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House Select Committee Republicans Release Benghazi Report; Josh Earnest Talks Benghazi Report; British P.M. David Cameron Meets with E.U. Leaders; Interview with Nigel Farage on Brexit, Trump. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired June 28, 2016 - 13:30   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[13:30:00] HILLARY CLINTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: That's especially true in dangerous places. We can not withdraw or retreat from the world. America needs a presence for a lot of reasons. The best way to honor the commitment and sacrifice of those we lost is to redouble our efforts to provide the resources and support that our diplomats and our development experts deserve. So I'll leave it to others to characterize this report but I think it is pretty clear it is time to move on.

Thank you all very much.

(APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: That's Hillary Clinton in Denver talking about this House Republican report on the Benghazi attack.

Here with me is Ohio Congressman, Jim Jordan.

You are a Republican member of the Select Committee. And you wrote a supplement to this report that is in addition to what the chairman put together and you were critical certainly of the administration. I want to ask you about that. First, you just heard Secretary Clinton's response. What did you make of that?

REP. JIM JORDAN, (R-OH), MEMBER, HOUSE SELECT COMMITTEE ON BENGHAZI: Talking about lessons learned, the key lessons we learned looking at facts. When there is a moment like this, a crisis situation where Americans gave their life for their country, one of the key things is for our leaders in the government to be straight with the American people and not try to mislead them.

We learned in our investigation, for example, that no military assets launched and headed towards Benghazi until after the attack was over. What did start, what did launch before the attack was over was the political spin started to by Secretary Clinton at 10:08 that night. Remember 10:08. Tyrone Woods is on the roof of the annex fighting for his life and his fellow citizens. There's still an hour before the mortar attacks hit and take him and Glen Doherty's life. At 10:08, she issued a statement to justify that as a response to inflammatory information on the Internet. She instantly goes to the video before the attack is even over. We know that was misleading. An hour later, she sends to her daughter, a private e-mail where she says, terrorists killed two of our people.

KEILAR: How is that different? That timeline. We already knew that.

JORDAN: That's not even close to the degree that -- the private communications were all terrorist attack. The public communications were all video.

(CROSSTALK)

KEILAR: But we have known for months when she sent that e-mail to her daughter, Chelsea, and also when that statement was put out.

JORDAN: We didn't know to the detail this continued, with the administration publicly saying one thing, privately telling the truth. Privately attributing it to the terrorist attack, which the State Department knew was the case, and publicly blaming it on a video. It continued for days and days and days.

What we also didn't know -- we have been told no military assets could get there. That's very different than none of them tried. We didn't start to send them there until after the attack was over. The fact that the spin started before the attack was over, but no assets were in motion to go there and help our people who were fighting for their lives, is a big takeaway. Politics drove this all. That's what we write about.

Their campaign says, oh, Republicans are politicizing this. The people who politicized it was the Clinton State Department, the Obama administration at 10:08 the night of the attacks. They instantly went to the video on air.

KEILAR: I do want to let our viewers know we are awaiting a White House press briefing that we are expecting the press secretary there will be questioned about this.

Some of the findings in this report include providing a mechanism for threat assessment in these situations, that that's important, and greater interagency communication and training, greater attention to future potential threats on the anniversary of 9/11 and greater mechanisms to provide survivor benefits. You add to that in -- actually, stand by for a moment, Congressman.

We are going to go to the White House where Josh Earnest is beginning.

JOSH EARNEST, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: -- is this, is the RNC going to disclose the income contributions they received from House Republicans? This is a $7 million effort funded by taxpayers to do what the would-be speaker of the House says was their goal, which is to tear down Secretary Clinton's poll numbers. That was their goal. It remains to see if that's what they accomplished.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: They claim the military was slow to respond to these assaults, eight hours after they had begun, no military assets had been directed towards them?

EARNEST: This has been thoroughly debunked by previous Republican-led investigations in the Congress. So I'm not going to get into the back and forth, because, frankly, Republicans have already done that. Republicans in the House Intelligence Committee have concluded that those exchanges are not true. Questions have been raised by the assertion by the Benghazi-lead investigator.

There is plenty of churn just to review what Republicans have concluded. Those congressional committees that have been committed to trying to understand the facts of a tragedy that led to the death of four Americans have concluded what happened was a tragedy. They have also concluded the variety of conspiracy theories that have been flowering on the Republican side of the aisle are politically motivated fantasies. It is unfortunate that the death of four Americans would be subject to that kind of political fantasizing. But that's the state of the Republican Party these days.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Another issue. It is time to take another look at agency policies regarding displacement of the flag at federal cemeteries. Would President Obama agree with that and would he direct that the Veterans Administration and the National Park Service to remove any flags?

EARNEST: I am not aware of how this question has been raised administratively. We can take a look at that. I do know that House Republicans in a partisan attempt to extend displays of the Confederate flag did allude to that in the Zika bill that they passed in the dark of night last week. I think that underscores the partisan nature of the legislation that they put forward. I'm not aware of any executive action that's being contemplated on this question.

Ayesha?

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Thank you. I wanted to talk about some more fallout from the Brexit vote. Scotland is looking at ways to possibly stay with E.U.

KEILAR: That is the White House press briefing, Josh Earnest addressing this House briefing.

We are speaking to someone on the committee, Congressman Jordan.

You did put out an addendum.

JORDAN: We had an 800-report that talks about what happened, the facts. We thought it was also important and Mr. Gowdy said this, the chairman said it, he encouraged people to read it and draw their own conclusions. Mr. Pompeii you and I drew our own conclusions. But that motivated us to stay there when so many other countries left? It was so dangerous one diplomat security described it as a suicide mission. He said, quote, "Everybody here is going to die." That's how bad the situation was. We were committed to stay. What drove us to stay? Why did we stay when everybody else seemed to be leaving? Why did we mislead the American people? The only explanation is political concerns overtook everything else. This was -- remember, you have to remember the context, Libya was

supposed to be the crown jewel of the Obama administration's foreign policy. You oust a dictator, part of the Arab Spring, and do it without putting boots on the ground. This was a wonderful day when Gadhafi left. 13 months later, the situation had gotten so bad that we have a diplomatic security agent saying, "Everybody is going to die," and yet they stayed because they were so invested from a political standpoint. When the tragedy happened, when 9/11/2012 happened, four Americans are killed, remember the narrative, we are 56 days before an election, bin Laden is dead and all Qaeda is on the run. This is their legacy? They can't tell the truth; it was a terrorist attack.

They concoct this story before the attack is over. They start saying it is a video-inspired protest that led to this attack. They ran with that story publicly, even though privately for days. In that same place, Josh Earnest is standing, and Jay Carney stood right there, two days after, and said, there is no evidence to suggest it was a pre- planned attack that same day.

State Department personnel in Tripoli said, we know it was a well- planned attack. You couldn't be more polar opposite. They accused us of playing politics. The politics started with them, because it was 56 days before an election. All we do is show that the facts convey n convey that and in a very strong way.

KEILAR: Congressman Jordan, thanks for being with us.

JORDAN: Thank you.

KEILAR: Coming up, buyer's remorse perhaps in Britain. The U.K. hesitating to pull the trigger and leave the European Union. Can the E.U. push them out? We'll discuss.

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[13:44:13] KEILAR: For the first time since the Brexit vote, British prime minister David Cameron is facing leaders from European Union countries doing damage control. Meanwhile, here in the U.S., President Obama is urging everyone to remain calm about the future of the United States closest ally.

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BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think that the best way to think about this is a pause button has been pressed on the project of full European integration. I would not overstate it. There has been a little bit of hysteria post the Brexit vote as if somehow NATO is gone and the trans-Atlantic alliance is dissolving and every country is rushing off to its own corner. That's not what's happening.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: U.S. markets seem to be heeding that advice, bouncing back for the time being. CNN International's Richard Quest is in Brussels.

How are these discussions, Richard, between Prime Minister David Cameron and E.U. leaders going? Do you think anything is going to be accomplished?

[13:45:17] RICHARD QUEST, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT & CNN HOST, QUEST MEANS BUSINESS: Oh, not tonight. I mean, I can s that with absolute certainty. For a simple reason that a large number of the Europeans are saying there can be no informal negotiations until the British starting gun known as Article 50. Until he formally says to this lot, by the way, we are leaving, and it has to be formally done. He can't have sort of an "anybody knows it is going to happen." There can be no formal or informal negotiations.

Tonight, we are going to have a dinner. They are going to have a dinner. I am going to stand here and wait and watch. They are going to basically hear from David Cameron himself about what happened, why he is re-signing, how long he expects it to be before he will start the formal process.

I have to tell you, there are a lot of people who are very annoyed, some who are frustrated. Down right uncertain as to what happens next.

Now, one man who is here, is pretty much none of those things. It is Nigel Farage. He is head of the United Kingdom Independence Party, UKIP. He was one of the most prominent Leave Campaigners. He was basically bluntly rude to the European parliament today, telling them none of them had a decent job.

Afterwards, I asked him did he see the similarities between himself and his position on Brexit and Donald Trump in the United States.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST: Our viewers in the United States who are watching now and wondering what on earth is going to happen to Britain, how can Britain thrive, I didn't say survive, I say thrive outside the European Union when the banks are being decimated in the share price and the threats have been very severe. And the pound has fallen 13, 14 percent.

NIGEL FARAGE, UNITED KINGDOM INDEPENDENCE PARTY LEADER: The FTSE is up 3 percent. 12 percent since February. Sterling is marginally lower than it was in February. We have to stop this nonsense about the markets. The pound has been in the bear market since July, 2014. Fact.

American viewers, imagine if NAFTA was a political union. Imagine if a court in Mexico could overrule. Imagine if you had free movement of people with Mexico. How would you feel? You wouldn't like it. What we are doing in the U.K. We are reasserting our democratic rights. In terms of business and trade, we'll go on trading.

QUEST: You are starting to sound in some way with the similar policies to Donald Trump. Now, he admires the Brexit result. He said it was fantastic. It was brilliant. Do you admire Donald Trump in this U.S. presidential election?

FARAGE: Donald Trump dares to talk about things other people want to brush under the carpet. What Mr. Trump is doing in America is very different than what I am trying to do in the United Kingdom. My problem in politics is far greater than Donald Trump's. We have literally lost our sovereignty, lost our borders, lost our ability to regulate.

QUEST: He would say the same thing about U.S. borders.

FARAGE: The problem you have in the U.S. is illegal immigration. Our problem is legal immigration to half a billion people.

QUEST: So you wouldn't be looking to him for support. On the one hand, he also says if he becomes president of the United States, Barack Obama is going to the back of the trade queue wouldn't happen. You would be at the front of the cue.

(CROSSTALK)

QUEST: So in many ways you must hope he becomes president.

FARAGE: For the United Kingdom, I think Trump would be better for us than Barack Obama has been. No doubt.

QUEST: How about Hillary Clinton? You are not going to take sides at this early stage?

FARAGE: There is nothing on earth that could persuade me ever to vote for Hillary Clinton.

QUEST: You sure you don't want to think about that?

FARAGE: No. Absolutely not.

(CROSSTALK)

FARAGE: I mean, she represents the elite. It's almost as if she feels she has a divine right to have that job.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

QUEST: OK. So that was Nigel Farage.

We talked just about the dinner. Let me tell you what I believe they are eating tonight at this so-called last supper for David Cameron and the Brexit divide. Brianna, they are having quail - sorry, somebody was just telephoning me. Let's get rid of that. They are having quail and green bean salad with crispy dried fruit pastry triangle -- sounds rather nice actually -- poached veal tenderloin with seasonal baby vegetables straws. I'm not sure what vegetable straws are. That doesn't sound so appetizing. But I kind of like the idea of the quail and green been salad with dried fruit pastry triangle.

[13:50:09] KEILAR: Surprised there's no humble pie on there, Richard Quest. Thank you so much for that reporting. QUEST: Oh, that's a good one.

(LAUGHTER)

That's a good one.

KEILAR: Coming, we'll be talking lead in your water. A new report shows it's a problem for 18 million Americans. Is the EPA taking action? We'll have that next.

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KEILAR: 18 million Americans may be at risk for getting drinking water tainted with lead. The top environmental group says the government knows all about the problem but hasn't acted.

CNN's Sara Ganim has this exclusive report.

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SARA GANIM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): More than 18 million Americans are getting their drinking water from systems that have violated federal lead rules. Not only does the EPA know about it, they've done almost nothing to enforce their own regulations, according to multiple industry experts.

ERIK OLSON, NATIONAL SOURCES DEFENSE COUNCIL: I think that the public needs to be told the truth about contamination in their water supply.

GANIM: More than 5,000 water systems are in violation, including failure to properly test water, failure to report contamination, and failure to treat water properly, according to a new analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council, or NRDC. In nine out of 10 cases, the EPA water systems violated the lead and copper rule, the federal regulation meant to keep America's tap water safe from lead.

[13:55:32] OLSON: Imagine a cop sitting watching people run stop signs and speed at 90 miles an hour through small communities and doing absolutely nothing about it. That's, unfortunately, what we have now.

GANIM: Erik Olson is among the experts saying water utilities are routinely gaming the system, using incorrect testing methods to avoid detecting high levels of lead.

What that means is there are even more water systems with lead issues that aren't officially in violation.

OLSON: They don't care if they're violating the law. They don't feel like they're going to face any penalties.

GANIM: Philadelphia is one city accused of gaming the system. In 2014, city officials sent residents questionable instructions for testing telling them to pre-flush their water and remove aerators which often track particles of lead. Experts say both techniques would make lead levels appear lower than they actually are. In fact, the EPA instructed as far back as 2007 that they should not remove or clean aerators.

JONATHAN KING, PHILADELPHIA RESIDENT: I was concerned. I wanted to test my home's water.

GANIM: Jonathan's King's 18-month-old water has been drinking Philadelphia's water from the tap since she was born. He's organizing a group of homeowners to get independent answers because he doesn't trust the way the city conducted its testing.

KING: It concerns me that they're not using the best practices available. It concerns me that they're not following the latest EPA regulations.

GANIM: So why doesn't the EPA enforce its own rules? Multiple sources and industry experts tell CNN it comes down to two key reasons, water isn't a main priority for the EPA because its resources are stretched thin, and the EPA has a cozy relationship with the water systems it's supposed to regulate.

OLSON: They're friends, they hang out for each other. They ask for each other's advice and you get close after a while.

GANIM (on camera): So should citizens be worried?

OLSON: Citizens should be very concerned.

GANIM (voice-over): When Alan Morrissey retired last year from his job as an EPA Water Department enforcement officer, he said he was frustrated because blatant violations would go without punishment. Morrissey says even EPA employees don't trust what comes out of their tap.

ALAN MORRISSEY, RETIRED EPA WATER DEPARTMENT ENFORCEMENT OFFICER: Most of my colleagues have all chosen to install water filter underneath our kitchen sink.

GANIM (on camera): But you are saying that people who work at the EPA are buying water filters because they aren't confident in the quality of their tap water?

MORRISSEY: Yes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KEILAR: Sara Ganim joins me from New York.

Sara, how is the EPA responding to this and do they have any problems to address this problem?

GANIM: So last night the EPA responded to the report saying, "The EPA works closely with states and the states are the first line of defense when it comes to drinking water systems and they also said it is important to note that many of the systems the NRDC cites in that analysis are already working to resolve violations."

I have it tell you something. The most shocking thing to me when I first read this report was that Flint, Michigan, which opened up all of our eyes to this invisible issue, one of the most notorious, egregious cases of lead and water contamination we've seen in a decade. That system is not in violation by the EPA technically 37 and so that really paints a picture an issue like this is, that places that have this problem aren't necessarily being forced to correct it.

KEILAR: How is that in compliance?

GANIM: Well, Flint -- for various technical reasons, the EPA has decided not it find Flint, Michigan to be in violation. Now if you -- you look at the situation there, common sense would tell you that they have an issue. EPA would do something. And on that thread, people across the country when they -- they turn on their water, they're hoping, they're putting their trust in the government that the federal government is going to make sure the water is safe. What this report, our reporting, and what industry exports have told us, it all boils down to they are not doing that. In most cases, if the state is not enforcing, if the state oversight fails, there is no backstop. The federal government isn't keeping them in check.

KEILAR: Sara Ganim, great report. Thank you so much.

That is it for me. I'll be back at 5:00 p.m. eastern on "The Situation Room."

NEWSROOM with Pamela Brown starts now.

[14:00:13] PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. I'm Pamela Brown, in for Brooke Baldwin.