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Stage Set for CNN's Democratic Face-Off in New York; New Evidence in Will Smith Case; Kent State Students Sound Off on Elections; Aired 10:30-11a ET
Aired April 13, 2016 - 10:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:30:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The stage is set for tomorrow night's Democratic faceoff right here on CNN. And look at that debate stage. Brooklyn may be Bernie Sanders' home turf but who really has the home court advantage? Right now it's former New York senator versus the New York native. Who will come out the winner on that debate stage? We'll just have to see.
With me now, a CNN political commentator and one of tomorrow night's moderators, Errol Louis.
So you've been exercising.
ERROL LOUIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Good morning.
COSTELLO: Running, doing calisthenics to prepare.
LOUIS: Not exactly although we've been doing a lot of preparation. And that's my first look at the space by the way.
[10:35:02] That was raw space. It was like an empty sound stage in effect just last week.
COSTELLO: Wow.
LOUIS: So everything you see there was put there. It was a gray box about seven days ago.
COSTELLO: And it looks beautiful now, right?
LOUIS: It looks like an auditorium, absolutely.
COSTELLO: Yes. We can do it up like no other network, I must say.
LOUIS: I'm very -- I'm very impressed by that.
COSTELLO: It's beautiful.
LOUIS: Yes.
COSTELLO: So how do you prepare for this? Because most people would think it would be a nerve-racking experience.
LOUIS: Well, a little less nerve-racking I think once you've done it and I've done a lot of debates for Congress and city council and state offices, and state-wide offices, mayor, governor, I've been doing this for a long, long time. But a lot of the basics really don't change. This is at an entirely different level. There is a lot more at stake. There's a broader range of issues that we're going to cover but the basics don't change. You know, just like with your show, time is the canvas that you're drawing on. Right? I mean, you've got two hours. Right? And you start backing out a couple of commercials and you back out a couple of introductions and applause and the reality is, you don't have that much time.
And so you want to really try to frame every question -- it's really almost like a word exercise to make sure you're asking the right question, that you've put in the right facts and you're getting right to the heart of the question, and then you have enough information sort of in reserve that you can sort of spark and spur the discussion if the candidates start to wander a little bit.
COSTELLO: And this takes a lot of thought and a lot of study, a lot of research. Take us through what you've been going through the past couple of days because you spent hours and hours and hours studying these issues and talking with your CNN colleagues.
LOUIS: Well, that's right. There's a very impressive research team, a political unit here. And they've done an amazing amount of excavating up different statements and positions and statements from prior debates about, you know, where we are. So this has been a long conversation and just to take one issue, something like Bernie Sanders which he does in every single speech, criticizing Hillary Clinton for her connections to Wall Street. OK. Well, that's been a long, multi- month conversation. What actually has been said and where does the conversation stand right now?
You know, different corporations have been mentioned, the fossil fuels. The first task is to figure out where are we right now in this discussion and then do we take another step in that direction and, if so, again how do you word the question so you get right to the heart of it and try to move the ball a little bit, and try to bring out something new for viewers who maybe have been following up until now and want to see something new as well as viewers who are maybe checking in for the first time because we're only a few days from the New York primary.
I assure you there are many New Yorkers who have not been paying attention to this up until now, now that the candidates are popping up in their neighborhood, popping up on their local news broadcast.
COSTELLO: So you're an old hand at this, you know, but this election is like no other election. So how will this debate differ, do you think, than debates past?
LOUIS: Well, I mean, for one thing, we've got social media, right? So we know that there will be a whole universe of people who are tweeting, who are fact-checking, who are jumping into the conversation in effect while the debate is going on. So before the first commercial break, there will be a whole round of fact-checking not only by our colleagues in the media but also by well-informed citizens who are out there, advocates who have a stake in this, the political camps themselves. It really sort of ratchets things up and you know, occasionally -- I don't expect this to happen tomorrow but occasionally it becomes part of the debate that, you know, somebody catches something that's so relevant, so important that it actually has to sort of make its way onto the stage and into the conversation. The fact that that's even possible --
COSTELLO: Kind of a good thing about America. Yes.
LOUIS: -- is something entirely new and we are trying very hard to make sure that is not necessary by doing our homework.
COSTELLO: Errol Louis, thanks for stopping by because I know you have a big, big day tomorrow.
LOUIS: Absolutely. Thanks.
COSTELLO: Still to come in the NEWSROOM.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILL SMITH SR., FATHER: Did he kill my child? Yes, he did. Can I forgive him? Yes, I can. But am I going to forget it? I'll never forget it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: The father of a murdered ex-NFL star speaks out. New details into the investigation, next.
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[10:43:30] COSTELLO: New surveillance video is shedding more light on the shooting death of an ex-NFL Will Smith. CNN obtained this new video of that fender-bender that happened that night. Smith's silver SUV, you can see it there, rear-ending a red hummer. There's the red hummer, you see. And then that hummer speeds off. The suspected killer follows. The entire initial incident lasting only 22 seconds and minutes later Smith is dead.
With me now CNN's Jean Casarez, she's been following the investigation. Good morning.
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And a lot more information now because they have now processed an executed search warrants on the car. Now originally law enforcement had said there was one gun, that they had processed the scene for 12 hours, they recovered one gun. It was a .45 caliber handgun that they say Cardell Hayes got out of his car and shot Will Smith multiple times to death. And they found the bullet casings to match it. Well, that is true. But yesterday, in executing a search warrant on both vehicles, in Cardell Hayes' vehicle, who is now the defendant, they also found another .45 caliber handgun fully loaded. They don't believe that one was used but they also found in the victim's car, former NFL-player Will Smith, they found a .9 millimeter handgun fully loaded but they don't believe used because there were no bullet remnants at all.
Now take that and listen to the father of Will Smith speaking out at this point.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[10:45:01] SMITH: Why would he hit somebody and keep going? That does not make sense to me. He got out of his car. He may have gotten out with a big mouth but he did not get out with a gun. I'm going to miss his smile, his demeanor, his thoughtfulness for other people. I raised a young man, a person that cared about other people. That was my job as a parent.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CASAREZ: And we also have this morning an Instagram from Pierre Thomas, a friend of Will Smith's, who was also at dinner last night. And you know Pierre Thomas, he says, quote, in his Instagram, "I witnessed a close friend, teammate and a man that I thought of as one of my big brothers in the NFL shot to death over a fender bender. Why? I just don't get it."
And now let's look at the facts from what we know. They -- they processed the scene, the body of Will Smith was half in and half out of the vehicle. If he had a gun in his hand, they would have taken that gun, we would have heard about it. If the gun was right next to him in plain view, they would have taken the gun. So there was a gun in Will Smith's car but it doesn't appear that they knew about it until they executed the search warrant yesterday.
COSTELLO: Could you mean the suspect could have not seen the gun in the car?
CASAREZ: Correct.
COSTELLO: Because we don't know was in the car.
CASAREZ: Correct.
COSTELLO: It could have been in the glove compartment, it could been under the seat, right?
CASAREZ: Exactly. Exactly. Which leads to a more complicated investigation.
COSTELLO: Absolutely. Jean --
CASAREZ: And for prosecution.
COSTELLO: Jean Casarez, many thanks.
Still to come in the NEWSROOM, lazy, entitled, spoiled? You know, the rap against millennials, but I talked to a group of college students about the election and those accusations of entitlement and, boy, did they turn the tables on me.
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[10:50:51] COSTELLO: Bernie Sanders is holding what some supporters call a massive rally in New York City later today. On tap Vampire Weekend, and if you've never heard of that group, I'll just say it makes Sanders' young supporters cheer even louder. Although not every young supporter is feeling the Bern. I sat down with a group of top journalism students from my alma mater, Kent State University in Ohio. We talked about Bernie, Trump and what it's like to be constantly accused of entitlement.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: Choose one word that describes election 2016.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Embarrassing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Laughingstock.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Terrifying.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Aggressive.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Concerning.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Election '16, ugh. That's my word.
COSTELLO: Do you think that the candidates are being honest with you? Show of hands. So you just expect politicians to lie?
TY SUGICK, KENT STATE STUDENT: They try to tell us what we want to hear and then do something else behind closed doors.
KIMBERLEIGH ANDERSON, KENT STATE STUDENT: They are just saying whatever they can to make us want to side with them.
COSTELLO: Would any of you be interested in a career in politics? Oh, that's good. Yes?
SUGICK: I want to make impact but at the same time as I get older I'm learning the political games is a little rough and you can make changes on different scales.
COSTELLO: So how many of you feel the Bern? Bernie Sanders? Why do you feel the Bern?
ANDERSON: I think that a lot of his opinions on different issues I agree with you.
COSTELLO: Do you think he's a socialist?
ANDERSON: That's a difficult question. I think in some ways, some of his ideas could be taken as they lean towards being more socialist.
REX SMITH, KENT STATE STUDENT: Bernie, he's kind of a one-trick pony. It's just, you know, Wall Street, Wall Street, Wall Street. And he doesn't really explain where the money is going to come for these things that he wants to do.
COSTELLO: So who are all these young people supporting Bernie Sanders? Because you guys don't seem sold.
SMITH: I don't know. It's a great question. I do think he is sort of a socialist and generally our history in this country is that socialism doesn't work.
COSTELLO: What do you think Donald Trump's message is?
SUGICK: That's the problem. I don't know what his message is. Like, make America great again? Like, I mean, I understand we have our issues, but where did we go wrong in the first place?
COSTELLO: Do you think America is great?
PAIGE KATRIOCHAK, KENT STATE STUDENT: We have a lot of improvements to make and I see other things around the world that maybe work better or the way that other places do you think are great, too. But I do think America is a great place. It's a place where you can speak your mind and you can do whatever you want to do.
COSTELLO: What would you say to people who say that your generation is entitled?
IAN KLEIN, KENT STATE STUDENT: Maybe the way I get things is a little easier than what happened in the past but I still wake up every single day, work my butt off, I'm going to college full time. I'm going to go out into the real world, start probably at the bottom, and work my way right back up.
SMITH: Me personally, I know I am not entitled because I've worked for everything I have.
COSTELLO: Would anyone ever admit they were entitled?
SMITH: I don't know. Probably not.
COSTELLO: Do you get tired of old people like me asking you that question?
SUGICK: Yes, I do actually. Live my life for a week. I don't think my mom even could live my life for a week.
COSTELLO: What would your mother say to that?
SUGICK: She won't be happy by that statement if you put that on air.
COSTELLO: What's most important to you once you get out of college?
ANDERSON: To know that I can wake up every single day and love what I do.
STEFANIE KILNAPP, KENT STATE STUDENT: I would be happy with a small house, a jeep, I don't need an expensive car. I basically want to advocate for people or animals that don't have a voice.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My ultimate goal would just be to find a job that I love so much that I don't care how much money I'm making.
ZACHARY DOWNES, KENT STATE STUDENT: I came from divorced parents and it was rough growing up, it was really rough. And for me going to college, it's like, ties, I'm paying out of pocket, I just want to be able to make enough money to support my parents for when, you know, they get old.
COSTELLO: You think about that already?
DOWNES: Yes.
COSTELLO: I never thought of taking care of my parents.
DOWNES: And that's the difference in our generation, I would say.
SMITH: I actually have a question for you.
COSTELLO: OK.
SMITH: So when you hear us talk about these things and you hear us say, you know, we don't have a set dollar amount, we don't want to make all this money, we just want to live comfortably and we want to take care of our parents, do we sound liken entitled millennials to you?
COSTELLO: No, you got me there. You do not sound entitled one bit. Honestly, you sound very caring.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: I messed up my own line. Baby -- I can't even say it.
[10:55:03] But wasn't that great? It was interesting, right? These kids are worried about taking care of their parents in their old age and their parents are probably no older than maybe 45? It was just interesting to me and they are so down to earth, too. Right? They just care about being money, not making much money. That's their American dream. So my thanks to Kent State Students for sitting down and talking with me.
I'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Tonight, our special town hall series with the Republican candidates and their families wraps up in New York. Ted Cruz and Heidi Cruz take the stage answering questions directly from New York voters. Anderson Cooper is the moderator. That starts at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. And don't forget tomorrow night the big CNN Democratic debate that takes place at 9:00 p.m. Eastern. Wolf Blitzer will be the moderator.
Thank you for joining me today. I'm Carol Costello. "AT THIS HOUR WITH BERMAN AND BOLDUAN" starts now.
