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Trump and Clinton Trade Insults as New Poll Shows Match-Up Too Close to Call; Conflicting Reports on EgyptAir's Final Minutes; Barack Obama in Vietnam; Greece Moving Thousands Out of Makeshift Border Camp; Police Officer in Freddie Gray Arrest Ruled Not Guilty; Narrow Win for Green Party Candidate in Austria. Aired 3-4a ET
Aired May 24, 2016 - 03:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[03:00:00] ERROL BARNETT, CNN HOST: On the attack. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton trade insults as new polls shows their anticipated matchup is too close to call.
ROSEMARY CHURCH, CNN HOST: A growing mystery. Conflicting reports on what happened in the final minutes of EgyptAir Flight 804.
BARNETT: And a new era should end. Barack Obama talks about growing cooperation and human rights in an address to the Vietnamese people in Hanoi.
CHURCH: Hello and welcome again to our viewers in the United States and all around the world. I'm Rosemary Church.
BARNETT: And I'm Errol Barnett. Thanks for joining our second hour of CNN Newsroom.
CHURCH: New polling shows the race for the White House could be quite a nail biter. In an NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey, Clinton stands at 46 percent to Trump's 43 percent. That is within the margin of error.
But in the Washington Post/ABC News poll Trump came out on top with 46 percent to Clinton's 44.
BARNETT: And yes indeed. There is an 11 points swing there. And while Trump continues to gain momentum in the polls, he wants to clarify his stands on guns on classrooms.
CNN's Sara Murray has more.
SARA MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Skeptics predicted that Donald Trump ticket would mean a blowout victory for Hillary Clinton.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, (R) U.S. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Now I'm going to start focusing on Hillary that's going to be easy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MURRAY: But new national polls reveal a race that's rapidly tightening. Speculation world over who Trump might choose for a V.P., the billionaire businessman met privately with Senator Bob Corker today who brush aside questions about joining the ticket.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOB CORKER, U.S. SENATOR: I have no reason whatsoever to believe that I'm being considered for a position like that. You know, I say that and tell them till I'm blue in my face. It's just, again, this was a meeting between two people who didn't know each other except over phone calls.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MURRAY: Trump allies say Corker's foreign policy experience could be an asset to the first time presidential candidate. Even if he doesn't make the V.P. short list.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CORKER: We talked the bigger picture really relative to foreign policy, domestic issues that matter right...
(CROWD CHEERING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MURRAY: Meanwhile, Trump is still aiming to consolidate his conservative base, and he's turning to important issue, the second amendment to rally voters.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I don't want to have guns in classrooms. Although in some cases, teachers should have guns in classroom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MURRAY: But he's delivering modeled messages saying he doesn't want to see guns in classrooms.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I'm not advocating guns in classroom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MURRAY: And in the next breadth suggesting trained teachers should be armed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Teachers should be able to have guns. Trained teachers should be able to have guns in classrooms. (END VIDEO CLIP)
MURRAY: And in the latest signal of Trump shifting position, Trump the candidate mocks the concept of climate change on the trail.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: So, Obama is talking about all of this with a global warming and that a lot of it is a hoax.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MURRAY: But Trump the business isn't so dubious. According to Politico, Trump's company applied for a permit to build coastal protection for its seaside gulf resort. The reason, rising sea levels and other effects of climate change.
Next night, Donald Trump is making an effort to clarify his position on guns telling CNN that he would not eliminate all gun free zone in schools, only in some cases. And clarifying that he believes resource officers should be the ones for trained to use guns.
Sara Murray, CNN, New York.
CHURCH: Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton says she will not debate democratic rival Bernie Sanders in California ahead of the state's primary in June.
Sanders says he's disappointed but not surprised.
BARNETT: CNN's senior Washington correspondent, Jeff Zeleny is in Los Angeles with the latest on that.
JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Hillary Clinton is still to shake Bernie Sanders.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: We are coming to the end of the democratic primaries.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: But when those primaries do end the bigger question is whether his supporters will come aboard. At a speech in Detroit today, Clinton is extending her hand stopping to sort of thanking Sanders for shaping the race.
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CLINTON: I applaud Senator Sanders and his supporters for challenging us. And we are going to unify the Democratic Party and stop Donald Trump.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: But speaking to union workers, Clinton making clear she's pivoted to Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: The only thing standing between Donald Trump and the Oval Office is all of us.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: And of course, Sanders, he squarely focused on Trump, too, campaigning today in California.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANDERS: And the Sanders camp one of the absolutely certain as we must be, that Donald Trump never becomes president. Our campaign is the strongest campaign.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[03:05:00] ZELENY: A string of new polls showing a tight Clinton/Trump race is fuelling Sanders argument that he is the stronger general election candidate.
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SANDERS: Every poll that I have seen in the last couple of months clearly the polls just stay, have us way, way ahead.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: The democratic race mathematically speaking seems over. With Clinton holding an insurmountable lead in pledged and super delegates.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: We are going to win in November.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: But she is under water with Sanders' supporters. Forty one percent view her in a negative light, while only 38 percent view her positively. According to the new Wall Street Journal/NBC poll and only two-thirds of Sanders supporters say they would vote for her against Trump, compared to 88 percent of Clinton supporters who say they would back Sanders.
Their uncobbled relationship a punch line on Saturday Night Live.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you mind if I just have one more drink with my old, very old kind of dangerously old grand Bernie.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'll have a beer. A new brand that people love flocking to.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And I'll have whatever beer no one likes but get the job done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: On the campaign trail today, Clinton was laser focused on Trump.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CLINTON: He could bankrupt America like he's bankrupt in his companies. How can anybody lose money running a casino, really?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: Bill Clinton is weighing in too, taking at Trump signature slogan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BILL CLINTON, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: And you what make America great again really means which is, hey, I'll make it a win used to be, you be better off and if you're not at least you'll have somebody to look now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ZELENY: And Bernie Sanders already getting some concessions from the Democratic National Committee. They are allowing him five seats on the party's platform committee. The Clinton campaign gets six.
It's one way of trying to smooth things over before the convention this summer. But Bernie Sanders is not getting out of this race yet, he's eyeing the California primary and those 475 delegates he believes he can win.
Jeff Zeleny, CNN, Los Angeles.
CHURCH: Joining us now is CNN political commentator Tara Setmayer and Peter Beinart. Tara has also been a communications director for congressional republicans and helps train republicans who want to run for public office.
BARNETT: And Peter Beinart is also a contributor at The Atlantic and he's author of "The Good Fight: Why Liberals and Only Liberals Can Win the War on Terror and Make America Great Again." That's a phrase we all heard before.
Great to have you both with us. This first question is for you both, but Tara will have you go first. Even though Trump and Clinton are tied in the current polls we're looking at which are very difficult at predicting the eventual winner in November. Trump does face enough Hill battle in must-win states and more. How are you feeling about republican chances come the election?
TARA SETMAYER, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I mean, the polling that came out now shows that it really is a 50-50 shot for Trump which should be terrifying for the Hillary Clinton campaign considering only just about a month and a half ago poll show that it would be a blowout.
So, I think that republicans are not going to get their hopes up but it is a 50-50 shot which is good news for them considering that it didn't look so rosy a few months ago with Trump as the presumptive nominee.
But again, it's May, which is an absolute to turn you away from the election in November. I mean, a million things could happen between now and then. And polling in May is notoriously inaccurate to predict what's going to happen in November.
In 1988, Michael Dukakis was up 10 points against George Bush and that ended up being a complete blowout. So, this is just a snapshot in time now, next week it could be something different and in the fall after -- maybe the first debate it could be very different from now.
CHURCH: And, Peter, the democrats must be panicking at this stage. When you look at the numbers and you've got in one of the polls there certainly for NBC/Wall Street Journal they're saying she is at 46 percent to Trump at 43 percent. There was an 11-point margin before she's lost a lot of ground.
And we're also learning that a third of Bernie Sanders supporters say if she were nominated they would not get on board with her so they must be panicked right at the heart of the Democratic Party right now.
PETER BEINART, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I think there -- I think there is definitely concerned that are polls are this close, that Tara is right, the polls are close significantly.
But what seems to be, have happened is that republicans -- Trump has managed to consolidate the republicans, though. And that's a significant accomplishment. I don't think -- I think there are many including myself who had questions about whether he could do that.
But Hillary Clinton probably will be able to consolidate the democratic vote more than she had yet so far once Bernie Sanders does drop out. It's true that their polls that say the Bernie Sanders supporters won't vote for Hillary Clinton.
But as you compare this moment to the moment 2008, for instance, when they ask Hillary Clinton supporters if they would support Barack Obama it was that even smaller percentage of Hillary Clinton supporters who said they would support Obama.
[03:10:08] The point being that in this hyper part of environment that we live in voters tend to rally around the nominee of their party. We're seeing that benefitting Trump.
Once that places out for Hillary Clinton as I think it will I think she will she will probably re-establish the lead over agree not a big enough lead perhaps to give democrats the sense of comfort that they would like.
BARNETT: And one thing that really shocked everyone is the enthusiasm Donald Trump supporters have shown to the primary and caucus process. The general election is much different.
But, Tara, to you, where is the proof that Donald Trump can expand his appeal beyond working class, whites middle class, and upper class. Well, you know, the proof that Arizona is kind of a toss-up state between Clinton and Trump when it's consistently gone for republicans must be a warning to Trump that his alienation of Hispanics could be fatal for him.
SETMAYER: Yes. It's true. And not only Hispanics but his unfavorables with women. His unfavorables with African-Americans. I mean, for the most part he has -- well, he's unfavorables in general are really high but so with Hillary Clinton.
But in those key demographics he's got a lot of work to do. Donald Trump does, and we've never seen anyone overcome the obstacles that he has right now with his unfavorables and, you know, Hillary Clinton is running a close second particularly with women.
I mean, Donald Trump is at 70, 74 percent unfavorable with women, and women outvote then and have since the 1960s. So, this is an -- this is an area, this is part of the problem to the republicans and they are concerned with Donald Trump as a nominee.
They're kind of, you know, holding their nose and supporting him for a variety of reasons. But his unfavorables in all these demographics are considerable.
Even in that polling that came out recently, 58 percent of people said that Donald Trump is unqualified to be president of the United States. That's not a great number.
So, in that same polls 63 percent than Hillary Clinton is qualified to be president. So, there are a lot of metric and a lot of hurdles for Donald Trump to have to overcome in order to be successful. But Hillary has similar hurdles as well because her unfavorables with white men are quite low also.
CHURCH: Yes. A lot of hurdles for both of them
SETMAYER: Yes.
CHURCH: The problem is that nobody seems to like them where a lot of portion of the voting population out there.
Tara Setmayer and Peter Beinart, a pleasure to talk with you.
BARNETT: Thanks, guys.
SETMAYER: Thank you. BEINART: Thank you.
BARNETT: U.S. President Barack Obama is now on his way to Ho Chi Min City, Vietnam. The second stop of his week on trip to Asia. Before leaving he addresses the crowd in Hanoi reflecting on the Vietnam War and the progress that both countries have made since then.
CHURCH: He emphasized that the U.S. and Vietnam remain committed to working together while urging Vietnam to uphold human rights for its people.
Mr. Obama also said the dispute in the South China Sea should be resolve peacefully.
BARNETT: CNN's Alexandra Field joins us now Ho Chi Minh City. And, Alexandra, it's a wide-ranging speech. The president though, was more forceful in pushing for human rights improvements there. What did he say and how well was it received?
ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Right. This was a big part of the speech that was made in front of that 2,000 people in Hanoi. Human rights groups have of course criticized Vietnam's record on human rights proofing like jailing dissidents and installed political reforms.
But the president really did take this opportunity to promote human rights. He did say very clearly Vietnam is a sovereign nation and no other nation can impose its will on Vietnam. But he talked about the value of human rights. He talked about certain things that he called universal goals and ideals.
He talked about the shared values between the U.S. and Vietnam with freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, freedom of demonstration, and he also said that freedom of thinking fuels innovation which leads to job creation and boost economy.
And of course, economic and cooperation between the U.S. and Vietnam is a key goal of this trip. But this trip is also about boosting security cooperation between Vietnam and the U.S.
To that end you point out that the president did referenced the dispute in the South China Sea. We know that neighboring countries here Asia and in Southeast Asia have raised concerns about China's territorial claims in the South China Sea.
The president did lay out U.S.'s position this way.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA PRESIDENT: United States is not a claimant in current disputes. But we will stand with partners in upholding core principles like freedom of navigation and over flight and lawful commerce that is not impeded, and the peaceful resolution of disputes through legal in accordance with international law.
[03:15:02] And as we forward, the United States will continue to fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows and we will support the right of all countries to do the same.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FIELD: The President making that statement just the day after announcing that the U.S. would drop its ban on arms sales to Vietnam. That's headline moment in this trip. He has refuted suggestions that that deal is about countering China's growing strength in the region, instead he says it is really about deepening defense cooperation with Vietnam. Errol?
BARNETT: Alexandra, we had lifting of the arms embargo. Yesterday, a push, vocal push for human rights. Today, what's next after the U.S. President?
FIELD: Right. The President is on his way from Hanoi. He'll be coming to Ho Chi Minh City. He will touring the Jade Pagoda, one of the tourist sites here, and he'll also be visiting in incubator this afternoon and that really does tie to big part of the speech that we heard today when he was promoting this idea freedom of thinking and saying that that's what fuels innovation.
He talked a lot about Vietnam's economic growth in the decades since the end of the war. He talked about it as being one of the fastest growing economies in Asia. So, he is here to promote entrepreneurship and innovation. The visit here in Ho Chi Minh City will certainly be in line with that.
But he also has spent some time on this trip simply reflecting on, you know, not just the future for relationship between Vietnam and the U.S. but also talking a lot about the past. And he spent a good part of his speech today really thanking the veterans in both Vietnam and the U.S for being at the forefront of efforts to repair the relations between Vietnam and the U.S. that have made a visit like this possible stay.
BARNETT: Yes. A past agenda as usual and he keeps referencing when he's no longer president, so he's further looking to time as a private citizen.
Alexandra Field live for us in Ho Chi Minh City. Thanks.
CHURCH: It has been since ISIS captured its first and 14th Iraqi city. Now the Iraqi government wants it back. The battle for the Fallujah. That's next.
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(WORLD SPORT)
BARNETT: Greece is reportedly moving thousands of people out of the makeshift Idomeni border camp.
In an interview on Greek television, a government spokesman said just a short time ago that this operation began early in the morning.
CHURCH: He also says more than 2,000 migrants have been moved in the past week, but thousands more remain. Migrants have been stranded in dire conditions at the camp since Macedonia shut its border in early March.
BARNETT: Now the death toll is climbing in Syria after series of bombings across two government held cities. As many as nine explosions struck on Monday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says nearly 150 people were killed.
CHURCH: The group believes that this toll will rise with hundreds of people injured. An eye witness describe the carnage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (TRANSLATED): I got here. And once I parked the explosion happened. I was standing here, there was a car behind me that got burned. I saw marches on the ground I couldn't get my car out or anything. Thank God after all, but this this is not destiny. These are terrorist acts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARNETT: Russia which is of course a strong ally of the Syrian government called the attacks a brazen challenge to ongoing peace efforts.
CHURCH: An intense battle is going on right now for the first major Iraqi city captured by ISIS. Government forces are fighting the militants on the outskirts of Fallujah. This is exclusive video obtained by CNN showing some of the clashes.
BARNETT: The terror group says it's pushing back and has released this propaganda video as proof. Iraq's prime minister is urging civilians in Fallujah to flee to safe areas if they can.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (TRANSLATED): We have instructed the citizens and civilians of Fallujah and other areas to go to safe corridors and we hope that they will be able to reach these corridors. But if they could not they can stay in their houses and stick to their houses.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BARNETT: Fallujah is just 60 kilometers west of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad. Some say is liberation could pave the way for an offensive to push ISIS out of Mosul just further north.
CHURCH: The coalition fighting to retake Fallujah is made up of a number of different groups but in ISIS they have a common enemy.
Our Ben Wedeman has reportedly extensively on the various forces involved in this fight, and he joins us now live from Rome.
Hi, there, Ben. So, how will those various groups work together to try to win Fallujah of ISIS and how will it likely get those thousands of civilians out trapped by ISIS? BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We understand that of course the Iraqi government the defense ministry is overseeing the operation. So, we believe in this particular operation the Iraqi army which are really was crippled after the fall of Mosul in June 2014, is going to lead the operation and try to play a bigger role than it has in the past.
Now these Iraqi forces are comprised first of all, of course the Iraqi army, the Iraqi police what's called the Golden Brigade, which is the special antiterrorism unit elite, antiterrorism unit of the Iraqi military, plus what's known as the in Arabic Hashdi Shabi or the popular mobilization unit which are predominantly Shia, in some cases Iranian trained armed and even advice forces which ended in past in places like Tikrit and Baiji north of Baghdad have played the leadership role in these operation.
So, it's a diverse force, which if course they are going to have to be careful when it comes to Iraq's very sensitive sectarian balance. Keeping in mind that of course Fallujah is a traditionally Sunni town where there is a good deal of resentment.
[03:25:02] There has been for quite some time against the Shia dominated government in Baghdad. So, the actual spearhead of the operation when it comes to fighting within the city will probably be done largely by the antiterrorism unit and Sunni militias which have been trained and armed by the Iraqi government.
Now as far as civilians are getting out that's a very touchy topic because it's an active war zone and there's a very good chance that there will be a high level of civilian casualty given that according to the Iraqi government itself, there as many 70,000 civilians still left inside this city.
And there is no real safe corridor for them to leave at this point. Although, the Iraqi Prime Minister, Haider al-Abadi did say yesterday when he was visiting front line positions that the enemy in his words is "collapsing." Rosemary.
CHURCH: Ben Wedemen reporting on the situation in Fallujah, Iraq and speaking to us there, live from Rome. Many thanks to you.
And you can go to cnn.com to find out more about the battle for Fallujah. And why the Iraqi city is so important in the country's fight against ISIS.
BARNETT: Still to come this hour, a race to find answers. Next, the search for EgyptAir's wreckage and the deadline investigators are facing.
CHURCH: It is a stunning verdict in the case of a police officer charged in the death of Freddie gray, but even more surprising may be the reaction. Find out why both sides Gray's family attorney and the officer are praising the judge's decision.
We're back for that in just a moment.
[03:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BARNETT: A warm welcome back to those of you watching here in the States and all around the world. It's your last half hour of CNN Newsroom with us. I'm Errol Barnett.
CHURCH: And I'm Rosemary Church. Time to check the headlines for you.
U.S. President Barack Obama says the U.S. and Vietnam have made a lot of progress since the Vietnam War acknowledging the pain and tragedy of the past. Speaking in Hanoi just a short time ago.
In fact, he urge Vietnam to uphold human rights. And said dispute in the South China Sea should be resolve peacefully.
BARNETT: Right now, Greece is moving thousands of stranded migrants out of the Idomeni border camp. Now government official says more than 2,000 migrants had been moved in the past week, but thousands more remain.
Conditions have been dire at the camp since early march when Macedonia shut its border.
CHURCH: Donald Trump is stepping up his attacks against Hillary Clinton. He is taking aim once again at her husband former President Bill Clinton and his past infidelities.
Clinton responded by going after Trump's checked financial history. New poll showed the candidates in a statistical dead heat in the U.S. presidential race.
BARNETT: EgyptAir Flight 804 went down days ago but there is still no firm theory on what exactly went wrong.
CHURCH: Yes. A frantic search is underway to try to locate the plane's so-called black boxes.
Brian Todd reports investigators are working against time and a challenging search area.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The French patrol ship, Jacoubet scours part of the Mediterranean searching for the fuselage of EgyptAir Flight 804. The vessel has a small submarine and acoustic detection systems specializing in finding pings, crucial signals from the plane's black boxes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's critical for the investigators to get those devices in the water and start searching the batteries, and the pingers are only good for 30 days.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TODD: Searches call it the acoustic clock. When the batteries on the pingers run out it would become much harder to find the EgyptAir jet's cockpit voice and flight data recorders. An Egyptian submarine is searching, but experts say its ability to
actually find the plane is limited. The water is almost two miles deep in some parts of the search area.
Veteran searchers tell CNN it's critical to get listening devices like high-tech towed sphere locators into the water.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If these devices are not towed if they are just single deployed devices it's kind of like looking at in the Grand Canyon at night with a flashlight for a dime.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TODD: Egyptian official say they spotted EgyptAir Flight 804 on radar for about a minute while it was inside Egyptian air space. They say there was no radio contact with the cockpit. After about a minute on radar they say the plane disappear.
Meantime, chilling audio has been released. The pilot of flight 804 making one of his last calls to air traffic control as he speaks to a controller in Zurich, the conversation is routine. Nothing to indicate anything is wrong on board.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you so much. Good day. Good night.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TODD: A short time later, the plane is lost on radar. And new questions tonight about possible technical causes. Transmission data indicates smoke alarms went off minutes before the crash. And alarms for the heating systems on the windows.
Are the thousands of Airbus A320's in the skies at any given time safe?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The safety record is excellent. It flies every two and a half second, one takes off anywhere around the world. It's been the work course of the industry exceedingly safe. That's the Boeing 777.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TODD: There is a hunting coincidence surrounding this plane. The New York Times reports the very same EgyptAir jet which crashed was the target of battles about two years ago. The Times says they wrote a message on the underside saying, quote, "We will bring this plane down."
But EgyptAir officials told the Times they believed that graffiti was linked to Egypt's domestic political turmoil not terrorism. CHURCH: Brian Todd reporting there. And for the latest on the investigation we want to bring in Ian Lee. He is live from Cairo. So, Ian, what do we to make of some of this new information that we're learning on the lost plane.
IAN LEE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, there's a lot to take into account here. First off, when we look at the plane final moments the Greeks initially came out and said that the plane swerve left in this curve 360 degrees. And the Egyptians are saying that that is in fact, that it was cruising at 37,000 feet. It was in Egyptian airspace for a minute and that's when it disappeared.
These are all pieces of the puzzle though, but the real clues are going to become and the facts are going to come from those black boxes that determine what the pilots were saying at the time if that will offer any hints.
[03:35:05] But also what the instruments were reading on that plane. And there are submarines in the Mediterranean right now. There's that one from France that it cannot go as deep as the wreckage is believed is to be about 10,000 feet, 3,000 meters, but it can pick up the ping from the black boxes.
And the Egyptians also have a remote operated vehicle down there with cameras and arms searching the wreckage that can go up to 10,000 feet, 3,000 meters. So, that will give way to retrieve those black boxes.
But also, they are in the process right now trying to get those the bodies, the body parts identified. They have asked family members here in Cairo to provide DNA samples so that they can start that process as well.
So, there's still a long ways to go in this investigation in that event of this crash.
CHURCH: Yes. And that is a gruesome part of this. Of course and authorities leaving all possibilities on the table that nobody knows at this point what cause this plane to crash.
Ian Lee reporting us live from Cairo. Many thanks to you
BARNETT: If you've been traveling through U.S. airports perhaps you've experience some very long security lines.
Well, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration has now fired its head of security. This follows a congressional hearing about mismanagement there at the TSA and its handling of big increases in air travel.
Members of Congress ask why the official is given $90,000 in bonuses despite his agency is forcing passengers to endure those long hours at security lines at major airports.
CHURCH: Not guilty. That was the verdict in the case of a police officer charged in the death of Freddie Gray. BARNETT: Yes. He is second of the six officers to be tried in a case that some say try to spotlight on police treatment of African- Americans.
CNN's Miguel Marquez reports the verdict sparks some protests but also praise.
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: When the judge in this case read the verdict not guilty on all accounts. Officer Edward Nero at first put his head back took in a deep breath and then put his head down and begin to sob. Great, great emotion shown.
His father even saying that he wept tears of joy. His lawyer a short time after that verdict was read released a statement saying in part, "The States attorney for Baltimore City rushed to charge him as well as the other five officers completely disregarding the facts of the case and the applicable law. His hope is the state's attorney will reevaluate the remaining five officers cases and dismiss their charges."
This case completely evolved around whether or not the arrest, not to detention. The initial detention of Freddie Gray say that both the prosecutor and the defense was lawful but it was the official arrest shortly thereafter and whether or not that was lawful or not.
This is something that happens every single day in Baltimore. Freddie Gray's family responded to the judge's acquittal today saying this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I found no problem that the judges weigh this thing, then of course the outcome about how he weighs the evidence is strictly up to him and not to us. Our command judge waves because he is going to those judges that disregarded public opinion.
There is enormous pressure from the African-American community to get a conviction.
MARQUEZ: An African-American judge you meant to say?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. And he did not venture that pressure.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MARQUEZ: And it is not over for Baltimore. The next police officer to be before a judge is Caesar Goodson. He was the van driver. The van is where Mr. Gray suffered those injuries that eventually killed him. The Officer William porter, who, earlier this year, went to a trial that ended in a hung jury or mistrial. He will be back in court later this year.
Miguel Marquez, CNN, Baltimore.
BARNETT: Joining me now is Page Pate. He is criminal defense attorney and constitutional attorney who have been watching this case closely as we all have really. Thanks for coming in, Mr. Pate. Six officers were initially charge in this. The trial for the first ended in a mistrial for William Porter. And now, the second to face trial Robert Nero he was found not guilty. What does that tell us about what's to come if anything?
PAGE PATE, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, I think a lot of the officers are feeling pretty good right now because this was not a strong start for the state. But in the state's defense this was really not their best case. Officer Nero was probably the least involved of any of the officers.
In the case against him rested on the state's theory that simply by arresting Freddie Gray without probable cause he committed a crime. And I think the judge had a lot of problem or problems with that theory and he said so during his questioning of the prosecutors.
BARNETT: Now there were a few dozen people protesting today. And what they say is they're concerned about the line of questioning from Judge Barry Williams not linking that arrest without probable cause...
[03:40:03] PATE: Right.
BARNETT: ... to criminal assault. Should that have been expected then and if so, what do you expect to happen when the driver starts trial?
PATE: Well, I think that should have been expected. In fact, I think the prosecutor probably was too aggressive, probably jumped to conclusions early on in the case and was trying to legal theory. Because there's not a lot of precedent for charging a police officer with a crime simply for making an arrest when there was an absence of probable cause down the line.
So, I think that was just a weak theory to begin with.
BARNETT: And that was a big moment, though. The State's attorney, Marilyn Mosby, she was praised and criticized for charging all six officers while protests were still happening on the streets of Baltimore. You know, was there a strategy then to charge them all with the most serious crime hoping that it will at least stick to some of them?
PATE: Absolutely. And another part of that and we see this in criminal cases in America all the time is that a prosecutor will charge everyone in the hope and expectation that someone will cut a deal. Someone will come in plead guilty to a lesser charge and then testify against the other officers.
But in this case, every single officer stood firm and said we're not going to cooperate, we're all going to go to trial. And so then the prosecutor was left without any critical witnesses who were there at the time of the incident. So, she's tried to cut deals, that didn't work for Officer Nero she immunized, she basically forced another officer to come in and testify and that backfired against him.
BARNETT: Now what do you make of the decision by Robert Nero to be tried by the judge and not a jury, of course it's an emotionally and rationally charged case even though some of the officers charged are African-American. But each person charge does have that choice to make, right?
PATE: Absolutely. And it's rare. Most of the time the defendant is going to say I want my case heard by a jury because they are going to assume that the jury especially with police officer is going to be sympathetic to the officer. They're not just going to look at the cold law, they're going to try to use compassion and reason and common sense.
But in this case, officer Nero's lawyer said, this case is so weak. The evidence is just not there. We don't want to risk the case with a jury who may have an emotional reaction to the incident. We want to go in front of this judge who has a lot of experience who will hopefully, and he did, see through the state's theory and return a not guilty verdict.
BARNETT: And also very unique that the police union and even Freddie Gray's family praise the judge in this decision making saying, look, if the evidence isn't there you cannot charge an individual.
PATE: That's right. And I think Gray's family recognizes they're going to need this judge going forward as the stronger cases come to trial. The driver and the other officers. So, I think they're reluctant to criticize the judge at this point.
BARNETT: Now pretty fascinating. Criminal defense attorney and constitutional attorney, Page Pate, thanks for your time and insight today.
PATE: Thank you, Errol.
CHURCH: We're going to take a short break here. But when we come back, a rescue effort on Mt. Everest average tragically weekend. That story, still to come.
[03:45:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CHURCH: Austria has chosen a new president in a cliffhanger runoff election. Former Green Party leader Alexander Van der Bellen won a narrow victory decided by absentee ballots.
The 72-year-old economist ran as an independent.
BARNETT: Now his challenger, Norbert Hofer was hoping to become the European Union's first far-right head of state.
CHURCH: Rescuers are searching for two Indian climbers missing on Mt. Everest.
BARNETT: Yes. It comes after a deadly weekend on the world's highest peak.
Sumnima Udas has the story.
SUMNIMA UDAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's the ultimate achievement scaling the top of the world Mt. Everest at 8,848 meters almost 30,000 feet. But the death of four climbers in as many days has shaken the mountaineering community.
Phurba Sherpa felt his death while fixing the route just a few meters from the summit. Dutch climber, Eric Arnold, a triathlete died from the suspected heart attack. He was on his way down after successful summit.
Australian national Maria Strydom died from altitude sickness at base camp IV. The final stop before the summit. And on Sunday, Indian climber, Subash Paul also died.
Danger is inherent here more than 250 mountaineers have died since Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary made the first official ascent in 1953. But still, every year hundreds are drawn to it willing to take the risk.
The air is so thin, the oxygen level is third of what's available at sea level. The wind is vicious. The weather erratic and the terrain deadly.
Kenton Cool is a guide who has climb Everest 12 times.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KENTON COOL, MT. EVEREST GUIDE: Winds are very brutal on Everest and they can make what would be a relatively amenable summit day into something quietly opposite.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
UDAS: Climbing had been halted for the past two years after deadly avalanche in 2014 that killed 16 Sherpas, and a devastating earthquake that struck Nepal in 2015. A lot was rising on this years' climbing season. The Nepali government hoping to revive tourism in a country so reeling from the earthquake.
Authority say some 400 climbers summited every year, but this is a tragic end to yet, another climbing season.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COOL: And not considerably dangerous. It is very, very dangerous and you need the depths of experience, you do need the understanding and the skill set to be at operating and even survive at such altitudes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
UDAS: A reminder of just how dangerous scaling the highest mountain in the world can be.
Sumnima Udas, CNN.
BARNETT: Now we will lighten the mood for you coming up after the break. As U.S. political junkies will now have to find another source for our campaign comedy as Saturday Night Live dances off into the sunset for another season. But we will bring you this years' funniest moment after the break.
[03:50:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(WEATHER REPORT)
CHURCH: Too little too late. That is the message Manchester United sent to their manager when the club sacked him just two days after winning the FA Cup.
BARNETT: Yes. You see it was the club's first trophy in three years, but Louis van Gaal is done and reportedly Jose Mourinho is set to take his place. Mourinho last managed Chelsea, the team that fired him in December. So, everyone seems to land on their feet eventually.
CHURCH: Yes. Stick around and circle there. Well, some people are calling this years' U.S. presidential election a circus, unintentionally comical with characters straight out of a reality show.
BARNETT: That's right. And now, American audiences will be without one of the most popular outlets for political satire. We are of course speaking of Saturday Night Live.
Jeanne Moos reports.
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Better savor it because you are going to have to endure most of the rest of the election season without your SNL fix.
KATE MCKINNON, SNL STAR: I don't really like people. I only talk to them because I want to be the president so bad.
MOOS: Just when Kate McKinnon has nailed her Hillary and 60-yer-old Darrell Hammond has made a comeback as the Donald.
DARRELL HAMMOND, SNL ACTOR: Everyone loves me. I even got this fat this piece the crap behind me now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir. Thank you, sir. Please, sir, may I have another?
MOOS: And Larry David manages to be himself and Bernie at the same time.
LARRY DAVID, ACTOR: Come Hillary, I'll miss that lack of charm.
MOOS: What will be lacking is SNL. No Larry, no Kate, no Darrell, the three studios of SNL political impersonation gone? Gone until the new season starts.
DAVID: I'll leave.
MCKINNON: Never.
MOOS: A near month or so before Election Day no more dancing candidates, no more reenactment of Hillary's metro card fail. MCKINNON: Yes, it's been a while.
[03:55:02] MOOS: No more crawling over the turn spouse. And no more candidates themselves trying to be funny.
HAMMOND: You used to call me on the cell phone.
MOOS: Or pretending to be president.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The president of Mexico is here to see you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Donald.
HAMMOND: Enrique.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I brought you the check for the wall.
MOOS: Who could forget bottle?
MMCKINNON: Hey, bar tender, keep on coming. All anyone wants to talk about is Donald Trump.
CLINTON: Donald trump? Isn't he the one that like, you're all losers?
MOOS: McKinnon told Times skip was the greatest day of my life while Hillary tweeted "A vote for Hillary is a vote for four more years of Kate McKinnon's impression."
And as for Darrell Hammond when he returns next season, he'll be playing both the republican nominee and the aspiring first spouse.
HAMMOND: My God, they're multiplying.
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, New York.
CHURCH: They're going back on October, right?
BARNETT: Yes. We were going to miss them in the meantime though.
CHURCH: Yes, absolutely.
BARNETT: It's awesome stuff. U.S. President Barack Obama took a short break from diplomacy to grab dinner with our own Anthony Bourdain. The celebrity chef posted this picture on Instagram showing the two sharing a meal at a small restaurant, very small restaurant there in Hanoi.
CHURCH: Very simple there. Noodles and beer for a total cost of $6. Bourdain says he picked up this ad. Their meeting will be featured in a September episode of Bourdain show here on CNN. That is worth catching.
BARNETT: Yes, indeed. Thanks for joining us everyone. I'm Errol Barnett. CHURCH: And I'm Rosemary Church. Remember to connect with us anytime on Twitter. Early Start is next for our viewers here in the U.S.
BARNETT: For everyone else there's more CNN Newsroom. We'll see you tomorrow. Have a great day.
[04:00:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
