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New Day
David Bowie Dies at Age 69; Sean Penn Interviewed Drug Lord Joaquin Guzman; Bernie Sanders Surges in Iowa and New Hampshire Polls. Aired 8-8:30a ET
Aired January 11, 2016 - 08:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Superstars like Rolling Stones, Madonna, Kanye West, all paying tribute to the man who made their careers possible to a certain extent.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Bowie succumbing to his private battle with cancer. The musician legend behind hits like "Rebel, Rebel," "Young Americans," and "Let's Dance," being remembered around the world. CNN's senior media correspondent and host of "RELIABLE SOURCES" Brian Stelter joins us now with more on Bowie's career. Brian?
BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: So many people saying online this morning they thought he would never pass away, that he was someone who they believe would always be with us. Those tributes, those remembrances pouring out this morning. He had just released a new album a few days ago.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
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STELTER: Legendary British singer David Bowie who indelibly influenced generations with his eclectic persona and groundbreaking sound dead at age 69 after an 18-month battle with cancer. Bowie's publicist confirming the icon died peacefully, surrounded by his family after a courageous 18-month battle with cancer. "While many of you will share in this loss, we ask that you respect the family's privacy during their time of grief." His son tweeting, "Very sorry and sad to say it's true. I'll be offline for a while. Love to all."
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STELTER: An illustrious career spanning over 40 years, Bowie was born in south London as David Jones.
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STELTER: Bursting on to the scene in 1969 with the smash hit "Space Oddity."
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STELTER: And later as his ethereal space alien alter ego, Ziggy Stardust. (MUSIC)
STELTER: Bowie's flamboyant theatrics and a fashion forward style becoming a signature hallmark of the genre defined pop figure.
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STELTER: His music a rally cry for misfits everywhere. In 1996, Bowie was inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame. And awarded a Grammy lifetime achievement award 10 years later. His long-time wife, supermodel Iman, a steady fixture by his side.
Bowie a master of reinvention, continued working, dipping in and out of the public eye, releasing his latest album "Black Star" just days ago on his 69th birthday, much to critical acclaim. The album topping charts in the U.K. and the U.S., highlighting Bowie's unparalleled ability to continue to push the envelope even after four decades in the industry.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
STELTER: More than 130 million albums sold over his career. And of course, now, we're in the streaming music era. I think I'm not the only one this morning playing some of his old hits on Spotify, on Apple Music, just listening again. Some of them you come back to. You hear them for three seconds and you know the song right away.
CAMEROTA: It takes you to a moment. The soundtrack of our lives, right?
STELTER: And over so many decades. He embraced the video music era, making the music videos in the '80s and '90s. It's a blast to go on YouTube this morning and watch some of those videos over and over again. And then as we mentioned, a new album just a few days ago, out promoting it, celebrating that new album. That one also reached number one on the charts.
CAMEROTA: And also, just all of the image changes, the shape shifters owe a debt of gratitude to David Bowie. Lady Gaga, Madonna, everyone, because he started it.
STELTER: Lady Gaga's tribute this morning was just to re-tweet a fan to who said "There would be no Lady Gaga without David Bowie."
MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: He was a true artist in the fullest definition.
CUOMO: And that is the beauty of it. It was never a gimmick. He was authentic in whatever the manifestation of what he was making himself.
PEREIRA: Brian, thank you so much, we appreciate it.
STELTER: Thanks.
PEREIRA: Authorities in Mexico would like to have a word with actor Sean Penn. It turns out he interviewed fugitive drug kingpin Joaquin ""El Chapo"" Guzman in October for an article in "Rolling Stone" magazine. That bizarre twist had Hollywood buzzing at the Golden Globes last night.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to do this monologue and then go into hiding. Not even Sean Penn will find me.
(APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Snitch.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PEREIRA: Meanwhile, there are conflicting reports about whether Mexican police were told about that interview as they begin the process of extraditing "El Chapo" to the U.S. Nick Valencia is live in Mexico City for us with the very latest. Nick?
NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Michaela. The Mexican government is moving forward with the extradition of "El Chapo", filing the formal paperwork overnight. A senior law enforcement official tells me that we should expect "El Chapo" in the United States as early as this summer.
[08:05:00] Meanwhile, the big news over the weekend is this rare and exclusive interview given to Sean Penn, of all people. In it we hear "El Chapo" in his own words talk about his life and his role in drug trafficking.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VALENCIA: In a two-minute clip posted to RollingStone.com over the weekend, notorious drug trafficker Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman gives an exclusive interview to Mexican actress Kate del Castillo and Academy award winner Sean Penn.
JOAQUIN GUZMAN, CONVICTED DRUG TRAFFICKER, (via translator): Well, it's a reality that drugs destroy. Unfortunately, as I said, where I grew up there's no other way and there still isn't, a way to survive. No other way to work.
VALENCIA: "El Chapo" speaking while on the run. Follow up questions to a face-to-face meeting he had with Penn in October.
GUZMAN: All I do is defend myself, nothing more. I do not start looking for trouble.
VALENCIA: This photo of the two taken three months after the drug kingpin escaped out of a maximum security prison in central Mexico. Now Mexican officials want to question the Hollywood a-lister along with this famous Mexican actress, Kate del Castillo. She's credited with linking Penn to the heavily guarded fugitive. Penn writing in "Rolling Stone," "I take no pride in keeping secrets that may be perceived as protecting criminals." Guzman's desire to talk to the actors about making a biopic about his
life could have been the slip up to led to his capture. Castillo forging a friendship with "El Chapo" after a 2012 tweet critical of the Mexican government. CNN receiving contradictory information, about whether or not the Mexican government new about the interview before it was published to Rolling Stone's website. A senior Mexican law enforcement official says now. However, a separate source tells CNN they were well aware and it aided in finally catching the world's most wanted drug lord.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VALENCIA: "El Chapo" wakes up this morning in the penitentiary, a place that he's very familiar with. He escaped from here last July. The outstanding question of course this morning is, Will Sean Penn face any consequences for that interview in the jungle? Mexican authorities want to question him. It's unclear if they're be getting get that opportunity. Chris?
CUOMO: All right, Nick, thanks for staying on this for us. We'll check back throughout the day, I'm sure.
Let's turn to politics now. The Iowa caucus is closer than ever on both sides of the aisle. Look at this NBC News/"Wall Street Journal" poll. It shows Republican senator Ted Cruz tight lead over rival Donald Trump in Iowa. It could be within that margin of error. But Trump is still dominating in New Hampshire. We have live team coverage beginning with CNN's Athena Jones. Athena?
ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Chris. Trump has gone from raising what he said were other people's questions about Cruz's citizenship to out and out declaring that Cruz isn't a natural-born citizen. Listen to what he told his crowd at the rally in Iowa over the weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You can't have a person running for office, even though Ted is very glib and he goes out and he says, well, I'm a natural born citizen. But the point is, you're not. I mean, you've got to get a declaratory judgment.
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JONES: This of course is a ramp up in the battle for the top spot in Iowa where we're seeing the tightening polls. And it's succeeding in raising questions in some voters' minds according to the voters our folks talked to on the ground in Iowa and Nevada over the weekend, so it's no surprise Trump isn't letting up on this. Of course Cruz says this is not an issue. Legal experts agree. Take a listen to his response to all of this on "State of the Union" yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. TED CRUZ, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The substance of the issue is clear and straightforward. As a legal matter, the constitution and federal law are clear that the child of a U.S. citizen born abroad is a natural born citizen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: So this constant drumbeat from Trump is forcing Cruz to respond over and over again. And now Rand Paul is raising similar concerns about Cruz. And Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said over the weekend the Senate won't intervene here as it did in 2008 with a resolution declaring John McCain was a natural born citizen. McCain was born on a military base in Panama. Alisyn?
CAMEROTA: OK, Athena, thanks for that.
Early contests with tighter on the Democratic side. Polls show Hillary Clinton leading but struggling to pull away in Iowa. And Bernie Sanders still leading in New Hampshire. Sanders also outperforming Clinton in a series of matchups against top Republicans in early states. CNN's senior Washington correspondent Jeff Zeleny is live in Washington with the Democratic side for us. Good morning, Jeff.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alisyn. Hillary Clinton hasn't only lost in a contest with Bernie Sanders in Iowa and New Hampshire like you said, she's also running neck to neck with Republicans in hypothetical head to head matchups.
Take a look at these numbers here. In New Hampshire, Clinton and Trump are essentially tied and she runs behind Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio. Sanders does far better here, nearly a 20 point edge over Trump and Cruz and nine points over Rubio.
[08:10:00] In Iowa, a similar picture here this morning. Clinton runs strong against Trump but still falls behind Cruz and Rubio. And Sanders fares far better against Trump with closer contests against Cruz and Rubio.
It's important to remember these hypothetical matchups are just that, hypothetical at this point. But both states are likely to be important general election battlegrounds as well here. But for Clinton a more urgent concern is her race with Sanders. In Iowa and New Hampshire the race is uncomfortably competitive for Clinton just three week before the voting begins in the Iowa caucuses. Clinton is increasingly arguing that she's the only Democrat that can win the White House in November. She's gone from all but ignoring Sanders to fiercely engaging him. But it's an open question whether her promise of electability will be embraced or actually backfire with those Democratic primary voters. Chris?
CUOMO: Is Bernie Sanders starting to look like another senator named Barack Obama to voters? We'll have to figure that out. Jeff Zeleny, thank you very much.
All right, let's break down the state of the Democratic race with Jeff Weaver, campaign manager for Senator Bernie Sanders. Jeff, good to have you.
JEFF WEAVER, CAMPAIGN MANAGER FOR SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS: Morning, Chris.
CUOMO: Let's look at the primary races first in Iowa and New Hampshire, Hillary and Bernie. Here we have O'Malley, steady as a non-factor. He's been making traction since October in Iowa, which is the bigger surprise than New Hampshire because of the neighbor state. What do you see in the numbers as to why you are gaining and doing better than some expected?
WEAVER: Chris, look, the American people are responding to Senator Sanders' message that we have a rigged economy that's upheld by a corrupt political system, that we need to transform America, that we need to create a political system that works for all Americans. That message is resonating in Iowa and New Hampshire. National polls have shown up with some movement so it's resonating nationally. And I think we're getting closer and closer here in Iowa to a victory on caucus day.
CUOMO: Rigged plus being a Democratic socialist frightens some as meaning you're going to take away my ability to make money so you can give it to everybody else. Allay my fears.
WEAVER: Chris, right now we have an economy where all the new wealth and income is going to the top one percent. What we need to do is create an economy that works for the 99 percent. We need to raise wages in this country. We need to create good-paying jobs, make sure that corporations and the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes.
I think most Americans agree with the agenda. And that's why you're seeing in Iowa and New Hampshire Senator Sanders is maintaining his lead in New Hampshire and he is surging in Iowa. It wasn't that long ago that polls had Senator Sanders behind Secretary Clinton by double digits. There were some polls that had him behind 20 points, 25 points. Now we're within three points in Iowa. He's ahead in New Hampshire.
And you see in these general election matchups, you may have some fears but most Americans don't. You look at these two critical battleground states where Senator Sanders performs far better among -- against Republicans than does Secretary Clinton. That's in large part because --
CUOMO: Let's put the numbers up so people see them so they know what you're talking about. We have against the GOP big shots, we have Sanders and Clinton. This is New Hampshire. Put up the other numbers. There you go. So while we're showing the matchups, it is true what you say. Bernie Sanders, the senator from Vermont, doing better than Hillary Clinton in key matchups. It is not true that it is my fears I'm talking about. You know what I'm projecting. Many people put that stink on the idea of a rigged economy. So why is he doing better than Hillary in the matchups, in your opinion?
WEAVER: Look, the reason he's doing better is that he does very, very well with Democrats. He's popular with Democrats, but he's also extremely popular with independent voters. The truth of the matter is no one wins the White House, no one wins the congress, unless they can put together the coalition of their own party plus independents. And he is so much stronger with independents than Clinton is that make him a much, much stronger general election candidate. Can you imagine if the Democrats had to spend a tremendous amount of money defending New Hampshire in the general election against Donald Trump? How in the world are they going to win the general election if they have to play defense in all these places if Secretary Clinton is the nominee?
Bernie Sanders is the candidate generating excitement on the stump. I'm sure you've seen it, Chris. He's had large rallies all over the place. We're out here in Iowa. There's tremendous enthusiasm. And that's the kind of enthusiasm we're going to need to create a wave in November to keep the White House and to take back the Congress.
CUOMO: We've seen it here on the show. The senator can be very passionate. In fact, I don't know what morning show he's been on more than ours. Let's take a look at the case against Bernie Sanders from Hillary Clinton, which is essentially he's a gun nut. Listen to what Hillary Clinton said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[08:15:00] HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I think he has been consistently refusing to say that he would vote to repeal this absolute immunity from any kind of responsibility or liability. President Obama and I, and Senator Sanders were all in the Senate at the same time. Two of us voted against what the NRA says was the most important piece of legislation in 20 years for the gun lobby. Senator Sanders voted with them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHRIS COUMO, CNN ANCHOR: Hillary Clinton says Bernie Sanders wants to protect the gun lobby. The senator yesterday through George Stephanopoulos, says, "I'm sticking by my votes and position". Explain that to the Democratic voters in this country?
JEFF WEAVER, BERNIE SANDERS' CAMPAIGN MANAGER: Well Chris, I think that -- if you look at actually what he said yesterday and what he has said the last couple months, what he has said is he's willing to take another look at that bill. There were aspects of the bill which he supports and aspects he opposed. And he has said publicly on "Meet the Press" and at both the first two Democratic debates, he's willing to take another look at the bill.
Well, look, let's be clear, it's political season. People will remember that Secretary Clinton has been all over the map on guns. She's been conservative on guns. She's been very liberal on guns. People will remember the attack she leveled against then-Senator Barack Obama, now president, now President Barack Obama, back in 2008 on guns, when she was tacking to the right on this. So, I think her argument would be much more compelling if she had a consistent record on this issue.
COUMO: Right.
WEAVER: What is happening is that you're seeing the polls and I think that the Clinton campaign is getting very, very nervous. COUMO: Right, but listen, listen, I see the tactic I respect it politically. But that doesn't answer the question of where the senator has been in favorable positions to a gun lobby that Democratic voters are ardently opposed to. Who cares about Senator Clinton's record, this is about your mess.
WEAVER: Well, look, let's look at his record. Then you want to talk about his record?
COUMO: Please.
WEAVER: Senator Sanders has opposed assault weapons since 1988. He has voted for instant background checks since 1991. He supports closing the gun show loophole. He supports making a straw man gun, a purchasers a federal offense. He has been consistently in support of common sense gun control legislation. He supports the President's executive action, in terms of broadening background checks.
So, I think if you look at his record, he actually has a very strong record. It's easy to pick out one or two votes from somebody who has a 10,000 vote history. And again, he's said he would take another look at this bill. And so I think that, you know, again, its political season. I get it. But, you know, the secretary really doesn't have a lot of ground to stand on, in terms of gun control. She's been to the right, the left, the center on this issue, as necessary.
COUMO: Jeff Weaver, appreciate you coming on to answer the questions about what matters. See you out in Iowa.
WEAVER: Thank you, Chris. Good to see you.
COUMO: All right. Also, so there's Bernie Sanders, what about Hillary Clinton? She hasn't been on the show yet. Ah -- don't say that so fast because Alisyn Camerota is sitting down with Hillary Clinton tomorrow in Iowa. The interview first airs tomorrow night on "Erin Burnett OutFront." Then we will have the full interview right here on "New Day" Wednesday morning. Alisyn Camerota, Hillary Clinton, don't want to miss it. Mich.
MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Looking forward to that.
All right, some upsetting news here. Four teenagers suspected of gang raping an 18-year-old at gunpoint in Brooklyn, New York, are in police custody. A fifth suspect is still at large. Police say the teens took turns raping the victim at a playground Thursday night, after forcing her father to leave the scene. The father says he had no other choice but to run for help. By the time he returned with police, the suspects were gone.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Democrats in the State of Maine pushing for the impeachment of the Governor Paul LePage. Critics say the Republican leader has abused his power and misused state assets. Law makers will hold the debate, Thursday. Governor LePage not commenting. The uproar comes just days after LePage apologized for making racially charged remarks to explain Maine's heroin epidemic. COUMO: Rocky balboa finally wins himself a Golden Globe sliced Stallone, marking the high point of last night's award show, in my opinion, by winning his first Golden Globe for playing the iconic boxer. Stallone won best supporting actor for "Creed." And guess who he took a moment to thanked? Rocky.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SYLVESTER STALLONE, BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR, CREED: And most of all, I want to thank my imaginary friend Rocky Balboa for being the best friend I ever had.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COUMO: I've never liked the Globes more by the way. He had sliced Stallone win. "The Revenant" won best drama honored Leonardo DiCaprio named best actor, it's just the -- finally his year. They say he's the best actor of the generation who changes for every role, will this be one. And there was a shocker "The Martian" was considered a comedy at the Golden Globes, which was really controversial, but I didn't care because meant Matt Damon won the best actor in a comedy. Another favorite, Brie Larson won best actress in a drama for her riveting turn in "Room."
[08:20:06] Jennifer Lawrence was named the best actress in a comedy called "Joy." Some surprise winners on the T.V side by the way, "Mr. Robot" named best drama series. Amazon's "Mozart in the Jungle," best comedy series that they made an offer -- the producers when they got up there, is there any actors in the room who play an instrument Jonathan Schwartzman you know another big actor he's got a sign-up sheet.
CAMEROTA: That's awesome.
PEREIRA: All right, the story that fascinated so many over the weekend, El Chapo spent six months on the run but managed to find for time for Sean Penn. How did that happen? Could or should Sean Penn face charges? We're going to ask a former top official at the DEA.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COUMO: She is a mega-star in Latin America and now Americans are getting to know Kate del Castillo. She's the Mexican soap star who connected Sean Penn with the drug lord El Chapo for an interview back in October.
CNN's Rafael Romo has more on Kate del Castillo.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is the woman Sean Penn says served as link between him and Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. Kate del Castillo has been famous in Mexico a long time, but Americans have been introduced to the actress only in recent years. She has appeared in films like last year's "No Good Deed," a thriller about a man who escapes from prison. KATE DEL CASTILLO, MEXICAN ACTRESS: I tried to wait.
ROMO: The 43-year-old also played Mexican crime bust Pilar Zuazo on season five of the showtime time series "Weeds" in 2009. She raised eyebrows in 2012 when she posted a tweet about "El Chapo".
"Today, I believe more in El Chapo Guzman than in the governments that hide the truth from me, even though it is painful." del Castillo wrote. She later reflected on an interview on CNN in Espanol that more than a compliment to El Chapo, her message was a criticism to the Mexican political class.
DEL CASTILLO: Someone like that, at least we know what he is. We know what he does. We know what his profession is. The others, sometimes, are worst criminals and have numbed us, and hide everything from us.
[08:25:13] ROMO: After "El Chapo" escaped last July, she told CNN in Espanol, she was dumbfounded.
DEL CASTILLO (Through Translation): I'm Mexican and I get angry when in the United States. People say bad things about Mexico and I defend Mexico. But the moment comes when you can't defend that which is indefensible.
ROMO: In her roles in film or TV, she's been at odds with the law multiple times. Now after helping Sean Penn get an interview with "El Chapo", she maybe in trouble for real. Mexican authorities told CNN, they want to question her.
Rafael Romo, CNN.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAMEROTA: Well this morning the U.S. is trying to extradite the drug lord "El Chapo" to the U.S. Did the interview with Sean Penn help bring the fugitive in, and could Sean Penn be in trouble?
Joining us now is the former DEA Chief of International operations, Michael Vigil who investigated El Chapo and his cartel. Mr. Vigil, thanks so much for being here. How do you think it's possible that Sean Penn was able to figure out where El Chapo was hiding when the DEA, FBI, the Mexican authorities could not?
MICHAEL VIGIL, FMR. DEA CHIEF OF INTL. OPERATIONS: Well, we're talking about apples and oranges, you know, quite frankly, Sean Penn and Kate del Castillo were able to reach Chapo Guzman because he led them to where he was at. It was not that they conducted an investigation or an operation which led them to Chapo Guzman. He, in fact, brought them to him.
CAMEROTA: El Chapo in this interview with Sean Penn acknowledges that, it sort of in a matter of fact way, that he is a drug kingpin and he talks about how successfully he's been, in terms of flooding the U.S. and elsewhere with narcotics. Did that change anything, in terms of the case against him? VIGIL: Well, the fact of the matter is that, you know the best evidence that you can have in a court of law in the United States is -- are the declarations from the defendant himself. So I'm sure that the prosecutors here in the United States will be using his declarations when he's extradited to the United States and faces criminal proceedings here.
CAMEROTA: El Chapo also said that there was no way, coming from his poverty-stricken little village, to make a living, other than to become a drug dealer. There was no other way to provide for his family. As someone who had chased him for many years, do you have sympathy for that?
VIGIL: Well, I understand the poverty, but, you know, the fact of the matter is that, you know, there are other things that they can do. You know, that is Sinaloa, where he's from, is highly agricultural. So he could have gone into something else. But he uses his poverty as an excuse to engage in criminal activity, which has led to tremendous violence in Mexico, as well as the United States.
CAMEROTA: Yeah. I don't have to tell you that the last time he was on the run, he was gone for something like 13 years with international authorities looking for him. Are you surprised that this one was a relatively quick capture?
VIGIL: Well, I was surprised. But, you know, keep in mind, that President Pena Nieto of Mexico, you know, lost a lot of credibility when Chapo Guzman escaped in 2014. So, he saturated the entire golden triangle area of the Mexican states of Sinaloa and Chihuahua and Durango, and they just started to constrict and limit the capability of Chapo Guzman to maneuver and hide in the area which lead him to the city of Los Mochis and by mere virtue put him into the mouth of the lobo.
CAMEROTA: The mouth of the wolf, I like that. But did the "Rolling Stone" article do you know, help facilitate or hasten his capture?
VIGIL: Well the fact of the matter is that I think that played, you know, little to no role. You have to keep in mind that Sean Penn took extraordinary measures not to be tracked by the DEA or the Mexican agencies. So, they were up in a mountainous area where they had no cell phone coverage. They didn't take cell phones. No laptops. And the interview that Penn did of Chapo Guzman had to be committed to his memory.
CAMEROTA: And then he submitted questions, we understand, via text after that. What he couldn't remember, he submitted to El Chapo via text. And that's when El Chapo recorded himself answering some of the questions and sending it back to Sean Penn. Do you think that Sean Penn or Kate del Castillo should face charges?
[08:30:02] VIGIL: Well, the fact of the matter is that unless they aided and abetted and provided material support, no. There was other precedents where reporters have gone in and interviewed for example, Osama bin Laden --
