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New Day
Rio Olympics Opening Ceremony Hours Away; U.S. Sent $400 Million to Iran on Same Day Prisoners Released; Colorado's Key Role in Presidential Vote. Aired 6:30-7a ET
Aired August 05, 2016 - 06:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[06:30:00] COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: The USA is going to be led by of the greatest athletes to ever walk the planet, Michael Phelps. When he heard he had been selected by his peers, he said he cried. So, he's walking in the opening ceremony for the first time, in his fifth and final Olympic games.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WIRE (voice-over): Ten thousands athletes from 206 countries ready to compete in the first ever Olympic Games in South America. The opening ceremony is going to be quite the show. Rio, ready to showcase some of Brazil's best, like samba legend Elsa Suarez, 12-year-old rap prodigy MC Sophia and super mode model Giselle Bundchen ready to strut the catwalk in front of a worldwide audience.
The ceremony is the first major test for the city plagued by headlines about polluted waters, political turmoil, construction delays and even Zika.
Once his flag bearing duties are over, we'll get to witness the most decorated Olympian in history one more time. American swimmer Michael Phelps, who's looking to add to the record 22 Olympic medals that have already been placed around his neck.
MICHAEL PHELPS, AMERICAN SWIMMER: My emotions will be ten times what they've ever been.
WIRE: Another global superstar making his final Olympic appearance, the aptly named Usain Bolt. The Jamaican has blazed trails on tracks that are unmatched by any sprinter in history. A six-time Olympian champ, will it be three more golds for Bolt?
And perhaps one of the most highly anticipated Olympic debuts we've ever seen, American gymnast Simone Biles. The 19-year-old is the first African-American to ever become a world all-around gymnastics champ, and she's already done that three times.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WIRE: Cannot wait to watch Simone Biles and crew, the fierce five. Opening ceremony starts tonight at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. One thing to look out for, Team USA's attire, what they're going to be wearing. They're catching a lot of heat on social media. That'll be something
to look out for. But it's going to be so much energy, passion from here in Rio for the opening ceremonies
POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Who cares what they're wearing? They're incredible athletes.
All right. Coy, thank you so much. We appreciate it.
Back to politics next. You heard it yesterday. He talked a lot about Donald Trump, but President Obama also answering critics of the Iran nuclear deal at his pre-vacation news conference. Is the agreement really working as well as the administration says it is? We'll dig into that next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:36:20] JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: President Obama taking on critics of the Iran nuclear deal, saying it is working as planned. He did this in a wide-ranging news conference.
The president also talked about the war against ISIS. He says progress is being made.
We're joined this morning by lieutenant general and CNN military analyst, Mark Hertling, and Phil Mudd, CNN counterterrorism analyst, a man who's worked in the CIA and FBI and other dark places we're only beginning to learn about.
Phil, I want to start with you and talk about the Iran situation -- $400 million in cash, which we knew was going to Iran, but what we learned in the last week is that it arrived within hours of four American hostages being released from Iran.
Republicans, including Donald Trump, highly critical of this timing. Listen to Donald Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Four hundred million in cash being flown in an airplane to Iran. I wonder where that money really goes, by the way, right. I wonder where it really goes. Well, it went either in their pockets, which I actually think more so, or toward terrorism. Probably a combination of both.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: Phil, you have an interesting take on this. You just say this is the business, this is the life we've chosen. I mean, this is the kind of thing that happens in deals like this.
PHIL MUDD, CNN COUNTERTERRORISM ANALYST: Well, there's a couple things to think about here, John. First of all, we're talking about going into a negotiating room, and we as Americans tend to believe we walk into a negotiating room, whether it's with the Iranians or the Russians, and say, here's the deal, here's how it's going to go, sign on the bottom line.
The Iranians in this case say, you've frozen assets since right after the revolution 35 years ago, we want our assets back that we paid you. You never gave us the military material we paid for.
Then they say later, we'll release hostages. This isn't exactly a hostage for money deal. I understand the optics look bad, but this is a diplomatic deal. It's got to be done if you want to get those people out.
The second thing I'd say, John, is people thinking $400 million is significant. That's chump change. The sanctions mean Iran can get tens of billions of dollars from returning to the oil market. $400 million is a lot to pay. I understand from the optic of an every day American.
In the world of Iran with its return to the oil market, it's not a significant amount of money.
BERMAN: Phil, ransom and hostages is something I know you've thought a lot about. It's deeply personal to you. You probably have personal connections to it that we might never learn about.
What's the difference between ransom, which is a loaded word, and a quid pro quo that those hostages would not have been released had that money not been delivered?
MUDD: There's a couple differences. First, we're dealing with a government. We're not dealing with a terrorist organization here.
Second, I think this is subtle but significant. We didn't pay for hostages. We paid to resolve a diplomatic dispute that goes back right after the Iranian revolution.
What the Iranians would say is we have a right to get money when we never received what we paid for. And then they're going to say at another diplomatic table, hey, it's about time we released these hostages.
This is not as clean as it should be. The White House looks bad, but I understand what they're doing here. They're saying, if we want to get something, we've got to give something.
BERMAN: General Hertling, I want to ask you about something else the president talked about, the battle against is, a battle that the president insists is going well. Listen to how he talked about it yesterday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: ISIL has not had a major successful offensive operation in either Syria or Iraq in a full year. Even ISIL's leaders know they're to keep losing. In their message to followers, they're increasingly acknowledging they may lose Mosul and Raqqah, and ISIL is right -- they will lose it.
And we'll keep hitting them and pushing them back and driving them out until they do. In other words, ISIL turns out not to be invincible.
[06:40:01] They are, in fact, inevitably going to be defeated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERMAN: This is so interesting, General. It's one of the heaviest lifts of the Obama presidency. And one of the most challenging and questionable things for some critics that he's trying to do, which is to say, everything is going well against ISIS, as there are attacks in Orlando by ISIS-inspired killers, attacks in Nice by ISIS-inspired killers, as there are attacks all over the world that people are looking at by ISIS-inspired killers.
The president gives a news conference and says the war against ISIS is going well. It's complicated, isn't it?
MARK HERTLING, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: It's extremely complicated, John. I'm going to take a page from Phil Mudd's book and give you three things. First of all, what the president said was there's significant attrition on the battlefield in Iraq and Syria. That is, in fact, true. In fact, it's been much faster and more significant than I would have expected a year ago, if you would have described it to me.
They're about to take Mosul. I think the Iraqi security forces will launch an attack, a major operation into Mosul within the next 60 to 90 days. And that's significant.
But then you have, as you just say, the expansion of ISIS into other areas, specifically North Africa. That's critically important, and they're doing it in a very different way. But they need geography. If they're going to claim themselves a state, they need some place to put their flag, and they're having difficulty in doing that.
But at the same time, they're co-opting other terrorist organizations. Good God, you know, they've asked Boko Haram, who's pledged allegiance to ISIS. Boko Haram is just a thug gang who like to kill folks and kidnap people for money. But yet they're associated with ISIS.
And then the third area, he said, they're adapting their tactic, and they are. You know, two years ago we saw major forces of ISIS rolling across the desert in trucks with flags and major pieces of military equipment. Now, you're seeing them shoot in twos and threes. That's unfortunate, but it's an adaptation of a terrorist organization.
BERMAN: All right. General Mark Hertling, Phil Mudd, thanks so much for being with us. Appreciate it, guys.
MUDD: Thank you.
BERMAN: Poppy?
HARLOW: All right. Up next, breaking news: a cargo plane crashing through a fence on to the road. These incredible pictures and details from where it happened, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:46:09] HARLOW: All right. Breaking news this morning out of Italy. A cargo jet appears to have overshot the runway at an airport in northern Italy. It crashed through the fence before finally stopping, as you can see, in the middle of the highway.
Officials say there were only two crew members on board because it was a cargo plane at the time and neither suffered significant injuries. Investigators are trying to figure out how this could have happened.
BERMAN: All right. We have more breaking news. This story out of Georgia. A father was arrested and charged in the death of his twin girls. Police say the toddlers were left in a hot car for a long period of time outside a duplex. 15-month-olds in a kiddie pool to try to revive them. The medical examiner will perform autopsies on the girls later today.
HARLOW: And the man hunt for the notorious Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman el Chapo was filled with very close calls, brick walls, and underground tunnels. Authorities eventually recaptured El Chapo after he managed to escape two maximum security prisons.
A new CNN documentary takes you inside it all, gives you a front-row seat to the search for El Chapo. Here's our Chris Cuomo.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(GUNFIRE)
CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Before dawn in the northern Mexican city of Los Mochis, 15 elite Mexican marines bust into what seems like a normal middle-class home, looking for one of the world's most wanted criminals -- the drug lord they call El Chapo, or Shorty. A man with an uncanny ability to evade capture and a loyal army of heavily armed thugs.
It's bullets flying everywhere, so the team has to split in half. Half goes down this way where there's a bedroom.
The other half has this difficult task of trying to make it up these stairs.
In this bathroom they came to and just bashed it open. They find a woman in here. There's another woman back there.
But El Chapo is not anywhere on this floor. Downstairs, the other team moves through the hallway.
You're now in the bedroom that the men were most fiercely defending. They did not want the teams to get in here.
When the marines do get in, they find two men armed with semiautomatics. Suddenly, the men change their tune and no longer want to fight. They want to surrender.
In the closet, they find two more men, who also surrender. Marines don't know it yet, but those men are buying time for the kingpin to escape.
Searching, marines find machine guns, rocket propelled grenade launchers and grenades. There are five dead guards and six others to arrest. But no El Chapo. Where is he?
Here's your answer. It looks like an ordinary closet, but it isn't. You see this up here? It says hood on it, like from an old car. When you pull it, this door pop open to reveal a signature El Chapo move.
A tunnel connected to the city's sewer system and to freedom.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Once again, Chapo aka Harry Houdini escapes. There's a trap behind the mirror in the closet.
CUOMO: El Chapo slips into the escape hatch behind the mirror and runs about half a mile through the sewer, popping up from a manhole in the middle of a street.
[06:50:02] The billionaire and his guard carjacked the first ride they can find. This blurry video shows it happening.
They flee, realized they've been spotted. Ditched it, steal another, head out of town, and don't make it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARLOW: Got to watch it tonight. That's CNN exclusive, special report, "Got Shorty: Inside the Chase for El Chapo," it is Sunday night at 8:00 p.m. Eastern only on CNN.
All right. New polls out finding Hillary Clinton gaining a lot of ground in some of those critical battleground states. Will the numbers stick? Also, a tweet this morning from Donald Trump. You're going to want to hear what it said, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HARLOW: Welcome back to NEW DAY.
Now to our continuing series on the battleground states. Key states that could and likely will decide this presidential election. This morning, we're focusing on Colorado. Both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton spending time there.
New polls including this one from FOX showing a clear advantage for Clinton. Can Trump close the gap?
Our Kyung Lah live in Denver for us this morning with more. What are they saying?
[06:55:00] KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Good morning, Poppy.
Team Trump not willing to concede anything, saying this state has a very strong, independent streak and the state's nine electoral votes will be won by capturing those voters.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAH (voice-over): In the battleground state of Colorado, the ground war --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm getting people registered to vote.
LAH: Taking aim with real and augmented retail politics. Clinton campaign workers playing Pokemon Go to register potential voters, and using other attention-getting draws.
(on camera): A cello? For real?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A cello.
You just have to be unique, especially in a battleground state like Colorado.
LAH (voice-over): Battleground Colorado twice elected President Bush and gave Obama back-to-back victories. This year the state is showing signs of leaning Democratic. Some recent polls give Hillary Clinton a double-digit lead.
Another potential advantage, since 2012, Democrats have registered more voters than Republicans.
And the rank of Latino voters continues to grow up to 15.3 percent, higher than the national average. 14 Clinton campaign offices are up and running in the state. Hundreds of workers are on the payroll. The operation expected to triple by early October.
EMMY RUIZ, CO STATE DIR., HILLARY FOR AMERICA: We're not going to take anything for granted. For us, our ground game is critical.
LAH: Democrats have spent $5.6 million on Colorado TV ads, while Trump supporters have spent $232,000.
The Clinton camp now pulling TV ads, saying Trump isn't on the air waves or frankly on the pavement.
(on camera): Are you seeing the Trump operation out there?
RUIZ: No, I haven't.
LAH: The Trump plan in Colorado is far different. Yes, there are some workers knocking on doors, but only a handful are on the payroll. Most are volunteers.
The Trump campaign has just five offices, relying instead on an extensive Republican national, state, and local network in place since 2013. The campaign not worried about being outgunned in the traditional ground game.
ROBERT BLAHA, CHAIRMAN, TRUMP CAMPAIGN IN COLORADO : Her game plan is the same old tired, worn out paradigm we've seen for years and years and years. Trump brings a brand new level of energy. Colorado will be decided in large by a group of people in the middle of America. LAH: In Colorado, more than one-third of voters are registered
independents, like Marc Sabin. He supports Trump.
MARC SABIN, INDEPENDENT VOTER: I will do it as an independent. I will contribute directly to Donald Trump. I do not contribute to the GOP.
LAH Loyalty to Trump, not party, an x factor not lost on both sides. And with both candidates having high unfavorability numbers, it's leaving some independent voters uncertain of which way they'll go in November.
CAR MILLER, INDEPENDENT VOTER: I'm not sure I'd want either of them as president, but --
LAH: So how are you going to decide?
MILLER: I don't know. I guess the lesser of two evils.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LAH: And we heard that from a number of independent voters here in Colorado. They know what they don't like. Now they want something to like -- Poppy.
HARLOW: Interesting. A third of the electorate there registered as independents. Those are the voters the candidates are fighting over.
Kyung, fascinating report. Thank you so much.
All right. Following a lot of news this morning. Let's get right to it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TRUMP: I'm afraid the election is going to be rigged, I have to be honest.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If Mr. Trump is suggesting there's a conspiracy theory, that's ridiculous.
HILLARY CLINTON (D), PRESIDANTIAL NOMINEE: Anyone you can provoke with a tweet should not be anywhere near nuclear weapons.
TRUMP: TV probably paid the 400 million for the hostages.
OBAMSA: There wasn't a secret. This wasn't some nefarious deal.
TRUMP: How stupid are we?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm having the time of my life.
TRUMP: The final countdown to the start of the Summer Olympics.
PHELPS: This time around will be a lot more emotional than past games. HARLOW: We speak to gold medalist Shawn Johnson.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A terrifying landing in Dubai.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Watch out, watch out! Leave your things behind!
BERMAN: Two survivors tell us about their frantic fight to get out alive.
ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo and Alisyn Camerota.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARLOW: Good morning, everyone. Welcome back to your NEW DAY. Chris and Alisyn are off. John Berman and I are here with you.
A lot of news this morning. We begin with this -- Donald Trump just minutes ago walking back false claims in a rare move. He just tweeted, admitting he actually never saw video of a plane delivering $400 million in cash to Iran.
BERMAN: A video that Donald Trump described at length at least twice on the campaign trail. Now, he says he didn't see it like that.
CNN's Jim Sciutto joins us live in Washington with the tweet and these breaking details -- Jim.
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, we were talking about this just moments ago, it seemed. Moments later, here is Donald Trump's new response on this via Twitter. He says, the plane I saw on television was the hostage plane in Geneva, Switzerland, not the plane carrying $400 million in cash going to Iran, exclamation point.
Now, just for sake of fact, let's play his actual comments yesterday, which was a repeated story in effect about what he saw on that video.
