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University of Missouri President Resigns; GOP Presidential Candidate Prepare for Upcoming Debate; Treasury Secretary Discusses U.S. Economy; Arrest in Shooting of Texas State Judge; High Stakes for Jeb Bush in Tonight's GOP Debate. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired November 10, 2015 - 08:00   ET

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


[08:00:00] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The resignation of Tim Wolfe is a glimmer of hope.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Please use this resignation to heal, not to hate.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: From the moment I made my announcement people thought I was a dead man walking.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I expect an actual debate about the economy, jobs, trade, taxes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All eyes are on Ben Carson. All eyes are on Donald Trump.

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: This is a strange election, isn't it? Man.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think it is a very good thing that Dr. Carson is being tested.

TRUMP: This is only election in history where you are better off if you stab somebody.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mounted concern this morning about the vetting process of airport employees here in the U.S.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's troubling that some don't even have the basic biographical data. That needs to change.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY with Chris Cuomo, Alisyn Camerota, and Michaela Pereira.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning. Welcome to your NEW DAY. It is Tuesday, November 10th, 8:00 in the East now. So the chancellor and the president are gone at the University of Missouri over a growing rift concerning race relations on camps.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: And the football team became a catalyst when they vowed to sit out until the president of the university was gone. So CNN's Stephanie Elam is live from University of Missouri campus for us. Stephanie, tell us all the latest.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Alisyn, that's a huge part of it. You have student activists who as you can see have been camping out here on the campus grounds to make the point that change needed to happen. But on top of that getting that huge help from the football players backed by their coach.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ELAM: This morning students at the University of Missouri are waking up to a massive shakeup, one that activists say is just the beginning of change. The university system president and the school's chancellor ousted amid racial tensions and weeks of student-led protests.

TIM WOLFE, FORMER UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI PRESIDENT: Please use this resignation to heal, not to hate.

MARSHAL ALLEN, CONCERNED STUDENT 1950: This is just the beginning in aiding and dismantling system of oppression within higher education, specifically the UM system.

(APPLAUSE)

ELAM: Effectively immediately, the resignation of university president Tim Wolfe who some say failed to adequately address several hate crimes on Mizzou's campus.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We didn't respond or react.

ELAM: Wolfe striking a different tone than the one captured in this tense exchange with students.

WOLFE: Systemic oppression is because you don't believe you have the equal opportunity for success.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you just blame us for --

ELAM: Even some long-time faculty say racism has been a problem on campus for years.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have been called the "n" word too many times to talk about it on camera and to write them all out.

ELAM: Tensions reaching a boiling point around mid-September after the student body president posted of Facebook that he was called the "n" word, something that happened, he wrote, multiple times on campus. Then in mid-October, a swastika painted in feces inside one of the residence halls. By November second graduate student Jonathan Butler launching a hunger strike, pledging not to eat until Tim Wolfe resigned.

JONATHAN BUTLER, STUDENT ACTIVIST: A lot of people know how corrupt the system is and they thought I was going to die from day one from the moment I made my announcement. People thought I was a dead man walking. ELAM: The football team and their coach also vowing to stay off

the field until Wolfe agreed to step down.

GARY PINKEL, MISSOURI HEAD FOOTBALL COACH: A young man's life was on the line, and basically that's what it came down to.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: We're joined now by L'Damian Washington. He's an alum of the University of Missouri. He was a wide receiver on the football team, graduated from Mizzou two years ago. L'Damian, thanks so much for joining us this morning. Obviously we've been watching all of the things that are happening at your alma mater here. I'm curious what your reaction as a former student and a former football player, former tiger, I guess you're always a tiger for life, what's your reaction to the resignation of two of the top officials there at the school?

L'DAMIAN WASHINGTON, FORMER MISSOURI WIDE-RECEIVER: Honestly it is very shocking honestly. Honestly after all the news broke when the football team basically came out and said, you know, they were going to boycott, I didn't think that the president would resign. The fact he did was very shocking, especially day after Coach Pinkel and the whole staff got together. Very shocking. The news around here definitely went viral real quick and national.

PEREIRA: Did you feel he should resign?

WASHINGTON: I can't say they honestly 100 percent felt that he should have been resigned. What happened is if anything he took a lackadaisical approach to fixing things, you know. The student confronted him a few times to get this fixed. And the fact it took so long for a guy to go on hunger strike and was surprising to me. It took the football team to step in and boycott. I don't think that should have been the plan of action. It shouldn't have gotten that far. He should have been stepped in and he should have came out with some kind of mission statement or something showing that the steps was going to be taken to fix this -- sorry the wind here is crazy.

PEREIRA: No, that's all right. You're doing just fine, L'Damian. Don't worry about it. We know the head coach for the Tigers supported his team's decision to boycott this. And we know you're not crying. We know it's just the wind that's causing your eyes to water.

[08:05:08] WASHINGTON: I'm not crying. It's the wind. It's a cold day here.

PEREIRA: I want to play some sound from the head coach. He was really supportive of the team's decision to say hey we're not playing until something happens here. Take a listen to coach.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PINKEL: I just know my players were suffering and they felt awful. And again, I'm like their dad, you know. And I'm going to help them in any way I can. They asked me if I would support them. And I said would. I didn't look at consequences. That wasn't about it at the time. It was helping my players and supporting my players when they need me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PEREIRA: I want you to give us a little more insight into the locker room. You spent years in there. You have quite a brotherhood and relationship and bond with your coach. How are issues and things like this when they arise, how are they dealt with?

WASHINGTON: They're dealt with, you know, internally. We don't let anything affect the Mizzou football family. The fact that Coach Pinkel stepped up shows what kind of leader he is, what kind of coach he is and that he cares about his players. A lot of people are scrutinizing him and telling that he shouldn't let his players boycott, let them suffer with scholarship. I say why. If you are going to be the leader of that football team and the head coach you have to back your players.

The fact they thought it was necessary to boycott just goes to show it was a tremendous problem and it's something that is real. Actions should be taking place. I think the main thing was we want to raise awareness. It is not a Missouri thing. It is not a Mizzou thing. It is national on every campus. We want everybody to feel safe. It is not just a black and white thing. It's a minority thing. It's something that needs to be fixed. It's something that needs to be brought to attention. This is something regardless everybody needs to, you know -- it is hard to put yourself in other people's shoes. So we really can't do that. Only the minority know what it feels like to be a minority on campus. I can't put myself in Jonathan Butler's shoes because I was a student athlete. So of course I probably got benefits and they probably treated me a little different. So I don't really know what he went through as being the student.

PEREIRA: Let me ask you about that. And I do appreciate you say that you recognize that you sort of get a different treatment. Football is a big deal in Missouri. We know as being an athlete there you are going to enjoy special privileges on campus with respect to your fellow students. But what was it like? Did you sense there was racial tension on campus when you were there?

WASHINGTON: Well I think three or four years ago whenever they spingled cotton balls on the black culture center, that's something that went national. Now, can Tim Wolfe account for individual actions that somebody passes by and calls somebody the "n" word? No he can't. I don't think that's why they asked him to step down. I don't think that's what it was. I think it was his lackadaisical approach to get things fixed, to come out with a mission statement to say that we're taking the right steps to fix this. I think he kind of just turned a blind eye. Should he resign, I think that's sad. I'm not saying I support that 100 percent. I heard the demands. There was demands within the demands. Both sides could have been done a better job in their approach to this thing.

PEREIRA: All right. WASHINGTON: As far as the football team, I think it was right

that they stepped in because there was no leverage on Jonathan Butler's part. The football team brought leverage a little bit.

PEREIRA: L'Damian Washington, you did a great job withstanding all of that wind, making your eyes water tremendously during that interview.

WASHINGTON: Oh, my gosh. I'm so sorry about that.

PEREIRA: No, you did just fine. Thank you for bringing your passion and bringing your insight to this interview, and hopefully this is the beginning of some healing going on in your campus and some big conversations at universities around the country. Thanks for joining us. Alisyn?

CAMEROTA: All right, Michaela.

Well, do you think the Republican race has got a little weird? You are not alone. Even Donald Trump says it is getting, quote, "strange" when a candidate has to fight to convince the media he really did stab someone. All this as the GOP candidates prep for fourth debate tonight in Milwaukee. CNN's Sunlen Serfaty is live in Milwaukee. Tell us how they are preparing, Sunlen.

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Alisyn, there's already been rumblings in preparation for tonight's debate between some of the campaigns, a big escalation in the war of words between the Jeb Bush campaign and the Marco Rubio campaign which potentially could set the stage for a fiery debate tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SERFATY: Tonight's debate a critical moment for candidates in the Republican race to the White House. The main stage a bit roomier this time around. Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie bumped off the main stage to the undercard debate. Fewer people means more time for each GOP hopeful. The network saying it will allow them to respond to each other's criticisms directly.

TRUMP: This is a strange, election, isn't it?

SERFATY: Donald Trump giving an early indication he may not be so nice with his chief rival, going after Dr. Ben Carson over questions about his violent past at his rally in Illinois Monday night.

[08:09:56] TRUMP: This is the only election in history where you are better off if you stab somebody. What are we coming to? People are getting away with murder. I never saw anything like this. You could say anything about anybody and their poll numbers go up.

SERFATY: The billionaire taking Starbucks after they changed their holiday cups. TRUMP: Maybe we should boycott Starbucks. Starbucks is taking

merry Christmas off. No more merry Christmas. If I become president we're all going to be saying "Merry Christmas" again.

SERFATY: Trump also has had guns a-blazing for Senator Marco Rubio, attacking his previous stance on immigration.

TRUMP: And then I look at the guy Rubio who's very, very weak on illegal immigration. He was a member of the gang of eight.

SERFATY: Tonight Rubio may be forced once again to answer allegations of messy finances and other attacks coming from his mentor Jeb Bush.

KATIE PACKER, FORMER ROMNEY DEPUTY CAMPAIGN MANAGER: Jeb Bush has certainly telegraphed that Marco Rubio has a target on his back and he's going to be coming after him.

SERFATY: FOX Business, the host of tonight's debate, hoping to draw a sharp contrast to CNBC, taking a jab at previous moderators, saying they never asked real questions. The network instead promising a real debate on the economy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm not so sure that these personal attacks that we're looking for will be there because I'm not sure they will be provided necessarily.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SERFATY: And the main debate will be two hours long tonight and the candidates will actually have 60 seconds to respond if any attacks are made against them. That is double the amount of time they were given in the last debate.

CUOMO: That is what people want to see, the candidates speaking for and about themselves. All right, Sunlen.

SERFATY: So they may not bash each other, but the GOP candidates will certainly bash the current president tonight including what they say is a failing economy. Treasure Secretary Jack Lew says that is poppycock. He sat down for a while in one interview with chief business correspondent Christine Romans. What did he tell you?

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: He did not say "poppycock." He did talk about the American economy. And he sounded more bullish, Chris, than I've heard him in sometime. The U.S. relative to the rest of the world is doing well. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACK LEW, TREASURY SECRETARY: We've had confident consumers. We've had unemployment coming down, strong jobs growth.

ROMANS: Auto sales.

LEW: Auto sales have been very strong. We'll see some months with good numbers and some months with disappointing numbers, but the direction over the last six, nine months has really been quite convincingly positive. We could still be doing better. If we didn't have headwinds from a weaker global economy than we would have hoped for, we'd be seeing stronger growth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: There was a very strong jobs report on Friday. As you know, give percent unemployment rate. The underemployment rate, they call it the real unemployment rate, below 10 percent for the first time since the crisis.

I want to show you how the president's job creation compares with recent president. These are two term presidents at this stage in their tenure. You've got Barack Obama, 8.7 million jobs. Gorge W. Bush, 5.4 million. Look at Bill Clinton. Remember the Clinton years? It was a jobs machine, more than 20 million jobs. And under Ronald Reagan, 12.1 million jobs. I suspect you are going to hear a lot tonight about the Obama economy, and it will be a dirty word rolling off the tongue of the Republicans. But for the top money man in Washington, things looking good here right now.

Real quickly, I want to point out to my R.A. They have rolled out this new retirement savings plan for anyone who doesn't have a retirement plan at work, the government is offering you one here. It's treasury securities. No minimum, no fees. MyRA.gov. That was a promise the president in his 2014 state of the union, and now Jack Lew, the treasury secretary, they have rolled it out.

CAMEROTA: Thanks so much.

ROMANS: You're welcome.

CUOMO: Appreciate it. Watch CNN tonight at 11:00 p.m. Eastern for post-debate coverage with Anderson Cooper. Michaela?

PEREIRA: There are growing concerns about the vetting process of airport employees in the U.S. following the crash of Metrojet flight 9268. U.S. officials focusing on so-called insider threats amid fears that someone with access to that doomed plane planted a bomb on it. CNN's aviation correspondent Rene Marsh is live at Reagan National Airport with the very latest for us. Rene?

RENE MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Michaela. I spoke with several U.S. officials who say we simply do not know enough about the close to 1 million airport workers at airports across the United States. Another official telling me that the information used to vet here these airport workers is basically on the same level as whether a passenger would have to submit in order to get pre-checked clearance at airport security.

What most people probably don't realize is that TSA actually relies on airports and carriers, more than 400 of them, to do these criminal background checks of these airport workers. And so TSA is only able to vet the employees that they get data from these airports. So while officials are concerned and worried about the possibility of an insider threat at airports here in the United States, the TSA had a pretty embarrassing moment at Miami International Airport just last night.

[08:15:01] We understand from law enforcement officials they lost sight of a passenger with a suspicious bag. And they lost sight of this passenger for hours. We know that this man was able to pass through security checkpoints with a bag that contained cell phones and wires.

After that, TSA became very concerned. The FBI, police brought in. Fifty flights were delayed, nine diverted. Police going on board some of these aircraft to find this passenger with a suspicious bag.

In the end, they got the passenger, they got the bag. The bag was deemed safe.

But the question today remains: if TSA thought that that bag was suspicious, how was it that this passenger was able to get through that security check point? How was it that they lost sight of this passenger? Alisyn?

CAMEROTA: Man, those other passengers do not look happy about having to submit to that search on the plane there.

Rene Marsh, thanks so much for all of the background.

Also, breaking news overnight: an arrest in the shooting of the Texas state judge. The person of interest in the case is now behind bars.

CNN's Ed Lavandera is following the story live from Austin.

So, what happened overnight, Ed?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Alisyn.

Well, a law enforcement source tells us that the person in Houston, Texas, was arrested on an unrelated fugitive warrant. This person has not been criminally charged with the attack on the judge here in Austin, Julie Kocurek. But investigators and the law enforcement source tells us they do believe this person could very well be connected to this attack on Judge Kocurek Friday night as she was driving back to her home and attacked in the driveway of her home after she had just come home from a high school football game.

We have spoken with friends and colleagues over the last few day who have said they are convinced that this attack was premeditated and planned in a retaliation for the work she does here in criminal courts here in Travis County in Austin, Texas. So, this person now under arrest on an unrelated fugitive charge, being questioned.

And investigators are -- we hope to hear more today about whether or not they are able to prove that this person was connected to this attack on Friday night -- Chris.

CUOMO: Some big questions still there. Ed, thanks for staying on it for us. We'll check back with you.

We're also learning more about the shootout in Louisiana that claimed the life of the six year old autistic boy. A source close to the investigation tells CNN the deputies saw a physical fight between the dad Chris Few and his girlfriend outside a bar. They say Few then took off in an SUV. Did they know a kid was in the car? They still don't know.

But Few's lawyers tell the "Associated Press" a body camera shows few with his hands up as the officers fired into his car, killing Few's son. The two officers are being held on $1 million bond.

PEREIRA: All right. If you are Jeb Bush, you are likely feeling the pressure to put on a powerful performance tonight on the debate stage. Can he finally have a breakthrough moment? We're going to get insight from a man who knows Jeb well, ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[08:21:44] CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER, COLUMNIST: This debate is all about one thing -- Jeb Bush. He's had three bad debates. And one more, and he's not going to drop out but he'll really be dead man walking.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Well, that was conservative pundit Charles Krauthammer saying the pressure is on for Jeb Bush during tonight's Republican debate.

So, what will Jeb do?

Here this morning is Republican strategist Justin Sayfie. Sayfie worked as Jeb Bush's senior policy adviser and chief speechwriter when Bush when Bush was the governor of Florida.

Justin, thanks so much for being here.

So, you are a strategist. You know Jeb well. What do we prescribe for him tonight? Do we see more of sort of the mild statesman afraid to break the rules and challenge the moderators or do we see more of the attack dog going after his opponents?

JUSTIN SAYFIE, JEB BUSH SURROGATE: Well, I think you are going to see Governor Jeb Bush talk about his record in Florida, his accomplishments and lay his case before the people watching the debate about his vision for the future. I don't think you're going to see anything dramatically different from what you see in the past, but I think he's going to be very forceful in talking about what his vision is for the future and his record as governor.

CAMEROTA: But, Justin, don't we need to see something dramatically different than what we've seen in the past? It hasn't registered in the past. In fact, I believe his poll numbers have dropped after debates.

SAYFIE: Well, look, the polls right now are very fluctuating. Anything can happen. They have gone up. They have gone down.

And I think that, you know, this is the year in my view that anything can happen. No one could have predicted where had the polls are right now, and in the same way, I don't think anyone can predict where the polls are going to be in January or February and March of next year. The debates are important, but I certainly wouldn't put as much impact that Charles Krauthammer did in your lead in to this.

CAMEROTA: OK.

SAYFIE: The debates are important. But the voters of Iowa and New Hampshire are still evaluating these candidates on a one to one basis.

CAMEROTA: Well, they are. But it's not good news in the polls, Justin. I mean, look at the latest poll.

This is the Marist national poll. It was just out yesterday. And it asks among Republicans who don't you want to vote for -- the anyone-but-him question. Trump is at number one, 37 percent but Jeb Bush is not far behind at 32 percent.

So, doesn't he need to do something dramatically different tonight than just once again sort of lay out where he is in policy?

SAYFIE: Well, look, that is something that we'll see what he does tonight. I think you are going to see him do the same that he's done before. But I think he's getting more forceful and more emphatic about it.

Does he need to do something different? You know, that's great pundit talk. I think that for the fact of the matter is, he will show what he's made of. He will show what kind of leader he'll be for the country. And I think at the same time, he's going keep taking his message to the people at the debates, but also one on one in all the candidate forums that he's doing in the early voting primary states.

I guess I would just also say, voters haven't really settled down on who they are going to vote. Seven out of 10 in a recent "New York Times" poll -- Republican voters said they may switch who their current preferred candidate is by the time they vote.

CAMEROTA: Yes, it is early days obviously.

Speaking of "The New York Times", they have an article out this morning by Maggie Haberman, and it talks about the plans of Jeb Bush's super PAC.

[08:25:01] They are planning to unleash some new attack ads. They are willing to spend a lot of money against Marco Rubio.

Let me read an excerpt from that, "The group's chief strategist has boasted of his willingness to spend as much as $20 million to damage Mr. Rubio's reputation and halt his, Rubio's, sudden ascent in the polls."

Is that the right answer, Justin? Does Jeb Bush need go after Marco Rubio more forcefully?

SAYFIE: Well, look, I think he needs to talk about his record. I think that there are always in these campaigns every candidate is going to be held responsible for their record, including Jeb Bush.

And no one should be surprised if any candidate has another candidate do compare and contrast and talk about their record. And that includes Governor Jeb Bush, includes Marco Rubio, Donald Trump, Ben Carson. All of the candidates should be put to the test. That's not a surprise for anybody.

I think Jeb Bush has a positive message. He has a positive vision. I think you are going to see that from him tonight in the debate.

And what the unaffiliated super PAC does is up to them. But no candidate should be surprised if their record gets scrutinized.

CAMEROTA: Jeb Bush himself has talked about what he believes need to change in the debate. He sat down with our Jamie Gangel about his thoughts are on shifting strategy. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEB BUSH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I've got get better at debating I guess, or performing, whatever that's called. And I will. I'm a grinder. I'm very competitive. And so, I feel good about where we are.

JAMIE GANGEL, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: You keep saying "I'm a grinder". What does that mean?

BUSH: That means as I have described it is I eat nails before I have breakfast. I'm focused. I'm competitive. I set high expectations on myself. I knew this was going to be hard.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: He's so tough he eats nails before breakfast. He doesn't even them for breakfast. But that is not our impression of Jeb Bush that he's Rambo-like. But you know him well. Do you think he needs to show how tough he is?

SAYFIE: I think he will. I think he will and I think that as the campaign goes on the debate performance tonight, other times where you will see him on television, I think that -- when I listen to that clip and watch that clip, that's the Jeb Bush that I know. He's ferocious when he needs to be. He's super-competitive and anyone who counts him out is making a big mistake.

And so, that's why I think that right now, you are going to see the real Jeb Bush. You are going to see competitive Jeb Bush. And you are going to see someone who is fighting for the American people, for his vision of the future and who is willing to do what he needs to do to win this election.

CAMEROTA: Last, Justin, what if he doesn't burst out of the pack? Might you see his supporters who have thus been steadfast, go elsewhere and donations start to dry up?

SAYFIE: No, I don't. I think the people with Jeb Bush, they believe in him. They believe that he is the right person to lead the party and a general election campaign against Hillary Clinton.

And I think that most of the people if not all of the people that are supporting Jeb Bush know that this is a long campaign. That the election isn't going to be decided on November 10, 2015. The first votes don't take place in Iowa until February 1st of 2016.

There are a lot of debates. There's a lot of TV interviews. There's a lot of newspaper articles. There are a lot of editorials. There's a lot of that's going to happen between now and then.

Rick Santorum in 2012 won the Iowa caucus. Newt Gingrich won the South Carolina primary in 2012. Mitt Romney was the nominee of the Republican Party. So, there is a lot of campaign left to go. The people that support Bush are with him and they know this is a hard fought fight as it should be.

CAMEROTA: We will all be watching tonight. Justin Sayfie, thank you.

Let's get over to Chris.

CUOMO: All right. So there is growing speculation that that downed Russian jet may have been an inside job. The question, is enough being done to screen airport workers here? We'll give you the facts.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)