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EARLY START

Trump Speaks Out on Michael Cohen; Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired December 14, 2018 - 04:00   ET

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


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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: What he did was all unrelated to me except for the two campaign finance charges that are not criminal and shouldn't have been on there. They put that on there to embarrass me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: First, the sentence, then the silence, now the sabotage. President Trump pinning all his troubles on his attorney -- former attorney Michael Cohen.

DAVE BRIGGS, CNN ANCHOR: Prosecutors now investigating the president's inaugural committee and a pro-Trump super PAC. Record cash, more than $100 million was raised. Was it traded for influence?

ROMANS: A 7-year-old girl dies in U.S. custody. She had just crossed into the United States with her father. What DHS is saying.

BRIGGS: As if the subway didn't have enough problems. Wait until you hear what one woman said during the morning rush hour here in New York City.

Good morning, everyone. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm Dave Briggs.

ROMANS: And I'm Christine Romans. It is Friday.

BRIGGS: Good morning.

ROMANS: December 14th. It is 4:00 a.m. in the East.

BRIGGS: Cheers to that.

ROMANS: We begin here with President Trump breaking his brief silence on the sentencing of his former personal attorney and fixer Michael Cohen. In a series of tweets Thursday, the president said he did not direct Cohen to break the law. But note he did not dispute directing Cohen to make illegal payments to Stormy Daniels and Karen McDougal who say they had affairs with him. In an interview with FOX News, the president downplayed Cohen's role,

saying he did very low level work.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: More public relations than he did law. But he did -- so you'd see him on television. He was OK on television. But years ago, many years like 12, 13 years ago, he did me a favor. He was on a committee and he was so responsive and so good. And I said he's a nice guy. And he was a lawyer and because of that, I did it. And you know what in retrospect, I made a mistake.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: The president's new explanation for the hush payments just the latest version of an ever changing story. Remember he once said he didn't even know about the payments.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Mr. President, did you know about the $130,000 payment to Stormy Daniels?

TRUMP: No, no.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Then why --

TRUMP: What else?

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Why did Michael Cohen make this, if there was no truth to her allegations?

TRUMP: Well, you have to ask Michael Cohen. Michael is my attorney. And you have to ask Michael Cohen.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Do you know where he got the money to make that payment?

TRUMP: I don't know. No.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: One person not buying Trump's story, George Conway, husband of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway. He slammed the president in a tweet. "Given that Trump has repeatedly lied about the Daniels and McDougal payments and given that he lies about virtually everything else, why should we take his word over that of federal prosecutors?"

BRIGGS: CNN has also learned the president was present at an August 2015 meeting about the hush payments. He met with Cohen and David Pecker, chairman of "The National Enquirer's" parent company, AMI, which is now cooperating with prosecutors. Michael Cohen will break his own silence this morning in an interview with "Good Morning America."

Here's Jeff Zeleny with more from the White House.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Christine and Dave, as we begin a Friday here at the White House so much has happened here this week, but much of it has to do with Michael Cohen, of course, the president's long time lawyer and fixer.

The president speaking out in direct terms saying that he did not direct Michael Cohen to do anything that he did in terms of hush money payments. But as we have seen, the president's story in this has changed so many times.

This is what the president said yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: What he did was all unrelated to me except for the two campaign finance charges that are not criminal and shouldn't have been on there. They put that on there to embarrass me. They put those two charges on there to embarrass me.

What happened is either Cohen or the prosecutors, in order to embarrass me, said, listen, I'm making this deal for reduced time and everything else, do me a favor put these two charges on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: But the president's view of that simply is at odds with many of the facts. It is, in fact, a criminal investigation. It is, in fact, a crime that Michael Cohen pleaded guilty to and, in fact, was sentenced to.

The president is not acknowledging any of that. He said that, look, his lawyer, he hired him to take care of all of this, and he also distanced himself from any knowledge from the "National Enquirer" parent company also having a role in the payment.

There are real implications of all of this here at the White House. Who is going to fill the Office of Chief of Staff? When these investigations happen, top Republicans I'm talking to say it makes it much less willing that anyone would want to come into the White House to work here.

So the question here is what is the next shoe to drop? The president is remaining defiant, others here are worried -- Dave and Christine.

ROMANS: All right, Jeff Zeleny. Thank you, Jeff.

The "New York Times" reporting overnight federal prosecutors are examining donations to the Trump 2016 Inaugural Committee and a pro- Trump super PAC. The "Wall Street Journal" first reported an investigation into the inaugural and CNN confirmed that reporting but the "Times" goes further.

[04:05:07] It says the inquiries focused on whether people from Middle Eastern countries, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, used straw donors to disguise contributions. BRIGGS: Sources familiar with the probe tell the "Times" Paul

Manafort, then the campaign chairman, suggested Trump confidant Tom Barrack create the super PAC and the source says that a year ago Barrack who led the inaugural committee told investigators Manafort seemed to view this PAC as an arm of the campaign despite laws meant to prevent exactly that kind of coordination.

ROMANS: More than $100 million was raised for the inaugural. The inaugural committee responding in a statement says, it worked, quote, "in full compliance with all applicable laws and disclosure obligations."

BRIGGS: Today federal prosecutors set to file a reply to former National Security adviser Michael Flynn's sentencing memo. Special Counsel Robert Mueller's team will likely respond to things not addressed in their initial sentencing request last week. Mueller recommended no prison time, citing Flynn's substantial cooperation in the Russia probe.

ROMANS: Flynn pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about contact with the Russian ambassador during the transition. But again the president himself is not buying what's in the plea.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: A respected person and a nice man. And I don't even know what he said about me because, you know, maybe they scared him enough they go make up the story. But I have a feeling that maybe -- and he's a tougher kind of guy than Cohen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Like the special counsel Flynn is asking for no jail time. He has offered to do 200 hours of community service.

BRIGGS: Alleged Russian spy Maria Butina has pleaded guilty in federal court. She admitted Thursday to attempting to infiltrate Republican political circles and influence U.S. relations with Russia both before and after the 2016 election. The 30-year-old attended conferences organized by the groups like the NRA and the National Prayer Breakfast.

As part of the plea deal Butina agreed to turn over evidence of crimes she is aware of and sit for interviews with law enforcement. She faces up to five years but will likely get zero to six months based on her plea deal. Butina will likely be deported after serving any time.

ROMANS: A 7-year-old girl from Guatemala has died in U.S. custody after crossing the border with her father. The girl died of dehydration and shock after she was taken into custody with her father last week for illegally crossing into the United States. She had been in custody for eight hours when she developed a 105-degree fever. Local EMS air lifted her but she died at the hospital.

BRIGGS: Homeland Security says Border Patrol agents took every step possible to save the child's life. And that it will investigate to ensure policies were followed. Her death is likely to intensify scrutiny of detention conditions at Border Patrol stations and facilities. Those shelters across 17 states are at or near capacity.

ROMANS: All right. The "Washington Post" reports Republican Mark Harris directed the hiring of a campaign aide who is now the focus of a voter fraud probe in North Carolina. The "Washington Post" says Harris south out Leslie McCrae Dowless despite his questionable track record. Harris lost the 2016 election against an opponent Dowless was working for. Now Republican and Democratic officials are beginning to maneuver in anticipation of a fierce and protracted second campaign.

BRIGGS: Leaders from both parties have all but publicly agreed a new election is necessary following allegations of absentee ballot fraud. Democrats are demanding Harris fully disclose his relationship with Dowless. Harris has only said he didn't know about misconduct on his behalf. Republicans signaling they may need a new candidate believing Harris is now damaged goods.

ROMANS: What a drama there.

BRIGGS: What a mess.

ROMANS: All right. In a direct rebuke of President Trump, the Senate passed a resolution formally condemning Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The president has refused to condemn the Saudis despite evidence of an orchestrated murder plot. If the resolution also passes the House, the president will be forced to make a choice. Sign it and side with Congress or veto it and side with the Saudis.

BRIGGS: The Senate also approved a resolution requiring the U.S. to end military support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen. The move is largely symbolic as the Republican-led House is not expected to take the measure up. During talks in Sweden, Yemen's warring parties agreed to a cease-fire in a key port city. There was also an agreement on prisoner swap, a humanitarian corridor to the city, and future negotiations. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called it a pivotal first step.

ROMANS: All right. The U.S. Military looking for $331 million reimbursement from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirate. The Pentagon says it discovered an accounting error and says it failed to properly charge the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen for aerial refueling services. The outstanding costs stretch back to March 2015.

BRIGGS: Bowing to pressure the Department of Education will wipe away student debt for some 15,000 borrowers.

[04:10:05] Secretary Betsy DeVos has fought for a year to block an Obama-era rule designed to provide relief to students cheated by for- profit colleges. The announcement cancels about $150 million in debt. It comes two months after a federal judge sided with attorneys general from 18 states and the District of Columbia. They sued DeVos for delaying the rule while the department worked on the rewriting it.

ROMANS: President Trump said General Motors CEO Mary Barra made a big mistake by laying off thousands of workers and pledged to retaliate against the company. In a FOX News interview with Harris Faulner the president said he was upset with GM halting production at five facilities in North America and eliminating about 14,000 jobs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: To tell me a couple of weeks before Christmas that she's going to close in Ohio and Michigan not acceptable to me. Either she's going to open fast or somebody else is going to go in. But General Motors is not going to be treated well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: GM has said it closed plants and lay off workers to better prepare for the future, shifting from sedans to SUVs and trucks and investing in self-driving car technology.

And the president also said GM's job cuts won't hurt the U.S. economy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: It doesn't really matter because Ohio is under my leadership from a national standpoint. Ohio is going to replace those jobs like in two minutes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: In a statement Thursday Gm said its focus remains on the employees at the plant that are closing, adding that hourly workers may be able to find jobs at other locations.

I don't know how you can have it both ways. I don't know how you can say GM shouldn't do that, can't do that, it's going to be punished for doing that, and then say it doesn't matter.

BRIGGS: I don't know how you have a free market conservative president saying it is unacceptable to me that a company do what's best for its company and shareholders.

ROMANS: Yes.

BRIGGS: That seems counterintuitive for conservatives, does it not?

ROMANS: There has never been a Republican president who has meddled in --

BRIGGS: The free market.

ROMANS: The free market the way this president has. There's no question.

BRIGGS: I thought that was very interesting.

All right. An officer killed in the line of duty in Georgia. A police dog also wounded. The full story for you next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:16:16] BRIGGS: 4:16 Eastern Time. And the man suspected of gunning down three people and injuring 13 others in Strasbourg, France, has been killed in a shootout with police. It happened not far from the scene of Tuesday's attack at a popular Christmas market. Police approached a man who they thought looked like the suspected shooter Cherif Chekatt on Thursday night. Chekatt opened fire on officers when they tried to question him. Police returned fire killing the 29-year-old suspect. French prosecutors say Chekatt yelled "Allahu Akbar," God is great, during initial attack. Five victims remain in serious condition.

ROMANS: A police officer in Georgia has been killed in the line of duty during a traffic stop. DeKalb County officials say the driver took off on foot pursued by the officer. The suspect pulled out a gun and shot the officer who was taken to the hospital where he died. Other officers and a canine unit arrived on the scene. They found the suspect hiding behind a building. The suspect shot the police dog which is now in critical condition. Officers fired back killing the suspect.

The slain police officer whose name has not yet been released was with the department for less than two years.

BRIGGS: Gun deaths in America have reached a record high. Nearly 40,000 people in the U.S. died by guns last year. That is the highest number of firearm deaths in decades according to a analysis of data from the CDC. The number is a record high going back to at least 1979 when firearm deaths started to be coded into mortality data. It's an increase of more than 10,000 deaths over 1999.

CNN's analysis show the majority of those gun deaths were actually suicides. There were nearly 24,000 gun suicides in 2017, the highest number in 18 years.

ROMANS: Police now say a teenager who shot and killed himself in an Indiana middle school planned to commit an act of violence but they say they were able to stop him after the school district received a tip. The 14-year-old exchanged gunfire with police at Dennis Intermediate School yesterday before killing himself. It is not clear how many shots were fired or why the teen targeted that school. He was a former student in the district.

BRIGGS: It's a terrifying day across this country as some bomb threats were e-mailed into various schools across the country.

ROMANS: Yes.

BRIGGS: A Columbine high school in Colorado was on lockdown for a short time.

All right. Ahead, a flight from Seattle to Dallas forced to turn around with an extra passenger on board relatively speaking. You don't want to hear how this ends. Next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [04:23:06] BRIGGS: All right, a warning, folks. Some of the language in this story is offensive. A woman has been charged with two counts of assault after she attacked a female passenger on the New York City subway train.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Girl, what are you doing? It's too early but (EXPLETIVE DELETED). You obviously have a problem.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She's not even fighting you back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Call 911 please.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stop being disgusting, (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What? What? What? What?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: Yes. So that happened. The 40-year-old woman identified as Anna Lushchinskaya is seen on the video telling an Asian woman to F- off and kicking and hitting the passenger with her umbrella and keys. She also used that racial slur. The man filming later performed a citizen's arrest. CNN has not been able to reach Lushchinskaya for comment.

ROMANS: That is a bad day on the subway.

All right. CBS reportedly agreed to a confidential $9.5 million settlement with actress Eliza Dushku in 2017. "New York Times" citing a draft report prepared by lawyers hired by CBS to examine cultural issues at the network. The report says Dushku was allegedly subjected to uncomfortable sex jokes from co-star Michael Weatherly on the set of "Bull." She reportedly confronted him about his remarks and days later learned her character was then being written off the show.

BRIGGS: In a statement CBS says, "While we remain committed to a culture defined by a safe, inclusive and respectful work place, our work is far from done." Weatherly maintains he was joking and says he immediately apologized to Dushku. Dushku declined to comment to the "Times."

ROMANS: All right. A Southwest Flight from Seattle to Dallas forced to turn around when a donated human heart was discovered left on board.

[04:25:03] The heart's journey started in Sacramento. It was mistakenly left on the connecting flight to Dallas Sunday night instead of being taken out of the cargo hold in Seattle. Southwest says the heart was meant for a medical donation. It was meant to save someone's life in a transplant. Sierra Donor Services which organized the donation says the heart was eventually received unharmed.

BRIGGS: If you've ever re-gifted a holiday present, well, you're not alone. It turns out even the president is guilty. His son, Don Junior, who obviously has the same initials as dad shared this family story.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP JUNIOR, PRESIDENT TRUMP'S SON: You know, there was one Christmas where he may or may not have given me the gift that I had given him the year before because I monogrammed it. And he was like oh yes, here. I'm like, I know you didn't get this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(LAUGHTER)

BRIGGS: We all have done it or thought of doing it. Jimmy Fallon brought it up last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY FALLON, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JIMMY FALLON": Speaking of the holidays in a new interview, Donald Trump Jr. says that his dad is a re-gifter.

(LAUGHTER)

FALLON: So when Robert Mueller gives the president a subpoena, he's just going to re-gift it to Don Junior so you understand when that happens.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: I think regifting is OK actually for the record.

BRIGGS: Do you?

ROMANS: I think it's OK as long as --

BRIGGS: As long as it's not monogrammed DJT?

ROMANS: It's not --

(LAUGHTER)

ROMANS: And the person who gave you the gift, you don't give it back to them.

BRIGGS: Yes.

ROMANS: That's important.

All right. First he didn't know, then he paid Michael Cohen back. Then he didn't approve. Now it's not criminal. President Trump punting all of the blame even though he's been has been tied to federal crimes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)