminds the American voter with Bill Clinton comes some good, no question. But also comes Bill and Hillary's scandals of the past and the scandals of the present. And I think that helps republicans.

CAMEROTA: OK, Paul, so how is that going to go?

PAUL BEGALA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think he should double down. I think I love what Matt is saying. Keep saying it, brother. You guys have only been trying this for 20 some odd years.

And here's -- let's just review the bidding. Bill Clinton won two national elections with 92 million votes. He won 370 electoral votes, first time, 379 the second time. He's the most beloved political figure in America. But go ahead, and by the way, it probably does help with Matt. It helps Mr. Trump. Mr. Trump has a lot of things. He's not stupid. He has dialed into that Republican base. I believe he's attacking President Clinton because he thinks it will help him. Not because he needs it. Good lord, he invited the man to his wedding. But he's doing it for his own political game.

SCHLAPP: Paul, you have been reading the same talking points for 20 years. I gave you credit, you're very good at it.

[06:50:02] But the fact is this, George W. Bush was elected to the presidency largely by saying he would restore the honor and dignity to the Oval Office.

BEGALA: But he was appointed to the presidency the Supreme Court ...

SCHLAPP: And Barack Obama ran against...

BEGALA: ... and he did not win the elections. He lost the election

SCHLAPP: And Barack Obama ran -- let me finish. Paul, let me finish.

CUOMO: Paul, let him go. Let him go, Paul. Matt, finish the point.

SCHLAPP: Barack Obama ran against Hillary Clinton. The fact is...

BEGALA: I read the papers.

SCHLAPP: ... coming out party. And we're going to see if the American people want this all over again.

BEGALA: Yes, they will.

CAMEROTA: Look, you guys have just perfectly illustrated what Chris brought up before. That is an argument of the past, OK? Everything you're talking about there is history. Now, Paul, do you think that Donald Trump is right that Bill Clinton's sexual history is fair game in this current election?

BEGALA: I think Mister Trump thinks it will help him politically. And I bet it will, with the Republican base. Trump is dialed into the Republican -- he is the Republican base. Old, white, angry men with bad hair, that's Mr. Trump. That's who he's appealing to.

The problem is when you attack President Clinton, especially when Hillary is running and not him. Here's what happens, it's an unbroken history. Even during the worst of the impeachment, Hillary's favorable in the gallop poll went up to 66. It went up to 71 among women. This is when these weird things where it will help Mr. Trump, I suspect with the Republican base, but it will help Hillary with the independent women that she needs to win the election.

So the truth is, it's sort of a win-win if you're Hillary...

CUOMO: Well, here's the tricky part. And, you know, and Alisyn was, you know, giving me this view this morning. We often talk about these things before I lose the argument, then I'm angry and then I take it out on you guys. So, first of all, obviously Schlapp, you've got good hair and you're not old. I've seen you in person. You look great.

SCHLAPP: I wanted someone to say that.

CUOMO: He's not talking about you. You are a handsome man, everybody says that. Begala, here's the problem. When you want to dismiss everything that happened with Clinton, there is a body of fact out there or at least allegation. And I know they're very different, that made this more than just him playing around, that it was unwanted or maybe even allegations of rape. That changes this for a lot of people. Why not for you? BEGALA: Because $50 million of investigation went into this. They brought in Ken Starr. I don't know where you were in the '90s. You were probably a kid, Cuomo, you're the baby of the family. But we had a national two-year -- not two-year, 20-year investigation of President Clinton, led by ken Starr. A sex obsessed prosecutor with $50 million and hundreds of FBI agents, and it all came to naught.

SCHLAPP: That's not true. He settled with this double problem here.

BEGALA: And if the Republicans wanted to do this, that's fine. That'll...

CAMEROTA: OK, hold on, Paul. Go ahead, Matt.

SCHLAPP: Hillary is out there talking about how to revive the economy and restore the middle class.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

BEGALA: You can't let him get away with that.

CAMEROTA: Hold on. Hold on, Paul.

CUOMO: Begala says...

CAMEROTA: Go ahead Matt.

CUOMO: All right, Paul. Begala says how -- hold on, all right.

CAMEROTA: Hold on, Paul.

BEGALA: You got to do something about this issue, that is something about the economy, and there's still be...

CUOMO: Paul, it gets old. Paul, are you going to start reading Green Eggs and Ham, there's always going to have it. Are you going to start Reading Green Eggs and Ham.

CAMEROTA: What's your last, last word. Go.

BEGALA: I lost track.

SCHLAPP: (Inaudible) Let me just say two things. Bill Clinton settled with a special prosecutor, paid a massive fine, and agreed to wrong doing and was disbarred from practice of law before the Supreme Court and was impeached by the House of Representatives

Number two, the FBI is investigating his wife right now. This isn't just about sex. It's about crimes. It's about women making the most horrible of allegations. It's not about one woman. It's about half a dozen women and more. And it's about the fact that the Clintons believe they could -- they have a double standard. They can follow the laws they wish to follow and not follow the ones they don't. And the American people are going to have this brought up before them all over again. CAMEROTA: OK, Paul, Matt. Thank you for that. I think Paul really did lose the IFB. He wasn't just filibustering. Thank you, gentlemen.

CUOMO: Although it was effective.

CAMEROTA: Very. Thank you, gentlemen for that.

CUOMO: Two good takes on it. What do you think? Let us know. You can tweet us @alisyncamerota, Alisyn with a Y. There's a lot of news this morning including a live interview with the man at the top of the GOP polls, Donald Trump, just moments away. Let's get to it. Alisyn.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONAL TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Ted Cruz is trying to step up his whole game on amnesty and on illegal immigration. You listen to him and Marco Rubio, they were both weak on it.

Hillary Clinton created ISIS with Obama.

She's caused death. She's caused tremendous death.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now he's the front running candidate for the Republican nomination. Someone has to call him out.

BARACK OBAMA, US PRESIDENT: We know we can't stop every act of violence. But what if we tried to stop even one?

CHRIS CHRISTIE, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Craziness. He knows that he can't get it through Congress, as if he's King Barack Obama.

TRUMP: I will unsign that so fast.

BERNIE SANDERS, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The so-called gun-filled loophole doesn't exist. People who should not own guns should not be able to buy them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is New Day with Chris Cuomo, Alisyn Camerota, and Michaela Pereira.

CAMEROTA: Good morning, everyone. Welcome back to your New Day.

[06:59:58] Up first, a New Year and a new sense of urgency for the presidential candidates with the very first real votes in the 2016 race to be cast in Iowa, in the caucuses just 28 days from now. Where has the time gone? Followed by New Hampshire, the first primary state, which will be more of a political