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Reed Wins Masters; Trump Preps for Mueller Interview; CNN Interviews British ISIS Terrorists; Texas Deploys National Guard. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired April 09, 2018 - 06:30   ET

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

[06:31:10] CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: The Justice Department is expected to name Chicago's top federal prosecutor, who's U.S. Attorney John Lausch, to oversee the FBI's release of documents to the House Judiciary Committee. The DOJ missed a deadline last week to turn over items related to alleged FBI surveillance abuses, Hillary Clinton's e- mails and other issues. Justice officials plan to start the process by turning over 1,000 pages today.

Keep an eye on your FaceBook feed. FaceBook plans to send you a detailed message if you are one in the 87 million users who had their data shared with Cambridge Analytica. And all 2.2 billion FaceBook users will be getting a notice titled "protecting your information." CEO Mark Zuckerberg scheduled to testify before Congress tomorrow and Wednesday about the work privacy issue in his company's history.

CUOMO: Captain America is now the Masters champion. Patrick Reed captures his first major championship in thrilling style.

Coy Wire has more in the "Bleacher Report." This was one to watch.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, Chris. Good morning to you.

Here in the title, Captain America is the driving force behind team USA's Ryder Cup win over Europe. Now, in the town where he led Augusta state, the two consecutive national championships, Patrick Reed has earned the title Masters champion. The 27-year-old had ice water in his veins Sunday, starting the final round with a three-stoic lead. Held off Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler on the back nines to finish with a one-stroke victory.

Reed sharing the moment with his caddy, his brother-in-law. He's now the seventh Masters champ in the last eight years to also be celebrating his first ever win at any major. He celebrated this moment with his wife, Justine.

And he told CNN's Don Riddell all about this special moment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICK REED, 2018 MASTERS CHAMPION: It's a dream come true. And, you know, I really haven't come off -- come off cloud nine yet to actually, finally, you know, be sitting down, have my first major be a green jacket. And to be able to sit here wearing it, it's a -- it's a surreal moment for me. And it's something that I'll never forget.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: From Captain America's Masters win to a man who is faster than a speeding bullet. Super dad Andy Scholes, he and wife Lauren welcomed Nolan Robert Scholes into the world at 12:54 a.m. on Masters Sunday. Big brothers Cam and Beckett wearing their matching Masters shirts with dad. Andy was covering the Masters for us in Augusta, but zoomed all the way back to Atlanta to be there with Lauren as soon as he got word she'd gone into labor. Nolan weighing in at 8 pounds, 13 ounces.

CUOMO: And he was early.

WIRE: Yes, early.

CUOMO: Eight 13.

WIRE: And look at all that hair.

CUOMO: And he was early. He's got more hair than I do. Eight 13. And he was early. They make some beautiful babies, the Scholes.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: They do. They're kind of mini mes of Andy.

CUOMO: Well, they do dress them a like.

CAMEROTA: Yes, that helps.

CUOMO: Yes. That's --

CAMEROTA: That's adorable.

CUOMO: I've talked to Andy about that. He doesn't care. But they're great little kids. He's got them into sports. And he was watching the Masters in the room with the baby after the baby was born.

CAMEROTA: Yes, you've got to indoctrinate them early with sports.

Coy, thank you very much.

WIRE: You're welcome.

CAMEROTA: All right, so CNN is learning that President Trump is beginning informal preparations for a potential interview with Robert Mueller's team. We have all the details in a CNN exclusive, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:38:44] CUOMO: All right, we've got a CNN exclusive here that President Trump has begun the steps for preparing for a possible interview with Special Counsel Bob Mueller's team. Is it qualified? Yes. Why? Because a lot of this is uncertain. But it is the clearest sign yet that President Trump and his legal team are open to that interview happening. Of course, that assume that it's up to them.

Let's discuss. Joining us now, CNN political analyst John Avlon and CNN legal analyst Carrie Cordero.

Let's deal with that first suggestion. Is it up to the president, Carrie, as to whether or not this happens?

CARRIE CORDERO, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: It is.

So his legal team will give him advice as to whether or not they think it is in his best interest legally whether or not to go through with an interview. And then the second piece, because he's the president of the United States, obviously, is whether or not -- if they recommend him not to be interviewed, whether that's politically feasible. And so those are really two different questions.

But if he was just a standard subject of an FBI federal investigation, he would have to make a decision whether or not to be interviewed.

CUOMO: What if they subpoena him?

CORDERO: If they subpoena him, then he will need to appear. And so that's really a big question for his team, is, is it better for him to voluntarily interview where then at least it appears that he is trying to be cooperative in some way as opposed to if he served with a subpoena and then he -- then he is required, unless they have some grounds to challenge it. But it's unclear that they're -- would have that justification.

CAMEROTA: As we know, President Trump believes an investigation is a hoax if the subject of the investigation is never interviewed. He tweeted basically that this weekend.

The FBI closed the case on Hillary, which was a rigged investigation. They exonerated her even before they ever interviewed her. Never even put her under oath. And much more, so true Jesse. That's the sage wisdom of Jesse Watters from Fox where he's getting his -- his ideas.

And then "The Washington Post" columnist Brian Class (ph) pointed out that if President Trump isn't interviewed by Robert Mueller, what does that mean. He says, Trump's lawyers not having a good morning. Paves the way for the obvious question, wouldn't it be rigged of Mueller, the FBI, ended the Russia investigation without putting Trump under oath?

JOHN AVLON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I mean just walking into a trap, Mr. President, is not exactly complicated to figure out that that's going to be drawn. Now, on the other hand, how dare we apply logical, consistent standards on the president's tweets or decision-making process.

But he said it all right up there. Look, he has said repeatedly, he wants to testify. Presumably he feels he has nothing to hide. And I can't say from a political standpoint, if he doesn't testify, this all remains open. It will forever have questions around it and questions about whether Mueller can change the probe. Obviously what the president's allies and allegedly past lawyers have been concerned about is that he could move from a source to a subject to a target based on -- on just sort of ambling around and creating contradictions in his testimony, as he is want (ph) to do.

CUOMO: So, Carrie, let's game it out. They say, you know what, we don't think you should go and talk to these guys because you're automatically under oath. So, don't do it. What would make the special counsel or his team say, well, we need to talk to you so now we're going to subpoena you?

CORDERO: So i think the big question is, what is the scope of the subject matter that they want to discuss with him? So, for example, if the main angle of their investigation that they're interview -- that they want to interview him for is obstruction, then I really think that his personal statements, his intent, which was in his head when he didn't different things over the course of the year, including firing the FBI director, his personal testimony and what he has to say about that is really central to that case.

If, on the other hand, the main thing that they want to interview or one of the things they want to interview him about has to do with money trails, then that might be something that they can establish more through other witnesses and through documentation, information that they've received either electronic -- digital information or documents over the course of their investigation.

So I tend to think that the scope and the subject matter of what they want to interview him about is highly relevant to whether or not his testimony or his interviewing is critical to their resolution of the case.

CAMEROTA: Carrie, one more question. Now that we have reporting that he and his lawyers are preparing for a possible interview, what does that look like?

CORDERO: Well, so there's a lot involved. And, again, it depends on the scope of how much that they have to prepare him to. But that involves, first of all, just sitting down with him and having him remember different things that occurred. Now some of the things that took place are almost a couple of years ago.

So, first of all, it's just sort of going through with him. And there's going to be a lot of documents they've produced according to the different reporting we've seen over many months. It does sound like the White House has produced and the campaign has produced a lot of information. So there's both a lot of documents that they need to review for him.

And then there's just the preparation of the witness. How will he act in the interview? Will he be evasive? Does he -- how does he respond to questions? And so there's both a substantive piece and then there's just sort of the personal dynamic of a person sitting down for an interview and how he comes across.

CUOMO: And this is very different than a civil deposition.

AVLON: Yes.

CUOMO: He's done those in the past. He has been truthful and not in them. The latter, in front of a federal investigator, is a very, very heavy implication.

CAMEROTA: All right, thank you both very much.

Coming up in just minutes, we will speak with Stormy Daniels' attorney, Michael Avenatti, about what his next move is in that case.

CUOMO: All right, so they are the last two living members of the ISIS cell known as "The Beatles," known for the brutal beheading of western prisoners. Now they're speaking out to CNN. An interview you don't want to miss, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:48:42] CAMEROTA: OK, now to a new interview you have to see with the last two members of the British ISIS cell known as "The Beatles" to be captured. They were led by the infamous executioner, Jihadi John, who was killed in a drone strike in 2015. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh spoke to the surviving members from a prison in northern Syria after the U.S.-backed Syrian democratic forces captured them. And he joins us live from Syria.

Nick, we can't wait to see this. So tell us how this happened.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's extraordinary and after these years of watching the fight against ISIS build them up to be some sort of terrifying monster. When we finally got consent from these men for them to speak to us, they're really very ordinary, at times snickering, at times incoherent, confused, at times angry as well. Extraordinary people to some degree, but still able to say extraordinary things.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WALSH (voice over): Once some of the world's most wanted, but now nobody wants them. The last two of the British ISIS cell dubbed "The Beatles," now jailed in Syria and suddenly fond of the home they spurned (ph).

WALSH (on camera): Would you prefer to be tried anywhere in particular, like the U.K.?

ALEXANDA KOTEY, BRITISH ISIS DETAINEE: Definitely familiarity is the easier option. My experience with the British judges is they're quite fair and just.

Yes, I might miss like a fish and chips.

[06:50:08] WALSH (voice over): They revel in their rights, like presumed innocence, when I tell them several westerners they allegedly imprisoned and abused in ISIS jails like these have identified their voices and faces.

ELSHAFEE ELSHEIKH, BRITISH ISIS DETAINEE: It's just an accusation legally speaking. You know, if the -- if the Britain's said we're going to deal with you by -- with barbaric law or with law from the medieval ages, then, yes, hung draw (ph) and court me, right? That's not the case. I'm just merely pointing that out. I don't believe in democracy. But I am being subjected to democratic law. So it is only right for those who claim to uphold this, to fully uphold it, because it -- it's their mistake, not me really.

KOTEY: I think the American administration or the British government, they decided they want to be champions of the sharia, Islamic law and apply Islamic law upon myself and Shafee, then, by all means. If not, then they should adhere to that which they claim to be champions of.

WALSH: ISIS is nearly defeated, but the arrogance of their beliefs is not. \

WALSH (on camera): What keeps you awake at night?

KOTEY: There's these lice in my clothes in the place I'm sleeping.

WALSH: So there will be some people who see you make a joke of that question and think that whatever's gone before to you is sort of being a bit of a laugh. Are you saying that there's nothing that you witnessed here in Syria or been involved in that troubles you?

KOTEY: No. If I want to talk about while I was in the Islamic State, the kind of things that keep you up at night is the sound of like F-16 jet flying the sky and some Syrian neighbors with his kids crying.

WALSH (voice over): There is so much bravado, it's hard to see if they really think it all, the videos, the savage beheadings, went too far.

WALSH (on camera): Do you regret that sort of messaging?

KOTEY: Yes, definitely, it would be damaging. And it's regrettable and that -- you know, that families have to see that.

WALSH: So Jihadi John, who's dead now, what kind of a guy was he?

SHEIKH: He was a friend of mine.

WALSH: For -- for what reasons?

SHEIKH: For what reasons was he my friend? Do you need to have a reason to be a friend of somebody?

WALSH: I'm just asking you to describe him as a person.

SHEIKH: Oh, to describe him as a person? Obviously I know other people in the western world are not going to want to hear this. But the truth has to be said. (INAUDIBLE). He was one of the most loyal friends I've had, trustworthy, honest, upstanding.

WALSH: Were you surprised when you saw videos of him cutting off people's heads?

SHEIKH: Surprising, yes.

WALSH: You didn't approve?

SHEIKH: Did I approve of the act or did I approve of the video?

WALSH: Did you approve of the act by your friend?

SHEIKH: I would rather not answer that question.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALSH: That's remarkable to hear them after all the years they sort of railed against western establishments and systems to frankly be asking for their help to some degree to keep talking about their legal rights. And also to -- we're entering into crunch time for dozens, if not hundreds of foreigners that fought for ISIS, now held by the Syrian Kurds that America backed. Many European countries and other nations simply don't want them back. They say it is too complicated legally or a bit of a bad PR move. And that puts a really big burden on these Syrian Kurds, making it hard to find the detention facilities. Their question being, really, when does it end? Where do they go? What happens to them?

Chris.

CUOMO: Nick Paton Walsh, that is a really important interview. Thank you for bringing it to us.

All right, more news from back home here. Hundreds of Texas National Guard troops, not active military, the way the president wanted, but these National Guardsmen are now deployed to the U.S. border with Mexico. What are they going to do there? We have a live report, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:58:08] CUOMO: Two hundred and fifty members of the Texas National Guard have been deployed to the U.S. border with Mexico. They don't have any legal authority there to enforce immigration laws. So what are they going to do? CNN's Kaylee Hartung is live in Hidalgo, Texas, with more.

Kaylee.

KAYLEE HARTUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Chris.

Those 250 troops, I'm told, will be in place in their operational roles along the Texas border today. Some of them arriving as early as Saturday, walking right into meetings with their federal partners, the Department of Homeland Security and Customers and Border Patrol agents. Many of those troops planners, having those meetings to discuss and assess the resources, various sectors of the Texas need. So while you have some troops planning, others in supporting roles, essentially desk jobs, doing work behind the scenes to allow border patrol agents to get into the field and do their job.

So among those operational roles you'll see guardsmen in today, you could see them doing surveillance, maybe observational duties. Those would be the type of duties if they were out in the field. You won't see National Guard troops on patrol or making any arrests. Beyond handshake photos between entities meeting and collaborating, we

don't yet have any visuals to show you on that National Guard presence on the border.

And, Alisyn, additionally, 150 National Guard troops will be deploying to Arizona over the course of the next week. That is before we know of plans for California or New Mexico.

CAMEROTA: OK, Kaylee, thank you very much for the update from there.

And thanks to our international viewers for watching. For you CNN "TALK" is next. For our U.S. viewers, NEW DAY continues right now.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: Russia's defense ministry claims that Israel carried out strikes on a Syrian air base.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: If he doesn't follow through and live up to that tweet, he's going to look weak.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Syrian regime under President Assad cannot exist without Russia's support.

SEN. SUSAN COLLINS (R), MAINE: The president's going to have to reconsider an early withdrawal.

NIKKI HALEY, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: We have a regime that uses chemical weapons. Our lack of action has consequences.