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New Day

Collaboration with Russia; Trump on Middle East Solution; Undocumented Mother Seeks Sanctuary; Snacks for Sensational Smile; Betty White's Role in Comedy. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired February 16, 2017 - 08:30   ET

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

[08:30:00] FAREED ZAKARIA, CNN HOST, "FAREED ZAKARIA GPS": That's what you're going to do.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: But except with Tillerson we may have a sensitivity at play, right? I mean part of the scrutiny with Tillerson was his relationship with Russia, not that they were nefarious, but would they compromise his loyalty to the United States, his putting it first all the time? All this Russia intrigue and these questions, I would be a little -- I don't know that he'd necessarily be helpful right now if he were speaking on behalf of the president about Russia and conflation of interest.

ZAKARIA: Well, because of all these issues that have come up, the Trump administration is in a bit of a box. I don't think it can even execute the idea that Donald Trump had -- which might have been, you know, a reasonable one which was to search for some kind of cooperation with Russia. Right now, because of so many questions surrounding the motivations, the collaboration between the Trump administration, the Trump campaign and Russia, I don't think he can go there. I don't think he can go toward any kind of relaxation of sanctions on Russia, any kind of cooperation with Russia because everyone would ask, legitimately, I think, why is he doing this? What's the real motive?

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: You know, we just had a journalist on with us who is the only American journalist who have been expelled from Russia since the Cold War. He --

CUOMO: Sutter (ph).

CAMEROTA: (INAUDIBLE) in 2013 and he had a fascinating perspective. He said, you don't want Russia to be your partner in fighting ISIS. He said they carpet bomb cities. He said, they kill many more civilians than they kill terrorists. The idea that they were going to be a great partner was always misguided.

ZAKARIA: Well, it's also bizarre. One of the great victories of the United States during the Cold War, the end of the Cold War, was to ease Russia out of the Middle East. That had been something that the Nixon administration had begun by flipping Egypt, which used to be a Soviet client (ph) state. So for 30 or 40 years, we've been trying to get Russia out of the Middle East. The idea that we would provide a red carpet to have them back in seems to be to be an invitation to instability and great power competition in an area where we had actually achieved a level of dominance we have not had in decades.

CUOMO: So when we look at what just happened in the Middle East and -- with Benjamin Netanyahu here, with Trump. Trump says, whatever they want to do is fine. The starting position for most Americans will be, well, look, whatever we're doing isn't working, so why not throw it all out and begin again. What are your cautions with what we just heard from the president?

ZAKARIA: Well, it -- you know, to be blunt, it made no sense, because what the president said was, I'm OK with a one-state or a two-state solution, but then he goes on to say, but Israel shouldn't build settlements -- any new settlements. Well, why not build settlements? The whole point of not building settlements is because it makes a two- state solution impossible, right? Let's just make sure everyone understands. The whole point is, if Israel builds settlements in areas of the West Bank, it will be very difficult to eventually give those to the Palestinians --

CUOMO: Back.

ZAKARIA: For a two-state solution. If you don't care what kind of solution -- if you have a one-state solution, it's fine, but then the settlements are fine, you know. So even within his own logic it's completely contradictory.

CAMEROTA: But it sounded like one of the things that his logic was, was, you guys figure it out. I support whatever agreement you guys come up with.

ZAKARIA: But, you know, it just seemed so removed from reality. It would be like saying to Poland in 1990, you know, if you guys want to stay part of the Soviet empire, that's good with me. If you want independence, it's good with me. Of course they want independence. You know, there was -- I just think that he was very poorly briefed or not briefed at all. Every Israeli prime minister for the last 20 years has been in favor of the two-state solution.

CUOMO: But not Netanyahu.

ZAKARIA: No, no, no, he's in -- he gave a speech at (INAUDIBLE). He just has conditions --

CUOMO: Right.

ZAKARIA: Which make people think that this is not -- you know, this is not a real commitment.

CUOMO: Right. Fair statement would be, he's more open to the direction Trump's going than we've seen in the past.

ZAKARIA: He's -- this is the most right wing --

CUOMO: Right.

ZAKARIA: Government in Israel for a long time. But, look, Trump's statements in the press conference made no sense. It was either the product of very bad staffing or he decided not to get briefed. There's something going on. He threw out the idea that maybe we'll have a deal which could involve more than just Israel and the Palestinians, as if this were a new idea he had dreamed up over the weekend. This is something that the Saudi crown prince proposed 15 years ago that the Arab League has endorsed for 15 years.

You know, again, the whole thing felt like amateur hour and it was very distressing. Netanyahu -- Prime Minister Netanyahu kept coming back -- coming in and kind of rescuing Trump. There was a point at which he was -- he was asked to disavow the anti-Semitism that seems to be associated on the fringes of people supporting him, and he decided not to. He gave a kind of bizarre declaration that there's just going to be a lot of love coming out of this administration.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

ZAKARIA: And then the prime minister had to come in and rescue it and say, no, no, no, I'm sure President Trump doesn't -- doesn't stand for any of this. You know, what was going on? I -- again, either poor staff work or no staff work.

CAMEROTA: Fareed Zakaria, thank you for all the context. Always great to have you here.

[08:35:02] CUOMO: All right, another pressing issue playing out in real time. A mother is fighting to stay in this country. What the undocumented immigrant who's lived in the U.S. for nearly a decade is doing to stop authorities from deporting her. What she's doing, will it work, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: All right, so an undocumented mother of four is taking sanctuary in a Denver church, OK? Her name is Jeanette Vizguerra and she was supposed to check in with immigration officials yesterday. Instead, she headed to the church. Why? Because she's hoping to gain a stay of deportation. There's a story behind this and CNN's Ana Cabrera has it.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CROWD (chanting): Hey, hey, ho, ho, white supremacy's got to go.

ANA CABRERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Demonstrators outside the immigration office in Colorado supporting a mother of four from Mexico, Jeanette Vizguerra, scheduled to check in with I.C.E. Unlike other check-ins, her attorney and pastor entered without her.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to go in and talk to immigration. We'll be back in a second.

JEANETTE VIZGUERRA: My (INAUDIBLE) is, it's bad.

[08:40:01] CABRERA: Vizguerra chose not to show up, instead taking refuge inside a church where she received the bad news by phone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They denied her stay.

CABRERA: Her request for a temporary stay denied, despite six pervious stays that were granted. Vizguerra, first, speechless, then in tears. Her nightmare coming true. We talked with her prior to the check in about her fear.

VIZGUERRA: It's difficult. My kids are my life. My family is my life. Not's (ph) my country. But it's my house. it's the house of my kids. It's the country of my kids.

CABRERA (on camera): And so this is your home.

VIZGUERRA: Yes, it's my home.

CABRERA: The country.

VIZGUERRA: I live in more years here than my country.

CABRERA (voice-over): Vizguerra came to the U.S. in 1997. She has three children, ages six, 10 and 12 who are citizens, born in the U.S. Her oldest, Tania (ph), is 26 with three children of her own. She has legal status through DACA, an Obama administration policy that protects immigrant youth from deportation.

TANIA BAEZ (ph), JEANETTE'S DAUGHTER: She's basically the backbone of our family. So without her, my kids would not know their grandma anymore and they wouldn't see grandma.

CABRERA: This family's future in limbo since 2009, when Vizguerra was arrested following a traffic stop. She had a fake Social Security Number on a job application in her car. She's been fighting deportation ever since.

CABRERA (on camera): Did they give you specific reasons for denying the stay this time?

HANS MEYER, VIZGUERRA'S ATTORNEY: When you have a blanket deportation policy, you don't need to have specific reasons. You just say, no, and that's exactly what they did.

CABRERA (voice-over): The local I.C.E. office provided the following response, saying, "Jeanette Vizguerra-Ramirez, from Mexico, has two misdemeanor convictions. On November 18, 2011, a federal immigration judge originally issued her final orders of deportation to Mexico. Based on these factors, Vizguerra-Ramirez is an I.C.E. enforcement priority."

CROWD (chanting): Down, down with deportation. Up, up with liberation.

CABRERA: The news triggering a protest in D.C. Meantime, Colorado Congressman Jared Polis has filed a private bill in the House of Representatives hoping to help plead her case.

For now, she's moved into this Denver church basement, an informal sanctuary where immigration officials have not yet dared to go. She addressed supporters through a translator this afternoon. VIZGUERRA (translator): So I know that my fight will continue even

though I'm still -- even though I'm inside these walls, there's much that I can do to continue organizing and to continue to support my community. And by my community, I don't just mean the Mexican immigrant community. I don't just mean South Americans. There are people from all over the world that are in the exact same situation as I am.

CABRERA (on camera): How long are you prepared to stay here?

VIZGUERRA: I don't know. It's possible days, months or years.

CABRERA: Ana Cabrera, CNN, Denver.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CAMEROTA: OK, very fascinating to look at her story because, as we know, President Trump has said that he will go after the hardened criminals, the violent criminals, the gang members. She's not one of those. And he has also said, I'm going to be very compassionate. My policy is not going to rip families apart. It's going to be very compassionate. So, you know, we'll see. There are lots of people in her situation.

CUOMO: You have what you say, and you have what you do. You have the law here truthfully as a distraction. This is a political argument. You can have the right to do something. They have the right to deport her.

CAMEROTA: Of course.

CUOMO: They have the right to go into the church if they want. But is it right to do? That's the political discussion that needs to have a resolution.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

All right, meanwhile, on a much lighter note, her career has spanned decades, now Betty white is telling our Brooke Baldwin that comedy is tough and she's revealing her secret for getting laughs. So stick around for that on NEW DAY.

CUOMO: But first, in today's "Food as Fuel," you can snack your way to a sensational smile. Flash it. Nutritionist Lisa Drayer shares her tips for strong, healthy teeth. You feed on facts.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LISA DRAYER, CNN NUTRITIONIST: Brushing and flossing are important for a beautiful smile. But so is what you eat. Take apples and carrots. Their crunch factor stimulates the gums and helps clear away food particles. Apples and carrots also increase the flow of saliva, rinse away bacteria and help keep your mouth hydrated, all of which help defend against cavities and gum disease.

[08:44:52] Dairy products, like milk and yogurt, are also great smile protectors. They contain calcium and phosphorus which helps strengthen tooth enamel and prevent cavities. And, get this, hard cheese, like cheddar or Swiss, has been shown to make your mouth less acidic and, in turn, less prone to tooth decay.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: So CNN's original series, "The History of Comedy," is taking a look at the funnier sex, women.

BROOKE BALDWIN, ANCHOR, CNN'S "NEWSROOM": Yes.

CAMEROTA: And who better to talk about it than beloved funny lady Betty White. At 95 years young, she has mastered the art of getting a laugh. And our Brooke Baldwin caught up with Betty and Brooke joins us now.

I love Betty White.

BALDWIN: I don't know how -- I don't know how I got flown to L.A. to talk to Betty White. It was like a dream come true.

CAMEROTA: I don't -- what a boondoggle.

BALDWIN: I mean Saturday nights watching "Golden Girls." Rose, I love her. So, essentially, you know, we sit down. She had our crew cracking up the entire time.

CAMEROTA: She's so funny.

BALDWIN: Like our producer tried putting the microphone on and there was definitely a, "are you getting fresh with me" joke. You know, she's 95.

CAMEROTA: (INAUDIBLE).

BALDWIN: She booked her first gig out of high school -- she's from Hollywood -- in 1939.

CAMEROTA: Oh my gosh.

BALDWIN: Just marinade on that for a second. This woman is showing no signs of slowing down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: What was it about the funny piece that really resonated for you?

BETTY WHITE, ACTRESS: Well, that was from the beginning. Nobody could take me seriously. I was -- when I finally began to get acting roles, I was thrilled and people were letting me play a straight part and all that, because it had always been comedy up until then. And comedy's tough because if you don't get the laugh, it didn't work. You've got an instant review. [08:50:15] BALDWIN: What do you think that special sauce is that you

have to get a laugh for so long?

WHITE: I'm a -- a mother and father who never had a straight line in their lives. We used to have more fun. And at the -- Sunday morning breakfast would go on for three hours because we'd get -- we'd get into a -- just the three of us. It wasn't like we needed a lot of people. And so they -- I spent more time with them than I did with my friends because they were just more fun. For that reason, I've never been a big people person, to want to be around a lot of people, or especially be around a lot of young people, kids my age. So I've always enjoyed older people until I got to be an older people and then I don't find them nearly as fascinating. It's always been just a joy to perform. I always had to there wherever the audience was.

BALDWIN: What did that feel like for you?

WHITE: Oh, it hits you right here. It's just -- it's so gratifying. I just -- I just love it. Well, I still, at my age, I'm 42 --

BALDWIN: Forty-two looks good on you, Betty White.

WHITE: Oh, thank you so much. Some people say I don't look it. A lot of people say that, come to think of it.

BALDWIN: How did you learn what was funny?

WHITE: It's not what -- it's timing. It's not -- it's not what's funny. I think you can make almost anything funny. It's not something you can teach. It's something you've got to feel.

BALDWIN: You know, different presidents come and go and "Saturday Night Live," as you know, having hosted it, you know, they make fun of everyone. They've really taken on this administration. And I think that the current president has made it clear over Twitter that he's not thrilled with "Saturday Night Live." Do you think that he can't take a joke or in general presidents need to just understand that it's a comedy show?

WHITE: I'm in the comedy business. I can say whatever I want. If the -- if the joke doesn't work or if somebody -- oh, gosh, I can't stand her, she never makes me laugh, fine, that's your opinion. But if you're a politician in a serious job, and they start poking fun at you, I would think that would be hard to take.

BALDWIN: What does 95 feel like?

WHITE: It feels like it was 96 in January.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ninety-five.

BALDWIN: Ninety-five.

WHITE: Am I only 95?

BALDWIN: Betty White, you're 95. WHITE: Oh, my gosh, I'm a kid. I had no idea. Oh -- oh, I better shorten my bra strap.

BALDWIN: What does it feel like, seriously?

WHITE: Seriously?

BALDWIN: Seriously, you've lived 95 years on this earth. You've seen a lot.

WHITE: And it's a privilege because I've learned so much from the people I've known, but over those years some of the dearest long lasting friends in the world, and in this business you make some of those friendships that never go away. You're friends forever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Oh, my gosh, that's awesome. She's inflating her age. I'm 96.

BALDWIN: She -- I mean she was quick as a whip the whole time. But two times in the interview she was convinced she was 96. And you heard like the peanut gallery saying, you're 95. And I'm like, Betty, don't age yourself.

CAMEROTA: That's so funny.

BALDWIN: Yes. She -- she -- you know, she really loved talking about, in particular, other than comedy, two things, her late husband, Allen Ludden, who passed away in 1981 from cancer. So that was really tough for her. And they never had children. And so she talks about animals. They were -- she's on the board of directors of the L.A. Zoo. She loves her dogs. She loves feeding grizzly bears marshmallows.

CAMEROTA: What?

BALDWIN: True story. But at 95, her agent's already got her booked for a gig when she turns 100. So, look out world, Betty White.

CAMEROTA: Oh, my gosh. Thank you for sharing that with us.

BALDWIN: Thank you for having me on.

CAMEROTA: I love Betty. God, what a role model.

You're not going anywhere because --

BALDWIN: Oh.

CAMEROTA: Can you stick around for late night laughs?

BALDWIN: For you?

CAMEROTA: Yes.

BALDWIN: Anything. CAMEROTA: OK.

BALDWIN: Anything.

CAMEROTA: Get the real story of women in comedy from the first ladies of laughs on "The History of Comedy," tonight, 9:00 p.m. Eastern, only on CNN.

Then, of course, comics taking on president -- 10:00 p.m. 10:00 p.m.

BALDWIN: 10:00 p.m.

CAMEROTA: I'm inflating other numbers.

BALDWIN: Ninety-five, 96.

CAMEROTA: Comics are taking on President Trump, as you know. Nothing's off limits. Here are your late night laughs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TREVOR NOAH, "THE DAILY SHOW WITH TREVOR NOAH": Guys, Trump's an old man. No, like, really old. And maybe that's just it. Maybe that's just it. Think about it. Who watches a ton of TV news and complains about everything they see? Old people.

[08:55:04] Who -- who goes to Florida because their bones can't handle the cold? Old people.

JIMMY FALLON, "THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON": The big story is that last night "The New York Times" published a bombshell report that President Trump's campaign was in contact with Russian intelligence since 2015. When asked if it was true, Trump said nyet, I mean no.

SETH MEYERS, "LATE NIGHT WITH SETH MEYERS": Defense officials are reporting that a Russian spy ship has been spotted patrolling 30 miles off the coast of the United States. Said one U.S. official, oh, that's my Uber.

FALLON: Well, the story is all over cable news and Trump is not happy about it. In fact, he went on Twitter this morning and said that MSNBC and CNN are unwatchable. And he said, and I know because I've spent all day watching them.

STEPHEN COLBERT, "THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT": We just learned from multiple intelligence sources that Trump aides were, quote, "in constant touch with senior Russian officials during the campaign." Constant touch, by the way, is also Trump's Secret Service code name.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: How much fun are they having with all of this?

CAMEROTA: That's my -- yes, that's my thought.

BALDWIN: There's just so much material.

CAMEROTA: They -- they seem to be really enjoying their jobs at the moment, as do you.

Well, thank you very much.

BALDWIN: Yes. Hey, I'll see you at 2:00.

CAMEROTA: Fantastic. We'll be watching.

BALDWIN: Thanks, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: CNN "NEWSROOM" with Poppy Harlow and John Berman begins after this very quick break. We'll see you tomorrow.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:00:06] POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone, 9:00 a.m. Eastern. I'm Poppy Harlow.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: I'm John Berman. Thanks so much for joining us.

Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. That is what they say in "The Wizard of Oz."