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NEW DAY
Trump Touts America First Approach; Palin's Son Arrested; Franken Urged to Reverse Resignation. Aired 6:30-7a ET
Aired December 19, 2017 - 06:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[06:30:00] DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: A nation that is not certain of its values cannot summon the will to defend them.
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CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: All right, now he's reading those words, David, but what's the irony in them coming from this president?
DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, there are several here. So, look, the first two were fine. You -- you know, I can't imagine a president, Democratic or Republican leader of the country, not talking about why a strong military helps you avoid wars. Having this sense that you have to have one sense of national values seems to run completely contrary to a pretty divisive approach he has taken to value issues as president. This has not been a unifying year. And you would imagine that he would want to be pushing the country in a direction where we had a common set of values and we've certainly not heard that.
The other interesting part about this, Chris, lumping Russia and China together as both as revisionist powers. Well, China's certainly trying to revise the global order. I'm not quite sure that's what -- you -- the way you'd describe Russia, which is pushing the boundaries to try to get back the -- some era of previous glory.
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: John, another thing that came out yesterday is that the homeland security adviser, Tom Bossert, did make a very strong statement about North Korea and North Korea's cyber- attacks and their attempts to sew all sorts of chaos in the world. And, again, it is in stark relief to how the administration has used kid gloves with Russia. What do you hear them saying about North Korea?
JOHN KIRBY, CNN MILITARY AND DIPLOMATIC ANALYST: Yes, so, look, North Korea's an easy whipping child, right? I mean they're an isolated regime. The entire international community is aligned against them to put pressure on them to give up their nuclear program. So, I mean, it's easy to beat up on North Korea for something like this.
If you go to -- there are lots of times where the U.S. government has information about the foreign cyber mellitus activities of other governments and don't make public attribution for lots of good, operational security reasons. This one, you know, is -- this is a county that's easy to do that. Oh, by the way, this isn't new, as David will attest. "The New York Times" reported their attribution of North Korea back in May when this attack actually was found out. So this is not new.
And I have a feeling that the timing of this attribution is more political than anything else.
CUOMO: All right, John, David, thank you very much. Appreciate the perspective, as always.
KIRBY: You bet.
CAMEROTA: OK, meanwhile, police responding to a domestic disturbance at the home of Sarah Palin. Her son, Track, was arrested and charged with assaulting his father. So what we're learning about this incident, next.
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[06:36:53] CUOMO: Sarah Palin's family is back in the spotlight and not for good reason. There was a bloody fight between her son and her husband. Her son, Track Palin, is now in custody this morning facing multiple charges after he allegedly assaulted his father in a dispute about a truck. CNN's Ryan Nobles live in Washington with the latest.
Ryan.
RYAN NOBLES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Chris, good morning.
And Sarah Palin described her son as freaking out after he was arrested over the weekend for breaking into their family home and attacking his father. According to court documents, Track Palin, who's the oldest son of the former Republican vice presidential candidate, broke a window to get into the house and then assaulted his father, Todd. The dispute happened after Track called asking Todd to use his truck and Todd told him no. The father left the fight bloodied and at one point Track called the officers who responded to the incident peasants and climbed on top of the roof of a garage.
The 28-year-old was arrested on three charges, including assault. His mother said that he was on some type of medication and court documents also said that Track told police that he had drank beer earlier in the day.
Now, Track has had run-ins with the law before. He was arrested in 2016 and charged with domestic violence involving a female and a weapons charge. He is, of course, a military veteran. He served time in Iraq. And in the past, Sarah Palin has attributed his problems to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Alisyn.
CAMEROTA: OK, Ryan, it sounds like we'll need some more information as it comes out. Thank you very much.
So, is there evidence of UFOs and even aliens reaching earth? The answer is yes if you ask former Pentagon official who researched UFOs. That's next.
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[06:42:44] CAMEROTA: The first wave of Libyan migrants have landed in Paris as part of a new U.N. program to move the most venerable refugees to Europe. The refugees were screened in Niger before boarding that Air France flight. This change follows CNN's reporting on the modern slave markets in Libya, which one refugee advocate called a wake-up call to the world.
CUOMO: Airlines are flying in and out of Atlanta's busy airport, hoping to run largely back to normal today after a blackout forced the cancellation of more than 1,500 flights. The airline tracking sight, Flight Aware, reporting only six cancellations so far today.
Meanwhile, Georgia Power releasing new video of the fire damage to the underground facility that caused it to go down. Investigators are blaming something called a switch gear failure for a fire, which spread to nearby backup power systems.
CAMEROTA: Now this story that's getting so much attention. A former Pentagon official, who led a secretive program that tracked UFOs, tells CNN he believes there is evidence of alien life reaching earth. Watch this.
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LUIS ELIZONDO, FORMER MILITARY INTELLIGENCE OFFICIAL: My personal belief is that there is very compelling evidence that we may not be alone, whatever that means.
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CAMEROTA: What does it mean? Luis Elizondo ran the once classified Advanced Aviation Threat Identification Program that was launched in 2007. According to "The New York Times," the program studied video and audio clips of military pilot's aerial encounters with unknown objects, like this one, as well as interviews with people who said that they had physical encounters with unknown objects. The Defense Department says the program ended in 2012 when its funding was cut. But did it?
I love talking about this. It's so fascinating.
CUOMO: Well, look, one of the -- you know, the most important people on NEW DAY are the people you don't see, right? The people that make this show happen. And one of the very important members of our crew, we won't say his name but it rhymes with Bruce, he is huge believer of unidentified flying objects and he was very excited by this story.
CAMEROTA: Of course. I mean, look, when you see that video, it does beg the question of what is that thing hovering in the sky?
[06:45:05] CUOMO: I could show you video of me hovering over the earth also. It doesn't mean it happens.
CAMEROTA: Could you? Are you that aerodynamically sound?
CUOMO: But my ability to fly is somewhat -- not right now, my friend.
But I'll tell you what, here's my one question.
CAMEROTA: Yes.
CUOMO: If -- if what they're doing is putting together real evidence that we see UFOs -- no, don't tell me to go on, we're talking about alien life. We need to use the time.
CAMEROTA: We'll take as much time as we need.
CUOMO: So if that's what's going on -- they're showing UFOs all over the studio right now, why would they cut the funding? That's all I'm saying. If there was real proof that you were encountering alien life forms, why would you cut the funding of the program?
CAMEROTA: That only leads to the mystery and the conspiracy me thinks.
CUOMO: I'm just saying, I think it's one of the last things to hit the budget floor. That's all.
CAMEROTA: All right.
CUOMO: We've got to stop talking to those aliens.
All right.
CAMEROTA: We'll see.
CUOMO: The calls for Al Franken to reconsider his resignation from the Senate are actually growing louder and not coming from UFOs. A group calling themselves Feminists for Franken, they're rallying behind the Minnesota Democrat. What is this about? We'll tell you, next.
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[06:50:33] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. JOE MANCHIN (D), WEST VIRGINIA: I believe a person that's been accused ought to have a process that we can investigate thoroughly. And my own fellow Democrats wouldn't even give him that curtesy. It just -- the political -- just the political rancoring here is just -- it's just unbelievable to me how you can destroy a human being's life and his family and everything that they stand for without giving him a chance.
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CAMEROTA: All right, that was Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, saying that Senator Al Franken should not resign, at least not before an Ethics Committee investigation into the allegations of sexual misconduct.
Joining us now is Emily Jane Goodman. She's a retired New York state supreme court justice who believes the senator should also be given a fair hearing before resignation.
Judge Goodman, thank you for being here.
EMILY JANE GOODMAN, ATTORNEY: Thank you.
CAMEROTA: So why do you think that Al Franken, at the moment, should stay in the Senate and not resign?
GOODMAN: I think that we should hear what happened, who's involved, what the issues are and, as a judge, I know that speedy justice can often mean justice denied.
CAMEROTA: But haven't we heard -- haven't we heard the circumstances? Haven't we heard from these six women? Haven't we seen a picture of the woman on the USO tour? I mean don't we have the evidence that he -- that women -- six women at least believe that he touched them inappropriately and there was groping and forcible kissing.
GOODMAN: OK. And I believe the women. And women have been silenced for too long. What's happening now is that women are seething, and appropriately so. I was part of the early second wave women's movement, women's liberation, and we've been waiting for cultural structure -- not waiting, we've been activists, but also looking for structural change. And that has not happened. But --
CAMEROTA: But this is the moment.
GOODMAN: But this is the moment. But is that accomplished by -- are we taking the moral high ground by just saying, OK, this -- we have zero tolerance, so without looking any further at what happened, you're out?
CAMEROTA: But how could you take the moral high ground if you allowed him to stay after hearing the stories of these six women?
GOODMAN: What would -- who would be prejudiced if there was a commission or an investigation set up to examine and investigate exactly what happened, where any woman could complain that somebody in public life assaulted her in -- or offended her or touched her or did anything that was gender based and inappropriate?
CAMEROTA: Look, I mean of course you're for due process. All Americans are. I understand what you're saying. However, what would an Ethics Committee be able -- what evidence could an Ethics Committee find now? The last accusation against him, or the most recent one, was 2010. So nobody's ever going to be able to present some sort of physical evidence. These are their stories and we've already heard their stories.
GOODMAN: Well, we've heard their stories. But a proper -- there needs to be process. As a judge, naturally I know that you have to have a process. And I have sent people to prison for sex crimes and other crimes, but not without knowing all of the circumstances and making a finding as to what is the appropriate punishment.
CAMEROTA: Did you feel the same way about Judge Roy Moore? If he had won, did you feel that he should be seated?
GOODMAN: Well, if he had won then -- if he had won the election, he would have been sworn in. What the Senate would have done after that, I don't know. I don't know whether they would have been -- exposed him to an ethics investigation.
CAMEROTA: What about the accusations against President Trump? There are now at least 15 women who have come out with similar accusations of groping. I think one rises to the level -- at least one -- of sexual assault. What should happen with those accusers and with that?
GOODMAN: Well, there -- I can think of many reasons that I don't think that Donald Trump should be president. And that would be --
CAMEROTA: But I'm talking just about these specifics.
GOODMAN: And that would be one of them. But we should also have a complete investigation of that, as well as his conduct in other areas. And --
CAMEROTA: And what would that investigation look like?
GOODMAN: What do I think --
CAMEROTA: Just like meaning --
GOODMAN: What do I think the conclusion would be?
CAMEROTA: No, no, meaning, similarly, you're calling on Congress to investigate the accusations against Franken.
GOODMAN: Well, Congress can appoint -- can appoint an investigative commission the way Hollywood has just appointed Anita Hill to oversee what is going on in their industry, in their community. There can be a special -- not prosecutor, but a special investigator to look into the accusations that relate to gender-based misconduct.
[06:55:16] We all have a zero tolerance policy for gender-based misconduct.
CAMEROTA: Well, there you have it.
GOODMAN: Whether sexual or power struggle.
CAMEROTA: But that's what Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is saying has befallen Al Franken. That if you have a zero tolerance policy, when these accusations come forward, in the amount that they have come forward, when six women come forward with some -- with compelling and convincing stories, then if you have a zero tolerance policy, doesn't that person have to go?
GOODMAN: Well, then I think that everybody in the Senate and everybody in government better be prepared to go because there are going to be complaints about everybody and that is just not a practical or democratic way to proceed. CAMEROTA: Do you sense that the Feminists for Franken movement is
gaining traction? Do you think that Senator Franken is going to stay in the Senate and not resign in January?
GOODMAN: Well, that is up to Senator Franken and his family. I have no idea of what he plans to do. But many people, and you know that that -- it's coming from senators as well, think that the movement to eject him was very swift and that no one would have been hurt by taking the time to be more thoughtful and careful about what was going on. It is a very slippery slope.
CAMEROTA: Judge Emily Jane Goodman, thank you so much for coming in with your perspective.
GOODMAN: Thank you.
CAMEROTA: Great to talk to you.
GOODMAN: Thank you very much.
CAMEROTA: Chris.
CUOMO: All right, so another big story this morning. Investigators say speed appears to be a factor in the deadly train derailment in Washington state. Analysis and context when we talk to the former chair of the NTSB, next. The question is simple, did this have to happen?
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[07:00:12] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Emergency, we are on the ground.
