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NEW DAY SATURDAY

Two White House Officials Describe "Blatant" Push For Politically Motivated Probes From Trump; White House Officials Testify Quid Pro Quo Was Coordinated With Mulvaney; Williamson Lags Behind Dem Frontrunners In Fundraising; President Trump Heads To Alabama For College Football Showdown; Growing Outcry To Stop Texas Inmate's Execution; Restaurant Manager Sentenced For Enslaving, Abusing Black Employee; U.S. Company Falsely Advertised Chinese-Made Equipment To U.S. Gov. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired November 9, 2019 - 07:00   ET

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


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[07:00:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Democrats impeachment push is moving quickly.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two of the most central players in the relationship of Ukraine putting the president's chief of staff at the center of the scandal. A source tells CNN that lawyers for President Trump's former National Security Adviser are in talks with the three committees leading the inquiry about being deposed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: John Bolton has information about events, meetings and conversations that have not been discussed in the testimonies so far.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is a hoax. This is just like the Russian witch hunt.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: President Trump travels to his third major sporting event in recent weeks. Saturday's matchup between Alabama and Louisiana State University is another chance to prove he's still a fan favorite.

TRUMP: I love Alabama. We're going to go watch a very good football game.

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CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Well, welcome to Saturday morning. I hope it's been good to you so far. Of course, it's early. I'm Christi Paul.

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Martin Savidge. Thanks very much for joining us.

PAUL: Listen, we have some new information that we want to get to you this morning, the impeachment inquiry from two top level White House officials.

SAVIDGE: Newly released transcripts but acting White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney right at the center of the Ukrainian scandal. Let's go straight now to CNN Correspondent Kristen Holmes. And it does not look good, I'm going to say Kristen, for the Acting Chief of Staff.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: No, Martin, it certainly does not. And this came on the same day that Mulvaney defied a subpoena from House committees and did not show up to testify -- and we got kind of this document dump. And these are the transcripts and the testimony of two really important figures: one was the former White House, Russia expert Fiona Hill, and the other is the current National Security Council, Ukrainian Expert, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman.

Now, both of them in these testimonies, transcript showing a mirrored set of events that paint Mulvaney, in really the center of this Ukrainian pressure campaign. I want to read you from Fiona Hill's testimony because I think she really lays it out best, saying that "Sondland, who of course is the European Union Ambassador, in front of the Ukrainians as I came in, was talking about how he had an agreement with Chief of Staff Mulvaney for a meeting with Ukrainians if they were going to go forward with investigations," keywords there, "and my director for Ukraine was looking completely alarmed."

Clearly here, laying out and she did later in her testimony as well that there was this quid pro quo. So, the big question is what happens next for Mulvaney? Well, we learned late last night that he's trying to join a lawsuit that essentially is going to force federal courts to decide whether or not he's going to come testify. He wants a federal court to tell him: Do I defy the White House? Or do I defy these House committees?

PAUL: So, Kristen, let's talk about President Trump. And I mean, he just can't seem to get away from wanting to attack the whistleblower. Did something happen that brought this back up for him? Or is this -- is this a tactic that he thinks is working?

HOLMES: Well, Christi, I think he thinks this tactic is working and I think he thinks if he can really attack the whistleblower over and over again, that he's attacking the base of the entire inquiry, and that it should, in fact, go away. Now, of course, it doesn't quite make sense given that we've heard so much more testimony from people who were even more involved since the whistleblower came forward, but it's not stopping those attacks. Now, take a listen.

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TRUMP: Why isn't the first whistleblower going to testify anymore? You know why? Because everything he wrote in that report almost was a lie. Because he made a phony phone call. My phone call was perfect. He made it sound bad. That's why I had to release. Now, the whistleblower is a disgrace to our country, a disgrace. And the whistleblower, because of that, should be revealed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: So, obviously, they're calling for the revelation of the whistleblower. Well, this isn't new, this came a day after the whistleblower's attorney sent a cease and desist letter warning President Trump to stop attacking the whistleblower saying that it was putting him in danger.

SAVIDGE: And Kristen, we know, the President has said that he's not worried but I'm wondering how concerned is the White House, the administration that John Bolton is going to testify?

HOLMES: OK, this is incredibly interesting. This developed late yesterday and essentially, just to back up here. Thursday, Bolton did not show up to testify on the Hill, but he was not issued a subpoena and here's why. Democrats, they were seeking his testimony, but they didn't want to prolong the entire impeachment investigation and go to court, which was made clear by Bolton he was only going to testify if the court said he should.

So, then, yesterday this letter comes from Bolton's lawyer and I'm going to read you part of it here it says that the National Security Advisor former, "Was personally involved in many events, meetings and conversations about what you have already received testimony, as well as many relevant meetings and conversations that have not yet been discussed. This essentially reads as you know, the emoji of surprise here, because this is some pretty juicy stuff that they're putting forward.

But it came with a caveat that he still wants a federal court to decide whether or not he is going to testify, and this is going to put Democrats in a tough spot, because they have to decide what do they want more? Negative information about President Trump or potentially harmful information about President Trump, or a speedy process? Because if this goes to court, it could take a much longer time than they had hoped for.

[07:05:54] PAUL: That's a very good point. But that's one heck of a tease from Bolton, Kristen. Kristen Holmes for us, thank you so much.

SAVIDGE: It is indeed. And I'm joined now by our political analyst and that is White House Reporter for "The Washington Post," Toluse Olorunnipa.

Good to see you in person.

TOLUSE OLORUNNIPA, WHITE HOUSE REPORTER, WASHINGTON POST: Good to be here.

SAVIDGE: Welcome. So, let's talk about Mick Mulvaney, he's claiming absolute immunity here. Is that right, can he?

OLORUNNIPA: That's been the White House strategy thus far, they've tried to say that the President in the White House, his advisors are immune from having to testify before Congress. We haven't had the courts weigh in on this yet but it doesn't really help that there are several people who have defied that strategy from the White House and have gone ahead and testified. And many of those people have put out a narrative that is not favorable to the President. Several people have said there was this quid pro quo.

And Mick Mulvaney is one of the people who could maybe provide some spin that might be able to help the president or put it in the right context to try to be favorable to the President. But the fact that he's not testifying, not going under oath means that Democrats can say: look at all these witnesses that we have that provide incriminating information and the people that even are close to the president are refusing to testify, so that makes them guilty. So, the absolute immunity strategy doesn't seem to be helping when there are so many people that have provided information that's negative.

SAVIDGE: Some of the messaging, yes, that seems to be coming forward in defense of the president from Republicans is that Mick Mulvaney was somehow, I don't know, running a program that wasn't authorized by the President. In other words, that yes, he's the one that actually got this going.

OLORUNNIPA: Yes, we do see some Republicans saying that they're trying to put a division between the president some of his closest advisors, including Mick Mulvaney, including Rudy Giuliani, his personal lawyer, the people that seem to have the most culpability. They're saying that they were acting, on a real basis, acting on their own not following the President's orders.

John Bolton is one of the people who Democrats want to be able to bring up because he might be able to put the dots together to say the President was in these meetings. He was driving this policy, he was calling people telling them to talk to Rudy Giuliani, who was pushing for this quid pro quo.

So, Democrats are still trying to lay this at the feet of the president and say the President was very much aware very much involved and we have the phone call where the President brought up a lot of these issues, including investigations of Joe Biden investigations of 2016. And finding out how much the president knew and when he knew it is going to be key to the Democrats investigation. But so far, the phone call is the most incriminating evidence they have put into president right involved in it.

SAVIDGE: Right, it's hard to say there's no direct link when you hear the president, or at least read the president saying, you know, I want a favor. Let's talk about John Bolton, and you did mention him already here. But how worried do you think the White House is about what he has to say because he is the ultimate professional here?

OLORUNNIPA: Yes, they have to be pretty worried they have to -- I mean, that's part of the reason they've taken this legal strategy to basically demand that he'd not testify. John Bolton left the White House on sort of acrimonious terms. He disagreed with the president on a number of different policy issues and he does have information having been right in several of these meetings, and we heard from his lawyer that he was in meetings that the Democrats do not know about yet. I mean, they've had hours and hours of testimony. They've heard about several meetings, several key meetings, where a

lot of this Ukraine policy was discussed, and now we're hearing that he knows about Other meetings that have not been disclosed thus far. So, if he's able to provide that linkage between the president who was holding back this aide directly as a result of his decision to hold back aide from Ukraine while he was also pushing previous investigations.

John Bolton could be the link that provides the proverbial smoking gun that says the president was the reason and this was a quid pro quo, and the President was aware of it, he directed it. And if he does testify, that's what Democrats will be looking.

SAVIDGE: What do you think determines if he does or does not testify? Real quick?

OLORUNNIPA: I do think it'll be the courts. I think he is a little bit worried that there are some executive privilege issues here, and he's been demanded by the White House Counsel not to testify not to disclose some of these personal one on one conversations that he had with the president. So, if the courts do side with Congress and say, Congress does have a role here, they do have an impeachment power, and they should be able to get some of this testimony. Then I think he ultimately will testify.

SAVIDGE: It'll be good stuff if he does. Toluse Olorunnipa, very good to see you here in person.

OLORUNNIPA: Good to be here. Thank you.

PAUL: Still to come, the next Democratic debate, it's 11 days away. Several candidates are in danger of missing out at this point. Presidential hopeful Marianne Williamson, she's still fighting to make it to the debate stage. We're going to talk to her, next.

[07:10:10]

SAVIDGE: Plus, there's a new lawsuit that accuses former Ohio State University doctor of sexual misconduct. What a referee says happened when he told Congressman Jim Jordan, then an assistant wrestling coach at the school about the alleged misconduct?

PAUL: And when gender reveals go horribly wrong. How one family's celebration to find out whether their baby was a boy or a girl led to a plane crash in Texas.

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PAUL: 13 minutes past the hour right now, and the top 2020 Democratic candidates are back on the campaign trail this morning. Both former Vice President Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg holding town halls in New Hampshire. Senator Bernie Sanders holding a climate crisis summit in Iowa. And Senator Elizabeth Warren is swinging through the Carolinas again.

SAVIDGE: Senator Warren also has a message for those attacking her as angry saying, "I am angry and I own it." She went on to say powerful men often accuse women of being angry to try to keep them quiet.

PAUL: A top aide to Democratic candidate, Tom Steyer has resigned. This was after the aide was accused of offering campaign contributions to local politicians in exchange for endorsements.

SAVIDGE: Although that is not illegal payments for endorsements would violate federal campaign finance laws if not disclosed.

PAUL: So, the next Democratic presidential debate is November 20th. Some Democrats are in danger of not making it to that debate stage. 10 candidates have qualified thus far under the new DNC rules. Candidates have to register at least three percent in four qualifying polls, or five percent in two state polls from Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina or Nevada. They also have to earn donations from at least 165,000 unique donors with at least 600 coming from 20 states. Democratic presidential candidate Marianne Williamson is with us now. Good morning.

MARIANNE WILLIAMSON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Good morning.

PAUL: Good to have you with us again.

WILLIAMSON: Thank you.

[07:15:08]

PAUL: Oh, thank you. I want to show up on the screen here some of the people who have already -- who pulled out of their quest for the White House at this point, because they're not meeting these requirements necessarily. And I know that you're, you're close to getting into that third debate, but is there a point where you look at this and you say, I think I can serve in another capacity more productively?

WILLIAMSON: I suppose there might be that point, but I'm certainly not there yet. Right now, I'm talking to voters, you know. One of your last guests in the last show was talking about conductivity with voters and that's what really matters here. In this race, you don't have to be in the debate to be in the race. And what matters is your connection and your conversation that you're having with voters in the primary states. That's like a different political universe than the horse race, the pundits and the polls and who got into the, into the debate.

There's something else going on here and it's on the ground. It's in relationships with people. If that wasn't happening for me, I guess, I would say, well, I shouldn't be here. But as long as that is happening, as long as that kind of connection is happening, and that kind of deep discussion about issues that matter, that are way bigger, sometimes more expanded than the things that the establishment is even discussing. Then I'm here because my heart says to be here, and I'll be here as long as my heart says to stay.

PAUL: And you tweeted this week that you're just a cool one million away from my voice being heard in the final stretch of the campaign. Imagine T.V. ads about Department of Peace, a Department of Children and Youth, reparations, whole health care plan and more. Let's do this. Had that plea gotten you any closer? Are we going to get to see you?

WILLIAMSON: Oh, it's happening. It's happening, you know -- you know, the news is all about the billionaires, the next billionaire who gets in and they can pump their own millions, and millions, and millions of dollars into T.V. ads. Well, I don't have that but I do need to get on television.

And I do hope that people will go to my Web site and continue to help me doing that. Because that's the thing, when I'm with voters, that's where it's happening, but you need the exposure, you need to get on television. We are someday going to have to completely fix this money and politics thing. It's pretty obscene and it really is an erosion of our democracy.

PAUL: You know, it's interesting you say that, because what we're talking, of course, this morning about Michael Bloomberg, getting in. I think he's worth $52 billion. He said that he doesn't see any candidate who can beat President Trump. What is your reaction to that?

WILLIAMSON: Did you say that Michael Bloomberg said he was the one who could beat him?

PAUL: Yes. Well, it because I think he believes that since he's got more of those moderate views that he's offering something that he's not seeing in the candidates that are up there, to that, you say what?

WILLIAMSON: No, I don't I don't the issue -- everybody talks about is that a -- is it left, right or moderate? I think it's fresh versus stale. And that's why I -- listen, I think every candidate thinks I'm the one who could beat him and that includes me. I think I'm the one that could be him. Because I think only outrageous truth can defeat outrageous lies. I think only an outrageous conversation about what is true, and what is loving, and what is conscience, and what is good can defeat a conversation that is so filled with outrageous negativity such as his.

PAUL: You know, a political race is tough. What I find -- you're clearly resonating, not only with other people, but with Andrew Yang, a fellow competitor for this position with you. He's been vouching for you seeking donations for you. In fact, he tweeted out, he retweeted your fundraising request.

And he said, "I love Marianne, and I've learned a lot from her. I hope America hears her message. She has much more to say." What was your initial reaction to that and what, what do you think sparked that? I mean, what conversations that the two of you had that maybe, maybe sparked his interest in supporting you?

WILLIAMSON: I love Andrew. He's been wonderful. So, is Elizabeth Warren. So, is Joe Biden. So, is Bernie Sanders. These are really nice people. Really just wonderful people. And you know you were chuckling about Andrew and I understand, but don't kid yourself, this outside energy that people like Andrew and myself bring, something's going on here.

And the very idea that any of us are outside is really like un- Democratic, because outside what? So, I think the voters realize there's something there's energy here and some of the best energy that is outside the box, even though the box itself has become so toxic in American politics.

PAUL: There was a great interview with you recently, where you said one of the most amazing things about American politics, politics is it's unpredictable nature. You cited, you know, Donald Trump being president, a lot of people never would have thought that would have happened. And you said, you were talking about the conventional wisdom about who can win and who can't and that that's falling apart. You said, I don't think these voices should be guiding my campaign or my life. What is the head for you what is guiding your campaign and what is guiding your life?

WILLIAMSON: I think what guides my life is what guides the life of most people and that's my conscience. My heart. I think that's two of the average American. I think the average American is a good, decent person trying to live a better life.

The problem with our politics today is that conscience no longer guides our public policy. Public policy should be guided by the question, what is the good thing to do? What is the right thing to do as opposed to the wrong thing to do? What helps people? That's really the point.

[07:20:21]

The problem we have is the divergence between the basic goodness and decency of the American people, and the fact that our government is not driven by goodness and decency, so much as it is driven in case after case, by advocacy for short term profits for corporations, unfettered by any moral or ethical consideration. We have to close that gap. And that is a moral repair. And that is that is not only what my campaign stands for, but what my presidency would stand for, as well.

PAUL: Marianne Williamson, we're grateful to have you here this morning. Thank you, ma'am.

WILLIAMSOM: Thank you. Thank you.

SAVIDGE: It is a shocking and cruel crime, without a doubt. A restaurant manager convicted of abusing an intellectually disabled employee and forcing him to work for free for years. But some say his sentence is not harsh enough.

Plus, it's one of the oldest rivalries in college football and tonight President Trump will be front and center when LSU takes on Alabama. Coming up, the president's efforts to prove he is a fan favorite.

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[07:25:08] PAUL: So, it's the biggest matchup this weekend in college sports.

There could be some trauma in the stands as well as on the field, though, tonight when Alabama play LSU.

SAVIDGE: You know, anytime these teams tangle, it's always a big deal. But it's going to be a bigger deal because President Trump's attending tonight's game. It's his third appearance at a major sporting event in two weeks, but the presidential visit will only add to the drama as these bitter rivals take the field. Kaitlan Collins reports on that for us.

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KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, typically the last several years when President Trump has left the White House to go to events where there are thousands of people, it's usually his own rallies. The room is filled with his supporters cheering him on. But the last several times the President has left the White House to go to one of these major sporting events, the reaction has been at times mixed at other times overwhelmingly negative. He's leaving the White House preparing to go to another event, waiting to see what the reaction there will be.

For a president who enjoys keeping score, Saturday's matchup between Alabama and Louisiana State University is another chance to prove he's still a fan favorite.

TRUMP: I love Alabama. I'm going to go watch a very good football game on Saturday.

COLLINS: President Trump travels to his third major sporting event in recent weeks.

TRUMP: I think I won by 42 points.

COLLINS: In Tuscaloosa, Alabama, a state he won easily in 2016. He's hoping for a friendlier crowd than the one that greeted him in his home state last week. As Trump sat ringside at an Ultimate Fighting Championship match, a mix of boos and cheers echo throughout Madison Square Garden, though he said it was a little bit like walking into a Trump rally.

Those boos not as loud as the ones that boomed inside Nationals Park in Washington during game five of the World Series, as Trump was shown on the jumbotron. Surrounded by his Republican allies in a box sweet, Trump was said not to have noticed. Even when the players come to him, the visits haven't always gone smoothly.

TRUMP: I love athletics. I love sports, but they shouldn't get the politics involved.

COLLINS: Star athletes from championship teams are often missing from White House celebrations. And some teams have declined the invitation to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue all together.

TRUMP: If they don't want to be here, I don't want them. COLLINS: So, when Washington Nationals Catcher Kurt Suzuki brought a MAGA hat to the White House, they had what some deemed a titanic moment.

Even before he was in office, Trump had a complicated relationship with sports.

TRUMP: The whole game is all screwed up. You say, wow, what a tackle being flag. Football has become soft.

COLLINS: Now, on college football game days. The president can often be found on the golf course. This Saturday and Bryant Denny Stadium, he's hoping for a warmer welcome.

TRUMP: Look, Alabama is always tough and you guys here, you have really become tough.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right?

TRUMP: It's great.

COLLINS: The University of Alabama's student government found itself at the center of the Trump-fueled controversy after warning students they'd lose their stadium seating privileges if there was disruptive behavior. They later walk to the statement back, but another group is already planning a disruption of its own: bringing the helium filled baby Trump balloon to town.

We reached out to the White House several times to get an explanation for why it is the president picked this mid-season game to attend. They never got back to us. But we should note that several people close to the president said it was just simply the fact that he wanted to be around and adoring crowd, though also we should say that one official familiar with the school said that it was not the football team that extended an invitation to President Trump. Kaitlan Collins, CNN, Washington.

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SAVIDGE: OK, Kaitlan, thanks very much. Appreciate that one. I wonder how that game is going to turn out. Let's talk about the game itself now

PAUL: Yes, Carolyn Manno (ph), what do you think? Carolyn Manno, what do you think?

CAROLYN MANNO, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Oh man, the stakes could not be higher today in Tuscaloosa. The president decided it's going to be a huge game conference playoff, maybe even Heisman Trophy hopes on the line today. Alabama has owned this matchup under Nick Saban, beating LSU eight straight times. Very big question today, though, is the health of Alabama quarterback, (INAUDIBLE). Everybody expecting to see the junior play today. He suffered a high ankle sprain just three weeks ago but thanks to surgery and a very aggressive rehab, he should get the start. In fact, (INAUDIBLE) had the same injury last December to his other

ankle something that head coach Nick Saban says has worked in his quarterback's favor.

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[07:29:48]

NICK SABAN, ALABAMA HEAD COACH: I think he has a real positive attitude about what he's doing because he's actually, you know, had the same injury before. And I think when you get injured, you're very apprehensive about, you know, how to go about coming back from it, but when you've had it before, I think you have a lot more positive feeling about how you can come back from it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANNO: And for LSU, it's going to be on the high powered offense, something that they're not used to in Baton Rouge quarterback Joe Burrow is a Heisman front runner already setting the program record for touchdown passes. It's the opportunity that the Tigers and their head coach Ed Orgeron had been waiting for.

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ED ORGERON, HEAD COACH, LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY TIGERS FOOTBALL TEAM: The margin of error this game is about like that. It can go either way. So, we're focusing more on poise, execution, character and being physical. That doesn't mean we won't be fired up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MANNO: The eyes of the entire sports world on this one. And just quickly bringing it back to the president, LSU's quarterback Joe Burrow did say of Trump's attendance that regardless of once politic abuse for him as a 22-year-old, it is pretty cool to have the president at his game this afternoon -- going to be a big one.

SAVIDGE: Yes, no pressure. No pressure at all.

PAUL: That is -- that is true. That is true.

SAVIDGE: Thank you, Carolyn.

PAUL: So, I want to tell you about this New York-based technology company unfit -- undermine national security by selling Chinese-made surveillance products to the U.S. government and claiming they were made in the U.S.

SAVIDGE: Plus, lawmakers of famous games are like join forces to trying to stop the execution of the death row inmate in Texas. Why there are growing calls for a new trial?

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[07:35:32] PAUL: Thirty-five minutes past the hour now, we have several big stories for you in today's "LEGAL BRIEF" including growing calls to spare the life of the Texas death row inmate.

Now, here is the thing. Rodney Reed is been on death row for more than 20 years. He's scheduled to die on November 20th. But lawmakers and celebrities are calling for a second look at his case.

Prosecutor, say the evidence is overwhelming that he murdered 19-year- old Stacey Stites. But Reed's advocates argue he didn't get a fair trial, pointing out that he was convicted by an all-white jury.

Kim Kardashian-West and Rihanna are among the celebrities calling for the governor of Texas to spare his life. And more than 2 million people have signed a petition online.

Criminal defense and constitutional attorney, Page Pate with us here. And I understand there's this bipartisan group of 26 Texas lawmakers that's asking the governor to delay the execution.

PAGE PATE, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Right.

PAUL: To that, do you -- do you expect that to happen based on what they're saying, because there's DNA questions here too, right?

PATE: Well, there is. There is not a lot of evidence that he committed this crime. There's a lot of evidence that he had a consensual relationship with her. The DNA evidence only points to that. It does not point to him as the actual murder.

Governor Abbott of Texas does have the opportunity under Texas law to stop it. To say, look, for 30 days, I'm going to put a hold on this execution, I'm going to stay it, allow the Board of Pardons and Parole -- the clemency folks in Texas --

PAUL: OK.

PATE: -- to look at the case and decide if we want to grant him clemency. To move forward with the execution at this point with all of these questions out there, with all of this new evidence just seems really a response.

PAUL: Yes, because you're not talking about keeping somebody in prison for the rest of your life, you're talking about killing.

PATE: That's right. You can't undo that once that sentence has carried out.

PAUL: Can't -- so, does -- is there any DNA evidence that could -- that could claim him innocent?

PATE: I don't think so. I think what we have in this case is clear evidence that someone else committed the crime. Apparently, there was an individual who had a relationship with this woman at the time, he was upset that she had a relationship with Mr. Reed, he had -- after that point been convicted of another sexual assault, sentenced to 10 years in prison, all of that evidence pointed to him as the initial suspect, but that didn't come out during the trial.

And so people have said, look, for him to have a fair trial for Mr. Reed to actually have the opportunity to show that there is evidence that someone else did this, we need to put a hold on this and allow them to go back to court.

PAUL: All right, we'll see what happens. Let's talk about the college wrestling referee who now says he complained to Ohio State's wrestling coaches about sexual misconduct by one of the athletic department's doctors, but they did nothing about it, he says.

One of the coaches at the time was current Congressman Jim Jordan. The referee is, at least, the second person to publicly say he directly told Jordan about alleged inappropriate behavior by Dr. Richard Strauss. Congressman Jordan's denied knowing about any of the allegations.

I know the lawsuit notes Jordan isn't even listed really as one of the OSU employees with authority to take corrective action. But does that mean anything for Jordan at this point?

PATE: I don't think so. I mean, all of -- I mean hundreds of people have now come forward and said that they were abused by Dr. Strauss. It is unimaginable that the people who were close to the athletic department including someone like Mr. Jordan, who was an assistant wrestling coach just didn't know about it. I mean that's just hard to believe.

And, in fact, Ohio State had an independent investigation done and that investigation found that people within the administration should have known about it, should have done something about it.

So, there are a number of lawsuits that eventually will work their way through the courts and --

(CROSSTALK)

PAUL: And they're strong?

PATE: Yes, absolutely. And they've claimed Title IX violations which in asexual assault case may seem a little odd, but Title IX protects students from sexual harassment. And that's exactly what these allegations are.

PAUL: And we should note that the doctor actually commits suicide looking back in 2005.

PATE: Yes, 2005. Yes.

PAUL: Yes. Let's talk real quickly too about this one. 10 years and an order to pay more than $270,000 in restitution. This is the sentence handed down to a restaurant manager in South Carolina convicted of beating and torturing a black intellectually disabled employee.

Now, the cruelty didn't end there. Bobby Paul Edwards pleaded guilty to forcing his employee to work more than 100 hours a week without pay, as physical, and verbal abuse went on. I mean, it's a disgust -- it's a disgusting crime, Page, when you look at this. You think about what this poor person went through, is 10 years enough? That's the question a lot of people are asking.

[07:39:59]

PATE: Well, I mean, the judge certainly had the discretion to give that sentence. That was a sentence that was legal in the case. But appropriate? I think given these facts, I mean it sounds like slavery. It sounds like a horrible crime.

In South Carolina, a crime like this, aggravated assault can carry a much tougher sentence than what he received. So, I am somewhat surprised by that. Many people will say this is the type of case where we should support jury sentencing. Have the case go to trial then let a group of jurors, people from the community decide what the Senate should be. That still happens in Texas, not in South Carolina.

PAUL: All right. Page Pate, always appreciate your insight.

PATE: Thank you.

PAUL: Thank you for being here.

SAVIDGE: The 2020 election could include a battle of billionaire's after former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg added his name to Alabama's Democratic primary ballot. We'll take a look at his past. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:45:18]

SAVIDGE: I guess you could call it a November surprise. Billionaire businessman and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is exploring a run for the White House.

PAUL: Yes, he added his name to Alabama's Democratic primary ballot yesterday. But a spokesman, says he's going to skip the first four primaries. CNN's Cristina Alesci looks at Bloomberg's past and his potential path to the White House.

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CRISTINA ALESCI, CNN MONEY AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Michael Bloomberg is shaking up the 2020 field, signaling he's once again serious about a presidential run. Before ruling out a run earlier this year, he touted his qualifications.

MICHAEL BLOOMBERG, FORMER MAYOR, NEW YORK CITY: -- of the office of the mayor of the city of New York.

ALESCI: Pointing to his time as New York City's mayor from 2002 to 2014.

BLOOMBERG: So, help me, God.

ALESCI: Backing progressive pauses like gun reform.

BLOOMBERG: Nobody wants to take away anybody's guns, but we should have background checks.

ALESCI: And climate change.

BLOOMBERG: And we're able to cut carbon emissions by nearly 20 percent in just six years.

ALESCI: The 77-year-old made a fortune inventing the Bloomberg Terminal, a tool bankers and traders used to access market data. Now, he's worth an estimated $52.4 billion according to Forbes.

He's given away $8 billion including a nearly $2 billion donation to his alma mater Johns Hopkins University.

BLOOMBERG: Let me tell you, I've made all my money -- what I've done is tried to -- because of my success, give all my money away and to try to make this place -- this country a better place.

ALESCI: In 2018, Bloomberg spent $100 million of his own money to help flip the House blue. Saying in a statement, "I believe it was absolutely imperative to ensure a congressional counterweight to President Trump."

BLOOMBERG: I like today.

ALESCI: Crisscrossing the country earlier this year, Bloomberg spent months testing the waters in key early-voting states like Iowa and New Hampshire.

BLOOMBERG: I want to understand what I was all about.

We've got to send a message to elected officials, vote the common- sense gun laws or we will throw you out. Enough!

ALESCI: The former Democrat turned Republican, turned Independent, turned Democrat, declared on March that he wouldn't run for president. But the question remains. Does a fiscally conservative billionaire now have a chance of winning over left-leaning voters?

Especially after taking shots at progressive policies like Medicare for All, which Bloomberg rejected earlier this year.

BLOOMBERG: I think you could never afford that.

ALESCI: Or Elizabeth Warren's wealth tax plan.

BLOOMBERG: So, it probably is unconstitutional.

ALESCI: Working against Bloomberg, liberal calls in the past to keep money out of politics.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Today in America as all of you know, we have a corrupt campaign system which allows billionaires to buy elections.

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't think we ought to be running campaigns that are funded by billionaires, whether it goes through a super PACs or their own money that they're spending. Democrats are the party of the people.

ALESCI: Cristina Alesci, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAVIDGE: Other 2020 Democratic candidates are weighing in on Bloomberg's potential White House bid. Senator Elizabeth Warren tweeting, "Welcome to the race." With a link to her web site which billionaires can use to calculate their potential taxes under her proposed plan.

And then there's fellow billionaire Tom Steyer who said this.

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TOM STEYER (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I don't think he should run unless he's willing to commit to it because he's one of the people like me, who's been incredibly lucky to be in America, who's profited an enormously. We have -- we need the money, he has a responsibility to give back, and more than that, if he wants to be the nominee of the Democratic Party, he's got to understand that he's got to commit to ending this inequality and he's got to commit to breaking this corporate stranglehold on our government. Otherwise, I don't think he's fit to be the Democratic nominee, he shouldn't run.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: In other news, Aventura, that's a New York-based technology company is being accused of undermining national security after they sold to U.S. government Chinese made surveillance equipment. They passed it off as American-made.

PAUL: And prosecutors say those products were used on U.S. military installations and court documents say the fraud resulted in serious cybersecurity risks. Seven employees or former employees have been charged with conspiracy to commit fraud, unlawful importation, and money laundering.

[07:49:52]

SAVIDGE: Still to come, an investigation into a recent plane crash in Texas. Finds it the result of a gender-reveal stunt that went horribly wrong. We'll have the details ahead.

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PAUL: So, if you are looking to sweat more and stretch your brain at the same time, Pound maybe the right cardio fitness class for you. We're going to check out this rhythmic workout in this week's "STAYING WELL".

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JASMINE CUTLER, STUDIO MANAGER, VIBE RIDE: When the beat drops, everything that you feel is the best.

Pounds is a cardio jam session. It is a full-body workout that is inspired by drums. The beat is going and you're drumming and keeping that rhythm. We use our core focusing on glutes, your biceps, triceps.

Keep those arms up, you got it.

The drumsticks are actually called the rip sticks, they mimic a standard 5B drumstick. Having that intensity in the arms will add a little bit more to the workout.

You got to speed it up.

Pound is for any age and any stage. There's nothing like that moment when everyone's just one pound, one strike, hitting the ground, tapping the sticks, and uniting it through the beat.

DR. DAVID BURKE, REHABILITATION MEDICINE, EMORY UNIVERSITY: Drumming to a certain beat, especially in synchrony with other people in the room doing it connects a lot of areas of the brain. The intrinsic hardwired love of music is something that has to do with language recognition. You know, the harmonics and different tones of voices, sound, vocalizations that we have to recognize to be able to understand our environment.

So, if you connect with drumming or music to enhance other parts of the brain of the body, you're on to something.

CUTLER: You did it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:56:01]

SAVIDGE: An NTSB investigation has concluded that a plane crash in Texas two months ago was the result of the gender-reveal stunt gone wrong. The pilot was flying at a low altitude and dumped 350 gallons of pink water. But after the water was dumped, the plane immediately stalled and crashed.

PAUL: Now, the pilot wasn't hurt, the planes passenger was injured though. And this is on top of a family in Iowa, who and inadvertently created a pipe bomb that killed a family member when it was detonated at a gender-reveal party.

SAVIDGE: Meanwhile, the next hour of our NEW DAY is up next after a quick break.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Democrats' impeachment push is moving quickly.