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North Korean Espionage Suspect Interviewed; El Chapo Recapture Becomes a Circus; Campaign Trail Latest. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired January 11, 2016 - 06:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:31:44] CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: CNN talking exclusively to a man detained by North Korea who the secretive regime says is an American citizen. Government officials there say he's facing espionage charges after handing over confidential information to South Korea.

CNN international correspondent Will Ripley is live in Pyongyang. He has the exclusive. Will, what do you make of the situation?

WILL RIPLEY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Chris, for the North Korean regime, this is all about political leverage. Just days after the nuclear test that really, really irritated the entire world and after the U.S. in a B-52 bomber over the weekend close to the border between North and South Korea, now the North Koreans present this man who carries a United States passport and confesses to us that he has been spying and sending information to South Korea. An American citizen saying this.

Now, we don't know if he was saying this under duress. We do believe that our entire conversation was being monitored from another room at the hotel where we conducted the interview. But listen as he describes in detail what he says he did.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLEY: How did it work, how did you pass on the information that you collected?

KIM DONG CHUL, NORTH KOREAN DETAINEE (THROUGH TRANSLATOR): I bribe the local resident and had him gather important materials considered national secrets in this country such as military secrets, nuclear- related materials. I got these materials hidden in my car and secretly brought to China where I handed the mobile or I would go to South Korean and deliver them directly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLEY: The South Korean government calling his claims groundless. The U.S. state department not even confirming his claims that he's a U.S. citizen and not commenting saying it could really complicate the process of getting an American citizen back after being detained, but we do know, Michaela, that the Swedish Embassy here in Pyongyang was contacted by the U.S. state department after CNN contacted them about this story. MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Will Ripley with that report. Thank you so much for that.

Meanwhile authorities in Mexico want to have a word with actor Sean Penn. The actor interviewed the drug lord El Chapo in October when police couldn't find me. We'll get reaction from Mexico and how people there reacting to this interview and to the capture of this drug lord.

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[06:37:05] PEREIRA: A built of a jolt for law enforcement over the weekend, .U.S. and Mexican authorities spent six months looking for that fugitive drug lord, El Chapo. Sean Penn and a Mexican soap star were able to find him and meet and interview him months ago. The controversial interview appears in "Rolling Stone" capturing the attention of many. However not everyone is thrilled with the magazine or the actor.

Let's bring in Ana Maria Salazar. She's an Latin-American political analyst and a former deputy assistant secretary for defense for Drug Enforcement Policy and Support.

First of all, Ana Maria, let's take the temperature there in Mexico. Not only just the reaction to El Chapo's rearrest, but also to this interview in "Rolling Stone." What are people saying?

ANA MARIA SALAZAR, FORMER DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY FOR DEFENSE FOR DRUG ENFORCEMENT POLICY: Well, there is a major sigh of relief by the Mexican government the fact that El Chapo was recaptured. But in general there's a sense as this being it's kind of become a circus in which now there's a lot of questions as to why was Sean Penn and Kate del Castillo the soap opera, this Mexican soap opera actress were able to get to El Chapo Guzman before the Mexican authorities. So there's kind of this question as to what is this all about. I mean I've even read a lot of question, you know, there's a sense that perhaps the Mexican government wanted to capture El Chapo right now because there is a lot of concern regarding depreciation of the Mexican peso and Mexican economy.

So there's a sense of disbelief. But, you know, with El Chapo's story what else can you say? I mean it's getting better by the moment...

PEREIRA: I know.

SALAZAR: ... you know, when you have a drug cartel leader who can escape from jail, going through a tunnel which is a mile long. I mean almost anything could happen at this point.

PEREIRA: So in terms of how people there, the people, not necessarily the government, but the people, how do they view El Chapo? I mean he -- this article it seems like Sean Penn -- he kind of glamorizes him, glorifies him, going so far as to call him a modern day Robin Hood.

SALAZAR: In some parts of Mexico clearly especially from his home state which is the state of the state of Sinaloa, he clearly is loved and admired and also feared. He's very -- you know what? Something Sean Penn doesn't say in that article and never asked how many people his killed and how many have been murdered by his cartel, the Sinaloa cartel.

So in many ways he is admired, but people, you know, most people recognize he is a tremendously violent man who has been able to control not only the drug business, but also in many ways the Mexican government.

So when Sean Penn talks about the alternative president, it is offensive, but at the same time, it reflects the reality of a man that has been able to exercise an enormous control over Mexican drug cartels...

PEREIRA: Right.

SALAZAR: ... and Mexican politics.

PEREIRA: Well, and also the influence that he's wielded here in the United States. I want to show you what Sean Penn actually writes.

[06:40:04] "We are the consumers and as such we are complicit in every murder and every corruption of an institution's ability to protect the quality of life for citizens in Mexico and the United States becomes as a result of our insatiable appetite for illicit narcotics." What is your reaction to that?

SALAZAR: Well, there's always been this sense in Mexico, and I have to say even when I was a U.S. government official, you know, there was -- you know, every time someone in the U.S. consumes some of these drugs, you are, you know, fueling and providing money to these organizations that are killing Mexicans, they're killing law enforcement authorities. And, of course, they are fueling this drug consumption in the United States. A lot of the corruption linked to and violence linked to Mexico has to do with these organizations.

Now, if El Chapo disappears, does that solve the problem? No. There are other cartels that will provide drugs and of course you have a lot of guns coming from the United States into...

PEREIRA: Right.

SALAZAR: ... Mexico that are also fueling this violence. So it's a two way street.

PEREIRA: Well, we know El Chapo is been proceed for extradition to the United States. We also that Mexican officials are interested in talking to Sean Penn. We'll see what happens next. Because as you say the story changes almost by the day. Ana Maria, always a pleasure to have you on air. Thank you so much for joining. Chris.

CUOMO: Playoff football make nothing like it, and what a weekend we had of wild games. Two teams snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. We have two amazing catches you have to see and a kick and a finish that will be talked about for some time ahead.

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[06:45:26] PEREIRA: Some of the biggest stars in the music world paying tribute this morning to David Bowie. The iconic British rocker has died following an 18 month battle with cancer. Bowie turned 69 on Friday and he had just released a new album titled black star. Superstars like Madonna, Kanye West and many others taking to Twitter praising the tremendous impact of Bowie's music on their careers.

And this morning a memorial has been set up for David Bowie. This is a live look here at London. You can see people leaving flowers and mementos there.

No suspects named yet in the apparent murder of an American woman in Italy. Ashley Olsen's body was found at here apartment in Florence Saturday. An Italian news agency reports that the 35-year-old artist had been strangled. The grim discovery made by Olson's boyfriend. He asked the landlord to open up the door for apartment because she was not returning his calls.

CUOMO: New details this morning about the armed man shot dead last week outside a police station this Paris. German investigator he had been living in a refugee shelter in west Germany. And German reports say had been classified as a possible terror suspect after posing with an ISIS flag at that facility.

French police killed the man Thursday as he stormed the police station while carrying a knife and wearing a fake suicide device.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: All right, if your friends with are no any Minnesota Vikings fans, be nice to them at football.

PEREIRA: Yeah.

CAMEROTA: Be nice to them today. They had a rough go of it yesterday, I hear. Coy Wire is live from Glendale, Arizona, the (inaudible) tonight's college football championship game. Tell us everything, Coy.

COY WIRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: All right, it was be an awesome match- up, Alisyn, tonight, when Alabama and Clemson play for that college football title but we have to look at the crazy finish in the Seahawks/Vikings playoff game because it's going to have the entire sports world talking all day long.

Now the frigid cold weather was the story line going into this one. The third coldest game in NFL history, minus 6 at kickoff and no doubt was affecting Seattle in the first three quarters. They were down 9-0 just in the fourth. Snap gets away from Russell Wilson, but he pickes it up, scrambles right, finds Tyler Lockett for the 35 yard pickup.

Seahawks would eventually take the lead but 26 seconds left in the game, all Vikings kicker Blair Walsh needs to do is make a 27 yarder for the win, but he pulls wide left. He had been the only player to score for the Vikings all game, but the only points they will remember is the ones he missed.

Seahawks win 10-9.

Now, Green Bay started slow on their wild card game and but once Aaron Rodgers and the Packers ground attack got rolling, they never looked back. Rodgers for two touchdown in the game. Green Bay would get two more on the ground, go pack go, 35-18 for the win.

Now, here in Glendale, Arizona, we have number one rank Clemson and number two Alabama going toe to toe to see who's going to be crowed kings of the 2016 college football playoff national championship.

Clemson is looking to become the first team in college football history to finish a perfect 15-0, win the school's first national title since 1981. Bama, though, they're going for their fourth national title in seven years.

Clemson's high scoring offense against the Bama stingy defense, that's going to be a great match-up to watch when this kicks off tonight at 8:30 Eastern. The crimson tide has dominated this series winning the last 12 match-up and they're full touchdown favorite over the Tigers, Michaela?

PEREIRA: All right, Coy, that's going to be an exciting night. Can't wait. Thanks so much.

A new poll shows that Donald Trump and Ted Cruz are at the very tight race in Iowa. Voters in that state vote in just three weeks time.

[06:49:05] What could change the dynamics ahead of the caucuses? We'll take a look.

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CUOMO: All right, so fresh off a six-day 28-town bus tour across Iowa, that is some schedule.

CAMEROTA: It is.

CUOMO: Senator Ted Cruz is deadlocked for the top spot in Iowa with Donald Trump. So here's the new poll. Cruz is ahead of Trump 28 to 24, but we have to qualify because it's within the margin of error. The question is why has there been a little bit of contraction in this race. Is it first or attack, let's discuss. CNN political commentator and political anchor in Time Warner Cable News, Mr. Errol Louis, and senior politics editor for the Daily Beast, Jackie Kucinich. Errol, give me the thumbnail sketch of why Cruz has made gains in Iowa and why the race is now starting to get a little bit tighter with Trump making a resurgence. Is it just a perfect act?

ERROL LOUIS, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I think you alluded to it. When you work as had as he has worked on the ground, Ted Cruz, I mean going from town to town to town, we're talking about, you know, 40 people 50 people at a time spending time with them shaking their hands, that's how you get people to agree to go out and argue for you for three hours on a cold night in February which is basically what you're asking for with the caucuses. The birther attacks that Trump is brought up, it's good national

press, but -- I mean you've talked to enough people. This is legally about as settled as you could possibly be and if Trump was serious about it, all he would have to do is file a lawsuit and then it would be in court which is where he says he wants this to be done but I don't think he's serious about it.

CAMEROTA: But Jackie, we are seeing the numbers tighten up between Cruz and Trump. There was a time when Cruz a month ago go in the "Des Moines, Iowa poll at least, I mean Des Moines Register, he was at 31 percent Ted Cruz, to Donald Trump's 21 percent. Now they're neck and neck. Maybe the birther argument is making some voters skittish.

JACKIE KUCINICH, SENIOR POLITICAL EDITOR, THE DAILY BEAST: All Donald Trump has to do is erode Ted Cruz around the margins. I mean they are -- you're absolutely right, they are neck and neck. And he's able -- he's hoping to be able to raise just a little bit of doubt about Ted Cruz.

Now, whether -- I haven't seen any polling or anything to say that shows that this birther thing is resonating. The other place that you're hearing Ted Cruz defended is conservative talk radio and they really do have a lot of pull with a certain sector of conservative voters in Iowa and nationally. But again you saw Rand Paul yesterday trying to get in on the birther thing, too.

[06:55:09] So for the voters that haven't made up their mind in Iowa, and they are out there, you know, maybe this might be an issue. But we're in the snot seeing it yet.

CUOMO: So different than the last time round. Yeah, Santorum snuck up round getting in there...

CAMEROTA: Yeah.

CUOMO: But there's obvious connectively with him. Huckabee a little also, but -- you know, Santorum had such higher profile going into the race.

This time how confusing is it for the voters, the evangelical types. We just really mainstream conserver. We all conserves (ph) in Iowa to have the radio people, these demigods for them saying don't listen to this stuff about Cruz, this is crazy. Trump is way off. And increasingly going after this guy. And meanwhile at the same time, they have all these enthusiasm for Trump. I mean there's a real clash of the titans.

LOUIS: It's interesting what voices people are listening to. I mean one radio guy told me in Iowa that what he thinks is going on is that -- you know, because I asked him, I said look, how is it that somebody who worships, you know, sort of money and is angry and vengeful and (inaudible) and all of these qualities that seem to emanate from Trump.

CUOMO: A lot of liberal positions. LOUIS: Right. Used to be a Democrat. How does he get all these votes? And what the guy told me, he said look, for a lot of these folks, they feel part of their position slipping. You know, these guys who were like sort of big businessmen in their one little county, you know, who have life -- kind of the way they like it, they feel that something is slipping, that there are immigrants kind of nibbling at their position, that there are, you know, Muslims who oppose some big threat out there that they are concern about, And that Trump is their guy because they think he's a warrior who can set things right.

And it didn't mean that they're -- even angelical and it doesn't mean that they're overlooking that he one author put it, you know, almost runs the table on the Seven Deadly Sins, you know, (inaudible) and all this kind of -- but he is somebody who they think can do something that they want done which is to stop a process of erosion and of slippage and losing their position in the country and in the world.

CAMEROTA: But Jackie, Ted Cruz taps into that, as well. I mean he wants to stick with sort of traditional values. So far as you know Donald Trump has suggested that Ted Cruz get a declaratory judgment saying that he can run for president.

CUOMO: It doesn't work like that.

CAMEROTA: Ted Cruz is -- well, Ted, I mean, but you know it hasn't been tested.

CUOMO: It hasn't been tested but you don't go to court and say, hi, Mr. Supreme court justice, can I have a ruling. You need a case. It's just not the way the system.

CAMEROTA: OK. But so far all Ted Cruz has done in response is put out a video fonzie. Does he need to do more?

KUCINICH: You know, it doesn't seem like it as this point. But he is -- I mean he did put out his mother's birth certificate to prove that she was a U.S. citizen. So clearly Trump was getting to him on some level. The other thing, though, Trump does have to be careful when going after Ted Cruz.

You remember a couple of months back and actually backfired on Trump because of the talk radio guys starting to really not liking how Trump was going after Cruz, someone who has really, you know, pushed the conservative message during his day job in Washington.

So while Trump keeps on hinting and putting this out there, he does need to be careful with some of the voters who really do like Ted Cruz not to overplay his hand.

CUOMO: So this dynamic is no more confounding than the one going on the Democratic side. If we can put up the polls about which Democrat does better against these guys, the GOP leadership, you get another huge curve ball that makes this race so unique. Look at the numbers. When you get Clinton versus Cruz, right, losing to Cruz, losing to Rubio, losing -- you know, Trump ahead and he'll tell you he's beating her. Let's look at Bernie Sanders. I mean just look at the numbers for yourself.

CAMEROTA: What's up with that, Errol?

CUOMO: 50, 50, 56. Why this division when you go head to head he can't beat her anywhere, Bernie and Hillary. You know, some of the races are tied but nationally doesn't look good for him. What about this?

LOUIS: Well, when you look among registered New Hampshire voters, they are famously one of these states where there are more nonaffiliated voters not with either party...

CUOMO: Right.

LOUIS: ... and there are either Democrats or Republicans.

CUOMO: Yes.

LOUIS: So they're not just swing voters, they're independents. You know, and they know Bernie because this is an adjacent state...

CUOMO: Right.

LOUIS: ... and kind of see them over the decades. And I think what that points to is that fact Sanders' appeal, which is very much (inaudible) appeal, he doesn't talk so much about ISIS and about the war overseas and so forth other than to vote against the Iraq war, but that this is a bread and butter issue that people can identify with. And he was sort of pro gun at one point in his career, as well.

CAMEROTA: Jackie, Errol, thank you. We've run out of time. We appreciate talking to you, guys. Also make sure you set your DVRs now, you will watch my sitdown with Hillary Clinton, Wednesday morning. I'll bring here in New Day also tomorrow a little snippet of it on Erin Burnett "Outfront" 7:00 p.m. set your DRVs.

CUOMO: Certainly words getting up for. Watch it live. There is a lot of news this morning. Let's get right to it.

INDENTIFIED MALE: El Chapo is back in the same prison he escaped from. For the first time, we hear from the drug kingpin himself.

The meeting made possible by a mutual connection, Mexican actress, Kate del Castillo.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[07:00:05] HILLARY CLINTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Senator Sanders loaded with gun lobby and I voted against the gun lobby.

BERNIE SANDERS: We certainly do not want to see some right-wing extremist in the White House. I think Bernie Sanders is the candidate --