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Connect the World

Donald Trump's First 10 Days. Aired 10:30-11:00a ET

Aired January 29, 2017 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:34:54] BECKY ANDERSON, HOST: Well, hello. And welcome to Connect the World. I'm Becky Anderson in Abu Dhabi for you.

The American dream has been a burning ideal for generations as vivid as the colors in its flag -- white for purity, red for valor, blue for justice.

But the very idea of America so many of us hold maybe fading as Donald Trump embraces the power of his office and transforms everything we think

we know.

We're going to explore all of this for you in this show. That is starting right now.

America has always welcomed freedom seeking people from around the world, but today there is confusion in the wake of President Trump's executive

order banning people from these seven mostly Muslim countries from entering the U.S. for 90 days.

No refugees can enter for 120 days and all Syrians are banned indefinitely.

More protests planned to U.S. airports today and several judges now blocking parts of this order, but what happens to refugees already approved

to go to the U.S.? And what about people who were en route while the order was being issued? Can they stay or must they go back?

Well, CNN's Nic Robertson following the nuts and bolts of this from Washington. And he has reaction from outside of the U.S. First, though, I

want to go to Turkey for the perspective from there and the wider Middle East. CNN's Ben Wedeman is at the airport in Istanbul. And Ben, what are

officials there telling you about who can and can't board a flight to the United States at this stage?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Becky, we're actually back in the center of Istanbul after Turkish police told us we were no

longer welcome at the airport.

But what we did see spending several hours there was that according to some officials, tens of people have been turned away from flights to the United

States from those seven countries covered in the executive order.

Now, but it seems to be not necessarily an organized effort, because, for instance, we spoke to one Iranian national from Queens New York. He has a

green card. He had come to Turkey to see his mother who he hadn't seen in five years. Turkish officials told me he's good to go, but he told me he's

very worried that once he arrives in the United States, he may not have such a welcome reception.

We had a producer inside the airport. He saw an Iraqi man -- the Iraqi man had a green card. He has lived in the United States for two years. He has

a U.S. citizen wife and children. He was told he can't go. So apparently, according to our producer, he had to bid farewell to his family at the gate

and walked away in tears.

Now, we're hearing some reaction from the Turkish government. The Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mehmet Simsek put out a tweet. He said refugees

welcome in Turkey. The world's largest refugee hosting country.

Turkey does host 2.8 million registered Syrian refugees.

He goes on to say we'd happily welcome global talent not allowed back to the USA -- Becky.

ANDERSON: Ben is in Istanbul for you this evening.

Nic, the American dream is alive, well, in Canada at least. The country's prime minister posting this photo of him leaning down to meet what seems to

be a young refugee. Justin Trudeau also wrote that everyone is welcome in his country no matter what you believe in. A subtle, perhaps, but hardly

ambiguous response to Trump's moves.

Other allies, it seems, less restrained, Nic.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It does seem to be so. And you get the sense that this current executive order, and even the

approach of this new administration, is to stress test very early on its relationship with its allies around the world. You know, having just met

with Theresa May, and Theresa May and President Trump just a couple of days ago, seems so much on the same page. Theresa May was at pains to stress

all the connections between the country.

But on the issue of the travel ban, she has had this to say: "we do not agree with this kind of approach. It is not one we'll be taking."

The German Chancellor has said that she deeply regrets the president's desire to ban refugees from certain countries.

This is very strong and heavy pushback. You know, the German Chancellor actually has been reported, from her spokesman, saying that she actually

had to tell President Trump in the phone call that the Geneva convention that the United States and Germany are both signatories to, obligates

countries to open their doors to people who are fleeing wars and conflict in their own countries: refugees.

[10:40:13] ANDERSON: Nic Robertson in Washington and Ben in Istanbul for you this hour. Thank you, gentlemen.

Angry protests against U.S. President Trump's controversial travel ban cropping up in airports all over the nation. A second day of demonstration

is scheduled in at least nine different cities. This, as a handful of federal judges temporarily block parts of this executive order,

spearheading some of these court challenges is the American Civil Liberties Union, or ACLU. They just won another ruling overnight.

Well, Faiz Shakir is the national political director for the ACLU joining us now live from Washington.

Let's be clear, who is affected by these decisions that you've won to order an emergency stay on this executive order, sir?

FAIZ SHAKIR, ACLU: Right. So there were four rulings. One was in New York, one was in Virginia, and the last one was in Boston overnight. Those

four rulings will allow those people who are in transit and stuck at airports, those who were detained at airports, to be allowed proper

admission into the United States on a case by case basis. So, the ban is lifted for them.

Now, the next step in the process is how do we overturn the disastrous effects of the ban writ large for those people who are abroad right now and

trying to get into the United States lawfully, and that will play out over the next few weeks.

But so far, the big victory wasn't helping those who are immediately in a situation of detention at airports or stuck in limbo in flights as they

were coming abroad -- from abroad.

ANDERSON: OK, so what happens to refugees already approved to go to the U.S.? And what about people who were en route while the order was being

issued. Can they stay? And once they go back, not clear, correct?

SHAKIR: Well, they should be -- we'll be in the court. We'll be fighting these cases. They should be allowed to enter into the United States if

they were in transit. The concern now is for those who were not -- who had not left the ground who are based abroad. Those are the people who are

still going to be fighting for.

So, overnight those who were stuck in limbo, hopefully the rulings that came down, were a big victory for them and if the customs and border patrol

are not enforcing it, we are going to be damn sure fighting to make sure that they do enforce it.

ANDERSON: Faiz, just before the show came to air, Mr. Trump took to Twitter to say the following, and I quote, "Christians in the Middle East

have been executed in large numbers. We cannot allow this horror to continue."

Now you seem to think this, the executive orders are an attack on Muslims. A Muslim ban. Why?

SHAKIR: Well, there you go, you read the tweet. He's identifying his desire to protect Christians and never indicating a desire to protect

Muslims who might have also been the victims of terrorism abroad.

And I think, you know, they have this great con game going within the administration. They believe that if they use the words extreme vetting

that people won't -- are too foolish to understand that that means Muslim ban.

We're not that foolish. We understand that when they say extreme vetting it means Muslim ban.

Rudy Giuliani was on Fox News last night saying that Donald Trump called him directly and said I want to do a Muslim ban, tell me how I can do it

legally. And they said this is the way you do it, you do it with extreme vetting. Donald Trump has said this over and over again that when he

wanted to do a Muslim ban, it simply morphed into extreme vetting.

So, the most clear example of the fact that this was, indeed, a Muslim ban through is executive order is the fact that they carve out an exception for

minority religions, for Christian religions from these countries, which is clearly indicating that their target is, of course, Muslims.

ANDERSON: Faiz Shakir on the show. Thank you, sir.

We will be right back. Viewers, more on this after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:46:42] ANDERSON: Welcome back. You're watching Connect the World. I'm Becky Anderson here in Abu Dhabi for you.

Well, it's been an eventful 10 days since Donald Trump became the American president. Let's take a look back.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARACK OBAMA, 44TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: How are you?

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: From this day forward, it's going to be only America first.

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The president and his senior staff fixating on the size of his inauguration crowd.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A battle cry from a sea of pink on President Donald Trump's first full day as president. And around the world and more than

600 marches...

MADONNA, SINGER: Good did not win this election.

SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN, (D) MASSACHUSSETS: We will not be silent. We will fight for what we believe in.

TRUMP: I am with you a 1,000 percent. And the reason you're my first stop is that as you know I have a running war with the media.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: His political comments made while standing in front of the CIA's memorial wall.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm just amazed at that kind of commentary from the president.

REINCE PRIEBUS, WHITE HOUSE CHIEF OF STAFF: Transpacific Partnership.

TRUMP: We just officially terminated TPP.

Anybody ever hear of NAFTA? We're going to start renegotiating on NAFTA, on immigration, and on security at the border.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If Mexico is unwilling to pay for the badly needed wall, then it would be better to cancel the upcoming meeting.

ENRIQUE PENA NIETO, MEXICAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Mexico will not pay for any wall.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Trump, once again, repeated his false claim that millions of people cast fraudulent ballots.

TRUMP: We will build our own pipeline.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Keystone XL pipeline extension would stretch about 1,200 miles.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are American just like you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Defiant to the White House's executive order on sanctuary cities.

ERIC GARCETTI, LOS ANGELES MAYOR: We want the federal government to protect those folks who have gotten temporary legal status.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Republican leaders are following the president's path on Mexico. They are flat out rejecting his latest defense of the use of

torture on terror suspects.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: President Trump welcomed British Prime Minister Theresa May to the White House.

TRUMP: And I believe we're going to have a fantastic relationship.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The order stops people from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia, or Yemen from entering the United States for 90 days.

UNIDENITIFIED FEMALE: Mr. President, what you have done is shameful, is un-American.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Well, let's dive in to all of this, shall we? CNN political commentator and Republican strategist Alice Stewart joining us in

Washington; Allan Lichtman is also there, he is a distinguished professor of history at American University in the city; in London, political analyst

and Democratic strategist Morris Reid.

To each of you, let me just get reaction on this, the latest tweet from President Donald Trump who took to Twitter to defend his travel ban. Just

hours ago, he tweeted, quote, "our country needs strong borders and extreme vetting. Now. Look what is happening all over Europe and indeed the

world, a horrible mess."

Starting with you, Alice, your response.

ALICE STEWART, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, Becky, I think this is exactly consistent with what he campaigned on. He didn't campaign on open

borders, he campaigned on securing the borders. And this is an important step. And as he's signed the executive order just the other day, he

stressed the reason behind this order, it was clearly to protect our nation from terrorists who come in to do terrorist acts here in the United States.

That is the number one priority of this extreme vetting and secure -- and extreme ban, in this case. It is to protect Americans first.

And keep in mind, this is a temporary measure, it's not going to be long- term, it is temporary. But the number one priority, as he has said, is to protect Americans from terrorists who intend to come to our nation to do

harm.

ANDERSON: Alan, a week in and President Trump finds himself accused of constitutional and legal overreach by two Iraqi immigrants and there will

be more. What do you make of all of this?

ALLAN LICHTMAN, PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Well, I think this ban is a national security, a moral, and a legal disaster. The previous speaker

talked about making America safe. Not a single national from any of these countries participated in the 9/11 attacks or has killed a single American

over the last 50 years.

What this ban does is play right into the hands of ISIS and all the terrorist groups around the world by stoking the anti-Americanism that is

their credibility in recruiting. It also may radicalize homegrown American terrorists. They've been the perpetrators of terrorist attacks, not

immigrants.

How are we now going to gain the cooperation of Muslims in places like Iraq and Afghanistan and Pakistan who are essential to the war on terror who now

are going to believe America's promises. It is a moral disaster, because it clearly makes a distinction between Muslims and others.

ANDERSON: Javad Zarif -- OK, Morris, the Iranian foreign minister tweeting, and I quote, "#Muslimban will be recorded in history as a great

gift to extremists and their supporters." Iran, one of the countries on the blacklist, of course.

Will that worry Washington and its new administration?

MORRIS REID, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Not at all. In fact, it may embolden Trump to go further.

But Becky, what we have to understand is elections have consequences. And you see these Americans out of the airports, you see these people

protesting. If they care and love about America they should have showed up in these record numbers to elect Hillary Clinton. It is not surprising

that Donald Trump is going too far too fast. And we have gone from 9/11, and one of the most respected countries in the world, to the fact that we

are now deplorable.

And, frankly, he is making us more insecure. Americans travel all over the world. There's more instability. There will be more consequences and more

activities against America if Donald Trump can stick to this unbelievable senseless policy of demonizing people who are our allies.

More Muslims die from terrorism than Americans. He needs to understand that.

ANDERSON: Demonizing people who are America's allies, Alice, your response.

STEWART: That's not what this is about, at all, Becky. And Morris is right, this was something that Donald Trump campaigned on, and he is

following through on his promise.

And this is -- so many people have talked about the consequences of this, but we have to keep in mind the number one priority here is to keep

Americans safe.

And, look, our national security experts have to be correct 100 percent of the time. The terrorists only have to be right one time. And that's the

important thing. And this is a good step.

ANDERSON: How does this executive order make Americans safer at this point? How?

STEWART: It imposes more strict vetting of people come into this country. It imposes a ban on people that come from terror prone nations where there

are known terrorist activity originates. And with the last eight years of the Obama administration, the growth of ISIS, that is a huge concern. And

they can look the other way. And they can put their hand in the sand, Donald Trump is not that way.

ANDERSON: You would be hard pressed to find anybody from any of these seven countries who has committed a terror act on American soil in some

years. Correct?

STEWART: Look, I trust our national security experts as to why they picked these seven nations. And it is due to the growth of ISIS. And

specifically, when we're talking about...

LICHTMAN: That's nonsense.

STEWART: We're specifically talking about Syria where ISIS has grown tremendously. And these are areas they have identified as state-sponsors

of terror. And for us to isolate and identify these areas where we do need more extreme vetting and a ban, I think that is the wise first action to

take to keep America safe, and that's what this is all about.

[10:55:08] REID: These are the same people that you demonize. These are the same people demonized when he was criticizing our military and our

intelligence community. So, nine days later he believes everything he says.

Barack Obama did a great job of keeping America safe. This is going to embolden our enemies. I will assure you that Americans will be more

insecure overseas.

Remember, Americans have to travel around the world. We are putting our people and our allies at risk by doing wrongheaded, stupid policies that

are really just showoff. He's playing to a gallery that don't really understand the consequences of the presidential actions.

LICHTMAN: Yeah, let me explain what these nations do have in common. They obviously, as we pointed out, don't have in common that they are the

sources of terrorism -- not for 9/11 and not for any other attacks. The nations that participate -- that sent nationals to 9/11 were mainly Saudi

Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, which are not included in this ban -- Turkey, a hotbed of terrorism is not included in this ban.

What do these seven nations have in common that the others don't? Trump was not...

REID: Well, I can tell you one thing that Turkey have -- and you can't say this about...

LICHTMAN: Let me finish.

REID: You can't demonize them by bringing in -- they're doing...

LICHTMAN: Stop talking over me.

ANDERSON: Morris, let him finish. Hang on. Hang on, let him finish.

LICHTMAN: Yeah, you're extremely rude.

I am in the middle of a sentence here.

What these seven nations have in common is Trump has no business interests in them whatsoever. What the true sources of terrorism, those nations have

in common is Trump does have business interest in all of those nations.

So, to try to make rational sense out of what is otherwise an utterly irrational policy, the correlation is nothing to do with terrorism and has

everything to do with the extreme conflicts of interest that Trump has by not divesting himself of his business empire.

ANDERSON: All right.

REID: Turkey, Jordan has more refugees than any refugees in America.

ANDERSON: Sorry, Morris, I'm going to have to go. We're going to have to get out of this. Thank you very much, though, indeed, for your insight all

of you.

Before we go, viewers, and apologies, we are going to have to take a break. But before we do that, final thought from one of America's founding father,

Benjamin Franklin, that quote, "those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."

I'm Becky Anderson, that was Connect the World. A shortened addition this evening. Apologies fo that. See you, though, all again tomorrow.

END