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Trump Questions McCain's War Hero Status; Fifth Person Dies From Military Center Attack; Perry: Trump Should Drop Out of Race; Plane Crash Victim Tells of Survival; ISIS-Related Arrests in Saudi Arabia; Rangel Reacts to Trump's Comments on McCain; Investigation Continues in Chattanooga Military Shooting; Queen Elizabeth's Nazi Salute Photo Sparks Outrage. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired July 18, 2015 - 17:00   ET

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


[17:00:16] ANA CABRERA, CNN ANCHOR: You're in CNN NEWSROOM. Glad to have you with us. I'm Ana Cabrera in for Poppy Harlow in New York. It has been an afternoon of damage control for Donald Trump after an appearance in Iowa erupted into a major controversy. At issue, a comment where Trump questioned Arizona Senator John McCain's status as a war hero. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's not a war hero.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He's a war hero. He's a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren't captured, okay? I hate to tell you. He's a war hero because he was captured. Okay? And I believe perhaps he's a war hero --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Senator John McCain taking the high road. He's had no comment on the controversy but plenty of other people have chimed in.

And for that part of the story, I want to bring in Mark Preston, executive editor for CNN Politics, he's live in Iowa today. Also with us in studio, Tanzina Vega, the digital correspondent for CNN Politics.

All right. Mark, I want to start with you. How is Trump trying to stop the bleeding from all this?

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICS EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Well, there's no question that he is definitely trying to at least address the issue if not outright dismiss it. And he's done this in many ways. He's done it via a tweet putting something out on Twitter saying that in fact, that anybody who has been captured, U.S. soldier, is a hero. He's put out a statement and he has also addressed it on camera where he has come out and said that John McCain is actually not a very good senator when it comes to issues surrounding veterans and then he did back off a little bit but not very much. He is in very full damage control.

CABRERA: And Tanzina, before Trump's comments today, he had some real momentum. And you look at the more recent polling, in fact CNN's polls, averaging the last five polls, has him just one percent behind Jeb Bush, 15 percent for Jeb Bush, 14 percent for Trump. And that of course comes on the heels of these other polls that came out this week having him in first place. Do you think after these comments his popularity is now going to drop?

TANZINA VEGA, CNN DIGITAL CORRESPONDENT: I think we are looking at an inflection point today. I mean, I think Republicans, his competitors have been waiting for this moment. You know, Trump had that moment a couple of weeks ago when he made comments about Latinos and he's galvanized that community against him and I think now these comments have gotten him into a lot of hot water with his competitors. You have people tweeting about it, republican officials have weighed in and said, you know, this is not acceptable for him to say. And so this could be an inflection point where we start to see perhaps Trump not trending and not in the lead. And I think that's something he's going to have to watch out for.

CABRERA: Mark, controversial comments seem to have really fueled support for Trump recently. So, how is this comment different?

PRESTON: Well, you know, certainly when it came to the issue of immigration which is such a hot issue specifically in the republican primary, Donald Trump was able to curry favor certainly with hardcore conservatives who don't think the Obama administration has done enough to secure the borders. So when Donald Trump went out and made some very harsh comments about Mexico, about Mexicans, and about the Obama administration on the border, that played well.

Now we're talking about a personal attack on a war hero, somebody that whether you like his politics or not and I have to tell you, in this room, when he made that comment today, and I was sitting there, these are folks that don't necessarily like John McCain. This was an audience that was an anti-McCain audience. Even though there was a little bit of applause, I think people were taken aback by it. And I think in the end, when you're questioning someone's patriotism, you're walking down a road that can sometimes lead to nowhere. And I think that's what Donald Trump is now looking at himself.

CABRERA: And Tanzina, we have seen support for Donald Trump's controversial comments coming from Ted Cruz on the issue of immigration, for example. But I want you to take a listen to what he had to say about this new controversy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you formally endorsed the ticket?

TRUMP: No, but I'm endorsing McCain --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What does that mean?

TRUMP: I am basically very strongly for -- you have to understand, I have known him, I like him, I respect him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So you are endorsing him.

TRUMP: He's a smart guy. And I think he's going to be a great president.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So you're endorsing him.

TRUMP: Sure. I will endorse him on your show. Why not.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You just endorsed him.

TRUMP: I endorsed him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: All right. Obviously that was the wrong sound. But that was another interesting point that I wanted to play for you guys in this segment as well. That was Trump back in 2008 calling in to the "LARRY KING LIVE" endorsing John McCain for president, saying that he respects the guy, he likes the guy, he would make a great president.

VEGA: He contributed to his campaign, I believe it as well.

CABRERA: He contributed $28,000 to John McCain's campaign back in 2008. So how damaging is his sort of two-facedness going to be.

VEGA: So, I think that's what we're looking at here. This is a double-edged sword for being so off the cuff and such a sort of bombastic personality that Trump has been. On the one hand, he's galvanized a group of people who are really in support of him. On the other hand he risks alienating different key voter segments. So, we are looking at veterans right now, potentially. He's obviously like I mentioned earlier the Latino vote is sort of on the fence. And that's a key voter bloc. So, you can't sort of got it both ways. He's got to figure out, you know, how he can sort of temper these comments. And I'm not sure if he's got enough time to do that right now.

[17:05:36] CABRERA: All right. I think we have the sound ready on Ted Cruz and his response to Donald Trump's comments today. So, let's play that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: John McCain is a friend of mine. I respect and admire him. He is an American war hero. And not only did he sign up to defend our nation, putting his life in harm's way, but when he was a P.O.W., he was in prison, he was tortured and most incredibly, John McCain was offered the opportunity for early release. He was offered the opportunity to go home and he turned it down because he believed it would be dishonorable to accept that. I'll tell you, it is a true and humbling privilege to serve in the Senate with an American hero like John McCain.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: All right. Cruz followed that up by tweeting "John McCain is an American hero. Although we have some policy disagreements, I am proud to serve alongside him." So Mark, is Cruz, who has made himself an ally of Trump, now trying to have it both ways? PRESTON: Well, let's just deconstruct this whole situation. Because

I think it's important for the viewers as they're wondering why this matters. Donald Trump right now putting aside these comments that he made today, these very inflammatory comments, had a very bad showing here in Iowa. Before these 2,000 Christian conservatives. These were folks that he should have made a play for when it comes to religion and spirituality. He was unable to connect with them one-on-one other than trying to, you know, he elicited laughs from them. He was not able to tell them that he had asked for forgiveness from God.

For an audience like this, that's something you need to do. Ted Cruz right now, who is going to go out and praise John McCain, is going to be careful and not criticize Donald Trump because there is still a segment of the republican electorate that is going to be supportive of Donald Trump. So if Donald Trump does drop out, Ted Cruz would like that support. And then you have Jeb Bush who is not here at all today, who has been really in the firing line of Donald Trump. Well, right now he's sitting back right now looking at Donald Trump, taking all of this incoming. So, there's a lot of this political machinations that are going around, that are really based upon what happened just a few hours ago.

CABRERA: And Tanzina, one very quick question for you. What about Democrats? What do you think they are saying right now watching all of this play out?

VEGA: Some folks are saying, you know, one of the best things that could happen to the democratic nominee would be for Trump to get the nomination, right? So they could essentially split that. But I'm not sure, you know, does this open up? Will the democratic front-runners be nervous about this or are they going to see this as an opportunity to sort of go up against another candidate that could be more of a serious competitor right now. I think we're going to have to wait and see.

CABRERA: All right. Tanzina Vega and Mark Preston, our thanks to both of you.

And still ahead, what we now know about the murderous rampage that took the lives of five U.S. servicemen.

Plus, re-evaluating how we protect military recruitment centers and other soft targets.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:11:43] CABRERA: Right now, the FBI and other investigators are still processing the crime scenes from Thursday's rampage in Chattanooga, Tennessee. And they expect to finish the scene at least of the first shooting today. Earlier this morning, this attack claimed yet another life, a sailor who was critically wounded died early this morning, becoming the fifth service member killed in the attack. Family members have identified him as Navy Petty Officer Randall Smith.

And Boris Sanchez is joining us live in Chattanooga, where the community has been mourning the victims. And Boris, we are now hearing that Petty Officer Smith saw the shooter, he tried to warn people around him.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is correct. We are hearing that from his step grandmother, who says that he realized what was happening when the shooter crashed through the gate at the naval center and he ran, trying to warn others. That's when he was shot three times. He was taken into surgery Thursday and he passed away last night. His grandmother says she never expected that he might be in danger here in his own backyard.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DARLENE PROXMIRE, RANDAL SMITH'S STEP-GRANDMOTHER: Because he was never, you know, shipped over there anywhere, you know, where the fighting and all that was at. You think it's never happened to your family. But it can happen anywhere.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: We are also hearing from another family today. The family of Lance Corporal Skip Wells putting out a statement writing, the family is touched and feels blessed by the outpouring of love, support and offers from so many people. A common question heard here is what can we do. The family wants everyone to know that they are not soliciting money on any service but the family would suggest a gift to the following charity. "Please make contributions in the name of Lance Corporal Skip Wells to MarinesandMickey.org. Lance Corporal Wells was a big fan of Disney and a big fan of that charity, it's one that provides marines who have been overseas and have come back, marines that have been deployed, with trips to Disney for their families to distress and enjoy a happy time after serving abroad -- Ana.

CABRERA: Boris, real quick, do we know any more about the weapons used in this attack? We know authorities seized at least four guns, a couple of long guns included. Where did he get them?

SANCHEZ: It's still unclear, Ana. Authorities telling us yesterday that they retrieved one of those weapons, one of those long guns from his home. Two others were found on him along with a handgun. They say that some of them were obtained legally. The others, they simply don't know yet.

CABRERA: All right. Boris Sanchez reporting, staying on top of this story for us. Thank you. Let's talk more for just a minute about the man police believed who acted alone in this shooting, took five American lives. Muhammad Youssuf Abdulazeez, 24-years-old, born in Kuwait, became a U.S. citizen. Now, what specifically drove him to open fire on two U.S. military centers? We may never know. He was killed by Chattanooga police officers who responded to the shooting. Let's bring in Matthew Horace, 28 years in law enforcement from the federal level down.

Also with us, Michael Weiss, senior editor at the Daily Beast, and expert on all things ISIS. And retired Marine Corps Major General James Williams joining us once again. Morris -- Horace I was going to say, but Matthew Horace is, try to combine the two.

Let's talk about what we know in this case. He had a recent DUI but no other police record. He was not on a terror watch list. We do know he perhaps wrote a blog post a few days before this that embraced Islamic philosophies, traveled frequently to the Middle East. He owned several guns. So, in hindsight, do you think there were enough red flags that somebody should have been tracking him?

MATTHEW HORACE, FORMER ATF EXECUTIVE: Possibly, but possibly not. And everything you just mentioned are elements of many people's lives in this country and may not cause law enforcement and intelligence agencies to rise to the level of placing them on watch lists. And in this case they didn't.

CABRERA: What does? What rises to the level?

HORACE: Well, there are a lot of criteria I know that the FBI and other intelligence agencies used to place people on those lists but, you know, owning a gun or owning firearms or ascribing to certain fundamentalist views, they aren't enough in and of themselves.

CABRERA: Michael, one of his friends said that he believes there was a change in Abdulazeez after he went to Jordan, a trip he took overseas back in 2014. And we know that that seems to be a frequent happening with some of these radicalized young men who do commit these terror acts in other places. How does that happen?

[17:16:18] MICHAEL WEISS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I mean, you don't lack for Islamist or jihadist ideology in a country like Jordan. The founder of ISIS Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi came from Jordan and from the Palestinian refugee camp area and brought with him into Iraq a whole contingent of Jordanian and Levantine jihadist. So, it would have been quite easy for him to pick up, you know, to immerse himself in this sort of, you know, ideological milieu if he was there. The other question is, did he stay in Jordan? And I think, you know, this is what the Jordanian intelligence service the J.I.D. is very very good at tracking people from their own country.

So, they will be able in the coming days to determine whether or not he may have crossed into Syria or he may have traveled elsewhere, Yemen, perhaps, or even Kuwait. I mean, frankly, there are advertisements all over that country to give to so-called Islamic charities that are raising money actually for hard line Salafi factions in Syria. So, again, you know, it would have been very easy for him to become self-radicalized or to have been radicalized in anyone of these countries.

CABRERA: How big of a key is what happened in Jordan to this investigation?

HORACE: I have no idea. This investigation is a long way from being over. And the FBI and other agencies are hunting down all those leads right now and I'm sure over the next couple of days or weeks we will start to learn a little bit more about all the things that led up to this, to include where the firearms came from, who purchased them, if he purchased them legally or not and, you know, will sort of wind down those factions until we learn.

CABRERA: Just in the last half hour or so, we got an update from the FBI saying they are tracking some 200 plus leads right now as they continue their investigation. General Williams, I want to turn to you. Because it seems we have arrived at a time in U.S. history now where U.S. service members are actual targets right here in America. Your thoughts?

MAJ. GEN. JAMES WILLIAMS, U.S. MARINE CORPS (RET): Yes. I think that one of our biggest challenges is that service members are certainly targets. They are certainly part of the political statements that any radical may want to provide and certainly their families may be. And I think we have to be more vigilant, the families have to be more vigilant. They have to be aware of where they go, how they post information on social media, all these things provide opportunity for those who would do harm to us a vehicle so they can get information.

You know, for example, some people have the wherewithal on their social media to say, well, I'm leaving for vacation on such and such a day or I'm going to be here, I'm going to be there. These types of things provide opportunities, targets of opportunity, if you will, for terrorists.

And certainly as your other guests have stated, you know, the investigation is long in this particular case because maybe there wasn't as much up front history and it's kind of like a 4,000 piece jigsaw puzzle. You will going to try to put the pieces together so you can paint the picture and figure out what you have here and whether there are connections to other terrorist groups, you know, whether it's ISIS or al Qaeda or anybody else that may help us or may have helped this young man to be radicalized.

Plus, you have to look at all the issues related to what was going on in his family and were the neighbors even though many of them said they were surprised by him doing this, that were there indications that somebody recognized and didn't say anything to authorities that they really should have. And you know, we now need to empower people to understand what they need to look for so that they can let law enforcement know what is going on if something looks abnormal.

CABRERA: Right. The old idea of if you see something, say something.

WILLIAMS: Absolutely.

CABRERA: General James Williams, Matthew Horace, Michael Weiss, thank you all.

WILLIAMS: Thank you.

CABRERA: Now, the backlash is coming "Fast and Furious." Donald Trump on the defense after slamming John McCain's war record. Has Trump finally gone too far? We will get more reaction to those comments, next.

(COMMERCIAL BRAK) [17:24:03] CABRERA: Donald Trump taking heat from several Republicans after mocking John McCain's status as a war hero. Listen to this from Texas Governor Rick Perry, who is a service member himself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICK PERRY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: And there was an individual who stood or sat upon this stage earlier today who doesn't understand or doesn't care about people who served this country. To disparage a legitimate American hero like John McCain. You may disagree with his policies and that's fine. I tell people all the time it's okay to question your government. But don't question the men and women of the military who sacrifice and sometimes pay a huge price for our safety and our freedom and our economics.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Those comments from military veteran, former Governor Rick Perry. Trump also taking a beating on social median and now is duking it out on Twitter with former presidential candidate Mitt Romney. So, Romney tweeted this. "The difference between John McCain and Donald Trump, Trump shot himself down. McCain and American veterans, our true heroes." Now, Trump shot back with, "Why would anyone listen to Mitt Romney. He lost an election that should have been easily won against Obama. By the way, so did McCain."

Let's bring in senior Washington correspondent Jeff Zeleny and CNN digital correspondent Tanzina Vega joining us now. I want to start with you, Jeff. This is just going on and on. It's just the guy doesn't stop talking. Is he digging himself into a deeper hole?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: I think he is digging himself into a bigger hole. It's really becoming quite the spectacle. I'm not sure that I can ever recall something quite like this in the five presidential campaigns I have covered. Something quite as incendiary. I mean, we are seeing a circular firing squad here among the Republicans and it is -- it's really obviously not helpful to their end game here of winning back the White House. But it really is signaling that Donald Trump may be sort of near the end of his rope here.

You know, his other incendiary comments he's been saying over the past couple weeks, Republicans have been sort of not quite that eager to call him out, but military veterans, military service is something that everyone obviously respects and agrees with and a lot of Republicans believe that he's just gone too far. Senator John McCain is the only one who is sort of not weighing in. One of his top advisors told me that he's going to stay out of it here. But so many other Republicans are coming to his aid, his defense. The question is, how much will Donald Trump double down. So far, he's doubling down a lot.

CABRERA: A lost these guys do have advisors, Tanzina. Do you think there's anybody advising Trump? VEGA: I think to a certain extent. I mean, we saw this with the

Latino comments, he tries to walk it back a little bit and say well, this is somewhat misunderstood. I don't really know if Trump would listen to any of these advisors at this point. I think because the popularity that he's gained is mostly because he's this off the cuff big figure that just talks, you know, says whatever he thinks and people are attracted to that. What the problem is now that he's saying some pretty intense things that are causing major rifts within the party and within the constituency that he's trying to attract. So, I don't know if he's actually going to walk this back much further.

CABRERA: What do you think, Jeff, as far as that goes? Is there a message or strategy that could help him get back on track?

ZELENY: Well, I think, you know, whenever a political figure sort of makes a mistake or says something in error, really the only way to get beyond it is to apologize and just to say look, you know, I disavow my own remarks. I can't really picture Donald Trump doing that. He's certainly is not doing that so far. So, look, he's a different kind of figure. He's not a normal politician which is in part why some voters are finding him refreshing, finding him sort of satisfying in this age of not liking the government and this age of not liking Washington. He sounded sort of refreshing. But now that I think that a lot of voters will, you know, find his refreshing comments much more sour here. So, of course, what he says and does is up to him here but this was a turning point today for his rise, I believe.

CABRERA: And Tanzina, those comments coming at this conservative conference in Ames, Iowa today, do you think that Trump, it's not enough to respond on Twitter now and try to take it back? Do you think he's going to come out on a larger scale and make a public comment before the end of the weekend or even the end of the day?

VEGA: I don't know. I think he had trouble at that conference generally. So, that was a religious conservative conference. There were a lot of folks there that wanted to hear about his relationship with God and he sort of went around those topics. So, I think he's going to have trouble also, you know, reaching those voters as well. So, will he come out with a big statement? I mean, I think he makes a lot of big statements. Right?

CABRERA: That's what we know about him.

VEGA: That's right. And they are starting to get him into a lot of trouble.

CABRERA: All right. Tanzina Vega and Jeff Zeleny, our thanks to both of you. We will have much more right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:32:08] CABRERA: Just an incredible story out of Washington State. We are now hearing from the teenaged girl who was the sole survivor of a fiery plane crash in Washington. It took Autumn Veatch two days to hike to safety from the remote mountain where the plane had gone down. She did that after an agonizing attempt to save her grandparents' lives.

Here's Sara Sidner.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 16-year-old Autumn Veatch was excited when her grandparents offered her a chance to be flown home in a private plane instead of driven home. That excitement turned into sheer terror when the plane began to have problems.

AUTUMN VEATCH, PLANE CRASH SURVIVOR: We almost crashed the first time. We went through clouds but he took a sharp turn and was like, "That was a close one."

SIDNER: It happened again, and this time, the plane crashed in the remote wilderness.

VEATCH: I'm still, like, panicking, freaking out. Then they started freaking out, yelling, "Turn the GPS back on." And I can't see anything that's going on so he started to go up and there was a light and it was all trees and all fire.

SIDNER: She got out and tried to save her step grandparents.

VEATCH: They were both screaming. And I was -- there was no way I could get to grandma because she was on the far side. If I got grandpa out first maybe she would come out. I was trying to pull him out and I couldn't do it. There was a lot of fire.

SIDNER: Sobbing, she eventually realized she'd die, too, if she stayed put.

(on camera): You must have been so incredibly stressed out, scared, sad.

VEATCH: Scared to be alone in the middle of absolutely nowhere. I didn't know where it was or what city it was.

SIDNER (voice-over): She began walking, her hand, face, and hair burned. Her body bruised.

(on camera): Did you think at some point, "I'm not going to make it, I'm going to die?"

VEATCH: I was freezing and it didn't seem likely that I would make it? What are the odds? I don't know anything about outdoor survival.

SIDNER (voice-over): But she made it after two nights and three days in the wilderness. She credits a tip from the survival shows her dad watches. Follow the water and live.

Sara Sidner, CNN, Bellingham, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: What a brave girl.

You can hear much more of Autumn's incredible survival story on Monday with CNN special report, "It's a Miracle." Look for that this Monday at 9:00 p.m. eastern right here on CNN.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:38:13] CABRERA: A total of 431 people have been arrested in recent weeks, all connected to ISIS. And this comes from Saudi authorities in their attempt to combat the terror group. All these arrests in Saudi Arabia. Most of those arrested are civilians, allegedly part of a network of cluster cells.

Let me bring in Michael Weiss, a CNN contributor and co-author of "ISIS, Inside the Army of Terror."

Michael, 431 people arrested. That sounds like a pretty big deal. How significant is this?

MICHAEL WEISS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR & AUTHOR: It is a big deal. Although they have been arrested over the course of several weeks, the Saudi authorities came out and said today, we didn't want to disclose this during the holy month of Ramadan so as not to unnerve people inside the kingdom. It's not that this is an ISIS stronghold. They don't really have a perch inside Saudi Arabia comparable to that of Syria and Iraq but the ISIS propaganda is we do want to overthrow the Saudi monarchy.

CABRERA: Why?

WEISS: It's an apostate monarchy. They are a deeply Islamic government. Is doesn't see it that way. Their flag enshrouds the globe. In Saudi Arabia all the Muslim holy sites, they want to take that over. They want the ISIS flag flying over it. The other thing to keep in mind, there are two main attacks being perpetrated allegedly. One was in Riyadh, the capital, which probably was going to target state institutions. The other was in eastern Saudi Arabia, which you will recall in May. That was the first ISIS attack inside kingdom, blew up a mosque that killed about 100 people. I would be very surprised if they weren't again trying to target the Shia.

(CROSSTALK)

WEISS: Remember, ISIS has a genocidal project with respect to the Shia. They rank them as mortal enemy even above Americans and westerners. They think this is a perversion or illegitimate incarnation of Islam. They would love nothing better than to create a sectarian war inside Saudi Arabia. Given all the geopolitics of an American deal with Iran and the U.S. de facto aligned with Iran and to some extent the Assad regime, in Syria this is music to ISIS' ears.

[17:40:18] CABRERA: 431 people arrested is nothing to blink at.

(CROSSTALK) CABRERA: Does that send a message to ISIS sympathizers?

WEISS: ISIS has no lack of Saudis. The first major military victories they had in northern Syria was a Saudi suicide bomber who blew the gates open to a Syrian military installation and air base in Aleppo Province. They have plenty of Saudi sympathizers. Given the nature of the ideology implicated inside Saudi Arabia. They know that. The Saudi government is absolutely terrified their own people will turn against them as indeed, can you imagine if there was a dragnet of 430 Americans rounded up, trying to plan an is style attack here?

CABRERA: I think there would be cheers.

WEISS: There would be I think mass hysteria.

CABRERA: Probably that, too.

WEISS: So this is a very, very high-value target for them. This is the hub of Sunni Islam, if you like. For them to try and destabilize it much less try and take it over, again, if they have their druthers --

(CROSSTALK)

CABRERA: Could be a change of momentum.

Michael Weiss, thank you so much for your insight.

WEISS: Sure.

CABRERA: We really do appreciate it very much.

WEISS: My pleasure.

CABRERA: Stay with us, because we will be speaking with Charlie Rangel, reacting to the comments that Donald Trump made today about John McCain's service as a veteran, calling him not a war hero because he was captured. More reaction and fallout when we return.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD BLENVENUE, CNN HERO (voice-over): When I was a special-ed teacher, I taught carpentry to high-risk kids. During the daytime, they would catch on. You'd see that spark. They'd go home at nighttime, it would get erased.

The tears you would see, the anguish they would go through. I saw a real need, and that's when the idea hit me, don't let them go home.

ANNOUNCER: The morning meal is now being served.

BLENVENUE: We provide --

Good morning.

-- a residential setting for young men --

Ready for a rip-roaring day of work?

During the day they learn trades.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What I'd like to do --

BLENVENUE: At nighttime, they get their high school education.

We take on a lot of tough cases from foster care to the court system.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm impressed.

BLENVENUE: The emotional support we get is critical.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Worked hard on it.

Good job.

The grounds are wide open, fields, trees, chickens, animals. It's not a lock up.

This facility becomes a home for many of them. When they leave, we try to help them get a job and a place to live. Anything they need, we make sure that they have.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The program saved my life in every way. I'm currently enrolled in college. I feel like I'm moving from the bottom to the top.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Bennie gave me the tools to build my future. I decided to come back and work with youth just like other people worked with me.

BLENVENUE: I don't want to see any more kids fall through the cracks. If I can give them an opportunity to turn their lives around, to step forward, that's my life's work.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:47:05] CABRERA: There has been a flood of reaction after Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, questioned Senator John McCain's status as a war hero because he was captured during Vietnam.

Former Georgia Senator Max Cleland, who is a war veteran who lost an arm and both legs in Vietnam, gave this statement to CNN. You can see it right there.

Another Congressman who served in the military is joining us on the phone.

And New York Congressman Charlie Rangel, our thanks to you for spending some time with us this weekend. REP. CHARLIE RANGEL, (R), NEW YORK (voice-over): I'm glad to be with

you.

I have always considered Donald Trump to be New York's gift to the Democratic Party. There's no question that he's been terrifically entertaining, especially with respect to the race the Republicans have but I am certain that he is going to apologize because Senator McCain put his life on the line for this country and he has to recognize (INAUDIBLE) for all of us in America.

CABRERA: As somebody who has served in the military, personally, were you offended by his comments?

RANGEL: No, because it would be hard for Donald Trump to say anything in this campaign that I would take seriously. Most of the things that he has said has been entertaining because of the pressure it puts on Republicans as they disassociate themselves from him. So it's only because of the love of the country and those people who volunteer or have been drafted, they and their families deserve better. Like I said, I don't know how he's going to do it but he's got a wonderful family and he obviously has some friends that will tell him this is just wrong.

CABRERA: There have been several of his GOP contenders who have spoken out in strong words. Some even calling for him to withdraw from the presidential race saying this is the straw that broke the camel's back. What are your thoughts? Should he withdraw?

RANGEL: Heck, no! Stay right in there, Donald. Hang in there. You're number one. Your Republican friends don't like you but you hang in there. I appreciate all you're doing for the Democratic Party.

CABRERA: I asked one of our political reporters here what the Democrats would think. I think you just gave it to us right there straight. You are encouraging more of these outrageous comments.

Thank you, Congressman Charlie Rangel. We appreciate it.

RANGEL: Thank you so much.

[17:50:03] CABRERA: To Chattanooga now, where a fifth servicemember wounded -in Thursday's shooting rampage has died just today. The victim identified as Navy Petty Officer Randall Smith. His family saying he was warning people about the gunman when he was shot three times. He passed away early this morning, leaving a wife and three daughters all under the age of 7.

Meanwhile, federal and local authorities are continuing to work their crime scenes. They tell us they should finish the first shooting scene today. The FBI tells us they've received more than 200 leads in this case as they try to get some answers.

Four U.S. Marines were also killed in Thursday's attack. All of them serving their country with honor and dignity before their lives were cut short. CNN's John Berman has their story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(SINGING)

JOHN BERMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Sullivan grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts. One of three kids, he joined the military three years after graduating high school and went on to serve in Iraq. Men in his unit describe him as the type of Marine you would want in combat, the type of leader who would regularly check on his men, not only during battle but in the days afterwards to make sure they were OK. He was wounded there, earning two Purple Hearts, one for each tour of duty in Iraq. The flag outside the Springfield city hall flying at half staff in honor of the fallen Marine. Thomas Sullivan was 40 years old.

(SINGING)

BERMAN: Staff Sergeant David Wyatt was originally from Arkansas and lived in Chattanooga with his wife, Lori, and their two young children. Lori posted this picture of the two of them on her Facebook page shortly after the shooting. He served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. David Wyatt was 37 years old.

(SINGING)

BERMAN: Sergeant Carson Holmquist was from Wisconsin. He joined the Marines in 2009 and served two tours in Afghanistan. His Facebook page features an American flag and pictures of his wife and young son. This picture shows his wife and son next to a sign that reads, "We've waited 244 days for this moment. Welcome home, Daddy." Carson Holmquist was 27.

(SINGING)

BERMAN: Lance Corporal Squire Wells was known as Skip. He was from Atlanta and studied history at Georgia Southern University before joining the Marines. Becoming a Marine was a lifelong dream for Skip.

ETHAN WADE, ATTENDED HIGH SCHOOL WITH SKIP WELLS: He was a go getter. He was just positive.

BERMAN: Ethan Wade and Robert Young were in the ROTC program with Skip in high school.

ROBERT YOUNG, ATTENDED HIGH SCHOOL WITH SKIP WELLS: It's been an emotional day. He's one of my good friends, he showed me right and wrong, he was a mentor and a guide. Bad things happen to good people.

BERMAN: Skip Wells was only 21 years old.

(SINGING)

BERMAN: John Berman, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:57:11] CABRERA: The images are freighting. Wind-driven flames overtaking cars stopped in southern California. The fast-moving wildfire appeared to catch the drivers off guard.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As I got closer, I just panicked.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It got bigger, bigger and bigger, and then it came to us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Got out and started running up the hill.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Take a look at this. Burned-out skeletons of cars, that's all that was left. No serious injuries, however, reported. Now, in a picture tweeted out by the San Bernardino County Fire Department, the fire line can clearly be seen crossing the freeway, and to make matters even worse, five civilian drones were flying over the fire preventing firefighters from doing their work, forcing the helicopters to be grounded for as long as 25 minutes.

Newly released photos of Queen Elizabeth are causing a bit of a stir. The images show the queen, at the time just a 6-year-old princess, giving a Nazi salute.

Atika Shubert has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: "The Sun" newspaper has sparked an uproar in Britain for publishing decades-old photos and video of then- 6-year-old Elizabeth, the future queen, giving the Nazi salute. The tabloids front page shows Elizabeth alongside her mother, her 3-year- old sister, Princess Margaret, and her uncle, the Prince of Wales, with the headline, "Their Royal Highnesses."

Buckingham Palace quickly condemned Saturday's publication with this statement, quote, "It's disappointing that film, shot eight decades ago, and apparently from Her Majesty's personal family archive, has been obtained and exploited in this manner."

The still images were taken from a short black-and-white clip filmed at the royal's Balmoral estate in Scotland in 1933 when Adolf Hitler was rising to power in Germany.

The 17-second video posted online shows Edward, whom the paper describes as Nazi sympathizing, encouraging his young nieces and sister-in-law to perform the salute, before himself joining them.

Royal biographer, Hugo Vickers, called the story sensationalist. HUGO VICKERS, ROYAL BIOGRAPHER: People were frolicking around on the

lawn near Balmoral. Unfortunately, "The Sun" decided to freeze the frame to make it look as bad as possible and to turn it into a big travesty. So my reaction was the whole thing was rather pointless and also very unfair.

SHUBERT: "The Sun" responded to the fury with a written story justifying its decision to run the footage, quote, "These images have lain hidden for 82 years. We publish them today, knowing they do not reflect badly on our queen, her late sister or mother in anyway."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: That was Atika Shubert reporting.

Keep up with latest news CNN.com and with our mobile app as well.

"SMERCONISH" is next.

And you can catch two episodes of our original series "THE SEVENTIES."

That's going to do it for me. I'm Ana Cabrera. Have a great day.