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Navy Yard Scare; Security Increased at Prison; Trump Defends Comments; Ex-CNN Reporter Shot. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired July 02, 2015 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:04] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Wolf Blitzer, thank you so much.

Great to be with you on this Thursday. I'm Brooke Baldwin. And you're watching CNN.

We begin this hour with the nation on edge as the FBI warns about a possible attack around the holiday. This scene here just this morning, this is outside the naval yard in the nation's capital. The colossal - I mean look at all the flashing lights, the patrol cars, the crime tape. Listen, it's a colossal show of police force. Turned out to be, thank goodness, a false alarm. But it played on the real concerns that a terrorist may strike during this Fourth of July weekend.

Law enforcement across the nation had already been on heightened alert with ISIS calling for acts of violence. And then this morning, a worker at the navy yard called 911 saying she had possibly heard gunshots. The yard went into lockdown, living through scenes tragically familiar. It was just 2013 that gunman massacred 12 people at this very location. Today here, workers were evacuated, rooms were searched, but no gunman was found, no shots were fired. What's left behind? The same fears and plans to step up security.

With me now, private investigator and former NYPD officer and security expert Bill Stanton.

Bill Stanton, welcome, sir. Nice to have you on.

BILL STANTON, FORMER NEW YORK POLICE OFFICER: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Beginning with - listen, I mean I was there in 2013 so you can understand why police would swoop in as quickly as they did in Washington because they didn't know what happened, right? They're just getting phone calls. Can you speak to the sensitivity, though, especially ahead of this holiday weekend, to respond like that?

STANTON: Well, it's a good trial run and I'd rather see law enforcement respond this way than not at all or do it haphazardly. The what - what went down and the way the folks responded was excellent on all fronts, in my opinion.

BALDWIN: OK. Just broadening this out, let me glance down at my note. This is in to CNN from officials telling us that ISIS' focused right now isn't on - they're encouraging attacks ahead of this Fourth of July holiday. And, of course, it's also the holy month of Ramadan. So there's significance there. And that there has been an uptick in chatter leading into the weekend. What is your biggest concern, though, just knowing security the way you do? Is it the notion that it could be this one, sole individual who's inspired by, you know, ISIS messaging online or more of a coordinated terror cell attack?

STANTON: No, Brooke, you said it first, the self-initialized terrorist. The person that takes it upon themselves, that's communicating with no one, that's doing self-training, may have firearms, may have a way to get firearms or create a homemade bomb. That is virtually impossible to stop that.

BALDWIN: That's frightening.

STANTON: And the way you stop that is by the folks, us, John Q. Citizen dually deputizing ourselves. And we hear that see something, say something, but we need to get our eyes out of our iPhone - out of our phones and our iPads and we need to have critical thinking and strategic planning. So looking around and taking action like this lady did - apparently did today.

BALDWIN: I mean you hear the see something, say something, but then you also, going into the holiday weekend, and I'm going down to the - to the National Mall, to D.C., because I'm not afraid and I'm taking in my fireworks.

STANTON: That's right.

BALDWIN: But I'm wondering though, you know, with the heightened security alerts, how should we approach this weekend?

STANTON: Well, you know what, have fun.

BALDWIN: They're saying, be calm, have fun.

STANTON: Right. Absolutely have fun. But, for instance, I came in this building. I know where the exits are. Like, God forbid something were to happen here right now -

BALDWIN: Yes.

STANTON: Well, I know where the exits are and I'm going to grab you and we're going to go.

BALDWIN: OK, thank you.

STANTON: And I have that plan in my head. And you get into the "what if" scenario. And it's not being paranoid, it's being prepared.

BALDWIN: OK.

STANTON: And if we're all like that, we defeat the bad guy.

BALDWIN: Be prepared, not paranoid.

I want to play some sound because this was Congressman Peter King here talking yesterday to Wolf Blitzer, speaking specifically about the most complex counter intelligence plan ever. This is what they're dealing with. Roll it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. PETER KING (R), NEW YORK: There is great concern. I mean going back to dealing with the FBI and Homeland Security over the last two or three weeks, I would say this is the most intense leveled of concern I've seen maybe since 9/11.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: I mean that strikes me when you hear maybe the highest level of concern since 9/11. Knowing the city you do, formerly with NYPD, do you agree with that? Are we there?

STANTON: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. We can - well, listen, besides 9/11, Independence Day, America's Independence Day, it's a prime date for them to strike and we need to be aware. There is not one police officer for every one citizen. So we need to help law enforcement. They can't be everywhere all the time. We saw it on the Brooklyn Bridge when that guy took the selfie, right?

BALDWIN: Right.

STANTON: Now, what I was more upset with was, how come there wasn't inundated 911 phone calls seeing this guy climb up there? We need to be proactive ourselves.

BALDWIN: OK. Bill Stanton, thank you so much and happy early Fourth to you.

[14:05:01] STANTON: Happy Fourth.

BALDWIN: Thank you.

We are also now just getting some news into us here at CNN about the final moments of a prison fugitive's life. Officials say they came across Richard Matt after shots were fired into this RV. This is near Malone in upstate New York. We know that a source has told CNN that he wreaked of alcohol after drinking grape-flavored liquor, for those of you who were curious, that apparently he found in a cabin. We are also learning a bit more as far as what followed. And a warning here, the photo we're about to show you is, indeed, graphic.

When officers approached Matt, he was lying right here where he eventually died. And as he lay there against a tree, he apparently refused to throw his hands up and instead pointed a 20-gauge shotgun at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent. That agent firing three shots into Matt's head.

Meantime, back at the prison where he escaped, a changing of the guard. A new warden and new security protocols in place after three top prison officials and nine staffers were put on leave.

So joining me now, Robert Ayers, former warden at the San Quentin State Prison.

Bob, welcome.

ROBERT AYERS, FORMER WARDEN, SAN QUENTIN STATE PRISON: Thank you. Happy to be here.

BALDWIN: So let me just - we're grateful you are.

Let me just tick through some of these new rules here. They're going to be performing regular sweeps through the prison, ensure no tools are left behind from contractors. Remember, this is what David Sweat was saying, that there was a sledgehammer left lying around. Again, I don't know if he's telling the truth or not. Limiting what types of tools they bring in. My question is, how often do - how often are these contractors who are brought into the prison, how often are they chumming it up with inmates?

AYERS: Well, as a rule, they shouldn't be, as you said, chumming it up with inmates anyway. My experience is that when you have contractors come in, the first thing you do is inventory the tools, anything that they're bringing in, and they are under constant security escort the entire time that they are inside the facility. And then when they leave, once again, there is a - or should be a detailed inventory of everything that they're bringing out. And that should be routine in every institution that I've ever been in.

BALDWIN: Should be, I hear, perhaps the key words, not always the case, right? So they're - they've got all these rules. I wanted to ask you about cell shakedowns. We're hearing weekly cell integrity inspections will be undertaken. When you're walking in a cell as a corrections officer, I want you to walk me through exactly what you're looking at, what you're moving around down to the pillows and the posters on the wall.

AYERS: Well, typically, you know, there are rules in the institution about what inmates are allowed to have and what they're not allowed to have. What they're allowed to have on their cell bars, cell doors, on the walls, anything like that. You know, so when you first walk in a cell, you're looking for compliance with those basic rules and you're looking for any possibility of contraband and where the contraband can be held. Typically, you don't really allow anything on the cell walls because the reason that people put up large pictures on a cell wall is to hide a hole that they have made in the wall behind the picture. So you don't want these pictures on the wall. When you have something covering the cell balls, it can hide cuts to the cell bars. It can also hide activities that shouldn't be happening in the cell from staff who should be looking in there.

BALDWIN: But, Bob --

AYERS: Yes.

BALDWIN: When you say should be looking in there, I mean as a former warden, you have all of these people reporting to you, these correction officers, some of whom are excellent and they do their jobs each and every day, and some don't necessarily play by the rules. I mean that's just - it's a fact. How did you keep your people in line? AYERS: Well, you know, the first thing is, there is nothing short of

getting from behind your desk and out of your office as a warden and going through your institution. And I'm not talking about just once a week, once a month, once a year. I'm talking about every day. And people can't fall to making excuses for why they can't do that. It has to be done. Because that's when you start seeing the signs of complacency, when people aren't checking identification, when people aren't - when you walk into a housing unit and you see the signs that inmates are allowed to do what they want to do as opposed to what they're supposed to do, you need to start asking some critical questions of the management staff and the supervisory staff.

BALDWIN: Right.

[14:10:11] AYERS: Where are they?

BALDWIN: I can only imagine all the questions that are being asked right now at the Clinton Correctional Facility there in upstate New York. Bob Ayers, thank you so much.

AYERS: My pleasure. Thank you.

BALDWIN: And on this story, stay tuned because we will show you - CNN takes you inside - look at this, this very trailer where Richard Matt hid from authorities. See what our correspondent Gary Tuchman actually found inside.

Also, Donald Trump triples down on his derogatory remarks on Mexican immigrants. We'll speak live with one of his former pageant contestant who wrote him a very stern letter. Hear from her.

And a former CNN anchor survives a robbery and gunfight in her motel room. Lynne Russell joins me live on what happened when those shots rang out. Stay here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:15:08] BALDWIN: You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

Donald Trump, he's getting a bit of a break after NBC and Univision decided not to air the Miss USA Pageant that he co-owns. It is back on TV somewhere else, Reelz channel tweeted its announcement today with the #savethesash. It will air this pageant despite the words that put Donald Trump in hot water in the first place. Let me just roll back a little bit in time and remind you exactly what it was he said when he announced that he was running for the Republican presidential nomination.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best. They're not sending you. They're not sending you. They're sending people that have lots of problems and they're bringing those problems with us. They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists and some, I assume, are good people. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: And he is defending that statement with our own Don Lemon just last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Don, all you have to do it go to Fusion and pick up the stories on rape and it's unbelievable when you look at what's going on. So all I'm doing is telling the truth.

DON LEMON, ANCHOR, CNN'S "CNN TONIGHT": I've read the - I've read "The Washington Post." I've read the Fusion. I read "The Huffington Post." And that's about women being raped. It's not about criminals coming across the border or entering the country.

TRUMP: Well, somebody's doing the raping, Don. I mean, you know, it's - I mean somebody's doing it. (INAUDIBLE) women being raped. Well, who's doing the raping?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Trump not backing down. We have seen the public fallout, but there's also been a very personal reaction. Marybel Gonzalez, let me bring you in. And I will introduce you to our viewers as the way you signed your message to Donald Trump. You signed it, quote, "a very Mexican, not rapist, Miss Colorado USA 2012 and a top ten Miss USA finalist.

So, Marybel, great to have you on.

MARYBEL GONZALEZ, FORMER MISS COLORADO USA: Thank you so much, Brooke. It's definitely an honor to be here.

BALDWIN: I want to get to your letter, but first you just heard Donald Trump as recent as last night saying, somebody's doing the raping, Don. I mean just last night. Your reaction to that?

GONZALEZ: I think that this is something that Donald Trump is not recognizing the dangers in his words. Unfortunately, Donald Trump, I'd like to tell you that rape and crime are things that happen in every country, to all different types of people, and crime and rape are not things that are committed by one group or one specific culture. So I guess you generalizing yet again has dangerous implications and it's completely erroneous.

BALDWIN: This is what you wrote on Instagram to Mr. Trump himself. Quote, "a rapist is a violator and exploiter, to be more precise. When you singled out a community and ignorantly generalized a population for the benefit of your campaign, you committed the worst exploitation. If I am a rapist," you go on, "by the simple fact of being Mexican, then what do these actions speak of you?"

Strong words, Marybel. GONZALEZ: And I stand by them. And I want to make clear, Brooke, that even if he wasn't just singling out Mexican-American people or Mexican immigrants, I would still be unwavering in these beliefs that you cannot generalize a population, a people, a culture. That is dangerous. Racism is manifested in words. It's one way that it is manifested, excuse me. And it's a completely dangerous to generalize and to talk about people in this matter. You are proliferating discrimination. You are encouraging people to use hateful comments against a certain minority and that, to me, is incredibly wrong, dangerous and just irresponsible.

BALDWIN: You know, I've talked to a couple Miss USA's the last couple of days who voiced their own opinions, which I appreciate. But you are unique in that you have very strong words for Donald Trump. And, listen, this is a man who doesn't forget things. Maybe this is a man who holds grudges. Certainly this is a man who can be litigious. And I'm just wondering, are you at all worried, even for just a second, about possible retribution?

GONZALEZ: I mean if he is going to seek retribution against me speaking a message of peace and of tolerance, then it really explains to what level he - his agenda is coming from. I am a former Miss Colorado USA and I will advocate for the Miss USA organization and say that women, like me, we prepare ourselves the whole year, working in charities and doing volunteer work for our own personal social causes and social stances and I am not afraid to educate him and say that you are wrong for using the words that you used. I understand that in every political agenda you must address international relations. But when you talk about people in this certain discriminatory matter, you are advocating for racism.

[14:20:03] And that transcends just talking about Mexican people. That talks about women, minorities, people of all different cultures, and that, to me, is something that I will not waver on and it's sending a message to him that hate is not something that I subscribe to.

BALDWIN: And just finally, let me just end on this quote, because I think this is pretty poignant and I want to make this point yet. You write in this letter, "I'm sad that other young Latina girls who are Univision viewers will not have the chance to see another girl on TV that looks like them, one they can relate to and aspire to be."

Marybel Gonzalez, thank you.

GONZALEZ: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Next, a former CNN anchor traveling with her husband when a man approached her in this motel parking lot, ends up holding her at gunpoint. Her husband takes matters into his own hands, fights back, kills the robber in a shootout. Lynne Russell will join me live after this break to tell this pretty stunning story.

Also ahead, we will take you inside the abandoned trailer where that fugitive, that killer, Richard Matt, where he escaped to before he was shot and killed by that border agent. Where he spent his final days in hiding. Stay here. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:25:22] BALDWIN: This next story I want to share with you. This is actually involves two of our former CNN colleagues, Lynne Russell and her husband Chuck de Caro. Russell anchored CNN "Headline News" for nearly two decades.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LYNNE RUSSELL, FORMER CNN ANCHOR: You're watching "Headline News." I'm Lynne Russell.

As you might have just head, the most wonderful news from Midland, Texas.

In April, another terrifying, technological accident. This one in the Soviet Union.

The past and the future were on President Bush's agenda during a visit to Atlanta today.

The White House says President Clinton will sign the measures as soon as he gets it.

What do you think? Is that sufficient? OK.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Well, Russell and her husband, who was a CNN correspondent, were staying at a Motel 6 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Russell says an armed robber pointed a gun at her in the parking lot, then forced her back into her motel room. And once they were inside, he demanded their belongings, but a gunfight broke out between the suspect and her husband. Her husband ended up shooting and killing this would-be robber, but he was also shot three times but is expected to survive.

So joining me on the phone now from New Mexico is Lynn Russell.

Lynne, my goodness. I mean I understand you're OK. Let's just begin with your husband. How is he doing?

LYNNE RUSSELL, (via telephone): Well, a little bitter every day. He just has to, you know, take it very carefully and not expect too much and just be very pragmatic about it. He suffered some very serious injuries. Way to go. And I guess you're asking yourself what we were doing in a Motel 6 in Albuquerque, New Mexico?

BALDWIN: Sure. That would be one of my questions. I mean I understand you had a dog and it's a dog friendly place. Go ahead and connect the dots for me.

RUSSELL: We were - we were on a road trip. Just put the dog in the car and take a really long trip. East Coast to West Coast. And we had just stopped to see some friends and we had had a lovely meal and we started to drive and we thought we'd put down some miles and then we thought, you know, we just had a nice meal, nice wine, why don't we just pack it in for the night and get an early start. And about that time we saw a Motel 6 sign and because we had our dog with us, we thought, this is perfect, we'll just do it. So we did. And -

BALDWIN: So you have this hotel room and at one point you're out in the parking lot. And tell me what started there.

RUSSELL: Right. Right. There is a technique - there's a term for this technique and I don't know what it is, in which you represent yourself to somebody in a certain way and then the next time they see you they expect it to be the same and it's very disarming when you then become very different. This guy actually did that, looking back. He asked me in the parking lot if I had a cigarette. I said I don't smoke. No, sorry. And then I went inside the room and came out again to go to the car for something and didn't see him. He was hiding. And I opened the door to the room and he materialized and pointed a gun in my abdomen and my first thought was, I still don't have cigarettes for you. But that was just enough -

BALDWIN: Whoa, whoa, whoa, that was your first thought when you have someone pointing a gun at your belly? That was your first thought?

RUSSELL: Well, it was, because it didn't - it didn't jive, you know? You see him and you expect him to be wanting what he wanted before. You know, that's the point. And he didn't, obviously, you know. But that was the first thought. It's just a - it's just a reaction. It's a knee-jerk reaction and that was just enough for him. It gave him the advantage and he tossed me into the room and closed the door.

So I'm sitting on the bed and about that time good old Chuck de Caro comes out of the shower soaking wet and stark naked and he sees this scene. And eventually maneuvered himself over to the bedside table, a table between the beds and we had our two small guns on the table. We decided if we're going to go across country, then we'll have at least a little protection, you know? Legal guns. We're both licensed to carry concealed in all those states.

BALDWIN: You have a history in law enforcement. You have a history in law enforcement, don't you?

RUSSELL: Pardon me?

BALDWIN: Do you - you have a history in law enforcement?

[14:29:32] RUSSELL: Yes, I do. And he was special forces in the U.S. Army. So we're very comfortable with it, you know. And - but he didn't think that the gunman should see those two weapons there. So he stood in front of it and I brought my purse over and said, well, let's see what we can do to help you, you know, to the guy. Let me look in here and see if there's anything I can give you. And then I backed up and slipped one of the guns in the purse and handed it to Chuck and said to Chuck, take a good look inside. Do you see anything for him - we can give to him? And Chuck said, yes, I do.

BALDWIN: Oh, wow.