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Confederate Flag Fight Continues; Trump on Immigration; Cosby Court Papers Released; FSU Drops Quaterback From Team After Shocking Video. Aired 9:30-10a Et

Aired July 07, 2015 - 09:30   ET

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

REP. JONATHAN HILL (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: This is a flag that South Carolina regiments would have fought under, under General Lee. So I think that it is appropriate that it is flying next to the Confederate memorial, which was erected in memory of the lives that were lost during the war.

[09:30:03] So, you know, I think that -- that it is appropriate and that it's very important that we remember our state's history, precisely because there's much to learn about the value of life, both from how slaves were treated, as well as all the lives that were lost in an unnecessary war.

ANA CABRERA, CNN ANCHOR: What do you tell -- what do you tell those constituent, those people who you represent who feel so strongly that that flag should be removed because they are so strongly offended by it and believe it symbolizes slavery, repression, racism? How can you argue against their thoughts on that?

HILL: Well, I have heard from some folks like that. And I always try and listen very carefully. I try -- do try to empathize with -- you know, and remember that I personally don't have the same background. I'm 30 years old. I have not -- I did not grow up during the civil rights era. Some of these people -- I had one lady tell me, said, you do not know what it's like to have crosses burned on your front yard. And she was right, I don't know what that's like.

However, I also reminded those folks that this is a period of time in our state's history where much was done that should be offensive to everyone, both white and black. And I would think that those folks would not want those wrongs to be forgotten. And I don't think they do want them to be forgotten. So I don't think that taking a flag down off of a memorial is going to help our state move forward. If anything, I'm concerned that it would be part of a long trend of taking down monuments and flags and artifacts from that time in our nation's history. And the result of that would be that we would begin to forget history and somewhere down the road begin to repeat some of the same mistakes that were made.

CABRERA: We'll have -- we'll have to leave it there. Representative Jonathan Hill, we do appreciate your time. I do know after being there in South Carolina talking to some of those folks who really want to remove that flag, that it would be a symbolic gesture to say that those beliefs from that time are not representative of the state today and I know that's what we heard also from Nikki Haley when she made her announcement and call for removal.

Again, good luck, and we will watch for that vote. Thanks so much.

Now the man accused in the shooting death of a 32-year-old woman at a San Francisco pier has been charged with murder. Juan Francisco Lopez Sanchez is set to be arraigned today. He told CNN affiliate KGO he did shoot Katie Steinle but it was an accident after a gun he found went off as he picked it up. Now Lopez Sanchez's status as an undocumented immigrant who had a felony record and had been deported to Mexico five times, this really ramped up this debate over immigration. But for the victim's family, the focus remains on healing and an attempt to find something positive from this tragedy. Here's what her best friend told CNN's Don Lemon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICOLE LUDWIG, KATE STEINLE'S BEST FRIEND: Her family's struggling. They are devastated by the tragedy. But her dad has talked a lot about the Kate effect and, you know, trying to take this horrific, horrific tragedy and creating something positive. Kate, when you met her, she left a lasting impression on you and she saw things in such a positive way. She laughed, she lived life, she lived moment by moment and, you know, now we want to try to create something positive out of her legacy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: So Donald Trump has seized on this San Francisco killing. He has used it to defend some inflammatory remarks that have caused some of his 2016 rivals to try to distance themselves. And now in a new lengthy statement, Trump continues to defend his remarks. He says his comments were, in his words, "distorted by the media." He writes in part, "what could be simpler or more accurately stated? The Mexican government is forcing their most unwanted people into the United States and this was evidenced just this week when, as an example, a young woman in San Francisco was viciously killed by a five time deported Mexican with a long criminal record. This is merely one of thousands of similar incidents throughout the United States."

I want to bring in CNN's political reporter Sara Murray joining me now.

Sara, not only is Trump continuing to defend his words, but he's now facing some more criticism, this time for a tweet. He retweeted a post that read, quote, "Donald Trump, Jeb Bush has to like the Mexican illegals because of his wife," end quote. Of course he is married to a Mexican woman, Columba, and this tweet was removed after 24 hours. Trump reportedly saying he didn't even know anything about it.

So, Sara, help us make sense of all this. Is deleting that tweet an admission of some sort that maybe things have gotten a little out of hand for the Trump campaign?

SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: I think it's pretty clear that it was not the best idea to retweet that sentiment. Even if Donald Trump didn't write it himself, it obviously doesn't send a very good message about how families involved in this campaign should be -- should be treated. And I think the fact that they deleted it gives you a sense that they share that same sentiment, that this goes too far, even if it -- even if they weren't Donald Trump's words, even if they were the words of someone else on Twitter.

CABRERA: One Republican donor has now called on the party to block Trump from the first debate in August, saying a petition should be started and saying if Trump appears other candidates won't. We've heard candidates speak more forcefully now on his remarks. Do you think that this is even a possibility that he perhaps couldn't make it into the debates if he's in, you know, that top tier?

[09:35:17] MURRAY: I think the only reason he would not make it into the debates is if he either drops out of the race, doesn't go through with all the disclosures he needs to do or somehow falls in the polls. I think when you talk to members of the Republican National Committee, (INAUDIBLE) them over the last few days, there's the sense that you don't want the RNC deciding who makes it on the debate stage. And one official at the RNC told me it becomes a problem when Washington decides who the candidates are who makes it onto that stage and it would just further embolden Donald Trump and sort of give him someone to push back against to say, look, the Washington establishment doesn't want me on stage.

I think how the other candidates handle it is a different question. We've seen candidates, as you say, take a more forceful approach against Donald Trump, specifically on his immigration comments, but so far none of them are saying you shouldn't be on the debate stage.

CABRERA: Well, it will make for an interesting debate if he's there, that's for sure. Sara Murray, we appreciate it. Thank so much.

MURRAY: Thanks.

CABRERA: Let's take you to Wall Street. The opening bell just happened a few minutes ago. So far the markets are pretty flat this morning. And, of course, this is all after that economic catastrophe looming in Greece. You can see the Dow is down about 30 points right now. On Monday, stocks fell as well as the world reacted to Greece's no vote. But the decline, not really as sharp as expected. And today Greece is presenting a new aid deal at an emergency Eurozone summit. So we'll keep our eyes on that and any market reaction.

More news right after the break.

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[09:40:50] CABRERA: More reaction now to our top story on Bill Cosby. The 77-year-old comedian under renewed scrutiny this morning after those newly released court documents show he admits obtaining drugs which he planned to give to women with whom he wanted to have sex. Now reaction has been swift. This revelation has bought a collective "I told you so" from many of the alleged victims.

Attorney Gloria Allred represents 14 of Cosby's accusers and she's joining us now from Raleigh, North Carolina. Gloria, thanks so much for being here.

GLORIA ALLRED, VICTIM'S RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Thank you for having me, Ana.

CABRERA: So Cosby has not actually admitted to drugging any of his accusers, though he does admit that that was his intention. Is this vindication?

ALLRED: Well, I do understand that he did admit to using Quaaludes with one woman and obtaining seven prescriptions for Quaaludes with the intention of using it to have sex with other women. This is a very, very important admission. This is the kind of admission that he has been attempting to hide from the public for many, many years. I do have a lawsuit in which I represent Judy Huth versus Bill Cosby. Ms. Huth alleged that she was 15 years old when he committed an act of sexual misconduct against her at the Playboy mansion. We were scheduled to take Mr. Cosby's deposition in our lawsuit on June 26th in my office but, unfortunately, Mr. Cosby's attorneys filed a petition with the California Supreme Court. So now we are awaiting the decision by the California Supreme Court because Mr. Cosby is attempting to have our case dismissed. And he has lost on that issue at the lower court, at the California Court of Appeals. We're hopeful that we're going to be able to proceed and then use this latest admission to question him in the deposition that we plan to take, hopefully very soon in Ms. Huth's case.

CABRERA: And the admission we're talking about was from 10 years ago, from 2005, and was part of a deposition in another civil suit. So, Gloria, am I hearing you say that this really could be a game changer legally for you today?

ALLRED: Well, I think it's very important because there had been many allegations that he used Quaaludes to drug women and then, his words are to have sex with them. I would say if he's taking -- if he's using this as a plan, which is what is so startling about what he said, that he actually had a plan to do this with a number of women, if he's doing that, then that -- and then he has sex with them afterwards, that is rape, that is sexual assault. If a woman didn't know she was being given a Quaalude or if she didn't -- if she knew but didn't consent that that's the way it would be used, that is rape. That is wrong. And that is why it's important for our client to have her day in court. And so many people are looking to this lawsuit because so many women are barred by the statute of limitations, the arbitrary time period set by law --

CABRERA: Right.

ALLRED: From proceeding either in a criminal case or in a civil case and that is why we want the right to proceed and question him about this.

CABRERA: So what is your goal now for these women who you represent? As you mentioned, the statute of limitations has passed.

ALLRED: Well, the women for whom the statute of limitations has expired can still speak out in the court of public opinion. They refuse to suffer in silence. And I'm very proud of their courage. I'm very, very proud of them that they have chosen to speak out.

But for my client, Judy Huth, we want our day in court. That is very important. And Mr. Cosby now, for those who doubted whether he did it not, just look to what he said under oath in this deposition in this civil lawsuit. Are you going to now believe Mr. Cosby? He said that he did it. What more do you need?

CABRERA: One last question, Gloria. One of the women who has been on our air since these revelations came to be has said that Cosby is a rapist. She accuses him of being a rapist and says that a rapist's greatest weapon is silence. What do you think Cosby's next move will be?

[09:45:01] ALLRED: Well, I think Cosby's next move is to try to block each and every lawsuit that has been filed against him. And that's what he's tried to do with ours. He's trying to have it dismissed. He filed a petition. And we'll see what the California Supreme Court decides.

What I'm happy about is he was unsuccessful in blocking the Associated Press from getting this deposition from this lawsuit of Andrea Constand, which was settled. And but -- if not for the courage of this judge, who decided that this deposition must be released, the public wouldn't know what he testified to under oath.

So we just want the truth to come out. I do expect him to fight hard in all of the cases throughout the country. But we're going to fight equally hard to make sure that everybody has a chance to testify under oath. And let's let a jury decide this matter.

CABRERA: All right. Gloria Allred, good to see you. Thanks for being here.

ALLRED: Thank you.

CABRERA: Now, t the top of the hour, I'll speak with a woman who has accused Cosby of sexual assault dating back to 1965.

Still to come, FSU coaches wasting no time after this shocking video surfaces. They dismissed the athlete involved. Now the charges the former quarterback could face and what his lawyer is saying this morning.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:50:42] CABRERA: Checking some top stories. It's one of the worst crashes in Tour de France history. More than 20 cyclists colliding, a brutal pileup there throwing some of the riders completely off their bikes and sending others skidding across the asphalt. Ouch. This crash was so massive the race had to temporarily be halted. At least five cyclists were forced to pull out of the Tour de France because of their injuries, in fact.

The U.S. women's soccer team back at home this morning, and they're celebrating not only a record breaking win but also record-breaking ratings. According to Fox Sports, which aired this final match, the U.S. win was the most watched soccer game in the U.S. on a single network. Now, this match drawing an astounding 22.8 million viewers.

Florida State quarterback De'Andre Johnson has been kicked off the team after some shocking video surfaced of him punching a woman. Now, here is how this tape starts. You see Johnson arguing with a woman at the crowded bar, and within seconds she's raising her fist. Johnson then grabs her arm and she attempts to hit him. That's when he punches her right in the face. This incident happened just a couple weeks ago. This is in Tallahassee. Johnson turned himself into police. He's now facing charges, a misdemeanor battery charge.

Sports correspondent Coy Wire is joining us from Atlanta, following the story for us this morning. Also with us, criminal defense attorney Page Pate. Good to see both of you.

Coy, I want to start with you. Johnson's lawyer, we know, is speaking out this morning. What's he saying?

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Ana. Yes, Johnson has hired high-powered attorney Jose Baez. Remember, he's the lawyer who represented Casey Anthony when she acquitted in 2011 on charges of first degree murder of her 2-year-old little girl Caylee. Baez released a statement in part saying , "While it is clear from the video De'Andre Johnson was not the initial aggressor, his family wants to take the lead in helping him learn and grow from this experience. De'Andre is extremely embarrassed by this situation and would like to express his heartfelt apologies to everyone.

Now a little background on De'Andre Johnson. Johnson was a highly touted quarterback coming out of Florida. He wasn't expected to play for the 'Noles much if at all this year being that he's just a freshman. Now he's off the team and will definitely not be playing for them.

Johnson is now facing a misdemeanor battery charge, which in Florida can get someone up to a year in jail. Ana?

CABRERA: And, Page, I guess he's apologized, as we just heard, through his lawyer and he says he's entered this faith-based program focused on battered women. He's essentially admitting to guilt, is he not?

PAGE PATE, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: It sounds like he is, but I think that's the smart move in this case. Some DAs could have charged him with a felony offense, like aggravated assault or felony battery, so in many ways I think he's lucky here to just get the misdemeanor charge. So if he addresses it proactively, if he goes and does a class, if he does some community work, volunteer work, all of that can help him when it comes time to face the judge and get a fair sentence in the case.

CABRERA: You take a look at that video, and you can't help but think, gosh, another athlete involved in all of this, Coy. And I want to talk about some findings from a recent ESPN "Outside The Lines" investigation.

Get this. Between 2009 and 2014, about 70 percent of men's basketball and football players from Florida State University and the University of Florida, who were named as suspects in police documents, they were able to avoid criminal charges.

Coy, this report found these players fared far better than their nonathlete counterparts. Is this a broader university problem, do you think?

WIRE: Great question, Ana. And from that graphic, it appears that there certainly appears to be a lot of bad apples. So one would assume that the tree which bears those fruit, the university, should be partially responsible.

There seems to be a disturbing trend there at Florida State where athletes involved in criminal cases either have charges dropped, or they're simply not charged at all. Remember, former Florida State Heisman trophy-winning quarterback Jameis Winston, last year's No. 1 overall draft pick, he was involved in a sexual assault case where he allegedly assaulted a classmate there at Florida State. He was never charged. He was also involved in that crab leg stealing incident.

You also had former all -- excuse me, running back Carlos Williams, a star of the team, of that undefeated run they were making. He never missed time, but he was involved in an alleged domestic assault case as well.

[09:55:03] Never charged there. Ana?

CABRERA: And, Page, Johnson's lawyer said Johnson was, quote, "not the initial aggressor". We saw the video. It does look like the woman takes a swing at him first. But is that a valid legal argument, that Johnson was provoked by a woman?

PATE: I don't think so. And, again, his lawyer, while he said he was not the initial aggressor, did not argue this was done in self- defense. I don't think that would be a good argument.

What's different in this case than Jameis Winston and some of these other athletes is we actually have video of the offense taking place, and I think, had we not seen that video, if that had not been made public, there may have been a different outcome here. Perhaps this would have been swept under the rug like so many incidents like this.

CABRERA: It does seem to make a difference, that video. You can't help but think of the Ray Rice video that really exploded that whole situation and created changes within the NFL, in fact.

Coy Wire, Page Pate, thanks so much to both of you. It was good to have you here.

The next hour of NEWSROOM begins after a break.

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