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Harris And Warren Climb In Post-Debate Poll; Iran Exceeds Enriched Uranium Limit; Angels Pitcher Tyler Skaggs Found Dead In Hotel Room. Aired 5:30-6a ET

Aired July 2, 2019 - 05:30   ET

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


[05:30:00] MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN ANCHOR: -- that one debate truly can make a difference.

A new CNN poll showing initial voter reaction to that first Democratic debate has big moves up as well as down.

The top tier now plainly clustered into four leaders -- Biden, Harris, Warren, and Sanders. And the numbers include a substantial drop for Biden and big gains for Warren and Harris thanks to moments like this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know, there was a little girl in California who was part of the second class to integrate her public schools and she was bussed to school every day. And that little girl was me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSINSKI: One noteworthy result for Biden, though.

DAVE BRIGGS, CNN ANCHOR: Despite coming under scrutiny on civil rights issues, support for the former V.P. remains strong among black voters.

KOSINSKI: There is a glaring contradiction when it comes to health care in the CNN poll. Only 30 percent of potential Democratic voters want a national program like Medicare for All to replace private insurance. But, 49 percent favor a national program while keeping private insurers, too. So almost half want both of those in play.

When it comes to which candidate can best handle the health care issue, Bernie Sanders comes out on top with 26 percent. He strongly backs Medicare for All and wants to see the end of the private insurance industry.

BRIGGS: And on the topic of health coverage for undocumented immigrants, all 10 Democratic candidates raised their hands to support it during the second night of debates last week.

According to this poll, that's not a popular position. Fifty-nine percent of all voters are against it; only 38 percent support it. The six in 10 potential Democratic voters favor health coverage for the undocumented.

Let's talk about all of this with "CNN POLITICS" digital director Zach Wolf, live in Washington. Good to see you, sir.

ZACHARY WOLF, DIGITAL DIRECTOR, CNN POLITICS: Good morning.

BRIGGS: So let's just look at the broad takeaway here and that is Joe Biden slipping and Kamala Harris taking all of that slippage. And was it over bussing in the 1970s or was it, as Gerry Connolly, Democratic member of the House, put it to Wolf, about his simple debate performance -- listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. GERRY CONNOLLY (D-VA): I think his performance, candidly, was very disappointing. I think he was not crisp. He seemed ill-prepared for questions that surely his debate team knew were coming.

And I think he could have had a lot better response to the attacks that were launched against him. So, he's going to have to up his game.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: OK, so is the congressman right there? Was it about simple debate performance -- kind of a broad issue -- rather than the narrow issue of bussing in the 1970s and race policies?

WOLF: You know, I think it's a lot of things -- a lot of -- the biggest of which is the debate performance, which was -- you know, across the board, I think everybody agrees not great for the former vice president.

I think it's also simply about people are sort of being introduced to this new --

BRIGGS: Yes.

WOLF: -- crop of candidates. Everybody knew --

KOSINSKI: Yes.

WOLF: -- who Joe Biden was going into this debate. Everybody knew who Bernie Sanders was.

These other people -- these other candidates -- Kamala Harris -- a lot of Democrats knew who she was. A lot of people are meeting here for the first time. Fewer, but a lot, were meeting Elizabeth Warren and these other candidates for the first time. So this is sort of the first battle between these candidates.

But a large portion of this is simply getting to know the opposition and seeing who is out there for the first time.

KOSINSKI: You're right, and there's a lot of layers in this poll. One big number, though -- one you have to keep looking at is best candidate to beat Trump.

BRIGGS: Yes.

KOSINSKI: Biden is solidly still on top, 43 percent. The next highest is Sanders, but 13 percent among potential Democratic voters.

And, you know what, Zach, when you look at those white middle-class voters who went to Trump last time around, what are the signs that Biden could pull those back at this point?

WOLF: Well, and that's the great question, I think, for Democrats this election cycle is do they try to get those voters back? Do they sort of move in the more progressive direction that the party seems to be trending? That's sort of what they have to figure out if they're going to do.

And, Biden, for now, partially because he's still the most known quantity, seems like the best opportunity, at least amongst -- in this poll, voters think he's the guy who is best equipped to take on Trump.

It will be interesting to see how those numbers change as we have more polls in this five months of -- you know, more than five months of campaigning. Months and months of campaigning --

KOSINSKI: Right.

WOLF: -- before we actually have votes cast.

KOSINSKI: Yes.

WOLF: All of this is going to change more.

KOSINSKI: Yes.

BRIGGS: Yes.

KOSINSKI: Right. I mean, it is early days but it's hard to imagine those numbers moving and what would have to happen before that shifted dramatically?

[05:35:01] BRIGGS: Yes. Another big debate performance like this from Biden, though, and we could see that momentum really changing.

Health care will be the central issue here if you look at the midterms and if you talk to people across this country, and the numbers are hard to really digest. The one central takeaway is yes, national health insurance is popular, Zach, but not at the expense --

KOSINSKI: Yes.

BRIGGS: -- of the private health insurance industry.

The Democratic field -- are they on the right side or the wrong side in the national polling on this central issue?

WOLF: Well, I think they're on the right side in that people clearly want more options and they want a government option for health care.

There is a majority of people in this country who think that the government should be offering some sort of health care. Do they think that the government should get rid of all private health insurance, as Bernie Sanders wants to? No, they clearly don't.

But this is how you drive yourself crazy looking at polls too much --

KOSINSKI: So true.

WOLF: -- because the candidate most qualified to take on health care, according to Democrats in this poll --

KOSINSKI: Is --

WOLF: -- is Bernie Sanders --

KOSINSKI: -- Bernie Sanders.

WOLF: -- who wants the very thing that most Americans don't seem to want. So, you know, we're going to have to just see where health plays out.

KOSINSKI: It could just be familiarity though with the issue --

BRIGGS: Right.

KOSINSKI: -- like Sanders has been preaching that for a long time.

BRIGGS: But most of that field has said they want to eliminate private health insurance. That will be the central debate moving forward.

Zach Wolf, good to see you this morning. Thank you.

KOSINSKI: Thanks, Zach.

WOLF: Thanks.

KOSINSKI: Well, CNN has learned exclusively that a House committee is investigating the use of taxpayer-funded diplomatic security by the Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his family. According to a whistleblower who sparked the early investigation, agents said, at times, they felt like, quote, "Uber Eats with guns."

There have been issues over a period of months with special agents being asked to carry out tasks that they, at times, thought were questionable for the Pompeo family.

April, for example -- one agent was asked to pick up Chinese food. And the whistleblower claims on another occasion a special agent was asked to pick up the family dog from a groomer.

So, Lon Fairchild, a special agent in charge with the Diplomatic Security Service, didn't deny that any of these tasks existed that agents were asked to carry out, but he released this statement about Sec. Pompeo.

"At no point during my service did he or any members of his family ask me or any member of my team to act in any way that would be inconsistent with our professional obligation."

The State Department put out these very carefully worded statements. It took them days to produce.

But a former senior diplomatic security official tells CNN that such tasks would generally not be appropriate, especially without the secretary, himself, in the car.

BRIGGS: OK. Whatever remains of the Iran nuclear deal appears to be crumbling. On Monday, the Iranians declared they have exceeded the stockpile limit for low-enriched uranium allowed because Europe has not been able to mitigate the impact of U.S. sanctions.

President Trump was asked if he has a message for the Iranian regime.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They know what they're doing and they know what they're playing with, and I think they're playing with fire. So, no message to Iran, whatsoever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: U.K. Foreign Minister Jeremy Hunt insists if Iran breaks the nuclear deal, Britain is, quote, "out of it as well." But, Iran claims it has not violated anything.

Nick Paton Walsh can clear some of this up for us this morning, live from London. Good morning.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and it's the Europeans, really here, who are trying to get Iran to stay within the confines of what it agreed back in 2015.

France's President Emmanuel Macron just coming out saying that Iran should refrain from any further steps that could possibly violate its compliance with the deal.

What has Iran done? Well, it has violated one of the things it agreed to do back in 2015, a deal that was all about limiting its path towards a nuclear weapon. It said it didn't have one but the rest of the world said it did. But it had nothing to do with Iran's ascendance in the region to become a military power.

It's that last bit that's really upset the Trump administration and that's the reason why they've been trying to kind of pick away at that nuclear deal, reimposing sanctions upon Iran, causing damage extensively to its economy. And frightening away, frankly, anybody else in the world who wants to do business with American from doing business with Iran.

Yesterday, Iran came forward and it was agreed by U.N.'s nuclear inspectors, the IAEA, that they had violated one of the smaller limits on what they're allowed to do and they're enriching low-enriched uranium at 3.67 percent over the 300 kilograms -- that 660-pound stockpile limit set on them.

Entirely symbolic. Frankly, no use if you're trying to build a nuclear weapon. It possibly helps you on the path towards that if you're in a hurry, but nothing actually practical useful comes from that.

But it does say openly that Iran is willing to stop abiding by the terms of that nuclear deal. Frankly, America has been for 60 weeks, say the Iranians. And the Iranians also say there's clauses in the deal that enable them to do different things if they don't like how people are complying with their part of it all, but it's very complicated.

Still, we're in an escalatory war of rhetoric here between different sides. We saw how confusion in the Gulf over oil tankers being attacked potentially led towards conflict and a drone being shot down.

[05:40:07] Donald Trump says he doesn't want a war but it's moments like this when everyone is concerned they might stumble into one -- Dave.

BRIGGS: And with the economy in that rough shape, Iran needs sanctions relief from the Europeans.

Nick Paton Walsh live for us in London --

WALSH: It certainly does.

BRIGGS: -- this morning. Thank you.

All right. Ahead, tributes and shock across Major League Baseball after the sudden death of 27-year-old Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRIGGS: The shocking death of Tyler Skaggs is rocking the baseball world and its fans mourning this morning. The 27-year-old Los Angeles Angels pitcher was found unresponsive in his hotel room outside Dallas Monday. The Angels were in town to play the Rangers.

[05:45:00] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS WOODWARD, MANAGER, TEXAS RANGERS: There were a lot of pretty emotional guys in there, you could tell. Some guys knew him. Some guys -- you know, I think Chavez (ph) had actually played with him in L.A. Some guys who didn't even know him were pretty visibly shaken -- you could tell.

Like I said, this is something that we don't deal with on a daily basis.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: Police tell the "L.A. Times" they do not suspect foul play nor suicide.

On Sunday, when the team touched down in Texas, Skaggs posted this photo on Instagram of all his teammates wearing cowboy hats and gear.

The young pitcher was just married at the end of 2018 and a December 31st Instagram post shows him, along with his wife, the words, "2018 was the best year yet."

Back in Anaheim, Angels fans mourned outside the stadium. One of them wore a jersey bearing the name of Nick Adenhart, the Angels pitcher who was killed 10 years ago in a car crash.

Moments of silence and tributes around the league last night. Monday's game between the Angels and Rangers was postponed because of Skaggs death. The rest of the series is expected to continue as scheduled today.

Mike Trout, of the Angels, tweeting, "Remembering him as a great teammate, friend, and person who will forever remain in our hearts."

KOSINSKI: Well, there will be tanks at Trump's Fourth of July celebrations in Washington -- there will be, but there's a catch. Defense officials say a small number of M1 Abrams tanks and other armored vehicles will participate but will not roll down Pennsylvania Avenue because of the need to protect roads and bridges.

And a Defense official says the current plan is to have a small number of armored vehicles as a static display on the National Mall.

Earlier in his presidency, Trump announced plans to hold a military parade on Veteran's Day in Washington, but he canceled them after estimates put the cost at tens of millions of dollars.

Initial testing for possible sarin exposure at a Facebook mail facility proving inconclusive. Fire officials in Menlo Park, California said overnight that further testing is being done on a mailbag that set off a screening machine.

Officials said two employees were potentially exposed to the nerve agent. They're still at the facility and are being monitored but they're not showing any signs of exposure.

Officials said more conclusive tests on the suspicious mail is due back early this morning.

BRIGGS: All right, 5:47. A check on "CNN Business" this morning.

Taking a look at markets around the world, European markets opened mixed as trading begins there.

On Wall Street, the post-G20 cheer could be starting to fade after a solid start to July. Stocks ended higher Monday, rising on trade optimism between the U.S. and China.

The Dow closed up 117 points. The S&P 500 hit a fresh all-time closing high of 2,964 points, surpassing its previous record from June 20. The Nasdaq finished 1.1 percent higher.

Pain at the pump just in time for your summer road trips. Gas taxes are on the rise because more Americans are driving fuel-efficient vehicles.

Thirteen states raised taxes at the pump Monday. Illinois seeing the biggest increase of 19 cents a gallon. That is a 52 percent increase. The second-biggest is Ohio where taxes jumped up 10.5 cents a gallon.

States use gas taxes to pay for road repairs and public transit. Taxes were raised to make up for lost revenue. The increases come at the peak of the summer driving season.

Nike is canceling a sneaker that featured the Betsy Ross flag. Nike asked stores to return the Air Max 1 Quickstrike Fourth of July sneaker after receiving a complaint from former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. "The Wall Street Journal" reported Kaepernick said he and others found the show offensive because of the flag's connection to slavery.

It's unclear if any of those shoes were sold.

This is the second time Nike has removed a product recently. It stopped selling some products in China after a fashion designer's support for protests in Hong Kong sparked a backlash on social media.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:53:25] KOSINSKI: This morning, jurors will keep deliberating the fate of Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher. He's accused of stabbing an ISIS detainee to death in Iraq in 2017, posing for photos next to his corpse, shooting at civilians, and intimidating other SEALs who might report him.

Gallagher's defense portrayed him as an old school, hard-charging warrior who was targeted by younger millennial comrades who harbored personal animosity toward him.

Gallagher faces life in prison if convicted.

BRIGGS: Virginia is now the first state to criminalize the distribution of manufactured or deepfake revenge porn. Virginia already had revenge porn law on its books but it did not cover fabricated images or videos, something that is growing more common thanks to software advances.

Right now, there is a bill in the House that would make it a federal crime to distribute nude or sexual deepfake images, quote, "with the intent to humiliate or other harass someone."

KOSINSKI: Eleven years after being prosecuted for trying to drown her son, police say a Central California woman actually went through with it. On Saturday, officers in Tulare County were called to an irrigation ditch where they found 12-year-old Jackson and his 7-year-old brother Jacob Ray. Jackson died at the hospital. Jacob Ray was admitted in critical condition.

Their mother, Sherri, arrested at the scene. She's expected in court later today.

Back in 2008, Telnas was charged with attempted murder in Montana for trying to drown then-10-month-old Jackson. Local media reports she told family members that voices told her to do it. She regained custody of her son after receiving psychiatric treatment.

[05:55:03] BRIGGS: Texas prosecutors got their conviction. Well, now, they just need the convict.

The U.S. Marshals Service is putting out a new flyer in its effort to catch a killer. Twenty-five-year-old Rene Carrillo cut off his electronic ankle monitor and went on the run last week.

A jury convicted him of murder in absentia and he was sentenced to 99 years in prison. Carrillo shot and killed a man in 2017 outside a Dallas strip club after an argument.

Authorities are asking for the public to help find him.

KOSINSKI: Two major upsets on opening day at Wimbledon. Whoa, that is 15-year-old Cori "Coco" Gauff beating one of her idols, five-time Wimbledon champ Venus Williams. She says Venus and her sister, Serena, were the reason she first picked up a racket.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: What did you say to Venus at the net, Cori? You seemed to be almost apologetic.

CORI "COCO" GAUFF, DEFEATED VENUS WILLIAMS IN OPENING ROUND AT WIMBLEDON: I wasn't apologizing. I was just telling her thank you for everything that she's done for the sport and she's been an inspiration for many people. And I was just really telling her thank you.

I met her before but I didn't really have the guts to say anything, so I was like -- I mean, now or never.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KOSINSKI: Or I guess you could see this as a tragedy when young people start beating the old folks.

But the other big upset on day one, Japan's Naomi Osaka, the world's number two-ranked player, lost in straight sets.

BRIGGS: All right. The U.S. Women's National team just two wins away from the second-straight World Cup title. Up first for the U.S., a semifinal match against England later today.

CNN's Amanda Davies joining us live from France with a preview. Just a hunch you are pulling a bit for the underdog here. Good morning.

AMANDA DAVIES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Oh, good morning. You may have found me out, yes. This is a very big day, which needs a serious buildup.

Now, nine hours till kickoff -- the biggest match of the tournament so far. And yes, I'm struggling just a little bit to maintain my professional neutrality.

But the good news for U.S. fans, despite being born in England and admitting to supporting Manchester United as a child, Coach Jill Ellis says there is no danger of any split loyalties from her side.

The USA are definitely the favorites. They're the best team in the world looking to book their place in the final, a record fifth time, while England hoping to make it to the decider for the first time.

But for all the dominance and the firepower in front of goals from the likes of Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan, Ellis has been sure to make it clear there's going to be no arrogance from her side this evening here in Lyon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JILL ELLIS, HEAD COACH, U.S. WOMEN'S NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM: It's important that our team has confidence. I don't think in any way this is an arrogant team. I think this team knows that they've got to earn everything. That we've got opponents, as we played the other night, still ahead of us, and we have to earn every right to advance in this tournament.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIES: Well, speaking of earnings, this tournament, of course, being played against that backdrop of the U.S. Women's National team and their lawsuits against the U.S. Soccer Federation, fighting for equal pay when compared to the men.

And this week, Nike announced that the women's jerseys have outsold any other men's or women's from any team this season, which is surely going to help their cause and their fight. So, too, would a win this evening. The more this team win on the pitch, the stronger their argument gets off it, Dave.

BRIGGS: Very much looking forward to this match at 3:00 Eastern time here in New York.

Thank you, Amanda. It should be fun.

KOSINSKI: And now, what you've all been waiting for. Some very cool images from out of this world, almost 200 years in the making. NASA releasing new Hubble space telescope pictures of a cosmic fireworks display. It'll be even better than yours this year, Dave. BRIGGS: Yes.

KOSINSKI: -- sorry -- just in time for the Fourth of July.

This is an event appropriately called the "Great Eruption." It happened to the double star system, Eta Carinae -- but, of course, you knew that -- back in 1838. Plus, the 7,500 years it took for the light to reach earth when a bigger star consumed its smaller neighbor.

So you're going to have to up your game on the fireworks I'm afraid, this year. How you going to beat --

BRIGGS: Hey, look, with these hours --

KOSINSKI: -- that?

BRIGGS: With these hours, we're both sleeping through fireworks. Let's be honest.

KOSINSKI: Not me.

BRIGGS: That's the closest that we're going to see.

KOSINSKI: It was red, white, and blue, too.

Well, thanks for joining us. I'm Michelle Kosinski.

BRIGGS: I'm Dave Briggs. Here's "NEW DAY".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This race is resetting. All images of Joe Biden being the front-runner are now reshaping this summer.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You talk to black voters and they still feel like he's a winner.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am absolutely 100 percent behind Sen. Kamala Harris.

REP. JOAQUIN CASTRO (D-TX): When we went into the cell, it was clear that the water was not running.

TRUMP: The border patrol, they're patriots -- they're great people. They love our country.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What we saw in the messages is repeatedly, members of this group dehumanizing migrants.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Each one of these allegations will be thoroughly investigated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Alisyn Camerota and John Berman.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world. This is NEW DAY.

You can hold my hand if you.

END