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Trump Insults Hosts Ahead of State Visit; Warriors Beat Raptors in Game Two; Democrats Take Shots at Biden; Kushner Defends Trump on Racism. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired June 3, 2019 - 06:30   ET

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


[06:30:00] CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Talked about how Nigel Farage, who is a populist Brexitieric (ph), controversial character here in the U.K., how he should be more involved in the Brexit negotiations. And he also talked once again of his fondness for Troy frontrunner for the prime minister's office, Boris Johnson. Really digging -- or sticking his oar into British politics.

It's such a contrast, John, if you remember back in 2011 when -- or, sorry, it's such a contrast when you remember back when President Obama weighed in on the Brexit debate. It was considered taboo when he said that Britain would go to the back of the U.K. -- back of the queue if they left the E.U. That was really considered a controversial comment. He took a lot of flak for that.

But fast forward to where we are now. President Trump making these kinds of statements, flouting protocol, tweeting insults and it's really just par for the course. Very much what people here on the ground were expecting, John.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: So, Maggie, what seemed to start some of this was on Saturday when the president called Meghan Markle nasty. So here is what -- here's the sound, OK. We'll just play you the sound of President Trump in an interview using that word. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She said she'd move to Canada if you got elected. Turned out she moved to Britain.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, I think that (INAUDIBLE). You know, a lot of people are moving here. So, what can I say?

No, I didn't know that she was nasty.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: OK, so that was with "The Sun." And then the president, the next day, tried to claim that he had not said that. Here's his tweet. I never called Meghan Markle nasty. Made up by the fake news media and they got caught cold. Will -- he wants to know if the press will apologize and he doubts it. I mean, Maggie, he's getting more brazen even in terms of the denials

when something has sound. And I think that this is just another example of -- I think he's sort -- I want your impression, but is he testing his supporters to see if they believe his tweets or their own lying ears?

MAGGIE HABERMAN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: This is a classic of the Donald Trump genre, especially what we saw in 2016, which was that he will say something that could be interpreted in two different ways. He could either be calling her personally nasty or saying the comments were nasty, but he did say it and he wasn't clear in it. And instead of owning that, he ends up torching anybody who notes it and then claims he didn't do it in the first place. And then people end up talking past each other about what he really meant.

This is -- again, I feel like we're going down the same route that we did in 2020. He clearly said it. He was responding to something that she had said -- something she had said two and a half years ago that he appeared surprised by. But he did use the word "nasty." He has a habit of saying that things didn't happen when there isn't audio or video. And sometimes he does it when there is.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Max Foster, what are the implications of this? Being in a public feud with people in government, the London mayor, that's one thing, even though he's the host mayor for this visit. But to be in this back and forth with the palace, how is that going to be handled? I know the prince, Prince Harry, will be there at this lunch today. Meghan Markle will not. Might it come up?

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think you've got to look at this in two different sets of protocols. You've got the political protocols. He's breaking them blatantly as Maggie and Clarissa have been describing. It's unusual. It's meant to be a state visit celebrating bilateral relations. He's blown that out of the water.

At the same time, though, I'd probably disputing his issues with the palace. I don't think there are any there. He's very reverential to the palace protocols. We saw that last year when he came to visit the queen on an informal visit. I think we'll see it again today as well. He'll fly in. He's got that guard of honor when he comes in. He messed that up last time. He's probably thinking about how to do that properly this time. Then he goes into this private lunch.

As you say, Prince Harry will be there. Meghan won't be there. She's officially on maternity leave. Then there's this state banquet tonight and Prince William, the Cambridges, will both be there.

What I think is really interesting here, an interesting insight into Donald Trump perhaps, I'm not the expert here, Maggie and Clarissa perhaps are more than me on American politics, but what you've got here is President Trump saying he quite likes the idea of his children having a next generation meeting with Harry and William. That implies to me that he sees himself as always (ph) separate from politics, almost in a, you know, a kingly-type roll, if he thinks that he can pass on his power to the next generation. I can tell you, in the palace, it raised eyebrows around the various

palaces, which the different royals are involved with here. I'm told very clearly there is no plan for a next generation formal meeting between President Trump's children and the queen's grandchildren.

CAMEROTA: Max, one more question, because you are the palace -- our palace expert on this, what does Prince Harry do with this insult to his wife, Meghan Markle? Does he -- is he -- does he just blow it off and ignore it when he shakes hands with President Trump? Does he say anything? I mean what -- what will the body language and beyond be here?

[06:35:01] FOSTER: He blows it off. He ignores it. The state visit -- a state visit -- so the queen's primary role is to represent the United Kingdom. There is no bigger platform for that than a state visit for Britain's biggest, most important ally. She's in charge of this. She's hosting. She's told Harry he's going to the lunch. She's told William he's going to the dinner. They have to be on message. They are representing the queen.

If, in any way, Harry expresses opinions, gets involved, insults the president on a state visit, then the queen will have words with him. He's got to be -- his simple role here is to represent the United Kingdom and make sure this trip works for his grandmother and for his country.

BERMAN: Clarissa, you're outside Winfield House, the home of the U.S. ambassador to Britain. What's going on, on the streets? When I was there last July when the president first visited, there was the balloon, you know, that diaper Donald Trump balloon flying overhead and thousands of people were protesting. Is that meeting the president this time?

WARD: Well, it's interesting, John. I think this time -- first of all, I should say that the major protests are scheduled for tomorrow. Today it's a fairly low key series of smaller protests. But there's also a sense at the moment that there's almost outrage fatigue. People are so tired at this stage of constantly feeling outraged, of feeling insulted, of feeling baffled by some of the more inscrutable musings of the president that I think there's a reluctance to come out in full force onto the streets like they did last July.

There's also something else going on here, John, which is that the U.K., right now, needs the U.S. It is not in a position to snub the U.S., especially as it looks down the barrel at a post-Brexit world. It needs to think about trying to outline a trade deal with the U.S. that would give it some sense of stability moving into the future and about trying to really cement the special relationship, which is under quite a lot of strain at the moment with disagreements about Huawei, about Iran, about Brexit and numbers other topics.

CAMEROTA: Maggie, what else should we be watching over the next few hours here?

HABERMAN: Look, I expect -- I think Max is right, I think you're going to see a president whose very differential to his royal hosts and I think you're going to see him enjoying the pomp that surrounds this visit. As you know and we've all seen over the last two and a half years, the ceremonial aspects of being president have appealed to him probably more than anything. So I don't actually expect there to be any major fireworks. But as we've noted repeatedly, the president made sure to do that heading into this visit. He set the tone for it in terms of British politics. He set the tone for it in terms of aiming at London's mayor, who he sees as a useful foil. I think you're going to see things calm down and be sort of quiet and respectful for the next day and then we'll see what tomorrow brings.

BERMAN: All right, we're watching that very, very closely. Needless to say, the president departs from the ambassador's residence in just about 20 minutes. We will bring you every step of this journey, including the arrival at Buckingham Palace less than one hour from now.

Maggie, Max, Clarissa, thank you very, very much.

The Warriors tie up the NBA finals, but could another star be sidelined? "Bleacher Report" is next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:42:05] BERMAN: The NBA finals is now knotted up at a game apiece after Warriors stormed back to take game two.

Andy Scholes has more in the "Bleacher Report."

Hey, Andy.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Hey, good morning, John.

Yes, the Warriors coming through with a big win to pull even in the NBA finals. And the stars were out for game two. Former President Obama on hand and got a huge ovation when he was introduced mid game.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) Barack Obama!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: And before the game, Obama greeting Drake backstage. And then he sat with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver for all the action.

Now, the Raptors were up by as many as 12 in the first half of this game, but the warriors, like they seem to always do, coming out with a huge third quarter. They started the period on an 18-0 run. And in the closing seconds, the Warriors were up by two. They're going to get it to a wide open Andre Iguodala. He will drain the three to seal the win for Golden State. The Warriors take game two 109-104. Klay Thompson, who had to leave the game with an injured hamstring in the fourth quarter, he was there greeting his teammates in the hallway with Kevin Durant after the game. And Thompson said despite his injury, he's playing game three Wednesday night. All right, how do 41-year-old six-time Super Bowl champions get ready for the upcoming NFL season? Workouts on the beach. Tom Brady posting this video of himself doing workouts in the Bahamas.

And, you know, Alisyn, when most of us daydream, we close our eyes, we can see ourselves laying on the beach sipping pina coladas, this is what John Berman sees when he closes his eyes.

BERMAN: (INAUDIBLE) heaven. It's heaven. How many times have I had that very vision, Andy, and now it's come true.

CAMEROTA: But he sees Tom Brady in a bathing suit, not in that workout gear.

BERMAN: A little too far.

SCHOLES: No, I think it's actually a helmet and pads.

BERMAN: And nothing else.

SCHOLES: I think that's how Berman sees it.

BERMAN: What? I don't know. Where did this go.

Andy Scholes, thank you very much for being with us this morning.

SCHOLES: All right.

CAMEROTA: Moving on.

BERMAN: You started it.

CAMEROTA: Fifteen presidential candidates spent part of the weekend at California's Democratic Convention. But former Vice President Joe Biden did not go. What his competitors had to say about that and more, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:48:24] CAMEROTA: 2020 Democratic hopefuls playing to the progressive base -- or not. And we'll show you what happened when some of them did not. This was at a California Democratic Convention. They also took some shots at the frontrunner, Joe Biden, without ever saying his name.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN (D-MA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Some say if we all just calm down the Republicans will come to their senses. But our country is in a time of crisis.

MAYOR PETE BUTTIGIEG (D-IN), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He wins if we look like more of the same. He wins if we look like Washington. And so the riskiest thing we could do is try too hard to play it safe.

(END VIDEO CLIP) CAMEROTA: All right, joining us now is Michael Smerconish, the host of CNN's "Smerconish."

Great to see you, Michael.

Let me play you one more of those, and that was what Bernie Sanders took a jab at the former VP because he wasn't there. So, listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): As you all know, there is a debate among presidential candidates who have spoken to you here in this room and those who have chosen, for whatever reason, not to be in this room, about the best way forward.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Michael Smerconish, what do you hear there?

MICHAEL SMERCONISH, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: So what I see is a microcosm of the debate within the party. I'm sure that -- that socialism, I'm sure Medicare for all, I'm sure that impeachment were very popular in that room among those delegates. That's why Delaney was booed. That's why Hickenlooper was also booed.

But there's this -- you know there's this conflict between pragmatism and passion. The passion in the Democratic Party rests with those issues. But you don't want to just win primaries, you want to win the White House and you need to keep those people enthused, but expand the tent. And that's the conflict that you see taking place.

[06:50:18] BERMAN: To win the White House, though, you do have to win the primaries. And, again, you noted John Hickenlooper got booed when he said socialism is not the answer. That gives you a sense of where some of the Democratic primary voters are.

But also it gives you a sense of where the candidates are, if really, for the first time, they're directly taking aim at Joe Biden. When Bernie Sanders said what he said there. Sanders supporters will often say, you know, Bernie Sanders just talks about the issues. He doesn't ever go negative. That wasn't an issue he was taking on with Joe Biden. He was taking on Joe Biden for not being at the event. And it was a subtle jab about Joe Biden's more relaxed campaign schedule. The former vice president was in Ohio over the weekend campaigning, by the way.

What do you think is the reason that the candidates are being more direct about the former vice president now?

SMERCONISH: Because his lead has not diminished and because they probably thought by now someone would be gaining more traction. I know that Elizabeth Warren has shown some signs recently. I mean Alisyn correctly pointed out that they -- they didn't offer his name. I think that changes. And I -- I think that the tipping point for when they become even more direct with regard to the former vice president will be the first Democratic debates. That's when I think this whole dynamic will shift.

CAMEROTA: And, very quickly, before we leave that topic, Joe Biden is, it seems, trying to separate himself from the pack. He doesn't want to be one of 23, so he didn't go to this event. He did his own event. And do you think that that is wise?

SMERCONISH: I do. I mean whatever he's doing, he should keep doing, right? It will become impossible for him when he's one of ten on a stage on back-to-back nights, and that will take place later this month and then for the CNN debate in Detroit in July, we're going to see him in that context.

But I think you're right that his strategy is to be viewed differently. There are all those Democratic candidates, 22 of them, and then there's Joe Biden. He likes it just fine.

BERMAN: All right, Michael, we want to get your take on some extraordinary sound from over the weekend.

Jonathan Swan of "Axios" sat down with Jared Kushner, asked Jared Kushner if Donald Trump, the president, is racist. Kushner said, no. In his -- you know, in his 70 years of life, he never did one racist thing, how could he be racist. But then Jonathan Swan pushed Kushner. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JONATHAN SWAN, "AXIOS": Was birtherism racist?

JARED KUSHNER, WHITE HOUSE SENIOR ADVISER: Look, I wasn't really involved in that.

SWAN: I know you weren't. Was it racist?

KUSHNER: Like I said, I -- I wasn't involved in that.

SWAN: I know you weren't.

KUSHNER: Uh-huh.

SWAN: Was it racist?

KUSHNER: Look, I know who the president is and I have not seen anything in him that is racist. So, again, I was not involved in that.

SWAN: Did you wish he didn't do that?

KUSHNER: Like I said, I was not involved in that. That was a long time ago.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Wow, Michael. What did you hear there?

SMERCONISH: When I first heard it, I didn't watch it, I first heard it. I thought that the tape skipped. I didn't -- I didn't recognize that he'd asked the same follow-up two or three times. Notice that Jared Kushner didn't defend Donald Trump. You can't defend Donald Trump on that issue.

But, John, it's almost like he was doing a mental calculus. Like, oh, boy, I'm the son-in-law, I've got to sit next to him at the Thanksgiving table. What can I say and what can't I say? In the end, he was the company man.

CAMEROTA: But there was a massive covering of one's own butt there --

BERMAN: Yes.

CAMEROTA: Of the, I wasn't involved with that, I wasn't involved with that. I mean, as Jonathan Swan pointed out, that's not the question. What are your thoughts on that? Was it racist? I wasn't involved in that. There's a -- there was a -- there was a feeling of must protect my brand.

BERMAN: The Kushner legacy. What -- what is the Jared Kushner legacy he's trying to protect there exactly?

SMERCONISH: Well, listen, I thought the most stunning -- that was really interesting. And I'm fascinated with it as the two of you are. To me, the most stunning part of that discussion was when he's asked, OK, what if the Russian facts were to repeat themselves and you got an e-mail and you're invited to go to the Trump Tower meeting, and instead of an emphatic and clear, well, of course, we would call the FBI, he hedged. He hedged even on that.

BERMAN: Yes, that's remarkable. We may get that in later in the show. I think if nothing else, Michael, this shows perhaps why Jared Kushner doesn't do that many interviews. It could show that.

SMERCONISH: And probably won't be seen again for quite some time.

BERMAN: Right.

CAMEROTA: Ominous.

Michael Smerconish, thank you very much.

BERMAN: All right, President Trump landing in the United Kingdom. And as he's landing, he levies an attack on British officials just minutes before meeting with Queen Elizabeth. This state visit, it is on. We are waiting for the president to arrive at Buckingham Palace. We will carry it for you.

[06:54:52] Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump will meet with the queen and have the state banquet.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think we should be rolling out the red carpet.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't think much of him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Trump making these types of comments ahead of a visit is incredibly insensitive and not terribly tactful.

TRUMP: There is no basis whatsoever for impeachment. The crime was by the Democrats.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're going to do what's right for the country.

SEN. JOHN KENNEDY (R-LA): If you want to do it, go hard or go home. If you're not going to do it, let us get back to work.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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

BERMAN: Good morning and welcome to your NEW DAY.

Breaking this morning, President Trump due to arrive at Buckingham Palace any minute to meet with the queen. This is the beginning of his state visit. You're looking at live pictures.

[06:59:58] However, the president has already announced his arrival in the United Kingdom in predictable fashion. One might say norm-busting fashion. Forgive us, William Barr.

END