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EARLY START

Trump, Another Shutdown Certainly An Option; Kamala Harris Launches Campaign; Stone Won't Rule Out Cooperating With Mueller; Power Struggle In Venezuela; Forget, Regret; Measles Outbreak In Washington State; SAG Awards. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired January 28, 2019 - 04:00   ET

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


[04:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICK MULVANEY, ACTING WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: The president's commitment is to defend the nation and he will do it either with or without Congress.

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DAVE BRIGGS, CNN HOST: The president doubts lawmakers will reach an acceptable deal on border wall funding. The shutdown is over. Could another one be less than three weeks away?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN KAMALA HARRIS, (D) CALIFORNIA: We have foreign powers infecting the White House like malware.

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CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN HOST: Kamala Harris kicks off her 2020 campaign, but will a former Starbucks executive play spoiler for the Democrats?

BRIGGS: Roger Stone won't rule out cooperating with Robert Mueller. What's the next domino to fall in the Russia probe?

ROMANS: The interim president in Venezuela in talks to oust dictator Nicolas Maduro who is blaming the U.S. for the upheaval.

BRIGGS: And while the highly anticipated live TV production of Rent was mostly on tape, hence the trending hashtag at 4:01 a.m. Eastern Time Rent not live. Good morning and welcome to Early Start, I'm Dave Briggs.

ROMANS: It was never going to be live for me. I just taped it because I was asleep last night and I have not watched it yet.

BRIGGS: Everything is tape for us.

ROMANS: That's right. I'm Christine Romans. It is Monday, January 28. It is 4:00 a.m. in East. Let's start with the shutdown, 800,000 federal workers back on the job today, but even with a deal to end the record length 35 day shutdown, huge issues remain, lengthy backlogs, looming deadlines and a gigantic, a bureaucratic reboot. You don't just flip a switch here, folks.

The U.S. economy recovering from an estimated $6 billion hit, slightly more than the amount the president wanted to build that wall, and the clock ticking down toward a new deadline, now just 18 days away.

BRIGGS: Even the president himself less than optimistic, telling the "Wall Street Journal" he doubts lawmakers will reach a deal over new border wall funding that he will accept. He told the Journal another shutdown is quote, "certainly an option," and he will build the wall anyway using emergency powers if necessary. Acting White House Chief- of-Staff, Mick Mulvaney, also saying as much earlier Sunday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is the president really prepared to shut down the government again in three weeks?

MULVANEY: Yes, I think he actually is. Keep in mind, he is willing to do whatever it takes to secure the border. But at the end of the day, the president's commitment is to defend the nation and he will do it either with or without Congress.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: President Trump also dismissing the suggestion he offered Democrats protection for DREAMers in exchange for border wall funding. He told the Journal that's a separate subject to be taken up at a separate time, but after a politically damaging five weeks shutdown, Senate Republicans are not in the mood for more.

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SEN. MARCO RUBIO, (R), FLORIDA: I don't think shutdowns are good leverage. It is a lesson I've certainly learned in my time here. There had been two shutdowns since the time I've been there and the aggressor in neither one was the winner.

SEN. SUSAN COLLINS, (R) MAINE: Shutdowns are never a good policy, ever. They are never to be used as a means to achieve any kind of goal. I think what will happen is that the efforts to continue to build physical barriers, which have gone on in the last two administrations, will continue, but not to the degree that the president has requested.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: Over the weekend the president was scorched by some conservative pundits who said, he caved to Democrats by reopening the government without wall funding. Ann Coulter called the president a quote, "wimp." He responded telling the "Wall Street Journal," I hear she has become very hostile. Maybe I didn't return her phone call or something. ROMANS: California Senator Kamala Harris official kicking off her 2020 presidential campaign in Oakland. She promises to be a fighter for the people.

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HARRIS: We must answer a fundamental question. Who are we? Who are we as Americans? America, we are better than this. When we have foreign powers infecting the White House like malware, let's speak that truth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: On Sunday, former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz announced he is seriously considering a run for the White House as a centrist independent.

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HOWARD SCHULTZ, FORMER CEO, STARBUCKS: We're living at a most fragile time, not only the fact that this president is not qualified to be the president but the fact that both parties are consistently not doing what is necessary on behalf of the American people and are engaged every single day in revenge politics.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[04:05:16] BRIGGS: Schultz, a lifetime Democrat. There are concerns the Party, he could peel off votes from the eventual nominee though. Democratic Candidate Julian Castro says Schultz would give the president the best hope of getting reelected.

Meantime CNN's, Jeff Zeleny reports Hillary Clinton is not totally giving up on her Oval Office aspirations. She is telling people she is not closing the door. But a close friend also tells Zeleny, it would surprise me greatly if she actually did it.

And a programming note, the first major television event of the 2020 race, Senator Kamala Harris joining Jake Tapper for a CNN Town Hall, live from Iowa tonight 10:00 Eastern Time right here on CNN.

ROMANS: That should be good. All right. Roger Stone appears to be leaving himself a little wiggle room when it comes to cooperating with Robert Mueller. The long-time Trump ally was arrested at his home in Florida, Friday morning by heavily armed FBI agents. He faces charges of obstruction, witness tampering, five counts of lying to Congress.

The special counsel's indictments was the first prosecutors alleged people close to the president coordinated with Stone as he sought out stolen e-mails from WikiLeaks. Mueller's team asked the judge to secretly indict Stone. They argued that a publicity would increase the risk of him destroying evidence, an argument Stone rejects.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROGER STONE, PRESIDENT TRUMP'S LONG-TIME ASSOCIATE: I've been under investigation for two years. I've destroyed nothing. But if I were going to destroy evidence, wouldn't I have done it a long time ago? They could simply have called my lawyers and I would have turned myself in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: The President's supporters quick to point out once again, Stone's indictment contains no charges of conspiracy. But Mueller's team has documented a series of lies by Trump advisers that masked (ph) efforts to develop ties with Russia. Those lies came before and after the election, in public and in private. The question is why? Stone will be arraign tomorrow in Washington. Here's Jessica Schneider with more.

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JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Dave and Christine, Roger Stone has been making the media rounds all before he gets to the D.C. Courthouse on Tuesday and before he appears before the same judge, who is overseeing both Paul Manafort and Rick Gates' cases and she is definitely tough.

So perhaps, Roger Stone maybe trying to get the last word in before any possible gag order, but Roger Stone know leaving the door open to cooperation with the Special Counsel Robert Mueller and also saying he would tell the truth about his communications with Donald Trump which he says never involved anything about Russia.

Now, of course, Roger Stone was indicted Thursday and arrested in that early morning FBI raid Friday at his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and he now faces seven counts including obstruction, witness tampering and false statements to Congress. Here is what Roger Stone said about the possibility of testifying for the special counsel investigation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Any chance you will cooperate with Special Counsel Robert Mueller if he asks?

STONE: You know, that is a question that I would have to determine after my attorneys have some discussion. If there is wrongdoing by other people in the campaign that I know about, which I know of none, but if there is, I would certainly testify honestly.

I'd also testify honestly about any other matter including any communications with the president. It's true that we spoke on the phone. But those communications are political in nature, their benign, and there's certainly no conspiracy with Russia.

SCHNEIDER: Now Roger Stone has repeatedly said he would not testify against the president. Also Stone has said he has never discussed the possibility of a pardon with the president. And of course, he continues to maintain that he is innocent, despite the text messages and e-mails to special counsel has and stands by his contention that there was never any collusion with Russia. Christine and Dave?

(END VIDEOTAPE) BRIGGS: OK. Jessica, thank you. Meanwhile on the international

front, efforts under way inside Venezuela to force out President Nicolas Maduro. Self-proclaimed interim, President Juan Guaido telling the "Washington Post," he is negotiating with military and civilian officials right now.

So far, Maduro's defense minister and other top brass are vowing their allegiance to him. Maduro blames a U.S.-led coup for the political upheaval in Venezuela.

ROMANS: And National Security Adviser, John Bolton, is warning any violence intimidation against U.S. diplomatic personnel or Guaido will be viewed by the U.S. as a grave assault on the rule of law. He says it will be met with a, quote, "significant response."

Meanwhile, the deadly protests we witnessed last week in Venezuela could grow in the days ahead. More now, from Stefano Pozzebon in Caracas.

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STEFANO POZZEBON, JOURNALIST: Yes, Christine, Dave, yesterday late night Juan Guaido called for fresh new protests for this week, this Wednesday and the following Saturday.

[04:10:04] Again Venezuelans will take on the streets to demand fresh and fair elections and to demand the resignation of Nicolas Maduro. At the same time both leaders, both Nicolas Maduro and Juan Guaido, on Sunday pitching to the military to lure them to join them on their side.

And while Maduro demanded loyalty to the fatherland and to his rule -- to his troops, Juan Guaido promised that amnesty and pardon for those troops who will effectively defect Mr. Maduro and switches sides to the opposition.

And with new protests set for this week and yet another complete international dimension around these crises, the pressure on Nicolas Maduro is only going to increase. Christine, Dave?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: That's Stefano there for us in Caracas, thank you for that.

BRIGGS: All right. Coming up, a state of emergency in Washington State, a measles outbreak has sickened dozens. What you need to know, next.

[04:15:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: All right. Happy Monday. Earnings, trade, a fed meeting, the January jobs report, it's going to be a really busy week on Wall Street. High level trade talks between China's Vice Premiere and U.S. officials happen mid-week in Washington. Both sides want to reach an agreement to diffuse the trade war before a March 2nd deadline. Investors will be paying attention to earnings from four of the most valuable tech companies in the world, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Facebook, all set to report earnings this week.

And even though the government is reopening, some key economic reports could still be delayed. A report on fourth quarter GDP is scheduled for Wednesday. We still will get that job report on Friday. They kind of suspect of 168,000 new jobs, 3.9 percent unemployment and 3.2 percent wage growth.

Investors also eyeing the Federal Reserve. The Central Bank expected to leave interest rates unchanged, on Wednesday, but Fed Chief Jerome Powell hold a press conference after that decision, the topic of future rate hikes bound to come up.

BRIGGS: A measles outbreak has led to a state of emergency in Washington State, officials there are confirmed 35 cases, 30 of them involving people who have not been vaccinated for the disease. More than two-thirds of the cases involve children under 11.

The state military department organizing assistance to the Department of Health and local offices. The problem has spread to Oregon as well. Officials say people infected with measles have recently visited the Portland airport, hospitals, schools, store, restaurants and a Portland Trail Blazers home game.

ROMANS: All right, if you or someone you know takes the blood pressure medication, listen up, the FDA warning the product recalls are causing a shortage of a common class of blood pressure drugs called ARBs. Officials say medicines containing valsartan are already in short supply. Two similar drugs may face shortages soon.

The drugs are recalled after it was found they were -- they contain an impurity that presents a cancer risk. The FDA had to devise a special test after it learns some ingredients imported from one Chinese company were tainted. Well, wow, that's terrifying.

All right. A big night for "Black Panther," at the Screen Actor Guild awards, winners in a lifetime achievement award, they've got the audience emotional, next.

[04:20:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRIGGS: Four twenty one, Eastern Time. A Kentucky sheriff's deputy responding to a call about rocks being thrown at vehicles struck himself by a rock that shattered his windshield. The Boyle County Deputy Philipp Dean recovering after being hit in the face losing control of his vehicle which hit several trees and rolled over multiple times.

Police say the rock was thrown from a car traveling in the opposite direction. They are looking at cameras in the area for possible images of a suspect. The deputy is hospitalized after suffering broken bones and several lacerations. ROMANS: A Florida man who went magnet fishing on Saturday for salvage items wound up reeling in an authentic World War II hand grenade. What did he do next? He tossed it in his trunk, he drove to a local Taco Bell and then called police, needless to say, that created more excitement than $2 burrito combo. The bomb squad had to be called to remove the device, the restaurant was evacuated. The grenade was safely disposed of and the Taco Bell has since re-opened.

BRIGGS: Some baseball news, the reigning American League MVP Mookie Betts will not make the trip to the White House when the World Series champion Boston Red Sox are honored by President Trump on May 9th. Betts telling the Boston Globe he decided not to go, but did not elaborate on why. Numerous athletes have dropout of White House visits since President Trump took office. The president even pulled the unprecedented move of rescinding invites to the Philadelphia Eagles and Golden State Warriors.

ROMANS: Warriors, I believe had a meeting with President Obama.

BRIGGS: -- With Obama, last week.

ROMANS: That's right.

BRIGGS: Yes.

ROMANS: All right. Top honor last night Screen Actors Guild awards going to the 2018 box office champ.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And the actor goes to "Black Panther," yes.

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ROMANS: The groundbreaking superhero film was the surprised winner of Best Motion Picture Cast Ensemble. Glenn Close won the award for Best Lead Female Actor for "The Wife." The win setting her up as a clear Oscar frontrunner. And Rami Malek all won Best Lead Male Actor for his role as Freddie Mercury in Bohemians Rhapsody.

BRIGGS: The awards for supporting roles went to Emily Blunt for "A Quiet Place," Mahershala Ali for his role in "Green Book." Another big highlight, actor Alan Alda who has Parkinson's disease receiving the SAG Lifetime Achievement Award.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALAN ALDA, ACTOR: It may never have been more urgent to see the world through another person's eyes. And when the culture is divided so sharply, actors can help, at least a little, just by doing what we do. And the nice part is it is fun to do it. So my wish for all of us is let's stay playful, let's have fun, and let's keep searching. It can't solve everything, but it wouldn't hurt.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BRIGGS: Bravo, sir. It was a big night for the "Marvelous Mrs.

Maisel," which swept the comedy categories, "This is us," took home the Best Drama Ensemble Award.

ROMANS: A big night for red heads got off on a wrong foot.

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[04:25:05] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: December 24th, 9:00 p.m.

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ROMANS: Did you see that, he has said the words previously recorded, the first thing on screen at the start of a live broadcast of the Pulitzer Prize winning Broadway musical on Fox. As it turned out, the show is mostly not live, because of injuries suffered by Brenan Hunt, who played one of the lead roles.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Last night during our performance in front of a live audience, one of our cast members sustained an injury, a visit to the hospital confirmed that Brendan Hunt, our Roger, has broken his foot and will be unable to perform tonight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: There was live finale. The original broadcast -- Broadway cast joined the Fox players on stage for an encore of Rent's inspiring anthem, "Seasons of Love."

I'll spare you and not sing along with it, but I love that song.

BRIGGS: Please do. I've not seen the play.

ROMANS: I saw it when it came out when I was a young reporter in New York and it was one of those -- one of those pieces of art that really changed Broadway. I mean it was really amazing. Anyway, looking forward to seeing it, I did tape it. It was going to be taped no matter what, it was going to be taped for me.

BRIGGS: Despite of injuries, all right. Kamala Harris officially launching her 2020 campaign, but could the Democrats face a big challenge from a third party candidate?

ROMANS: And the government back open, but the systems going to be up and running, the president says another shutdown could be weeks away.

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