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Transcripts of Closed-Door Depositions Made Public; It's Election Day 2019; Deadly Stabbing at Maryland Popeyes; Man Rescued from Oncoming Train; Major Averages Close at Record Highs. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired November 5, 2019 - 04:30   ET

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


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[04:30:50]

DAVE BRIGGS, CNN ANCHOR: Democrats released closed-door depositions in the Trump impeachment inquiry, with more expected in the coming hours.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Voters head to the polls for Election Day match-up that could offer hints about the 2020 race.

BRIGGS: A fight over a Popeyes chicken sandwich turns deadly in Maryland.

ROMANS: A transit worker's last-second save caught on camera at California train station. Just in the right place at the right time, that transit worker.

Welcome back to EARLY START, everybody. I'm Christine Romans.

BRIGGS: I'm Dave Briggs. It is 4:31 Eastern Time on a Tuesday.

This morning, we finally know exactly what some of the key witnesses in the Trump impeachment inquiry said behind closed doors. Among the revelations, testimony that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was silent as Trump lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, campaigned to oust then-U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Marie Yovanovitch.

The president was asked yesterday about the effort by Giuliani and others to undermine Yovanovitch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Was Marie Yovanovitch the target of a smear campaign by your allies? She testified she was.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I really don't know her, but if you look at the transcripts, the president of Ukraine was not a fan of hers.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BRIGGS: Fact check, the rough transcript of Mr. Trump's call with the Ukrainian President shows Zelensky criticized the ambassador only after Trump called her, quote, bad news.

CNN's Lauren Fox has more on the newly released transcripts from Capitol Hill.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LAUREN FOX, CNN POLITICS CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER: A significant day on Capitol Hill as we saw the release of the first transcripts from these closed-door depositions that have been going on now for the last month on Capitol Hill. It's a big opportunity for lawmakers who haven't been in the room over the last several weeks to see what has actually been occurring.

One of the transcripts that we saw was from the former ambassador to Ukraine who grew very concerned that her reputation was being damaged and that the president was losing faith in her. There was rumors basically that she was not supportive of the president, and she essentially wanted the State Department to put out a public statement defending her.

She was told that the State Department couldn't do that because there was concern if they put out a statement, that the president could potentially undermine it even with something as simple as a tweet. She said, quote: What I was told is there was concern that the rug would be pulled out from underneath the State Department if they put out something publicly.

She also went to her colleague, E.U. Ambassador Gordon Sondland and asked him for some advice. His advice to her, go big or go home. Essentially, what he argued was that perhaps she should tweet her support for the president, say that these rumors weren't true.

Now, Michael McKinley's transcript was also released today. He's a former top aid to Mike Pompeo. Essentially, he said he left the State Department because he believed the career diplomats were being used to advance the president's political agenda, something that he did the not support. But more testimony and transcript expected to be released this week, including that of Kurt Volker and Gordon Sondland -- Christine and Dave.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ROMANS: All right. Lauren, thank you for that. We know you'll be busy.

In his testimony, Michael McKinley gave another reason for stepping down as a senior adviser to Secretary of State Pompeo, one that contradicts his old boss's version of events. McKinley told lawmakers he felt the department and especially Pompeo were not defending Yovanovitch against that smear campaign.

He testified, there were numerous media articles appearing about Yovanovitch and, frankly, I did grow concerned we needed to say something forceful on her behalf. Question, how many conversations did you have with the secretary about this matter? Answer, probably three. Three probably.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo remembers things very differently.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE: From the time that ambassador Yovanovitch departed Ukraine until the time that he came to tell me that he was departing, I never heard him say a single thing about his concerns with respect to the decision --

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC NEWS: So you were never asked to --

POMPEO: Not once. Not once, George, did Ambassador McKinley say something to me during that entire time period.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Note that Pompeo was giving a television interview and McKinley was testifying under oath.

BRIGGS: Kentucky Senator Rand Paul is joining a growing list of Republicans who are trying to reveal the identity of the whistleblower at the center of the impeachment inquiry.

[04:35:05]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RAND PAUL (R-KY): The whistleblower needs to come before Congress as a material witness because he worked for Joe Biden at the same time Hunter Biden was getting money from corrupt oligarchs. I say tonight, to the media, do your job and print his name.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: Senator Paul calling on every Republican in Congress to step up and subpoena Hunter Biden, even though there's no evidence to support the claims about Joe Biden's son. Paul also wants the whistleblower subpoenaed. The whistleblower's lawyer firing back. Mark Zaid says, quote, a member of Congress who calls for the identity of any lawful whistleblower to be publicly revealed against their wishes disgraces the office they hold and betrays the interest of the Constitution and the American people.

Not all Republicans are on board with exposing the whistleblower. Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says whistleblowers are entitled to, quote, maximum protection and it's up to them to decide if they want to come forward.

ROMANS: So, how is the impeachment inquiry playing in a swing district in a swing state? That defines Michigan's 11th congressional district just northwest of Detroit. No surprise then that voters there are split on impeachment.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's a sham. OK? I think the president --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Horrible.

REPORTER: Horrible?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's horrible. Just horrible what they're doing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The president is doing a great job.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's an important that an inquiry be going on. I also think it's important we not be distracted by it and there's actually governance going on.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think the Democrats are trying to overturn the results from 2016. And I think it's going to fail miserably.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's heading in the right direction finally, the impeachment. We're getting the evidence we need. I hope he gets what's coming to him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Michigan's 11th win for President Trump then flipped in the midterms electing Democrat Haley Stevens to Congress.

BRIGGS: It is Election Day 2019. There are important state and local off year elections across the country. In big cities like Philadelphia, Houston and San Francisco, they are selecting new mayors and other local officials. Kentucky and Missouri voters will choose governors and Republicans may be on the verge of losing both houses of the legislature for the first time in decades.

Many of these races could offer some hints about what's to come in 2020.

Ryan Nobles has more from Washington.

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RYAN NOBLES, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Dave and Christine, Virginia, Kentucky and Mississippi are the states to watch tonight. Voters will be casting ballots in races that could give us a sense of where things stand in terms of momentum for next year.

Let's start in Virginia. Republicans are in danger of losing their slam two-seat majorities in both houses of the general assembly. If Democrats win big, particularly in swing districts in play in northern Virginia and outside of Richmond, it could be a sign of President Trump's growing problem with suburban voters.

Meanwhile in Kentucky, there's a big governor's race on tap. President Trump in support of the incumbent, Republican Matt Bevin. Bevin's approval rating is underwater and his opponent, Andy Beshear, is the son of a popular former governor there. Now, this race could come down to what voters care about -- local issues or the national issues dominating Washington.

Bevin has stuck close to President Trump. If he pulls it out, it could be a sign of just how much strength Trump has with Republican voters.

And then, finally, Republicans and Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves are in the driver's seat in Mississippi in the governor's race there. But Democrats are hopeful that conservative Democrat Jim Hood, who's the attorney general, could surprise everyone. It's going to be tough, though, because in addition to winning the popular vote, gubernatorial candidates in Mississippi must also win a majority of state house districts and that will be an advantage for the GOP.

Now, the first results will start coming in at 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time. That's when the polls close in both Virginia and Kentucky -- Dave and Christine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRIGGS: Ryan Nobles, thank you.

The Trump administration has started the formal process of withdrawing from the Paris climate accord. Secretary of state submitting formal notification to the United Nations to withdrawal from the agreement in one year just after the 2020 presidential election. President Trump claims the Paris accord punishes American workers and enriches foreign countries. According to a recent study, the United States contributes more to global warming than any other country.

ROMANS: Apple plans to spend big money to ease the housing crisis in California. The tech giant announced a $2.5 billion aimed at providing housing for extremely low income adults in the San Jose area. Roughly 7,000 people are homeless in San Francisco. Critics say the rapid growth of tech companies and highly paid workers has contributed to a shortage of affordable homes in the area. The CEO Tim Cook says Apple wants to make sure the area stays a vibrant place where people can live, have a family, contribute to the community.

Senator Bernie Sanders criticized the program, calling it an effort to distract the fact it helped create California's housing crisis while raking in $800 million of taxpayer subsidies.

[04:40:12]

Sanders recently unveiled his housing for all plan, which guarantees affordable housing to every American, regardless of income. Other tech companies including Google and Facebook have announced packages to address the housing issue, but Apple's is the biggest. Apple said it will take two years for the money to be used, defending on the availability of the projects.

Apple really saying that they need to make sure that firefighters and nurses and part-time workers can live in their community. BRIGGS: Also, we're not necessarily just talking about the homeless.

ROMANS: No, we're talking about affordable housing along the spectrum, but the homeless crisis is the most visible there.

BRIGGS: California, all across the state.

Speaking of California, transit worker there speaking out after saving a man's life.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It really feels awkward to be called a hero.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: More from that man behind this dramatic rescue, next.

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[04:45:042]

BRIGGS: The FBI may have prevented a deadly hate crime in Colorado. Authorities arrested a 27-year-old Richard Holzer, calling him a domestic terrorist and white supremacist. Holzer accused of plotting to bomb the synagogue in Pueblo, Colorado.

He was taken into custody as undercover agents posing as co- conspirators. They say Holzer talked about killing Jews in forums online and shared video of himself casing Temple Emmanuel in Pueblo. He faces a maximum 20-year sentence if convicted of a hate crime.

ROMANS: Police are investigating a deadly stabbing at a Popeyes restaurant in Maryland. They say the 28-year-old victim was stabbed Monday night during a fight with another man over the fast food chain's popular chicken sandwich. The victim was rushed to a hospital in Prince Georges County where he later died.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He knows what he did here tonight. And he needs to do the right thing and he needs to step up, and he needs to turn himself in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Police confirmed the deadly fight was related to Popeyes popular chicken sandwich. It just returned to the menu after debuting this summer and quickly selling out nationwide.

BRIGGS: Jury selection starts today in the criminal trial of Trump adviser Roger Stone. A colorful self-described political dirty trickster has pleaded not guilty to charges of obstructing justice, witness tampering and lying to Congress. The indictment emerged from Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. It alleges Stone lied to the House Intelligence Committee about the stolen Democratic Party e-mails during the 2016 campaign.

ROMANS: A big setback for President Trump's effort to keep tax returns out of the Manhattan prosecutor's hands. A federal appeals court in New York ruling Trump's claim of presidential immunity does not protect him from a state grand jury criminal probe. The president sued to stop his long-time accounting firm Mazars from handing over eight years of tax returns under a deal with the D.A., Trump's lawyers have ten days now to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, which they vow to do. Even if the president loses in the end, his taxes could become public in a trial or a court proceeding.

BRIGGS: The Justice Department appears to be launching an intimidation campaign against the anonymous author of "A Warning". That's a new book about President Trump. That's the accusation being made by the author's agents. They also accuse the White House of trying to unmask anonymous.

CNN has obtained a letter written by the DOJ warning anonymous he or she may be in violation of one or more nondisclosure agreements. The book's publisher is rejecting that argument and says "A Warning" will be released as scheduled November 19th.

ROMANS: Five hundred twenty-four non-violent inmates released from prison across Oklahoma. It's the largest commutation in U.S. history and a result of a prison reform bill state lawmakers passed in 2016. Governor Kevin Stitt excited to provide the now ex-prisoners with a second chance.

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GOV. KEVIN STITT, OKLAHOMA: We really want you to have a successful future. That's what I want to leave you with, because this is the first day of the rest of your life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: The state set up a transition fair for the released inmates to meet potential employers and get help with their life beyond prison.

BRIGGS: A California transit worker is an overnight hero after rescuing a man who fell on to the tracks as the train was entering the station. Check this out.

From the Oakland, the BART station, after Sunday's Raiders-Lions NFL game. You can see there, the male passenger walking along the edge of the platform before he falls in front of the oncoming train. That's when the transportation supervisor John O'Connor reached down and pulled him to safety with no time to spare.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN O'CONNOR, BART TRANSPORTATION SUPERVISOR: I was just fortunate that God put me there and he got to see another day. I spoke to him later and told him to pay forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: BART officials thanked O'Connor for his heroism. In a tweet, they say the passenger who fell on to the tracks was intoxicated.

ROMANS: All right. Up next, how a black cat proved to be a bad omen for New York football fans.

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[04:54:10]

BRIGGS: Two African-American senators and candidates for president taking issue with comments by Congressman James Clyburn about a Democratic rival. Clyburn told CNN's Dana Bash that older black voters have a problem with Pete Buttigieg being gay.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Are you saying for older African-Americans, it is an issue?

SEN. JIM CLYBURN (D-SC): Yes, it is. There's no question about that.

(END VIDEO CL.IP)

BRIGGS: Here's how Cory Booker responded on CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: My mom is turning 80 this year. And she's already told me that she celebrates the fact that there's a gay person in this race openly who he is, confident and strong. So, again, this broad brushes we paint with any demographic in our country is just wrong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGGS: Kamala Harris also weighing in on CNN and rejecting the premise.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm never going to buy into that trope, and I think it's a trope that has evolved among some Democrats.

[04:55:03]

To suggest that African-Americans are homophobic or that they are transphobia in the black community as a community, that's just nonsense. I'm not saying that about Representative Clyburn who I respect a lot. I'm talking about a trope that has developed among some.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIGG: Harris says sadly there's bias including homophobia and transphobia in every community.

ROMANS: A man who rescued a cage dog found floating on a lake in Illinois wants to adopt the puppy. When Bryant Fritz spotted Dory over the weekend, he jumped into the lake to save her. He rushed the dog in his truck to the hospital. Dory had hypothermia and wounds that needed to be treated, but she's doing well and just released from the hospital. Fritz is hoping animal control will let him give her a new home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRYANT FRITZ, RESCUED DOG FROM LAKE: I just think it's unfortunate because anybody that's in that situation that can't take care of an animal, there's -- there's a lot of options and things that can be done and people are definitely willing to help in the shelters are willing to take in the animals.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Bryant Fritz says his own dog died recently. He believes the rescue is anything but chance.

BRIGGS: The New York Giants were leading the Dallas Cowboys 9-3 on Monday night football when this happened.

A black cat proved to be a bad omen for New York and good luck for the Dallas Cowboys. Quarterback Dak Prescott threw for 257 yards and 3 touchdowns. Ezekiel Elliott rushed for 139 yards. Cowboys win 37-18.

ROMANS: All right. Let's get a check on CNN Business this morning, taking a look at markets around the world a day after records in the U.S. Pretty significant gains. Tokyo will open up from a holiday and bounced. Asian markets closed higher. And European markets opened higher.

Right now on Wall Street, futures leaning higher again. Look, all three averages record highs on Monday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished up 115 points, the first record high since July 15th. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq rose slightly, adding to Friday's gains.

An interesting experiment at Microsoft: testing a four-day workweek. We have seen small businesses doing this, but this is -- Microsoft is a big company. It was only in Japan only over the summer, but the results are getting a lot of attention.

The "Work Life Choice Challenge" was in Japan where the company shut down offices every Friday in August, gave employees an extra day off each week. The results, productivity jumped 40 percent from the same year last year. Microsoft also said it saved money on things like electricity. Microsoft said it plans to do another experiment in Japan later this year.

A new look for Facebook following its promises of more transparency. The logo features the word Facebook in capital letters and alternates to the other colors that represent the other brands. The change highlights its effort to be more clear about the apps it owns as it faces growing anti-trust scrutiny.

Facebook said it plans to use the new logo on products in the weeks ahead. New logo, same old problems of trust and credibility, however, and still taking money to put ads on inside that are not true.

BRIGGS: Logo doesn't change your opinion, doesn't make you feel better about it.

ROMANS: Sometimes you make something look prettier, but it's the same underneath.

BRIGGS: Lipstick.

All right. Thanks to our international viewers for joining us. Have a great rest of your day.

For our U.S. viewers, EARLY START continues right now.

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BRIGGS: Democrats release closed-door depositions in the Trump impeachment inquiry with more expected coming in the hours.

ROMANS: Voters head to the polls for election-day match-ups that could offer hints about the 2020 race.

BRIGGS: A fight over a Popeyes chicken sandwich turns deadly in Maryland.

ROMANS: A transit worker's last-second save is caught on camera at a California train station. Right place, right time. Wow, that was close.

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

BRIGGS: Good morning. I'm Dave Briggs. Tuesday, November 5th. It is 5:00 a.m. in the East.

This morning, we finally know exactly what some of the key witnesses in the Trump impeachment inquiry said behind closed doors. Among the revelations, testimony that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was silent as Trump lawyer Rudy Giuliani campaigned to oust then-U.S. ambassador to Ukraine, Maria Yovanovitch. The president was asked yesterday about the effort by Giuliani and others to undermine Yovanovitch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Was Marie Yovanovitch the target of a smear campaign by your allies? She testified she was.

TRUMP: I really don't know her, but if you look at the transcripts, the president of Ukraine was not a fan of hers.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BRIGGS: Fact-check, the rough transcript of Mr. Trump's call with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shows Zelensky criticized the ambassador only after Trump called her bad news.

Lauren Fox has more on the newly released transcripts from Capitol Hill.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FOX: A significant day on Capitol Hill as we saw the release of the first transcripts from these closed-door depositions that have been going on now for the last month on Capitol Hill. It's a big opportunity for lawmakers who haven't been in the room over the last several weeks to see what has actually been occurring.

END