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EARLY START

Trump Campaign Shakeup; Four Gun Control Amendments Fail in the Senate; 911 Transcripts Released From Orlando Terror Attack. Aired 4- 4:30a ET

Aired June 21, 2016 - 04:00   ET

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


[04:00:14] CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: A major shakeup in Donald Trump' campaign. Trump telling his campaign manager, "You're fired."

RYAN NOBLES, CNN ANCHOR: Four gun control amendments failing in the Senate. Democrats and Republicans at each other's throats.

ROMANS: The Orlando gunman's own words. What he told police during the deadly terror attack.

Good morning and welcome to EARLY START. I'm Christine Romans.

NOBLES: And I'm Ryan Nobles. It is Tuesday, June 21st. And it is 4:00 a.m. in the East.

Happening this morning, Donald Trump set to meet with top evangelical leaders. The coming just one day after Trump abruptly fired his campaign manager Corey Lewandowski. Trump and Lewandowski have shared a strong bond since the start of the campaign. But sources within the Trump camp say the firing was a long time coming after months of tension, stemming in part from what the sources describe as Lewandowski's struggle with Trump family members for control of the campaign.

Now, sources say Ivanka and her husband were central to Lewandowski's downfall. Now, until yesterday, Lewandowski seemed to be made of Teflon. When he as arrested for a simple battery attack back in March, Trump quickly waved off suggestions that he fire Lewandowski. The battery charges were later dropped.

Lewandowski, though, still standing by Trump yesterday, telling CNN's Dana Bash he has a great relationship with the Trump family and has no regrets.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COREY LEWANDOWSKI, FIRED TRUMP CAMPAIGN MANAGER: What I think is if the voters have a binary decision on Election Day. They can vote for Hillary Clinton and her liberal policies, or they can put someone in place who's actually going to change Washington. And I will do all I can to make sure that the latter of those two happens, which means Donald Trump is elected president. If I can do that from inside the campaign, it's a privilege. If I do it from outside the campaign, that's also a privilege.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBLES: All right. For more now, let's bring in politics executive editor Mark Preston.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICS EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Good morning, Ryan and Christine.

Trump campaign sources tell CNN the firing of Corey Lewandowski is going to be a good thing, because it was time to streamline duties within the campaign. This source adds that campaign chairman Paul Manafort who had been fighting with Lewandowski over control of the campaign can now finally start making long overdue hiring decisions to begin trying to match the massive ground operation that Hillary Clinton already has in place.

Sources tell CNN that Lewandowski's departure comes after complaints had reached a critical mass.

The family, notably Ivanka, Donald Trump's daughter, were not happy with his work, and one adviser tells CNN that Manafort told Trump, it was either Lewandowski or himself. Not both of them that could stay at the top of the campaign.

In an interview Monday, the presumptive GOP nominee had nothing but positive things to say about his former campaign manager.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: He's a good man. We've had great success. You know, I got more primary votes than anybody in the history of the Republican Party by a tremendous amount, not by a little bit.

I think Corey is terrific. I watched him before. He was terrific toward me. Said I was a talented person. He's a talented person. He's a good guy. He's a friend of mine. But I think it's time now for a different kind of campaign.

PRESTON: Now, Lewandowski wasn't the only departure from the campaign yesterday. Trump aide Michael Caputo who had been working on convention preps tweeted out, "Ding dong, the witch is dead", immediately after Lewandowski was fired. Hours later, Caputo resigned, calling the tweet an unforced error -- Ryan, Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right. Mark, certainly a wild day on the campaign yesterday.

This morning, Hillary Clinton is in Columbus, Ohio, in that swing state to deliver what's being billed as a major economic address, expected also to be a major takedown of Donald Trump and his business history, his temperament for running an economy. Clinton's goal is to convince voters that she would be a better steward for the American economy, she would be better for the middle class than the billionaire businessman.

More now from CNN's Jeff Zeleny.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Christine and Ryan, Hillary Clinton is making another move to define Donald Trump. She's delivering a speech today in Columbus, Ohio. You can call it another installment of her Trump lecture series. This one is focused on the economy. She is trying to say that he is unfit to run the U.S. economy.

Now, this follows in line for another speech she gave just a few weeks ago in San Diego about his foreign policy. Democrats day by day by day are trying to define Donald Trump early as his campaign is imploding and one shakeup after another. After Republicans are so concerned about that, Democrats are indeed circling the wagons.

Now, the Clinton campaign is outgoing the Trump campaign and their allies considerably. One study shows that the Clinton campaign and her allies have raised $117 million for television ads, reserving that time on television now and November.

[04:05:04] The Trump side only has about $700,000. So, that's a major discrepancy there.

Now, the Clinton campaign also is trying to build a 50-state strategy. We visited the Brooklyn headquarters for the Clinton campaign. We talked to Marlon Marshal who's leading this effort to build a 50-state campaign.

How much of what you are doing now is changing or being driven by what is happening on the Republican side of the ticket?

MARLON MARSHALL, CLINTON CAMPAIGN: Well, I'll say our strategy is focused on reaching voters where they are and in many different ways as possible. So, you know, we are up on TV right now. We are organizing it in every state. We have staff out already in the battle ground states. We take Donald Trump very seriously. And so, the more ways we can reach voters to talk about what Hillary will bring to this country, the better.

ZELENY: And the Clinton campaign is taking Donald Trump seriously. There is a no gloat policy from the top down. They are not laughing at anything going on in his campaign. They want to use this moment as a serious moment to try and define Donald Trump. That's why Hillary Clinton will be in Columbus, Ohio, today to deliver a blistering comments on the economy, using Donald Trump's own words against him, how he would be unfit she says to lead this U.S. economy -- Christine and Ryan.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right. Jeff, thanks for that.

Let's get an early start on your money. Can Hillary Clinton save the middle class? That's the question she will try to answer today with that big economy speech. Her goal, to convince Americans she can run the economy better than Donald Trump, that she cares about the middle class as much as Bernie Sanders.

She is likely to do three things on her speech: talk inequality and taxes and criticize Donald Trump. She has emphasized how she will need to win over Sanders supporters. The middle class is earning about $54,000 a year today. That's almost the same they did 20 years ago when Bill Clinton was president.

So, the American family doesn't feel like it had a raise. All of the presidential candidates talked about it, but voters want to hear solutions. The economy has come a long way from the worst of the Great Recession when President Obama took office. She will likely voters they are better off today than they were then.

I also suspect, Ryan, that she might talk a little bit about infrastructure spending. She does have a very detailed plan, and a big infrastructure bill, something that economists say would be good, especially if you're looking at a potential recession down the road. When you look at how long the economy has been expanding for seven years, there will be a rescission eventually.

NOBLES: Right.

ROMANS: Which president can work with Congress immediately to have the right policies that will impact --

NOBLES: And you mentioned those Clinton boom years. She would like to remind people that she was the first lady during those times.

So, pledging allegiance to ISIS. What Omar Mateen told police during his deadly rampage in Orlando. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:11:40] NOBLES: Overnight, four different gun control amendments defeated in the U.S. Senate. Amendments spurred by the horrific terror attacks in Orlando last week, but as expected blocked Monday by a snarled of bipartisan gridlock.

Democrats are using the measures to defeat to attack Republicans. Hillary Clinton issuing a one-word statement "enough" above the names of the 49 people killed in Orlando.

Senator Chris Murphy who led the 15-hour filibuster last week that forced Monday's vote telling "The Washington Post" ahead of the vote he believes the Republicans are partially responsible for the attacks like the one in Orlando. He said, quote, "Republicans have decided to sell weapons to ISIS." Senator Elizabeth Warren echoing Murphy's words in a tweet of her own.

This fight, though, not over. Moderate Republican Senator Susan Collins is expected to unveil her own compromise proposal as soon as today.

For more now, let bring in senior political reporter Manu Raju.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: Just eight days after the deadliest mass shooting in American history, the Senate rejected four measures aimed at tightening restrictions on guns.

Two of the measures were Democratic measures. One to expand background checks, universal background checks, another to ensure that people who were suspected terrorists do not get firearms. Now, Republicans came back with alternatives to both of those approaches and Democrats voted down the Republican measures and Republicans voted on the Democratic measures.

What we have seen in the aftermath of that Orlando shooting was no real movement on gun control in the United States Senate. Even though a majority -- a clear majority of voters do support greater restrictions on guns, it has not translated to the United States Senate where views are very, very locked in on this issue, very polarizing issue particularly when it comes to expanding background checks.

Now, an interesting part of Monday night's vote was a handful of Republicans breaking ranks, including in difficult reelection races, like Mark Kirk of Illinois, and one of the toughest reelection races in the country, in the blue state, voting with Democrats, also voting with Democrats, too, insuring he's not going to get hit from either the right or left on this issue.

And also, a Democratic leader, Jon Tester of Montana, from the very red state, voting against the Democratic background checks, even though he is the head of the Senate Democrats Campaign Committee. Very interesting split there. But we're going to see going forward is whether or not there could be a bipartisan deal.

Susan Collins of Maine is spearheading that effort. Right now, leaders on both sides of the aisle are wary about that idea. But that's one of the things going forward that moderate Democrats and Republicans are going to push.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: Manu Raju, thank you for that.

The Supreme Court has decided not to hear a challenge to Connecticut's ban of assault weapons. That ban was enacted after the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012. Gun rights activists challenged it, calling it a violation of the Second Amendment. They say they intent to resurrect that challenge once the high court has nine justices again.

Connecticut's law bans the sale of all military style semiautomatic weapons and magazines that holds ten rounds or more.

NOBLES: The Oakland, California Police Department, mired in scandal, now has its fourth police chief in just the past ten days. A number of officers had been accused of sexual misconduct, others allegedly sent racist texts.

[04:15:04] Three chiefs resigned and the city has taken control of the department's administrative and personnel decisions. Community leaders are calling for a complete overhaul of the Oakland police department.

ROMANS: Three New York City police commanders arrested as part of a wide-ranging federal corruption investigation. Prosecutors alleged the police officers acted as a, quote, "private police force" in exchange for gifts, bribes and perks worth more than $100,000. Two of the high ranking NYPD officers are part of a federal investigation into fund raising by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

NOBLES: Two-year-old Lane Graves will be laid to rest in Nebraska. The toddler died last week after being dragged by an alligator lurking in a lagoon at Disney World where his family was vacationing. A desperate search ended the next day when Lane's brother was recovered. Disney has since installed temporary barriers and warning signs at its resort beaches and says it's working on a more permanent long term solution.

ROMANS: That's a sad story.

All right. Record setting heat spreading into the Rockies. Meteorologist Pedram Javaheri has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Christine and Ryan, good morning to you both.

Watching these temperatures, another day here were record temps expected across portions of the intermountain west. The bulk of the heat once to be this place a little farther to the East. You take a look at what we have in store for Tuesday, places like Colorado Springs, mid and upper 90s, record temperatures expected there. Cheyenne, Wyoming, same story, same score, work your way out toward Casper, Wyoming, temps just shy of 100 degrees there. Their records dating back to 1988, and, of course, Las Vegas expecting another toasty day at 114 degrees.

And pretty widespread 100 plus temperatures still around the desert southwest. Some areas can get up to 120s. In fact, look what happened in Death Valley on Monday afternoon, global high temperature right there at 126. That was a daily record. Needles, California, at 125. Set their June all-time record as well with these temperatures.

So, here's how it looks. Picture choice, just about everyone toasty here. Denver into the upper 90s, Washington around 90 degrees. Here around New York City, temps into the upper 80s. And, again, the bulk of the heat centered across the middle portion of the country, in parts of the intermountain west, with the 100s coming back in the middle part of the week, guys.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: So, take your run early. Very early.

NOBLES: Very early. It's easy for us. But for others, maybe not so much.

ROMANS: I know.

NOBLES: Heated arguments. The final debate before Britain decides whether it will stay in the European Union or not. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:21:53] ROMANS: So emotions are raw right now in the U.K. The British are just two days away from a critical "Brexit" vote and everyone is still reeling from the shocking murder of Jo Cox, roses adoring the seat she once occupied in parliament. Her colleagues preparing to make the final case whether Britain should either exit the E.U. or stay. Polls show that vote is too close to call, but a big debate in Wembley Arena could affect the outcome.

I want to go live to London and bring in CNN's Phil Black.

This has just been a remarkable debate, and then, her murder, and this kind of pause in the lobbying for or against leaving the E.U. Tonight's the last final big debate before people decide Thursday.

PHIL BLACK, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right, Christine. Extraordinary to think just two days of campaigning left now and it's desperate times for both sides, because as you mentioned, the polls are so close. The country is divided and there is so much as stake.

So, what you are hearing from those arguing to remain with the European Union led by the Prime Minister David Cameron, they are really stressing the huge nature of this decision -- the fact that it is so long term, a once in a generation decision with potentially huge consequences. Those arguing for the "Brexit" -- well, they are doubling down on their core points. They have been stressing throughout the only way to control immigration and return sovereignty to Britain, they say, is to vote for Britain to leave the European Union.

Both sides are trying to convince the waverers, the undecided voters, because they are the ones in such a tight race that will ultimately determine the outcome.

We will be hearing very desperate attempts from both sides tonight. As you say, the final big television debate in front of 6,000 people at London's Wembley Stadium. It will be a big political event and the last chance for both sides to make their audience to a wide television audience.

The very real potential for a "Brexit" vote can be measured by the number of prominent pleas from famous people not to vote that way, not to allow Britain to leave the European Union.

The last one was the soccer star David Beckham who released a statement, saying that for our children and their children, we should be facing the problems of the world together. It really is difficult to overestimate the strengths of political feeling in this country at the moment especially following the murder of the lawmaker Jo Cox, someone who is a very prominent campaigner who believes very strongly that Britain should stay with the European Union, stabbed and shot in the street by someone who witnesses say was yelling, "This is for Britain."

So, so much emotion, not at least because this is simply such a huge decision. It is not just a regular election that will determine the government for five years. This will set the economic and geopolitical direction of the country for decades -- Christine.

ROMANS: And my economists say it could really hurt the U.K. economy, really hurt the U.K. economy.

[04:25:00] You will have to see higher taxes. You could see banks change the way they do business and cut jobs. So, the economy part of this is very incredibly important, even as a lot of the energy in immigration part of the story.

Phil Black, thank you so much for that.

NOBLES: Efforts to oust Venezuela's embattled president Nicolas Maduro gaining some momentum. People lined up at polling sites to validate signatures for a recall referendum. The country is mired in an economic crisis, that includes severe food shortages. Venezuela's opposition accuses the ruling socialist party of trying to stall the referendum.

ROMANS: New security concerns in Rio just weeks before the 2016 Summer Olympics are scheduled to begin. More than 20 heavily armed gunmen storming the city's largest public hospital and freeing a suspected drug trafficker. One person was killed, two others were wounded in a shootout with police. Now, the hospital is one of five designated to treat tourists during the summer games.

NOBLES: So, I'm going to say this, are you ready?

ROMANS: Do it.

NOBLES: A huge overhaul in Donald Trump's campaign. His campaign manager fired after months of turmoil. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)