Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Shooting Incident at Greyhound Bus Station in Richmond; Donald Trump Has Wrapped Up Meeting with the RNC; Governor Kasich Waging New War on Donald Trump; Remembering The '80s with Morgan Fairchild. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired March 31, 2016 - 15:30   ET

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


[15:30:44] PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: Welcome back.

We're still following that breaking news out of Richmond, Virginia. We just received a statement from Corinne Geller, Virginia state police. She said at around 2:45 p.m., state police were alerted to the shooting incident there at that greyhound bus station at 2910 North Boulevard in the city of Richmond. We have learned two Virginia state police troopers and one female civilian have been transported VCU medical center for treatment. We are told by Virginia state police that that shooting suspect is now in custody. So the situation is contained.

Art, we don't know the circumstances yet of what happened. So presumably the two officers were responding to the incident, right?

ART RODERICK, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST (on the phone): Yes, that's what it sounds like or we also don't know if this could have been some type of vehicle chase or car stop that ended up there at the greyhound bus station, but very well they might have responded. And this the key part of this whole incident right now is going to be, OK, what is the background of this incident? Was this a domestic-type situation or is it a criminal-type shooting? And it's probably one or the other at this point in time.

BROWN: But all of this, you know, every time when these incidents happened raises questions about security at these transportation hubs, these soft targets and so forth.

Art Roderick, thanks for sharing your perspective. We appreciate it.

And more breaking news at this hour. Donald Trump has just wrapped up his meeting with the RNC. And Dana Bash has new details about what was discussed.

Dana, we are all dying to know.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, my understanding is, as you and I were sort of suspecting at the top of the hour, it was about delegates and about convention rules. But specifically, you know, kind of how the mechanisms all work, how they could work, how they will work. And we are obviously -- we've been talking about delegates. How it will be kind of a very different sort of event if Donald Trump or anybody else doesn't get the 1,237 delegates need to clinch the nomination.

And so, my understanding is that was the crux of the discussion, it was about that, kind of going through the machinations of how it works. Now, having said that, I'm not sure, and I haven't gotten from sources yet what the timing was for scheduling this meeting, Pam. Because you and I were also talking about, earlier in the show the fact that on CNN's town hall, Trump went after the RNC explicitly, saying that they are not treating him fairly anymore. So not sure if this meeting was scheduled after that or if it was prescheduled, but it certainly will be interesting to know. I know something I will be following up on as others on our team will.

BROWN: I know you will, Dana Bash. Thank you so much for that reporting.

And as all this unfolds, Governor Kasich is waging a new war on Donald Trump, holding a stunning press conference, laying out five reasons Trump is unfit for president, and declaring presidents don't get do- overs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. JOHN KASICH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It appears as though when he does these events and people press him, he becomes unmoored and then has to spend a lot of time trying to figure out how to correct all the mistakes that he made. And I have to tell you that as commander in-chief and leader of the free world, you don't get do- overs. You need to be able to get it right the first time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: So joining me now to discuss all this is Dylan Byers, CNN senior media and politics reporter.

Dylan, thanks for coming on. Do you think John Kasich has a point here?

DYLAN BYERS, CNN SENIOR REPORTER FOR MEDIA AND POLITICS: Yes, I think he absolutely has a point. I mean, Donald Trump's critics for long, I mean, for nine months now, has been saying he doesn't have many policy positions, a lot of these things he's saying, he's saying off the cuff. That he has contradicted himself. That he is a hypocrite, what have you. And for Trump's sort of core base of supporters and the people who were caught up in Trump's story and the sort of hype around his campaign and the sensational nature of his campaign, none of that seemed to matter. He was always very successful in brushing it off, in sort of, you know, relegating it to, you have the media's just coming after me, what have you.

What we have seen in the last 24 or 36 hours is Trump sort of not be able to keep up that sort of charade. We have actually seen him stumble. We have seen him forced to make the sort of course correction on a gaffe that we, you know, we have come to expect for more traditional political candidate. Donald Trump has never been a traditional political candidate. And now lo and behold here we have Trump, the political candidate. [15:35:18] BROWN: Yes. Just the way he dealt with it has been

different. And he has been relatively quiet since the controversy erupted in the past 24 hours and it does seem like the media is going harder on Trump these days. Even CNN's own Anderson Cooper at this week's town hall was. Take a listen to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, AC 360: You retweeted an unflattering picture of her next to picture of your wife.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I thought it was a nice picture of Heidi. I thought it was fine.

COOPER: Come on.

TRUMP: I thought it was fine. She is a pretty woman.

COOPER: You are running for president of the United States.

TRUMP: Excuse me. Excuse me. I didn't start it.

COOPER: But sir, with all due respect, that's the argument of a 5- year-old.

TRUMP: I didn't start it. No, it's not the -- excuse me, you would say that. That's the problem with our country --

COOPER: Every parent --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: So what's your take on all this, how the media's sort of going after him a little more aggressively, it seems?

BYERS: Well, you know, there's been a very robust debate that has been happening for a long time about how the media has covered Donald Trump, whether the media has enabled his rise. Certainly, he has gotten a vastly disproportionate amount of coverage when compared to the other candidates.

Look. I think there are a lot of members of the media who have been going hard on Trump for a long time. I think what's happening is that Trump continues to sort of up the bar on sort of the either incendiary nature of what he will say, or really the sort of like scraping of the bottom of the barrel. And I think what's happened recently is we are seeing in the wake of these really historic significant events like the attack in Brussels recently.

We are seeing Donald Trump sort of drag the Republican primary down into this bickering over, you know, his wife and his opponent's wife. It's making it easier for tough questioners like Anderson Cooper, like MSNBC's Chris Matthews, to really push Trump and to really sort of expose that he is behaving like a 5-year-old, and that running for the president of the United States is not like being on the schoolyard. BROWN: No. Part of why he has been getting so much attention in the

media, too, is because he is will to put himself out there, do these interviews. But we saw with Chris Matthews really a savaging that he got about abortion and that caused him to change his stance three times in three hours, that's the headline. What do you think about the decision to do an interview with someone like Chris Matthews? Shouldn't he be stronger with who he agrees to do interviews with? You know what you are kind put yourself in for, right?

BYERS: Yes, right. And you know, just to Chris Matthews' interview, I would point out the key number for me there is 12, 12 times that Chris Matthews pressed Trump to answer that abortion question. That is the sort of attitude that an interviewer needs to take when questioning Donald Trump.

Look. As to why he did it, I think Donald Trump has long believed he's above the media, that he has nothing to lose. You know, why did he do Anderson Cooper the night before? Why did they think that would be a smart idea?

You know, his attitude has always been that he is better than the media and that he can get away with anything. With the last - again, the last two nights have proved between that interview with Anderson and that interview with Chris Matthews is that that's not the case and he has really being pushed hard right now in a way that like you said he hasn't been before.

BROWN: Dylan Byers, thank you for that. Interesting perspective. Appreciate it.

And up next on this Thursday, CNN takes you back to the '80s back when Donald Trump was just a real estate mogul. And in honor of our new original series, Morgan Fairchild joins me live at her take on the Donald she knows and her favorite memories from that decade.

Plus, we are live at the famous cheers bar in Boston where we will be joined by Michaela Pereira right here. She'll have her fun rum drink for us after the break, stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:42:53] BROWN: Well, the calendar may say 2016, but around here on CNN it's all about the '80s. That is because CNN's new original series about the iconic decade premieres tonight. It all begins at 9:00 eastern time. Every time I hear that music, I just have to laugh. The first episode brings back many of your favorite classic TV shows. So what better place to kick this off than at the bar, a very famous Boston bar called cheers? That's where we find our Michaela Pereira. She's been hanging out there with everyone. Last hour, Michaela --

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Stay with me. It's called cheers, not cheers. It's how they say it in Boston. I've been told I need to keep my day job because apparently, Pamela, I'm a terrible bartender. This is called -- I'm just saying, I'm a terrible bartender but they love me. This is called the Streaming Vikings. It was from an episode of one of

the shows. Woody made it in a bartender's challenge. I'm actually putting the finishing touches on it against the little dark (INAUDIBLE). We put a little garnish. Watch this. One handed. And then everything. And then, Mary, I'm not giving it to Mary, no, no, I'm giving it to the cute blonde right there.

BROWN: There you go.

PEREIRA: Mary got my last two mistakes, that's why. We have been having a great time here, Pam. All of the people here are big fans of the show "Cheers." They're ready to watch "the eighties" special tonight. All about TV. If you are '80s, baby, like bartender Lisa and I are. You're going to get some great factoids on the program.

But anyway, if you're in the area, come down to Beacon Street. They have a good time at this bar where everybody really does know your name.

LISA, BARTENDER: Yes, they do.

PEREIRA: I love that. So, do I have a future in bartending?

LISA: Absolutely, we'll take you back any time, Michaela.

PEREIRA: So, I think I need a little more practice, Pamela.

BROWN: Just what I saw right there, Michaela. That was impressive, your bartending moves. I think you might have a future there.

PEREIRA: You should see me slide beer, it's not good. I'm having fun. That's all that matters.

BROWN: It seems like. You've got the great assignment today. That's for sure.

Thanks, Michaela. Thanks everyone there at that cheers bar.

And of course, sitcoms weren't the only shows to cheer about in the '80s. There were plenty of high-drama soaps to keep us glued to the set.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[15:45:15 ] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look at your driver's license. All right, come on. You're under arrest.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If you want me, you'll have to get me the same way you got Sara, you're going to have to kill me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: So that was a scene right there from the series "Falcon Crest" guest starring actress Morgan Fairchild. She made being a diva look effortless. And not just on that show. Take a look at this Hollywood scorecard. Fairchild starred in many of the hottest shows on TV during the '80s including Dallas. And, of course, Morgan is joining us now from Hollywood.

You look amazing. You look just the same, as you did in the '80s, Morgan, in those glamorous roles, those monster shows that we all come to love. You have really done it all it seems like. I'm so excited to pick your brain about this. What do you remember about the '80s and working on these iconic programs?

MORGAN FAIRCHILD, ACTRESS: Well, it was a time of great glamour and a lot of fun, wonderful casts. I mean, we had multigenerational casts. It gave me an opportunity to work with a lot of older actors that I admired when I was growing up. And, you know, just having fun with everybody.

On "Falcon Crest," we had Caesar Romero, who I mean, the first day I was working with him, I said, Ceasar, sit down and tell me what it was like working with (INAUDIBLE), you know. And so, we got along great. And then Jane Wyman was just fabulous. You know, my first day on the set, they gave me all these rules. You know, you don't speak to her unless she speaks to you first, and all these different rules and never speak to her about Reagan, and all these different things. And so, one day we were sitting there all wrapped up in our glamorous stuff and fur coats and everything. I forget why. She leaned over sand, did I ever tell you about when I was married to Ronnie? I said no, go ahead.

But one day I came down -- well, they brought us, you know, to sort of brought me on sort to glam up the show I guess. And so, one day I came down here and we were doing a party scene and I was in one of these red leather micro mini sort of fancy big shoulder pad -- very much in the '80s with lots of jewels.

BROWN: Always shoulder pads.

FAIRCHILD: Yes, the big cuffs and the big earrings and the big collars. And I came down in the set and somebody came over and said, you got to go change. Jane's going to hate that. So I say what am I going to wear? This is what I thought. So about that time, Jane walks on the set in, and you know, little mint green A-line dress with pearls and she kind of comes over and looks me up and down and up and down and finally she grabs this big cuff and kind of clicks it, says, well, that's what this damn show needs, a little bit of glitz. So I had her approval.

But my favorite story about her is one time we had been up shooting in Napa Valley and I had one day of shooting and I was supposed to go back. But I got very, very sick. I had the flu very badly. And I have no idea, you know, everybody thought I had gone back because I was supposed to be back. After I had been violently ill for two or three days, I hear a little knock on the door and I dragged myself out of bed to, you know, open the door and tell housekeeping to go away and there was this tiny person standing there with this big vat of soup, no makeup, no wig, no nothing, it's Jane Wyman who had made me a big vat of soup because she was still there and heard that I was sick.

BROWN: My goodness. Those are such great stories that people don't know about. FAIRCHILD: Yes. The camaraderie of the big cast like that was great.

BROWN: So I've got to ask you, Morgan, because as a child grow up, I loved watching Pee Wee Herman and you were in his classic flick.

FAIRCHILD: Yes.

BROWN: Pee Wee's big adventure, I think it was called. Let's take a look at that and talk about on the other end.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That was the president again. I've got to steal back the X-1 before the soviets find the secret compartment containing the microfilm. The future of the free world is riding on this one.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm going with you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, it's too dangerous.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I invented the X-1, I'm going with you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, let's go.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are such a pushover.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know you are. But what am I?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Must be fun to go back and look at those clips. I mean, Pee Wee Herman, he was just so popular back in the '80s. What do you think the draw was? What was it about him that was such a big deal in the '80s that such a draw?

FAIRCHILD: Well, he created a character, and Paul is a friend, so have to say, he created a character that was very nonjudgmental. It was very open to whoever you were. And I think it was one of the first shows that sort of gave kids a chance to just find their own identity and he included multiracial casts on his show, and it was so - I think it was a kind of breakthrough in a way, and a big eye-opener for kids and he was a very good example for kids.

But I mean, the way that scene came about, we -- Paul had called me and said, I'm doing my first movie. We have no money. I need some celebrity guest stars. Can you come do it? And I said, well, when do you need to do it? He said, we have no money. I said I heard you we have no money. When do you need me? And he says Thursday. So I said well, let me see if I can get out Thursday. So I get out. I come over. They're shooting on the back lot of Warner Brothers with some trees and everything and they're doing a ninja fight. So I took Tim Burton was directing and it was his first movie. So I took him aside and said listen. I can do the ninja fight for you because I had four and a half year of Kung Fu in China town in New York. I can do that. I just can't fall out of the tree because "Falcon Crest" will kill me if I break my leg. So we did that. Then Jim Brolin got there and they put us together.

And they said, OK. All you do is say I know you are, but what am I. And neither of us have seen the script or anything. And we are saying -- but what does it mean? It doesn't matter. It would be funny and context. OK, so I know you are, but what am I?

So then they're finished with us. So I said to Jim, you know, do you have to go back today? Because he was doing "Hotel." And he said, no. I got the whole day off. And I said so did I. So we said, hey, do you want to do something else with us? What could we do? And they said well, this is all we have got is the back lot. So Jim says let me make a phone call. So he calls Aaron Spelling, borrows the Fairmont hotel set which is what you just saw in that scene. We improvised the whole thing. That whole scene you just saw was totally improvised on the fly because that's the set we had and it was like Mickey and Judy saying, hey, let's put on a show.

[15:51:34] BROWN: Right. I got to say, another big takeaway is do not mess with Morgan Fairchild. She will pull out the ninja moves on you.

So let me just ask you quickly because you look to the '80s to now, I mean, you look at the political landscape. Clearly, it's changed a lot. You're an avid political follower heading to the DNC this summer, I believe. I'm just curious. What do you make of Donald Trump's rise in the current presidential race? Back in the '80s I guess he was a real estate mogul, right?

FAIRCHILD: Yes, and I met Donald many times back then in the '80s. You know, nice guy, was fond of him and Ivana. I just don't think that he would make a good president in my personal opinion. So, it's interesting watching his rise. It is interesting watching this whole election year has been kind of the most fascinating thing I've ever seen. And sometimes quite scary. But, yes, it's interesting. And certainly in the age of conspicuous consumption at the '80s represented, Donald and the Gordon gecko character greed is good and all of these kinds of things, all kind of came to the forefront of American society.

BROWN: All right, Morgan Fairchild, thank you so much. Really, great talking with you and really an honor for me. So thanks for coming on the show. Appreciate it.

FAIRCHILD: Well, I love your work and it's nice to meet you even on camera.

BROWN: All right, thanks, Morgan. Hope to meet you in person one day.

And don't forget CNN's new original series "the eighties" starts tonight at 9:00 eastern and pacific.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:57:10] BROWN: So the FBI has agreed to help prosecutors unlock an iPhone and an iPad tied to an Arkansas murder trial. The device is belong to two teenagers of case of killing an elderly couple and they may contain evidence relative to the case. This comes just days after the FBI announced it unlocked an iPhone linked to a terrorist in the San Bernardino attack without Apple's help.

I'm going to talk more about this with trial and defense attorney Misty Marris.

Thanks for coming on, Misty.

MISTY MARRIS, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Thank you, Pamela.

BROWN: So just to put this into context, I work with the FBI as a justice correspondent and I know the FBI has helped other local law enforcement officials with getting into phones book before the Apple, this latest apple fight. But tell us about this. I mean, what's going on here in this case? Do we know if the same method that was used in the San Bernardino phone is being used in this particular case, in Arkansas?

MARRIS: Right. Actually this particular case we don't know whether or not the same method is being used. It's been stated that there might be a different method for different types of phones. So right now the FBI hasn't come out and said exactly what method they used previously. And so it's really unknown whether or not they're going to use the same techniques. Now for each individual phone it could be a completely separate process with different types of security procedures.

BROWN: But, you know, it all brings up this fight between apple and the FBI, because apple was saying that, you know, you need to figure it out. We want to protect our customers' privacy so it looks as though in this latest case, the FBI did figure it out with the help of a third party. But couldn't that make these phones more vulnerable? I mean, Apple's whole issue is that if we come up with a solution to this, hackers will more easily get into the iPhones. Well now, the FBI has come up with this solution. Doesn't that make these phones more vulnerable?

MARRIS: Absolutely. Well, here's the thing. In this time where we are looking about security both with corporate and individuals, it is a little scary to think that there are techniques out there that can be used to hack into these phones. It's a really big question about the right to privacy.

However, the FBI is permitted to use tactics that are within their investigatory practices and this is not outside of that. The difference is, so take a step back, the San Bernardino case we're talking about a question of national security. Here we're talking about a state criminal trial. So one portion of this case that comes down in the Arkansas case is that we're talking about the rules of evidence still applying.

So whether or not what they extract from the phone can be admissible in court is a question depending on what they find.

BROWN: Well, and the question is, will they have to give up their method at all, you know? And Apple, in the latest case, once they will have, they get in to the phone.

MARRIS: Right. And that really depends on whether or not the FBI has able to classify their method. So in a criminal trial, you have to show the chain of custody. You have to talk about your method of extracting this type of information because we need to ensure in the context of a criminal trial that the information isn't tampered with. So it's going to be a really interesting play by play now with the FBI had this technology.

BROWN: For sure. Misty Marris, thanks so much.

And "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts now.