President Trump To Speak At D-Day Commemoration; President Trump Puts U.K.'s National Health "On The Table"; President Trump Backs Tariff Threat On Mexico.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: President Trump about to speak at a D-Day commemoration, but not before making more headlines in the British media.</s>DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think it's more likely that the tariffs go on.</s>SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): There is not much support in my conference for tariffs, that's for sure.</s>DAVE BRIGGS, CNN ANCHOR: The president on another collision course with Senate Republicans over tariffs.</s>RICK SWEARINGEN, COMMISSIONER, FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT: We swear an oath to protect the public. If you don't do your job you will be held accountable.</s>ROMANS: The deputy who stayed outside during the Parkland school shooting fired and arrested on felony charges.</s>BRIGGS: Plus, a dizzying helicopter rescue that almost spirals out of control. Speaking of dizzying, 1:30 a.m. U.K. time, the president was up representing our country tweeting angrily at who he calls "Psycho Bette Midler." It's Wednesday, folks. Welcome back to EARLY START. I'm Dave Briggs.</s>ROMANS: The very important work of the commander in chief. I'm Christine Romans. And, you know, I'm remarking today that 75 years ago today was the day that Gen. Eisenhower was looking at the weather trying to decide whether they wanted to make this invasion -- the most important consequential decision in the 20th century. And finally, he said, on this day, 75 years ago, OK, we'll go. Simple leadership.</s>BRIGGS: A stark contrast to what was happening overnight.</s>ROMANS: OK, we'll go. Thirty-two minutes past the hour this morning.</s>BRIGGS: All right, let's head there. President Trump in mid-air right now between London and Portsmouth on England's southern coast. There, he'll speak at an event in about an hour marking the 75th anniversary of D-Day. Before he even lands, the president making major headlines in an interview he gave to Piers Morgan, the host of "GOOD MORNING BRITAIN." CNN's Max Foster joining us now live outside Portsmouth with the latest. Good morning to you, sir. A lot of the papers there I saw this morning really picked up on the president's comments that the NHS -- the National Health Service -- could be part of a U.K.-U.S. trade deal, rattling the entire country. Now, a bit of a backtrack. Good morning.</s>MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT, ANCHOR, "CNN NEWSROOM": Yes, the National Health Service regarded very much as a national treasure of the United Kingdom -- all health service free. And as part of the trade deal, Woody Johnson, the U.S. ambassador to the U.K., had suggested before this trip that actually all procurement into the system would be on the table for any trade deal. That's caused huge amounts of concern in government and in national circles, frankly. But, President Trump clarified on that, saying actually, it won't be on the table. So that's a huge relief to everyone here in the U.K. As you can see, he's about to arrive here. We'll see his motorcade come into that part of this complex here to mark D-Day. Then he'll have a photo with 15 other heads of state -- all of the countries involved in D-Day all those decades ago. But, you know, it set off from here much of the invasion. So, a big moment for him and a big moment for those other countries as well. Then, of course, he'll give a speech. No indication yet of what words will come from that. The Queen will be here, Prince Charles will be here. He had a big meeting with Prince Charles just yesterday and -- the day before, actually, where they discussed climate change, and Prince Charles very much of the view that climate change is a threat to humanity. President Trump often refers to is as just extreme weather. This is what he told ITV's Piers Morgan.</s>TRUMP: I believe that there is a change in weather and I think it changes both ways. Don't forget, it used to be called global warming -- that wasn't working. Then it was called climate change. Now, it's actually called extreme weather.</s>FOSTER: Helicopters coming in here Dave, so I think he's due in any moment now. We've got the police helicopter, which typically has been coming ahead of Marine One. Also, on the royal theme, of course, Piers asked him about Meghan Markle and those comments which were interpreted as him thinking Megan Markle was nasty. Actually, what he clarified was he thought the comments were nasty.</s>TRUMP: I wasn't referring to her -- she's nasty -- I said she was nasty about me. And essentially, I didn't know she was nasty about me. So I said, but you know what, she's doing a good job. I hope she enjoys her life.</s>FOSTER: That was off the back of the idea that Megan Markle, before she was a princess, had suggested that he was misogynistic. So, President Trump due to arrive with 15 other world leaders here. A big moment in the history of those 16 countries, I'd say.</s>BRIGGS: Indeed, it is. We waiting for some live pictures of the president touching down there. Max Foster live for us in Portsmouth this morning. Thank you.</s>ROMANS: The president in London but still wearing his "tariff man" hat. He is not backing down on Mexico. The president standing by his threat to impose a five percent tariff on Mexican goods -- that tariff to happen next week. Here he is at a press conference in London.</s>TRUMP: I think it's more likely that the tariffs go on, and we'll probably be talking during the time that the tariffs are on and they're going to be paid.</s>ROMANS: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is scheduled to meet with Mexico's foreign minister -- that meeting today. They'll be talking about tariffs and immigration. Of course, the president frustrated with the numbers of migrants crossing into the U.S. via Mexico and he's using tariffs to punish Mexico, even in the face of heavy criticism.</s>REPORTER: And what do you think of Republicans who say that they may take action to block you imposing those tariffs?</s>TRUMP: Oh, I don't think they will do that. I think if they do, it's foolish. There's nothing more important than borders.</s>ROMANS: Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell weighed in on the trade developments.</s>JEROME POWELL, CHAIRMAN, FEDERAL RESERVE: We are closely monitoring the implications of these developments for the U.S. economic outlook. And, as always, we will act as appropriate to sustain the expansion with a strong labor market and inflation near our symmetric two percent objective.</s>ROMANS: Translation -- if the president's trade policies tank the U.S. economy, Powell is going to spray foam on the runway, right? He's going to basically bail out Trump's trade adventures. Stocks rallied after Powell's comments. The Dow closed up 512 points -- best day since January. Investors take those comments as a hint that the Fed will cut interest rates to bail out the economy if need be.</s>BRIGGS: And the president getting some Republican pushback on his threat to impose tariffs on Mexico. About a half-dozen GOP senators railed against the idea at a lunch with White House and Justice Department officials Tuesday. Even the most hardened Trump loyalists are resisting a bit.</s>MCCONNELL: There is not much support in my conference for tariffs, that's for sure.</s>REPORTER: Will you try to block those tariffs?</s>MCCONNELL: Well, what I'm telling you is we're hoping that that doesn't happen.</s>SEN. JOHN KENNEDY (R-LA): I think it's a mistake. I'm not saying we don't have a crisis on the border -- we do, clearly. I'm not saying it won't work, at least short-term. My concern has to do with the long-term ramifications.</s>BRIGGS: Now, what Sen. Kennedy there is talking about is what our word means when we do these trade deals --</s>ROMANS: Right, right.</s>BRIGGS: -- with, say, Mexico, the USMCA or U.S.-U.K. trade deal. That's his concern. Joining us now live from London, "CNN POLITICS" White House reporter Stephen Collinson. We recommend everyone start their day the way we do with coffee and Collinson.</s>ROMANS: Yes.</s>BRIGGS: That's what we read -- the quintessential politics table setter. Here now, Stephen, some live pictures of the president in Marine One touching down in Portsmouth to begin the first of two days of D-Day commemorations.</s>ROMANS: So with that split-screen, let's begin this conversation.</s>BRIGGS: And, Stephen, let's pick up where we left off though, quickly, on those tariffs. You heard some Republican senators standing up, showing a bit of spine. Ted Cruz even said I want you to take a message to the White House you didn't hear a single yes. Then came this, from spying to getting a little weak in the knees, Lindsey Graham, last night on Fox News.</s>SHANNON BREAM, ANCHOR, "FOX NEWS @ NIGHT": There's a lot of talk about what happened today behind closed doors -- Republican senators having a conversation about this. Where do you stand?</s>SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): Well, tariffs would be tough on the economy, but the border is broken and it needs to be fixed. And if tariffs is what it takes to get Mexico to do better on their side of the border, I'm all for tariffs. Trump's not the problem. Mexico's the problem. Republicans are not the problem. Democrats won't vote to change the laws. But I'm not blaming President Trump here. I'm blaming the Congress because we can't do our job, and I'm blaming Mexico.</s>BRIGGS: Where have you gone, Lindsey Graham, chapter 78? Stephen, we were told Republicans would tolerate a lot of this stuff because of tax cuts. Now, they're willing to swallow tax increases. What are the chances they can override a veto?</s>STEPHEN COLLINSON, WHITE HOUSE REPORTER, "CNN POLITICS": Well, it wouldn't be the first time that what appears to be a stiffening of the Republican spine against the president doesn't actually turn out that way. We've seen that again and again. And I think was very interesting in his press conference with Theresa May yesterday, the president reminded Republicans that he has a 94 percent approval rating, at least according to him, among GOP voters. He's clearly using his power. Now, the question -- I think the message from what the Republican senators were saying yesterday was that they hope this is going to be fixed before next week. There are talks in Washington today between senior delegations from the U.S. and Mexican sides. There's going to be an attempt to try and get some kind of face-saving situation here. It doesn't look, if you look at the recent history, that Congress will be able to sustain a presidential veto on this issue. So, if it comes to it -- and we do know that the president has a great deal of faith in the device of tariffs. It's the one thing which he's believed consistently -- ideologically for 30 years. So, he doesn't look like he's going to back down. But yet, again, we've got to a situation where the president, by upping the ante in his art of the deal negotiating style, has put himself and his own party into a bit of a corner, which could end up being politically damaging down the road.</s>ROMANS: And there's the president, Stephen, arriving in Portsmouth right now from Marine One, and the first lady. And so, they're going to proceed to these D-Day commemoration events. The president will be speaking a little bit later. But, look, what kind of credibility do the Republicans have -- the anti-tariff, free trade Republicans? They have already tolerated a year of tariffs against the Chinese. And perhaps, yesterday, the Federal Reserve chief gave the president the biggest gift he has had yet in his trade war and that is telling the world that if the U.S. economy weakens, the Fed stands ready to cut interest rates. In effect, it's being called the "Powell put," meaning that that will prop up the stock market.</s>COLLINSON: Yes, and some of the critics might know that the president has imposed great political pressure on Fed chair Powell in recent months, raising questions about whether he's trying to impugn on the traditional apolitical role of the Fed. The message, of course, politically, is that this is Donald Trump's party. The days when the Republican Party was this free trade, no- tariff driver of the world economy are gone. Either in today's Republican Party, you fall in behind President Trump because of his massive support among the Republican grassroots -- and we're heading into a reelection campaign in just a few months -- or you put yourself at risk. And you were talking about Lindsey Graham there. Lindsey Graham is no longer the John McCain maverick. He, more than anybody else -- and he does face, potentially, a primary race next year if he doesn't fall into line with the president -- is showing exactly the choices that face traditional Republican senators in the Trump era.</s>BRIGGS: Meanwhile, where you are, as we just mentioned, the president has touched down in Portsmouth along with the first lady, their first of two days of D-Day commemorations. And look, aside from the notable -- I don't know what you want to characterize this tweet at Bette Midler at 1:30 in the morning, but if you take that off the table, how would you characterize this foreign trip abroad, the press conference with Theresa May, the meeting with the Queen and others?</s>COLLINSON: I think it's been smooth and successful, at least by the tumultuous standards that we've come to expect from President Trump's foreign trips. He was exceedingly gracious toward the Queen. He appeared unusually enthralled to meet a foreign leader -- somebody who he said he's respected for all of his life. Potentially, the most famous woman in the world, Queen Elizabeth II. He was very nice to Theresa May, the outgoing British prime minister, despite his great criticisms of her over Brexit. I think what we're seeing now is the statesmanlike demeanor begin to erode a little bit as the president gets more time, potentially, to watch cable T.V., as he was, presumably, last night at the U.S. ambassador's residence after hosting a dinner for Prince Charles. And he's getting more drawn into these big, brewing political controversies back home. Not just the --</s>ROMANS: Right.</s>COLLINSON: -- the tariffs issue. The House is going to vote next week to censure Bill Barr, the attorney general, and put him in contempt of Congress. So, I think although the president will have his head of state hat on in the next few days during the D-Day commemorations --</s>BRIGGS: Yes.</s>COLLINSON: -- a very solemn event -- look for him to get more drawn back into the politics back home before he returns at the end of the week.</s>BRIGGS: But staying over there, if he was watching U.K. news he would have seen a lot of talk about saying the NHS -- the National Health Service could be on the table in a U.S.-U.K. trade deal. And then, Christine, I believe he reversed ground.</s>ROMANS: And then he did. I mean, he's talking to Piers Morgan, the "GOOD MORNING BRITAIN" host, and Piers brought up -- so you would put NHS in a trade deal. How would that work? And this is what he said.</s>TRUMP: I don't see it being on the table. Somebody asked me a question today and I say everything's up for negotiation because everything is. But I don't see that being -- that's something that I would not consider part of trade. That's not trade.</s>ROMANS: You know, it makes one wonder how prepared the president is -- you know, if he's winging it here -- going by his gut. If he even knows what the NHS does and why that wouldn't be considered part of a trade deal.</s>COLLINSON: Well, I think it's clear Christine the president doesn't know the intricacies of what this trade deal with the U.K. would represent and the difficulties that Britain is in if it decides to pull out of the European Union. The NHS, as Max Foster was saying, is a hugely-treasured part of British life and sort of the culture of being British. So, the president's comments in the press conference really caused a massive stir. And clearly, he was briefed afterwards by some of his officials that he needs to row this back. But the point is that consistently, American firms and American political leaders have sought access to the British health market for American private firms, and that would entail, to some extent, some semi-privatization of the National Health Service. That is going to be on the table in any trade negotiation, as are big changes to the U.K. agricultural market and regulations, which have been in line with European regulations. I think what this does is it shows people in Britain the big complications that would arise if Britain does go ahead and leave the E.U. because to continue trading with the E.U., it would have to stay in line with E.U. practices. But, American practices and regulations are much, much different if you want to get a trade deal with the</s>U.S. ROMANS: It all sounds complicated. I saw one estimate yesterday it could take 10 years to hammer out a trade deal between the U.S. and the U.K. given all of these complexities. Stephen Collinson, so nice to see you this morning. We love reading your pieces --</s>BRIGGS: We do.</s>ROMANS: -- in the morning and look forward to it. Thank you, sir.</s>COLLINSON: Thank you.</s>BRIGGS: I think the NHS was like an REO at that HUD meeting a couple of weeks ago.</s>ROMANS: Real estate-owned.</s>BRIGGS: An Oreo, as the HUD chair heard. All right. Ahead, President Trump in the U.K. right now, getting ready to speak at a D-Day event. We'll be right back.