Return to Transcripts main page
New Day
Photographer: Melania Was Not Paid For Photo Shoot; Melania Trump's Immigration Story Under Scrutiny; Labor Department Releases July Jobs Report; Saved By Soccer; 11-Year-Old Puts Mike Pence On The Spot; Miami Police Officer Risks Life To Stop Arsonist. Aired 8:30-9a ET
Aired August 05, 2016 - 08:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[08:30:00] JESSICA SNYDER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The photographer behind the camera at the shoot, Jarl Ale de Basseville, says Melania was a young model waiting for a big break, so she didn't get paid, which would mean she didn't violate any immigration laws.
JARL ALE DE BASSEVILLE: We were making this kind of magazine to have exposure, and this exposure was bringing you to the next level to have catalog, campaign, and everything.
SNYDER (on camera): So Melania was not paid for this photo shoot, you say?
DE BASSEVILLE: No, no. Nobody's paying.
SNYDER (voice-over): If that non-paid photo shoot was the only work she did before getting an H-1B visa, she souldn't have broken any laws. Melania Trump isn't directly answering whether she was first in New York in 1995 instead of 1996 like she's previously stated, but could it simply be an honest error?
She wrote this on Twitter. Let me set the record straight. I have at all times been in full compliance with the immigration laws of this country. Period. Any allegation to the contrary is simply untrue. Jessica Snyder, CNN New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Here to discuss for us right now, journalist and author of the book, "Melania Trump: The Inside Story", Bojan Pozar, who joins us from Melania's home country of Slovenia; and "New York Times" magazine contributor, Julia Ioffe. Thanks so much for being with us.
Bojan, let me start with you. There seem to be two key issues here, right. There's the timeline of Melania's arrival and work in the United States, and there's the issue of what she was paid for here. If you can explain --
BOJAN POZAR, AUTHOR, MELANIA TRUMP: THE INSIDE STORY: Well, after our research, we conclude that Melania Trump becomes to travel to the United States in 1995. This was the opinion of two fashion (ph) agents that we spoke to last month about Melania, and I think this is the truth. But she didn't stay at this time in -- she traveled with a touristic visa back and forth
BERMAN: The issue is these photos that we're now seeing, a lot of people are seeing, in the tabloids, were taken in 1995. We think they are modeling photos. People model for money. People also model sometimes for test shoots where they get don't get paid. The photographer there says she wasn't paid. Is there any evidence she was paid in 1995 in the United States?
POZAR: No, there is no material evidence. But you can believe that I am speaking the truth. It is not serious that someone is traveling from Slovenia or from Europe to New York to make (inaudible) money. Maybe, OK, maybe she made some photo session without paying, but she was doing some, in this time, probably some, the other photo sessions for the advertising or some fashion show and so on. Of course she was paid for something in this time that she was in the States.
BERMAN: All right, Julia Ioffe, let me read the Melania Trump statement on this, because it's pretty carefully worded.
In recent days, there's been a lot of inaccurate reporting and misinformation concerning my immigration status back in 1996. Let me set the record straight. I have at all times been in full compliance with the immigration laws of this country. Period. Any allegation to the contrary is simply untrue. Case closed for you?
POZAR: Look --
BERMAN: Bojan, I'm asking Julia here. Julia, go ahead.
POZAR: You must know that Melania did not (inaudible) in the last six months. This is the truth. That's almost everything from our book or from our (inaudible) the other interviews. There's nothing possible, nothing special for me (inaudible).
BERMAN: All right, Bojan, stand by for a second. I want to let Julia Ioffe jump in here. Go ahead.
JULIA IOFFE, CONTRIBUTER, THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE: I think it does still leave a lot of questions unanswered. It's interesting that she insisted again in the statement about 1996 without mentioning 1995. So what does it mean about 1995? Was she being compensated when she was here? Paolo Zampolli, the modeling agent who says he brought her to the U.S. in 1996, he told the AP yesterday that he sponsored her for an H-1B visa based on the number of tear sheets (ph) she had based on her modeling portfolio.
Well, if just a year prior, she was doing a free photo shoot because she didn't have enough exposure, because she wasn't well-known enough, how do those two things match up? And, if she was working here for money, or if she didn't qualify for an H-1B visa, it is very -- even in the mid 90s, it was very difficult to get an H-1B visa. First, you have to apply, then you have to be selected for a lottery, then you have to get the visa from the lottery. There's lots of companies applying from silicon valley, et cetera. It's very hard to get an H- 1B visa.
[08:34:55] And, if you do have an H-1B visa, which is what Zampolli says she did have, then why are you traveling back to Slovenia every few months? An H-1B doesn't require that. You can have it for three years, you can renew it for another three, six years. You don't have to travel back every couple of months to get -- or every few months to get your visa stamped. What you do have to do that with is with a visitor visa or a tourist visa, and then you can't be getting paid. So it's still -- her statement doesn't really clarify anything.
BERMAN: So Julia, there's a lot -- immigration law is incredibly complicated on the best of days. We're going to try to keep it simple here -- if she was paid for modeling work in 1995, what does that do to the stories that she has been telling, the answers she has been giving, on the issues about her coming to America on immigration, which had been pretty extensively researched by you among others?
IOFFE: Well, it's problematic, because it kind of sets off a -- it taints all the stuff down the line, even if down the line, she did everything by the book. Because if at some point you committed fraud, you lied to a border agent, or you lied to somebody giving you a visa -- because even implicitly, if you're getting a tourist visa and you're -- but you know in your mind that you're coming to work, that's visa fraud and can actually trigger -- I mean, it's unlikely, but it could trigger denaturalization proceedings. So she could be stripped of her citizenship and deported. And again, this would not be an issue if her husband weren't running an entire campaign based not only on undocumented immigrants or illegal immigration, but also on the abuse of the H-1B visa for bringing cheap labor to the States to undermine, in his worldview, to undermine American workers. So he is running on a campaign -- he's running a campaign against the very type of visa that brought his -- allegedly brought his wife to the States. That's why it's an issue.
BERMAN: The issue is, is there a double standard here. Julia Ioffe, Bojan Pozar, thanks so much for being with us. Appreciate it. Poppy --
POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: All right, breaking news -- the July jobs report just released moments ago. What does it say about the state of our economy right now? And, as the race for the White House heats up, how could this all affect the 2016 race? It is political, folks. Christine Romans with us, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:41:16] BERMAN: All right, breaking news. The Labor Department just announced new jobs numbers. The second straight month of strong gains, all eyes on the state of the economy, with just 95 days to go until election day. CNN Chief Business Correspondent and star of EARLY START, Christi Romans, has the numbers.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: The numbers are good, you guys. It's the second month. as you just said, of strong jobs growth. Look at July and June now -- 292. That was revised up in June. July, 250,000 net new jobs created. When I look through these numbers, you guys, I see the government reporting strong jobs growth in computer systems design, architectural and engineering services, management, technical consulting, hospitals, all kinds of hospital jobs and healthcare jobs. And again, when you look at restaurants and the leisure and hospitality, those jobs are growing, too. Although I'll point out, the jobs I first started mentioning pay more.
When we look at the unemployment rate, it's sitting right here at the same level it's been for a long time, about 4.8 percent is what we're looking at, or 4.9 percent. We thought it might move down a little bit, but below five percent here still. And when you look at the markets, markets have been up. They've been thinking this could be a solid report, but not so good that it would cause the Fed to raise interest rates. So I'm call it kind of a Goldilocks job market here this summer, where you have strong jobs growth across the board unless it's energy. You're not having jobs growth there, but you're having strong jobs growth, growth across the board, and you're seeing wages rise. 2.6 percent year over year wage growth. The Fed would like to see more like 3.5 percent, but that's a little bit better. So you want to see the wages continue to rise at this stage of an economic recovery, guys.
BERMAN: All right. This will have interesting political implications.
ROMANS: Oh, yes, it will.
BERMAN: Christine Romans, thanks so much.
Let's move to sports now, talk about sports as a saving grace. Scotsman Davie Duke struggled with alcoholism, depression, and eventually homelessness after his father died, but he says joining a soccer team helped him get his life back.
HARLOW: Now to an organization he founded called Street Soccer Scotland. It is giving thousands of people who are struggling a chance of their goals, both on and off the field. We want you to meet Davie Duke, our latest CNN hero.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVIE DUKE, CNN HERO: When you're homeless, you lose more than just the roof over your head. You lose your dignity, your self-esteem. You isolate yourself. Football gives you a place where you belong. Confidence, fitness, friendships; it got me my life back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: All right. (inaudible) Davie uses soccer to give thousands of people their lives back, go to cnnheroes.com. While you're there, we want you to nominate someone you think should be a 2016 CNN hero.
BERMAN: All right. Donald Trump's running mate, Mike Pence, facing a tough question from a pretty sharp kid about Donald Trump, and how Mike Pence has to clean up after Donald Trump. Was this kid satisfied with Mike Pence's answer? Well, we're going to ask this sharp 11- year-old, Matthew Schricker (ph), live.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:48:07] HARLOW: I've been looking forward to this interview all morning, with the very special 11-year-old who you'll hear from in just a moment. Because Donald Trump's running mate, Governor Mike Pence, took some tough questions dealing with some controversies on the campaign trail this week. But yesterday, Pence fielded perhaps one of the toughest questions he has faced yet from an 11-year-old.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATTHEW SCHRICKER, 11-YEAR-OLD STUDENT: I've been noticing that you've been kind of softening up on Mr. Trump's policies and words. Is this your role -- is this going to be your role in the administration?
GOV. MIKE PENCE (R-IN), VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: I couldn't be more proud to stand with Donald Trump, and we are shoulder to shoulder in this campaign, my friend.
Sometimes things don't always come out like you mean, right. And Donald Trump and I are absolutely determined to work together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: Joining us now, Matthew Schricker, and his mother, Mary. Thank you guys for being with us this morning from beautiful Raleigh, North Carolina.
MARY SCHRICKER, MOTHER OF MATTHEW SCHRICKER: Good morning, Poppy.
HARLOW: Good morning to you, my friend. You told me you don't smile very much in the break, so we're going to try to change that for our viewers this morning. In all seriousness, though, Matthew, what prompted you to ask that question? Why is that the question that came to mind?
MATTHEW SCHRICKER: Well, I mean, I wasn't trying to be hostile in trying to accuse him of anything. I was just -- I'm full on with the Trump campaign. I think that I just wanted to see if he was -- if he was just -- if Mr. Trump was approving of it, and I think that has been -- I think that's what he is doing, and I think he balances the ticket out a little bit, and I think that's very good for the Trump campaign.
HARLOW: So Matthew, if you were -- and you probably will be in the room with Donald Trump at some point, I think, maybe at one of these rallies coming up, what would you ask him?
[08:49:59] MATTHEW SCHRICKER: I would ask him, what role will his children have in the Trump Foundation? That would be very interesting, because his children are very intricate and very wonderful. They are totally masterminds.
HARLOW: Masterminds. Mary, for you, as his mother, watching him ask this question, what went through your mind? I think he caused Mike Pence to pause there for a moment.
MARY SCHRICKER: Well, he put it out on scrap paper just minutes prior, and I looked at it and I said, it's OK. I honestly wasn't certain the reception it was going to get. I had a feeling it could be potentially perceived as a defensive question. But Governor Pence took it all in stride, and I thought he gave an excellent answer, and I'm very proud of him, as we are of all our three children.
HARLOW: So Matthew, a lot has been made in this campaign of the language that is used, the name-calling that's been used, especially in the primary. As an 11-year-old watching it, what's your reaction?
MATTHEW SCHRICKER: I really think that listening to a few bad words coming out of Donald Trump is a lot better than people getting blown up by terrorists, people getting burned alive, people's heads being chopped off, and people getting drowned.
HARLOW: So Mary, to you, as a mother, sitting in your seat -- I know you have two other children. You have two young girls as well. Does the rhetoric of this campaign, on both sides, does it bother you?
MARY SCHRICKER: Well, certainly as a mother, you don't like to hear some of these comments that are so somewhat bombastic and inflammatory. However, I think the tenor of the world right now allows for those kind of feelings to be aired. And honestly, when it comes to confronting a terrorist, I would rather have Trump confronting him than his opponent.
HARLOW: So looking at you, you look like a future politician, if I can even say that, only because of your awesome tie and your button, my friend. But really, do you have an interest in politics as a future career?
MATTHEW SCHRICKER: I've always had an interest in politics. I'm not really sure, because looking at all the insults flying around in politics, then I might -- I don't know. But I think I might. It's a slim possibility. I'm going to go into be a lawyer first and then see if that could be my future.
HARLOW: And the first thing you would do when you sat down in the Oval Office, Matthew?
MATTHEW SCHRICKER: I don't know if I would be into the Oval Office, but I would -- right now, or in the future?
HARLOW: In the future.
MATTHEW SCHRICKER: I don't know what the issues are going to be in the future.
HARLOW: A very political answer from a very savvy 11-year-old. Thank you so much, Matthew and Mary. Have a great weekend, guys.
MATTHEW SCHRICKER: Thank you. You too.
HARLOW: Nice to see you both. J.B. -- BERMAN: Already dodging questions. He's a politician already.
All right, up next, he put his life on the line to stop an arsonist. We're going to introduce you to the officer who went beyond the call of duty. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[08:56:45] BERMAN: He considers himself just a regular guy, but to the people of Miami, he is a hero. Officer Mario Gutierrez went beyond the call of duty when he stopped a man from setting a gas station on fire. CNN's Ed Lavandera has more on the daring decision that nearly cost Officer Gutierrez his life.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): On an October night in Miami, Dominic Gene tried setting fire to an 8,000 gallon underground storage tank at this gas station next to Miami's international airport. Surveillance footage shows the smoke smoldering as Gene grabs a gas pump and starts dousing the ground.
MARIO GUTIERREZ, MIAMI POLICE OFFICER: It scared me, because I thought, wow, we're going to die.
LAVANDERA: That's Miami-Dade County police officer, Mario Gutierrez, who happened to be patrolling the area. Racing in, jumps out car, hits the emergency shut off to the gas pumps, then finds himself standing over a simmering time bomb, unsure if the gas tanks would explode.
GUTIERREZ: It would have been a massive chaos. They would have thought it was terrorism, who knows. They wouldn't have been able to talk to me, because I would have been nothing but vaporized.
LAVANDERA: Gutierrez tries stopping Dominic Gene with a taser but it didn't work. Gene starts wildly trying to stab Gutierrez with a knife and screwdriver.
GUTTIEREZ: It came for my throat and I blocked it.
LAVANDERA: Gutierrez falls to the ground. Gene viciously swings at him more than 20 times.
GUTIERREZ: It was a fight to the death. And only one person was going to walk away from that.
LAVANDERA: Gutierrez is stabbed about a dozen times, but he's able to briefly kick the man off, just long enough to grab his gun, firing five times, killing Gene on the spot.
GUTIERREZ: I never heard the gunshots. Never heard them. All I heard was the clinking of the shell casings hitting the ground.
LAVANDERA: It all lasted less than 30 seconds, but dealing with the emotions hasn't always been easy. GUTIERREZ: I felt like I failed. I was -- I need to know that I put
up a fight. That I fought this guy. I didn't remember. I have no recollection of it. So that really bothered me.
LAVANDERA: These days, Officer Gutierrez patrols the Miami Airport alongside his hero.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, so who are these guys we are going to go see?
GUTIERREZ: You're seeing Juan Leon (ph) who saved my life.
LAVANDERA: It was officer Juan Leon who found Gutierrez bleeding on the ground that night.
JUAN LEON, MIAMI POLICE OFFICER: When I pulled up, I knew he was in trouble. His brown shirt was completely covered. It was just red.
LAVANDERA: Leon raced his friend to the hospital just in time to save his life.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He is my brother. He is my brother.
LAVANDERA: It's the unbreakable bond of officers on the frontlines. Ed Lavandera, CNN, Miami.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARLOW: Wow. The unbreakable bond of officers on the frontlines.
BERMAN: What nice guys, too.
HARLOW: It just makes you think, every time you pass an officer on the street, just say hi, just say hi, thank you for what you do. They don't make a lot of money and they put their life on the line everyday for us.
BERMAN: Miami. Lucky to have them.
HARLOW: Love that story, Eddie Lavandera. Thank you so much.
Good to be with you, my friend. Have a great weekend. Time for "NEWSROOM" right now with Carol Costello.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks so much. Have a great weekend yourself. "NEWSROOM" starts now.
