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UK Votes to Leave EU, Cameron to Resign; Trump Visiting Scotland on Business. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired June 24, 2016 - 06:30   ET

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

ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: -- David Cameron has said he intends to step down in October and it will be up to his replacement to invoke what's called Article 50 of the E.U. treaty.

[06:30:09] It's essentially an escape clause. Only then can negotiations begin, and everything will be on the table, from E.U. treaties to trade deals, and it will involve all 27 of the remaining E.U. member states. They'll all get a say on each and every item. So we're looking at incredibly complex negotiation.

Now, according to the article, that's expected to play out over a period of two years. Officials here tell me that it's likely to last for much longer than that, but after the two years, according to that article, unless all 27 member states agree on an extension, the U.K. could simply be unceremoniously kicked out of the E.U. without a deal.

So, there is a lot at stake here. Senior diplomat telling me negotiations will not involve any niceties. There's not a single E.U. leader, he says, that what's a Brexit to look like an attractive offer to other countries. They are worried about the possibility of a contagion -- Alisyn.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Makes sense, Erin. Thank you for all of that.

So, we are awaiting for Donald Trump to speak in Scotland. We expect him, of course, to weigh on the Brexit vote and will have it for you live as soon as it happens.

Trump's trip seems like brilliant political timing, though he was really there to open a golf course. So, what will this course mean for his campaign?

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:35:27] CUOMO: This situation is still developing. We just got the joint statement by the president of the European Council and the president of the European Parliament, Tusk and Schulz. It's interesting saying they have to respect the people's vote in the U.K.

But do say in here, you know, Article 50, it's really just a step. It's a procedure. It's not an indication of the outcome, and they say, no matter how painful the process may be, any delay would prolong uncertainty and very often these statements are structured to send a message beyond the words, and it seems like this could be a little bit of a mixed bag for the U.K. going forward.

CAMEROTA: There is a lot of uncertainty this morning about how it will all unfold.

CUOMO: No question, there's no question, because there could be a lot of downside, there are a lot of advantage trade agreements and different rights and privileges that go along with being one of those 27 member states. We'll take it through as we get more information.

What we know right now is that Donald Trump is in the right place at the right time. He is in Scotland. He's opening a golf course.

Now, of course, Scotland voted to stay in the European Union. So, it's not as if they're going to be waving flags in his face when he says he's happy the U.K. is out, but he is going to take to the podium and explain why he believes what just happened in the U.K. is a parallel to what he thinks should happen here in the United States.

Now, this is also going to mute what the real story was about him being in Scotland.

Let's bring back John Avlon and David Gregory, also Sara Murray, who's traveling with Trump in Scotland.

Because, John, the story heading into this was, what's he doing during a presidential election going to open a golf course? What does this mean about balancing business and being the statesman? Should he be divesting? Is it the right time? That was the story line, now this.

JOHN AVLON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, that's exactly right.

Look, you know, look, this is one more sign how unconventional Donald Trump's campaign is. We know from his financial disclosure forms he gave in the month of May, 22 of his named businesses money through the campaign. Unorthodox from the giddyap.

Here we are in Scotland, where he is opening a golf course, a golf course which he said in European filings lost money, and American presidential filings made money.

With the aura of being a campaign trip with the press in toe, as you say, right place, right time on a morning of Brexit, on a message that echoes his own, Britain first, America first, he's going to try to say this a is a validation of the populist wave. All conflicts baked in that cake and won't separate it.

CAMEROTA: Uncanny timing, really.

AVLON: Yes.

CAMEROTA: Sara, you are there traveling obviously with the Trump campaign. What's the reception been like for Trump?

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: Well, certainly I think he has a lot of fans where he is here in Scotland. This is of course, his resort and members of the club in the first couple rows behind me who have been fans of Donald Trump of the upgrades he's made here.

But it's an interesting setting, as Chris setting up. Trump came out, said a couple things to reporters, suggesting it was a great thing that the U.K. voted to leave the European Union. He said, you know, people are angry. Voters are angry in Europe. Voters are angry in America, and this is a reflection of that. He's clearly drawing parallels with his own campaign.

Now, of course, that is not the sentiment here in Scotland. Scotland voted to stay. Interesting to see how he is received after he comes out and flushes out remarks why he thinks this is a good thing and also how he sees the U.S. and U.K. relationship changes if he is president. He obviously has not had great words to say about David Cameron and unlike other presidential candidate visits, he doesn't plan to meet with any politicians in Scotland and the U.K. during this trip.

So, it will be interesting to see how he addresses that as well.

CUOMO: David, there's an issue, though, of getting out early. No question timing is advantageous, distracts from this apparent conflict of interest, doing business while running for president and what that means going forward.

But going early also winds up making him commit to the virtue of this. He says people are angry all over the world. But what do we know about anger? We don't always make the best decisions when we're angry, right, David Gregory?

DAVID GREGORY, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I try to take that note every day. You're exactly right and no question there's a benefit to tying this to his own campaign. The larger issue for him when he gets back and is celebrating in the independence of the Brexit movement is that he still should be going to Scranton and not Scotland. I was thinking for minutes and minutes for that line.

MURRAY: We know that.

[06:40:01] GREGORY: No, but I think that's right --what are the economic impacts of this. What are the impacts on Trans Atlantic Alliance? On our alliance trade pact with Europe overall?

These are this he's committing himself to. It you're Hillary Clinton you're sitting back, looking at this and it becomes a major issue of disagreement with Donald Trump, answers he's now riding the wave wherever this goes in the next days and weeks and months which could be quite unpredictable.

AVLON: And that's a really important point. Because you own the anger, you own the outcome. And all of the unintended consequences that come from this vote. The uncertainty, the negotiation clearly the E.U. will have an interest in making this as painful as possible so they don't encourage the French, Marine Le Pen is calling for it, the contagion. Exactly right.

So, this will have not only uncertainty but unintended consequences designed toe painful and difficult. If that causes its own economic fallout and a sense of regret, Trump and co own that as well. It may be not be as immediate, but it's a cautionary tale about giving in to anger politically without thinking about the full consequence.

CAMEROTA: Sara, polls suggest voters are confused by Trump continuing to be at the helm of the Trump organization and its sort of vast resources and properties as well as running the Trump campaign. Maybe we can put up the poll suggesting 69 percent say Trump should step down from his business while he's running this campaign.

Any indication from his campaign that he plans to do that?

MURRAY: So far, no indication he plans to do that, Alisyn. He said, of course, if he wins the presidency he will hand over business interests to his adult children. When you see seven in ten voters saying we don't want to see you running your company and playing politics at the same time that should send a concern to the campaign.

Alisyn, I'll tell you, this at least ninth Trump property we visited or a campaign event, for a press conference. He's sort of made this a part of his campaign to show his properties as a backdrop along the way.

Now, when you talk to experts some people say, that's a good thing. Free publicity anyone would desire to have and some say now these brands are intrinsically pointing to Trump, that if you've been offended by Trump's comments, it's going to be much likely to visit one of these locations.

So, we, there's still a question about the long-term impact this campaign could have on his personal brand as well.

CAMEROTA: David, very quick, last word.

GREGORY: I just -- this image of Sara going around having ball caps from all the Trump properties is sticking with me.

Look, I think that the bottom line here is that this is still a strong moment for Trump politically. He gets a potential bump out of this, ties it into his own politics and tries to get back to the message so potent for him in the primaries when he's been off that message the past month.

CAMEROTA: All right. So we are hearing that Donald Trump is approaching the podium. We are going to bring you -- there he is -- I think we can tell by the hat, I will bet you that you know what it says on the front of it. Make America great again.

A theme that is resonating especially right now, John, because that is what the people in Britain cited. They want the U.K. to be first.

Now in that context, it means something very different than it would mean in the American presidential election. They are trying to divorce themselves from a set of agreements that they believe tied their hands. They couldn't be independent. They couldn't have just what the U.K. wants to do. They had to keep accommodating the whole.

That is not the dynamic with the United States right now, but there's obvious transferability of people being angry, angry about immigration. The differences matter.

AVLON: Important ones. The original idea of the EU, the United States of Europe in the wake of the First and Second World War, incredibly important, because we're also witnessing the death of historical memory in this case.

Some of the benefits we take for granted from larger alliances don't seem as urgent as the regulatory hassles and the bureaucratic meddling driving small business owners to distraction. That fuels a lot of this anger without an assumption of necessarily some of the benefits that get taken for granted that immediately get undercut by decisions like this.

CAMEROTA: Funny you should harken back to this time because is this a press conference or the sound of music. The sitting is so unusual.

CUOMO: The hills are alive?

CAMEROTA: The hills are alive.

CUOMO: With the sound of Trump?

CAMEROTA: Yes.

CUOMO: He'd coming to the podium. We see him approaching it right now.

There's another immediate impact by being ahead of this decision the way Trump is. No question. Good timing, because anger is a big theme in our election.

However, what's the immediate reaction from all of those European states? They're not going to like his endorsing the exit. New built-in base of resistance, which is going to be all of the rest of Europe. You're going to have Germany and France at least as the potentates at the top of the council saying, we don't e encourage this.

CAMEROTA: He has pockets of support. There is a strain that we saw that voted for the Brexit, that believes in what Trump is saying and what the Brexit stands for.

[06:45:04] CUOMO: That's true, but leaders want leaders on their side.

(CROSSTALK)

AVLON: That's right. And the problem is Trump is now with Neil Farage and closest ally Cameron is gone. A big deal.

CUOMO: All right. We believe he's coming in here. David Gregory, you're a man who often likes to travel with his own theme music. Trump has the bagpipes approaching the podium. What do you think he needs to do here?

GREGORY: Well, I think he has to inject a note of caution as well. John was just saying, we're losing our strongest ally in Great Britain and he is running a risk intervening into European affairs perhaps more aggressively than he may want to about a presidential candidate, and so I think that is a danger for him, and I like my own theme music, bagpipes, though, not usually what I travel with.

CUOMO: More of an old school hip-hop guy. I respect that about you.

CAMEROTA: That's actually not a joke.

CUOMO: D Greg he used to tag on subways in and around the capital district. People don't know that about him but we can say it now.

CAMEROTA: This is devolving.

CUOMO: David makes the right point. See what Trump says. Right now for Americans the impact for Brexit markets are tanking, meaning 401(k) as well. How will he reassure them?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- I forgot to -- I'm very sorry, Mr. Trump.

CAMEROT: This is, it looks like a protest. Greeted by the security detail, and Donald Trump, who's leaving the podium to go speak to him.

He's -- come with some sort of visual aides and is now escorted off as Donald Trump takes to the podium.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: OK. Thank you very much. I appreciate it, and this is an amazing honor. It's an amazing day. Very historic day for a lot of reasons, this is one of the big votes in the history of Europe and Scotland and everywhere. It was very exciting coming in, and we were landing and just heard the results.

So I wish everybody a lot of luck. I think that it's purely historic, and what's happening is historic. So it's an honor to be with you.

My mother was born in Scotland in Stornoway. She loves Scotland. She would be here a lot, come here with my sister Maryanne and my sister Elizabeth, and they just loved it. Her loyalty to Scotland was incredible.

She respected and loved the queen, and she loved the ceremony and the pomp, pomp and circumstance. And she was something special, and to think that we'd be here owning Turnberry one day would be incredible. She would come to Turnberry with her friends and they'd have dinner at Turnberry. She didn't play golf, but they'd have dinner at Turnberry.

So having taken this hotel and done the job we've done with it is just an honor that I was giving the opportunity. We bought it about 4 1/2 years ago. The town council has been incredible. The local politicians and all politicians all throughout have been absolutely incredible.

They approved virtually everything we asked for. We asked for the right things but the approval process, because it's so historic it had to go through many different layers, but every single thing that we wanted they agreed that they thought it was good and in some cases great.

We've taken the lighthouse which is a very, very important building in Florida, I mean in Scotland, and we've taken that building and made it something really special. Inside the lighthouse right now is incredible suites, and it's called the halfway house, because this is the ninth tee and it's called a halfway house. On the bottom, you have ding and golfers will stop and they're go and get something to eat and then go on to the 10th hole, 10th tee right next door, and it was in disrepair and all of the people from landmark, Scotland.

And all of the people we had to go through, I just thank you, because it was a long, difficult process getting that approved, but they really wanted to see it at the highest level, and now it's really at a higher level than it ever was, and when you see, I don't know if you'll get the chance, but if you do, you should try to get to see the suites, because they are two of the most beautiful suites you'll ever see and when the water's rough today, it's very calm. In fact, I've almost never seen it like this, but sometimes you have waves that are literally crashing on to this piece of are land that we're standing on. It's one of the most beautiful sights you'll ever see.

This hole didn't exist. The royal in ancient has been incredible. They worked with us on design. They've wanted to do these change for probably close to 50 years, because they were so obvious and we've made certain changes to the course in addition to that we fully renovated the course. Worked with us on design. They've wanted to do these change for probably close to 50 years, because they were so obvious and we've made certain changes to the course in addition to that we fully renovated the course.

[06:50:08] Brand new sprinkler system, the highest level. Many of the holes have been jiggered, made even longer and new greens, new everything, and yet it's the same Turnberry, but the whole 9, 10 and 11, and 4, have been changed and moved out ocean.

This hole is an example from approximately this area, you would hit over there. This was a par 4. And you'd hit over there, and it was a much different thing. Now you're hitting out over the and just to the right of the lighthouse you have a green, and a lot of people think this would be the greatest par 3 anywhere in the world. And then 10 becomes a par 5. That the golfers know and the members know.

I think we have a lot of members of Turnberry right it in the back, the captain, a lot of the members, we appreciate you being here and we have then number 11 which is a spectacular hole. Also a par 3. Built right on the cliffs, and that hole was moved about 200 yards to the left, and Tom Watson saw me and he won the British open many times, Peter, right? Many times.

And he said, 5. He said, what a change. And he actually thought it was a very easy hole, the way it was, but he'd probably liked it, because he would birdie it all the time, but what we've done is, is what everybody's wanted to do for many, many decades.

I want to thank Martin Ebert who has done an incredible job as the architect.

(APPLAUSE)

And -- I called up -- I called up the royal and ancient Peter Dawson, an amazing man and great guy and talented person, and loves the sport, and loves Scotland, and frankly, I said who should I use as the architect? And he did me a big favor. He recommended Martin.

So I want to thank you and Peter Dawson who's here with us now, headed up the royal and ancient for years and has been just a great friend and I thank you for everything, Peter. Your recommendations have been incredible. Thank you very much.

My son Eric was in charge of the job. I wanted to be, really come over here and Ivanka and Don came with me to congratulate Eric. He was -- really, we gave him the responsibility of building the hotel, as you know, was gutted it down to the steel. It will be one of the great hotels of the world. Already was but in somewhat dilapidated shape. --

CUOMO: -- we break into Donald Trump's statement, which is not something we often do but it's very remarkable to this point because what he hasn't mentioned yet. Donald Trump has been up at the podium five minutes, has not mentioned Brexit. He's only talking about his golf course and other business ventures and how it came to be.

Let's discuss why he would make this choice and what the implications are. We have our David Gregory and John Avlon with us.

CAMEROTA: Ad incredulous John Avlon.

CUOMO: Sara Murray is still in the audience there because she's listen to Trump and when she can get up, she'll start reporting as well.

Avlon, you seem to have something to say.

AVLON: This is insane. The presumptive Republican nominee, the world watching and he's doing a five-minute advertisement for his golf course in great detail, talking about the beauty of the suites. How great the pars are on certain holes not talking about Brexit.

This is a summation in some ways of his campaign. In the right place at the right time for his message, and he blows it because it's all about him. He seems to be trying to profit off a presidential run and not taking it seriously. This is Trump stakes all over again after winning the primaries. It's completely insane.

CAMEROTA: David, is that how you see it?

GREGORY: I think John understates adding suites to the lighthouse.

We spent all of this time highlighting parallels of the campaign and way out ahead of where Donald Trump's campaign is. I'm shock head didn't immediately come out and seize on the importance of this. Maybe he wanted to inject a note of caution by not getting involved. Seems like political malpractice.

I'm as bemused as everyone else looking at this thinking how strange. He'll clearly be asked why he didn't affirmatively say here are the parallel but we should be cautious for this or that reason. Again, much more in keeping with past months, unforced errors, missteps and self-inflicted wounds. If by all accounts, his own statements, he wanted to seize and draw on the parallels of it with his own campaign.

CUOMO: Well, as a student of Trump of 25 years, I think you'll hear two thing.

[06:55:01] One, I was the first to comment on this. Put out tweets and a Facebook statement about it.

Second thing you're going to hear is, I am a businessman. I'm running for president but here on business. You people keep telling me not to conflate the two, so I'm going to talk about why I'm here. What he's going to say.

AVLON: Yes. But he already conflated it putting out the trip on presidential stationary, having press corps stay at hotels he owns effectively puts more money in his pocket and not taking this moment seriously, which ultimately means not taking the role of global leadership seriously. If promoting your golf course is more important than talking about the huge geopolitical implications of a Brexit vote, if you can see that moment and seize it, how serious are you really about running for president?

CUOMO: My defense of Trump's move right now is flagging, so let me bring someone else in who may have some time of repose.

Christiane Amanpour, were you surprised, at the podium almost five minutes and has not discussed Brexit?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I was going to ask you guys because you know a lot more about U.S. electoral law than I do, whether he's allowed to come and make political speeches in the midst of a political campaign --

CUOMO: He's allowed.

AMANPOUR: -- in the U.S., whether he's allowed to bring that overseas.

CUOMO: He's allowed.

AMANPOUR: I don't know. We were asking for an interview. We asked for an interview. He's chosen not to do it.

But what he's done is anyway done it an off the cuff, said it was fantastic. Said the Brits, that tit was a great thing that they have divorced from the E.U. And he's made it clear what he thinks about this.

Beyond that I don't have a lot to add to his infomercial as Avlon just called it.

CAMEROTA: Go ahead, John.

AVLON: Yes. It is just -- he did release the tweets. Someone in the campaign release add thoughtful statement that seemed to illustrate themes. The only thing illegal for people to do in the United States is negotiate with a foreign government a violation of the Logan Act.

Donald Trump billed this as a president's moment, as part of his campaign. There on the morning of Brexit. It unexpectedly turned his way by which I mean conservative populists who want to reject different bureaucracies and this is -- he turned a global moment with the world watching into a seven or eight-minute advertorial for his golf course.

CAMEROTA: David?

GREGORY: Let me just add here that this is Donald Trump on the world stage at an important moment for the world, for the European community for the transatlantic alliance. So, it is certainly possible he could have come out and said, look, this is a really good thing but I want to be cautious. We have a lot to learn. He could have been really responsible as we talked about in the run-up. Take got from it and still add a note of caution.

What he's doing here is saying something to voters which is quite bizarre, how he will be on the world stage. Campaigns are about moments where you are persuading Americans to imagine you in the role as commander in chief as the most important lead other on he's doing with this opportunity.

So, again, at the very least, it is a missed opportunity try to contextualize what's happening in Britain, as well as adding a kind of bizarre note of his putting his business interests first. So, to say it's unconventional I think is too charitable at this point.

CAMEROTA: I thought that's where he was, going when he started talking about his mother's great loyalty. She was from Scotland. His mother's great loyalty to Scotland and, in fact, Turnberry, used to visit there, but he segued to his golf course.

AVLON: He didn't. Noticeably his mother was an immigrant from Scotland -- something that we sometimes lose in anti-immigration movements. How close we are as Americans to the immigrant experience.

But this is, just to return to a core point of the surreal scene we are seeing, Donald Trump, one of his best moments in his anti- Hillary speech the other day is when he slipped her slogan, I'm with her, I'm with you, and that's because great president's campaigns are ultimately about something bigger than the candidate himself, or herself. It's about making a campaign a cause, a crusade.

This is all about himself. He's looking at the Brexit moment and not even saying it's good for me. He's not even saying it's something we all live in. He's saying, you should really come check out my golf course.

CUOMO: All right. Let's talk about what he should be talking about right now because the Brexit does matter. Certainly more than Trump's golf course. The reason we're covering this because he thought he would speak about this. Never heard him talk longer and say less than this particular appearance. It's over 11 minutes. We'll monitor, when he talks about what matters, we'll put him back on for you but we won't now because it's irrelevant.

So, David, what should be mattering right now, what he should be saying, and now he's leaving, by the way. Leaving the podium right now and switching over to his son Eric who was the plan, of this golf course. He has ever reason to be at the podium talking about Turnberry and its golf course. Let's discuss the implications what he's supposed to be talking on.

Christiane, you are not our expert on the American presidential election, but you do know what the implications of Brexit are. So, do me a favor.