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Chelsea Clinton Hits the Campaign Trail; President Barack Obama to Hold Town Hall Meeting; Singer Craig Strickland Died at the Age of 29. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired January 07, 2016 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00] SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: 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 when her parents were in the White House. So this sort of gives, you know, another person to be passing along the Clinton message especially at a time where we are seeing now, you know, every time bill Clinton is on the stump now, he is getting asked these questions about Monica Lewinsky. And you know, he had just talked to CNN's Sunlen Serfaty and said these are questions that were asked and answered years ago. But every time Bill Clinton is out now we're seeing this sort of Trump trolling effect. And he is having to answer these questions. Not such a problem for Chelsea Clinton.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: OK. Well, here is one question that, you know, Trump has sort of brought to the forefront about his rival Ted Cruz, about whether or not he had could, should be president since he was born in Canada although his mother has, you know, American citizenship. And now you have, Gloria, this is an interesting twist today. You know, John McCain, I mean, you laugh, but you know where I'm going. John McCain was someone who, you know, Trump had initially, you know, said he was disgrace, you know. He was this war hero and discredited his status. And here is McCain is agreeing with Trump on that.

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: OK. So how much does John McCain have to dislike Ted Cruz in order to side with the man who said that he wasn't a war hero? I would say an awful lot. I think this gives you some indication of the way McCain feels about Ted Cruz. He doesn't like him, as you point out. He's called him a wacko bird and all the rest. But I do believe -- by the way, also, the same issue came up with John McCain because he was born in the Panama Canal. So this came up with him as well when he was a presidential candidate. So if you put that altogether, just look at the enmity he has got for Ted Cruz. By the way, which is shared by many colleagues in the Senate who just don't like Cruz.

BALDWIN: Yes, so there's that. Then there is this. The Rubio campaign ad, Sara, it will start running in Iowa beginning this weekend. Here's a peak.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MARCO RUBIO (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Our goal is eternity. The ability to live alongside our creator for all time to accept the free gift to salvation offered to us by Jesus Christ. The struggle on a daily basis as a Christian is to remind ourselves of this. The purpose of our life is to cooperate with God's plan. To those who much has been given, much is expected. And we will be asked to account for that where your treasure is stored up on earth or in heaven. And to me, I try to allow that to influence me in everything that I do.

I'm Marco Rubio and I approve this message.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So, you know, before even this ad, you know, we have all been watching Marco Rubio, much more aggressive in tone. It sees in speeches and strategy. And here now you have this. It seems to be moving more to the right. What do you think that's a sign of, Sara?

MURRAY: Well, talk about a play for evangelical voters in Iowa. Look. I think this is a realization in the Rubio campaign that once you get to New Hampshire, it is a very crowded lane of establishment of Republicans competing. And so, one way get ahead of the other one is to surprise on the upside in Iowa. If Marco Rubio can make this last-minute pitch to Iowa voters on the stump and on the air waves and can move enough of them so he does better than we have been expecting him to do in Iowa, that puts had him in a really good position when he shows up in New Hampshire where people like Chris Christie and John Kasich have been camping out and where Jeb Bush is now looking to sort of revive his presidential bid. And I think that's what's behind this ad and this push.

BORGER: And you know Cruz is, of course, looking really well in Iowa. He's got a lot of evangelical support and Rubio just wants to try to peel some of that away.

BALDWIN: Chip away at that.

Gloria and Sara, thank you, ladies, very much for what thought on the trail today.

Meantime, though, I want to take our attention and turn it back to guns. President Obama is preparing for, you know, this massive sort of town hall. This live town hall preventing gun violence. They will be here at George Mason University here in Virginia.

Coming up, we're going to talk with a mother. Remember this story? 15-year-old Chicago girl shot and killed just miles from where the president had lived. She will join me here to talk about her daughter's legacy and whether the president is doing enough. Stay with me.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:38:13] BALDWIN: Welcome back. Special CNN live coverage here as we are four-and-a-half hours away from CNN's exclusive town hall with President Obama here at George Mason University in Virginia on gun violence. Two days ago as the president laid out new executive actions to curb

this violence to prevent it, he mentioned it happens on the streets of Chicago every single day. And the numbers square that out. On the same day the president spoke out there in the east room of the White House, 12 people in Chicago were shot.

Since the first of the year, just a week ago, a total of 57 people have been shot and 11 killed in America's third largest city. The story, obviously, hits very close to home for the woman you're about to meet. Pamela Bosley's 18-year-old son was murdered nearly ten years ago after leaving a Chicago church. And I talked to her just a couple months ago as part of my interview with what we call the loneliest club. This is a club of folks they never would have wanted to join, all affected in some form of fashion by gun violence. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAMELA BOSLEY, SON KILLED ALMOST 10 YEARS AGO IN CHICAGO: My name is Pam Bosley I'm from Chicago. My son Terrell Bosley. So on April 4th, actually that morning I had got up to give to all the kids before I went to work. And he went to church. The next call I got was from his girlfriend. She was screaming on the phone saying that Terrell had been shot. And I'm like, shot, he had church. So right before I even got there, I had spoken to the last conversation was, I was like Terrell got shot at (INAUDIBLE) mall so be careful. Don't argue with nobody. He's like, I'm good, I'm at church. I'm not going to argue with nobody. That was my last conversation with hum. It was a phone call that changed my entire life and since then it tears you apart, you know, it is nine years for me. And I'm still suffering every single day. You don't get through this. You don't get over this. And I don't care that I have two more children. I u still don't have Terrell.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[15:40:18] BALDWIN: Keeping our focus on Chicago and the problem that city is facing with gun violence, it was three years ago that a gunman's bullet snuffed out the life of 15-year-old honor student Hadiya Pendleton. And police say she was mistakenly targeted by gang member in a Chicago park, very close to President Obama's home. Her case gained widespread national attention. She was killed just days after performing at President Obama's second inauguration. That same year, Hadiya's parents were in the audience at the president's state of the union address when he said this about their daughter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: One of those we lost was a young girl named Hadiya Pendleton. She was 15 years old. She loved (INAUDIBLE). She was a majorette. She was so good to her friends they all thought they were her best friend. Just three weeks ago she was here in Washington with her classmates performing for her country at my inauguration. And a week later she was shot and killed in a Chicago park after school, just a mile away from my house.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Just a mile away from his house. Well, I have here now Hadiya's mother, Cleopatra Pendleton.

Thank you so much for sitting with me and joining me. I know you're taking part in the town hall later tonight with the president. And in listening to the president, you know, talking about how she loved fig Newton, you were sitting here and laughing about it and remember. And I'm just wondering, though, when I sat as part of that massive town hall, what everyone has in common is they remember the phone call.

CLEOPATRA PENDLETON, DAUGHTER HADIYA 15, KILLED IN 2013: Absolutely.

BALDWIN: Tell me about the phone call.

PENDLETON: So I was at work actually and the phone rang. And I interrupted the meeting to answer the call. I don't know (INAUDIBLE). And picked up the phone. I thought that perhaps her friend had called me by accident because there was so much noise in the background. And I'm saying hello, hello. And she said, mommy, Hadiya has been shot. I said, stop playing. She said no, mommy. Hadiya has been shot. So I jump up. I have all the reactions that you expect to come after that. And I'm like call the police. And so I'm running the floor trying to get out of my job. And you know, I'm asking questions because the police officer you have on the phone was trying to tell me about at this. She reassured me that, you know, Hadiya had been shot but, you know, it's going to be OK, mother, you know. She's talking right now. And then I said can I talk to her. They said, you know, close the door, (INAUDIBLE). Get over there. The next thing, you know, I'm hailing a taxi. I'm trying to get there, get to the hospital, you know. As much as I'm leaving out, but they announced to me that my daughter is dead.

And I don't know how I ever got off that floor, you know. It's a moment that I hate to ever go back to because you never fully recover from that. When I'm feeling low, I often tell people I'm still on the floor. I'm walking around trying to prevent other mothers and fathers from dealing with this.

BALDWIN: I want to ask you that in a second because I think what's so profound is how all of you have come together as part of the survivor network to help one another because people are joining sadly all the time. You were in the east room with the president this week as he was announcing executive actions. And as part of that announcement, he said, listen, this happens in Chicago every single day. He said that that day, you know, 12 people had been shot. Are you though, it's almost like his home away from home, Chicago. Are you disappointed that he hasn't focused more personally on the violence in Chicago.

PENDLETON: Well, I think there's only so much that he can do. We have leaders of every kind. Yes, he is the president of the United States, but he also people that block the things that he would like to do. I think he has done in this case something small for something that will be effective. I mean, there has to be a beginning in order to get some place and some place larger. And I think that I'm very proud that he has taking executive action, you know, to tighten the loophole, to make it more difficult for people to obtain guns for people that shouldn't have them because it is going to save a life even it is just one. That's one family that doesn't have to understand the position of the people who have already lost their children. It is one family that it can still remain confused as to why we are out here in this fight to try and make it safer for the rest of America.

[15:45:04] BALDWIN: `Finally, you talk about how some days you still feel like you're on the floor. How do you talk? How do you get yourself up off the floor? How do you talk to parents who are just newly mourning the loss of a child?

PENDLETON: Well, it's easy to talk to parents who are nearly mourning their child because I get it. And I talk to them about, you know, their desire to live. That's how I get up. I desire to live. You know, it wasn't like I was of a particularly mature age, you know, when my daughter passed, you know. I'm not going to say my age, but I was just, you know, I was relatively young parent as well. And you know, there's so much life that I have left to live. You know, I'm serving a life sentence without the presence of my daughter, you know. All the dreams that we had for her are gone. They are black. And we have to figure out how to live now. We put our focus on our son, but there's always a loss that's going to be there holding our hearts.

BALDWIN: Hadiya Pendleton, I just want to say the name of -.

PENDLETON: Hadiya (INAUDIBLE) Pendleton.

BALDWIN: We'll see you tonight at the town hall.

PENDLETON: You are absolutely will.

BALDWIN: Thank you so much. I appreciate it.

PENDLETON: Thank you.

BALDWIN: I appreciate it.

And don't forget to join us tonight for an important conversation here at George mason. The president will be joining Anderson Cooper for this live town hall on "Guns on America" 8:00 eastern live right here on CNN.

Still ahead, his disappearance captured the attention of the country music world and social media then where the country's singer Craig Strickland had died on a hunting trip in a winter storm. His widow is speaking out for the first time since his death to national audience. We will speak with her, coming out next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYING)

[15:50:18] BALDWIN: Family and friends and really the country music world are still mourning the tragic loss of back road anthem band leader Craig Strickland. The 29-year-old's body was found Monday after he disappeared during a duck hunting trip with his friend in Oklahoma. Both men were missing for a week. They took off in the midst of this monster winter storm. Strickland's hunting partner was found in a lake beneath a capsized boat. Officials say Craig made it out of the water but search teams would later find him on a hill.

Craig's untimely passing has shaken fans and music colleagues. After his death his wife shared an Instagram, a touching video that had sent her actually on their wedding day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CRAIG STRICKLAND, SINGER: There will be times when we're sitting in the car and stuff where you don't know this and I'll look over at you and be like this is the person that God has created for me. And that's really special to me. And I couldn't be more lucky.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: And Craig Strickland's widow, Helen, joins me now.

My condolences of course to you, Helen, and your family. It's just been days. How are you doing and can you tell me more about your husband.

HELEN STRICKLAND, WIFE OF LATE COUNTRY SINGER, CRAIG STRICKLAND: Well, we are actually doing a lot better probably been people are expecting more than any of us could ever expect. His sister drove down with me to (INAUDIBLE). We talked about that a little bit how, you know, God just really has helped us get through this. And I think everybody sharing their love for Craig and telling us how much they loved him helps us get through this really difficult time. And so as we are dealing with this as a family, it really comes down to just realizing that it's all in God's hands and there's a reason for all of this. And instead of letting it hurt us, we are going to try to do something good with that.

BALDWIN: Do you know -- I mean, what happened? These two guys go out duck hunting and then what went so wrong?

STRICKLAND: Well, Craig really had no sense of what not to do sometimes as far -- when it came to duck hunting at least. With duck hunting, not everyone knows about duck hunting, but winter weather is the best time to go duck hunting. And I think he looked at that time and he looked at that storm and as his friends said he knew the ducks were coming in. They knew they were going to be there. And, you know, it's more than just trying to shoot ducks or do anything like that. I think really what Craig loved about that was he got to spend time with his friends or his family or whoever he got to take out with him.

And so for him seeing that winter storm, he knew it was going to make an awesome story and spend that time with Chase, who he was starting to mentor. And I think that was kind of what he was thinking when he saw winter goliath on the map. BALDWIN: And Helen, as I was reading, you know, some of the details

-- listen, I'm a dog person. And so when I read about Sam, you know, your black lab who went out with them and he, what, was found sort of sitting over Craig?

STRICKLAND: No, over Chase actually. He wouldn't leave Chase's body. The game warden in the area actually found Sam and was waving him to come to the boat. And Sam wouldn't move or he ran over a little bit ways down the bank and then came back and looked at him. And went back and pointed Chase out to the game warden before he would even leave to get in the boat with him. And he actually had made a nest beside Chase and wouldn't leave his body while he was there.

BALDWIN: Wow. Just finally, you know, what was your last conversation with your husband? What was that last moment you shared?

STRICKLAND: Well, we also have a black cat named Salem that we like to make up songs about. And so, we'd just finished being at his mom's house and his dad's house, coming back to our apartment. Spent a little time together before he was going to go on this hunting trip. And we sang songs and made up lyrics about Salem singing Santa baby, Salem baby instead. And, you know, God really gave us an opportunity to be happier than we have ever been. I mean, those moments -- I can't look back for a single second and say that anything -- that I would take back anything or that I wish that something had been better. I mean, we laid on the couch and I rubbed his chest and we talked. We talked about Harry Potter because I love Harry Potter and, you know, joked. And he walked out the door and he looked at me and said I love you and he got blew me a kiss and said I'll talk to you soon. And he walked out.

And I wouldn't change anything about that. And I think the family would say the same thing. That entire time that we were with family, it was like he knew exactly what each family member needed to make them feel OK about his passing. And every person felt loved. They wouldn't change a thing.

[15:55:28] BALDWIN: I admire your strength, especially in this time. Again, my condolences. Helen Strickland, thank you very much.

STRICKLAND: Thank you.

BALDWIN: We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: If you have money in the stock market, you might want to look away.

"The LEAD" starts right now.

Also today, a man with a meat cleaver, a fake suicide belt and an ISIS flag, killed today by Paris police on the very anniversary of the "Charlie Hebdo" attacks. But does this man actually have ties to the terrorist group? Inside the most isolated and mysterious country on earth, CNN is the

only American TV network reporting from North Korea after that country rattled the world with claims it tested its first highly destructive hydrogen bomb.

Plus, Hillary Clinton said all victims of sexual assault deserve to be believed. And she also accused Donald Trump of sexism. Critics therefore saying she has opened the door to past accusers of her husband.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

TAPPER: Good afternoon everyone. Welcome to "the LEAD." I'm Jake Tapper. We are going to begin with some breaking news in our money lead. High anxiety on Wall Street, the Dow off to its worst January since 2008 in the middle of the financial crisis. Stocks tumbled yet again today as we fear the closing bell.

We are joined by CNN global economic analyst, Rana Paruhar (ph). But I want to start CNN's Alison Kosik. She is live with the New York stock exchange.

Alison, how was it today?