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Foxconn's Broken Pledges; Interview with Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN); Goodell Breaks Silence. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired January 31, 2019 - 06:30   ET

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


[06:30:00] HARRY ENTEN, CNN POLITICS SENIOR WRITER AND ANALYST: He's the jobs president. And if he can't bring jobs, then what exactly is he doing?

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: It's interesting, Christine Romans -- it's her birthday, by the way. She's not here --

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Happy birthday.

BERMAN: Happy birthday, Romans.

She would tell us there's really big economic reasons why Foxconn's having trouble right now because the global market for their product isn't there as it was two years ago and also Foxconn has a record of making promises that they don't always keep.

HILL: They don't always keep.

BERMAN: All right, Alex, MJ, Harry, thank you very much.

ENTEN: Thank you.

HILL: A reported sinkhole in Florida leads to a shocking discovery that now has the FBI investigating. What was uncovered? That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: Venezuela's self-declared president, Juan Guaido, is making his case for the legitimacy of his presidency in a "New York Times" op-ed this morning. He calls for unity among Venezuelans and he reveals that he had secret meetings with the military to trying to gain support for ousting the embattled president, Nicolas Maduro.

[06:35:08] In the meantime, President Trump reaffirmed U.S. support for Guaido in a phone call on Wednesday.

HILL: The White House announcing three nominees to the left-leaning Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. This after coming under fire from right wing commentators. The Ninth Circuit has been a frequent target of President Trump. When the White House announced plans last week, though, to re-nominate dozens of judges, three conservatives for the Ninth Circuit were not on the list. Well, last night the White House resubmitted the names of Daniel Collins, Kenneth Lee and Daniel Bress. BERMAN: Chicago police have released these surveillance video images

that show -- that they say show two people they want to talk to about the alleged attack on "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett. It's hard to make much out of these. Persons of interest captured on video early Tuesday morning. Smollett claims he was attacked by two people who hurled racial and homophobic slurs at him. Police are investigating the incident as a possible hate crime. Police say they also found video showing Smollett entering his apartment building with what appears to be a rope shaped like a noose around his neck, but they haven't released that footage. A police spokesperson says Smollett and his music manager were on the phone with each other when the alleged attack happened, but that has not been verified yet.

HILL: Despite how this next story may sound, it is not the plot of a movie, at least, let's be honest here, not yet. The FBI is investigating now an attempted bank burglary after public works employees stumbled on an underground tunnel headed toward a bank. The workers were actually there responding to a report of a possible sinkhole in Florida when they realized, there's a lot more than a sinkhole here. The FBI says the tunnel does not reach the bank. It's about 50 yards long, two or three feet in diameter. They also, by the way, found a pair of muddy boots, some tools and a small generator inside the tunnel.

BERMAN: Now, I have to tell you, I always like a good sinkhole story, but this is a sinkhole story with a twist.

HILL: It gets even better. That's why I said, it may not be a movie yet.

BERMAN: And there's a generator inside the sinkhole.

HILL: And boots, by the way.

BERMAN: Yes, I have --

HILL: Those are going to lead perhaps to something.

BERMAN: I do have one word to explain all of this. Florida. Florida.

HILL: True.

BERMAN: All right, a group of lawmakers racing against the clock, trying to hammer out a deal on border security to avoid another shutdown. We will speak to someone who was in the room where it happened. A member of the team trying to reach that compromise, next.

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[06:41:31] BERMAN: A bipartisan group of lawmakers working to hammer out the border security deal in hopes of averting another shutdown. President Trump sidelined from these talks, at least for now.

Joining us now is Republican Congressman Chuck Fleischmann. He is a member of the border wall conference committee. Also on the House Appropriations Committee. Congressman, thank you so much for being with us.

REP. CHUCK FLEISCHMANN (R), TENNESSEE: John, good morning.

BERMAN: As they say in the musical "Hamilton," you need to be in the room where it happens.

FLEISCHMANN: Yes.

BERMAN: You were. So, what did happen in that room yesterday?

FLEISCHMANN: Well, John, it was very good. I entered the room with a lot of optimism and a lot of hope that we could actually sit down and work through our issues. And the tone in the room, really from every member, whether they were Republican or Democratic, senators or House members, was very positive, very cordial. I think we have set the tone for a very good -- good -- good time for negotiations. I think it's very positive.

BERMAN: That's great hear that the tone is positive --

FLEISCHMANN: Yes, sir.

BERMAN: And you have set a good stage for continued talks.

Henry Cuellar, before he went in, he was also a part of this committee, a Democrat from Texas, he told my friend Kate Bolduan before the meeting that his position was no new funding for any new border barrier. Is that the Democratic position at this point as you understand it?

FLEISCHMANN: Well, we've heard a lot of things from Democratic members of the House, Democratic members of the Senate. I really don't know exactly where the other side is right now, but we need to get there. I think we need to focus on our common ground.

There's a lot in the homeland security bill, John, that we do agree on. And that's the good news. There's going to be some sticking points. I tend to support the position that we need, not only border security, but barrier security. There's a lot of barriers out there right now that need repair, that are porous --

BERMAN: Yes.

FLEISCHMANN: That have been set up, for example. Henry and I are very good friends, but he showed me some barriers that were set up, they block cars but they don't block individuals coming over.

So, rather than digging in, I think we need to lay all of our cards on the table, negotiate, and realize that there's going to be a lot of differing views on a lot of differing issues, but we're going to need something that not only the Senate and the House appropriators can agree on, but ultimately that the White House will be able to sign off on. And I think we can get there.

BERMAN: Look, appropriators make deals, as John McCain I quoted him yesterday, famously said.

FLEISCHMANN: Yes.

BERMAN: There are Republicans, there are Democrats and then there are appropriators.

In this case, I think you might have to be linguists as well because I wonder -- and you can help me out here -- if at the end of the day this is going to be about reaching some kind of a deal where both sides can say they got what they wanted. You brought up this barrier that already exists that you were discussing with Henry Cuellar. At the end of all of this, is it likely that there will be a deal where you have significant funds for repairs, for replacing barriers, for new technology, for new money at checkpoints, but not any money for new walls?

FLEISCHMANN: I think we need all of those things that you articulated, plus new money for additional barriers where the barriers work. We realize that there are going to be some areas where the Rio Grande is there. There are cliffs and things like that. And I'm glad that was pointed out.

But we're going to turn to the experts in homeland security who have done a very good job. I think as responsible legislators, we need to listen to the experts, we need to listen to the American people, and then we need to be reasonable.

[06:45:05] As I said in the room yesterday, when I talked to people, school children and things like that, I leave my Republican conservative credentials at the door and I talk about our great republic. In this room we're going to have a lot of different ideas. The bill that Henry would draw would be very different from the bill that I would draw up and I believe that everyone in that room would draw a slightly different or maybe a markedly different bill. The key is to draw a bill that we can come to a good, reasonable compromise that has border security, technology, as you alluded too, and I do think we need some new border funding. We can call it a wall. We can call it a barrier. It's border security. These work.

It's going to have to be a compromise. But as you said, appropriators, and I've served on the Appropriations Committee for quite some time. I'm the ranking member now, the highest Republican on the House side. Think we can get there. We are reasonable, pragmatic people and I think it's very important that we get there. Yesterday we started in a very positive way.

BERMAN: It was interesting to hear from the president last night. He did an interview with "The Daily Caller." One of the questions that's been asked has been, why didn't the president get funding for the border wall he wanted when he had Congress? When Republicans control both chambers in Congress? And the president tried, I think, to answer that question last night. He blamed Paul Ryan. He said the last time this came up, Ryan told him that if he signed the Omnibus bill, that Ryan would ultimately get him border wall funding, and then it didn't happen. Do you think Paul Ryan's to blame for the fact there hasn't been new funding for new barriers up until this point? FLEISCHMANN: Rather not point blame, but I do think the president's

correct. Going through the appropriation process and the last big budget deal that we worked through, there was a promise made to the White House that, leave this issue alone for now and we will get to it in the future. That's why I think in December, when House Republicans, such as myself, stood up and said, wait a second, we're not going to just accept a clean, continuing resolution into February because we're going to get more of the same. These issues won't be addressed. So I think the White House is -- is right on point to basically say, we were promised. It was not delivered. And we owe it to the American people to deliver on this promise.

So that's why I think in December we had those issues. That's why right now I think we need to address these issues.

And, John, perhaps most importantly, we've got a situation where, in a few weeks we're going to be dealing with fiscal 2020 issues. Very important. These same issues are going to come up again and they're going to come up under the constraints of the Budget Control Act with less money to go around.

BERMAN: Yes.

FLEISCHMANN: So I think it's very important now that we sit down, work on a deal that will work now, and lay a good foundation for the future. I'm always looking forward because I'm an eternal optimist. We can look back and put blame on folks. The problem is, that's past, we have present and future to worry about.

BERMAN: Congressman Chuck Fleischmann, keep that glass half full.

FLEISCHMANN: Yes, sir.

BERMAN: You have your work cut out for you over the next two weeks. Good luck.

FLEISCHMANN: Thank you, John.

BERMAN: Erica.

HILL: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell breaking his silence on that controversial no-call in the NFC title game. The "Bleacher Report" is next.

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[06:52:30] HILL: NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell finally breaking his silence on the blown call in the NFC championship game. This, of course, being the one that cost the Saints a trip to the Super Bowl.

Andy Scholes is live in Atlanta with more.

His explanation, not really enough for Saints fans. Not surprising.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Oh, yes, definitely not enough for Saints fans, Erica. And, you know, during his annual state of the league address, Roger Goodell, you know, he said he understands the frustration of Saints fans, that the league is going to look at expanding instant replay in the off-season so that this kind of call doesn't happen again. But, Goodell basically said it boils down to the game is officiated by humans and there are going to be mistakes.

Now, a big question going into Goodell's address was, why did he and the league remain silent and never say anything to the fans after that blown no-call? Well, Goodell brushed the question off saying the league did address it right after the game.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROGER GOODELL, NFL COMMISSIONER: We addressed this immediately after the game. We spoke to the coach. The coach announced the conversation and the fact that this play should have been called. And we had several conversations with those clubs and other officials over the next several days. That's -- that's our process.

We understand the disappointment of the Saints fans, the organization, and the players. And we understand that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Now, President Trump also weighing in on the Saints misery, telling "The Daily Caller," he feels badly for the fans in Louisiana, calling it, quote, maybe the worst call I've ever seen.

Now, for the first time since that devastating loss, Saints' head coach Sean Peyton meeting with the media in New Orleans and he said, well, he had a rough few days following the game.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN PAYTON, SAINTS HEAD COACH: After the game, for two to three days, um, much like normal people, I sat, probably didn't come out of my room. I ate Jenny's (ph) ice cream and watch Netflix for three straight days.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: Well, there you go, John, apparently three straight days of eating ice cream and watching Netflix will solve any problem.

BERMAN: I think it might, although not the entire city of New Orleans.

All right, Andy, I appreciate it.

SCHOLES: All right.

BERMAN: Here now your late night laughs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JIMMY FALLON, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW STARRING JIMMY FALLON": Today Trump made headlines when he called U.S. intelligence officials passive and naive. Yes, passive and naive. It sounds like a buddy cop show starring Mike Pence and Donald Trump. I'm passive. I'm naive.

JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE": Their economy is now crashing, which is the only thing holding back -- be careful of Iran. Perhaps intelligence should go back to school. And, of course, he used the wrong spelling for the -- of the word their in -- only Donald Trump would tell someone to go back to school while making a grammatical mistake.

[06:55:18] STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT": Yesterday, the heads of all the U.S. intelligence agencies testified before Congress to share the results of their annual worldwide threat assessment. One thing missing from the report, any evidence that would support building a wall on the southwestern border. Where did the evidence go? Was it stolen by the caravan?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: He actually moves his head pretty well there and spins very well as well.

HILL: It's very impressive.

BERMAN: You know, it is interesting that we -- CNN's reporting is that the president's really mad at Dan Coats.

HILL: Yes.

BERMAN: It will be interesting to see if Coats delivers the intelligence briefing later this morning.

All right, President Trump speaking out about the arrest of Roger Stone. Will the president now call for an investigation into FBI policies? New developments, next.

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[07:00:08] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

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