Return to Transcripts main page
New Day Saturday
Women's March To Begin Soon In Washington; Trump Takes Office With 2 Cabinet Secretaries; Interview with Rep. Marsha Blackburn; President Donald Trump's First 100 Days; Interview with Rep. Debbie Dingell; Americans Divided On Trump Presidency; Inauguration Day Fashion; Kellyanne Conway's Inauguration Dress Goes Viral. Aired 7-8a ET
Aired January 21, 2017 - 07:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[07:00:00] CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: I know that you are red and blue, right?
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Bipartisanship.
CUOMO: And what was it yesterday? Yesterday was a burning bright red, right? Orange bright red. Is there anything in that? That's for you to decide. President Trump wasting no time signing executive orders, getting two cabinet picks confirmed. There's controversy with that. Why not more? All this as thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, maybe millions across the country are expected to protest. Here, the National Mall is supposed to be packed in Washington for a march demanding equal rights for women. Let's begin our coverage with CNN's Athena Jones live at the White House. We only know what we see in the sign-ups online, Athena. How it will follow through, we'll watch throughout the day.
ATHENA JONES, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's true. That is something we'll be watching. Good morning, Chris. It was a busy first day for President Trump and he did get right to work as he promised even amidst all the festivities, signing that executive order on Obamacare. But while many of his supporters in the crowd and elsewhere responded well to his fiery inaugural address, many others saw it as unusually bleak. And the protests here and elsewhere are a sign that there is a lot of work to do to unify the country after a divisive campaign.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONALD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I, Donald John Trump, do solemnly swear --
JONES (voice-over): Donald Trump sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, delivering a fiery inaugural address, painting a grim picture of America.
TRUMP: Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities, rusted-out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation, and the crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential. This American carnage stops right here.
JONES (voice-over): President Trump promising to take a nationalist approach to governing.
TRUMP: From this day forward, it's going to be only America first.
JONES (voice-over): Trump striking a populist tone, echoing his campaign rhetoric.
TRUMP: We are transferring power from Washington DC and giving it back to you, the people.
JONES (voice-over): Trump criticizing the so-called establishment, while being surrounded by Washington's political elite.
TRUMP: Their triumphs have not been your triumphs. And while they celebrated in our nation's capital, there was little to celebrate for struggling families. That all changes starting right here and right now because this moment is your moment. It belongs to you.
JONES (voice-over): The President, Vice President and their spouses bidding farewell to the Obamas after his address. Trump acknowledging his former rival Hillary Clinton at a congressional luncheon after being criticized for not mentioning her in his speech.
TRUMP: I'd like you to stand up. I have a lot of respect for those two people.
JONES (voice-over): The Trumps then making their way down Pennsylvania Avenue for the traditional inaugural parade. And getting right to business.
TRUMP: Next is an executive order --
JONES (voice-over): On his first day in the Oval Office, President Trump signing his first executive order to start rolling back Obamacare. The president also suspending a mortgage premium rate cut for homeowners and signing commissions for his first confirmed cabinet members.
TRUMP: This was a movement and now the work begins.
JONES (voice-over): Ending the historic day by dancing the night away at three inaugural balls. The first couple sharing their first dance to a Frank Sinatra classic.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
JONES: My Way, a pretty bold choice, with some defiant and interesting lyrics about telling it like it is. Now, the President has his first full day in office today and he will start it off with a prayer service at the National Cathedral, a much lighter schedule after that momentous, jampacked and historic Inauguration Day. Back to you, guys.
CUOMO: All right, Athena. Appreciate it. Lots to discuss. Let's get after it. Let's bring in the panel. We have CNN contributor, reporter for the "Washington Examiner" and "New York Post," columnist Salena Zito; CNN political analyst, David Gregory; CNN political analyst and Washington Bureau Chief of the "Daily Beast," Jackie Kucinich, and CNN political commentator and senior columnist at the "Daily Beast," Matt "I'm-a-conservative-not-a-Republican" Lewis.
Hopefully, moving forward with the new administration, we work on these titles. You know, I love that you guys are all so accomplished, but literally you're taking my --
CAMEROTA: Cut it down, people.
CUOMO: So, Matt, let's start with you. I make that distinction between party affiliation versus ideology for a reason, OK? He found a base that feel ignored, disenfranchised and rejecting of the norms. Does he have the political clout with people like you and people in office to do something about it?
MATT LEWIS, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Yes, he does. He has an opportunity here. And I think it's an amazing opportunity. Everything he has done has been amazing so far to get to where he is. And, look, Donald Trump could end up being the most consequential conservative in American history and he's not even a conservative. And part of the way he could do that would, frankly, just be Supreme Court picks. He's going to get 100 federal judge picks, lifetime appointments, cannot be filibustered, could change the courts for a generation or more and then, of course, Obamacare. That could be a debacle or that could be amazing. So, it's an opportunity, but it could go either way.
CAMEROTA: Jackie, the portion of his speech that seems to be getting the most attention is when he talked about the burned-out towns the carnage that America has seen. Let me play this for everybody in case they missed it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: For too many of our citizens, a different reality exists. Mothers and children trapped in poverty in our inner cities, rusted- out factories scattered like tombstones across the landscape of our nation, and the crime and the gangs and the drugs that have stolen too many lives and robbed our country of so much unrealized potential. This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAMEROTA: That was a huge applause line from where we were standing. The crowd erupted. What did you hear?
JACKIE KUCINICH, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: It was a dark speech. This is not a shining city on a hill. It was sort of the rain cloud over the shinning city on a hill. But this was very much the rhetoric that we heard during the campaign. And what this speech -- I was not surprised, but -- I guess, a little surprised that it wasn't more inclusive, that it wasn't trying to bring together some of the people that didn't really love Donald Trump coming into this. It really reminded me of the campaign and he was re-energizing the same people that got him there. And for right now, that's going to work for him. It's just when it actually comes to getting things done, then it's going to get --
CUOMO: We saw it play out yesterday in real time. He gave that speech, which to me played like a slap in the face to everyone sitting behind him, you know, the former presidents. Then he goes into the lunch and he says at Bill Clinton, Secretary Clinton -- Hillary Clinton -- whom he didn't mention in the inaugural address, "Boy, do I have a lot of respect for them. Everyone in this room, we're going to be great friends, we're going to get along, we're good people." Two totally different messages. Which one could he deliver on?
DAVID GREGORY, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: So, I want to focus on one aspect of it, which is seeing Trump in this historical context. And when Andrew Jackson assumes the presidency, Washington freaks out because he's going to do away with patriots and all the rest. What was striking is how he aligned himself with the audience yesterday. He's like, all these people up here, I'm not with them, I'm with you. And I think this notion of a workers' party, we'll see if he can pull that off, but there are people who feel good Trump is in power. And they're going to give him a lot of room even if he can't deliver on all of his promises because they're going to see him as being engaged and trying. And he's going to only do the minimum, to your point, of looking around to the establishment and saying, "Oh, yeah, they're good people, I have a lot of respect for them."
One of what's striking -- and I still think it's hard for a lot of journalists and others in the establishment, he's doing what he said he was going to do. And he stood up yesterday and he said, "All that stuff I said in the campaign, I mean it."
CUOMO: So, he signed that executive order not giving money back to people with a mortgage reduction.
GREGORY: Right. Although I've seen that argued as a way -- that was a gift to the housing lobby and --
CUOMO: Well, he still made a choice. And he chose against the people who were trying to pay their mortgage.
GREGORY: And I think this is going to be part of both the tension even with his own party, but also the fact that there are -- it's not just Democrats. There are a lot of people who still feel like their life got a lot better under President Obama, who are very uncomfortable with him and he comes in an unpopular president. He's got approval ratings that are far below what others have come in with. So, he's not getting much of a honeymoon. But, again, it speaks to the division of the country. Peggy Noonan writing we are at least two countries and we may be more than two countries. That is a political reality.
CAMEROTA: So, as we've discussed, the inaugural address, people could sort of project on to it what their beliefs are or hear what they believe. So, Jackie and many heard a dark bleak speech. What did you hear? SALENA ZITO, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: What's interesting when we were talking about carnage in the last segment, I mentioned Chicago Heights, Illinois. It's a predominantly black town. It has like 70% poverty rate and people were tweeting back at me, "Oh my God, you talked about us. Thank you so much. You recognized who we are."
CUOMO: Did they vote?
ZITO: Yes. Well, I don't know. But I --
CUOMO: (INAUDIBLE)
ZITO: Yeah, he did.
CAMEROTA: But this is --
ZITO: Or they didn't show up to vote. I think it's more that. I mean, his speech yesterday could appeal to people -- Bernie Sanders could have given that speech.
CAMEROTA: The forgotten. The people who feel are forgotten.
CUOMO: Generations of politicians have given that speech in different ways. Some eloquent, some more directed or focused, it's what you do. The comparison to Andrew Jackson could not be more generous at this point. Andrew Jackson was a man who came up from nothing and went in there with that mandate and followed through on it. That is not who Donald Trump is.
LEWIS: The Democrats have always had the kind of Bruce Springsteen working-class white collar --
CAMEROTA: Right.
CUOMO: That's right. Not any more.
LEWIS: -- kind of guy. And this is then the opportunity for Donald Trump to basically take that --
CUOMO: He has them. My father gave this speech in 1984 in a different way. That was the Democratic base, blue collar, not any more.
KUCINICH: But to Chris' point, I mean, he's going to -- you said that they think that he hears them. He's going to have to deliver and not do things that hurt the lower income or middle income people. He's going to have to make good on that in order to keep those people engaged.
GREGORY: To that point, we talk about projecting qualities on to the president, don't forget that President Obama was a huge beneficiary of that. People created a kind of messiah complex around him and he recognized it and said, a lot of people could be disappointed. What happened eight years later? Bernie Sanders is what happened inside the Democratic Party, which may have been a lot more damaging to Hillary Clinton than Donald Trump ever was. CUOMO: That party has got to figure out who they are, you know. And the Republicans have to accept who they are now, right, in the form of Donald Trump. The Democrats don't even know.
CAMEROTA: Panel, thank you very much for all of your insights.
President Trump takes office with only two cabinet secretaries in place on his first day. The Senate confirming two military generals, Defense Secretary James Mattis and Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly. So, when will the president have more of his cabinet picks confirmed?
CNN's Sunlen Serfaty is live for us from Washington with the latest. What's the answer, Sunlen?
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's still a lot of work left to do. And we know that James Mattis and John Kelly, they were both sworn in by Vice President Pence very quickly after they were confirmed by the Senate last night. The president saying that he is pleased that he now has two members of his cabinet in place, but this is still very far short of what Trump had wanted. He was hoping to at least have seven cabinet members in place already. And it's notably far fewer than former president Obama had at his Inauguration Day. So, Trump sending some very specific words here to the Senate saying, "I call on members of the Senate to fulfill their constitutional obligation and swiftly confirm the remainder of my highly-qualified cabinet nominees, so that we can get to work on behalf of the American people without further delay."
Now, Senate Democrats have objected to many of Trump's nominees and have been trying to slow down the process, setting up a lot of squabbling on Capitol Hill. There was a flurry of negotiations among the Senate leaders last night and there is some small movement for Monday coming up. They've agreed to open up debate and then hold a confirmation vote for Mike Pompeo. He is Trump's nominee for CIA Director. Also, Rex Tillerson for Secretary of State will get a committee vote on Monday. And that vote, Chris, is expected to be razor close.
CUOMO: All right. A lot of politics at play. We will stay on it. Sunlen, thank you very much. President Trump got right after it and went to work right after the swearing-in. Now, these first moves, what are we going to see in them in terms of his priorities of accomplishment? A closer look at that next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CAMEROTA: OK. So, President Donald Trump is waking up in the White House for the first time. There is a beautiful live shot there of the sun rising. Did Trump's inaugural speech help heal? Of course, this is a country very divided by the most bitter election in memory. Here to discuss all of it is Republican Congressman Marsha Blackburn. Ms. Blackburn is also the vice chair of Donald Trump's transition team, but only for a few more hours, transitioning yourself off the transition --
REP. MARSHA BLACKBURN (R), TENNESSEE: Working myself out of the job.
CAMEROTA: Well done.
BLACKBURN: Good thing.
CAMEROTA: Congresswoman, great to have you here with us early. Tell us about what you heard in Mr. Trump's inaugural speech. And before inaugural address -- before you do, I want to just put up sort of a word cloud of the words that the "Washington Post" put together that has never been used before in an inaugural address. Carnage, sad, trapped, bleed, disrepair, rusted, tombstones. Some people heard a bleak picture. What did you hear?
BLACKBURN: What I heard from Donald Trump was a message that looked out to people gathered before him and people around the country and said, "Hey, it's you and me, babe," and you see these buildings that surround us, you see these people behind me, we're going to put this thing in shape. People are tired of elitism and what has gone on in Washington. And I thought he spoke exactly as he had campaigned. And, you know, Alisyn, he really met the expectations of the American people in so many ways.
Now, is there a job of bringing some of those that had opposed him still into hope and expectation of what he is going to deliver? Absolutely. He is the President of the United States.
CAMEROTA: And so, how is he going to do that?
BLACKBURN: I think the way he does it is by continuing to reach out and including the American people against what has been establishment Washington. And I thought he was very effective in that.
CAMEROTA: And, you know, words go a long way.
BLACKBURN: Yes, they do.
CAMEROTA: And they are powerful. And people, we've heard, feel seen for the first time --
BLACKBURN: That's right.
CAMEROTA: -- that he's recognized them. That's very powerful. But, of course, at some point, the rubber meets the road, and so what does he mean we stop the carnage of burned-out towns that have fallen through drugs and the opioid addiction? What is the --
BLACKBURN: Let me give you an example of that. Because you can come into middle America or Appalachia and you can seek out towns that have been ruined because the coal industry has shut down or because manufacturing has shut down, and they don't have access to rural broadband, a high-speed Internet, so they can't get those next- generation jobs and they can't seek educational opportunity for their children. And these are the -- so many people that we have been fighting for to help them --
CAMEROTA: And what's the plan? BLACKBURN: And they feel left over.
CAMEROTA: Yes. What's the plan for that?
BLACKBURN: The plan is jobs, jobs, jobs. It is putting the infrastructure in place that will help deliver those jobs.
CAMEROTA: But, like, let's take those Appalachian towns, what are the jobs there?
BLACKBURN: The jobs there are going to be bringing back some manufacturing, bringing back the coal country, utilization of clean coal technologies into some of my communities --
CAMEROTA: Rebuilding factories. Just so I'm clear, rebuilding factories, reintroducing the coal industry --
BLACKBURN: And retraining people for other jobs, call centers and increasing educational opportunity, logistics. Look at my state of Tennessee. Logistics is a major component of the economy. And the thing is, Alisyn, it's not one-size-fits-all delivered by Washington DC. It is partnering with these governors and these county mayors and the city mayors and saying, how do we best help you and how do we send back power and money and devolve it out of Washington and send it to the states and locals.
CAMEROTA: It's interesting that you say that because you are part of Congress, right?
BLACKBURN: That's right.
CAMEROTA: In some ways, the President is saying, these guys, these jokers --
BLACKBURN: Absolutely.
CAMEROTA: -- in this Capitol Hill haven't done right by you --
BLACKBURN: That's exactly right.
CAMEROTA: -- and he -- in fact, he said in his inaugural speech, like, the political establishment is over.
BLACKBURN: That's right.
CAMEROTA: Now, it's going to be you people that have the power, meaning the populists.
BLACKBURN: Absolutely.
CAMEROTA: But you're part of Congress.
BLACKBURN: Absolutely.
CAMEROTA: So, do you think that you have been woefully ineffective? BLACKBURN: I think that the body as a whole has been stymied by inaction and I am one of those that has said, let's send the power and the money and the ability back to the states and local governments and get it out of Washington DC where people that do not know these communities are making decisions that impact them. Regulations make it impossible. I've got communities that have been hit by EPA violations for wastewater. They have no ability to tend to this.
CAMEROTA: And as one of his first actions, he froze some of those regulations.
BLACKBURN: That's right.
CAMEROTA: He also -- I want to ask you about one of his first executive orders. Because he halted a cut to the Federal Housing Authority mortgage insurance premium. Basically, it had offered more lenient credit requirements to people who want to buy a first-time house and were struggling somehow and it helped them -- allowed down payment as low as 3.5%. It was seen as being helpful to people who needed money for their mortgage or were first-time homeowners. Why stop that as one of your first acts?
BLACKBURN: We came through a 2008 housing crisis which found its genesis going back into the Carter years and the Clinton years and to the community reinvestment and all of those things.
CAMEROTA: I mean, yes, it's true, but other people thought that there was funny business going on with loans and all of that.
BLACKBURN: Pardon me, it's appropriate to say, let's take a timeout, let's not make a change, let's get a complete assessment, let's do a thorough accounting, and let's know what we're dealing with before we take an action on something.
CAMEROTA: So, you don't see this as hurting people who were struggling to pay their mortgages or who are first-time homeowners.
BLACKBURN: I see it as saying, let's take the time to do the due diligence, to see what the long-term effect is going to be on a policy change because we do not want to travel again a road that we traveled and it didn't have a good ending. So, you know, I see that as wisdom and due diligence and just temperance, taking the time to review something.
CAMEROTA: Congresswoman Blackburn, thank you. It's very nice --
BLACKBURN: Good to see you.
CAMEROTA: -- to have you here.
BLACKBURN: Welcome to DC.
CAMEROTA: Thank you. It's such a beautiful city.
BLACKBURN: Yes.
CAMEROTA: Always spectacular whenever we come here.
BLACKBURN: Right.
CAMEROTA: Thank you. We will see you again --
BLACKBURN: Absolutely.
CAMEROTA: -- soon. Well, tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands are heading here to Washington DC to the National Mall today for this Women's March. This, of course, will be Mr. Trump's backyard, but what is the message of this march? What do they hope to accomplish? We'll tell you next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CAMEROTA: Americans are descending on Washington DC at this hour for what is expected to be a large women's march to the backyard of the White House. CNN's Kyung Lah is live in the National Mall where the marchers are already assembling. What are you seeing, Kyung?
KYUNG LAH, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Alisyn, we are two-and- a-half hours before speakers begin to take the stage here and we have a pretty sizable crowd. There is no way I could count exactly how many people there are, but you can see that we are surrounded by people right here. And then, just over their heads, if you look that way, that's the main stage. In about two-and-and-half hours, we're anticipating a large number speakers to speak for about three to four hours. There are various celebrities from Scarlett Johansson to Julianne Moore to women's leaders like Cecile Richards and Gloria Steinem.
But I kind of want to give you a sense of what this crowd is. You can see that -- a good number of faces here. We've got some of these women here from -- where are you from?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm from Atlanta.
LAH: We've heard women from South Carolina as well as from California. And then if you can look at those signs here, the thing that strikes me is that there aren't a ton of anti-Trump signs. It's a lot of very positive, women-forward signs, a lot of issues like Black Lives Matter. And what you're also seeing here are a large number of hats. This has been a viral movement. And if you just scan the crowd here, you can see a number of these ladies are wearing hats.
You'll also see men. You can see this gentleman here. He's wearing a Planned Parenthood scarf. So, a variety of people. And a jovial crowd. If I had to describe, Chris, what this crowd is like, it's almost like before a concert or a peaceful event. Two hundred and fifty thousand women and men are expected to take part according to the organizers. Six hundred sister marches expected to take place across the country. Alisyn, Chris?
CUOMO: All right. Kyung, thank you very much. Keep us updated. Joining us now Democratic Congresswoman from Michigan, Debbie Dingell. Good to see you -- REP. DEBBIE DINGELL (D), MICHIGAN: Good morning.
CUOMO: -- as always.
DINGELL: Good to see you. Nice to be in the studio.
CUOMO: So, the word is that this isn't just about DC. These marches will be across the country, maybe as many as 600, about 1.5 million signed up online. We'll see how many actually show. Internationally, there is some echo effect of this as well. What do you believe it speaks to?
DINGELL: You know, I think it's a coming together of community today. I was real pleased to hear the report that you see that women are trying to be positive. They care about the future of this country. They are coming together for democracy. We're going to see a lot of people here. But I'm leaving. I'm going to gather in Hancock Park. We've got 100 buses. We've got 7,500 women coming just from Michigan. And then I'm racing to the airport and I'm going to do a march in Ypsilanti, Michigan and a march in Ann Arbor, Michigan at the end of the day. We pull ourselves together across the country.
CUOMO: Protest, dissent, uniquely American.
DINGELL: Freedom of speech.
CUOMO: Freedom of speech.
DINGELL: Let's not even be negative in how we frame it.
[07:30:00] CUOMO, Well, look: I'm suggesting that you will see plenty of negativity because there's a lot of reaction formation to our new president. And part of the criticism to that reaction is "You lost, move on with it, don't delay these confirmation hearings, you know, don't speak out against the president, give him a chance." What do you make of that criticism?
DINGELL: So, I'm going to say a couple of different things. One, even in the pre-program hearing, you saw that she was talking about positivity. And I think the women today are trying to be positive. I think yesterday, you saw a lot of different people here. I think you saw some of the professional demonstrators we see at the World Bank. We saw people just come from home scared. And they wanted to make sure that their voices were heard, and that that's why they were here. And I think yesterday was a day of democracy. The symbol of a peaceful transfer of government is one of the most important symbols we have, but freedom of speech is a fundamental pillar.
CUOMO: Those protesters have to try to weed the malefactors out of their ranks. When guys break windows, when they fire --
(CROSSTALK)
DINGELL: Let me be really clear, I got caught in it.
CUOMO: It was a riot. DINGELL: It scared me and I ended up not going. Two things, because I didn't want to -- you know me, I go by myself. And I didn't want to walk by myself.
CUOMO: So, the next layer of it is how do you react to the president, President Trump, the confirmation hearings? We've got Mattis, we've got Kelly. Pompeo is being held up. That's not unusual in the tradition of these confirmation hearings. But with the rest of them, you don't have the votes to stop these confirmations in the senate unless you get GOP defections. What is the strategy at play for the democrats?
DINGELL: I think that -- well, first of all, I was very happy to hear him to say yesterday, last night, he's going to reopen NAFTA. You know, I've said to you for two years he's just tapping in on trade, and I've said this from the beginning, if he's going to do things that like help the working men and people of my district in this country, I'm going to be right there with him. We need to reopen NAFTA. We have bad trade deals, and we're not playing on a level playing field. But if he tries to privatize social security and Medicare, if he tries to create a Muslim data registry, he's going to meet a buzz saw like none that he has ever seen. And I do think that we cannot rush things through in confirmation hearings. There are serious ethics issues that we've got to make sure that people are looking in and understanding potential conflicts of interest. That's responsible government.
CUOMO: What did you take from the address yesterday? What did American carnage mean to you?
DINGELL: I'd have to say to that, I was disheartened yesterday. I always felt that I should be there, because it is a fundamental transfer of government. And I think everybody needed to make their own decision, but I'm -- I believe in democracy, I believe in working with everybody --
CUOMO: 60 members of your rank in the house didn't go.
DINGELL: And they chose not to -- and that's their right to choose. But I -- but I think I was the most disheartened back then because I'd hope he would do something to pull us all together. He didn't acknowledge any of the sitting presidents that were sitting there. So, I have to say that, you know, there -- we got to pull together. If this country is going to succeed, we've got to pull together, and --
CUOMO: Except -- look, everybody always wants unity, right? But there --
DINGELL: Unity doesn't mean you got to get along. Unity means you respect each other.
CUOMO: Well, that's fine. Some civil discourse would be nice, but I think that the defense of the message yesterday from Donald Trump's perspective would be, "There are people who feel ignored and forgotten by your party, and I speak for them. And they don't like what happens here. And they don't like how you guys do your job, and I'm not going to forget that."
DINGELL: So, you know, I've been saying that for two years. And if that's what we were connecting with, and that that's a problem out there. But when I talk about it, I'm also respectful. And I talk about -- I want to reach across the aisle. I want to talk with all -- we've got to be about change. So, I'm going to do it. I've said to you I'm going to -- if he -- I cannot wait to reopen NAFTA with him. And I want to take the time to understand what both the auto companies and the UAW think matters, as we reopen that. We got to do our homework, too. It can't be rhetoric. It can't just be words. OK. How do we create that level playing field? I'm going to do the homework, too.
CUOMO: You got to separate foreign and domestic. We'll talk about foreign in a different date, because it wasn't a big emphasis for the president yesterday, and we'll see what he does going forward. But domestically, it really seems like Donald Trump and this emerging part of the Republican Party has eaten your lunch, as democrats. You were the lunch pail party; you were the blue collar party -- no more. Now, you're seen as culture warriors and elitists. What do you do about that?
DINGELL: It is a real challenge for this party and I have been saying this for a while. So, I'm going to try to be a voice for the middleclass economic issues, because that's what our party has to start talking about. And we've got a challenge. We have a very real challenge, which is how do we continue to be a voice for those that have no voice. How are we -- but how are we going to have identity politics and also be an inclusive party that working men and women in this country. And I don't care what race they are or -- that we're going to be a voice for everybody. And they need to know we're fighting for them.
[07:35:03] CUOMO: The great equalizer is the paycheck. Congressman Dingell, as we know, we'll be covering the actions that follow up the words on both sides. Thanks for being with us.
DINGELL: You know I'm going to be there, thank you.
CUOMO: Americans still very much divided about a Trump presidency. You don't need me to tell you that. Up next, Alisyn is going to sit down with a group of voters who have some civil disagreement. Can you believe that? Hopefully, it's the way forward. More of our special coverage live from Washington, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CAMEROTA: So, this will not surprise you, to learn that Americans are divided, about the country and their feelings on President Donald Trump. They are as polarized as possible, as he begins his first full day in office today. So, what happens if you put passionate supporters of Mr. Trump at a table with passionate critics? We wanted to find out. Here are the results.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) CAMEROTA: How many of you are very excited about Mr. Trump's
presidency? How many of you are very worried about Mr. Trump's presidency? OK. So, we're going to have a lot to talk about.
(LAUGHTER)
Alex, what are you most excited about?
ALEX CHALGREN, NATIONAL DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR STUDENTS FOR TRUMP: Trump is going to just reform our employment situation, especially within the African-American Community. He's going to rebuild our infrastructure throughout this country, which is just tearing to pieces.
SARA DUNCAN, TRUMP SUPPORTER: The job situation has been a huge issue for me and for a lot of people that I know. And I think just Trump coming in and being a business owner and a business creator, he already employs people. That's been a huge thing for me.
JAMIE HAMMACH, TRUMP SUPPORTER: To me, it would be the amount of change that's going to happen in Washington, D.C. itself that's going to trickle down to everyone else. And that change would be, there's too many people here elected officials, bureaucrats and such that are in their comfort zone. And it's time to shake that up and change that.
[07:40:07] CAMEROTA: Rhea, what are you most concerned about?
RHEA BEDDOE, DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EVENTS FOR TAKE THE LEAD WOMEN: I am more than concerned, I'm, like, in fear as an immigrants of this country. I felt like -- I've never felt so disconnected and so concerned that the people in power actively pushing against me, and not fighting for me.
OWEN EVANS, VICE-PRESIDENT OF MEMBERSHIP FOR THE GW COLLEGE DEMOCRATS: I'm most nervous immediately about how woefully ignorant he is of our world economic system, of how people operate, of how to manage a government.
CAROL EVANS, EXECUTIVE WOMEN FOR HILLARY CO-FOUNDER: I believe that what we have now is a president who has a racist, misogynist agenda. I believe that he has also has an anti-earth agenda. And I think that his, you know, Goldman Sachs cabinet is lined up to implement the policies that I fear most.
CAMEROTA: All of you, when you -- I mean, look, you hear their concerns. They're worried, they are angry. So, what is that -- how do you respond to that? What does that make you feel?
DUNCAN: I'm human as are people who have voted differently than me. And I would love to be able to have a way to reassure people.
CAMEROTA: What can you tell them of why they should feel reassured today?
HAMMACH: Life goes on. Eight years ago, a lot of us on this side of the table would have been like, "Oh, God, what's happening now?" Eight years from now, or four years from now, whenever that changes, you're going to look back and say, "Yes, it wasn't that bad."
O. EVANS: The problem with that, like the similarities that you're trying to place with Obama is that they're not similar. It's not from Bush to Obama. We're not having -- Trump is on his own sphere. Trump won't even give up his businesses for this country. And if you care more about that than serving your people, how can -- how can I trust that?
C. EVANS: He is basically a narcissist and a sociopath. Now, I worry -- honestly, I'm just telling you this from my perspective as a -- as a citizen. I am worried about those personality traits that don't belong in leadership. I believe that he approves of racism, and he's shown that by bringing someone like Steve Bannon into the White House, someone who is a white supremacist.
CAMEROTA: You defined him as a white supremacist. These guys would define him as a nationalist.
DUNCAN: Definitely not white nationalism, I'd like to make that very clear. Nationalism, if you look it up in a dictionary, another word for that is also a patriot. There's a lot of people that genuinely love their country. They feel like part of that national identity is being lost. And they want to make sure that that's guarded, and it has nothing to do with excluding immigrants or people of color or women versus men.
O. EVANS: I love America, we all do. That's why we're here, that's why we care so much about this. And I think my problem with Trump is that he has this weird like fetishized patriotism that is blind, you know, it's unquestioning. And that's not healthy. You know, that is what I would say nationalism. Patriotism is loving the founding rules of our country. You know, the founding of the constitution, in the poems of Walt Whitman and speeches of Abraham Lincoln.
BEDDOE: As a woman and a person of color, I think it's really offensive to just say that, "Oh, we should support American ideals, when I don't think if every single one of us were asked that question, we would give a different answer. We all -- you know, we're all diversity, and the melting pot is not a bad thing.
CHALGREN: People are sick and tired of the government telling them that they have to be so accepting of everybody at the expense of losing something for themselves. And that's why I support Donald Trump, because I know Donald Trump really knows American exceptionalism and knows that we must put ourselves first before putting others first.
O. EVANS: The most American thing we can do is continue this liberalization with the world. And you know, I'm talking about -- I'm not talking about like --
CHALGREN: One world order, is that what you're saying?
O. EVANS: That's not what I'm saying. I think, like, the economic system that we built up to prevent the world from going to war in a major way.
C. EVANS: And the political system with NATO and all of our allies --
O. EVANS: Yes.
C. EVANS: -- these are -- these are very important --
CHALGREN: But how has NATO stopped the rise of radical Islamic terrorists?
HAMMACH: We are NATO.
CHALGREN: And we are NATO. We provide --
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMCH: Yes, we are NATO. We pull out -- we pull -- we pull out of Eastern Europe and our people there --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I pray to God that doesn't happen.
HAMMACH: You'll -- I pray to God it doesn't happen either. But if we was to ever pull out of that, you watch it crumble.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: -- fall out of there.
CAMEROTA: Can we all just going to sort of agree that this is a divided country and just have to go our merry way?
C. EVANS: I think it's very important for us to talk. I would love a chance to talk with republicans about what's happening and what they see happening and what I see happening, like we are having here today.
CAMEROTA: But are you open as well to hearing them?
C. EVANS: Yes, but I don't think that we're going to convince each other, honestly.
CAMEROTA: Are we being unrealistic to think that we're all going to be able to hear each other and talk? What do you think is the answer?
[07:45:03] HAMMACH: We're not going to get together, hold hands and sing kumbaya. None of us really know what the answer is going to be to get together and trying to get through this together. But all we can do is try to find some common ground in certain areas, and move forward in those areas. We're never going to have people in the far- left and the far-right really get in lockstep and march together.
O. EVANS: You guys are excited. We're scared, and I don't -- I don't feel any less of you guys since I walked in this room and met you. And in fact, I like all three of you. Yes, I know. I think if we can recognize that, and that is one of the big steps.
DUNCAN: It does make me genuinely sad, you know, when good people say they're fearful. And if I can help anyone out -- else to feel the calm or the excitement that I have, then that's definitely the goal. And I think for me, it's just going to be a little bit more compassionate as to why people operate the way they do, and what people are concerned about and where I can speak to that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CUOMO: What did you learn?
CAMEROTA: Well, I learned again what I've already known, which is person to person, people like each other. These folks all liked each other when they first met, and then afterwards, we all took pictures together and we liked each other again. But in the heat of the moment, they seem like, "You -- I don't agree with you. You'll -- I'll never understand you." Maybe we should just admit the risk of putting us out of a job, maybe we should all just talk a little less about politics in polite company.
CUOMO: Well, in truth, the smartest (INAUDIBLE) is the better it is in terms of the response they get from government.
CAMEROTA: That's true.
CUOMO: And it's interesting --
CAMEROTA: Smart conversations are better.
CUOMO: It helps. NATO is so misunderstood. America is the wealthiest country in the world. It's always paid more.
CAMEROTA: They don't like it.
CUOMO: It's always been that way. But there are reasons for it --
CAMEROTA: They don't like it. And (INAUDIBLE) Mr. Trump talked about that as well.
CUOMO: There are reasons for that. They got to their homework.
CAMEROTA: We'll continue to have this conversation.
CUOMO: First Lady Melania Trump channeling Jacque Kennedy, everybody keeps saying that. Is that a good thing for the new First Lady?
Also, First Daughter Ivanka wowing with her glamorous gown. Kellyanne Conway's American coat.
CAMEROTA: You are selling this.
CUOMO: Up next, we talk inaugural fashion.
CAMEROTA: Oh, yes.
CUOMO: How about my tie? Splendiferous.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) CAMEROTA: People are raving about America's new First Lady and her
fashion choices for the inaugural events, from her stunning ball gown last night to her inauguration ceremony blue dress that many say channelled Jacque Kennedy. Let's discuss with our fashion mavens. We have the author of "First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies", and "The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House", Kate Andersen Brower, and Fashion Director for The New York Times, Vanessa Friedman. Ladies, thank you very much for being here. Vanessa, let me start with you. You were surprised by Melania's choice of her ball gown, and say it was a well-kept secret.
VANESSA FRIEDMAN, THE NEW YORK TIMES FASHION DIRECTOR: Yes, I was really impressed by how unexpected it was, you know, both, because it didn't look like anything people, you know, were assuming she would wear, didn't have that kind of errand spelling dynasty tinge, it was actually very modern.
CAMEROTA: It wasn't bejewelled and bedazzled.
FRIEDMAN: It wasn't bejewelled and bedazzled, it made actually -- I think the rest of the Trump family looks somewhat old fashioned by comparison in their sort of fairy princess outfits. And she chose a designer that, you know, most of the world had never heard of.
CAMEROTA: Yes. Herve -- she -- we are told she collaborated with him on -- what's his name?
FRIEDMAN: Herve Pierre.
CAMEROTA: Herve Pierre. What did you think?
CUOMO: Let me ask you something. Help me here because I don't know the designers, right, I'm the simple man, the cave man here. But I do see that the choices that the First Lady makes and even in the First Family when they're relevant, right, old enough to be relevant, reflects on the political perception that they're projecting. Jacque O. as a comparison for Melania, is that something that she should want to take on?
KATE ANDERSEN BROWER, "THE RESIDENCE" AND "THE FIRST WOMEN" AUTHOR: Oh, I think it would be very smart for her and I see her channeling Jacque already with the sleeved gloves yesterday. I mean, that's very --
CUOMO: A criticism will come with it.
BROWER: Probably. I mean, it's aspirational, too. You walk a fine line because you want American women to feel like they can buy, you know, a less expensive version of what you're wearing. And you also want to really -- a hammer home the point that you're showcasing American designers. That's a big part of this, but you're right. Everything from now on is going to be scrutinized for her, and it's not just last night, I mean, it's not just state dinners. Because of social media and everyone's intense fascination with Melania and Ivanka, they're in for a whole new world there. CAMEROTA: Maybe we can look at Ivanka's dress as well as Tiffany,
Trumps? I mean, all -- everybody really stepped it up yesterday and made statements. Ivanka was in that white sort of structural outfit for the inaugural -- for the address, and then here was the ball last night, and as you say, very princess, very ball gown. It's interesting -- this is an aspirational family, I mean, if you -- kind of fashion wise, people always look to them, and there's a lot of glamorous women in this family and they will be on display. How do you think this will contrast with Michelle Obama who became known as a fashion plate herself?
FRIEDMAN: Well, I mean, every First Lady, every First Family, you know, uses their clothing to create a portrait or an image of, you know, the value system, the priorities, the -- you know, platform to a certain extent of the administration. And, you know, Michelle's was very much about diversity, an inclusion, and, you know, every designer on the New York fashion week schedule. And I think Melania so far has been very much about America first, and, you know, and as you say, aspiration. You know, what we're reaching for.
CAMEROTA: Meaning, America first because she will choose American designers?
FRIEDMAN: It was all, all American designers.
CAMEROTA: It was all American designers that they're all -- the kids wore as well.
FRIEDMAN: 24 hours, Melania, 4 American designers.
CUOMO: Well, if there's a -- this is an obvious paradox at play that you have these super wealthy people, who are known for being well- heeled that Donald John Trump has become a spokesperson for the working man and woman who will never wear anything like that. But they're playing into their strength, I guess.
BROWER: Yes, and people didn't think that they -- that regular women would be dressing like Jacque Kennedy neither, and yet they were. And you could get your hair done like Jacque. Now, I don't think that Melania Trump is at that level yet. It took Jacque Kennedy some time. You know, she said to President Kennedy, "I always feel like such a dud," I mean, because she spent too much money on clothes. She would go to Europe and spent thousands of dollars and then she realized, when she was first lady, you have to buy American and you have to connect with American women.
CUOMO: Kellyanne was very American on what she wore. It was red, white and blue, I know that she felt a lot of heat online for it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We need to pull that up just to see what this --
(CROSSTALK)
CUOMO: Is this criticism warranted? What are you seeing that escapes my eye?
BROWER: Well, this is actually a Gucci outfit and it was inspired by London. So --
CAMEROTA: Are you supposed to match your hat and your gloves.
FRIEDMAN: The connection she was making is maybe in her mind more than in the brand's mind. It also -- you know, she was standing there in that Gucci outfit as Donald Trump said, "Our first two rules are buy American and hire American," and there she was in Italian.
CUOMO: Italian, can't go wrong though.
CAMEROTA: As Cuomo and Camerota believe, you can't go wrong with Italian. Ladies, thank you very much. It was really fun. We will be calling upon your services for the next four years.
CUOMO: All right. So, President Trump wasting no time, taking action in his just his first hours as Commander-in-Chief. What can he get done in his first days in office? We have more of our special coverage from Washington, D.C. next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo and Alisyn Camerota.
CUOMO: We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world. This is your NEW DAY. It's Saturday, January 21st, 8:00 here in Washington D.C. Donald Trump begins his presidency, vowing to end what he called, "American Carnage". President's Inaugural Address, striking a populist and nationalistic tone. The question is, did the new Commander-in-Chief's words do anything to help heal a nation that is still divided by the ugliest election in decades?
