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Senate GOP Health Bill Collapses; Warning To Venezuela; Bride- To-Be Killed By Officer After Calling 911. Aired 7:30-8a ET
Aired July 18, 2017 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[07:32:40] CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: All right, here's the proposition. More bills signed into law than any other president at the six-month mark.
That's what President Trump says he has achieved. Is it true?
CNN's chief business correspondent Christine Romans in the "Money Center" with a CNN reality check. Check it.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Chris.
President Trump, you know, he often boasts about his legislative record and yesterday he took his claims to a new level.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We've signed more bills -- and I'm talking about through the Legislature -- than any president ever.
For a while, Harry Truman had us and now I think we have everybody, Mike. I better say think, otherwise they'll give me a Pinocchio and I don't like those -- I don't like Pinocchios.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMANS: Well, it's a nod there to the fact-checkers and Vice President Mike Pence.
So is that true? Well, when it comes to the past five presidents, Trump is actually average. He signed 42 bills into law in the first six months.
That's ahead of President Obama but behind Clinton and George H.W. Bush, and nowhere near President Truman nor FDR, for that matter. He signed 76 bills into law in just his first 100 days. Roosevelt, of course, signed major legislation in the midst -- the grips of a Great Depression.
Well, what kind of bills has President Trump signed since taking office? There have been some significant measures, no question. Accountability and overhaul of the Veterans Affairs, boosting border security, and military spending. But almost half are ceremonial and the majority merely reverse Obama regulations using the obscure legislative tool called the Congressional Review Act. It gives lawmakers 60 days to overturn any major new regulations.
The administration rolls back Obama-era regulations, it says, burden's business covering everything from employee overtime benefits, financial protections, and the environment -- Alisyn.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you for injecting reality into --
ROMANS: You're welcome.
CAMEROTA: -- this with your reality check, Christine. Great to see you.
Back to our top story.
Some Senate Republicans want to move towards a clean repeal of Obamacare without a replacement in place. How will the stock market react today to all of this?
Joining us, CNN senior economics analyst and former senior economic adviser to the Trump campaign, Stephen Moore. And, CNN global economic analyst Rana Foroohar. Great to see both of you.
Rana, so this deal falling apart late last night --
RANA FOROOHAR, CNN GLOBAL ECONOMIC ANALYST, AUTHOR, "MAKERS AND TAKERS": Yes.
[07:35:00] CAMEROTA: -- this Senate GOP health care plan. What happens today in terms of the market?
FOROOHAR: Well, already you're seeing the dollar down. You're seeing international markets really concerned just about the sort of chaos, the uncertainty.
The fact that we had one complicated plan, we had a proposal for another complicated plan. We still don't have a health care system that really works for most Americans and I think that's something that really worries international investors and I suspect that the markets today will be volatile because of that.
CAMEROTA: But, Stephen, explain this to me. Why does it create uncertainty? Why can't they just stay the course?
Why can't insurers and everybody, now that it's fallen apart, just stay the course, go back to the status quo? Why does there have to be so much uncertainty today?
STEPHEN MOORE, CNN SENIOR ECONOMICS ANALYST, VISITING FELLOW, THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION, FORMER SENIOR ECONOMIC ADVISER, TRUMP CAMPAIGN: Well, because Obamacare is falling apart. You know, I think this has been the part of the story that just hasn't been told well. But, you know, if you look at what's happened and in one of every three counties in America, Alisyn, there's either zero or one insurance company left so people don't have choices. We're seeing a death spiral.
You know, it's interesting. People say oh, under the Republican plan there will be a death spiral in the insurance market. Ladies and gentlemen, we're in the midst of a death spiral in the insurance market right now where more and more --
As Chris was saying earlier, more and more young people are dropping out of the market and the young -- by the way, not just young people, healthy people. I'm 57 years old. I can't afford the insurance under Obamacare.
So you need to do something, I think, fairly urgently. The idea of going back to the full repeal, it may be a little too late for that, Alisyn. That might have been a good idea four or five months ago --
CAMEROTA: Why is it too late? Why would it be too late for that?
MOORE: -- when they were just getting started.
Well, I'm not saying it is. I'm just saying, you know, they could have done that at the start, you know, on the first day that the Congress was sworn in -- I would have fully supported that -- and then come up with some kind of, you know --
By the way, just to explain to your viewers what this would mean, it would mean that by some date certain, let's say, on January 1, 2020 --
CAMEROTA: Yes.
MOORE: -- Obamacare is fully repealed --
CAMEROTA: Yes.
MOORE: -- and then it gives us, you know, six months, nine months, a year for us to come together -- Republicans and Democrats to come up with something that makes more sense.
CAMEROTA: So you like that idea?
MOORE: That's the -- that's the premise behind it.
Oh, if they would do it. Look, I think this is a critical thing politically and economically for the Republicans to get done, yes.
CAMEROTA: Rana, your thoughts?
FOROOHAR: You know, I think really what we need and what most countries have is a simple single-payer system and that has seemed politically unfeasible. But I think that what's interesting is that you're actually seeing more and more Democrats say this should be our baseline. I mean, it's cheaper, the outcomes are better. You know, it's really -- it's what the rest of the world is using and it's where we need to be.
CAMEROTA: Next topic because this was in the news a lot yesterday. The White House has called this "Made in America" week. They want to encourage businesses to stay here and to make their products here.
The one fly in the ointment, Rana, is that much of the Trump products -- many of the Trump products --
FOROOHAR: Yes.
CAMEROTA: -- are not made in America. Here's a list of those that are not.
The Trump -- Donald J. Trump Collection, Trump Home, Trump Eyeglasses, Trump Hotel Amenities, Trump Vodka, Ivanka Trump Collection.
Here's where --
FOROOHAR: You can't say it's not diversified.
CAMEROTA: Here's where they are. I didn't know there Trump eyeglasses.
Here's where they are made. China, the Netherlands, Mexico, India, Turkey, Slovenia, Honduras, Germany, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and South Korea.
FOROOHAR: Well, the -- I'm looking at that map. That is -- that's just a story of the last 20 or 30 years of outsourcing of U.S. manufacturing which is pretty hypocritical coming from a president that wants to talk about buying American.
CAMEROTA: Well, I mean, and therein lies the rub.
FOROOHAR: Yes.
CAMEROTA: Shouldn't they have thought that the press was going to say excuse me --
FOROOHAR: Yes.
CAMEROTA: -- what about your products?
FOROOHAR: Yes. No, absolutely. I mean, it's absolutely ridiculous that the president is pushing these ideas while also hypocritically, you know, manufacturing his own products abroad.
Now, that said, this has been the story of U.S. manufacturing over the last several decades --
CAMEROTA: Yes.
FOROOHAR: -- and that's one of the things that he's been getting at. It's one of the things that worked for him in the Rust Belt in terms of being elected.
But I think that the important thing about U.S. trade that doesn't get talked about is what's growing is digital trade. It's trade in e- commerce and ideas and this is something we're not hearing anything about from the administration.
CAMEROTA: Stephen, what do you think about the idea that they're touting this when, in fact, they're not practicing it?
MOORE: I think it's a problem. I think it's a political problem and I think Trump should practice what he preaches, no question about it.
I've talked to Donald Trump about this during the campaign and just what he was thinking is look, if we can get rid of some of the regulations, taxes, make American a more competitive place there will be an incentive for businesses like his to buy more American products.
I love the theme, by the way. I mean, look, I'm a, you know, red, white, and blue American and I think -- and I try to buy American. I don't know about you, Alisyn, but I look at the label and I, you know -- is this something that was made in the United States. The theme --
CAMEROTA: I feel good when I buy -- it's not easy always but I feel good about it.
MOORE: Yes, exactly.
FOROOHAR: But there's a trend, you know. Regardless of what the president does or doesn't do there was already a trend towards manufacturing jobs, actually becoming more local, and some of them coming back home --
MOORE: Yes, that's true.
FOROOHAR: -- because people want products to created faster. You know, they support local ecosystems that way. You know, it's a good thing and it's something that we should really be pushing.
[07:40:00] CAMEROTA: For sure, and it's good to highlight it so I'm glad that we've all had this conversation today.
Stephen, Rana, thank you very much -- Chris.
MOORE: Thank you, Alisyn.
CUOMO: All right. So, President Trump is dealing with matters at home and abroad, most recently putting Venezuela on notice. How he plans to get that country's troubled leadership's attention, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CAMEROTA: The Midwest is bracing for a storm while other regions face triple-digit heat.
CNN meteorologist Chad Myers has our forecast. Hi, Chad.
CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hi, Alisyn.
We are going to see heat indexes this week all the way to 113.
This weather is brought to you by Purina. Your Pet. Our Passion.
Dangerous for pets this week when it comes to that heat.
Now, today they'll be storms from Sioux Falls all the way over to about Sheboygan and back up into Wisconsin. All of Madison, Wisconsin under the gun for some wind damage today.
But it's the heat that's going to replace this severe weather that's going to be the main focus for the next five to seven days.
[07:45:02] Kansas City, St. Louis, all the way over to Memphis, hot and humid to 113 when you add that heat and humidity together. Even without the humidity, Chris, 103 in St. Louis for the weekend and warming up all the way to 99 for D.C. and middle nineties for New York City.
Back to you.
CUOMO: And that's a wet heat, by the way.
MYERS: Sure it is.
CUOMO: Oh, boy. All right, Chad. Thank you very much. Please, keep us honest about it.
President Trump threatening to hit Venezuela with strong and swift economic actions if the president there doesn't follow through on his pledge to rewrite the constitution.
We have CNN's Leyla Santiago live in Mexico City with the latest. What do we know?
LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Chris, this is not the first time that the Trump administration speaks out against Venezuela's president, President Nicola Maduro, but they are now putting them on notice saying hey, you move forward with rewriting a constitution and the elections for a new assembly that will rewrite that constitution at the end of the month and we will take action that will hurt your economy, and that is something that is already sort of hurting in Venezuela.
Just earlier this month we were on the border of Venezuela and Colombia. We were talking to Venezuelans fleeing from that country because of food shortages, because of medical shortages. Very basic supplies that they can't find in Venezuela that they are now going to Colombia to find.
And, President Maduro has said that rewriting this constitution, having an election at the end of the month could be bring peace, could bring unity to the country.
But there is a very vocal opposition that is saying no, that is not the case. We do not want to rewrite the constitution. We do not want this assembly.
As a matter of fact, just this past weekend they held a nonbinding referendum where more than seven million Venezuelans came out and said we do not want this. But, Maduro is standing strong despite that referendum, despite President Trump's call for different action and saying we are not going to cave in to international pressure.
CAMEROTA: I mean, the people have spoken, Leyla, but we'll see what happens next. Thank you very much for the report.
So, a bride-to-be is dead after calling police for help. What happened? We have a live report from Minneapolis with the latest details, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[07:51:05] CAMEROTA: Minneapolis police are saying little about why officers who were responding to a 911 call ended up shooting the woman who called for help. The family of this bride-to-be is now left desperate for answers about why she was killed by police.
CNN's Ryan Young is live for us in Minneapolis with the latest. What have you found out, Ryan?
RYAN YOUNG, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Alisyn, and really that's the big question right now. People want to know why this shooting happened.
You can see how neighbors have responded. There was an outpouring of emotion out here yesterday as people gathered around this memorial site here.
This shooting happened just over there in the alleyway. I can tell you right now, a lot of people want to know why this woman had to lose her life.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
YOUNG (voice-over): A family in mourning and demanding answers after a Minneapolis police officer shot and killed 40-year-old Justine Damond after she called 911 on Saturday night.
DON DAMOND, VICTIM'S FIANCE: We've lost the dearest of people and we are desperate for information. Piecing together Justine's last moments before the homicide would be a small comfort as we grieve this tragedy.
YOUNG: Damond, whose legal name is Justine Ruszczyk and was using her fiance's last name, called police to report a possible sexual assault taking place in an alley near her home.
Officer Mohamed Noor was one of the two officers who responded to the scene. At some point, Noor fired his weapon, shooting Damond once in the abdomen, killing her.
The two officers were wearing body cameras but they were not turned on.
Police have given no explanation about why the shooting occurred or why there are no recordings, only saying that they are investigating.
MAYOR BETSY HODGES, MINNEAPOLIS, MN: I am heartsick and deeply disturbed. I have a lot of questions about why the body cameras weren't on, questions that I hope and anticipate will be answered in the next few days.
YOUNG: Officer Noor extended his condolences, releasing a statement through his attorney, writing in part, "The current environment for police is difficult, but Officer Noor accepts this as part of his calling. We would like to say more and will in the future."
Damond is an Australian native who moved to Minneapolis to be with her fiance. They were due to marry next month.
DAMOND: The death of Justine is a loss to everyone who knew her. She touched so many people.
YOUNG: Damond worked as a yoga instructor and life coach. Her family describes her as a kind and funny person.
Neighbors gathering to pay tribute to Damond as her family in Sydney press authorities for an explanation.
JULIA REED, FAMILY FRIEND: They are trying to come to terms with this tragedy and to understand why this has happened.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
YOUNG: In talking to those neighbors yesterday they said over and over again they wanted to know what was up with the body cameras. They wanted to know why they were not activated -- Chris.
CUOMO: All right. We're joined now by a longtime friend of Justine Damond, Kat Kinnie.
Kat, thank you very much for taking this opportunity. I know this is a very difficult time. How are you doing, how are her friends doing, how's her fiance doing? What can you tell us?
KAT KINNIE, FRIEND OF JUSTINE DAMOND: I'm understandably very sad that Justine is no longer with us here on earth.
It came as a real shock to me because I'm here in the U.K., I'm not in Australia. I've been living there for the last five years and so I'm not actually near the Sydney community who are all understandably very, very sad at Justine's quite sudden departure.
We actually lost touch a few years ago when she moved to the U.S. and I moved to another part of Australia. But when we were in Sydney we were -- we were very, very close indeed and we worked closely together for quite some time.
[07:55:05] So, it's a shock. I think everyone's in shock. We're just in shock. That's probably the best way to describe where everyone is at the moment.
CUOMO: Well, the circumstances surrounding your friend's death are so random. I mean, we all hear of police shootings, you know. We know that they have to be investigated and we have to understand.
But to hear that she lost her life this way after making a 911 call on a Saturday night, I'm sure just adds to the confusion of how this was not how this young life was supposed to end. Am I right?
KINNIE: Absolutely, absolutely, and the way that I found out was through being contacted by someone from -- a journalist from "The Sydney Morning Herald" yesterday morning, U.K. time. And, you know, she was asking me if I wanted to pay tribute to my friend, Justine Ruszczyk Damond.
And I didn't really understand what was happening and I had to Google to find out what had happened. It was really, really, really confusing.
And I -- you know, I called my friends in Sydney straightaway and spoke to my friend Maomo (ph) and, you know, he'd just been with friends in Sydney consoling them in complete disbelief, especially because of the kind of person that Justine was. And I think the world is, you learn, learning about what an incredible human being and such a beautiful woman she was.
So that, for us, makes it even harder I think because she was such a beautiful light on this planet and she was spreading so much love.
CUOMO: Well, tell us about that, Kat, because we know very little. I mean, that's the theme of this situation right now. We don't really know how her life her ended.
We do know that she had a huge moment coming up with her fiance. His last name is Damond. That name has been taken posthumously by her because of how close it was to when they were going to start their life together. Again, just in August this was supposed to happen.
And while you've been speaking we've been showing some video of her speaking a message of personal empowerment. She was trained in veterinary science but her life had taken a turn in recent years toward yoga, toward spirituality, toward personal empowerment. She was speaking and was said to be gifted.
What do you know about this transition, how your friend had found her true calling?
KINNIE: Well, this was when I actually met Justine in Sydney and it was a very, very powerful time for me in my life and for her. And it was almost as if the time that we met she had made a decision in her heart that she was going to fully commit to her purpose and I think what she felt was her mission on earth, and that was to bridge science and spirituality.
So, you know, as you said, she was a trained veterinary nurse and, you know -- or even surgeon, I think -- and I didn't know her when, you know -- but I knew her -- that she had an incredible love of animals and she was very, very clever and very intelligent, you know, with regards to science, which I feel had almost paved the way to then bridge her spirituality.
CUOMO: Well, that is a fascinating turn in her life and I am sure there's no way to explain in a satisfactory way someone having their life cut so short at such a young age. But she did find her purpose on this earth and was passionate about it and that is a gift that not everybody gets in their lives.
But, Kat, thank you very much for sharing just a little bit of who Justine was, and we appreciate it and we're all waiting for answers.
KINNIE: Thank you very much. Blessings to you all.
CUOMO: Thank you, and to you as well.
All right. We're following a lot of news for you. What do say? Let's get after it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Republicans pushing to repeal Obamacare without a replacement after the collapse of the Senate bill.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president clearly has lost a lot of political capital.
TRUMP: We do have to repeal Obamacare and we will end up replacing it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Obamacare's not going anywhere. It's here to stay.
MATT LEWIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, SENIOR COLUMNIST, THE DAILY BEAST: It is a debacle. I think this is Donald Trump's Vietnam.
SEAN SPICER, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: There was nothing that would lead anyone to believe that there was anything except for discussion about adoption.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's hard to see how Spicer could say that with a straight face.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The other question is to why Jared Kushner is still in the White House.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why should we believe anything when they've got such a track record of lying?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo and Alisyn Camerota.
CUOMO: Good morning. Welcome to your NEW DAY.
