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Trump Becoming Unhinged about Border Crisis; Nielsen Resigns Amid Frustration over Immigration; Sanders Vows to Release Tax Returns; Murder Puts Rideshare Safety into Focus. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired April 08, 2019 - 08:30   ET

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

[08:30:00] JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: The president is asking for things not legal from a cabinet secretary and what the next one will have to expect.

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: I mean it tells me that the law has never served as a barrier to Trump's sort of I think fantasy about how migration or border enforcement should be. That actually began with the wall and his promise that Mexico would pay for it.

But I want to say that his legal sort of I think concerns or his challenges about where the law (INAUDIBLE) also, you know, let's just be honest here, what he wants to happen will never happen. I mean, in other words, his idea of a zero, you know, tolerance border with no unlawful migration is ridiculous from the perspective of policy and has been. There's always going to be unlawful migration, no matter what you do, because we have millions of people in the air, in the -- on the waters, over the borders coming to the United States lawfully and some percentage of them will be not -- will be unlawful.

And so the president's sort of frustration rings true to me only because his theory of what it means to manage borders in the United States is at this stage delusional. And, you know, picking up on what Sam said, the next cabinet secretary is going to be of that delusional ideology because that's all Donald Trump has now, because the reality is as it is.

BERMAN: What do you think the legacy, Sam, is of Kirstjen Nielsen? Maggie Haberman was reporting that one of the reasons she didn't want to leave the cabinet for so long despite all the problems is she knew it might be hard for her after being part of the Trump administration having done what she said.

SAMANTHA VINOGRAD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Nielsen has been the brand ambassador for -- willingly for President Trump's most inhumane policies and his efforts to bend the law. Remember, she was a critical part of family separation, zero tolerance. She was not against the travel ban. That is her legacy, as a brand ambassador for his most inhumane and -- moments and attempts to bend the law.

And the question really for me, John, is, what happens now at the Department of Homeland Security. Kirstjen Nielsen, I hope, will have a difficult time finding a job based upon the things that she did while secretary. But is the department going to revert back to actually fulfilling its core missions. There are over 240,000 employees at the Department of Homeland Security. It covers such a range of missions, including election security, which is critically important right now. Is whomever replaces her going to be able to focus on those priority areas and, again, not just be there to serve President Trump's mood swings and interest as they relate to border security.

BERMAN: You know, Julia, not for nothing, and I hope this doesn't get glossed over, with the departure of Nielsen, this leaves, by my account, three women as part of the president's cabinet?

KAYYEM: Right.

BERMAN: The secretary of transportation, Elaine Chao, CIA Director Gina Haspel, and the education secretary, DeVos. Three women out of 20, depending on how you count.

KAYYEM: Yes.

BERMAN: That isn't the face of America.

KAYYEM: Right. And I would say, you know, two by marriage. I mean let's just be honest here. I mean in the sense that it's their husbands who were the friends or powerhouses --

BERMAN: Elaine Chao's been a cabinet secretary in the past. Elaine Chao's got a, you know, --

KAYYEM: That is true, but she's not getting fired -- she's not getting fired because of who her husband is, right? We don't worry about her job security in the same way you would if you're Kirstjen Nielsen. So -- so that is absolutely right. It's an image in particular of public safety that -- and military efforts that the president actually has. You've seen these pictures now. It is hard to get 30 white men in a room. You have to try hard. And we see those pictures now. This is consistent with the sort of, you know, male-ization, I would say, of the -- of the safety and security apparatus.

But I want to make one thing clear about this gender issue and Kirstjen Nielsen, because you're hearing it online and you're hearing about like she felt bad or, you know, she was trying to fight it inside. I think we should just judge each cabinet secretary on who they are regardless of gender. This was a woman and a female leader who was responsible for family separation, period, whether she was a man or a woman. And so I just -- I do worry about this sort of, you know, oh, well, she felt bad about it, these sort of post narratives. There's nothing in her record to suggest she felt bad about it. And on issues from cyber security to climate change to pandemics and, of course, to terrorism, the department is floundering at this stage and it won't get better leadership. Whatever we think happens next, the next person will not be better.

BERMAN: Juliette Kayyem, Sam Vinograd, thanks so much for being with us this morning. I appreciate it.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: All right, John, next, Senator Bernie Sanders is being dogged by a question on the campaign trail. When will he release his tax returns as promised?

BERMAN: He should hire Mick Mulvaney.

CAMEROTA: Yes. Yes. Good idea.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:39:06] CAMEROTA: Time now for the "5 Things to Know for Your New Day."

Number one, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen forced to resign. A senior administration official tells our Jake Tapper that Nielsen believed the situation was becoming untenable and that President Trump has become increasingly unhinged about the border.

BERMAN: Motel 6 will pay $12 million to settling a lawsuit after seven of their locations in Washington state shared personal guest information with Immigrations and Custom Enforcement agents.

CAMEROTA: Mick Mulvaney says Democrats will, quote, never see the president's tax returns. The acting White House chief of staff calls the request, quote, a political stunt that does not advance any proper legislative purpose.

BERMAN: An American tourist and her tour guide have been rescued after they were kidnapped by an armed gang last week and they have now arrived at the U.S. embassy in Uganda. It's unclear exactly who the kidnappers are.

[08:40:00] CAMEROTA: And we have some good news from our CNN family. Yes, wedding bells are in the air. Our Don Lemon and his long-time partner, Tim Malone, have just announced they are engaged. Tim popped the question Friday on Don's birthday and Don said yes. That is going to be a wedding we don't want to miss.

BERMAN: Assuming we get invited.

CAMEROTA: Well, I mean I --

BERMAN: We have a good record on this.

CAMEROTA: I feel like because we're saying it on national TV --

BERMAN: We'll get invited.

CAMEROTA: We will get invited.

BERMAN: All right.

CAMEROTA: Because we're begging them on national TV.

BERMAN: That was basically just a plea --

CAMEROTA: Yes, pretty much.

BERMAN: To go to a good party. CAMEROTA: Yes.

BERMAN: All right, for more on the "5 Things to Know," go to cnn.com/newday for the very latest.

CAMEROTA: OK, Bernie Sanders has his own issue when it comes to releasing tax returns. He said he would but voters are still wondering why he still has not. CNN's Ryan Nobles is live in Des Moines, Iowa, with more.

What's the timetable here, Ryan?

RYAN NOBLES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Alisyn, we still don't know. Good morning from Des Moines, Iowa, where Bernie Sanders just wrapped up a three-day tour of this state.

This time around he comes in as the front-runner. Among the announced candidates, he's leading in most polls. He's raised the most money and he's drawing the biggest crowds.

And with that front-runner status comes increased scrutiny and many voters here are asking when will they see those tax returns.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NOBLES (voice over): Bernie Sanders' tax returns are coming, he promises.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: So when do you think we'll be able to see your tax returns?

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Sooner than later.

NOBLES: More than a month after telling CNN that he would reveal ten years of his returns, Sanders has yet to deliver, and he hasn't given too many clues as to what's holding up the process.

SANDERS: Yes, we will. I mean we have it all done and it's just the question of dotting the i's and crossing the t's.

NOBLES: Sanders claim that he and his wife file their tax returns without the help of an accountant and are still wrapping up their 2018 affairs ahead of the April 15th deadline. He vows that the returns are, quote, boring, leaving many voters, including many of his supporters, to wonder what the holdup is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Otherwise delaying, I think he should -- they should release that, you know, to set an example.

NOBLES: The delay has become an issue hanging over the Sanders campaign during a time where he is enjoying 2020 front-runner status and would rather be talking about other things, like his push for a war powers resolution related to the situation in Yemen. He brushed aside a question about his taxes in the press conference after the bill's passage.

QUESTION: Can you talk about what -- what is the holdup at this point and when do you (INAUDIBLE) to do that?

SANDERS: Actually, we'll have more information on that. Today let's worry about the starving children in Yemen.

NOBLES: Still, it is impossible to ignore the many times Sanders has chided President Trump for not releasing his taxes.

SANDERS: Trust me, we do not have investments in Russia or Saudi Arabia or anyplace else.

NOBLES: Something he had talked about since the 2016 campaign.

SANDERS: I think the American people need to understand what kind of involvement Trump's business dealings have abroad and what kind of leverage those dealings may have on his policies as president of the United States.

NOBLES: And something he continues to do even now.

SANDERS: April 15th is coming. I'm delighted to do that, proud to do that. Hey, Mr. Trump, you do the same thing.

NOBLES: The Vermont senator's most diehard supporters likely won't leave his side regardless of what his taxes reveal. But even they understand that they still need to be made public.

LINDA CHANDLER, IOWA CITY VOTER: Because I think it's important for all politicians to be transparent and for us to see what's going on in their financial world.

NOBLES: And for those voters still weighing their options, like Derick Albert from the crucial swing state of Michigan, the reluctance of Sanders to reveal the specifics of his personal financial situation makes him concerned.

DERICK ALBERT, MICHIGAN VOTER: I mean he should definitely release them. Everybody wants to see them. We want to see the president's, too, you know. And the Senate congressional committee that's actually doing the investigating says, hey, Senator Sanders, bring yours, too. America deserves to know.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

NOBLES: And for the first time Sanders took questions from voters here in Iowa during a series of town halls. And we should point out that not one voter asked him when he's going to release his tax returns and said they asked about things like entitlement reform, what he's going to do to affect economic inequality and, of course, health care, meaning this may not be the top priority for voters in Iowa, at least not yet.

John.

BERMAN: It is interesting, though, that the senator is taking questions, changing his style a little bit on the campaign trail.

Ryan Nobles for us in Des Moines. Thanks so much, Ryan.

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand makes her 2020 pitch in a live CNN presidential town hall. She released her taxes already, right?

CAMEROTA: Oh, yes.

BERMAN: Yes, she did.

CAMEROTA: She released, I think, 12 years of them. She was the first in the entire pool to release her 2018 taxes.

So she will be doing a town hall moderated by Erin Burnett tomorrow night at 10:00 Eastern only on CNN.

All right, the murder of a college student has exposed the risk of these predators who pretend to be ride share drivers. Two survivors of separate attacks join us to tell us their stories and what they've learned.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:48:55] CAMEROTA: Police are warning passengers who use ridesharing apps to be extra careful after a college student in South Carolina was murdered when she accidentally got into a car she thought was her Uber. That was not the first time a predator posed as a rideshare driver. "The New York Times" found at least two dozen attacks have taken place in the last few years.

And joining us now are two women who survived attacks by men they believed to be their Uber drivers. We have Carla Westlund and Elizabeth Suarez.

Ladies, thank you so much for being here. I know that this Samantha Josephson case has brought back traumatic memories for both of you about what happened.

Carla, I want to start with you, tell us about the night in 2017 and why you believed the car you got into was your Uber.

CARLA WESTLUND, VICTIM OF ASSAILANT WHO POSED AS UBER DRIVER: I was on the phone with my Uber driver at the time. There was lots of cars on the road. And, you know, I think like so many people, unfortunately they get in the car that they think is their -- their car. You know, it might look the same. It might be the same make and model. I've heard of this so often. So, unfortunately, it is a problem.

AV: Me, too. Me, too.

[08:50:01] And so you got in the car and what unfolded over the next three hours just sounds like a living nightmare. So describe to us what happened.

WESTLUND: Yes. So, unfortunately, I fell asleep in the back seat. He actually asked me for my address. I thought he was just confirming it. And then I woke up. We were parked somewhere and he was banging my head into the seat. He then -- you know, he forced me to take off my clothes and then I was raped. And -- yes, it was a very difficult situation. His objective was for me to think he was a good guy so that I wouldn't go to the cops. My objective was for him to think that I wasn't going to go to the cops if he could just let me go. My --

CAMEROTA: How did you -- how did you escape?

WESTLUND: With those tactics. I was trying to make up for my physical strength with my mental strength. Oddly enough, I remember seeing on a "Grey's Anatomy" episode that if you start talking about your life to an attacker, it will force them to humanize you and they'll be less inclined to hurt you. So I could actually sense near the end of my sexual assault, I could tell he was starting to panic. So with that in mind, I just started rambling. And then he actually started crying. So it is a very good tactic.

CAMEROTA: Well, I mean, you made it out alive, thank God. And we should let people know that there were six other women who were sexually assaulted -- who police say were sexually assaulted by this same guy. And today he has a court hearing. He was captured. He was arrested. And today he has a court hearing. So that is obviously a positive outcome of all of this.

So, Elizabeth, tell us what happened. You were at a Las Vegas hotel. Tell us how it came to pass that you got into the wrong car.

ELIZABETH SUAREZ, VICTIM OF ASSAILANT WHO POSED AS UBER DRIVER: So I had ordered an Uber on my phone and I headed out to the valet and the car drove up and gestured over to me and opened the back of the car. And I said, hi, are you hear for Liz? And he goes, yes, get in. You know, I've taken Uber since college, so I didn't think anything of it.

And we started driving. About five minutes later, I get a call from my real Uber and he's like, I'm outside of the casino. Where are you? And that's when it all clicked, I'm in the wrong car, you know, and panic starts to set in.

CAMEROTA: And then -- I mean when you -- was that -- was that a chilling moment when you realized that -- did you know yet that you were in danger at that point?

SUAREZ: At that point, I did. And just -- I went into complete panic mode. I didn't -- I didn't freeze up. I knew I had to get out of this situation because he -- he was in full control. He could do whatever he wanted. And so I just knew, get out, get out, just keep thinking on my toes.

CAMEROTA: And he took you to a deserted parking lot. How did you escape?

SUAREZ: Well, I jumped out. You know, he -- he stopped the car behind the Albertson's parking lot. And he told me to give him my wallet, my phone, everything I had. So I threw it at him. And I thought he was going to let me out, but he actually sped up like he was going to, you know, take me to a different location, but I opened the back seat of the car and I jumped out. Broke my wrist, my ankle, and then I had seven staples in the back of my head. CAMEROTA: Oh, my josh, because you jumped out of the car while it was

moving and --

SUAREZ: I did.

CAMEROTA: I mean though you got injured, who knows if that saved your life.

And so -- and so from these horrible experiences, obviously you both have learned things that you want to share with the viewing public about how to avoid something like this.

And so, Carla, I know that you've created an acronym, CASA. What's your guidance for the rest of us?

WESTLUND: Yes, this is a very good tool for passengers. I think the biggest thing that people don't do is they stand -- they don't stand outside of the car, lean in and ask the driver, who are you here for? So often I've heard my friends, they just get into the car and then say, oh, are you hear for Carla? And then you just gave them the magic answer that they needed. So that would be crucial, I would say.

CAMEROTA: Yes. OK. So that's --

WESTLUND: And always be aware.

CAMEROTA: And so that's -- so let's go through it. You say check. Obviously now we know, check the license plate. That is a must. You can't -- you can't even just ask the driver, you know, what's your name or tell the driver your name, obviously. Check the license plate, check the make and model, look at the driver's picture, make sure it matches what's on your phone. Ask the driver to identify you by name before you get in the car. I mean of course that makes sense.

WESTLUND: Yes.

CAMEROTA: But, you know, as we just heard from Elizabeth, and I think we all do it, we say, are you hear for Elizabeth? Are you hear for Alisyn? That's the opposite of what you're supposed to do.

WESTLUND: Correct.

CAMEROTA: So say, who are you here for. And then share -- this is interesting, OK, because I didn't know about this. So tell us about the share aspect to let your loved ones know where you are.

WESTLUND: Yes. So now on the app you can actually share your ride with a friend. So I recommend doing that for every ride if you can. If not actually share your ride physically with your friend, have a friend with you in your car. I think that would be a great option as well.

[08:55:06] But, yes, with the app, they can track you the whole entire trip.

CAMEROTA: Yes. So that is really helpful. So make sure that you share sort of your coordinates with your friends -- WESTLUND: Yes.

CAMEROTA: So that they know where to find you. And, of course, if you can, use the buddy system, always travel with somebody else.

Well, ladies, Carla and Elizabeth, thank you very much for sharing your personal stories with us. Obviously, you know, these are horrible stories, but I think that you may be saving other people from that fate. So, thank you both very much.

WESTLUND: Thank you so much.

SUAREZ: Thank you.

CAMEROTA: John.

BERMAN: It takes guts to come on --

CAMEROTA: It really does.

BERMAN: And talk to try to make things better for other people.

All right, a big cabinet shakeup overnight. The secretary of homeland security is pushed out. CNN is told she feels the president is unhinged on border issues. We have new developments from the White House, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: All right, top of the hour, good Monday morning, everybody. I'm Poppy Harlow.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Jim Sciutto. It's Monday indeed. There's news.

[08:59:44] She was the face of the president's hard line immigration stances, but now Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen is out. A source tells CNN that she did not go willingly. Her exit comes after she lost allies in the West Wing and clashed with the president over how to stop the influx of migrants crossing the southern border. A source tells CNN that Nielsen was frustrated with the president because he was insisting that Nielsen.

END