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NEW DAY

U.S. Women's Soccer Team Heads to NYC for Ticker-Tape Parade; Trump: 'I Want Press to Go in and See Detention Centers'; Biden Apologizes for Senate Segregationist Comments; California Braces for 'The Big One' After Earthquakes; Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in Court, Facing Sex Trafficking Charges; New Photos Give Public First Good Look at Baby Archie. Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired July 8, 2019 - 06:00   ET

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


(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's it. U.S. wins their fourth World Cup.

[05:59:23] MEGAN RAPINOE, CAPTAIN, USWNT: Every player at this World Cup put on the most incredible show that you could ever ask for.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's been a long journey. And I feel so lucky to be a part of this group and play alongside these players.

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Was I wrong a few weeks ago to somehow give the impression to people that I was praising those men who I successfully opposed time and again? Yes, I was. I regret it.

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm going to take him at his word. But again, you cannot rewrite history.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're apologizing for all of the things that you did, how are you going to be a different leader? He's struggling with that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. This is NEW DAY. It's Monday, July 8, 6 a.m. here in New York. World Cup champs.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: I feel like we're wearing our Rapinoe purple right now. We're representing.

BERMAN: Absolutely. Which makes us co-champions.

CAMEROTA: Thank you.

BERMAN: Right?

CAMEROTA: Yes, we are. BERMAN: So this morning they're not done yet. A World Cup victory is just a step in a much bigger battle for the U.S. soccer team. Yes, they are on top of the world and yes, they want to get paid like it.

Overnight Nancy Pelosi invited the team to visit Capitol Hill, but there's genuine confusion this morning about whether they will be invited to the White House. Hours after the game, the president tweeted his congratulations but claimed he has not thought about a White House invitation.

But less than two weeks ago, in an official statement, on Twitter, the president invited the team, win or lose. Several players have already said they will not go if invited.

CAMEROTA: All right. So the team celebration had fans cheering, but instead of shouts of "USA," they were chanting "Equal pay." And that, of course, is the reference to the teams ongoing fight to be paid the same salary as the men's team.

The heroes are heading to New York for a ticker-tape parade through the Canyon of Heroes on Wednesday. I will be there covering it.

But before all of that, let's go live to Lyons, France, and bring in CNN's Amanda Davis. Tell us the scene there.

AMANDA DAVIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alisyn.

They are on their way back to you. The U.S. team have left Lyons here in the last few minutes. But if ever there was a battle off the pitch that's meant as much as the one on it, it is what we have seen play out here in France over the last few weeks in terms of the U.S. Women's Team not only fighting for that title but for the equal pay, as well, with their lawsuit against their own federation, U.S. Soccer.

The crux of the argument is that they, as women, get paid just 38 percent of the amount paid to a male player with the same credentials.

Mediation between the two sides has been agreed. We know that. But as Megan Rapinoe put it, there's not many better ways of making your paint than winning a record-extending fourth World Cup crown in a tournament that's been dubbed the best ever standard of women's soccer in front of record-breaking TV audiences, scoring a record number of goals along the way. And she is in no doubt how this title has helped their cause.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAPINOE: It's not good for them, is it? I mean, I think obviously, it's huge. You know, I think we've been a little shy to say that, you know, putting so much pressure on ourselves, because I think I think we have a case of no matter what. Obviously, we've brought the lawsuit. But this just, you know, sort of blows it out of the water.

It's like, is it even about that anymore? Is it just kind of about doing the right thing? I think the federation is in a unique position to, you know, kind of

ride this wave of good fortune and get on board and, hopefully, set things right for the future.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DAVIES: Well, Captain Fantastic Rapinoe certainly put on a show in the final yesterday. Who else was it going to be to make the difference in the decider against the Netherlands? The player who's made as many headlines off this pitch as she has done on it in the last couple few weeks. A goal that also saw her claimed the Golden Boot for the tournament's top scorer.

And what a moment, as well, for Rose Lavelle. She scored the second four years after sitting at home, watching the victory in Canada whilst eating pizza.

The team, as I said, on their way back to the U.S. The big question now is whether or not Donald Trump will be extending that invitation. We know Rapinoe has already said, Alex Morgan has already said, Ali Krieger has already said they will not accept that invitation if it is forthcoming.

They wouldn't be the first to turn it down, would they? We've seen Lindsey Vonn, the likes of Steph Curry do so in the past.

But the invitation has not come as yet.

BERMAN: Well, the president actually, two weeks ago, did say he was inviting them win or lose.

CAMEROTA: Yes, on Twitter. Unless he took it back.

BERMAN: Or unless he forgot. I don't know. Maybe he forgot. Maybe he forgot.

CAMEROTA: It's possible. But we'll find out, I hope, during the program.

But I mean, when you just -- My daughter did their -- the equal pay of the Women's Soccer Team for her eighth-grade sort of thesis. And when you think about how they generate more ratings, they win more, they get more -- they generate more revenue, it makes you a little bit sick that they make 38 percent.

BERMAN: And the Soccer Federation is a nonprofit. I mean, the Soccer Federation could make a statement today if it wanted to. I would not want to be on the other end of that lawsuit this morning, if I were USA Soccer.

CAMEROTA: There you go.

BERMAN: All right. New this morning, the president says he wants to open controversial border detention centers to the press. Reporters and lawmakers who have toured these facilities have seen overcrowding and deplorable conditions. But the president claims that the migrants are in much better shape there than in their native countries.

Our Joe Johns is live at the White House this morning.

[06:05:02] Joe, do we know if this is a serious invitation by the president to let cameras in?

JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, he's said this before. And, you know, this is an example of this administration essentially putting information out there that belies the facts in a way that we've seen that goes far beyond anything that's been customary in American politics over the years.

The president forcefully pushing back on what appears to be just a ton of evidence about squalor in those detention centers on the border, as evidenced from the inspector general's office, from news reports, from Democrats who have visited some of these facilities.

The president indicating more than once, in his view, that these detention centers are in such good shape, he's now willing to let the media in to take a look around. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If you look, people that came from unbelievable poverty, that had no water, they had no anything where they came from, those are people that are very happy with what's going on, because relatively speaking, they're in much better shape right now.

What we're going to do is I'm going to start showing some of these detention centers because -- to the press. I want the press to go in and see them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHNS: The president took particular exception to a report in "The New York Times" about the conditions in one of those facilities in Clint, Texas, leveling a blast at "The New York Times."

"The New York Times" says it stands by its story.

Back to you, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: OK, Joe. Thank you very much for that.

Meanwhile, Joe Biden is apologizing for his comments about working with segregationist senators in the 1970s, but the former vice president is not apologizing for his record on race. And he's touting his relationship with Barack Obama to prove his point.

Arlette Saenz has been traveling with Biden, and she joins us live from Washington.

So give us the back story and why he decided to do this, Arlette.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Alisyn, we're really seeing a rare apology from Joe Biden. It was just almost three weeks ago when he made those controversial comments about working with segregationist senators decades ago in what he called "an era of civility."

He had come under fire and criticism for those comments. And Biden at the time had been a little bit defensive. But over the weekend, he did apologize for those comments if they had caused anyone pain. He made those remarks in front of a mostly black audience down in South Carolina.

And yesterday, I had the chance to ask Biden why it took nearly three weeks for him to make that apology. Take a listen to what he told me in Charleston yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: If any comments I made were taken in a way that people took offense from them, then I am truly sorry for that. This is about the future; it's not about the past. And I'm proud of my past. Have I made mistakes? Yes. Do we grow? Yes. But the fact of the matter is, that's why I chose, here in South Carolina, and chose an audience that, in fact, would have be the most likely to be have been offended by anything that was said.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAENZ: Now, Senator Cory Booker was among those who had criticized him, calling on him to apologize; and he said the comments were hurtful over the weekend and also wished that Biden would have come out and apologized sooner. But he did say he was grateful for that apology.

Senator Kamala Harris had called out Biden on the debate stage for those comments. She stopped short of offering a full apology. But she said that there are still major points of differences between her and the former vice president -- Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: OK, Arlette. Thank you very much.

And we want to let everyone know you can see Chris Cuomo's full interview with Vice President Joe Biden tonight on "CUOMO PRIMETIME" at 9 p.m. Eastern.

BERMAN: Yes. This is clearly a new strategy for the Biden campaign. We'll talk much more about that coming up, too.

This morning residents in Southern California worried about what comes next. They are recovering after two powerful earthquakes in two days.

CNN's Sara Sidner is live in Ridgecrest, California. This is the place that was hit worst.

And Sara, this morning, I really do think the concern is that the big one could still be coming.

SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. You know, there's a lot of folks living in larger cities like Los Angeles or San Francisco. The -- that fault has not ruptured, and there is still a chance, because it is long overdue for a major earthquake there.

On the fault that ruptured here, though, the good news for the residents in Ridgecrest and surrounding areas is that, with each passing day, there is less and less of a chance that this particular fault will have an even larger rupture.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER (voice-over): Surveillance video capturing the moment a 7.1 magnitude earthquake rattled Ridgecrest, California. Intense shaking inside sent anything that wasn't tied down flying.

Outside, it tossed around parked cars, sloshed water out of pools, broke apart Highway 178, created a huge crack along the desert floor, and terrified residents, wherever they were, who thought the worst was over after experiencing a 6.4 quake the day before.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get under the table. Get under the table. Oh, my God.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God. Oh, my God.

[06:10:07] SIDNER: In Trona, California, 25 miles away from Ridgecrest, the Byrd family opted to sleep outside in the desert heat instead of under their own roof for a few nights.

KAY BYRD, TRONA, CALIFORNIA, RESIDENT: You know, it's what we did. We thought it was safer that way, because they said another one was coming. And if it was worse than that one, you definitely didn't want to be in our house.

BROOKE THOMPSON, 8-YEAR-OLD GRANDDAUGHTER: It shook so bad that I had to escape by the window. So we decided we were going to stay here and spend the night, because we were too worried that another one would come and actually hurt -- damage us.

SIDNER (on camera): So you got out by the window? What was it like inside?

THOMPSON: It looked like a tornado just came into our house and just had a party.

SIDNER (voice-over): Now the destructive party is over, and cleanup has begun. Everything that was tucked away in cupboards or on shelves ended up on the floor in their home.

(on camera): For most homes near the epicenter of this major earthquake, you can't really tell there's damage until you go inside the homes.

But for this particular house, it is very clear on the outside. You see that crack? We're told it goes all the way through the entire home.

(voice-over): Back in Ridgecrest, the largest town near the epicenter, it was fires that caused the most visible damage.

BOB BLOUDEK, RIDGECREST RESIDENT: I looked up and the flames were already shooting out of the windows.

SIDNER: Bob Bloudek watched as his neighbor's home burned down. He says the difference between the 6.4 and 7.1 quakes was night and day. The second quake made him consider moving after more than 30 years in this town.

BLOUDEK: To be honest with you, I didn't know if we were going to get out or not.

SIDNER (on camera): What do you mean by you didn't know if you were going to get out?

BLOUDEK: I didn't know if we were going to make it. I hope to never go through something like that again.

SIDNER (voice-over): But seismologists say after a major quake like this, residents could feel aftershocks for years to come.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER: And we have certainly been feeling those aftershocks in the days that we have been here. Every now and then, everything just starts to shake. And you almost get used to it.

But what happens to a lot of folks when they are dealing with this is almost everything that shakes makes you think that there is another aftershock. It is extremely unnerving -- Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Scary stuff, Sara. Thank you very much for all of that reporting.

Now to this. An American billionaire accused of sex trafficking involving minors is back in court today after some say that he got the plea deal of a lifetime. Why federal prosecutors are now back on his case. Next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:17:07] CAMEROTA: American billionaire Jeffrey Epstein will appear today in Manhattan federal court. He is expected to be charged with running a sex trafficking operation involving dozens of underaged girls. He escaped similar charges in the past, thanks to a controversial plea deal with federal prosecutors.

Erica Hill is here with the latest. What's happening in this case?

ERICA HILL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: So we are expecting new charges. Part of the controversy of that last plea deal is that many saw it as highlining a justice system that works best when you're rich and powerful.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) HILL (voice-over): Florida billionaire and registered sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is facing new charges, indicted for alleged sex trafficking involving minors, according to law enforcement sources.

The charges cover alleged crimes in both New York state and Florida between 2002 and 2005. "The New York Times" reporting the 66-year-old is expected to be charged with running a sex trafficking operation at his Manhattan home, one involving girls as young as 14.

Epstein, the subject of investigations in both states and an FBI investigation, was granted a secret plea deal in 2008 by Florida prosecutors, helping him avoid federal charges.

One of the key negotiators: former U.S. attorney Alexander Acosta --

TRUMP: Our secretary of labor, Secretary Acosta.

HILL: -- now President Trump's labor secretary.

According to an extensive investigation by "The Miami Herald," Acosta helped Epstein with what's been referred to as the "deal of a lifetime," despite a federal investigation identifying 36 underaged victims and a 53-page indictment.

JULIE K. BROWN, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER, "THE MIAMI HERALD": These were girls who were 13, 14, and 15 who came from poor families, disadvantaged families. And so they, you know, initially went there in hopes of, perhaps, get -- not only getting some pocket money. But also, he had promised many of them that he was going to help them become models or get them into fashion school.

HILL: The billionaire ultimately pleading guilty to two state misdemeanor prostitution charges, serving 13 months in a county jail in a work release program.

Acosta defended Epstein's sentencing at his confirmation hearing.

ALEXANDER ACOSTA, U.S. SECRETARY OF LABOR: We decided that -- that a sentence or -- how should I put this? That Mr. Epstein should plead guilty to two years, register as a sex offender, and concede liability so the victims could get restitution. And if that were done, the federal interest would be satisfied, and we would defer to the state.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HILL: Now, one of the many reasons that deal was so controversial is because, in the wake of it, a federal judge actually ruled that the DOJ had broken the law, because they didn't confer with victims. In fact, the plea deal was kept secret from them, kept from them until after it was approved by a judge.

[06:20:05] I do want to point out CNN has reached out to Epstein and his team. We have not yet heard back.

BERMAN: I've got to say, it's going to be very interesting to see what happens in court today when we learn much more about exactly what he's being charged with today. But a lot of people are looking at this as a case of, perhaps, justice long overdue.

HILL: Long. Yes.

CAMEROTA: And we have one of "The Miami Herald" investigative reporters coming on with us to give us more about the history. Thank you very much for that.

BERMAN: All right. A big surprise at the top of the military chain of command this morning. The four-star admiral set to lead the Navy, we're learning this morning, will retire instead.

The secretary of the Navy called Vice Admiral William Moran's judgment into question over an inappropriate professional relationship he maintained with a former Navy public affairs official. That official left the Navy after an investigation into incidents of sexual misconduct. The current chief of naval operations, who is expected to retire once Moran took over, will stay on until a replacement is named.

CAMEROTA: All right. Prince Harry and Megan Markle's christening of baby Archie was a private affair, but they did release a couple of pictures, giving us our first good look at the little royal.

CNN's Max Foster is live in London.

OK, let us see him, Max.

MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, let's have a look. There were two images released. First of all, a stylish black-and-white one where we see baby Archie's face for the first time in full view. All royal fans have been waiting for that.

Then we also have this more formal shot with the wider family, extended family. Only Doria Ragland, Megan's mother, representing that side of the family in that image. And you can see there also Diana's sisters standing to the right of her.

The couple said they're happy to share the joy of this day with members of the public who have been incredibly supportive since the birth of their son.

And therein actually, Alisyn, lies the rub. Because these images were first posted on Instagram. They were taken by a personal photographer. And that has concerned many in the U.K. media.

If we take "The Times" today, for example, they're talking today about the row over the private nature of the event continuing, particularly in light of a multi-million-dollar home renovations have hit the headlines here, as well.

They quote Robert Lacey. He's a very respected royal historian. And he says it's an absolute scandal that the godparents aren't being named. Meghan and Harry haven't named them yet. They say they're not going to name them. This is what they say, of Robert Lacey: "This is someone who is seventh in line to the throne, and we don't know who has a moral influence on him. It verges on the non-constitutional." So it's a big row here. It's not going away. But Alisyn and John, I

think they just want to do things their own way. And this is how they're going to do it into the future, as well, I think.

CAMEROTA: Clearly. Well, that's a very cute baby. Though I must say I'm not seeing him close up enough. I want us to push in on that photo. I will work on that.

BERMAN: There's an entire nation upset over there that they're not seeing enough of this.

CAMEROTA: I know.

BERMAN: And you're taking it personally.

CAMEROTA: Well, yes, kind of. But I guess I'm saying that I relate to them. That of course the Brits do feel as though they sort of own a piece of that baby. He's a royal baby.

BERMAN: Well, they're paying --

CAMEROTA: They're paying for him.

BERMAN: -- for their cottage renovations. Yes, it's true.

So on the subject of complete U.S. domination of England, 15-year-old tennis star Coco Gauff could do something today at Wimbledon that hasn't been done since 1991. What, you ask? We will tell you next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:28:00] BERMAN: A huge morning at Wimbledon. Fifteen-year-old teen sensation Coco Gauff tries to make history. Andy Scholes has the very latest in "The Bleacher Report."

Good morning, Andy.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS: Yes, good morning, John.

You know, when I was 15 years old, I was just trying to beat my friends in Nintendo 64. Coco Gauff, meanwhile, continues to beat some of the best tennis players in the world.

She's going to have her toughest test yet today. Coco's going to face former world No. 1 Simona Halep in the round of 16. Coco, the youngest to advance this far at Wimbledon in 28 years. She doesn't turn 16 until March.

And check out how happy she was to get shout-outs on social media after her last win.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COCO GAUFF, TENNIS PLAYER: Y'all. Jada just tweeted me!

First of all, Snoop Dogg posted me. OK. Miss Tina Knowles. The miss Tina. Beyonce's mother. The one who birthed two queens.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: That is just pure joy. Coco takes the court at about 10 a.m. Eastern later this morning.

Team USA, meanwhile, on their way back home right now. They left their team hotel in France just a few hours ago. The team is going to celebrate their fourth World Cup title with a ticker-tape parade through Manhattan on Wednesday at 9:30 Eastern. So Alisyn, that does not give you much time from the end of NEW DAY for you and John to get down there to watch the parade. Maybe you'll have to get some placeholders down there.

CAMEROTA: No, and I'm going to have to do an outfit change.

And Andy, I do need your help for what one wears to a ticker-tape parade. So please next me that.

SCHOLES: OK. Will do.

CAMEROTA: Very good.

BERMAN: Red, white, and blue.

CAMEROTA: OK. I've got that.

BERMAN: Go for it.

CAMEROTA: I have that.

OK, my flag dress. Got it.

OK. They fought to win on the field. Now the U.S. women's team find themselves in the middle of a political fight. How their win is creating a showdown between President Trump and Speaker Pelosi, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

END