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EARLY START

Deadliest Fire in California History; Florida Recount Underway; betrayal Of Patriotism; Top Democrats Take Aim; Turkey Gives Jamal Khashoggi Audio To Allies. Aired 4-4:30a ET

Aired November 12, 2018 - 04:00   ET

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

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wiped off the face of the earth in a matter of eight hours.

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DAVE BRIGGS, EARLY START SHOW CO-HOST: The death toll rising in California where the firefighters are now battling the most destructive and deadliest wildfire in the state's history.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What we are here to do today is to count every vote.

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BRIGGS: At this hour, Florida election officials are recounting ballots for three statewide races. One official in Palm Beach claiming it is impossible to recount by Thursday's deadline.

And French President Emmanuel Macron delivering a stinging rebuke of nationalism as President Trump embraces that label. Live report from Paris on the President's visit.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If he stays there, he will create a constitutional crisis by inhibiting Mueller.

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BRIGGS: Democrats vowing to protect special counsel Robert Mueller from acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker a vocal critic of the Russian investigation. How the president is distancing himself from Whitaker. Good morning everyone. Welcome to "Early Start." I'm Dave Briggs. It is Monday, November 12, 4:00 a.m. in the East. It is 1:00 a.m. in California.

That is where we start this morning with wildfires burning in California, now tying the deadliest in the state's history with at least 200 people still missing and 29 killed in the camp fire in northern California and two killed by the Woolsey Fire in Southern California. Found in their car apparently trying to flee the flames. At least, six firefighters injured statewide.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I've never been so scared in my life.

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BRIGGS: In Northern California, terrifying drive through flames and heavy smoke as the entire town of paradise, almost 30,000 people was forced to evacuate at a moment's notice. That fire now is the most destructive in California history destroying nearly 6,700 buildings since it started on Thursday. High winds and tinder dry weather in the state putting 25 million people, nearly 1 in 13 Americans, under a red-flag warning at this hour. CNN's Scott McLean is Los Angeles, where 170,000 people had been forced to evacuate their homes.

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SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Dave and Christine, the Woolsey Fire certainly has lost the strength and intensity that it once had, but that doesn't mean the danger is over by any stretch even in this part of Malibu. Where it seems that the worst has come and gone. There are still hot spots. There are still smoldering areas obviously in this home, there is not really anything left to burn. But in other cases, there is, if you look on the other side of the canyon, you can see the fire got to the bottom of it and raced up to the other side.

Somehow, it managed to stop before it burned through those condos. I know from talking to people on the other side that there is concern that as the winds pick up right through to Tuesday that some of those fires could reignite and burn through some of the fuel that hasn't already burned. In this part of Malibu, there's some pretty stunning views and pretty amazing properties here. If you look down here, well, you can see that there's a tree down. It seemed to have been burned at the bottom and then collapsed under its own weight. One of the many hazard in this area along with downed power lines and burned through power poles, thing like that. And check out this view right here.

Someone had a view right out to the Pacific Ocean. Would had been absolutely stunning. There's nothing left of this house right now except for a pretty view and some charred remains. This area is under a mandatory evacuation order. But even once people start to get back in, well, it will be a long time before Malibu really looks like Malibu again. Dave.

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BRIGGS: Indeed. Well, Scott, thank you. Those strong winds and dry conditions expected to fuel the wildfires. Here is meteorologist Pedram Javaheri with the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEO) PEDRAM JAVAHERI, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Dave and Christine.

Yes. Weather certainly not helping out the last couple of weeks. Frankly the last couple months. You take a look at the drought monitor with extreme drought across the widespread areas of western United States. In fact, Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Sacramento, the last time these areas saw rainfall was more than a half an inch, it was some seven to eight months ago. So, really it puts in perspective of what we are dealing with here with high pressure in place, it will not change much.

In fact, looking at the long-range forecast models. The next best bet for rainfall is around thanksgiving, still about 10 days out. So, this is the trend where really stuck in. You take a look at the pattern, the extreme situation for the fire concerns remain in place across Southern California while critical concern in place across the northern portion of the state.

Humidity in spots down to 3 percent to 4 percent. Even in the early morning hours wind. You expect some recovery and unfortunately, those mountainous winds in the valleys, as well could see gust as much 70 miles per hour through much of this afternoon.

[04:05:05] And in fact, that is really playing a significant role where the smoke is going. By Saturday, it was pushing well inland. By Sunday, we saw some of that pushing away from land. Unfortunately we feel this pattern is going to repeat itself in the next couple days for the next best window for weather improving potentially being as early as Wednesday. Guys.

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BRIGGS: OK. Pedram, thanks. The President Trump's tweets on the California wildfire sparking backlash from firefighters. On Saturday, the President tweeted there's no reason for these massive and deadly and costly forest fires in California except for forest management is so poor. Billions of dollars are given each year with so many lives lost all because of gross mismanagement of the forests. Remedy now or no more fed payments. The head of the California professional firefighters union, he is Brian Rice shot back in a statement calling the President's comments ill-informed, demeaning and grossly wrong.

Wildfires are sparked and spread not only in forested areas but in populated areas and open fields fueled by parched vegetation, high winds and low humidity and geography. In my views the shameful attack on California is the attack on all our courageous men and women on the frontlines. Worth noting, nearly 60 percent of California forests are federally managed. That is according to the U.S. forest service report. For ways you can help those affected by the California wildfires, go to CNN.com/impact.

Recounts are underway this morning in three Florida races including governor and U.S. Senate. President Trump claiming with no evidence that Democrats are trying to steal two big elections in the state. Mr. Trump, tweeting, quote we are watching very closely. The recount is scheduled to go on around the clock until it is complete. The recount deadline is Thursday, but as Ryan Nobles tells us the process, it may last well into next month.

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RYAN NOBLES, WASHINGON CORRESPONDENT, CNN: Dave and Christine, good morning from Tallahassee where these recount in Florida is under way. A massive effort where 8.5 million votes cast in these big elections are going to be recounted by machines in the 67 counties across the Sunshine State. Over the weekend, we have several important developments in these recount process. The first is a trio of lawsuits that were filed by Rick Scott, the current governor and candidate for U.S. senate. One of those lawsuit accuses the Broward County supervisor of election of counting ballots after the Saturday deadline.

Scott also is asking for the sheriffs involve in those counties to be responsible for the machines and ballots in both of those counties to impound them when there isn't counting taking place and after recount is over. Now in addition to those lawsuits, we learned that in Palm Beach County, the supervisor of elections there says that she thinks it is impossible for her county to complete their count on time. And that is significant.

Because that is a Democratic strong hold and it could potentially be a spot where in the recount Democrats could gain some ground. If they don't get their vote count on time in the recount, it reverts back to the initial count that they delivered on Saturday at noon. Now, this all has to be done by Thursday. That could trigger then a hand recount of the over votes and under votes. This is supposed to be certified by 20th November. That is of course, Thanksgiving week. But there is always a possibility that lawsuits could come into process. That it could take even longer. Dave and Christine.

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BRIGGS: Yikes. Ryan Nobles, thanks.

In Georgia, the state Democratic Party and its candidate for governor Stacey Abrams are suing the halt to rejection of absentee and provisional ballots in the governor's race. Right now, Republican candidate Brian Kemp leads Abrams with 50.3 percent of the vote. If that drops below 50 percent, the race automatically goes to a run-off. The Kemp campaign argued there is not enough outstanding ballot to force a run-off. CNN has not projected a winner in the race. The Democrats lost two claims more than 1,000 absentee ballots were wrongly rejected. And asked a federal judge to order election officials to count them. The Abrams campaign says 5,000 votes were counted this weekend and most of them absentee or mail ballots. Nearly all of those votes were for her.

A group of about 80 migrants arrived in Tijuana. On Sunday, a shelter in the border city says the group consisting mostly of LGBT migrants, women and children traveled from Mexico City in two buses. The main contingent though, a thousands of migrants arrived on foot Sunday in a town about 200 miles north of Mexico City. At that pace, the group could reach Tijuana in roughly eight days. White House trade advisor, Peter Navarro took a shot at Wall Street

Friday, warning globalist elites against meddling with the Trump administration policies on China. During a speech at the center for strategic and international studies in D.C.

[04:10:03] Navarro said, quote, if and when there is a deal, it will be on President Donald J. Trump's terms not Wall Street's terms. Navarro's remarks come ahead of the president's expected meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G20 summit in Argentina later this month. The administration has sent mixed messages about whether Mr. Trump and Mr. Xi are (inaudible) a truce that would lift more than $250 billion in retaliatory tariffs. As for what Trump thinks about the possible deal with China, during a press conference after the midterms, the president said, quote, we'll have a good meeting and we are going to see what we can do.

Ahead, President Trump receiving some backlash after a visit to Paris to commemorate 100 years since the end of World War I. How the trip increased tensions with our European ally.

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BRIGGS: President Trump is back in Washington after a brief weekend in Paris commemorating the end of World War I.

[04:15:04] The White House revealing the President had lunch on Sunday with Russian President Vladimir Putin, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel. According to Russia's state news agency, Putin felt the conversation quote, went well. President Trump facing a backlash for cancelling his visit to an American burial ground because it was raining.

White House Press Secretary, Sarah Sanders, explaining marine one was unable to fly and driving by motorcade would disrupt traffic, but the optics were undeniably awful as other world leaders were able to pay their respects. The President's visit also exposing cracks in the relationship between with Mr. Trump and Macron. The French President offering a sharp warning against the dangers of nationalism. That is a label President Trump has embraced recently. Let's go live to Paris and bring in CNN's Melissa Bell. Melissa, good morning to you.

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Dave. Another wet morning here in Paris. It was pretty much a washout this weekend. That was the reason as you said given by the White House in the last few hours to explain Donald Trump's absence on the battle fields. But the optics, of course are really all wrong for the American President.

We do have those images of Justin Trudeau and Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron all paying their respects in the rain on Saturday. Of course, none on that day of Donald Trump at a place that is of historic significance for American armed forces just outside of Paris. He did, of course, make it to the American cemetery much closer to Paris yesterday where he made those remarks. But really on the substantive issues, as you say, there does appear to be greater divisions in ever. We know from the White House that at that lunch with world leaders,

where discussed issues like Iran, trade, the INF treaty, for instance, Dave, but what progress or what compromise was made on any of those issues is still a complete mystery this morning. You get a sense in those word of Emmanuel Macron yesterday, laying in to Donald Trump politically by focusing on the question of nationalism which he opposed to patriotism. That was another first.

So far, we heard Emmanuel Macron very strongly criticize Donald Trump's position on unilateralism, encouraging and to say within the international framework, encouraging him to remain in dialogue, reminding him each time he sees him the importance of alliances and of historical bonds. This time it was really the first time you sense that he was going so far as to criticize him politically. Almost domestically. That is something that we heard over the course of weekend from a number of different leaders. The importance of what happened in the 1930s and what is happening today. Dave.

BRIGGS: Not to get too bogged down in the rain thing, but how did Macron, how did Trudeau and others get there when the President could not?

BELL: If you look at the map of Paris and the place where all these leaders were headed, Dave, it is pretty simple. Where Emanuel Macron and Angela Merkel with the strongest pictures of the day, paid respects, paid tribute to their formed of dead is really pretty equids out of Paris as is the Bellow Wood, where Donald Trump had been due to visit. He had been due to travel in a chopper. That chopper could not fly. Another reminder from the White House about that overnight. It was thought that the motorcade would simply be disruptive. The other leaders all headed out of Paris, Dave, in motorcades.

BRIGGS: OK. Glad we cleared that up. Melissa Bell, live for us in Paris this morning.

Democratic leaders in Congress vowing to block the new acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker from interfering with the Special Counsel Russia investigation. New York Congressman, Jerry Nadler said to chair the judiciary committee when Democrats take charge of the House, telling CNN if Whitaker doesn't recuse himself from overseeing the Mueller probe, he can be expect to be center stage at a hearing in January.

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JERRY NADLER, (D) JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: The questions we will ask will be about his expressed hostility to the investigation. How he can possibly supervise it when he has express the -- when he has come out and said the investigation is invalid and contrary to the findings of every Intelligence agency, there was no Russian interference in our election.

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BRIGGS: Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer warns if Whitaker doesn't step aside, they plan to attach legislation protecting the special counsel to a must-pass spending bill. In the face of the Democrat's concern of Whitaker was put in place to stop the Russian investigation. President Trump appears to be distancing himself from this acting A.G.

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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't know Matt Whitaker. Whitaker worked for Jeff Sessions. He is always extremely highly thought of, but he is still is. But I didn't know Matt Whitaker.

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BRIGGS: That flies in the face of what the President told Fox News last month.

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TRUMP: I never talk about that. I can tell you that Matt Whitaker is a great guy. I mean, I know Matt Whitaker.

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[04:20:00] BRIGGS: So, which is it? White House counselor Kellyanne Conway tries to explain that discrepancy.

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KELLYANNE CONWAY, WHITE HOUSE COUNSELOR: What the President means is, he is not sliding in somebody that is an old friend or somebody he thinks that he has discussed the Mueller investigation with at length.

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BRIGGS: You got that. OK. Coming up, Turkey says it has given audio related to the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi to the U.S., European and Saudi governments. A live report from Istanbul next.

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BRIGGS: 4:25, Eastern Time. Turkey says, it has given audio related to the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi to the U.S., European and Saudi governments.

[04:25:08] Turkish President Recep Erdogan did not say what was on the recordings. Meantime, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo telling Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman in a phone call, the U.S. will hold those involve in Jamal Khashoggi killing accountable and that Saudi Arabia must do the same. Let's go live to Istanbul where CNN's Jomanah Karadsheh is standing by live. Jomanah, good morning. Where are we headed here?

JOMANAH KARADSHEH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that is the big question, Dave. You know, it has been more than 40 days since the disappearance and as we learned the killing of Jamal Khashoggi and still there are so many questions that Turkey is trying to get the answers to. They believe that Saudi Arabia has the answers to some of these key questions like where is the body, if there is a body left.

You know, we heard the theory that his body may have been dissolved in acid. This is one of the theory that Turkish authorities are looking at and they also want to know who ordered the killing, who ordered that hit squad to come here in Istanbul and carry out the killing. And they have been asking the Saudis for answers. And they are not getting answers. We heard the complaints from the Turkish officials including the president, saying that there is real serious lack of cooperation from the Saudis.

So you had this strategy from Turkey, where they are drip feeding information out over the past few weeks. The latest, as you mentioned, President Erdogan over the weekend, on Saturday, saying that they have provided the recordings of the killing of Jamal Khashoggi to the United Kingdom, the United States, France and Germany and to Saudi Arabia.

And it would seem he did not really elaborate as you mentioned into what is in the recordings. But of course, we had the leaks over the last past several weeks about this being an audio recording of the killing. We know form a number of U.S. officials that CIA Director Gina Haspel listened to that recording when she was here in Turkey last month.

So it really would seem that they are trying, the Turks are really trying to put pressure here on the international community on Saudi Arabia to get answers. But so far, the concern is, Dave, and we heard from Turkish officials that some in Washington and Saudi Arabia are trying to stall hoping that the world will forget about this.

BRIGGS: That is clearly the tactic. Congress returns here tomorrow. So perhaps action some actions from the U.S. but don't hold your breath. Jomanah, thank you.

Ahead, more than 200 people still missing in California as firefighters work around the clock to get ahead of those wildfires. A report from the ground next.

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