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Trump Blames Iran for Tanker Attacks in the Gulf of Oman; 39 ICE Detention Centers Have Cases of Mumps or Chicken Pox; Klobuchar: I Would Support Impeachment Proceedings Now; First 2020 Democratic Debates Take Shape. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired June 14, 2019 - 12:30   ET

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

[12:30:00] FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: But you're absolutely right. As far as that video is concerned, the Iranians have not made any sort of statement as to whether or not it's valid or as to whether or not what can actually be seen on that video.

However, what we are seeing from Iran's foreign ministry is they're throwing the ball back at the U.S. They say it's the Americans who are fanning the flames here in the region. You're absolutely right, they're specifically taking aim at Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. And also just listening to President Trump there saying that the Iranians are in a lot of trouble, they certainly don't seem to believe that they are at this point in time.

In fact today at Friday prayers, the man holding the sermon there say -- was saying that he believes Iran's supreme leader humiliated President Trump by rebuffing President Trump's offer to start into a dialogue with the Iranians to start into negotiations. The Iranians at this point in time clearly saying they are not going to back down, John.

JOHN KING, CNN ANCHOR: Doesn't sound like they are. And Barbara from the Pentagon perspective, Central Command releases this video. They say here's your proof Iran did this, so now what?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, that is the big question, right? You know, what do you do to ensure the market, the tanker market, oil markets, financial markets, have confidence in this billion dollar industry of commercial shipping through one of the world's most sensitive choke points now that the ships have been openly attacked at sea. The administration is saying it is continuing on the diplomatic initiative, it is continuing with the maximum pressure campaign. It has no interest in any kind of conflict with Iraq -- Iran, no interest in any kind of war.

But here at the Pentagon and at the State Department behind the scenes, they're obviously looking at options. What, if anything, can they do? What if there is another attack? What if the tanker market becomes so sensitive to this that the tanker industry says we're going to need military escorts through those waters?

Right now, there is not the ship capacity of the Navy in that region to do it sources tell us. So this would be quite a significant change if this situation grows worse. The U.S. still very committed it says to sanctions pressure and diplomatic initiatives. Again, they say they don't want a conflict with Iran.

KING: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, Fred Pleitgen in Tehran. Thank you both of your reporting and perspective.

With me at the table here, David Sanger of the New York Times. So you have belligerent rhetoric, you have what the Pentagon says and what the president says. They believe they have clear proof of an Iranian provocation. Now what?

DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, this is probably one of the most sensitive and dangerous national security incidents that President Trump has had in his two and a half years in the presidency. He did a small strike in Syria but Syria can't strike back at us. He threatened North Korea and immediately turned to negotiation.

This is a lot more complicated. The Iranians know that he's extraordinarily sensitive to oil prices. They know what kind of disruption they can do in the economic markets. It's not clear from that video that certainly doesn't seem to prove Iranian complicity. It shows them taking a mine off. It's not clear where that boat went.

There are not that many doubts that the Iranians were responsible here given how close this was to the Iranian coast, but that's a far thing from proof. So now the president's got some big decisions. Can sanctions alone do it? Well, you could argue sanctions are what triggering this.

Can he create an area around the ships as Barbara suggested before that is sort of off-limits to small boats? That runs a big risk of conflict. Is there a role for the United Nations Security Council here? Of course, many of the members blame President Trump for reinvigorating the problems with Iran by withdrawing from the nuclear deal.

KING: And it's interesting if you look at the reactions from European allies. The U.K. saying no reason to doubt the United States but it wants to independently verify. France and others saying we need to have our own people in there to look at it. Is there -- because they're still mad at the president, disappointed in the president for withdrawing from GCPOA, the Iran nuclear agreement.

Well, the president have a problem here, is this going to become, I guess the simple way to put it, the U.S. versus Iran or will the administration find partners if it wants to increase the pressure?

SANGER: I think it will find some partners but it's got a couple of different problems. Number one, most of the Europeans and the Chinese and the Russians who negotiated the nuclear deal think the president made a terrible mistake walking away from it. They think he should just have built on that deal.

The second is they don't necessarily believe him and U.S. intelligence. They're going to have to be shown shared intelligence. And the third thing is that the administration has failed at this point, John, to really lay out a big Iran strategy.

They have declared what Iran's got to stop doing. Secretary of State Pompeo gave a speech with a list of 12 steps they had to go take. But they do not right now have a sort of long-term strategy of how you engage the Iranians into a negotiation and what you try to accomplish in that.

KING: David Sanger, appreciate your insights. It's a delicate moment, we will stay on top of it. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:39:28] KING: Some important news to bring you, and it's first on CNN. There's an outbreak of mumps and chicken pox at ICE detention centers. Our Justice Correspondent Jessica Schneider following this breaking news. Jess, what do you know?

JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, John, a huge uptick in the number of people at immigration detention centers around the country who have been quarantined for exposure to the mumps and chicken pox. ICE now reporting 5,200 people quarantined with 39 detention centers across the country reporting cases of either the mumps or chicken pox. Now 5,200 people quarantined is more than double the number that ICE reported or quarantined back in March.

[12:40:01] At that point 2,000 people in ICE custody were quarantined amid an outbreak of mumps and other diseases. So the question is what is ICE doing to combat this seeming outbreak?

Well, they've so far quarantined 100 detention pods, these are quarantines that last 25 days. But it's important to note that just because these individuals are quarantined, it doesn't mean that they have mumps, it's just that they've been exposed. And the numbers that ICE is giving us is that since September, 297 people had confirmed cases of the mumps.

Now, this significant spike in the people actually quarantined for fear that they might have mumps, it comes at the same time that the Acting DHS Secretary Kevin McAleenan has warned at hearings on the Hill that conditions at the border are at a breaking point. In fact, just a few days ago at a hearing this week, McAleenan talked about the dangerous contagious diseases at detention facilities at the border saying that it's not just dangerous to the migrants flowing across the border but of course also border agents.

And really the numbers here are stunning. Last month, there were a record number of migrants encountered or arrested at the border, that will number was 144,000. That is the highest total in one month in more than a decade.

Of course, we've heard from President Trump striking that deal with Mexico putting more pressure on that country to stem the flow of migrants to the U.S., but really the stunning numbers today is that at ICE detention centers around the country we're seeing this huge uptick of people quarantined because of these diseases, mumps, and chicken pox. The number now standing at 5,200 people quarantined because of these diseases.

John?

KING: Quite an alarming number. Jessica Schneider, appreciate the breaking news. We'll stay on top of the story.

Turning now to our political radar. Today, a few other headlines from President Trump's birthday interview this morning on Fox News. The president announcing former acting ICE chief Tom Homan will be his new border czar. Said he has several good candidates to replace another departure, the White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, she's leaving at the end of the month.

And the president says he has no plans to fire his counselor Kellyanne Conway despite a federal watchdog saying she violated the Hatch Act. That act prohibits executive branch employees from engaging in political activities.

Right now, a squash Amash rally is on in Michigan. Some Republicans campaigning against the Republican incumbent Congressman Justin Amash after he accused the president of impeachable conduct. Amash is also been in a Twitter spat with Donald Trump Jr. who taunted him over the weekend for his opposition -- about the opposition in that upcoming primary. At least two Republicans say they plan to challenge Amash for his congressional seat.

Senator Amy Klobuchar telling CNN she is now joining the growing chorus of 2020 Democratic presidential candidates calling for impeachment. This comes after President Trump said he might accept dirt on a political opponent from a foreign power.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: I guess what I'm asking is that you have said that you have seen evidence that would lead to impeachment.

SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Yes.

CAMEROTA: So why not start impeachment?

KLOBUCHAR: Well, that is a possibility right now in the House. I would support an impeachment proceeding beginning now but I also understand that they may want to be doing investigations leading up to it. And I think they should be given the time to do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: You listen there, it's careful and important. She said impeachment proceedings, meaning start the proceedings. It doesn't necessarily mean what the end of it is. But we are seeing more of this among the 2020 and candidates.

Congressman Swalwell also after the president gave that interview to ABC News where he said, sure, I'd take it, saying that. Does it change the dynamic? MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: No. The only person who matters is Nancy Pelosi, and she's made -- she's very clear she's not moving off of her opposition to moving forward with an impeachment inquiry, not at least at this point. The question is what ultimately will move her? Will there be a series of events that make it seem like that's the only way for them to go.

This week when I interviewed her, I asked her a majority of your caucus supports moving forward at the moment, it's not a majority but if it does get to a majority, will she get off of her opposition? She would not say if that would prompt her. So, the question is, will this ultimately be decided in the ballot box. And if it were up for Nancy Pelosi, it would be yes.

KING: We're around 60 of the 235. Is that math right?

MELANIE ZANONA, CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER, POLITICO: That's exactly right. It's around 60, it's not the majority of the caucus, it's still a minority view. But, as Manu pointed out, Nancy Pelosi remains unmoved, right? We've seen this pattern time and time again. A bombshell comes out, the reporters, even members of her caucus ask her has the needle moved whatsoever and the answer is no every time.

I do think that if you start to see some of the centrist members in the swing districts start to call for this which we haven't seen yet, that could maybe move the needle a little bit, but as of right now she has not backed down.

KING: She will not be swayed by what she calls the presidentials.

Up next for us, the presidentials. The stage is now set for the first Democratic debates, and the strategizing already begun.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who do you want to be up there against?

JOHN HICKENLOOPER (D-CO), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I think I want to be up there with the people that are --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are their names?

HICKENLOOPER: Oh, I haven't even thought it through yet. I want to --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don't believe that.

HICKENLOOPER: Well, you might be a little bit right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:49:39] KING: We now know the lineup for the first two Democratic presidential debates. The lottery held just moments ago. A quick reminder, 23 Democrats running but three, Governor Bullock, Congressman Moulton, and Mayor Messam, they already know they did not make the threshold for the first debates. So you have 20 candidates divided into two groups of 10. And here is what the lineup will be.

The first debate, the first night, these 10.

[12:50:00] Senator Booker, former Housing secretary Julian Castro, Mayor De Blasio, former congressman John Delaney, Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Congressman Tim Ryan, former congressman Beto O'Rourke, Senator Klobuchar, and Governor Inslee. That's your first 10, the first night of the Democratic debate.

The next night, round two, with these 10 including the frontrunner Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders. Of course, second place in most of the polls. He was a candidate in 2016 so the two heavyweights if this field has heavyweights right there in that debate.

So is Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Senator Gillibrand, Senator Harris, businessman Andrew Yang, spiritual adviser Marianne Williamson, Congressman Swalwell, Governor Hickenlooper, and Senator Michael Bennet. These were the 10 on night number two. As I mentioned, three didn't make the cut, there's been some complaining about the standards, the chairman of the Democratic National Committee saying, give me a break, you had plenty of time, shouldn't be that hard to make it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOM PEREZ, DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIR: I think having 10 is going to be really a limit. And what we did early on, and the thing I think that was important from our perspective, Joe, is we set these rules, you know, back earlier this year. We gave all the candidates an ample amount of time but literally over four months. They had a lot of time and a one percent bar I think is a fair bar. It's harder to get a lower bar than one percent.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: Is there instant analysis team. Is there a big winner or a big loser in how this cut happened and how this lottery happened?

LISA LERER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, I think there's three candidates I would single out. I mean, of course, every campaign is going to spin this as a win immediately, but I think that this is really good for Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders because they're on the same stage and it allows them to continue fighting against each other which is the matchup that both men want. They think it elevates them as like co-frontrunners of this race, and it also takes away the generational piece since they are both in their late 70s.

But on the generational piece, I think it's also a good stage for Mayor Pete Buttigieg because he can really drive that contrast. He is on the same stage night as Bernie and Biden, so I think that's a good night for him to be on.

RAJU: It'll be interesting to see how it cuts for Elizabeth Warren. She's, you know, on the first night. She's the leader in the polls of the people that she is grouped up against on the first night. Does she stand out against those rivals or maybe not?

Maybe someone else takes that position because she doesn't do as well. And if someone gets momentum out of that first night, does that immediately quashed by the second night's debate because people have already forgotten about night one and we're talking about Bernie versus Biden or whatever the storyline comes up at the second night. So that's a good question ultimately too, how much do these two-day debates affect them?

KING: And as you jump in, I just want to say, Governor Hickenlooper got his wish. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you need to be up there next to Joe Biden if you want to get yourself known?

HICKENLOOPER: I don't have to be next to him. I certainly would relish the opportunity, and he would certainly be on my list, but I think that people are still just making their minds up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KING: He wants to be there to try to say, what, I'm a better moderate, I'm a better centrist.

CATHERINE LUCEY, WHITE HOUSE REPORTER, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS: Well, I think what you're going to see on both nights is the candidates on the bottom end of the polling trying to create a breakout moment. And I think the question is, is it easier on the first night when you have less of the top tier candidates there? Does that provide more air for some of those folks, or do they really, really want to get a matchup against Biden or Sanders to sort of show that they can go head to head? And that's a little hard to give out.

LERER: And I would say you have to -- it would be counted as a debate skeptic. I know there's a sense among many that this will provide these moments but I was just in Iowa last weekend where I heard 19 Democratic candidates talk back to back to back which took quite a while, as you can imagine. And what you take away from that is that with so many candidates in the field, with President Trump eating up all the oxygen in every room, having that kind of breakout moment that proves to be endurable I think is much harder than it has been in any other cycle.

ZANONA: It kind of reminds me of the early episodes of the "Bachelor" when there are so many contestants but no one stands out and it's harder to remember people. And I think we might see something similar.

RAJU: It does create opportunities for people to mess up. Remember Marco Rubio in the New Hampshire debate back in 2016.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Rick Perry.

RAJU: He got mauled by Chris Christie and that essentially ended his campaign. So that's -- it's a real risk for some of these candidates.

LUCEY: And then you had Carly Fiorina, obviously was one person in the Republican debates last time who did kind of break out and it gave her a bump for a little while but it can also be hard to keep that up.

LERER: So we're saying it's all risk and no reward. This is the one moment, don't mess it up.

KING: And what about the three who didn't make it? Mayor Messam is a long, long shot candidate. But you have a governor, a sitting governor in Montana, Steve Bullock, a congressman, Seth Moulton. He says I knew getting in the race so late, there's a strong chance I'd miss the first debate and yes, I will. Fear not, he says he's not losing any sleep over it.

Governor Bullock says I want you to hear this from me, I'm not in there but I'm not giving up. He says it's the wrong call.

There's a second set a month later. The question is can they make the -- can they rise up and make the bar for that?

LERER: Well, I believe Governor Bullock missed the bar for this one by one respondent.

[12:55:00] If he had gotten one more respondent in his camp in one poll, he would have made this debate. So, you know, there's the possibility that they could get in but I think their challenge is the same it is for many of the challenge -- many of the candidates who find themselves at the second tier or third tier, how many tiers we're putting in this race. At the bottom tier, it's just going to be really hard to break out and gain traction.

ZANONA: I think we're also seeing some of the unintended consequences of these new debate rules, they're trying to be more transparent but now you have some people left out, so.

KING: Well, it's going to be fun to watch. I can't wait.

Thanks for joining us in the INSIDE POLITICS. Hope to see you back here Sunday morning as well. We'll give you a wake-up call, 8 a.m. Eastern. Alex Marquardt in today for Brianna Keilar. He'll be right here after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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