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Reports: Maryland Governor to Endorse Christie for President; New Report About to Put Blame for Downed Ukrainian Airliner on Pro- Russian Separatists; Holmes Trial Goes to Jury. Aired 10:30a-11:00 ET.

Aired July 15, 2015 - 10:30   ET

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


[10:30:00] LAMONICA: Amazon. They are way beyond in online retail. That is the way of the future. People obviously buying not just on the computers but smartphones as well. Walmart recognizes that they have to do more to be competitive with Amazon.

Now, this deal maybe it does help because they are getting people to buy stuff and get that instant gratification you're talking about. Amazon, though, still the clear leader. I don't think that's going to change anytime soon even though a lot of consumers aren't thrilled.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: So you're on a wait list now.

LAMONICA: I'm on a wait list - Yahtzee on a wait list. Do I need to save 50 percent off on a game that's only eight bucks to begin with?

COSTELLO: Paul Lamonica, thank you so much. I appreciate it. It was a lot of fun. I'll be right back.

And good morning. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for joining me. Chris Christie is in Annapolis, Maryland, today for what his campaign is calling a, quote, special announcement. Reports indicate that Maryland Governor Larry Hogan, a Republican, will endorse Christie.

In 2014 as chairman of the Republican Governors Association, Christie backed Hogan's campaign. Christie is no doubt hoping that endorsement

will give him a boost in the polls where his rival Donald Trump has scored a big victory with voters.

A new "USA Today"/Suffolk University poll showing Trump sitting at the top of the Republican field at 17 percent. But he is within the margin of

error seasoned a in a statistical tie with Jeb Bush who comes in at 14 percent. Scott Walker, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio rounding out the top five.

CNN Politics Reporter Sara Murray joins me now. So Sara, what's behind the surge?

SARA MURRAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I do think that Donald Trump is speaking to a certain wing within the Republican party that wants to see someone who sort of has this brash take on the issues, wants to hear someone talk about border security and sanctuary cities. This is what voters were telling me when I was out in phoenix for his rally this past weekend. They like his tone, the idea of a fearless politician, even if they're not super familiar with his stance on many other issues. One woman said, he's donated to democrats, to Republicans. I'm not sure what to qualify him as.

COSTELLO: Well, the polls show other numbers that aren't so favorable to Donald Trump, right? His favorability numbers aren't so great among all voters, right?

MURRAY: It's interesting. We've seen the polls start to diverge on this. The last couple of polls have shown high unfavorable numbers. 61 percent for Donald Trump. A couple of other polls show he's been able to bring down some of those unfavorables and his favorability numb numbers are ticking back up. So I think we need more results. I think the reality is there's a limited pool of voters that Donald Trump and his message are going to appeal to. The

question is, how big is that pool and is it going to be a problem for others in the race.

COSTELLO: All right. Sara Murray, many thanks to you. I appreciate it. I want to bring in Robert Kiger, he runs a super PAC and is a big supporter of Donald Trump. Good morning, sir.

ROBERT KIGER, CITIZENS FOR RESTORING USA: Good morning, Carol. How are you?

COSTELLO: I'm good, thank you so much for being here. Why do you like Donald Trump?

KIGER: Well, you know, I started this PAC about six months ago. And I get really tired of sitting around and complaining about the way the country was. I think that the country's in serious, serious trouble. And so I wanted to get involved. And Donald Trump - look, people are really tired of the Clinton/Bush dynasty. Might make for a really good Aaron spelling weekly TV drama but I think most people just simply want to get up and change the channel. I think he embodies what people want.

They want a politician that isn't tied to big corporations, isn't tied to big donors, isn't tied to big PACs. He's funding his own campaign. He is his own person. Like him or not, he is not going to be controlled by anyone. And I think that's really resonating with a lot of people.

COSTELLO: Well, it's resonating with a lot of people, you're right, at the moment. But of course a lot of people actually don't like the words he's choosing to describe things, specifically immigration. I want you to listen to

something Donald Trump told our Dana Bash yesterday.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're getting beaten by everybody. It's about results. You have to get results. They're worried about the tone. Is their voice raised a little bit?

COSTELLO: So what does Mr. Trump mean by "they're worried about the tone"? What tone is he talking about? Can you hear me, Mr. Kiger?

[00:10:35] KIGER: Oh, I'm sorry, Carol. I didn't hear very much of that clip. But, listen, I think people are tired of the political correctness in this country. They want somebody that's going to be in people's face. They need a game-changer. And if he's a little bit - what's surrounded his remarks about illegal immigration during his announcement speech, I think it's been a little bit trumped up by the media and obfuscated by the media because I think they want Hillary Clinton - they don't want him to be the nominee because they know he'll beat Hillary Clinton.

COSTELLO: Well, I understand your point about political correctness. But I don't understand why you don't understand why some people might be upset at what Mr. Trump said about Mexican illegal immigrants coming across the border. I'll read you his direct quote so no one misunderstands anything.

When Mexico sends its people, Trump said during his presidential announcement, they're not sending the best, they're not sending you, they're sending people that have lots of problems and they're bringing those problems. They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists and some, I assume, are good people.

Do you understand why that might insult some people?

KIGER: Yes. I do. And I have a lot of - you know, we're kind of in the hotbed of immigrants here in South Florida. And I have a lot of supporters that are Hispanics and Latin Americans that have come here and they have worked really, really hard to become...

COSTELLO: Doesn't that language bother you, then? Doesn't that kind of language bother you, even if it's coming from a man you admire?

KIGER: I do admire him, you're correct. And it doesn't bother me because I know exactly what he's talking about. He's talking about the Mexican government bringing prisoners and sending prisoners to this country, people that they don't want. He wasn't talking about legal immigrant. He hires thousands of them.

COSTELLO: No, he was talking about illegal immigrants coming across the border and he called most of them rapists and murderers and he said the Mexican government was sending them. Do you believe that?

KIGER: Do I believe that the Mexican government is pushing them across the border? Sure. I think they're encouraging it. They're encouraging it. They're certainly not stopping it.

COSTELLO: And you were saying that you have - that you know of many Hispanic supporters of Donald Trump. Why do they tell you that they like him and what resonates with them about Donald Trump? KIGER: Because they came here and they did everything that they

were supposed to do and they did it correctly and they worked hard at it. And to have someone just come over the border, stay, break the law and not do any of the hard work to become a United States citizen doesn't make them very happy.

COSTELLO: And just a final question for you, because we were talking about that poll before this interview. And Donald Trump's unfavorability number is very high. Some 60 percent of all voters have an unfavorable view of him. Why do you think that is and do you think that will hurt his chances to become president?

KIGER: I think as time goes on and people get more familiar with him, those numbers have changed immensely in the last 30 days. And I think it's going to continue to get better and better and better.

COSTELLO: All right. Robert Kiger, thank you so much for your insight. I appreciate it.

KIGER: Thanks, Carol.

COSTELLO: You're welcome. Still to come in the "Newsroom," it's been a year since Malaysia airlines flight - since that Malaysian airlines flight was shot out of the sky. Now a new report reveals who was behind it.

[00:10:40] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's been nearly a year since 298 people were killed when a commercial plane broke up over Ukraine. U.S. officials concluded the plane was struck by a missile. And now although the final report has yet to be released, sources tell CNN the investigators say evidence point to Russian rebels as the ones responsible.

CNN's Rene Marsh following that story for us. Good morning.

RENE MARSH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Carol. According to a source who has knowledge of the details of this report, Dutch investigators say evidence points to pro-Russian rebels as being responsible for shooting down Malaysia Flight MH-17.

Now, the Dutch safety board is investigating the incident. But a draft copy of the investigative report has been circulated to accredited representatives in the investigation, that includes Boeing, FAA and the NTSB. This report pinpoints the exact type of missile used, where it was launched and who was in control of the territory where this missile came from.

And, again, all signs pointing to pro-Russian rebels. Carol?

COSTELLO: Rene, the sources also say this report is placing blame on Malaysian Airlines. Why is that?

MARSH: Yes. According to these two source, the report does indeed pin some blame on Malaysia airlines specifically for how its planes were dispatched on that day. The report says that the airline was not reading other countries' notice to airmen and continued to fly over the conflict zone while other airlines avoided it.

[00:10:45] Now, notice to airmen or NTAMS are written notifications written to pilots warning them of a possible missile launch over conflict zones. What happens amongst U.S. carriers, they make decisions about where to fly, where not to fly based on these notice to airmen that different countries issue to their pilots. The Dutch investigators say because Malaysia airlines did not review other countries' warnings, it was unaware that other countries were avoiding the conflict zone that day, Carol.

COSTELLO: Is this report you're talking about, it was done by Dutch officials, I want to be clear for our viewers.

MARSH: Absolutely. The Dutch safety board, they are leading the investigation. However, there are other entities like Boeing, FAA and NTSB that are also playing a role here. So it's customary based on international aviation law to essentially once you have your draft report complete, to circulate it so that others may also give input to the report. And that's exactly what we were able to get details from, that draft report, Carol.

COSTELLO: Rene Marsh reporting live, thanks so much.

Still to come in the "Newsroom," insane or a cold-blooded killer? A jury debating the fate of the theater shooter, James Holmes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: The fate of confessed Colorado movie theater shooter James Holmes is in the hands of a jury today. Holmes is charged with killing 12 people and injuring 70 others. If convicted, he could face the death penalty. But the defense argues Holmes was legally insane at the time.

Ana Cabrera has more for you.

ANA CABRERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A jury now deciding what is justice for the 12 lives taken in a movie theater massacre. A father and mother, an aspiring sportscaster, members of the military, even a 6-year-old girl.

DISTRICT ATTORNEY GEORGE BRAUCHLER: And he came there with one thing in his heart and in his mind and that was mass murder.

CABRERA: Mass murder, the prosecutor called it, at the hands of a distraught then 24-year-old former neuroscience grad student, a man of high intelligence who had just dropped out of school and lost his first love. Acting on a self-described long-standing hatred for mankind, argued the district attorney.

BRAUCHLER: He says, I hate everybody.

CABRERA: A killer who detailed in a notebook his plan of attack that was months in the making. BRAUCHLER: Look at the evidence and hold this man accountable.

DEFENSE ATTORNEY DAN KING: The evidence is clear that he could not control his thoughts. That he could not control his actions and he could not control His perceptions.

CABRERA: The public defender Dan King argued James Holmes was insane, overcome by severe mental illness, driven by a delusional belief that killing would increase his self-worth.

KING: That's not logical. No, it's not. It's psychotic.

CABRERA: 11 weeks of testimony now brought to a close. 165 charges, including first-degree murder and attempted murder, now in the hands of 12 jurors, nine women and three men. Tasked with determining whether Holmes was sane when he loaded up on ammunition, weapons and dressed in body armor before spraying a packed theater with bullets.

BRAUCHLER: And then Veronica Sullivan, forever our kindergartner.

OPERATOR: Hello, 911, what is your emergency?

CABRERA: Leaving 12 dead, 70 others wounded and changing countless lives forever. Ana Cabrera, CNN, Centennial, Colorado.

COSTELLO: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You brush your cat. You take that hairbrush that you just used and you take the hair out of it. You put that hair toupee on top of your cat.

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Adam is getting hundreds of cat hairdo submissions. His girlfriend's Cat Etta renamed, Donald Purrump started the ball rolling. Now there are calicos, a hairless cat, cats with coloring similar to the Donald's. Adam then takes quotes from Trump and juxtaposes the quotes with a Trump your cat photo.

Adam operates a cat rescue called Cattown cafe in Oakland, California. Did you look at the cat hair and think Trump or you looked at Trump and thought cat hair?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I, I definitely looked at the cat hair and thought Trump.

MOOS: The Donald is used to hair jokes. Letterman did bits like Trump or monkey for years with contestants guessing based on photos showing on tops of head.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think we've settled on number one is the monkey.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, no.

MOOS: Homer Simpson recently found himself dragged into Trump's scalp.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe they don't like my hair which is real by the way.

MOOS: He's repeatedly invited people to touch it to prove its authenticity.

TRUMP: Is that sucker real?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's thin but it's real.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's no receding hairline there.

MOOS: Trump your cat isn't receding either. It's expanding to Trump your basset, your bunny, your guinea pig, trump your husband. But nothing trumps this beehive except trump himself.

TRUMP: Run your fingers through his hair.

MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

COSTELLO: Thanks for joining me today. I'm Carol Costello. "At This Hour with Berman & Bolduan" starts now.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: The moment of escape. New video showing how the notorious drug lord broke out of his cell and used a secret tunnel to go on the run. We're going to take you inside.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: The Trump tornado, one poll now has him out in front. Another says his popularity has doubled. And today a big summit with a key republican candidate. So has he made the jump from reality host to real candidate?