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Queen Elizabeth Speaks At D-Day Ceremony; Automakers Say Trump's Mexico Tariffs Could Cost Billions; CNN Reality Check: 25 Cups Of Coffee A Day Is Good For You? Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired June 5, 2019 - 07:30   ET

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


[07:30:00] MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT, ANCHOR, LONDON EDITION, "CNN NEWSROOM": -- a spectacular performance. Effectively, a live show with the real characters playing themselves.

Also, current servicemen paying tribute to those who went before them. And a glittering array of heads of state. Emmanuel Macron, Justin Trudeau, Theresa May, all reading testimonials from people living at the time.

And, President Trump also reading what was the radio address -- the famous radio address presented by President Roosevelt when he revealed the Normandy operation to the people of America. So, he was part of this display, but not the main star. It was an extraordinary moment in a very well-produced event.

So, we're waiting to hear from Queen Elizabeth.

I will also say that those heads of state to sign this proclamation -- they're calling it the "D-Day Proclamation," talking about the unimaginable horror of World War II not being repeated and committing to resolve international tensions peacefully going forward.

So, a big moment in history, actually, unfolding here on the south coast of England, Alisyn.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: You know, Max, as we've discussed for the days leading up to this, there were some who thought that this would be an awkward visit from President Trump. It was an awkward time. Theresa May had invited him more than two years ago and now was finally the moment where it would be happening.

And there was also things -- there were a few precursors before the visit that made it seem as though it could be particularly awkward. For instance, the question that he got about Meghan Markle, Prince Harry's wife, of course -- the Duchess of Sussex -- and he -- in which he referred to her as "nasty."

Last night, Piers Morgan, one of your broadcasters, of course, asked him about that and President Trump tried to explain himself. So let's just hear what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And I said well, I didn't know she was nasty. I wasn't referring to her -- she's nasty. I said she was nasty about me and essentially, I didn't know she was nasty about me.

So I said but, you know what? She's doing a good job. I hope she enjoys her life.

They went out and they took the tape and they even tried to disgorge it from that. So what happens is they talked about nasty, but we were talking about nasty -- she was nasty to me. And that's OK for her to be nasty. It's not good for me to be nasty to her, and I wasn't.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Max, how did those comments play in the United Kingdom? And then, on a larger topic, how is the president's visit playing?

FOSTER: Well, I think what he was trying to say there was he didn't think that Meghan Markle was nasty, but what she said was nasty. It's still being seen as the same thing because we know the history between these two people.

Even if President Trump doesn't know what Meghan Markle had to say about him during the election campaign, certainly everyone here in the United Kingdom does. It's pretty clear that she doesn't agree with his political views and she managed to avoid any sort of meetings with him because of her maternity leave.

So, I think that there's some sympathy for Meghan Markle on this side of the pond, at least on that.

In terms of how President Trump has performed on this visit, I think, actually, he's gone down incredibly well. There was that sort of bombshell he threw in criticizing the London mayor on the way in. But actually, he's been very deferential to the British establishment ever since he's been here -- very deferential to the Queen.

And even on this event today, he's taken a back seat, effectively, and allowed the veterans to take the stage today, not trying to steal the show at all.

So I think, actually, he's been very well-regarded. And as you can see on stage here, you've got another veteran from D-Day being honored by the crowds here. A hugely emotional moment for many of them -- tears in their eyes. And respect to them because we owe them a great debt.

The Queen there, looking on, of course, and President Trump to the side of her. He's been gushing about the Queen. He looks up to her and I think that -- I think that that has been -- created a common bond, actually, between many people here in the U.K. and President Trump despite the differences on politics.

CAMEROTA: He's talked about what a fan his mother was of the Queen. That any time anything ever happened with the Queen, his mother would plant himself -- herself in front of the T.V. to watch, as so many Americans, of course, still do.

But is there a way -- is there a way, Max, to characterize how --

Oh, I'm told the Queen is about to speak right now. Let's listen in.

QUEEN ELIZABETH II, UNITED KINGDOM: -- your excellencies, ladies and gentlemen.

When I attended the commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the D-Day landings some thought it might be the last such event. But the wartime generation -- my generation -- is resilient and I'm delighted to be with you in Portsmouth today.

[07:35:00] Seventy-five years ago, hundreds of thousands of young soldiers, sailors, and airmen left these shores in the cause of freedom.

In a broadcast to the nation at that time, my father, King George VI, said, "What is demanded from us all is something more than courage and endurance. We need a revival of spirit -- a new unconquerable resolve."

That is exactly what those brave men brought to the battle as the fate of the world depended on their success. Many of them would never return and the heroism, courage, and sacrifice of those who lost their lives will never be forgotten.

It is with humility and pleasure on behalf of the entire country -- indeed, the whole free world -- that I say to you all, thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

CAMEROTA: OK, that was shorter than we had expected.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Succinct, but powerful.

CAMEROTA: Very powerful.

Let me just quote her that some people had predicted that the 70th commemoration would be the last time they were all together. But she said the "wartime general, my generation, is resilient and I'm happy to still be with you today."

BERMAN: And I think she was speaking as much about the D-Day survivors who were still there as herself because she's been there for so long -- 93 years old. What a beautiful moment to watch and to be a part of this morning.

CAMEROTA: Yes, it's really profound. We'll be bringing you more of that throughout the program.

BERMAN: I'm sorry. I'm just getting lost in the music there, gazing off in it.

CAMEROTA: Me, too -- me, too. BERMAN: Almost $350 billion worth of goods imported to the U.S. from Mexico last year. A big chunk of that goes to the auto industry. We're live in Detroit talking to auto workers about the president's plan for new tariffs.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:41:21] BERMAN: President Trump says he has no plans to abandon his threat to impose tariffs on Mexico over immigration, even in the face of growing Republican opposition. Now, if those tariffs reach 25 percent by October, there could be a crippling cost to car buyers, sellers, and automakers.

Erica Hill is live in Detroit where they are watching this so closely, Erica.

ERICA HILL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: John, there are some estimates that even that -- just that five percent tariff on auto parts could increase the cost of a new car by some $1,300.

So that, of course, begs the question, what will it do to jobs? Like many these days, that question depends on who you ask.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HILL (voice-over): A proud third-generation Chrysler employee, Chris Vitale, works on the engines of the future.

CHRIS VITALE, PROTOTYPE MECHANIC: I am the engineer's hands. I put things together.

HILL (voice-over): For years, politicians have campaigned for the support of the country's nearly one million autoworkers. Now, their future is linked to immigration and the president's push for stronger borders.

VITALE: I feel like he wouldn't have to resort to that if we had a Senate and a Congress that would enforce the borders.

HILL (voice-over): Vitale, who voted for Obama twice, supports President Trump and his tactics.

VITALE: People have endured much worse than expensive avocados or a few more dollars here and there to protect the country. And I think that this is -- this is valid, what he's doing.

SEAN CRAWFORD, AUTO WORKER, GENERAL MOTORS: I think it's the wrong way to go about doing it. It makes us look awful in the eyes of the world and, quite honestly, I'm ashamed.

HILL (voice-over): Sean Crawford just moved back to his hometown for a job at G.M.'s Flint, Michigan facility after the auto giant announced plans to close the plant where he worked.

CRAWFORD: I've really seen the ups and downs of the auto industry.

HILL (voice-over): He worries about his future under Trump.

CRAWFORD: If you raise the price of these products lots of people aren't going to buy them. It's just common sense economics. And if less people buy these products that I'm building every day, then they're going to have to lay people off.

HILL (on camera): How quickly do you think that could happen?

CRAWFORD: Well, in the contract, it says they only have to give you a 24-hour notice.

ANN WILSON, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, MOTOR & EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION: This industry will not be able to survive in its current form with the increasing number of tariffs for Mexican goods. It just will not work. And this will directly and immediately affect the American consumer.

HILL (voice-over): After 25 years in the volatile auto industry, Vitale believes they can weather a storm and is confident this president has his back.

VITALE: The idea that somebody would actually fight for us after being told for years and years oh, you don't matter -- you're going the way of the buggy whip -- he's won legions of fans for just -- for doing that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: And now, while they may disagree on these tariffs and the implementation, and even the impact, one thing they tell me they both are happy to see is that the president is renegotiating NAFTA. They say they would have liked to seen it done some time ago.

And they both pointed out they're happy to see that there is some consideration being made for what Mexican workers will be paid.

Of course, the big issue now with the USMCA is whether these tariffs have put it into jeopardy -- John, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Erica, thank you very much. I hope there's no tariffs on umbrellas. You sound like you need one there. Thank you very much for all of the great reporting.

Let's discuss the possible tariffs against Mexico with Catherine Rampell. She's a "Washington Post" opinion columnist and CNN political commentator.

To quote you, you say, "These are mind-numbingly idiotic." How do you feel about this?

CATHERINE RAMPELL, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, OPINION COLUMNIST, THE WASHINGTON POST: How much time do we have? Look, there are so many reasons why this is a wrong-headed proposal.

[07:45:00] As Erica just pointed out, consumers are probably going to bear the brunt of this. If you look at past tariffs that this president has already imposed, 100 percent of the costs of those tariffs -- which are taxes, by the way -- have been passed along to Americans.

So, it's going to raise the prices for American consumers. It's going to screw up American supply chains, including in the automotive industry, which is already quite vulnerable right now, by the way.

They've announced more layoffs in the auto industry in the first four years -- excuse me, first four months of this year, in like a decade -- or at least several years, in any case. So, the auto industry is already vulnerable.

Lots of other manufacturing sectors also depend on basically unfettered trade across the Mexican border.

And, of course, there are other issues here, including that this is going to mess with our ability to credibly negotiate with China, right? We just signed a new NAFTA deal with Mexico and yet, went back on our word and decided to impose new tariffs.

And, of course, also, if we manage to wreck the Mexican economy, it's going to increase the flow of immigration.

BERMAN: Those last two areas, I think, are so interesting because you're talking about this as a policy maneuver. Why are you doing it? To what end?

RAMPELL: Exactly.

BERMAN: And if your goal is to stop the flow of illegal immigration, wrecking the Mexican economy or hurting the Mexican economy might be counterproductive -- directly counterproductive.

RAMPELL: Absolutely. Part of the reason why there is a flow of immigrants into the United States -- a large part of it has to do with people fleeing violence and political persecution, but also because there are better economic opportunities within the United States. And we can debate whether or not we want more people coming here for economic reasons.

But at the very least, it will make the United States a much more attractive destination if there are fewer opportunities in Mexico or in other countries.

CAMEROTA: That said, as we know, President Trump often uses a blunt instrument to get his point across and it does sound as though this threat has gotten Mexico's attention in a way that other things had not. They are sending their leaders -- a delegation -- to meet with U.S. -- their counterparts. And it has gotten their attention because it is such a blunt instrument and could do so much harm.

So, maybe it's just a threat -- who knows. I mean, he said -- the last thing that he said is that he's quite -- that he's deadly serious about it. But --

RAMPELL: Why are we shooting ourselves in the foot to get Mexico to do something that it actually has very little power to do, right? I mean, it cannot stop the number of people who are coming here seeking asylum under international --

CAMEROTA: He's saying control --

RAMPELL: -- law.

CAMEROTA: He's saying control your borders.

RAMPELL: Look, they can -- they can try but the problem is that a lot of these people have a right to apply for asylum in the United States under international agreements. So, they're -- Mexico is actually quite limited in its power to do what Trump wants here.

And again, even if this manages to hurt the Mexican economy -- to get Mexico to come to the table, it's not clear -- it's not clear, as I said, what tools it actually has at its disposal and it will bring a lot of harm to the U.S. economy. Remember, the U.S. economy is basically the only thing that Trump has going for him right now.

His approval ratings have been consistently under water. There's threats of impeachment and lots of -- and lots of subpoenas of his financial records.

The U.S. economy is the only thing keeping him afloat and yet, he seems intent on destroying it. We're actually about to break a record. The United States economy is about to break a record of the longest expansion in history and this is exactly the time when he's trying to break the U.S. economy.

BERMAN: You know, I talk to people close to Republican senators and they say they hope and right now they're betting on the fact the president's just bluffing here. Do you think that's true?

RAMPELL: I think Trump has gotten more pushback for these tariffs from Republicans, in particular, than he was expecting because Republicans know that if, in fact, these tariffs go through it will endanger lots of sectors that are critical for Republicans' reelection chances, right?

So, if Trump destroys the manufacturing sector, if Trump destroys the farming sector -- and the farming industry has already been under a lot of stress -- that could put them at risk.

So, yes, presumably, Republicans don't want a confrontation here. Maybe Trump will back off.

CAMEROTA: Yes. It doesn't sound like he's bluffing but if he is bluffing, he has gotten Mexico's attention. But at the moment it doesn't sound like it.

Catherine Rampell, thank you very much --

RAMPELL: Thank you.

CAMEROTA: -- for all the insight. BERMAN: All right. Twenty-five cups of coffee a day. Does that sound like a good idea?

CAMEROTA: Not really.

BERMAN: Well, a new study shows it just might be.

CAMEROTA: Come on.

BERMAN: What's going on here? Wake up and smell the reality check. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:54:06] BERMAN: Major League Baseball will look into further extending the protective netting at ballparks, but it won't happen during this season.

Andy Scholes has more in the "Bleacher Report." Good morning, Andy.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, John.

The protective netting, once again, became a topic of discussion last week after a little girl was hospitalized after getting hit by a foul ball in an Astros game.

Starting last season, all 30 teams extended their protected netting to the end of the dugouts after several fans were injured during the 2017 season.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred says if extending the netting even further is what is needed to protect the fans, then so be it, but it won't be happening this season.

Manfred told reporters yesterday, "It's very difficult given how far the clubs have gone with the netting to make changes during the year because they really are structural issues. But because safety is so important, I'm sure that conversation will begin and continue into the off-season."

[07:55:00] All right, we had some high drama last night in the Women's College World Series. UCLA up 4-3 and the Sooners season down to its final out when Shay Knighten comes through in the clutch with a home run to tie the game. They call her "Fake Play Shay" for a reason. Everyone in the stands in Oklahoma City just going nuts.

Bottom of the seventh now, a runner on for UCLA. Kinsley Washington comes through with a single to left. And, Jacqui Prober, your runner, she's going to make a nice slide to avoid the tag.

The Bruins win the game. They celebrate, running out there to put a dogpile on Washington. It's the 12th time for UCLA, first since 2010, ending their longest championship drought.

The dogpile there looks like a lot of fun. And, Alisyn, I was wondering, when was the last time you were on a dogpile. CAMEROTA: Well --

BERMAN: You don't want the answer. You don't want the answer to that.

CAMEROTA: Yes, you do. You know, Andy, I don't play a lot of sports so I don't have an opportunity to celebrate like that. But I appreciate it from afar.

BERMAN: After a good show, Andy, is the answer to that question. Thank you very much.

CAMEROTA: That's hilarious.

All right, there's this brand new study that says drinking 25 cups of coffee a day might not be bad for you, but that's absurd. So that's why we brought in John Avlon, who has our reality check -- go.

JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Here's the science, people. Look, it's early morning. You've probably had a cup of coffee, and if you're anything like me, you might have had three. It's a morning show thing.

But, there's a new study out that caught my eye because it seemed to say that drinking up to 25 cups of coffee was fine, to which I said, what's that now?

Listen, first, who drinks 25 cups of coffee? And second, I can't imagine I'm the only one getting whiplash from all these contradictory coffee studies.

For years, folks were told that too much coffee would kill them. Then came a parade of studies claiming the opposite was true. Drinking coffee could help you live longer, fighting off everything from type II diabetes to liver disease to Alzheimer's.

And there's a great CNN story that listed literally centuries of conflicting conventional wisdom about coffee. Get this -- in the 1500s, people believed coffee led to illicit sex, while a century later people were being told it led to impotence but it could also cure alcoholism. So, at least the contradictions are consistent.

But this latest study comes with a lot of caveats. It looked at folks who said they drank less than a cup a day up to one to three cups a day, and then more than three cups a day, which apparently included the ceiling of up to 25 cups. So that absurd upper limit is in no way recommended or remotely normal.

But when submitted to a battery of tests looking for hardening arteries and heart damage, they didn't find that the low coffee drinkers were especially more heart-healthy than the folks who drank it all day.

In the past, some of the studies also didn't control for other risks, like smoking cigarettes with your coffee. Otis Redding was a fan; most doctors aren't. Sadly, loading your coffee with cream and sugar is not good for you. I know this from personal experience.

And getting too little sleep and trying to offset that with endless cups of coffee definitely isn't good for you, which is disappointing.

Look, everybody's different and no one should think drinking boatloads of coffee is a necessary part of a heart health regimen. But in the end, the oldest advice is still probably the best -- everything in moderation, people.

But before we go we wanted to run through another story through the reality check lens because an immoderate ego can definitely lead to ridiculous results.

Over the years we've seen a lot of silly attempts to establish trademarks that were a stretch. This includes Subway trying to trademark the word "footlong" and a certain future president attempting to trademark the catchphrase "you're fired!"

Well, that fraternity just got a new member, people. Many people, including some on this set, would argue that six-time Super Bowl champ Tom Brady is, indeed, terrific. But that doesn't mean that his attempt to trademarking the nickname "Tom Terrific" is a terrific idea at all.

There are many, many reasons for this. First, it was apparently the title of a 1950s cartoon. But more relevant to most living humans and especially New York Mets fans, the name "Tom Terrific" was taken decades ago by Hall of Fame hurler Tom Seaver.

And now, we'll open the floor to discussion with die-hard Pats fan and noted Tom Brady apologist, John Berman.

BERMAN: I will tell you, I do not like Tom Brady because of his understanding of trademark law or even his business --

AVLON: Really?

BERMAN: -- acumen. I like him for two reasons. Number one, he's won six Super Bowls, and number two, he's dreamy.

So, the trademark stuff --

AVLON: Dreamy.

BERMAN: -- doesn't affect that.

AVLON: But don't you think he should have gone "Deflategate" first?

BERMAN: I don't think that has the same ring -- it's not an alliteration.

CAMEROTA: Yes, interesting that you point that out.

AVLON: We could -- BERMAN: It's not an -- it's not an alliteration.

CAMEROTA: But do you think that he should call himself "Tom Terrific?"

BERMAN: No. I think the Tom Seaver thing -- just the Tom Seaver thing alone, I think that's silly.

CAMEROTA: How about the ego thing?

BERMAN: Well, it happens to be true. I mean, if there's a true defense, I think it's fine.

AVLON: But when he looks in the mirror he thinks I'm terrific. I should own that.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

BERMAN: Yes, because it's true.

AVLON: That's terrible.

BERMAN: It's true.

CAMEROTA: John, it's better if somebody else calls you it.

AVLON: Yes.

CAMEROTA: Like if I call you "Berman's the Bomb." It's better --

BERMAN: Yes.

CAMEROTA: -- if I call you something or other people, but not when you call it yourself.

BERMAN: Here's the thing -- will you call me that?

CAMEROTA: I do call you that.

BERMAN: OK.

CAMEROTA: Not --

BERMAN: Then it's OK. Then we're fine.

CAMEROTA: Not in your presence.

BERMAN: Then everything is working out fine.

CAMEROTA: But I do call you that.

AVLON: I'm glad we had this conversation.

BERMAN: All right, John. Thank you very much.

CAMEROTA: John, that was really fun. Thank you. I have no idea about coffee but that was really fun. Thank you very much.

President Trump is wrapping up his U.K. visit very shortly. He faces a rebellion from.

END