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FBI Looking At "Red Flags" In Shooter's Background; Witnesses Say Shooter Visited Gay Nightclub Often; Trump Rallies In Las Vegas Amid GOP Delegate Divide; Lawmakers Divided on How to Respond to Orlando Shooting; Race for the White House: Anybody But Trump?; Disney to Post Alligator Warning Signs. Aired 12-1p ET

Aired June 18, 2016 - 12:00   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: And investigators also are reviewing surveillance video from inside the club at the time of the shooting.

CNN's Polo Sandoval is following the investigation. So right now, Polo, that surveillance video is not being released, but investigators are pouring over it, looking for every detail.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The public will likely not see it, at least anytime soon, but it is clearly one of the key pieces of evidence for investigators, Fred. Because it essentially gives them a window into what happened here seven days ago.

And we have to stop and remember that seven days ago, at this time, the staff at this location, they were coming in and getting ready for what was supposed to be an eventful, a very busy and joyous weekend ahead, not knowing what was in store.

So now investigators want to take a closer look at that video, which we understand, they already have their hands on, to have a better idea what happened at that moment, what happened after 2:00 a.m., when this gunman made his way inside and caused so much pain.

We have to remember that he paused for a few moments to make several phone calls at one point. Apparently called 911 dispatchers, called a local television station, was texting with his wife while she was about two hours away in their home.

So the question is, what was he doing? Was he pacing around? Was he going after certain individuals? There are so many questions still left unanswered, Fred, and that video could provide some of those answers.

WHITFIELD: And that video will also show what the victims, survivors were also doing, what people were doing to help one another, at the same time. The 911 call, oftentimes, the 911 call may be released, revealed to give people an idea to kind of help fill in blanks. It's not likely to happen this time?

SANDOVAL: At least not for now. We do understand that there is a state statute here in Florida that says that if somebody died -- an investigation into a case where somebody died, then any 911 calls would not be released. That's according to the assistant city attorney here in Orlando. Will it change given the extra attention that this case has? And the interest, not just at the national, but also international level? We'll have to see.

WHITFIELD: We've heard from so many people in this neighborhood, how much they really come together especially after what happened Saturday night, Sunday morning. The Pulse Nightclub has an amazing history. Tell me a little bit more about how it came to be, and why it is named "Pulse."

SANDOVAL: It's interesting. We've done a little bit of digging here and found the story of Barbara Cuomo, who happens to be one of the owners of Pulse. She grew up with her older brother, John, a gay man, who eventually passed away due to HIV complications in 1991. They were very close.

So her way of making sure that John's pulse continued, was starting this and building this business, as not just a bar, a gay bar, but a place for -- the way she describes it in several interviews -- as a place for just members of the LBGT community, but the community in general, to come and coexist in what is supposed to be a peaceful way.

But yet, here we are now, seven days later, police barricades still keeping us back, as a very active investigation continues there, as they try to answer that lingering question, why.

WHITFIELD: Yes, and unclear when, but the hope is, talking to a number of people in the community, they hope that the club will reopen.

All right, thank you so much, Polo Sandoval, appreciate that. All right, so you also heard Polo mentioning that all of these so-called red flags that some believe were peculiar activities and behaviors of the shooter, could that have been a signal to help prevent this tragedy?

For more on that, I'm joined by CNN national security analyst, Juliette Kayyem. So, Juliette, you know, it sounds like a simple question. Were there red flags? Was there enough to know about the behavior of him in high school, junior high, or even elementary school, these reported disciplinary problems?

And is that enough, you know, or sufficient enough for any law enforcement official to think that this person has the potential to do something much greater and harm a number of people?

JULIETTE KAYYEM, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: So, I don't know if I would call them red flags, but they were certainly data points that make what happened a week ago today, not surprising, right?

I mean, now that we look back and see his history, and the hatred and the attitude and his behavior towards colleagues and friends and his first wife, it now -- it makes sense to us.

But we say in law enforcement and homeland security, you know, hindsight, the blinding clarity of hindsight, right? That it now looks so obvious.

And what we have to learn to better to do is to see data points that then put us in a better position to either prevent this from happening or prevent the person from getting access to weaponry that would allow this kind of mass casualty event.

WHITFIELD: Well, you know, I ask about, you know, if law enforcement had enough information but then, there are neighbors. You know, we're hearing from neighbors who made their own observations.

[12:05:04] Whether it be, you know, a neighbor and his father who talked about how they observed Mateen speaking disrespectfully to the mother.

And how, in school, there were disciplinary problems and teachers or even fellow students remember that. But it would also then mean, it's incumbent upon people who are in that person's presence to take it the next step forward.

But are these things that are just so, I guess, superficial, that it's just not enough information for anyone to ever anticipate that it could blossom, grow into something much grander, something like this?

KAYYEM: Yes, I think it's hard. I mean, looking at it now, and the investigation is early. I think that there are at least two areas that I would look at.

The first is the failure of the FBI to notify or at least, you know, end view the employers because between the two of them, it seemed like they had a sense that this guy should not be in the security business, let alone, you know, whether he should be on a terrorism list or not.

The other gap that I wonder about, and this will come out, is the extent to which Orlando or the Orlando area, because obviously he didn't live in Orlando, knew about the not one, not two, but three interviews by the FBI. Those are two questions I have.

It's not to blame the FBI because who knows what would have happened. But, you know, a week later, we have to begin to think about lessons learned. Both in terms of the surveillance and investigation, and obviously, in the first responder response that happened.

I mean, that's why the video surveillance cameras are so important because we have to learn how we can protect more lives, if these active shooter cases or I should say, unfortunately, when these active shooter cases happen again.

WHITFIELD: So you would be anxious to learn about what's on that surveillance video, in order to help determine what would be learned from this, and how it could, you know, promote some change or some method of prevention,, so we're not --

KAYYEM: Right. Yes, so even if you're going to assume that something bad is going to happen, unfortunately, we have so many soft targets, they are looking for information. They can't be like an in airport. They can't have that kind of security, a bar, you know, a movie theater.

But they can learn a lot. You know, whether -- you know, where are the surveillance cameras? What kind of, you know, luggage or baggage security do you want. You know, we have to learn from this. It's going to be the only good news out of this, if we can learn from it.

WHITFIELD: All right. We'll leave it there. Juliette Kayyem, thank you so much.

All right, also, coming up, we're getting reaction to the Orlando shooter from the first openly gay imam in the United States.

Plus, we continue to remember the victims. The memorials here in Orlando, they are growing, as this heartbroken community tries to heal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Every time it comes across my mind, I cry and I pray and then I tell them all that I never knew you, I never met you, but I'll see you, I'll probably meet you in heaven.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:11:23]

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. We're live from Orlando. Investigators are still searching for answers as to why last Sunday's gunman targeted the gay nightclub in Orlando, just behind me, the Pulse Nightclub, killing 49 people. There are reports that he spent extensive time at the bar in the past, and others claim the gunman used gay dating apps.

At this point, it's still unclear if the suspect was gay or simply visited the bar to case it before launching his attack. But the killings are raising questions, about whether gay and following Islam can coexist.

Joining me right now to discuss this is Imam Daayiee Abdullah. He's America's first openly gay imam. Also with me is Shadi Hamid. He is a fellow at the Brookings Institution Center for Middle East Policy and author of the book "Islamic Exceptionalism." Good to see both of you. Thanks so much.

So let me begin with you, Imam Daayiee Abdullah. As an openly gay imam, you obviously believe being gay and practicing the Islamic faith can coexist. But I also understand from many points of view, that it's very complex. So what is the relationship or the level of acceptance in the Muslim faith and community to being gay?

DAAYIEE ABDULLAH, THE FIRST OPENLY GAY IMAM IN THE U.S.: Thank you, Fredricka, for having me on. Overall, a direct answer to your question is that one can be gay and also a Muslim because there is nothing within the Koran ethics that says that one cannot be. However, when we move into the Sharia, which is the human interpretation of supposed divine law, then we have the conflict that comes into place.

So quite often, with the issues that remain is, what are traditional social frameworks in which people have been trained and taught to understand, and usually that's when you find that there's this incompatible framework in which a person cannot be both. Yet in actuality, they can be.

WHITFIELD: And then Shadi, as we've learned a bit about the gunman and we also have learned about the sentiments from his father, and his father saying, it would be God who would punish the gay community, does that -- are those sending different messages or are they conflicting messages about a family and its point of view versus a point of view that may be a commonality within the Muslim faith?

SHADI HAMID, FELLOW, BROOKINGS INSTITUTION'S CENTER FOR MIDDLE EAST POLICY: So, we have to speak frankly about this. I mean, there's no doubt that in mainstream Muslim communities, both in the west and in the Middle East, that there isn't a lot of room for being gay or gay Muslims to self-define as both gay and Muslim.

So, homophobia is a problem in the community and we have to be honest about that. But that doesn't mean that if someone considers being gay to be unacceptable, that that would necessarily mean they would support violence.

And that's where it seems that Mateen, and others like him, have taken this in a very, in a very different direction. And we should also note that many Christian Evangelicals also consider homosexuality to be forbidden by God.

But that doesn't mean we consider all Christian Evangelicals to be at risk for committing mass shootings against gay Americans. So I think we also have to make a distinction between the very real problem of homophobia, and then acting on that in violent ways.

WHITFIELD: So Imam, what about your personal journey? Is there a way to give us a thumbnail sketch about your personal journey of being openly gay and being an imam?

[12:15:08]ABDULLAH: Well, over 45 years ago, I came out, dealing with my parents, but also having their support and I know that they were Southern Baptist, but they supported me and my family as well.

And so from that point forward, I became a gay activist and basically starting in 1970 and have moved forward from that time frame. As I got introduced to Islam in China, where I was studying at Beijing University, my Chinese classmates, one of them who was Huei, which are the ethnic Chinese.

We had a conversation about it, and through those conversations, I've been introduced into Islam, but the Islam I was learning, is something that was more than 1,300 years ago when it was introduced and very different from what was coming out of the gulf in our modern times. So it made a significant difference that within the Chinese culture that they had already had homosexual emperors and very important people, so the social stigma was not there in the same way that you might find in other cultures, where the stigma is there.

WHITFIELD: And then, Shadi, how do you see what happened here at the Pulse Nightclub behind me in any way influencing, changing what you did describe as a sense of homophobia within the Muslim community?

HAMID: Well, I mean, first of all, it's a very difficult time for American-Muslims, for any number of reasons. I mean, first of all, someone who claimed to speak in the name of Islam committed this horrific act. There's anti-Muslim bigotry and there's homophobia.

So there's quite a few different things going on here. I think that we as an American-Muslim community have to have a more open conversation about the place of gay Muslims in our community and there has to be a more accepting, inclusive atmosphere.

Even if Muslims disagree with the theological aspects or whether it's forbidden or lawful in Islamic law, that -- I think that has to be pushed to the side, and say, well, even for conservative Muslims who disagree with being gay or having problems with it, they should still be able to find a way to accept those people, despite disagreements.

So -- because in the end, if someone self-defines as Muslim, there should be a place for them in the American Muslim community. We do live in a country that is secular, where people should be able to follow their individual conscience.

And I hope that in the coming weeks and months, the Muslim community will be able to kind of look inward, and to engage in some self- criticism about the unwillingness to accept gay Muslims in the past.

ABDULLAH: May I also add --

WHITFIELD: Shadi Hamid and Imam Abdullah -- real quick. Go ahead, Imam.

ABDULLAH: I want to say we need to develop a stronger relationship, particularly with the religious organizations in the U.S., in that they have more dialogue and more discussion without taking the position of authoritarianism.

WHITFIELD: All right. We'll leave it right there, Gentleman. Thank you so much for your time. Appreciate it.

HAMID: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: All right. Back to the campaign trail after the break, and why Donald Trump is feeling confident about his relationship with the Republican Party.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The party is doing very well. The party is -- the party is actually liking me. You know, I'm an outsider. I'm an outsider and historically, they don't love the outsiders, but I think they're starting to like me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:21:51]

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. I'm Fredricka Whitfield in Orlando. Other stories we're watching. A bizarre story out of Pennsylvania, where a man was arrested after police discovered that he fathered two children with a teenager, and that teenager was allegedly gifted to the man by her parents.

Authorities say they also found 11 other girls living in the home, ranging from six months to 18 years old. The man as well as the teenager's mother and father are all being held on $1 million bail.

And in Colorado, a mother literally wrestled her 5-year-old child away from a mountain lion. The boy's mother told police her son was playing outside with his older brother, when she heard screams. The boy is in fair condition at a Denver area hospital, and this is a video clip of the type of mountain lion that we're talking about. The one involved in that attack was hunted down by authorities and killed.

And Chelsea Clinton has become a mom for the second time. Clinton and her husband just announced their newest addition, tweeting, quote, "Marc and I are overwhelmed with gratitude and love as we celebrate the birth of our son, Aidan Clinton Mezvinsky." The couple already has a daughter named Charlotte.

Republican presumptive nominee, Donald Trump, is appealing to gun rights advocates, arguing that if club goers in Orlando had been armed, less people would have been killed, he says. And then saying this about the gunman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: If some of those wonderful people had guns strapped right here, right to their waist or right to their ankle, and this son of a (inaudible) comes out and starts shooting, and one of the people in that room happened to have it and goes boom, boom, you know what? That would have been a beautiful, beautiful sight, folks. That would have been a beautiful, beautiful sight.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, Trump has a rally scheduled -- Trump has a rally scheduled in Las Vegas in just a couple of hours. CNN White House producer, Kristen Holmes, is there. So what's the expectation, Kristen, immediately following the Orlando shooting? Trump said he's supportive, but first saying ban for people on the terror watch list.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN WHITE HOUSE PRODUCER: Yes, exactly. And Fred, this isn't the first time we've heard this kind of rhetoric from Donald Trump. You know, he has said that if it were easier to buy guns, if more people were armed, there would be less victims in the wake of a terrorist attack.

Now, he has mentioned often San Bernardino. He has mentioned Paris on the campaign trail and in Houston, he went after President Barack Obama as well saying that he shouldn't be calling, he shouldn't be arguing for tighter gun restrictions now.

That this was about terrorism and not guns. But as you mentioned, Donald Trump did make waves with the Republican Party, following the Orlando shooting, when he tweeted out at the NRA, saying that he wanted to meet with them about stopping people on the terrorist watch list from buying guns.

Now, this is something that Democrats have long called for, but since that tweet came out, it has been mum's the word. We have not heard whether or not that meeting is actually happening.

[12:25:08]Now, I think that that's the kind of rhetoric we can expect to hear today in Las Vegas, as well as some positive words about his relationship with the Republican Party, the presumptive GOP nominee has been defensive amid reports that a small group of delegates is trying to stop him from becoming the nominee, something that political analysts say with Trump's numbers, is a long shot -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: And Kristen, that rally, it's at a casino. Are there any, I guess, any precautionary measures being put in place for any kind of planned protests?

HOLMES: Exactly. So we are expecting protesters, at least a small group of them. They are going to be held, as in most Trump rallies, close, but not on the property. So we are going to check that tout and report back to you guys later in the day, once we think that that's gearing up.

I do want to mention, though, that it is a scorcher today. Donald Trump could not have picked two places that are hotter to visit. Both cities, Las Vegas and where he'll be later today in Phoenix are under warnings for their excessive heat -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right, Kristen Holmes, thank you so much from Las Vegas, a steamy Las Vegas. Appreciate it.

All right, next, one of the senators who spoke during a nearly 15-hour filibuster on the Senate floor joining me. He tells us what he wants the U.S. Senate to pass on Monday and his strong words about assault rifles. Next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:30:38] WHITFIELD: Hello again, thanks so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield live from Orlando right now.

So lawmakers in Washington are divided on how to respond to this Orlando shooting but united in the belief that change is needed to address the problem of mass shooting. Yesterday, I talked to Senator Bill Nelson, the Florida Democrat, had a lot to say about proposed changes. But we started off by talking about the suspect and the terrorist watch list.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BILL NELSON (D), FLORIDA: You're on it for a reason, because you've been communicating with a terrorist. You've been doing suspicious things, like going in and buying materials that makes bombs.

There's a reason for that. Or through our intelligence penetration, you've been saying something to other people, maybe an undercover intelligence officer. And for those reasons, it's legitimate to be on a terrorist watch list.

That was the case with Mateen three years ago.

WHITFIELD: Do you feel like the FBI is overwhelmed? Is it too much to rely on the FBI to help police in the fashion that it is, with the obtaining of weapons from state to state?

Why is it you believe that the Florida Department of Law Enforcement ought to also be involved in a different way?

NELSON: Well, first of all, you saw the seamless working together of all levels of government here in Orlando, the local, the state, and the federal, the lead being the FBI.

To your question, yes, the FBI needs more people. And yes, I hope we're going to give them the resources to get more people, but the FBI maybe here at the point of the spear.

The intelligence community is a vast network. Abroad, the CIA, our intelligence partners around the world, the DEA, the state department. I mean, you put them all together, and it's not just the FBI, but they clearly take the lead here in domestic.

WHITFIELD: There's an argument that remains that tougher gun control laws also means threatening the Second Amendment.

NELSON: Well, personally, I don't see that. If you're talking about a terrorist watch list, how does that threaten the Second Amendment? If you're talking about doing a criminal background check which is the law in most states. But there's a loophole, it's the gun show loophole or buying it online. They don't get a criminal background check.

Why shouldn't we, the public, or our protectors, know if you have a criminal record or you're on a watch list, that there's a check that's made before you're buying a gun?

Now, I haven't even gotten to the question about assault weapons. That's another issue. I'm an old country boy. I've hunted all my life. An AK-47, an AR-15, and that gun that was just used, a Sig Sauer, those are not for hunting. They're for killing. They're -- they are a military weapon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Senator Bill Nelson there.

All right, next, the Race for the White House, anybody but Trump? That's the message some Republicans are still driving home, just one month ahead of the RNC.

What we're learning about the push to try to change the convention rules at the last minute.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[12:35:09] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Corey Lanzet is more than your average golf fan.

COREY LANZET, GOLFER: I would say die-hard.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's improving his game by using an app called The Grint on his smartphone.

LANZA: I take scorecard pictures at the end and it calculates everything.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The app breaks down players' shots and stats. It allows golfers to compete against friends, calculates handicaps, and offers GPS for more than 36,000 courses. It's an idea M.I.T. graduate Jose Torbay and his partners came up with in an effort to help modernize the game.

JOSE TORBAY, THE GRID: We wanted to change the game of golf by making golf more fun. How do we incorporate technology? How do we incorporate the things that really turn on the millennials?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: By connecting golf lovers around the world, the app is quickly becoming a social network for the sport.

TORBAY: It has become a way to interact with your golf world. They're interacting, they're sharing pictures, they're sharing activities, not only in the golf course, but also outside of the golf course.

LANZET: One of my favorite things is that I have all my friends on there, so I could see how they're playing, I know if my buddy shoots, you know, a career low round, I got to go to the range. It just really improved (ph) my passion for the game. That's it's about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And welcome back to Orlando, where our coverage continues on the tragedy here at the Pulse Nightclub, just behind me, beyond those trucks. In the meantime, we're also talking about the race for the White House. The Republican National Convention is just one month away.

And while you might think Republican leaders would be hyping their rallying cry of party unity around presumptive nominee Donald Trump, House Speaker Paul Ryan, again, is doing just the opposite. Ryan saying his fellow House members should, "Follow their conscience when it comes to backing Trump."

And now, CNN is learning a coalition of Republican delegates is pushing for a, "conscience clause" that would free convention delegates who are bound to Trump.

[12:40:02] Let's talk about this with Republican strategist, Ford O'Connell. He is the Chairman of the CivicForumPAC. He's also a former adviser for the McCain-Palin campaign. Good to see you.

And Basil Smikle, he is Executive Director of New York's Democratic Party. Good to see you as well.

All right, Ford, you first. Boy, is this Paul Ryan? I endorsed Donald Trump, but now, I'm not so sure. And if you feel that way, you know, come follow.

FORD O'CONNELL, CIVILFORUMPAC CHAIRMAN: Well, I think that the words are a little bit cryptic. I think what Paul Ryan was trying to tell Donald Trump was, "You get your act together because you have a real chance to win this election."

On the other hand, the Never-Trump folks, who went to the GOP, just don't seem to get it. Donald Trump is going to be the nominee unless he steps aside, so more in that scenario, the delegate coup really borders on science fiction.

WHITFIELD: But, Basil, the flip side to that is, you know, the people have spoken, right? If you are a delegate and you have been in support of Donald Trump and through the primary race, he got his, you know, delegate count, et cetera, how can the rules be changed at this juncture?

BASIL SMIKLE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NEW YORK DEMOCRATIC PARTY: Well, it's technically possible but, you know, going back to an earlier point, it may be some kind of science fiction.

Look, Donald Trump himself would say that he's had more -- he's got more votes than any Republican in primaries past. This state of political entropy, if you will, while it may be uncomfortable for party leadership, the delegates, the voters have spoken. And look, I think the leadership is concerned not just bout the presidency but they're also concerned about their down-ballot races, races for the senate in states like Florida, Wisconsin, Illinois, New Hampshire. I mean, these are all states that are very important for Democrats.

O'CONNELL: Basil, let me do my best Dr. Larry Sabato for a second. Here's why the Republican leadership is concerned. Because over the past six weeks, Donald Trump has been the nominee and he's got himself in a lot of trouble and it's now reflected itself on the polls. And because of the fact that basically a lot of folks down-ballot in the senate, in The House, in the Governor's races, they depend on how Donald Trump is going to do at the top of the ticket. And when his numbers go south, they get a little shaky in the knees.

What I would warn them about is replacing Trump would be far more catastrophic than sticking with Trump. Donald Trump can do this but he has six or seven weeks to get his act together. And if he does, trust me, he has a real good shot at defeating Hillary Clinton.

SMIKLE: Yes, you know. My guess is that ...

WHITFIELD: But what about ...

SMIKLE: No, go ahead. I was just saying, I think that -- I mean, I think my sense is that, how do you control and constrain Donald Trump?

The efforts to do that have been futile beforehand and I imagine that's going to be the case going forward. When I listen to Mitt Romney talking about trickle-down racism, you know, I'm just agog at that because all of a sudden, there was a guy, who Republicans didn't want really in 2012 but all of a sudden, he was the nominee.

But it sort of been outside of the party establishment, so to speak, in this primary season, is now, you know, putting -- is essentially leading the charge in many respects. And he's substantively against Donald Trump. I just -- I still don't see a real opportunity here to constrain someone who does not want to be constrained.

O'CONNELL: I slightly disagree with you. I don't think that Donald Trump needs to be constrained. What Donald Trump has to understand is that the primary is very different from the general election.

He won in the primary because he was the most entertaining guy. He had a crowded field, and frankly, the mainstream media didn't have a stake in the outcome.

Now, he's in the general election, he's up against a seasoned politician, in Hillary Clinton, I'm going to be pretty honest with you, the media is pretty much in the bag for Hillary Clinton. He has to understand, he has a small margin of error here and he can actually do this because much of winning the presidency, 75 percent it depends on which way the political winds blow. And right now, they're blowing in Donald's Trump favor. The only question, can he take advantage of it?

WHITFIELD: Well, you know, I wonder about this, gentlemen. Because, you know, Ford especially, Donald Trump, there are at least a couple of messages that are being sent.

Because he says in one breath, "You know what? I don't really need you, Republican Party. And, you know, I can go it alone." Then flip side, most recently, he said, "Look, the Republicans, they like me." It's kind of a Sally Fields moment. "They really, really like me."

So, you know, he has no incentive, it would seem, for him to change his ways, yet at the same time, when you have a large contingent of Republicans who are saying now they're trying to distance themselves from him, it would seem pretty obvious that he has to say, :"I'm just going it alone. I'm going to continue doing exactly what I've been doing."

O'CONNELL: I have to say, yes and no. Yes, Donald Trump can say, "I can go it alone." And that's what draws people to him because essentially, he's the antithesis of establishment politics. And why a lot of Republicans like him is because frankly, he's a big middle finger to the GOP establishment here in Washington, D.C.

That said, he cannot go it alone, because if he doesn't get 90 to 92 percent of the Republican-based voting forum, there aren't enough independents out there for him to defeat Hillary Clinton no matter what kind of problem she has with Bernie Sanders.

[12:45:02] SMIKLE And now, you know, I would just have to say that if you're talking about uniting a country when you have 70 percent unfavorability ratings, you have done a lot to unite American voters against you. So that's something that, obviously, Democrats are going to be taking advantage of going into the fall.

WHITFIELD: All right. We're going to leave it right there, Basil Smikle, Ford O'Connell, good to see both of you, thanks so much.

O'CONNELL: And thank you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Walt Disney World Resorts. Well, it looks a little different today, at least the one here in Orlando, brand-new signs added and new fences days after a 2-year-old boy was killed by an alligator.

More on that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: So welcome back. I'm Fredricka Whitfield in Orlando. The death of a 2-year-old boy at Walt Disney World this week is prompting the theme park now to make some changes.

The company has just released a statement to CNN saying that nine beaches will have fences and signs warning of alligators. Disney is also putting up temporary barriers along its beaches. The young boy was killed in this lagoon outside a Disney Resort Hotel.

Two-year-old Lane Graves was dragged into the water by an alligator on Tuesday and his body was found the next day by rescue crews. Disney released a statement this week saying "We are conducting a swift and thorough review of all of our processes and protocols. This includes the number, placement, and wording of our signage and warnings".

[12:50:10] A Florida wildlife official says Disney monitors all gator reports closely.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) NICK WILEY, FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSIONER: Full- time staff observing these waters, they have essentially an open system permit, where anytime they see an alligator that they are -- complain is called in, that it can be taken out. And these alligators are not relocated. These alligators have to be euthanized, because when they become a problem, that if you move them somewhere, you're just moving a problem.

So Disney does everything by the book, and they have an amazing program for keeping track of them and monitoring and then addressing any concerns that arise.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, so now let's talk about the legal responsibilities that Disney would have in this case and what they've done. How much will it help them in protecting themselves from any other future potential cases.

Let's bring in our legal guys, Avery Friedman, a civil rights attorney and law professor in Cleveland, good to see you and Richard Herman, a New York Criminal defense attorney and law professor joining us from Las Vegas, good to see you as well.

OK, so we've got the signs, we've got the fencing that's gone up. The signs saying, "Danger, alligators and snakes in the area, stay away from the water. Do not feed wildlife." While this may be a good precautionary measure for any future potential cases, I wonder, Richard, you first is this also arsenal for what could be a pretty sizable legal case for this Graves family?

RICHARD HERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: OK, Fred. This is a $5 million to $10 million resolution. Disney has a crisis on their hands. Public relations crisis, they have to resolve it.

Alligators are 200 million years old. They outlived the dinosaurs. They're all over the state of Florida. Every waterway at Disney is connected by canals with alligators. $2,000-a-night bungalows with a beachhead in waters with a simple sign, "Do not swim," that's not enough, Fred.

Young boy was in 6 inches of water. There were reports that staff and guests were feeding alligators in the area. It's reasonable to assume at night, when alligators feed, an alligator could come and attack. Disney cannot win this case. They must settle it now $5 million to $10 million for this young boy's death.

WHITFIELD: Because, Avery, I'm wondering if this kind of signage sends a few different messages. Is it also saying to people, we acknowledge that there are alligators and snakes, you know, in this area.

That is out of our control, given there are so many, what, a million alligators in Florida. And they're everywhere in canals and lakes, et cetera. And as Disney saying, at this point, well, we acknowledge, you know, there are alligators and snakes right now because of what happened. That Disney is also saying that it didn't do enough about the potential danger that there were alligators or snakes in that same body of water, prior to this attack.

AVERY FRIEDMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Well, under the rules of evidence, the signs going up right now would never be admittable. Let me tell you something. There was some reference to a swift investigation. The fact is that Disney has known for 30 years about what's going on.

Number one, 30 years of knowledge coming from guests. Guests feeding alligators, employees, the custodians saying, put up a fence. And a serious danger, let me tell you something. That equals foreseeability.

Foreseeability is the touchstone of negligence, maybe even more. I don't know if we should be assigning dollar science right now given the unspeakable nature of this loss.

But I think there is no question that Disney needs to resolve this case. The more signs the better. Make sure that what has been destroyed temporarily, and this is important, is the concept of millions of mothers and fathers that when they take their children to Walt Disney World, it has to be safe.

Those signs are critical for the future of the operation of Walt Disney World. And we avoid tragedies like this forever.

WHITFIELD: And, you know, and there's a presumption by families who come to visit Disney, especially when they see beach areas, that that is inviting. While it may say "No swimming," the presumption might be because there's no lifeguard on duty, or, you know, there's some inference or, you know, to parents, you need to be watching your kids. But it doesn't intimate that there is wildlife here that threatens the livelihood, the well-being of you and your children, Avery.

FRIEDMAN: Well, I agree with that. And that's actually where the deficiency is. I mean Disney knew about the alligators. I don't care how the awareness has been characterized. Guests don't know about it. And since we had this experience 30 years ago of a child being bitten by an alligator, doctors had to pull alligator teeth out of the thigh of this child, that's enough, Fredricka.

So the reality is those signs are critical. They should have been up 20, 30 years ago.

[12:55:05] WHITFIELD: And Richard, if you were representing the family of this 2-year-old, you were representing the Graves family, what are you taking note of right now, as it pertains to the precautions being put in place now and the types of measures that were in place? How does that help you or that family build their case of negligence?

HERMAN: Well, Fred, what's going on now really doesn't matter. Disney owns the property. They had a duty to maintain a safe condition there. And they had a duty to warn guests of any unsafe conditions. And a lot of residents in the state of Florida, they know about alligators. But people from outside the state of Florida, especially Nebraska, don't really have a clue about alligators.

And like you said, Fred, when you have a bungalow on a beachhead in the lake area that is an invitation to go out there, even at 9:00 at night, and relax and enjoy the beautiful conditions. And a simple sign, "No swimming" is just not going to fly, Fred. If I'm the family, I'm starting negotiations right now with Disney.

And trust me, this is a multi-million award. 2-year-old boy struggled with the father, Fred. He tried to pull the baby out of the alligator's jaw and the alligator won and took the child into the water and drowned. It's devastating. public relations nightmare, Fred. They've got to settle it quickly and quietly.

WHITFIELD: Yeah. It is heartbreaking. It is unimaginable. Our hearts go out to that family. It is horrible.

All right, Avery Friedman, Richard Herman, thank you so much, gentleman. Always good to see you, appreciate it.

All right, we have so much more straight ahead in the NEWSROOM in just a moment.

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