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New Day

Fate of Cuomo's Impeachment; Ocasio-Cortez Feared during Insurrection; Friends Trapped in Elevator Flooding; Broadway's Majestic Theater Returns. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired August 09, 2021 - 08:30   ET

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

[08:30:00]

ERROL LOUIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Of some really talented aides that he's had over the years. Aides, in some cases, who had also served his father. Instead of bringing them together and trying to sort out what he ought to do, apparently the governor is talking to people one-on-one. He's keeping his own counsel. He's leaving them in individual silos and then he's not really hearing what it is that they are telling him.

Top aides have told him, you know, governor, your career is over. This is the end. Let's try and sweat this out with some dignity and some order and do what's best for the people and for the administration and for your family. He is simply not hearing that. That he is, you know, he lives in the executive mansion, he does not have another home. He's losing his aides. The people who are talking to him are -- they say that they are just not getting through to him. That he wants to fight this all the way out.

The assembly has -- the state legislature has signaled that they are prepared to remove him. And that can happen on a simple majority vote. And he does not have enough votes to survive such a process. So, I'm not sure what's going through the governor's head. But, at this point, it's not a matter of if but when.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Not a matter of if but when. Is there anything that you think could happen, the famous Barry Goldwater trip to the White House with Richard Nixon who told him, you know, it's over, which got Nixon to resign there? Is there any intervening event between now and when you think the assembly will inevitably impeach the governor?

LOUIS: That Barry Goldwater meeting, by the way, has already happened more or less publicly. You know, a top political ally, the speaker of the state assembly, has said it is clear to me that he does not have the votes to survive an impeachment vote. And we are going to move forward quickly. And that's a paraphrase, but that's what they're doing. They've given him until Friday to turn over any materials that he wants to give them, after which they are going to prepare to cast a vote. So that could happen as soon as a week from now.

Look, I think probably the governor's family, Matilda Cuomo, his mother, who's revered and respected, the widow of our former governor, Mario Cuomo. You know, there are people -- there are people in this world that he has to answer to. Family members in particular who I think might have the wisdom to tell him to take a different course because what's happening now is not working for anybody and most of all is not working for the public.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Aa very good point as you're talking about the business that remains undone that is so crucial to New Yorkers.

Errol, thank you so much.

LOUIS: Thank you.

KEILAR: Up next, new revelations from Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez. The chilling thought that crossed her mind as rioters stormed the U.S. Capitol.

BERMAN: And fast rushing flood waters swap an elevator with three friends trapped inside. A firsthand account of why they went in and how they made it out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:36:57]

KEILAR: Tonight, CNN will debut a brand new series called "Being," where our own Dana Bash sits down with some of the most powerful and influential people in American politics and culture.

Here is her clip from her interview with Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): I think one of the reasons, why that impact was so doubled that day, is because of how -- of the misogyny and the racism that is so deeply rooted and animated that attack on the Capitol. You know, white supremacy and patriarchy are very linked in a lot of ways. There's a lot of sexualizing of that violence. And I didn't think that I was just going to be killed. I thought other things were going to happen to me as well.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: So what -- it sounds like what you're telling me right now is that you didn't only think that you were going to die, you thought you were going to be raped?

OCASIO-CORTEZ: Yes. Yes. I thought I was.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Joining us now to talk more about this is CNN chief political correspondent Dana Bash, who, of course, did that interview.

That is a stunning revelation by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: It is. And let me give you the context. And the context is that, number one, she revealed in a very lengthy Instagram live about a month after January 6th that she is a survivor of sexual assault. She told me in the interview a little bit more about that. But that is the context in which she felt so vulnerable, so scared, so fearful. And then, on top of that, she, as a person, as a human, has the trauma of being a survivor of sexual assault. So all of that was happening at the same time. And it brought it back. And that is why she was talking about that.

And then, in addition, Brianna, one of the other bits of conversation that we had is about how she's portrayed on conservative media, particularly Fox News, and how, when she's talking about sexualizing, a lot of that is making her, not just the enemy, but doing it in a way that highlights her age, her gender and her beauty.

BERMAN: Really interesting. It's an important discussion to have, no doubt. And then in the context of the insurrection itself, Dana, does it shed new light or did she shed new light or how do you put this all together with what was going on inside the building that day?

BASH: You know, what's important to know is that she was inside her office, which, for those of us who have been on Capitol Hill for a long time, we know it's in -- it's known as the Cannon Building, which is across the street from the Capitol, but there are tunnels that connect them underneath. And she repeated a story again that she told on Instagram live, but told me about it in a much more dramatic and detailed way, that what she was fearful of was somebody banging on her office door, where otherwise it was very quiet.

[08:40:01]

She was there with just one aide.

It turned out that the person banging was a Capitol Police officer. But she said that he never identified himself that way, which is part of the reason why she was so fearful.

But she did talk about how that is linked to so many of the threats that a lot of her colleagues have gotten, but particularly she got. And that's another reason why she was so fearful on that day because she spent two years getting threat reports from the Capitol Police saying, watch out for this person, watch out for that person. They could be dangerous.

And so that is the context in which and the lens through which she was sitting there on January 6th so terrified.

KEILAR: You talk to her about a very pressing political issue when it comes to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's future, which is, is she going to challenge the current Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer.

Let's listen to what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Are you going to challenge Senator Schumer in a primary race?

OCASIO-CORTEZ: You know, I -- here's the thing, is that -- and I -- I -- I know it drives everybody nuts. But the way that I really feel about this, and the way that I really approach my politics and my political career is that I do not look at things and I do not set my course positionally. And I know there's a lot of people who do not believe that. But I really -- I can't operate the way that I operate and do the things that I do in politics while trying to be aspiring to other things are calculating to other things.

And so all of that is to say is that I make decisions based on what I think our people need and my community needs. And so I'm not commenting on that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Not -- not a no. Not a no. Not a no.

BERMAN: Yes.

BASH: Not a no. She did talk about the fact that Senator Schumer, the majority leader, has been much more engaged with her recently, which I said I noticed. I think all of us who follow politics have noticed that.

But, yes, she didn't rule it out. She didn't rule it in. But what was so fascinating was that she thinks about the fact, and she understands, that she plays a very specific role, which she takes on unwillingly and happily, eagerly, which is, she kind of calls it breaking glass, to make a big deal out of this specific issue or a specific policy because she know she can get attention for it. And her argument there was basically saying, I cannot do that, I cannot be unafraid to take a certain position if I'm thinking about my own personal calculus going forward. And we talked about that in the context of potentially running for Senate, but also potentially running for president.

BERMAN: I just noticed there were a whole lot of words before she got to, I'm not going to comment on that, which even she was laughing about by the time to said that.

BASH: She was.

BERMAN: Because that's not yes, that's not no, that's not, I'm thinking about it. It was a whole lot of words.

BASH: Yes.

BERMAN: It was interesting. Really, really interesting interview. I can't wait to see the whole thing.

Thank you very much, Dana.

BASH: Thanks, guys.

BERMAN: You can see the rest of that interview with Alexandria Ocasio- Cortez in the new CNN series "Being." That is tonight at 9:00 Eastern.

KEILAR: And up next, a harrowing ordeal for three friends trapped in a flooded elevator. This is like my two worst nightmares colliding. How a desperate call for help lead to a dramatic rescue.

BERMAN: What's the second thing, being friends?

KEILAR: One's the -- the elevator getting stuck and then the drowning.

BERMAN: Oh, OK, OK.

KEILAR: Two nightmares.

BERMAN: Being with friends and riding in an elevator.

The new film that makes the case for keeping theaters open during the pandemic.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:48:04]

KEILAR: A frightening moment for three friends in an elevator during flash flooding in Omaha, Nebraska. Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, thank you. (INAUDIBLE).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Yes, that is water up to their necks. They ended up trapped after water gushed in through the vents of the elevator there, setting up a dramatic rescue just moments after this.

And joining us now is Tony Liu, who was in that elevator and captured that video.

Tony, we are so glad to see you alive and well, dry.

Just, what happened here?

TONY LUU, WAS TRAPPED IN FLOODED ELEVATOR WITH HIS FRIENDS: I don't even know where to start.

We got into the elevator. And we actually wanted to just see what the basement looked like. We didn't really know what was going to happen. We never thought anything of it. And so as we were going down, the elevator just shook and stopped and water just started gushing in.

KEILAR: It's just pouring in there, wow.

LUU: Yes.

BERMAN: What was going through your head when there was water, you know, up to your neck in the elevator?

LUU: I just tried to remain calm. I know my friends were really panicking. So I knew I had to try to do something about it. So I just knew I had to remain calm. I was on the phone with my friend trying to get them to come help while they were on -- my other friend -- or the friends in the elevator were on the phone with paramedics try to come help us also.

KEILAR: And, in the end, how did you escape?

LUU: My friends actually were on the other side of the elevator. They actually got to me first before the paramedics. So they were on the other side pushing the elevator while I was inside pushing the elevator open.

BERMAN: How would you rate the quality of decision to get into the elevator to go down to the basement, in retrospect?

[08:50:02]

LUU: Like I said, I didn't -- we didn't know it was going to happen. Our -- we didn't think anything of it. We just thought, OK, maybe the water's just going to be maybe up to our ankles and, yes, we didn't realize what was going to happen.

KEILAR: I wonder, in retrospect, you wish that you'd taken the stairs, because I will certainly learn that lesson from your experience here.

LUU: Yes, I will be for sure more caution with flooding. I'll probably take the stairs. I mean, life goes on. I'm still going to take an elevator like normal. But, yes, that was something you don't see every day .

BERMAN: It just looks gross, too. I mean it's not exactly the cleanest looking water in the world right there. You know, I mean, did you know you were going to get out as it was creeping up on you?

LUU: Yes, it was creeping up pretty quick. It didn't really hit me until one it got to my stomach, then I realized, OK, yes, this is -- this is serious. I need to figure something out quick. And, at that point, after I got off the phone with my friends, I just didn't know what else to do, so I just started recording it because I didn't know what was going to happen after that.

BERMAN: Wow. Well, look, I'm so glad you and your friends are OK. You know, I appreciate your willingness to come on and talk to us about that experience. It must have been something to go through.

LUU: Yes. Yes, something different for sure. Something you would see in a movie, just not in real life. It just surprised me.

BERMAN: Yes, horror movie.

Tony Luu, thanks so much for being with us.

LUU: Thank you.

BERMAN: Just ahead, the new warning from Dr. Fauci. What could happen to all of us if people refuse to get vaccinated.

KEILAR: But, first, how one Broadway theater plans to welcome a live audience back tonight.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:56:19]

BERMAN: Time now for "The Good Stuff."

Tonight, New York's Majestic Theater, home to "Phantom of the Opera," will host a live audience for the first time since the pandemic began. A new documentary celebrating the survival of the arts will premiere, and here's a sneak preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The 2019-2020 season, reserve your seats today.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Broadway is going to go dark. The show will not be going on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All 41 theaters on the great white way shut down.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ninety-six thousand jobs.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was all of a sudden jobless.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Shows have been canceled and theaters closed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's beyond belief. And it's all over the world.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The pandemic has halted performances worldwide but here in Korea a touring production of "Phantom of the Opera" is on stage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Joining me now is the director of the documentary "The Show Must Go On," Sammi Cannold.

Sammi, thank you so much for being with us.

I have to say, it's emotional to live through it again, to have theater taken away like it was for 16 months is brutal.

SAMMI CANNOLD, DIRECTOR, "THE SHOW MUST GO ON" DOCUMENTARY: It really is. Thank you for having me.

You know, every time I watch that section of the film or that section of the trailer, I sort of relive this moment in which those of us in the theater community just lost all of our jobs, lost everything. And so it's really meaningful to be back in a Broadway house tonight and to get to celebrate the eminent return of Broadway.

BERMAN: Yes, lost everything also with no finish line, which is what I think was so difficult for all my friends who were in the business. They just didn't know when it would be back. Didn't know what to do? What do you do when you don't know when you can get your job back? CANNOLD: You know, it's been amazing to see the resilience of the

community. So many have pivoted and found new ways to make theater, theater, you know, online or to work in TV and film or to do something else entirely. But, really, we're all trained to make theater. And that's what we want to do. And so we're excited to be coming back.

BERMAN: And one of the things -- points you make in this documentary is it's something that you can do safely going forward, you believe, if done the right way.

Take South Korea.

CANNOLD: Absolutely.

So the film is primarily shot in South Korea and follows two productions there, "The Phantom of the Opera" and "Cats." Productions that survived against all odds during the pandemic. And it's credit to the, you know, Korean theater industry really figuring out how to tackle this head on early and the Korean government, making the performing arts a cultural priority. And it -- you know, I think one of the things that's most telling is right now in Korea they're experiencing a spike in cases. You can't gather privately with four people after 6:00 p.m. but you can go to the theater because they've proven that going to the theater is a uniquely safe experience. And I think that, you know, I'm not a scientist, but I think that Korea's example empirically proves that going to the theater, relatively speaking, is safe if we follow the protocol.

BERMAN: If fully vaccinated, if fully ventilated. Ventilation's a problem in the Broadway theaters because they're all ancient.

In all -- how do you feel about vaccine requirements for going to shows here?

CANNOLD: I'm so glad that the league and so many theaters around the country have said, you know, you have to be vaccinated to come to the theater. It just makes everybody feel secure. But I think the most telling thing coming out of Korea is that in the now 17 months that the Korean theater interesting has been running during the pandemic, there have been zero incidents of audience to audience transmission. And I think, you know, of course, Korea's not America, but that should really tell us something about the safety of the theater.

BERMAN: "The Show Must Go On." Sammi Cannold, thank you so much for being with us.

CANNOLD: Thanks for having me.

BERMAN: Wishing you all the best. Break a leg on the documentary and everything else going forward.

[09:00:00]

CANNOLD: Thank you.

BERMAN: A lot of news this morning. CNN's coverage continues right now.