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New Day

Trump Doubles Down On Judge Attacks; GOP To Trump: Lay Off Judge's Mexican Heritage; Trump Reverses Position On Libya Intervention; Remembering Muhammad Ali. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired June 06, 2016 - 07:30   ET

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

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[07:33:00] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, you're watching NEW DAY. Breaking news here, this chilling terror plot against France broken up. Ukrainian security forces arresting a French citizen with a massive arsenal of weapons there at the Polish border.

He is accused of planning 15 terror strikes in France. Among his alleged targets a mosque, a synagogue, and venues hosting the Euro 2016 soccer championship which begin this upcoming Friday. Among the weapons seized here, grenade launchers, assault rifles, and TNT. Ukrainian authorities say the suspect was upset about foreigners in France and the spread of Islam.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: We also have breaking news from the Middle East. At least five people are dead, including three Jordanian intelligence officers, in an attack on a security office at a Palestinian refugee camp in Jordan. The attack happening on the first morning of the holy month of Ramadan. So far, no claim of responsibility. Authorities are looking, reportedly, for a single assailant who was armed with an automatic weapon.

BALDWIN: The Taliban claiming responsibility for an ambush in Afghanistan that killed an American journalist working for National Public Radio and his Afghan translator. Photography David Gilkey was embedded with Afghan Special Forces and traveling in Helmand Province Sunday. He is the first NPR journalist to be killed on assignment in the network's 46-year history.

CUOMO: All right, the big political story this morning surrounding Donald Trump is that he's not backing down from his attack on federal judge Gonzalo Curiel, saying his Mexican heritage presents an "absolute conflict" in overseeing lawsuits in the Trump University fraud case. The judge is of Mexican descent but was born and raised in Indiana.

Joining us now is Luis Rodriguez. He was the first Latino president of the California State Bar. He and Judge Curiel are a part of the La Raza Lawyers Association. Luis, thank you for joining us this morning.

LUIS RODRIGUEZ, FORMER PRESIDENT OF CALIFORNIA BAR ASSOCIATION: Good morning, Chris. CUOMO: Let's deal with this as attorneys. I'll give the suggestion of what the strongest case is that Trump is offering. It's no longer about the disclosure of the documents. Trump has moved away from that.

This is about Curiel, the judge, as a man, most pointedly his heritage that he's Mexican and that that would be a projective bias for two reasons. One, the law, and you understand that argument. It's as simple as it gets.

[07:35:00]The second one is more sophisticated. Curiel belongs to the La Raza Lawyers Association. He gave a scholarship to an undocumented man. That shows his proclivities in that area.He appointed, as plaintiffs in one of the class action suits against Trump, a law firm that gave over $675,000 in speaking fees to Hillary Clinton since 2009, and thus, he has a bias in favor of Clinton and against Trump.

RODRIGUEZ: You know, Chris, let me start with this. We're both attorneys. We both know the legal points. The quick answer is this. If Mr. Trump was truly believing of the bias that Judge Curiel may or may not have he could have done one simple thing, which is he could have filed a motion to disqualify Judge Curiel, which he could still do, by the way.

And then, we would all see -- everyone would see on paper what his attorneys believe make the case that established that Judge Curiel, because of his ethnicity which Mr. Trump has put forward, is biased. But let me tell you how ridiculous that is because what Mr. Trump is doing, and he's continued to do from the very beginning, is that he tries to alienate people against the rest of the United States.

Last week when Speaker Ryan came out, and I admire him for what he said, but he said it came out of left field. Now, how can he say that when the very first thing that Mr. Trump did when he announced his candidacy was to say that Mexicans were rapists, were criminals, Mexico was sending the worst of the worst to this country?

That leads me to this, and not only me as a proud American of Mexican descent, but many folks, to the belief that there's something wrong with the Republican Party and they are not owning up to their candidate and the many faults that this man has. So that's where we begin right now.

CUOMO: Another fact in this situation which should be disclosed is if this judge were against Trump's cause in any way, for whatever reason, the smartest thing for him to have done would have been to not allow the continuance of this case because that's what's allowed Trump to keep going with his campaign and not have to worry about the court battle. Judge Curiel continued the case and it bought Trump a lot of time, so it was an odd decision for a man who was against Trump.

But you're saying something else that we keep hearing which is Newt Gingrich, McConnell, Ryan -- they're coming out and saying they don't like what Trump is saying. They think that he should adjust. You are offended by their reaction because you're saying how can they be surprised? This is who he is. You bought him, now you own him. You believe that it's too late to say they're sorry.

RODRIGUEZ: You know what? I don't believe that it's too late to say that they're sorry. It's never too late. But it's becoming too late for them to do something that's going to convince all of Americans that he is the person who should be entrusted with the safety of our families and of our nation.

I've been a public defender here in Los Angeles County for over two decades and I can tell you that I've dealt with many issues with regards to domestic violence and abusive relationships. Right now, unfortunately, the Republican Party is in an abusive relationship with Mr. Trump because they are co-dependents, in that every single time that this man opens his mouth about Muslims, about women, about the disabled, about veterans, and Mexicans, of course, they come up with an excuse.

They say look, it's not that bad. He meant this, he's really not a bigot. But that is the typical, and not a stereotypical view of what an abusive relationship is.

And one other thing, Chris, is this. The Republican National Party should look at what happened in California in 1994 and look at what I'm calling the "Prop 187 Effect". Back then, proposition 187 passed, not overwhelming, but it meant to take away certain rights or services for undocumented immigrants. Governor Wilson and the California Republican Party, unfortunately, embraced that and what it did -- it did three things and my parents were the perfect example.

My parents had been legal permitted residents for over three decades, and what they did was, first thing, they became U.S. citizens. Second, they registered to vote. And the third thing, which I believe is going to happen to the rest of the country, they became Democrats. That is what's going to happen to the National Republican Party if they do not put an end to the rhetoric -- not only rhetoric but the actions of Mr. Trump.

CUOMO: Mr. Rodriguez, thank you very much for making the case and your feelings known on NEW DAY, appreciate it.

RODRIGUEZ: Thank you, Chris.

CUOMO: Brooke --

BALDWIN: All right, Chris, thank you. We will get reaction live from the Trump campaign on his attacks of the judge of Mexican heritage. That is coming up next. Also ahead we want to honor this morning, Muhammad Ali. His extraordinary legend, personal memories from a Hall of Fame promoter who knew the boxer, the activist, and the man.

[07:40:00]

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[07:43:40] BALDWIN: You just heard Chris' interview with Luis Rodriguez, former head of the California Bar Association, regarding Donald Trump's attack on a federal judge for having "absolute conflict" due to his Mexican heritage. Top Republican leaders are concerned Trump's rhetoric could have a lasting effect on Republicans beyond November.

Joining us now, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, senior adviser to the Trump campaign. Sara, nice to see you. Good morning.

SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS, SENIOR ADVISER, TRUMP CAMPAIGN: Good morning.

BALDWIN: So, Mr. Trump, he was on a morning show this morning. He was asked about this judge again. Given an opportunity to clear it up, walk it back, in addition to all the other reporters who have questioned him, and he instead, triples down, again highlighting this judge's Mexican heritage, which is just wrong. He was born in Indiana. Isn't it time he apologizes?

SANDERS: Look, this is a legal matter that is directly with the Trump Organization and the campaign is not authorized to speak on that specific matter. But what I can say is that if this is the best that the Democrats have to offer, then I think Donald Trump is going to certainly win in the fall.

Let's not forget that there's only one candidate in this race that's under FBI investigation and has the potential of going to jail, and that's not Donald Trump.

BALDWIN: OK, but we are talking about serious charges with regard to this Trump University class action lawsuit, so there is that as well, but we'll let the campaign handle that. Let me ask you this, though. A greater question and the Latino vote, right?

[07:45:00] We just heard from the Senate Majority Leader Mitchel McConnell over the weekend and this is his fear. "It's a big mistake for our party to write off Latino Americans..." Of course, this is in the wake of Mr. Trump talking about his judge. "...and they're an important part of the country and soon to be the largest minority group in the country."

You have that and you also have the Hillary Clinton campaign seizing upon this. Take a look at this ad out today.

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JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: If you are saying he can't do his job because if his race, is that not the definition of racism?

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: No, I don't think so at all. We're building a wall. He's a Mexican.

ANA NAVARRO, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: How dare he question a judge's responsibility, a judge's adherence to the Constitution because he is of Mexican descent?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: How would you respond to that? SANDERS: Look, I think the real issue here is that we can't have open borders. If we have open borders then we don't have a country. We have to secure our border and that's been one of the big priorities of Donald Trump. And not only of Donald Trump, but the majority of Americans want to secure our borders. It's a national security issue and one that has to be addressed and he's the only one taking it seriously.

BALDWIN: Sarah, if he keeps talking about this judge's heritage and again, just hearing Mr. Rodriguez a moment ago reminding everyone of when he talked about Mexicans when he launched his campaign and the derogatory words that were used. You need the Latino vote in November. I know I don't have to tell you that.

SANDERS: And I think that a lot of the Latinos will eventually come on board and support Donald Trump because at the end of the day there are a lot of things that they care about and that's the economy and national security. And those are things that Americans trust Donald Trump on infinitely more than they trust Hillary Clinton on.

Poll after poll has showed that Donald Trump is infinitelybetter on the economy and national security, and that's the thing that's keeping people up at night and that's the thing that people are going to vote on, and Donald Trump's going to win that battle hands down every time against Hillary Clinton.

BALDWIN: Maybe you're absolutely right and this won't -- this issue with this judge won't be a huge issue come November. But something that might be is this now-mounting list of issues in which he has, you know, whether you want to call it a flip-flop, just total about-face, or a reversal, the most recent one he's talking about U.S. military intervention in Libya.

So, just for everyone following along, just recently he said yes, he would favor or he would have favored surgical strikes in Libya. Just this past February at a CNN debate he said no, the world would be better off if Muammar Gaddafi was still around.

And then back in 2011 -- I've got the sound for you. Back in 2011, he said yes to surgical strikes. And this is important and I'm going to get to that in a second. But here is Mr. Trump is his own words.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP (in 2011): Gaddafi, in Libya, is killing thousands of people. Nobody knows how bad it is. We should go in, we should stop this guy, which would be very easy and very quick. We could do it surgically. Stop him from doing it and save these lives. We should do it on a humanitarian basis. Immediately go into Libya, knock this guy out very quickly, very surgically, very effectively, and save the lives.

TRUMP: (at 2016 Debate) I was -- I never discussed that subject. I was in favor of Libya. We would be so much better off if Gaddafi were in charge right now.

TRUMP: (on Sunday): I was never for a strong intervention. I could have seen surgical where you take out Gaddafi and his group.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So Sarah, now add Libya to the list. Nukes with South Korea and Japan, gun control. The list is growing and I'm just thinking from the perspective as an American voter, if you see someone who wants to be the leader of the free world who goes back and forth and back and forth on major issues, how is that going to give somebodyconfidence in that kind of leader?

SANDERS: Look, I think the big thing here with Donald Trump is that his number one priority is to keep Americans safe. He's not a career politician. He hasn't been entrenched in a lot of these things like Hillary Clinton has her entire life. And so he's going to evolve on some of these big issues.

BALDWIN: But what about being steadfast as a commander in chief?

SANDERS: I'm sorry?

BALDWIN: What about just being steadfast as a commander in chief, sticking to something?

SANDERS: Well, I think he has stuck to the biggest thing and the most important thing, and that's keeping Americans safe. One thing I can assure you is that he's infinitely stronger than Hillary Clinton will be. The Obama-Clinton foreign policy has been a complete disaster. Our enemies don't fear Barack Obama, and they certainly don't fear Hillary Clinton, and they do fear Donald Trump.

And I think that's a very important time when Radical Islam is on the rise. He'll rebuild our military and he'll take care of our veterans. Things that, frankly, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have completely failed to do. When you contrast those two things and you put the point of Donald Trump's overarching foreign policy to keep us safe, that's a huge contrast and I certainly think Americans feel much better with Donald Trump at the helm than Hillary Clinton.

BALDWIN: All right, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, thank you for your time this morning. I appreciate it.

SANDERS: Thank you, good morning.

BALDWIN: Chris, to you.

[07:50:00] CUOMO: All right, Brooke. Fighting made the man famous, but standing up for peace helped make him a legend. We are remembering Muhammad Ali with a fellow boxing Hall of Famer, next.

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[07:54:00] CUOMO: The tributes are pouring in for the greatest. Muhammad Ali died Friday at 74. Ali was a great champion. That's almost beyond any dispute. But being a champion, for him, meant what he did inside and outside the ring. Now, our next guest believes that Ali had a greater impact on race and religion than even a legend like Martin Luther King, Jr.

Let's talk about it. Ali's legacy, the legend himself in the fight game, and we're going to talk about it with a man who is certainly a legend in and out of boxing, as well, Bob Arum. Mr. Arum, it is a pleasure to have you on NEW DAY. I wish it was for a better reason than having to talk about the departing of Muhammad Ali.

Let's start with him in the ring. The expression "GOAT", G-O-A-T, the greatest of all time, birthed by Ali's prowess in the squared circle. What made him better than others?

[07:55:00] BOB ARUM, HALL OF FAME PROMOTER, CEO & FOUNDER OF TOP RANK: Well, there were two Ali's. There wasthe Ali who fought prior to mid-1967 when, unfairly, he was deprived of his license, his passport was taken away. That early Ali was the most incredible fighter ever. He was faster, he had better hands, better feet than the great legendary Sugar Ray Robinson.

And yet, Ali was a big heavyweight. Nobody had ever seen a heavyweight who could move that fast and throw punches in those angles. He was so far and above any heavyweight that had come before, even the legendary Joe Lewis, that he was on pace to create a boxing record that nobody would have been able to ever touch. And then, of course --

CUOMO: What was he like after? What was he like after he obviously had his conscientious objection? I saw a clip of him the other night on "The Joe Namath Show" back when Joe had talk show at night with Dick Schaap. And Namath was saying to him do you really think you can be as good you were before, after a two-year layoff? And Muhammad Ali said do you think you could, and Namath said no. And he said well, I can. But you think he was different after?

ARUM: Yes, Chris. Before, people said Ali couldn't take a punch because nobody could hit him.

CUOMO: (Laughing).

ARUM: When he came back in 1970 they not only knew that he could take a punch but he had an iron chin. Now, when he came back he had lost a lot of his speed. He couldn't dance around the ring, so instead he used his smarts and he stood there, by and large, against fighters who he dared to punch with him had he felt that he could outsmart them, outhit them and win the fights.

But it was a different Muhammad Ali. His smarts were such that, for example, when he fought the big George Foreman in Zaire. Foreman could knock down a building. Ali knew that, so Ali's strategy was to tell Foreman that he couldn't hurt him so that Foreman would throw dozens and dozens and dozens of punches and finally tire himself out so that Ali, having taken the punches against the rope in the famous rope-a-dope --

CUOMO: Rope-a-dope.

ARUM: -- was able to knock out an exhausted George Foreman. CUOMO: So his genius in the ring, in many respects, was second to the genius he exhibited out of it. He took on religion and race at a time that certainly no athlete was really doing it the way he did. And he continued it with a lifelong legacy well beyond his own words could empower the message. It was his presence that did the same. What motivated him and what do you think his impact was early and late?

ARUM: Well, we don't know what ever motivates a person. Ali grew up in an era where African-Americans were treated horribly in this country. In great parts of the country they couldn't eat at a lunch counter, they couldn't use a restroom, hotels were segregated.

And in the north, things weren't very much better. There were not opportunities for African-Americans. Schooling was terrible. And African-Americans were expected not to speak, particularly not to speak out loudly. That change, their leaders told them, would come incrementally. And Ali didn't feel that that type of position was proper and he spoke out.

And he was the first prominent black athlete ever to speak out and people were horrified. But once the horror went away a little bit people realized that what the guy was saying made sense. Why would black people not be able to have the same opportunities, the same rights, the same way to live a good life as white people?

Why was white always considered, in Ali's mind, better than black? Why isn't black also pretty? That's what he'd have his face -- look how pretty, look how pretty.