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Donald Trump Disinvited to Conservative Event in Wake of Controversial Comments about FOX News Anchor; Donald Trump Campaign Defends Candidate's Comments; March in Ferguson to Commemorate Shooting of Michael Brown; CNN Hero Rescues Sloths. Aired 10-11a ET

Aired August 08, 2015 - 10:00   ET

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

[10:00:08]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERICK ERICKSON, ORGANIZER, "REDSTATE GATHERING": I've got my wife here. I've got my daughter here. I've got 800 friends of mine here. It is a family friendly program. And if he is not going to clarify this isn't what he meant, I don't think I want him at my event.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN: The leader of the conservative event explaining why they dumped Trump over the comments he made on "CNN Tonight" about the FOX debate moderator.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN: Trump is clarifying those comments this morning, but no apology. Could this help or hurt his run for the White House?

You are in the CNN Newsroom. And we are so glad to have you with us as always, grateful for your company. I'm Christi Paul.

BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell. Happy Saturday to you.

PAUL: We are following breaking news and reaction coming in from everywhere at this point. More on that in a moment. But first we do want to get to Donald Trump to give you the backstory here so you know what's happening. New comments just last night on CNN about debate moderator Megyn Kelly. If you'll recall, during the debate, Kelly pressed Trump about past controversial comments concerning women. Here is what Trump said last night about Kelly to CNN's Don Lemon.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I don't have a lot of respect for Megyn Kelly. She's a lightweight. She came out there reading her little script and trying to be tough and be sharp. And when you meet her, you realize she is not very tough and she is not very sharp. I just don't respect her as a journalist. I have no respect for her. I don't think she's very good. I think she's highly overrated.

But when I came out there, you know, what am I doing? I'm not getting paid for this. I go out there, and, you know, they start saying, lift up your arm. And I didn't know there would be 24 million people. If I knew it was going to be a big crowd, because I get big crowds. I get ratings. They call me the ratings machine. So I have -- she gets out and she starts asking me all sorts of ridiculous questions. And you know, you could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: All right, so now we're getting response from Trump, but this comes after a conservative event decided to rescind the invitation for him to appear.

Here's what Trump tweeted just a short time ago, this morning, "@RedState, I miss you all and thanks for all of your support. Political correctness is killing our country. Weakness. So many, "politically correct" fools in our country. We have to all get to work stop wasting time and energy on nonsense." Now, earlier he wrote regarding Megyn Kelly, quote, "You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever," and in parentheses he wrote "nose." So maybe his clarification here. Then he says he just got on with thought.

PAUL: Following all of this Trump, as we said, was disinvited from this conservative event here in Atlanta. The organizer of today's Red State gathering did talk about that decision. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERICKSON: I have given Donald Trump a lot of latitude, because he is not a professional politician. He has been a very blunt talker. I've said some dumb things in my life and I've apologized for them. I reached out to the Donald Trump campaign last night and said, is Mr. Trump willing to apologize or clarify that he wasn't suggesting that a national reporter who asked him a tough question was having her period?

And the campaign manager said, Mr. Trump was talking about her bleeding out of her eyes. She was bleeding everywhere out of Mr. Trump. The bleeding out of the eyes part wasn't the problem. It was what came after that. And the campaign manager refused to even acknowledge that he had said that.

And so he asked me to send him an e-mail. I put the exact quote in the e-mail. And I said everyone, myself included, is interpreting it this way. I think it was inappropriate. I really think it was inappropriate. I have got my wife here. I've got my daughter here. I've got 800 friends of mine here. It's a family friendly program. And if he is not going to clarify that this isn't what he meant, I don't think I want him at my event.

(APPLAUSE)

ERICKSON: And so the campaign manager called me back and said, Mr. Trump had said whatever. He was trying to move the questions along, that she was bleeding out of her eyes or whatever, trying to get Don Lemon to move on, or at least he meant whatever. And I asked him if he was going to clarify that publicly. They said no. So I said I'm sorry. I would prefer Mr. Trump not come to the event.

[10:05:12] Now immediately thereafter, the Trump campaign promptly -- first of all, after we had reached out to them, before I had even gotten involved, I was at dinner. Our staff here reached out to the Trump campaign to ask if he had actually said this. And instead of responding, they immediately sent out a press advisory that he was going to speak. So that was kind of an indicator.

So after all of this was over, Mr. Trump went on Twitter and said I was a weak and pathetic leader, which is OK. I actually think it is really weak and pathetic to take a tough question from a journalist and assume she is having her period and that's why she asked you a tough question.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HANNITY: Here now with more, CNN's Politics executive editor Mark Preston. So Mark, I've been looking at Twitter. People have even been tweeting us about this. We have been getting very different reactions. George wrote, "Even in the private sector of business, we cannot talk to one other some way, sexual harassment." Then somebody named Wise Guy wrote "She outright attacked him first. Only cowards wouldn't fire back."

What has been the reaction from attendees to Erickson's comments about Trump?

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICS EXECUTIVE EDITOR: You know, Christi, a lot of people awoke this morning to find out that this happened. It happened so late last night that most of the folks had no idea. They were surprised that Donald Trump had been disinvited. We saw Erick Erickson explain why he decided to do so.

Now, as spoke to one of the organizers, the organizer said a woman had come up to him and express displeasure that they had done so. After she had her Erick Erickson give his explanation as to why he disinvited, that woman sought this person out and said, you know what, that was disgusting and it was the right move. Clearly, battle lines are being drawn. We are going to see this play throughout the day on social media. Donald Trump still has supporters, he still has backers. And that's what we are going to see play out on social media.

PAUL: No doubt, but what about the other candidates. There are nine other candidates that are attending the events there. What have they said?

PRESTON: Right. And we are starting to hear from them right now. George Pataki was first out of the gate last night, he criticized Donald Trump for making that comment as did Carly Fiorina, said she was standing with Megyn Kelly. Lindsey Graham has put out a statement as well being critical. I was able to catch up with Mike Huckabee who just walked offstage after addressing this group, asked him what he thought about Donald Trump's comments. And this is what he told me.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE HUCKABEE, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You know, Mark, Megyn Kelly was a colleague for me for six-and-a-half years when I was at FOX. She is one of the most remarkable people I know, intellectually unsurpassed as a broadcast journalist. She has great integrity. And so I'm going to stand for Megyn Kelly.

PRESTON: Do you think it was inappropriate? Did he cross the line with that comment?

HUCKABEE: Mark, I certainly would never say anything about a person like that. And I hope he apologizes, because I think that he should.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PRESTON: There you have the governor, former governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, a rival of Donald Trump for the Republican nomination. Now, throughout the day, we will see more Republican candidates addressing Red State, Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, namely. We'll have to hear what they have to say in just a few hours. Christi?

PAUL: Mark Preston, appreciate it so much. Thank you.

BLACKWELL: Still ahead, we speak with one of the women who supports Trump. She is on the Women for Trump Coalition. She's part of it in New Hampshire. Do last night's comments in any way impact her level of support for Donald Trump?

Also, later, another controversial fatal police station, but this time, the victor is an unarmed white teenager. And it has got some asking, where's the outrage?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:12:05] BLACKWELL: Let's talk more about the breaking news. These fast developing elements of Donald Trump and the Red State event in Georgia. He was disinvited after some comments he made. I want to focus on women voters and especially woman supporters. Let's bring in Paula Johnson. She is with the group Women for Trump, the coalition in New Hampshire. Ms. Johnson, so good to have you.

PAULA JOHNSON, "WOMEN FOR TRUMP" COALITION IN NEW HAMPSHIRE: Thank you for inviting me on this morning. I appreciate it.

BLACKWELL: We invited you before the comments made by Donald Trump last night, and you were a strong supporter. Is your level of support as strong for him this morning considering the comments made by Megyn Kelly?

JOHNSON: Yes, it is. I am a true supporter of Mr. Trump's. I feel he is the person that can make America great again.

BLACKWELL: So what do you believe about the comments he made about Megyn Kelly, saying that blood was coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of wherever, suggesting to many that she was hormonal and that's why she was asking him tough questions?

JOHNSON: Well, you know, if you want to talk about a person putting words in Mr. Trump's mouth, or even suggesting -- I would never even have thought about that. I think it was disgusting from the person from the Republican Party who made that suggestion. I'm just outraged by his comments. I as a woman would have never thought about that.

BLACKWELL: So you don't believe that's what he meant?

JOHNSON: I don't think so at all.

BLACKWELL: OK, Mr. Trump has said over the years, he has called Rosie O'Donnell many names, a fat pig, called a columnist, Gail Collins, having the face of a dog. There have been reports of him telling a woman that it would be a beautiful sight to see her on her knees. Those are things that Mr. Trump has said. Are those concerns?

JOHNSON: Well, you know, the press seems, and I agree with Mr. Trump on this. The press seems to take things out of context. He had a battle with Rosie O'Donnell. They went back and forth. And I remember that battle on that. And then last night I heard on the radio that the comments about that woman, she would have looked better if she were on her knees. Even she said the press took her out of context.

So if we are going to take it out of context, then we only get half the story. I agree with Mr. Trump that we have better things in life right now to do. And what we need to do is stop being so politically correct in this country and let's take a look at what's happening in this country.

And when I look and see what the Republicans are doing, some of these candidates that are running, they make a lot of promises that they can't keep. They have big backers out there. And, I'm sorry, I'm tired of listening to these candidates asking, what is your opinion of Mr. Trump?

[10:15:02] Why don't we get down to the issues of this country with the deficits and the illegals that are in this country, and let's get this country going and let's make it great the way it once was, because the way we're going here and everybody is taking potshots at everybody, it's sickening already with this whole thing. They are pitting one against the other.

BLACKWELL: Is there a policy that you have heard from Donald Trump that you support? Is there a specific agenda item that he has proven to you that he can get done?

JOHNSON: Oh, yes. I truly believe he is a businessman. And I truly believe with his knowledge, he wouldn't be where he is in business if he wasn't so smart and knowledgeable. I really believe that he can take this country and turn it around. I truly believe he has a plan with the immigration. If it was not him who talked about the illegals out there, nobody would be talking about this.

My friends and I talk about all the time about the illegals in this country. Look, I used to be elected in this state. I was a state rep. I was on the board of education, and I was an alderman in Nashua. I see what goes on. I understand politics here.

But, you know, a lot of people come in with all these promises, you heard them all on the stage. I'm going to do this. I'm going to do that. But when they get to Washington, you know what happens, they forget about us. And I don't think Mr. Trump will do that. He is giving up his personal life to run for president, and he is not a politician. And, you know, it takes a lot of guts to stand up there on that stage and to be beaten up all the time.

And let's face it, the Republicans don't want him there. And I think he will be the best person to debate if Hillary Clinton is the nominee with the Democrats. We all say she is going to be. There's no guarantee that she's going to be.

BLACKWELL: Does he have the temperament, though, to be president? If that's his response to Megyn Kelly, who is a journalist asking him questions, what will be his response to other leaders, male and female around the world, if they don't do what he is suggesting or if they respond in a way he doesn't like?

JOHNSON: You know, I have to laugh at that question. Look at what we have for a president right now. He is not doing anything for this country. He's ready to give this country away to Iran. What a great deal that's going to hurt this country with the nuclear weapons here.

So I think Mr. Trump, he is a businessman. He knows how to negotiate deals. And you know what, what are we going to do? Are we going to let somebody roll us over and not walk away from the table if it is not going our way? I see what's happened to this country. I am 61- years-old. This is not the America that we have had. He will bring this country back.

BLACKWELL: Ms. Johnson, there are a lot of people who agree with you. It certainly shows in the polls. And I thank you so much for speaking with us as one of the members of Women for Trump Coalition responding after what we have heard over the last 24 hours. Paula Johnson, thank you so much.

JOHNSON: Thank you very much. Have a wonderful day.

BLACKWELL: You too.

PAUL: Marches are being held in Ferguson, Missouri, this weekend for the one year anniversary of Michael Brown's death. Coming up we have a live report on the changes made to the city since that fatal shooting and what the community hopes still changes, what they think still needs to be done.

Also, I'm sure you have ridden on a plane. What would you do if you saw this? Those are sparks and fire coming out of an American Airlines plane engine.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:22:02] BLACKWELL: Take a look at this. Those are sparks and fire that are coming out of an American Airlines plane engine. A passenger in the jet shot this video. Now, thankfully, the airbus 320 managed to make an emergency landing in Philadelphia. The good news here, especially, no injuries reported.

PAUL: In a few minutes, people are going to be marching in Ferguson, Missouri, to remember Michael Brown, the unarmed black teen who was shot and killed by a white police officer, Darren Wilson, nearly a year ago here. His death sparked weeks of protest, remember, and a national debate about race and excessive force by police. CNN's Sara Sidner is live from Ferguson right now. So Sara, help give us a sense of what's happened one year later now since Michael Brown. Do you get a sense things have changed for the better in Ferguson?

SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's really interesting, Christi, because it depends really on who you ask. Yes, there have been changes that are very visible, changes at city hall, changes inside the city justice department, changes with one of the most visible, the new interim police chief, who is Ferguson's very first African- American police chief. We were able to sit down and talk to him because, of course, this has been a volatile, volatile situation here for a very long time. We sat down with him and had a very candid conversation about what has changed and about how he sees things going forward.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDRE ANDERSON, FERGUSON POLICE CHIEF: I just really wish we had peace. We don't need this. No one needs this. It is not just police officers I'm concerned about. I'm concerned about everyone.

SIDNER: This is the man leading perhaps the most scrutinized police department in America right now, the Ferguson, Missouri, police department, the city where an explosion of anger against police tactics erupted a year ago when Officer Darren Wilson killed unarmed teenager Michael Brown after the two scuffled at the police vehicle.

When you were looking from afar at what was happening here in Ferguson one year ago, what was your take on all that was going on here in Ferguson?

ANDERSON: It bothered me. It really did.

SIDNER: What was it that bothered you? What disturbed you?

ANDERSON: To see the divide that was evident in this community. That's what bothered me. It just didn't feel like we should be this way in America. But I understand that there are differences, and I wanted to be part of making a change.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Failure to disperse may result in arrest and/or other actions. SIDNER: That change coming in big part after the streets of Ferguson

looked more like a warzone than small city America. Protesters took to the streets for more than 100 days straight with sometimes violent outbursts, their persistence influencing the department of justice to investigate.

[10:25:01] The investigation cleared Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting but issued a damming report on the department at a whole, saying it helped create the racial tensions by unfairly targeting, searching, and ticketing black people to help fill the city's coffers.

What happens if your bosses, the city manager, comes to you and says we need to generate more money? We need you to ticket more people? What do you say to them?

ANDERSON: I won't do that.

SIDNER: You will just say no?

ANDERSON: I will. And they won't do that either. I have had conversations about the new leadership, and I didn't sign up as a police officer to go out and write tickets to generate funds. That is not our job.

SIDNER: This year a new law has been passed to stop Missouri cities from using their police departments as ATMs, lowering what they can make on traffic fines. For Ferguson, that means a reduction from a maximum of 30 percent to 12.5 percent of its operating revenue. The new chief says his officers are eager to move forward. Black officers have been hired. They still make up only 10 percent of the force while the community they serve is 67 percent black.

Does Ferguson have a racist view? Is there a problem within the department?

ANDERSON: I think that in the department there are individuals and factions that don't understand the community. But, in fact, there have been some issues with respect to having race problems. There has been. And I think the police department is doing a good job, has done a good job at getting rid of people that have caused those types of problems.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER: So you were listening to the new interim police chief. And he is one of the big changes that has happened here. But what you also hear from people is, yes, the city is moving forward. But there are plenty of people that see this as just a veneer. You hear the term, "interim." There is an interim police chief. There's an interim city manager. There's a judge who is new, but he is going to be retired soon. And so some folks say this is just for show and that real change hasn't yet happened to this community. Christi?

PAUL: So what is happening there today maybe to bring some sort of awareness? I know there is a march that just started, yes? SIDNER: Well, what's interesting is that isn't bringing awareness,

but what that is, is it is recognizing the death of Michael Brown. But it is such a polarized subject now. I can tell you just a few seconds ago I had a resident come up to me very angry, saying how come you never mentioned there was a robbery he was involved with before the shooting happened? There was a scuffle at the police car before the shooting happened? It is definitely a polarizing subject. Some people don't believe that he should be commemorated. Others are saying he is a symbol that a lot of people in America, that society in America does not value black lives. And there is a real divide that still exists in this town and many argue across America, but here is a very poignant place that still exists where people are not able to understand the frustrations of one another. Christi?

PAUL: Sara, thank you for really bringing us into that community and helping us understand what's going on there. Thank you.

BLACKWELL: Donald Trump is dominating the GOP presidential race. But some other GOP candidates are picking up steam now. A look at who could be gaining ground after strong debate performances.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:31:36] PAUL: The statements to CNN by Donald Trump last night have so many people talking all over the place on Twitter, on TV. And we are now getting a formal statement from the Trump campaign about what was said. I want to read it to you. It says, "Mr. Trump made Megyn Kelly look really bad. She was a mess with her anger and totally caught off guard. Mr. Trump said blood was coming out of her eyes and whatever, meaning nose, but wanted to move on to more important topics. Only a deviant would think anything else." We should point out that we did listen to what he said to CNN's Don Lemon several times, and he said blood was coming out of her eyes and her whatever, or "wherever," rather as opposed to whatever. But this is again a formal statement coming from the Trump campaign this morning since being disinvited to the Red State event here in Atlanta today.

BLACKWELL: Let's bring in CNN political commentator Tara Setmayer. Tara, thanks for staying with us. We just had one of the members of Women for Trump out of New Hampshire on, and she also said that anyone who thought he was talking about hormonal issues should be ashamed of themselves. Do you think this statement is enough?

TARA SETMAYER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: No. With all due respect to your previous guest, she is a Trump sycophant. So people supporting him and who feel very strongly about his anti-P.C. messaging, they're not going to see through this. You are not going to get them to admit that what he has done is actually very classless, juvenile.

And he clearly meant that Megyn Kelly was being hormonal. I think it's insulting for anyone else to think that he meant anything otherwise. I mean, nice try on his campaign spokesman's part. I was a communication director on Capitol Hill for seven years. And I was worth my weight in gold protecting my boss from himself and trying to clean up any messes when he said things that were not the best. So I get it. They are trying to do their jobs here. But everyone knows that that's exactly what he meant. If he had never made any kind of comment like that before or never made any sexist comments that were controversial, maybe we could give him a pass. But come on. We're talking about Donald Trump here. Really, he meant her nose? Come on.

BLACKWELL: Tara, let me talk to you about the other candidates, because during the debate there were some strong moments in both the primetime debate and the earlier debate. I wonder if now Carly Fiorina was getting a lot of looks that she otherwise had not gotten up to this point because of her performance in that debate, do you expect that she will make it into the next primetime debate? And what other shifts are you seeing in the attention these candidates are getting?

SETMAYER: A absolutely hope so. I would have liked to have seen her on the stage on Thursday. But it looks like her being in the other debate actually was beneficial to her. It was advantageous. And that's what some of us started to think as we saw Trump continuing to suck the oxygen out of the room, that it could become a spectacle, which it did, unfortunately. And so that gave Carly Fiorina an opportunity to really shine and for people to see her.

As she has mentioned many times before, only 40 percent of Republicans know who she is, or 40 percent of America knows who she is. So this helps raise her profile. People start to raise attention. She was the most Googled candidate on the stage during that debate. So now people are going, oh, there is another woman in this race and she is actually pretty good. Let me check her out. And that's exactly what she needed at this point in the campaign. It will help her raise money. It will help raise her profile. And I absolutely believe she will be on that stage in September for the CNN debate.

[10:35:08] BLACKWELL: OK, if she is in, someone has to get out. Who on Thursday night probably should have been on stage a little earlier in the day?

SETMAYER: Well, you know, I'm from New Jersey and I love Chris Christie, but I think Christie is on the cuffs there. He didn't do horribly. The shootout between him and Rand Paul, some people liked that. Some people said that's what we were looking for. I don't know if that's enough to keep Chris Christie in it.

And I also think that Rand Paul, even though he has been consistent in the polls, he had a terrible debate night. He really did. So I think one of those -- Chris Christie is on the lower tier. Christ Christie and John Kasich were on the cuffs for this one, but Kasich had a strong enough performance. I was in Cleveland. And the buzz on the ground was that Kasich had a strong performance. Jeb Bush was underwhelming and a disappointment. Paul didn't have a great night. Christie, Walker, they were kind of -- but Marco Rubio was by far the winner of that.

BLACKWELL: Maybe so many were supportive of John Kasich because he was in Ohio, he's the governor of the state. He certainly got a huge response.

SETMAYER: That's true. He had the hometown crowd going. I mean people outside, the local Clevelanders, I mean the political insiders.

BLACKWELL: Thank you so much for being with us this morning.

SETMAYER: You're welcome.

BLACKWELL: And the Republican presidential contenders will, as Tara just mentioned, will debate right here on CNN, next month, Wednesday, September 16th. The Democrats will hold their first debate right here on CNN. That's Tuesday, October 13th.

Tomorrow on "STATE OF THE UNION," Jake Tapper sits down with candidates Carly Fiorina and Ohio Governor Jim Kasich. That airs Sunday morning at 9:00 eastern right here on CNN.

PAUL: Another controversial fatal police shooting, this time, the victim, an unarmed white teen. And it has a lot of people asking, where is the outrage here?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:40:35] BLACKWELL: Right now in Ferguson, Missouri, people are gathering for a march to remember Michael Brown. He's the unarmed black teenager who was shot and killed by a white police officer, Darren Wilson, nearly a year ago. His death sparked weeks of protests. Earlier this morning you heard from the new police chief there.

Now let's talk with one of the activists pushing for racial equality in Ferguson and around the country. Joining us now, Montague Simmons, chairperson of Organization for Black Struggle. Good to have you this morning with us, sir.

MONTAGUE SIMMONS, CHAIRPERSON, ORGANIZATION FOR BLACK STRUGGLE: Good morning, Victor.

BLACKWELL: So we know now that there is this new African-American police chief. There are more black officers, black city manager, municipal judge. So some things have changed. But aside from those positions and individuals, to what degree has life improved or changed in Ferguson?

SIMMONS: Unfortunately, the reality that we have been actually struggling against has not changed, meaning that there has been no real change in the deployment of officers or the way they execute their duties, no one has actually implemented any measures for early warning for officers whose behavior has already been tracked of doing profiling, and no changes in the assistance of accountability. Although there is a veneer, meaning there are different faces in office, we haven't seen any real change in the way they are actually executing their power in communities.

BLACKWELL: So those are some elements obviously you want changed, but beyond those, what is success here, and how near or far is Ferguson from that success?

SIMMONS: In part, that is going to greatly depend on both the citizens who have been in actions and the willingness of government to actually listen. Right now, the city is in negotiation with the Department of Justice about a consent decree. One troubling aspect of that is that they have been less than transparent and have not really engaged citizens. There has been a lot of polling and talking with citizens beforehand about what they want, but within this process they have really closed the door to citizens being a part of this.

So what's going to land after the Department of Justice leaves is still very much in question. It seems like the government really just wants this to go away. When I say the city government, meaning the mayor. The city manager is obviously new. The chief of police is obviously new, but those folks who have been in power still retain a lot of power. We haven't seen increased levels of participation for folks who actually are living here or directly affected by this policy.

BLACKWELL: Montague, quickly, I know today is as much about looking back as it is looking forward, but tell us what is happening today.

SIMMONS: Well, today, there is going to be a few different events. The weekend is chock-full. So today, honestly, because tomorrow is the actual anniversary date, we want to expand the frame of this to look at not just Michael's life but other lives. So today there will be a march honoring VonDerrit Myers. Yesterday there was an event honoring Kajieme Powell. And we're really commemorating all of these losses over the course of this weekend. And then on Monday there will be a day of action. So tomorrow there will be a silent march directly in memory of Michael Brown Jr.

BLACKWELL: All right, Montague Simmons with the organization for black struggle. Thank you so much for spending some time with us this morning.

SIMMONS: Thank you, Victor.

BLACKWELL: Sure.

PAUL: New stunning claims surrounding the death of Bobbi Kristina Brown are now going to court. We have this new development still ahead. And it involves Nick Gordon.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[10:47:48] CHIEF JOHN COVINGTON, SENECA POLICE: It is a horrible situation. You get put in a predicament sometimes. You know when you sign up to be a police officer that that potential is there during your career that you might have to use deadly force.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: An unarmed teen gunned down by a police officer. This is a shooting that happened nearly two weeks ago. And a lot of people are saying why are we just now talking about it? BLACKWELL: The victim's parents say because he is white. Nick

Valencia is following this story for us this morning. Nick, so many unanswered questions. Let's start with why the police say that this officer had to pull the trigger.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This story garnering a lot of national attention even though it happened more than two weeks ago. Police say that the officer quite simply just feared for his life. They are calling this shooting justified. Meanwhile the family of this 19-year-old says he didn't have to die.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VALENCIA: July 26th, 2015, 19-year-old Zachary Hammond is on a date with 23-year-old Tori Morton who is the target of a drug sting. When they pull into a Hardy's parking lot, police are waiting. According to the police report, Hammond, who was driving, attempted to strike an officer with his vehicle during the attempted arrest. He shot twice. He dies at the scene.

COVINGTON: It is a horrible situation. You get put in a predicament sometimes. You know when you sign up to be a police officer that that potential is there during your career that you might have to use deadly force.

VALENCIA: The Seneca police chief says his officer is a victim too.

A victim of attempted murder, that's what the police chief says.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have a hard time believing it when my son is no longer here.

ANGIE HAMMOND, ZACHARY HAMMOND'S MOTHER: That he is the victim.

VALENCIA: The Hammonds say police have not given them answers. So they went looking for their own. An independent autopsy they conducted shows their son was shot from behind and at close range. The family attorney adds the results show the car was stopped at the time of the shooting.

HAMMOND: It has been very hard. Not only are we grieving that our son is gone, we don't know why it happened or what happened. And we're just trying to find answers.

VALENCIA: Lieutenant Mark Tiller, the officer involved in the shooting, is a 10-year veteran and has no history of getting in trouble. In a statement, Tiller's attorney put the blame on the 19- year-old Hammond.

[10:50:04] "In order to stop the continuing threat to himself and the general public, two shots were fired by Lieutenant Tiller in quick succession. If not for Lieutenant Tiller's quick reflexes and his ability to push off of the car, Lieutenant Tiller would have easily been run over by Mr. Hammond."

On Friday, Hammond's supporters held a vigil in hopes that attention to his killing will bring them answers from police.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VALENCIA: The South Carolina law enforcement division is investigating the shooting. They tell CNN they are still collecting evidence. We reached out to them asking for dash cam video we know exists. They say it is part of their investigation and they will not be releasing it at this time.

PAUL: You just mentioned that officer had no history of any problems. And that's why some people are saying, maybe it wasn't about race.

VALENCIA: We have heard a lot about this on social media. One professor specifically from Texas is saying said this is not about race. The reason there is no outrage is because we don't have video. That dash cam video hasn't been released. Also this police department, Seneca PD, does not have a history of police brutality or police excessive force. The family is convinced, though, there is something more. There is something missing here. They want answers. They want that dash cam video.

PAUL: Nick Valencia, thank you so much.

VALENCIA: Thank you so much.

BLACKWELL: It is the story that so many people are talking about. Donald Trump's comments on CNN about a FOX debate moderator. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: You know, you could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: At the top of the hour, Fredricka Whitfield talks with a representative for a conservative group that dumped Trump for not clarifying those comments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:56:04] BLACKWELL: This week's CNN Hero is a woman who turned her home into a sanctuary for abandoned baby sloth that had been orphaned.

PAUL: And a decade later now she has rescued, rehabilitated, and returned more than 600 sloths and other animals in the rain forest of South America. Meet Monique Pool.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MONIQUE POOL, CNN HERO: Sloths are very cute because they are very slow animals. They like to hang out. They have always a smile on their face. Here in Suriname, we have the most pristine rain forest of the whole world. Sloths are facing loss of habitat in the urban area. Ten years ago we started doing sloth rescues. When sloths are in trouble, all the telephone calls come to us. My biggest rescue ever was this spot of land that was going to be

cleared. We rescued in total 200 animals, mostly sloths. There were sloths all over, in my living room, in the cages. I was "slothified." I still have a lot of sloths.

He came in with his nails cut. That's why he has to stay with us.

It is a lot of work, but wherever I go in my house, I may see a sloth. What does a sloth do all day? It sleeps, it grooms, it eats. And it sleeps a little bit more.

This is ridiculous the way he is lying.

The best part of a rescue is when we release the animal.

We're going to the forest.

Sloths are not pets. Wild animals belong in the wild.

Find yourself a safe spot.

My work is about the environment. We should value it and protest it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL: Now, if you know someone who should be a CNN hero, let us know at CNNHeroes.com.

Some of the stories that we are watching, new stunning claims surrounding the death of Bobbi Kristina Brown are going to court now. Brown's estate has filed a multimillion-dollar wrongful death lawsuit against her boyfriend.

BLACKWELL: The lawsuit accuses Nick Gordon of giving Bobbi Kristina Brown a toxic cocktail that knocked her, later placing her face down in a tub, a move that ultimately led to her death last month. And Gordon's lawyers called the lawsuit, quote, slanderous and meritless.

PAUL: In Taiwan a powerful typhoon now being blamed for the death of at least five people. Five people missing and 185 hurt. Fierce winds and torrential rain have been absolutely pounding that nation today. This typhoon is setting its sight on China. Storms still forecasted to being packing hurricane strength winds, and it makes landfall there later tonight.

BLACKWELL: NASCAR champion Tony Stewart is facing a wrongful death lawsuit from the family of fellow driver Kevin Ward Jr. About a year ago Stewart hit Ward with his rear tire causing fatal injuries. The district attorney believes the fact that ward had wafted on to the track factored into a grand jury's decision not to indict Stewart. But Ward's family claims to Stewart failed to drive safely as he approached Ward. The family is seeking unspecified financial compensation.

PAUL: It has been such a pleasure, our pleasure, to spend the whole morning with you. I'm Christi Paul. BLACKWELL: Certainly, there is a lot more. Sorry, Christi Paul. I am Victor Blackwell.

(LAUGHTER)

PAUL: We are going on five hours. We are a little punchy.

BLACKWELL: We made it. Let's turn it over now to Fredricka Whitfield.

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: OK, my turn. How about that? Victor, Christi, thank you so much, great watching you this morning.

Hello, everyone. It is the 11:00 eastern hour. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Newsroom starts right now.

[11:00:02] Oh, Donald Trump, he is at it again. His comments to CNN last night getting him dumped from a conservative political gathering in Atlanta tonight.