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President Obama Announces 6,000 prisoners Will Be Released; Exclusive Interview with Raury; Specific Group Of People ISIS is Trying To Drive Into Extinction. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired November 02, 2015 - 15:30   ET

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


[15:30:00] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: We have some of that audio. I think it is important you hear it from their own words. These former inmates here in New York, take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAQUAN DUBOSE, JAILED FOR GUN POSSESSION AND SELLING DRUGS: Everybody is not out to get you. That you can trust people, especially here. You can trust them. You have to learn not to be so aggressive because you're coming from a place that's full of aggression to this. This is like little house on the prairie. So, it's a lot different.

You have to like snap out of violent behavior because in there everything is always a test. And that test if you fail, it could be your life. So that's one of the main things you have to face is you're you don't have to fight everybody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: And if, I guess, if you don't snap out of it, you know, you are sent back. What do you make of the fact that 6,000 will be released?

SIMONE WELCHSELBAUM, STAFF WRITER, THE MARSHALL PROJECT: Well, a lot of these people are being released under the guides of department of probation on the federal level. So, it's not like this sort of this implication going on, thrashing law enforcement is just wave of prisoners being released at the city's streets. But a lot of folks are actually being released, will be monitored by the U.S. government. Some will be put in halfway homes or some will be put in job training programs.

BALDWIN: Wendy, you disagree. You say this is not necessarily the best idea. Tell me why.

WENDY PATRICK, CALIFORNIA PROSECUTOR: Well, I will tell that some of the points that the audio, you just made on the audio, Brooke, and some of the points that Simone made actually sort of corroborate the view that it's hard for some of these criminals to make an honest living when they are released. Much of many of them light like to, when there's reduced amount of opportunities available to them, it is obviously there is going to be, they may fall back into a life of crime. But let me tell you another point that concerns me having been a

prosecutor and a defense attorney for about 20 years. Drugs are something that is involved in all kinds of different kinds of crime. You can say low-level drug offenders, but the most serious crimes committed often times involve drug use. So it's one of those things that it can't at all - kind at any level can be safe to release. That's what we worry about in terms from a public safety perspective is those that use and abuse drugs necessarily are at heightened risk for committing the most serious kinds of offenses. And I mean everything from rapes to murders, just runs the spectrum. Drugs are involved in so many those kinds of crimes. That's why we worry even when we learned that those being released are drug offenders.

BALDWIN: Simone, do you want to respond to that?

WELCHSELBAUM: Well, when we did the interview and I actually have traveled the state doing another story looking at those who are trying to apply to colleges and couldn't because of their federal record. One of these gentlemen have told me time and time again, if given the opportunity for a chance to get a well-paying job, the chance to go to college, they perhaps would stay away from the drug game. So the question is do we say, hey, throw away the key, lock them up, leave them there, or do we work with social services to provide other avenues for them to make a legal way of income?

BALDWIN: Wendy, you get the final word.

PATRICK: Yes. I think, Simone, if that all worked, I think that would be tremendous. I think it's a wonderful opportunity for them. The bottom line is recidivism is real. The reality of recidivism permeates our nation. And we can't close our eyes to the reality that as much as we might like to offer them services to would lead them on a path towards being lawful citizens, it's just not going to work for everyone. And that's the danger in releasing this many prisoners.

BALDWIN: Simone Welchselbaum and Wendy Patrick, thank you so much. Simone with the Marshall Project. Thank you. I appreciate both your perspectives.

PATRICK: Thank you, Brooke.

BALDWIN: You got it.

Coming up next here, they are fighting against ISIS for their survival. CNN's exclusive interviews with the Yusidi soldiers battling these terrorists in Iraq.

And later Republican presidential candidate and governor of New Jersey Chris Christie calls Black Lives Matter a destructive movement. That happened earlier today. We will talk to a young man, an artist, a rapper, who has found a voice in that very movement. His perspective on the 2016 campaign and beyond, coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:33:25] BALDWIN: There is a specific group of people ISIS is trying to drive into extinction. And we have just seen how desperate and dangerous the situation has become for the Yusidi people. You remember these images here, families weeping and relief that they finally escaped the bloody siege on Mount Sinjar. And now the Yusidis, they are fighting back.

Our Nima Elbagir got exclusive access to that mountain and shows us how they are now preparing for battle.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The Yusidi Peshmarga fighters, volunteers, former soldiers and a handful of trained officers looking out over the ISIS front line.

He is pointing along here you can see the defensive ditches that have been dug so they come as close as that valley just there. (INAUDIBLE), they fire on us. They eventually retreat, but it's pretty never en ending.

This vantage point itself was in the not too distant path ISIS held.

Just there he says you can see what they did to the Yusidis. The houses are completely destroyed. They slaughtered all the families inside. It really drives home how visceral this was.

The deputy commander (INAUDIBLE) is 66. He's a retired soldier. One of the few here with fighting experience.

This is a fragment of skull they found. This whole patch of ground is mass graves. Said they found about 150 bodies from children as young as 1-year-old all the way up to 80. It is, they say, just a reminder to them of what it is they are fighting for. They are fighting for their very survival.

The massacre of thousands of Yusidi men, women and children by ISIS last year resonated around the world. Here in the foothills of the Sinjar Mountain, thousands of Yusidi volunteers are joining up to fight.

Sinjar city and the mountain that looms over it is at the heart of the homeland of the minority. It falls along a crucial supply route linking Isis strongholds in Iraq and Syria. When ISIS took the city August last year, their intent was to drive them to extinction. Those who managed to escape the massacre now shelter in (INAUDIBLE), on barren slopes overlooking their former homes.

These are the families of the fighters standing guard down below. This is what they are fighting for. At the front a poem is being recited. It speaks of lost honor, slaughtered wives and sisters, empty homes. It's meant to remind the soldiers of what's at stake. They tell us they know only too well this is a battle r for their very existence.

Nima Elbagir, CNN, Mount Sinjar.

(END VIDEOTAPE) [15:41:45] BALDWIN: Nima, thank you so much for that.

Coming up, actor Jamie Fox comes to the defense of Quentin Tarantino after her was at a rally here in New York City recently calling police officers in a word "murderers". Coming up, I'll talk to a social activist and a rapper to get his take on those comments and also his thoughts about the crop of candidates for the 2016 presidential election.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:46:56] BALDWIN: That is the voice of Atlanta rapper and producer and song writer Raury whose latest album "All we need is out right now," a Kanye protege. Uses the spotlight to weigh in on the politics and controversy behind the Black Lives Matter movement. Also made a political statement about his feelings for Donald Trump. I want you to take a look this. He was wearing the Mexican soccer jersey during his performance on "the late show with Stephen Colbert." There you go with Trump big red X over that name. Raury, joins me now.

So awesome to meet you, fellow Atlantan, welcome.

RAURY, RAPPER: Nice to meet you too.

BALDWIN: Welcome. So on the Trump bit, let me start there with you because we saw what you did with Colbert and that sort of blew up a bit. But I was also reading (INAUDIBLE). You did an interview and were -- how old are you, 19?

RAURY: Yes, 19.

BALDWIN: The fact you were reading through interviews with different candidates, so my hat is off to you on that. And so Trump apparently you said something that resonated with you. He said you can have the cure for cancer, but if you don't get readings and you don't garner attention the world will never know. So you said that was real for you. How did you feel about Trump?

RAURY: Yes. I mean, Trump man, I just feel like I watched this movie "American Sniper" and the quote at the beginning have really resonated with me. There's two people in this world, you know, there are the sheep, the people that don't believe that there's evil in the world. The worlds that people who pick on the weak. And the sheep dogs, the people who live and face the day to fight the Wolf. And Donald Trump is definitely a Wolf, man. He is someone who just, you know, embodies the separation and feeling just that hatred and difference amongst people. Do you know what I'm saying? So I'm a sheep dog.

BALDWIN: You're a sheep dog.

RAURY: Yes.

BALDWIN: So you're reading in on who you like for president. But in addition to that, you know, we heard fly, the song. What's happened nationally police brutality and some of the race issue that we have talked about for the better part of really year-and-a-half resonated with you. And so, I wanted to play something for you. I don't know Quentin Tarantino last weekend here in New York. He was speaking at a rally. And so, at one point, you know, he called police officers murderers and you have Philadelphia, New York, New Jersey, and Los Angeles police unions, they are boycotting all things Quentin Tarantino. Jamie Fox came to Quentin Tarantino's defense. Here's what Jamie Fox has said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMIE FOX, ACTOR: I want to say this. Quentin Tarantino, you're a boss. You are absolutely amazing. Keep speaking the truth and keep telling the truth and don't worry about the haters.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Do you think Quentin Tarantino was wrong?

RAURY: This is all a very all a very extreme situation, man. People are dying. People are really dying. You know what I mean? Like - and as far as how emotionally invested Tarantino was in a situation, you know, was he right for calling every single policeman, you know, every single person on office that a murderer, no, but, you know man, this is a very high energy situation. A very serious situation. And if he would have just said, oh, yes, these certain select people who were murderers, I'm only going to focus on them. No, we got one bad apple spoils the bunch, man. We have to address the whole problem because it isn't just the surface level thing.

[15:50:03] BALDWIN: But if he's at this rally, you know, this anti- violence and you look Quinten Tarantino movies, a lot of blood, a lot of violence. Is that fair for that come from him?

RAURY: I think as you put the things out in the world really does symbolize what you are and who you stand for too because there are little kids and whatnot watching those same things. So, you know, that doesn't line up, but in the end of the day he got up there and said I respect it, I stand for it and I support Tarantino.

BALDWIN: On the Black Lives Matter movement, Chris Christie, wants to be president, governor of New Jersey said this today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I believe that black lives matter is a destructive movement that's anti-law enforcement. And I have said it before and I'll say it again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Destructive movement.

RAURY: I thought, man, these people they are masters of media, masters of deception, they can paint Black Lives Matter look how they want especially if they're in these positions, you get what I'm saying? So, if you are the person that is focus on like the (INAUDIBLE) speaking against, you know, trying to cause a revolution against, you know, the police force or inside more violence, you know that isn't admission, you know. And he's wrong for saying that. He is completely wrong and I'm in complete like opposite support of Christie.

BALDWIN: And you agree there are some phenomenal police officers and it is wrong to call them murderers.

RAURY: Oh, yes. Completely. But at the same time and the problem is so much deeper than just the policemen. And we really have to realize that, you know, like when your hair's going bad you approach the scalp, you know. It goes down to the people that are in these judicial systems, you know, the people that have been sitting in these positions of power for so long and are allowing these murderous policemen to walk away.

BALDWIN: You write about this in your music.

RAURY: We should turn our attention and direction towards our local homes and who are we putting there?

BALDWIN: The communities.

RAURY: We can get much more meticulous on who we're approaching with the problem.

BALDWIN: Tell me quickly about Forbidden Knowledge. What's that about?

RAURY: Forbidden Knowledge is a song about how things we know today how it has affected us, you know what I mean? Like as far as kids like me born with the Internet at the tip of our fingers. Should we have this or should we not? There are great things that come from it, you know. Because of the Internet I found my way here. You know what I mean? I learned how to play guitar, studied music industry, I got here, but because of the Internet there are 14-year-olds on Instagram with rocket launchers and doing all kinds of things, you know. Is this forbidden knowledge or are things we would stumble across in the future are those things that we should know? That song is really inspired by a simple conversation between friends though.

BALDWIN: Raury, good luck to you. And keep reading about politics and stay informed. But I love hearing that. Thank you so much. Nice to meet you.

RAURY: Nice to meet you too.

BALDWIN: Coming up next here, this unprecedented look at the election recount that once held the country hostage. CNN's candid interviews with the key players at the center of the Bush-gore controversy of 2000.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[15:57:25] GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: It's after 3:00 in the morning on November 8th, 2000. The war memorial in Nashville, Tennessee. Vice president Al Gore is inside getting ready to publicly concede the presidential election to George W. Bush.

BILL DALEY, CHAIRMAN, AL GORE CAMPAIGN: It was total chaos as we were trying to get into the war memorial, pouring rain. The vice president and Lieberman's family and that whole group had gone in, the secret service, the police, everybody was on edge.

MICHAEL WHOULEY, NATIONAL FIELD DIRECTOR, AL GORE CAMPAIGN: I got on the phone with Bill Daly and he said what's up Mike. And I said, Billy, we haven't lost. This thing is going to be an automatic recount. I said this is thing is too close to call.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was kind of seeing my life kind of flash in front of me. It is kind of breaking out in a sweat oh, my God, what do we do here?

WHOULEY: That's when he contacted David (INAUDIBLE).

Everything was ringing at once and vibrating.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Told him grab the vice president get him in a holding room with Joe Lieberman, do not let anyone go out. Just everybody freeze.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Michael Feldman was trying to get ahold of me. Feldman said, you know, you need to stop the vice president from conceding.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He cannot go out on stage. You've got to bring him to hold.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Before cell phones. That is a piece from our CNN Special Report, Bush V. Gore, the endless election.

Every time I've seen you for months and months you've been working on this thing. So congratulations first and foremost.

BORGER: Thank you.

BALDWIN: What a story?

BORGER: Right and true. And true. I mean, we just looked at this clip, right? And you said to me is that pre-cell phone?

BALDWIN: Did they have contact with each other? Did they text each other?

BORGER: Did they text each other? No.

BALDWIN: Wow.

BORGER: And what was so stunning to me, 15 years later.

BALDWIN: Yes.

BORGER: Is that the vice president's own boiler room operation, which is counting votes, had no idea that the vice president had already called Bush to concede and was on the way to the war memorial to make it official. And there was that kind of a lack of communication. And they're in this motorcade going to the war memorial, people who work for the vice president were so depressed. They turned off their pagers, which is what they had then. Because they didn't want to get any phone calls from people like us in the media or anything. And so, nobody could reach anybody. And they had to get each other through a White House switchboard.

And then and only then did they finally literally bodily stop Al Gore from going on stage to concede. And then he called Bush and did something, and I don't know if this is English, but he un-conceded to Bush and said, sorry, this election is still on.

BALDWIN: I can't wait to watch. Do not miss this Special Report. I'm sure a lot of the questions you get into as could this possibly happen again? I'm afraid of what the answer would be. Gloria Borger tonight, special report, Bush V. Gore, the endless election, 9:00 eastern, do not miss it.

I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thank you for being with me. "The LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts right now.