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New Day

DACA is on Trump's New Year Agenda; The #MeToo Movement Moves Into a New Phase; Majority of United States in Deep Freeze; Trump Golfs on New Year's Day. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired January 02, 2018 - 7:30   ET

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

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: One of the top agenda items for the New Year is the program known as DACA, meaning granting legal status to undocumented immigrants brought here as children. That program expires March 5th, Democrats want to protect the dreamers but President Trump now says he will not agree to that without funding his border wall. Let's discuss this with CNN political commentators Ana Navarro and Ben Ferguson, happy New Year to both of you.

BEN FERGUSON, CNN HOST: Happy New Year.

CAMEROTA: Ben since when was the border wall part of this agreement? That's not what Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer say they agreed to.

FERGUSON: Look I'm sure they say they agreed to something very different, it was very favorable to what they want to accomplish, it's also clear that Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer have always been against border security.

CAMEROTA: Right but they say that when they came to met with the president that the border wall wasn't mentioned. I'll just read you their statement that they put out on October 8th so we're all on the same page. We told the president at our meeting that we were open to reasonable border security measures alongside the Dream Act, but this list, that the president put out after that, goes so far beyond what is reasonable. The proposal fails to represent any attempt at compromise. This list includes the wall, which was explicitly ruled out of the negotiations. So what's changed?

FERGUSON: Look you're -- first of all they're in the minority party, this is part of negotiations. For them to come out and to say that they're not going to do anything on certain issues when it deals with national security and border security, I think is also part of the game. This is part of the negotiations that are happening and they're playing out in public which I guess is good for transparency, but everything is on the table right now. The president clearly ran on and said we are going to have a secure border, it's one of the reasons -- one of the big reasons why he get elected, one of the big things that actually made his campaign get grounding and footing around the country.

There are an awful lot of people in this country that are in favor of helping out dreamers, I'm one of them, but I also want to make sure that when we do allow people to stay in this country who were brought here at a young age, none of their doing by the way, it was their parents that brought them here illegally that we don't have to deal with the same exact issue another 15 or 20 years from now.

CAMEROTA: OK.

FERGUSON: Border security is something that's vitally important and so it should be on the table because let's be clear, border security is one of the main reasons why we're having this conversation about illegal immigration, including the dreamers and kids are brought here against the wall because we do have porous border.

CAMEROTA: And because President Trump ran on that so Ana you heard, I mean Ben just laid it out perfectly that's the -- this is the new deal is this going to work?

ANA NAVARRO, CNN HOST: Look I think it depends on how you approach this negotiation. Do you come at it from a place of yes or do you come at it from a place of no? How do you define a wall? What is a wall? Is it the Great Wall of China; is the kingdom of the north wall in Game of Thrones? Is made out of Lego's; is it a virtual wall? I remember when Secretary John Kelly was then getting confirmed for Secretary of Homeland Security, he talked about how a wall could be a virtual wall, it doesn't need to be brick and mortar and big beautiful wall. There are parts of the border which require a wall, there are parts of it which not so I think the Democrats and Republicans got to come at this from a place of yes. They got to come at this looking at this creatively, how do we get to a negotiation? How do we get to a deal that passes muster?

The bottom line is this, they got a deadline and if you hear them talk, the Republican leadership wants to do this, Paul Ryan wants to do this, Mitch McConnell wants to do this, Donald Trump is in a negotiating mood and the Democrats want to do it.

[07:35:00]CAMEROTA: They should be able to do it.

NAVARRO: So stop jerking us around, stop using immigration as a pawn, stop using these kids as a pawn and get it done because every day that goes by, over a thousand kids lose their status.

CAMEROTA: One of the reasons is confusing - - all right quickly.

FERGUSON: Let me say this real quick, I don't think that you're using kids as a pawn when the reality is we have a problem with the border. The kids that are being brought across the border illegally - -

CAMEROTA: Yes but if they're losing their status every day when they were brought here through no choice of their own then how aren't they a political pawn?

NAVARRO: Ben I have been doing immigration work for decades and let me tell you something, both parties have used immigration as a wedge issue. Both parties have used immigration as a pawn in political games to get their base going.

FERGUSON: I understand your point completely on it but here's the bottom line, if you want to have both parties stop using this as a game or as a pawn then clearly you have to have reform on the border with security because if you don't it's always going to be using someone as a pawn; you're always going to have an issue of illegal immigration and children that are going to be brought here against their will. At some point if you actually want to do something for these dreamers; if you want to have status, legal status in this country mean something; if you want to make sure that you have other people that are not brought here and abused and hiding in the shadows and you want to allow them to come out of the shadows and you want them to live as American citizens, you're going to have to have a secure border to accomplish that. Without a secure border, we will never fix that problem and people will always be living in the shadows.

CAMEROTA: Yes I hear -- yes I know that that's your starting point and that's what President Trump has said is his starting point; however, part of why this seems so confusing is because President Trump's position has seemed confused or at least he has seemed ambivalent about what to do with the dreamers. So let me just remind people some of the things that he's said.

(BEGIN VIDEO)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The DACA situation is a very, very -- it's a very difficult thing for me because I love these kids, I love kids.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Should dreamers be worried?

TRUMP: We love the dreamers, we love everybody. I want dreamers to come from the United States. Anyone who illegally crosses the border will be detained until they are removed out of our country and back to the country from which they came. They shouldn't be very worried, they are here illegally, they shouldn't be very worried, I do have a big heart.

(END VIDEO)

CAMEROTA: I mean they shouldn't be worried, they are here illegally, they shouldn't be worried, I have a big heart; he's all over the map in terms of how he feels about this.

NAVARRO: Look I think he's genuinely torn about this; on the one hand, he's a hardliner on immigration he's made all these promises on immigration reform; the wall, et cetera and et cetera, but on the other hand the practical reality is these kids are living amongst us; they are working with us; they are our colleagues; they are our children's friends; they are in our schools. I am sure that he -- first of all he's met with dreamers, he made them promises during the campaign; they are a very compelling story and that's why I'm saying over and over again there is over 800,000 young people whose lives are in limbo right now who are having a very bad New Year because only in America, only in Washington in this dysfunctional paralyzed government, can everybody want a solution and not reach one.

[07:40:00]CAMEROTA: That's right and it's intractable. NAVARRO: Well if I were a Dream Act kid, I'd be sleepless right now and I'd be very worried because you can just never count out the dysfunction of government. So they've got to get something done and they got to do it quick.

CAMEROTA: Go ahead, Ben.

FERGUSON: Ana here's one thing that I do think people need to understand. When you listen to what the president just said there and what you just played, it's very clear he's talking about adults that he says will be deported; he's always been compassionate and consistent towards dreamers; he's not talking about the children and that's the reason why I don't think there needs to be as much fear mongering on this because look the president's been pretty consistent. He wants there to be a pathway for dreamers to be able to stay in this country; people that were brought here, no decision of their own, who've lived the majority of their life here who are law-abiding citizens.

He's also been extremely clear, if you're a grown adult and you're coming across the border illegally, we are going to take care of you and deport you to the country that you came from because we have to have a secure border.

CAMEROTA: Yes but then you're making it a little bit more clear than he has. He hasn't said dreamers you are protected, I will ensure your protections. What he now is saying, hold on Ben, is if I get my wall. And that's a big if, that's a big difference.

FERGUSON: Right and again if you want to have reform, there's no way to have true, genuine reform and allow people to come out of the shadows and allow people to not have to worry unless you have an end date on this open border problem we have in this country which is creating the entire problem.

CAMEROTA: I have a question for you guys -- as Ana said so is virtual wall -- a digital wall, are those OK? Would those be OK with Republican Conservatives?

FERGUSON: I think there's -- the reality is there's saying what you want and then there's getting what you actually are OK with and I think what you can see here is a compromise where maybe you don't have a wall across the entire border; where you do have a virtual wall in some areas, but clearly there are hundreds of miles of the border that need an actual and physical wall. And until we get that, we are never going to be done with this issue and there will not be closure for anyone involved because you will still have people coming across the border every day.

CAMEROTA: Ana would Democrats agree to that? Would they agree to paying for hundreds of miles of an actual, concrete wall if they had to?

NAVARRO: I don't know what they're going to agree with, I don't know if it's going to be a hundred miles, look I think you're going to have to give Donald Trump some miles of wall so that he can stand in front of it and make a campaign ad for 2020. Certainly give the man that, there is going to have to be a wall component, but we can't get stuck on the semantics here, we can't get stuck on a symbolism of a wall versus not a wall when there are some many lives hanging in the balance. People got to get creative; think outside the wall; think outside the box and come up with a solution, not every wall is a wall is a wall.

CAMEROTA: OK I like that semantic, we'll see what a wall means in 2018. Ana Navarro, Ben Ferguson, thank you both very much. John,

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, a new year, the same brutal cold for most of the country. When will we see some relief? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:45:00]

BERMAN: We are following breaking news here in New York City. A six alarm fire breaking out in an apartment building in the Bronx. The fire department says at least 12 people are injured. Most of the injuries not believed to be life threatening. Now, this is a new fire. It is happening on the heals of last weeks deadly inferno at a different apartment building in the Bronx, 12 people died in that blaze.

CAMEROTA: U.S. Customs says it's processing systems are back up and running after a two hour outage caused mass delays last night at the nation's airports. There were long lines and very little guidance given for passengers returning home and they needed to show their passports and clear customs.

The agency says, the outage was not malicious in nature and managed not to disrupt any national security databases.

BERMAN: Californians lining up Monday to legally buy recreational marijuana for the first time. Newly licensed store owners stocking up expecting a huge demand and they were not disappointed.

Many of the medical marijuana dispensaries seeing an increase in sales of some 30 percent overnight with an expected 50 to 60 percent jump overtime. California is the sixth state to legalize the sale of recreational marijuana.

CAMEROTA: The Me Too movement enters a new phase, 1,000 powerful women in entertainment, including Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon and Meryl Streep launching a comprehensive plan to combat sexual harassment across many industries.

This initiative is called Times Up. It's already raised close to $14 million to help provide legal support for women and men who have experienced sexual harassment assault or abuse in the workplace.

BERMAN: So, you may not know who Logan Paul is, but chances are that your children do. The YouTube star with more than 15 million views is apologizing after he posted a disturbing video called, we found a dead body in Japan's suicide forest. It showed a body hanging from a tree in what appeared to be a suicide.

Paul, who has more than 15 million subscribers on YouTube posted an apology on Twitter on Monday.

He said he had been quote, "misguided," by shock and awe. The video sparked outrage on the internet. It was viewed more than six million times before it was removed. A lot of people commenting, called it sickening and disgusting.

CAMEROTA: (Inaudible) gads. Sometimes self policing on the internet doesn't work.

BERMAN: He said he was misguided by whom, the question is. Really he has no one but himself to blame.

CAMEROTA: Absolutely. All right. Meanwhile, let's talk about how cold it is.

BERMAN: Very.

CAMEROTA: OK. And historic.

BERMAN: Most of the country is still in the grips of a deep freeze.

CAMEROTA: How long will it last? Meteorologist, Jennifer Gray, has our forecast. What's the answer Jennifer?

(WEATHER)

[07:50:00]

BERMAN: It has barely broken 10 for a like a week and a half.

CAMEROTA: Oh my gosh. I was in Vermont. It was -- when we woke up yesterday, it was minus 14. Not how it feels, that was the real temperature, minus 14.

BERMAN: And it's a dry heat.

CAMEROTA: It's a dry heat, thank goodness.

BERMAN: All right, President Trump hitting the links with a couple of golf pros near Mar-a-Lago. What is it like to play a round with the President? We got the funk, when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: Since taking office President Trump has spent 92 days on one of his Trump golf courses. So, what that is it like to hit the links with the President? Joining us now, two people who spent New Year's day doing just that at the Trump International Golf Club in Florida, father and son, PGA golfers, Fred and Taylor Funk. Gentlemen, thank you for being with us. It's great to speak with you. Fred, if we can just start with you. Look, he's the President of the United States. He loves to golf. We know that. What is it like to golf with the President? What does one talk about when golfing with President Trump?

FRED FUNK, PGA GOLFER: He asked a lot of questions about Tiger, and how good he was comparing Tiger to Nicholas. He talked about who he has been playing with recently on the golf course with Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas, and numerous guys he has played with on the PGA Tour, how far they hit it and where they hitting it, and talked about my game, my history and then my son's game. He was pretty impressed with the way Taylor played.

CAMEROTA: So Taylor, how was the President's game?

TAYLOR FUNK, PGA GOLFER: It was good. He shot a legit 36 on the front nine. I was really surprised.

CAMEROTA: How did the back nine do?

TAYLOR FUNK: I mean he struggled a little. Back nine was a little worse, I think he got a little tired, but--

[07:55:00] BERMAN: Just, by the way, you are at risk of an audit now by the IRS for saying that. So, I would be careful. No, sorry, continue.

TAYLOR FUNK: He played well. I was very surprised. He shot even par on the front and played decent on the back, too. He's definitely a lot better than I thought he was going to be. He was a good player. He was a lot of fun to play with and very engaging and really I don't have a bad thing to say about our round. It was amazing.

BERMAN: So Fred, he asked you about Tiger Woods and Jack Nicholson, and all the guys that, you know, he's been playing with. Do you have any questions for him? Are you allowed to ask questions to the President while you are golfing?

FRED FUNK: Oh, yeah, it was wide open. We could ask anything, how he was doing in the political world and what it's like. I asked him what his day is like, how-when it starts, because he doesn't seem to sleep much. He's very high energy. He's, like Taylor said, very engaging and pretty much you could ask anything you wanted. We asked him some interesting questions and had interesting answers, but it was a lot of fun--

CAMEROTA: What did he say? What were some -- can you share with us any of the answers about what he told you about his day or his life?

FRED FUNK: Well, more than anything, it was just the amount of time dealing with all the issues around the world, and it's an all-day deal, and he wakes up and starts early in the morning and reads the media coverage and then goes to work and has meeting after meeting and just dealing with all of the issues. And it's just, to me, overwhelming. I don't know how he does it. I don't know how anyone would do it. I don't know how anyone would be President of the United States and deal with all the world's problems and how it affects our country, but he said he loves it. He said he loves the aspect of being the President, and all the pressures that go along with it. You truly could tell how much he loves our country and how much he enjoys the position he is.

BERMAN: Taylor, while he was on the golf course, did the President work at all? Was it all about golf or did he have to take any phone calls, do any briefings, or anything?

TAYLOR FUNK: No, it was all golf. He was fully in the moment and with us and we played with two other guys, and he was great with them, too. You know, I feel like whatever he's doing he is going to be doing it 100% at that time and he wanted to play good golf and we wanted to watch him play good golf, and it was a lot of fun because he actually did play some good golf and was getting excited making putts, and we were all getting excited. It was a lot of fun. We had a little match against him. It was me and the other guys against President Trump and my dad and we won, but--

BERMAN: Once again, the IRS is still calling, so be careful.

TAYLOR FUNK: It was, it was a good time.

CAMEROTA: And Fred, when he was talking about his job and how much time he commits to certain things and how much he loves it and how much he loves the country, did he speak glowingly and tell you how much he loves the press?

FRED FUNK: No, we didn't really deal with that too much. It kept a pretty light -- it was more about golf, it was all about just getting away from it and escaping the pressures that he's under, and yet he was looking forward to getting back on the airplane and getting back to D.C.

BERMAN: First of all Taylor, did he play for money? Do you play for money? Was there gambling involved?

TAYLOR FUNK: There was no gambling involved.

BERMAN: And number two, does he cheat?

TAYLOR FUNK: He does not, no. He played so good, I mean, he didn't even have to. But I don't think he would anyways. It was a lot of fun. You don't need to play for money when you are playing with the President, it's enough pressure in itself.

BERMAN: Look, "Golf Digest" says, you know, he's the best golfing President we've ever had.

CAMEROTA: What does that mean?

BERMAN: Well, every President this century, except for I think Carter and maybe one other -

CAMEROTA: And you would know.

BERMAN: -- that I can't think of right now, has golfed, right? So they all love golf and if he's the best, you know, he golfs a lot.

CAMEROTA: Have you have been invited back? Are you going to play with him again?

FRED FUNK: Well, it was not talked about yesterday but I think he had a really good time. We all had a great time. And, what is really neat is that when a guy in his position that loves golf and has all of these golf courses and grows the game of golf through what he is capable of doing, which is owning a lot of golf courses. But all his properties are really well done, great destination-type golf courses and really in top-notch shape, and he takes pride in that. It's something that he's really proud of. He's proud of I think every property, because he talked about a lot of the properties he has. It was a lot of fun. The whole day. We had breakfast with him, we played -- went to the range, played and then had a quick lunch. Then he was off to get back to D.C.

CAMEROTA: That's so great. Thank you for sharing it with us. I have one last question, it weird to play around the Secret Service? Did you feel people sort of staring and standing around you?

FRED FUNK: Do you want to take that one? Because you talked to them a little more.

TAYLOR FUNK: I mean it was more amazing. They are just a well-oiled machine. There was a lot of them out there. They couldn't tell us exactly how many, but two holes ahead and two holes behind and I mean they were probably in trees. You don't even know where all of them are. But there's guys with whatever they needed and they are ready if they needed to be. They said a firework went off on New Year's Day and within three seconds all the rifles were ready to go.

CAMEROTA: Oh my gosh.

TAYLOR FUNK: So it's pretty amazing just to see their intensity. I mean some of these guys' jobs is to look in trees all day. And I mean I couldn't do that, but it was pretty amazing.

CAMEROTA: What an experience. Well guys, thank you. Fred and Taylor Funk, thank you both so much for sharing your experience with us. Great to talk to you.

TAYLOR FUNK: Thank you. Happy New Year.

CAMEROTA: You, too.

FRED FUNK: Happy New Year.

CAMEROTA: All right, we're following a lot of news this morning so let's get right to it.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are witnessing Iranians that want regime change.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The government has been cracking down on these demonstrations.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We just don't have the kind of leverage to direct and shape what is happening in the streets of Iran.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're actually closer to a nuclear war with North Korea than we have ever been.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kim Jung-un threatening the U.S. and extending a rare olive branch to South Korea.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rather than being a loose cannon on twitter, he should build upon successes to finally bring North Korea to the table.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The President has a big domestic agenda planned for 2018.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The budget is going to have to be dealt with.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need border security, marry that up with the DREAM Act. There's a deal to be had.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is "New Day" with Chris Cuomo and Alisyn Camerota.

CAMEROTA: Good morning everyone. Welcome to your "New Day." It is Tuesday, January 2nd, 8:00 in the east. Chris is off. John Berman is here. Hope you had a great New Years.

BERMAN: I did. You know we were up til 10:00 to ring in the new year.

CAMEROTA: Wow.