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Donald Trump Wants to Boycott Starbucks; Judge Gunned Down Outside of her Austin Home; Independent Report Recommends Russia Be Banned from All Track and Field Events at 2016 Olympics. Aired 3:30- 4p ET

Aired November 10, 2015 - 15:30   ET

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

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[15:30:00] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I have a job to do.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a first amendment that protects your right to stand here and protects mine.

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BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: And with me now is Benjamin Hochman. He is a sports columnist for the St. Louis post dispatch, who witnessed protesters push out the media. He's also, we should tell you, a graduate of Mizzou. So that's important to note.

So tell us, Benjamin, first you had all of this that was happening in a public space, right. This is where you would expect that protesters would welcome reporters to try to get some sort of attention to their cause. What did you experience?

BENJAMIN HOCHMAN, SPORTS COLUMNIST, ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH: That was the most fascinating thing about it. The reporters like myself arrived hoping to share the story, to pass along the story to our readers and to our twitter followers. And it was quite shocking to be literally and figuratively shoved away.

But to their credit, I mean, there was so much emotion on this day. They were trying to make points and they wanted to control their message and these students that were protesting felt that some people in the media were twisting their message so they figured shut out all the media in efforts to do that.

KEILAR: They do realized they may sort of be shooting themselves in the foot, right, when it comes to sort of doing this, of talking about in a way being -- they certainly feel as if they are not being respected. But it also you heard (INAUDIBLE), this video that it I believe you actually took saying this is a first amendment right.

HOCHMAN: Right, the story should be the story. The story shouldn't be the story tellers being pushed aside. But that's where we're at right now. But hopefully, we can move forward at some point and look at the bigger picture that something unprecedented happened in the world of sports and in the world of universities at Mizzou.

KEILAR: Yes. Certainly, it did. Especially with the football team saying, you know, we are not going to play and really sort of forcing the hand of the university. Someone who - actually, let me ask you this about the protesters before I move on here. I wonder if some of the protesters wanted reporters to back away. That they felt - and you know, sometimes, look, I'm part of the press. We go to events. We cover things. Sometimes you get sort of too close. They feel like you're intruding on their moment. Is there something maybe like that that happened?

HOCHMAN: That's quite possible. And I feel like it felt like an invasion to some of these proud protesters and that was the situation. But it really blew up. And the fact that for much of the day we weren't talking about why they were protesting, but we are talking about how they were blockading the media was definitely a misled situation, misstep by the protesters. Maybe it would have been best if it they hired a PR person or someone instead of screaming members of their group yelling at those who just wanted to tell their story. But again, it was one of those days where there was just so much emotion, so much at stake. I don't think everybody realized how difficult it would be to just try to report the story.

KEILAR: Yes. And really, it is a grassroots movement. It's not really glossy. It is not sort of PR. So that is also important to point out.

Benjamin Hochman, I really appreciate you talking to us. Thanks so much.

HOCHMAN: Thank you.

KEILAR: Next, a major development out of Texas. This involves the brazen shooting of a local judge and the possible break in the case. We will have a live report on that.

Plus, it's the debate that has gone viral this week. Some calling Starbucks new red cup a war on Christmas. And how Donald Trump is suggesting a boycott. We're going to discuss that and much more with Montel Williams, next.

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[15:38:07] KEILAR: The stage is set for tonight's fourth Republican presidential debate. Donald Trump expects to answer all kinds of hard-hitting questions, but he's still finding time to grab headlines on topics that are decidedly outside the scope of White House policy. And the target of his latest attack is Starbucks. And those red coffee cups like the one you see there, he is joining the wave of outrage over the retailer's decision to feature plain red cups this season, devoid of any holiday images.

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DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I have one of the most successful Starbucks in Trump tower. Maybe we should boycott Starbucks. I don't know? Seriously, I don't care. By the way, that's the end of that lease, but who cares. We're all going to be saying merry Christmas again, that I can tell you.

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KEILAR: My next guest is talk show host Montel Williams, he is in Milwaukee for the debate tonight. He has strong words, have them I should say, for Trump on twitter.

I guess what my question for you, Montel, is, do you find this to be serious or do you think that he is making a play for an area where he is somewhat vulnerable and that, of course, being evangelical voters especially in Iowa?

MONTEL WILLIAMS, TV HOST: I got to say this, Brianna. Honestly, how dare anybody, any one of these candidates, have a word to say about Starbucks including Mr. Shultz, who put this program in place? You know, this man just announced a program that says he's going to employ additional 5,000 veterans. He is already paying for education, scholarship programs for spouses and children of veterans, and we're discussing a cup whether it has a snow flake, a tree or a deer on it.

And I don't know. I talked to a lot of Christians and I talked to one like before I came on air. You know, no one ever associated a snow flake to God. No one associated a Christmas tree to God or shouldn't. So I don't understand this. This is crazy. It's a red solo cup. Remember there was a song written about it two summers ago.

[15:40:05] KEILAR: Yes. And so, I hear you. You say they should be focusing on other things. And you are focus on with Starbucks' doing for veterans. Just to give some background.

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KEILAR: Go on, Montel.

WILLIAMS: We're going to complain about Starbucks, but we should applaud them. And where's Donald Trump? I have not heard the last time that he employed an additional 5,000 soldiers or veterans. I haven't heard the last time that he has offered up a scholarship program out of his company for veterans' children.

So, they are going to complain about a cup and saying to throw a guy under the bridge. Stop the stupid. Let's get to the serious issues. These candidates tonight should be talking about the things that are facing this country and veterans are one that I'm really, really concerned about. And that's what we should focus on and not a red solo cup. Stop the stupid. Come on.

KEILAR: OK. Well, let's move on then because I know you have been really vocal about -- I appreciate your ferver for this, but you have been vocal about these candidates. And I know that you feel like they really haven't done enough to help veterans or to propose plans for veterans. You know, we certainly have heard from some candidates who put out plans. Donald Trump has a plan. A lot of it has to do certainly with the VA and veteran unemployment. Martin O'Malley has a plan. A number of these candidates have them. So, what do you think is missing from the conversation?

WILLIAMS: How about a sense of understanding of the military? Unfortunately, we live in a time right now in America where less than 20 percent of our entire elected officials in this country ever put a uniform on and serve themselves. Yet these same people are very quick to send our children off to die. And when they come home, they are very resonant and slow to ensure they get the treatment, the care and all the things that they deserve.

So, you know, the plan that Mr. Trump has put forward, I really think -- please, let's stop. If we really wanted to understand how we could correct some of the issues in the military, we are wasting time by not utilizing the number one resource this country has.

Brianna, remember back to the end of World War II and the Korean War. We started something called the GI bill. We educated America on the GI bill and soldiers and veterans led the way. Right now, we all talk about the one or two problems in the VA hospital. But listen to me. I was in a VA hospital in Cleveland yesterday and I talked to 20 paralyzed veterans. Not one of them had a complaint. Because guess what, about 80 percent of them or 85 percent of them are doing really well. We should be employing them. We should be reaching out right now to (INAUDIBLE) help us.

KEILAR: What do you want to hear tonight that would make you happy?

WILLIAMS: I want to hear a plan about how we are going to actually stop and look at the VA. Number one, a lot of things have happened in the last two years that have corrected a lot of the deficiencies. But I want to hear a solid plan. I also want to understand how we are going to utilize our veterans and this resource that we are letting just go out to pasture.

If we took veterans at the 27-year mark who served 30 years and asked them to serve their last three years at the VA hospital acting as a go between soldiers and sailors and (INAUDIBLE) marines and the doctors, do you know how efficiently this program would work immediately? And you are not going to spend an extra dollar because you move the guys that are transitioning out in their twilight tour into an effective job. That's one. You want to hear more plans, I have 20 of them.

But these guys all talk rhetoric. They all talk games about how to do something better and better. And we still leave our veterans on the battlefield here at home. Let's stop the stupid. Conversation about cups are stupid.

KEILAR: Yes. OK. So, I will be curious to hear what you say after the debate. But I also want to talk to you before I let you go about something else that I know you have been really vocal on and that is the Black Lives Matter Movement.

Statistically, I want to talk to you about just this heinous murder of the 9-year-old Tyshawn Lee. He was buried today in Chicago. He was killed in a gang-style shooting last week. This is what a pastor who attending his funeral said.

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DEANDRE HAWTHORNE, CHICAGO PASTOR: I just left this church, saw a 9- year-old boy lying in a casket. Where's the Black Lives Matter Movement now? Black lives has to matter more than when cops are involved. But when black kill black, we need to see Black Lives Matter here in Chicago crying out.

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KEILAR: What do you think about that where he is being critical of the Black Lives Matter Movement not focusing on this issue of really urban violence that's killing kids?

WILLIAMS: How about we ask the question this way, Brianna. Why isn't the entire nation focused on it? We focus on Black Lives Matter because we don't like the fact that people name themselves as a group to demonstrate about a cause.

And I think the pastor is right. You can take me back to two years ago. And I'm one of the first people that constantly said why are we not saying the same thing every day when the number of young African- American males in this country at the hands of other African male continue to grow, the death count, OK?

So we should be saying something about that. But, we as a nation should also say that, yes, where's Black Lives Matter? But where is the rest of us saying that little black life mattered. And let's also remember, three days ago a 4-year-old was shot to death by police officers. So all lives do matter. I'm going to say that whether it helps people or not. But in this case, this particular case, I wonder where are the demonstrators outside that church begging for maybe even a truce in Chicago? We don't do that. I think the pastor is right.

[15:45:43] KEILAR: Montel, and I am going to leave it there with you. Thanks so much for joining us. Really appreciate it. Always great to have you on.

WILLIAMS: Thank you.

KEILAR: And next, a Texas judge ambushed at her home. The target of what law enforcement say this may have been an assassination attempt. We are going to go live to Austin for the latest.

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[15:50:27] KEILAR: Police in Texas may have got a break in brazen shooting of a local judge in her own driveway. Four days after the judge Julie Kocurek was gunned down outside of her Austin home, authorities have arrested a man that they think may be connected to this attack.

I want to go right now to CNN's Ed Lavandera. He is there in Austin.

Give us update, Ed.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Brianna. Well, a lot of movement here this afternoon on the investigation into

the shooting attack of Judge Julie Kocurek. We are told by Austin police officials that they will be holding a press conference at 4:30 eastern time, 3:30 central time. And what we know, that a law enforcement source told us that Monday night someone they believed to be connected to the case of Julie Kocurek, the judge ambushed here in Austin, was arrested on an unrelated fugitive warrant.

So we do know investigators have been combing through this person's background, that the person hasn't been named officially because that person has not been charged criminally in the attack on Julie Kocurek. But as we have been reporting for several days, many of her friends and colleagues believe that she was purposely attacked and targeted because of her work at courthouse -- criminal court judge handling, you know, many extensive criminal cases in her extensive career here in Travis County, Texas.

So we do know that investigators have been pouring over a lot of the cases to try to pinpoint anyone that they might have believed a suspect in the case. But we anticipate much more information within the hour as Austin police are preparing to hold a press conference here within the hour.

KEILAR: You know, thankfully, Ed, she survived. How is she doing, do we know?

LAVANDERA: Her family says that she is making steady improvement. The exact nature of her wounds, and just how expensively she was wounded in that attack, the family has not disclosed. But they say that she is continuing to make solid improvement and her health getting better with each passing day. So, it sounds like she is expected to make a full recovery.

KEILAR: That is excellent news. All right. Ed Lavandera in Austin, thank you so much.

Breaking news involving Jimmy Carter's health as he fights cancer. His doctors with a new announcement, we will have that next.

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[15:56:55] KEILAR: Just in to CNN, we have some new developments to tell you about involving the health of former president Jimmy Carter. And it's good news to report, because, according to the Carter center, doctors say recent tests have shown there's no evidence of new malignancy, that his original problem, which was advanced melanoma that had spread to his liver and brain, is responding well to treatment. They say further tests will continue. But at this point, certainly some good news. The former president, 91, he was 90 back in August, when he was diagnosed with melanoma and started to undergo raid indication. We'll keep an eye out on that for you.

I do want to talk now about Russia's doping scandal. We still don't know quite how dirty the world of track and field is, but we know that the world anti-doping agency has started a big cleanup of it. First independent report recommended that Russia be ban from all track and field events at 2016 Olympics. And now, a Russian lab has been banned. And one official booted from the international Olympic committee.

U.S. Olympic silver medalist Lashanda Demus is joining me now on the phone to talk about this.

I know you lost to a Russian in the 400 meter hurdles in 2012. No confirmation that athlete had been doping, but certainly we are realizing there's a systemic problem in the Russian program. What's your reaction to this news?

LASHANDA DEMUS, U.S. OLYMPIC SILVER MEDALIST (on the phone): You know, I'm kind of surprised of the vast number that they're saying, like the whole team, that's surprising. But drugs have been in sport for a very long time, so it doesn't surprise me people get caught.

You know, I don't sit around hoping that she is found positive, who I competed against the Russian woman that I competed against. But I do think that every person or athlete that has competed against Russian athletes on an international level, such as Olympic games or world championships, deserves a thorough investigation of those athletes to make sure that they were competing clean. So I do think we do at least deserve that.

KEILAR: You know, I wonder what you think about this coming from a place where you spend so much energy and time and dedication to getting to this point. You get a silver medal. And I know you've written a lot about how you tested clean since you were 18 years old. You take tests least once a month. But you wondered about other athlete whose weren't getting tested as much. I wondered, what athletes are you talking about? Are you talking about American athletes? Are you talking about athletes from other countries? And what's your frustration, knowing they aren't tested as much?

DEMUS: Well, this is definitely going off of hearsay, but I -- I kind of do believe that the U.S. athletes are tested properly the most out of every country because we have such a stigma on us from, you know, the Marion Jones and such, you know, big stars. But I do know it's disheartening to know there's nothing I can do about it now, the Olympic Games are gone. The medal is gone, the opportunity is gone, sponsorship money is gone. So at this point the truth will be fine, but I think that our (INAUDIBLE) could have done a better job analyzing --

KEILAR: Lashanda, I'm so sorry to cut you off. I really apologize. I have to throw this show to our next host. Thank you so much for talking to us, and that does it for me. "THE LEAD with Jake Tapper" starts now.