Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Country Singer's Body Found; New Info on Paris Attacks; President Obama to Address Gun Control. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired January 07, 2016 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:02]

JAKE OLSON, FOOTBALL PLAYER: The doctors finally said, listen, there's -- we have pretty much exhausted all -- all treatment options.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Jake was 12 when he found out he would lose his other eye. But former USC head coach Pete Carroll heard Jake's story. He knew the boy was a huge lifelong fan and invited him to meet the team.

OLSON: That team was there for me in my darkest hours. It's something that I will always be grateful for.

GUPTA: Despite losing his eyesight, Jake played football in high school.

OLSON: A lot of it is just feel.

GUPTA: Last year, he brought that talent to USC as a walk-on player for his beloved team.

OLSON: I went in to play football with the mentality that I had nothing to lose. Life is unfair, but it's taught me to keep fighting.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: And we continue on. You're watching CNN's special live coverage here from George Mason University. I'm in Fairfax, Virginia, today, where just hours from now, President Obama will face critics and supporters of his executive actions on guns this week during a town hall tonight here live on CNN.

Let me be clear. Both the NRA and Gun Owners of America have declined CNN's invitation to take part here, but we should note, despite that, there will be many NRA members and gun rights advocates in the audience. I will speak live with both sides here in just a moment.

But, first, let me take you to Paris, breaking news out of France today, where schools went on lockdown, shops closed, streets got blocked off after this man wielding a butcher knife with fake explosives strapped to his body reportedly yelled Allahu akbar as he was trying to rush this Paris police station. Officers responded very quickly, shooting, killing this unidentified

man. But here's what they found on his body. They found a piece of paper with the ISIS flag printed on it. This is all happening -- just a little context for you -- this is now one year to the day, to the minutes after jihadists stormed the office of the satirical call newspaper/magazine "Charlie Hebdo" killing 12 people.

The anti-terrorism branch of the Paris prosecutor's office is investigating today's incident.

I have terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank joining me now.

Paul, before we talk about -- anymore about "Charlie Hebdo" or even new information you have on the Paris attacks from November, talk to me about what's your read on who appears to have acted alone, fake explosives? What's your interpretation?

PAUL CRUICKSHANK, CNN TERRORISM ANALYST: Well, there's some very bizarre details that we're learning, especially those details, Brooke, about the fake explosives.

It suggests that this individual perhaps wanted to die, welcomed being shot, but it certainly has all the attributes of an ISIS-inspired attack and literally to the minute a year after the "Charlie Hebdo" attack, which was 11:30 a.m. a year ago, this attack 11:30 a.m. this morning here in Paris.

Surely, that's not, Brooke, a coincidence, given that timing similarity. But they are also learning that he made some pledge of allegiance, it appears, to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. We have seen that before in other ISIS-inspired plots.

I have speaking to counterterrorism officials across Europe over the last few weeks. And what they are very concerned about is copycat attacks following the Paris attacks here in November. That really inspired these hard-line radicals in Europe. And from their monitoring, they have really been able to pick up the fact that it's electrified that jihadi movement over here.

There are a lot of concerns that we may see more of these ISIS- inspired attempts in the days ahead.

BALDWIN: You mentioned the Paris attacks happened in November, those coordinated terrorist attacks in the city. You have new information on that today. Please share.

CRUICKSHANK: Really stunning new information, Brooke, and this comes from a senior Belgian counterterrorism official, that there are two senior members of the conspiracy still at large who the night of the attacks, before the attacks, after were communicating with the Paris attackers from Brussels.

These were two individuals who were actually identified on December 4 by Belgian authorities. But, at that time, they did not disclose their senior role in the plot, but they were able to do wiretaps, they were able to find out the contents of some of these communications. And it suggested they were more senior than Abdelhamid Abaaoud in this

conspiracy. They are still at large. They feel like they have now identified their real identities, their real names and they hope they can obviously make arrests, but clearly a lot of concern. They are considered armed and dangerous.

[15:05:02]

They could be plotting a new wave of attacks potentially here in Europe. One other detail that I have also received just recently from a senior European counterterrorism official is that ISIS operatives in Syria and Iraq from Europe are increasingly faking their own death.

And this is very recent intelligence. And the concern is that some of these individuals may come back to Europe to launch attacks, real concerned about that tonight in Europe, Brooke.

BALDWIN: That is indeed worrisome if that is the case. Paul Cruickshank tonight for us there in Paris, Paul, as always, thank you so much.

To politics, we go, Burlington, Vermont. It's a pretty small town, though facing one very large problem all because of one man, Donald Trump. In less than four hours from now, the Republican front-runner will be holding a rally there. Nothing unusual about that. Lines are already forming. OK.

But perhaps folks know Trump that had sent out 20,000 free tickets for a venue with just 1,400 seats. Do the math. His campaign told police that 6,500 people have confirmed they are coming. Again, the venue only seats 1,400. Police say they will turn people away once the Flynn Center for Performing Arts hits capacity.

Let's go now there to Burlington to our senior Washington correspondent, Jeff Zeleny.

Jeff Zeleny, I talked to the police chief earlier and said we have got this. People should be able to come and attend. Just wish they had a little more heads-up. How is the line looking?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Brooke, I can tell you the line is growing as we stand here. And we're still several hours before this event here.

But I'm joined now by the executive director of the Flynn Center, John Killacky.

And, John, tell me, how many people can this venue hold inside here?

JOHN KILLACKY, FLYNN CENTER FOR PERFORMING ARTS: Well, 1,400.

ZELENY: So this line looks, as I'm just eyeballing it, looks more than that. How are you planning to proceed in the next few hours? Is this your problem or the Trump's campaign problem?

KILLACKY: I think it's a good problem, but it's actually not a problem. Once we first come in, they will be seated and once we're full, we're full. The fire marshal will say we're done.

ZELENY: What does this line resemble? I know you have a lot of concerns and other types of events here. Is this big for a political crowd? What's this line more look like to you?

KILLACKY: We're a performing arts center that mostly has shows. We have had lines longer than this for some of the acts that have been at the Flynn.

We have done occasionally -- Senator Leahy did a fund-raiser with us. We did some mayoral forums. We have five people running for governor right now. We had them on the stage. So it's a little atypical, but it's OK what we do as well because we're a civic institution. We receive federal and state dollars and we're kind of glad to have the candidates running for president wanting to speak to Vermonters.

ZELENY: As you know, Bernie Sanders, we're in the hometown of Bernie Sanders. He was the mayor here from 1981 to 1989 and of course is still the senator. Surprised that there's big of a Trump crowd in Burlington, Vermont?

KILLACKY: There's a crowd of Vermonters who want to listen to this candidate.

I'm not sure it's a Trump crowd. I'm not sure it's a Bernie crowd. I think it's an interested crowd. And that's the greatest thing. People are coming to hear somebody. By having them here, we're not endorsing anybody.

ZELENY: Sure.

KILLACKY: When Bernie wanted to announce, I was talking to his wife, Jane. And I said, bring him to the Flynn. Announce from the Flynn. She said, it's too small. They did it at the waterfront.

ZELENY: Great. John, thank you very much. We will see you inside later.

We're just going to walk down the line just a little bit here and see. As far as the eye can see, you can see people lining up for it.

And, Ian (ph), I wonder if I could talk with you for just a second here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here.

ZELENY: You are an undecided voter standing in this line. Is that correct?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

ZELENY: Tell me why you came out today.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: To see the comedy show.

ZELENY: The comedy show? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, Donald Trump. He's a comedian. He's coming to the Flynn here. Claims he's a politician. But I'm here to hear what he's got to say. I don't know why he's coming to Vermont.

ZELENY: So, safe to say you're not a Donald Trump supporter, though?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I appreciate the ability for him to -- for free speech, and coming to say what he wants, but I won't support him.

ZELENY: But you're standing in line a long time to not support someone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I live around the block. I have been here for an hour-and-a-half maybe. It's not...

ZELENY: Not bad.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's not cold. It's a beautiful day here in Vermont.

ZELENY: But to give a full picture, it looks like we have a Trump supporter standing right here.

Sir, what is your name?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One hundred percent.

ZELENY: Sir, what is your name?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Steve.

ZELENY: Steve, why are you standing out here? What do you think of Donald Trump coming to Burlington, Vermont?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do I think?

ZELENY: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't have to think. He's the man. Our country needs a person that's going to stand up and work for our country, not for me, for the country.

ZELENY: When people think of Burlington, Vermont, a lot of people think liberal, a lot of people think Senator Bernie Sanders. Do you think that there are a lot of Trump supporters in the state of Vermont and here today?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

ZELENY: But some?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some.

ZELENY: Are you surprised that Mr. Trump is coming to Burlington, Vermont?

[15:10:05]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No.

ZELENY: Why not?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He belongs here.

ZELENY: On what issues specifically?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This country needs change, including from...

ZELENY: Vermont is one of the states that actually has a Super Tuesday state. The voting is on March 1 here, so after Iowa, after New Hampshire. Are you confident that Donald Trump will be the Republican nominee or do you think that he has a tough road ahead of him?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He will be.

ZELENY: OK. Well, good luck getting in here. It's a big crowd. It looks like you should make it. I don't think we're back to 1,500 here. Thank you very much. OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I still stand up, no matter where it's got to be.

ZELENY: Right.

So, Brooke, as you can see, the line is pretty long here. It stretches as far as I can see. We have about four hours until it begins here. And we will be inside throughout the day here -- back to you in Virginia.

BALDWIN: Amazing. Amazing. Amazing hearing from the people. One is going for the comedy show. One is going because he doesn't have to think because Donald Trump is the man.

Jeff Zeleny, thank you very much. We will be watching you there in Vermont.

Let's move on to talk about this nasty day on Wall Street. Amid financial turmoil in China, the Dow went really into freefall today. Started on the wrong foot, opening down more than 300 points on the heels of China's stock market crash. China's tumble was apparently so severe, trading was halted for the second time this week.

(STOCK MARKET UPDATE)

BALDWIN: Just ahead here on CNN, Donald Trump today from his campaign, this new video. You seen this? it specifically targeting Hillary Clinton and there are all kinds of faces in this video, including Monica Lewinsky and Bill Cosby. We have that as Trump's rival deals with new concerns about his eligibility. Of course, talking about the Texas Senator Ted Cruz.

And President Obama gets ready to face both critics and supporters of his executive actions on guns. Both sides of the debate will join me live here.

And just two days ago, search crews found the body of a country singer who went missing during a hunting trip. His wife joins me live on what happened, what she missing, how she's mourning ,their final conversation together. Do not miss this.

You're watching CNN's special live coverage here from George Mason University.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:17:15]

BALDWIN: Welcome back. You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

We're live here at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, because in fewer than five hours from now, President Barack Obama will sit down for a very candid conversation about guns in America with my colleague Anderson Cooper.

And earlier this week, the president made huge news, announcing these new executive actions to expand licensing and background check requirements for certain types of gun sellers. Let me clear. Both the NRA and the Gun Owners of America have declined CNN's invitation to appear with the president this evening here at George Mason, but, despite that, there will be a number of NRA members and gun rights advocates in that live audience.

The conversation will consider arguments from both sides of this gun debate.

And in that same vein, let's talk about what needs to be said, both sides here

Joining me now, former Mayor of Philadelphia Michael Nutter. He has promoted firearms legislation to the U.S. Senate. And former Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli, he's also a partner at the Second Amendment law firm United Self-Defense Law.

Nice to have both of you gentlemen here. I truly appreciate you taking the time.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Mr. Nutter, to you first. With the executive actions this week from the president, did he go far enough?

MICHAEL NUTTER (D), FORMER MAYOR OF PHILADELPHIA: It's clear that the president has had virtually the entire executive branch taking a look at what can be done under the authority of the president of the United States of America.

Obviously, as the president has even acknowledged, the real action, further action truly needs to be taken by the Congress, but if the president is doing what he can do under the law, then he's doing what he can do. And the Congress needs to act. BALDWIN: Critics, bright legal minds saying it won't even be

challenged, because it was so minuscule.

NUTTER: Virtually everything President Obama does that tries to advance the interests of safety, health or a variety of other issues have been challenged by any number of folks.

I think another bill was just passed trying to repeal the Affordable Care Act. That's no surprise. You can't escape the fact that 30,000 people die a year, 20,000 or so by suicide, 10,000-plus by guns and violence on the streets of America mostly, overwhelming with illegal weapons on our streets. That's what we're talking about.

I believe in the Second Amendment. I think I have a First Amendment right not to be shot. And so what we're talking about here is sensible gun safety regulations, which even gun owners overwhelmingly support.

BALDWIN: Your perspective, Mr. Cuccinelli?

KENNETH CUCCINELLI (R), FORMER VIRGINIA ATTORNEY GENERAL: Well, as far as -- the mayor hit on an important aspect of this.

And that is that the overwhelming proportion of deaths with guns occur in relationship to mental health problems. And I will say that some of the positive things the president did in these executive orders was several of them focused on advancing where we are in mental health in some very small ways, but in some that are specifically federal, like health care information law, which is boring to most people, but it gets in the way.

[15:20:12]

It's part of how the Virginia Tech tragedy happened in Virginia nine years ago. And so I'm happy to see those. The aspects of the orders that have an actual effect are really hitting in the regulatory arena. They're hitting for licensing of dealers and so forth. Some of them look like downright harassment.

However, I would agree with the mayor that to the extent this conversation tonight is going to be meaningful, if it's going to result in change, it's going to have to happen in Congress, a branch of government this president hasn't shown a lot of interest in working with very well.

BALDWIN: Let me jump in. I want to play a piece of an interview. I know you have endorsed Ted Cruz.

CUCCINELLI: Yes.

BALDWIN: But this is a piece from Donald Trump. He just sat down with Wolf Blitzer just within the last 24 hours. I want you both to listen to this.

CUCCINELLI: Sure.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We have to protect the Second Amendment. We have no choice. We have to do that. It's very important. I believe in it...

(CROSSTALK)

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: The president says he believes in the Second Amendment, too.

TRUMP: Well, I don't think he does, because -- and Hillary's a disaster. Hillary wants to take the guns away from everybody. I mean, Hillary's going to be worse than Obama.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Hillary wants to take guns away from everybody. This is what Donald Trump says.

Before I talk to you, do you agree with that?

CUCCINELLI: I don't know that -- in her dream world, she probably does.

But I don't think, in her policy world, she would necessarily go that far. She is where she feels she needs to be. If you look at where she was in 2008 running for president and you look at where she is today, it's a brand-new world for Hillary Clinton.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: What about this rhetoric out there? The president even addressed it the other night, the fact that he says the president wants to take everyone's guns away. That's a total misnomer.

CUCCINELLI: But Hillary Clinton's rhetoric is completely different than where she was just a few years ago.

She's altering her positions based on what she thinks the left of her party wants to hear. And that goes in the direction of gun confiscation.

NUTTER: You can't get away from the fact of what Donald Trump has said or what maybe Ted Cruz has said. I haven't followed him that much. He's not maybe as bombastic as the other guy.

But, Ken, you can't ignore that Secretary Clinton is where she is. We don't want to talk about dream worlds. We're talking about the real world. We're talking about people who are dying on the streets of our city when I was mayor, four days ago.

You have to deal with the fact that two years ago, 247 people killed in the city of Philadelphia, about 80 percent by guns. The year before, 248. Last year, 270-plus. This is a scourge on America. And we need to take action. And so if people want big action, then let Congress get off their

butts and actually do something. The president wants to do something, if he had a partner to actually do something. No one is stopping Congress from doing anything. They don't want to do anything. When you're the executive, you do what you can in order to protect the American public. That's leadership.

BALDWIN: Michael Nutter and Ken Cuccinelli, thank you both so much. I appreciate both of you and both perspectives, which will be reflected tonight at the town hall.

Again, just a reminder, this evening here at George Mason University, President Obama joins Anderson Cooper during this live town hall on guns in America, 8:00 Eastern, right here on CNN.

Coming up next, the political war is heating up just weeks before the Iowa caucuses, Donald Trump posting this attack ad on Instagram linking Hillary Clinton with faces like Bill Cosby. What's happening here? What's going on?

Also ahead, Chelsea Clinton announces she will be on the campaign trail for her mother next week. We will dig into that strategy behind all of that.

You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:28:11]

BALDWIN: Just into CNN, a militant described as the official spokesperson for ISIS has been wounded in an airstrike. This is according to the Iraqi military. It happened in the al-Anbar province. The wounded spokesman was apparently taken to the city of Mosul for treatment, where he remains under ISIS protection. The U.S. State Department had put a multimillion-dollar bounty on his head last year -- two years ago.

Donald Trump is living up to at least one campaign promise. He said he would bring out Bill Clinton's past indiscretions against his wife. Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton, after she called Trump sexist, well, Trump's new Instagram video does precisely that and much more, linking the former U.S. secretary of state with two other men known for sexual improprieties. Here you go.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Women's rights are human rights and human rights are women's rights once and for all. Let's keep fighting for opportunity and dignity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So that was the Trump campaign video. I can tell you this, that, moments ago, reporters asked Bill Clinton, stumping for his wife in Iowa, about this latest attack from Donald Trump. All right, with me now, CNN political reporter Sara Murray and chief

political analyst Gloria Borger.

Ladies, nice to see both of you.

Gloria, where to begin. Here, you have the faces of Monica Lewinsky, You see Anthony Weiner. You see Bill Cosby and then this is targeting Hillary Clinton.

(CROSSTALK)

BORGER: Let me ask you this, Brooke. You think it's any coincidence that this Instagram ad came out while Bill Clinton was on the campaign trail for his wife?

Donald Trump is smart. Don't you think he wanted reporters to get Bill Clinton to respond to it and get something going? This is what Donald Trump does.

BALDWIN: It works. It works.

BORGER: It does work, absolutely.

He is smart about this. He is stirring the pot and nothing works with the Republican base like reminders of why they are so fatigued over the Clintons. And this is what he's trying to do with his own base, as well as taking on the Clintons, which is a pretty easy target if you're a conservative Republican.

BALDWIN: So, as you mentioned, Bill Clinton is out on the trail today.

BORGER: Yes.

BALDWIN: We have, Sara Murray, now learned that Chelsea Clinton, Chelsea Clinton will be out and about, what, next week stumping solo in New Hampshire?

SARA MURRAY, CNN NATIONAL POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Chelsea Clinton is hitting the trail.

And, look, I think that people will like to see Chelsea Clinton out on the trail. I think that she is sort of a fresh face for the Clinton family. Obviously, she was very young --