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Senator Corker Takes Himself Out of VP Race; Trump We Have Ten VP Names That Haven't Surfaced; Clinton Slams Trump's Failed Business Deals; Trump Praises Saddam Hussein: "He Killed Terrorists"; FBI Head to Testify on Clinton Email Probe Tomorrow; Trump Campaign: $55 Million Raised in June; Deadly Police Shooting Sparks Protests; Justice Department to Investigate Deadly Police Shooting; Family Demands Justice for Father Shot Dead by Cops; Mayor: Trying Our Best to Get All the Answers. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired July 06, 2016 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:00] PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: Top of the hour now. Thanks for joining in. I'm Pamela Brown in for Brooke Baldwin. Let's get straight to our breaking news and the race for president. Republican Senator Bob Corker is now taking himself off Donald Trump's VP short list, this comes just one day after he appeared with Trump at a rally in North Carolina. Just hours before Trump campaigns with another potential VP pick, former House speaker Newt Gingrich. And we just saw them leaving Trump Tower together right here. Let's get to CNN senior political reporter, Manu Raju, who just spoke with Senator Corker. What did he have to say, Manu?

MANU RAJU, CNN, SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: Bob Corker said he was just not ready for him to be selected as Trump's running mate even though he had spent time being vetted. He gave documents over to the Trump campaign. And we were told he was being taken very, very seriously on a very short list when Trump was considering picking him, but Corker just did not feel the timing was right. Did not feel he was well suited for the job and he spent times telling that to each of Donald Trump's children, and he later told Donald Trump that the time just wasn't right.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BOB CORKER, (R) TENNESSEE: I think there are jobs for people like me, if you were going to serve in an administration, what I'm doing right now is a tremendous privilege, you know, that people like me are probably a little bit better suited --

RAJU: For Secretary of State.

CORKER: I don't want to be presumptuous, but you know, there are jobs certainly that people like me, with the kind of background that I have and probably I'm better suited for.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: So clearly, Pam, he wants to play a different role in a potential Trump administration, possibly Secretary of State. He also mentioned he would be likely speaking at the Republican National Convention about foreign policy, and that's one reason why folks were pushing him to get that nod as a running mate, because he's chairman of the foreign relations committee. He does have foreign policy knowledge could help Trump in that specific area, but clearly does not feel that

he should get it. One other thing he also said the best person that Donald Trump should pick potentially should be his daughter, Ivanka. That's who Bob Corker is pushing right now.

BROWN: I don't know if she's on our short list.

RAJU: Yes, that's right.

BROWN: Someone who is, is the VP candidate Joni Ernst. There's speculation that she might be picked and there's some news about her, right?

RAJU: Yes, it's uncertain whether or not she actually wants this position. One of our colleagues Betsy Klein, caught up with Joni Ernst earlier today and asked specifically if she had been vetted for the position. If she had submitted any information to the Trump campaign and she said no. She also signaled a willingness to potentially do something else which is to speak at the Republican National Convention.

That seems to be where her interest lies right now. If she's not vetted now, it's hard to see how they could turn around a whole full vet be of her before potentially next week when Donald Trump announces his running mate so possibly two Senators here taken out of the mix. That short list, Pam, getting shorter.

BROWN: All right, Manu Raju, thank you so much, and let's discuss what all of this means, I'm going to turn now to Jackie Kucinich, Washington bureau chief of the Daily Beast, and Michael Caputo a former campaign director for Donald Trump and Miami Beach, Mayor Philip Levine who supports Hillary Clinton.

Michael, Senator Corker was just with Donald Trump last night. What would compel the VP candidate to pull out this way? Couldn't he have done it before he went to North Carolina with Trump, should he have done that?

MICHAEL CAPUTO, FORMER CAMPAIGN DIRECTOR FOR DONALD TRUMP: No, actually I don't think so and by the way, Bob Corker probably the nicest guy on the entire list. He's got a lot of good feelings about him in Capitol Hill. People trust him, his constituents trust him. I don't doubt he would do it this way. He would express his own opinion that he might be better suited for something else.

And by the way in the vice presidential selection process like this that's a relief for people on the other end. Even though there are some people in the Trump camp that might like to see Bob Corker as vice president, it helps them whittle the list a little bit. And it lets them know that he's perfectly available to do something equally important or certainly nearly as important. Look at the Secretary of State idea. Boy, if we had had Bob Corker as Secretary of State for the past several years we wouldn't be talking about the FBI today. BROWN: And one of the reasons he is such an attractive candidate,

Jackie, is because of his foreign policy experience. Is there anyone else on Trump's VP short list that can give Trump what Corker offered?

[15:05:02] JACKIE KUCINICH, WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, THE DAILY BEAST: Corker definitely did have a very specialized area when you do talk about foreign policy. Aside from him, though, the names you have heard are people like Newt Gingrich, who has done a lot of studying of foreign policy, hasn't necessarily had the role that Corker has. And Chris Christie who largely has the executive experience of being the governor of New Jersey, but foreign policy would be sort of a hole there. As far as the more serious names that we've heard, not really. So he'd have to fill that out perhaps somewhere else.

BROWN: All right and let's talk about the events that happened yesterday. You had Director Comey came out and say the FBI is not recommending charges, but clearly did not absolve Hillary Clinton, saying she was careless, extremely careless. Condemning her use of a private server. And after this Hillary Clinton went on the attack against Trump, did not address anything having to do with her e-mail server. She was in Atlanta City, where Trump's businesses declared four bankruptcies. The last one in 2009.

Let's take a listen to what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PARTY PRESUMPTIVE NOMINEE: He doesn't default and go bankrupt as a last resort. He does it over and over again on purpose. Even though he knows he will leave others empty-handed while he keeps the plane, the helicopter, the penthouse. Donald Trump has been involved in more than 3,500 lawsuits over the past 30 years. That's one every three days, give or take. Today's Wednesday, so he's due for another one.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: So mayor, how effective was she today? Was it effective enough to overshadow her email problems?

PHILLIP LEVINE, MAYOR, MIAMI BEACH: Well, I think most importantly the FBI Director Comey, who ran an incredible investigation, it was fair, it was honest, competent, it was independent, cleared her of all charges, because we know there was nothing there. But more importantly, Donald Trump, which Secretary Clinton showed, is a fraud. He's had fraudulent business practices, he has not released his IRS returns, he's being sued in New York State Court by the Attorney General for

Trump University.

Atlantic City was a mess with multiple bankruptcies. This is a guy that has a graveyard of bad business deals. He started with $200 million from his daddy, and has been able to hopefully get somewhere under a $1 billion with it over this many years.

She's just pointing out that this fraudulent businessman is not qualified or fit to be the President of the United States. What I would like to see and I would ask CNN. I'd ask all of the news bureaus, let's bring on Donald Trump's former business partners. We have not produced one of them. I would like to talk to them. There's a graveyard. No one has had a good experience with Donald Trump, including his customers, his bankers or his students from Trump University.

BROWN: And Donald Trump, before we get to you, Michael, defended himself with several tweets in response to this including this one right here blaming local lawmakers. He says, "I made a lot of money in Atlantic City, and left seven years ago, great timing as all know. Politicians made big mistakes, now many bankruptcies." So Michael what do you think, are these tweets enough?

CAPUTO: Well, I was in Atlantic City working during the time when Donald Trump was there, and the problems were almost all about the local politicians. Donald Trump was in a very volatile environment. Every casino was having problems there, and the fact that Donald Trump made some good money in a volatile environment speaks well for his ability to operate as a businessman. Of course, Hillary Clinton has no understanding of this, and neither does the mayor. Because they have never --

LEVINE: Really? The mayor happens to be a self-made entrepreneur who's created many large companies in our country, my friend. And I don't think you have. We know that Donald Trump is a fraud. Don't talk as a business person because you are not one.

BROWN: Let me ask you this because Michael, Hillary Clinton clearly wants to focus on the bankruptcies not on the Clinton emails, should Donald Trump be focusing more on that and all that Director Comey had to say rather than going after this, and Saddam Hussein, praising him. And what do you make of that should he just keep focus on what Director Comey had to say?

CAPUTO: I understand what you are saying about the Saddam Hussein comment, I think that was a flippant remark. It wasn't praising him at all. I think that whenever Hillary lays out a line of BS like she did today Donald Trump or his campaign has to answer every negative that's put out there. But in fact here's the real deal, and the mayor knows it as well. Hillary Clinton was tried in a press conference yesterday by FBI Director Comey, and found guilty of many, many different things.

LEVINE: Hillary Clinton was found zero guilty of anything. And that's what your Republican appointed when you mentioned my name I'm going to respond to you. I'm going to respond to you every time you mention my name.

BROWN: Mayor, it doesn't make sense for you to talk over each other, no one can understand what you are saying. So mayor you go, Michael will get you and Jackie I promise I will get back to you. Go ahead, Mayor.

LEVINE: The Republican appointed Director of the FBI did a thorough investigation. He said there is no evidence of any wrongdoing from Secretary Clinton, the case is over. Get over it.

[15:10:03] CAPUTO: That's hilarious.

LEVINE: Now let's talk about Donald Trump's fraudulent business practices, bring on his business partners.

BROWN: Let's have him respond, mayor, why is that hilarious?

CAPUTO: You are hilarious, mayor.

BROWN: Why?

CAPUTO: I'm sorry repeat that, repeat that.

BROWN: Why is that hilarious?

CAPUTO: Because anybody who watched that press conference knew that Comey was laying out the fact that she was guilty of many different aspects that were investigated by the FBI. She clearly sent classified emails, a 110 of them, many of them top secret and secret. She clearly deleted more emails then she returned to the State Department, she clearly lied about using multiple devices, she clearly lied about how her system was set up. It is absolutely clear that she lied throughout the entire investigation.

BROWN: Why doesn't Trump focus on that instead of, you know, because the criticism all along is he gets distracted easily, he picks the wrong target sometimes.

CAPUTO: Listen, you're right about that. There's a legit criticism, but you can't let lazy BS accusations like Hillary laid out today sit out there without having an answer. Donald Trump is going to stick on what's going to defeat Hillary Clinton. And that is that one out of four Americans, when asked what they think of her, they say unprompted, I don't trust her. That was a poll taken before this whole announcement yesterday by the FBI Director, and when they poll that, it will be 1 in 3.

KUCINICH: Yes, but it is not like Donald Trump has the market cornered on trust, either. He wasn't really much higher than that, to be perfectly honest with you. Yes, there's a lot to talk about when it comes to Hillary Clinton and the e-mails, and Donald Trump sort of ruined that news cycle for himself by talking how awesome Saddam Hussein was at getting rid of terrorists. So it seems like both campaigns have a lot to sort of focus on and maybe need some improvement in both of those regards.

BROWN: Certainly not helping their favorability ratings. But really quickly I want to ask before we wrap up, Jackie. Trump's campaign announced it raised $55 million, nearly 4 million is from Trump. What do you think? Is this a turnaround for the Trump team after they have received you know criticism or concern that they weren't raising enough money?

KUCINICH: This is a very different campaign, because I saw a lot of people saying talking about Mitt Romney had raised $100 million, perhaps more at this time in the last cycle but Donald Trump's reliance on television or media has been sort of unprecedented. So we'll have to see. It really this is playing out in so many different ways, it seems like the old measures really aren't helping us to be much of a guidance in this cycle.

BROWN: Jackie Kucinich, Michael Caputo, mayor and thank you so much to the three of you, appreciate it.

And up next right here in the newsroom, breaking news out of Baton Rouge, protests erupting after a deadly police shooting of an African- American man. Chilling cell phone video of this incident prompting outrage, and now we're learning the Feds are taking over this investigation. We are going to take you live to Louisiana up next.

Plus, a new report revealing problems at plagued VA hospitals apparently going from bad to worse.

Our own Drew Griffin broke the story two years ago joins us live with more.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:17:00] BROWN: Well, the Justice Department has opened yet another civil rights probe into a deadly police shooting, this one in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The incident has ignited a firestorm, the person shot and killed was an African-American man. And the confrontation was caught on video. It unfolded Tuesday in front of the several witnesses. We want to warn you the images are graphic and disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get on the ground. Get on the ground.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gun.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my god.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They shot him?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my goodness.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my god.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: The deceased is 37-year-old Alton Sterling, who you see here. Witnesses say he was selling CDs in the parking lot of a convenience store when this police scuffle erupted. The officers were responding to a 911 call alleging Sterling threatened someone with a gun. Today the mother of Sterling's 15-year-old son choked back tears as she vowed not to remain silent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

QUINYETTA MCMILLAN, MOTHER OF ALTON STERLING: The individuals involved in his murder took away a man with children who depended upon their daddy on a daily basis. My son is not the youngest. He is the oldest of his siblings. He is 15 years old. He had to watch this, as this was put all over the outlets.

As this video has been shared across the world, you will see with your own eyes how he was handled unjustly and killed without regard for the lives that he helped raise. What I saw last night from the real citizens of Baton Rouge will forever warm my heart. We are a complete community of individuals who will carry this burden and also stand together to ensure that this event will not go un-justice. I must not go unnoticed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: CNN's Nick Valencia is right outside the Baton Rouge police station with reaction from the city's response. Nick?

[15:20:05] NICK VALENCIA, CNN, NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Pamela it is already an emotionally charged atmosphere, not just in the city, but also here outside of the Baton Rouge Police Department headquarters.

About an hour ago we saw a handful the protesters, activists here in the community that came to protest the actions of those two police officers here at this local police department. The Feds are investigating the shooting death of 37-year-old Alton Sterling. They have now launched a civil rights investigation. The U.S. attorney will also be involved as will the Louisiana State Police department.

What we do know happen is just after midnight on Tuesday morning, Alton Sterling was said to be selling CDs outside the Triple S convenience store. That's when an anonymous 911 phone call came in saying he had a gun and that he had pointed it at somebody. We know what happened only from one perspective, a cell phone video shot by a bystander who was parked in the parking lot outside the convenience store. And what that video shows is 37-year-old Alton, quickly taken to the ground by these two police officers. At one point someone yells that Sterling has a gun, presumably one of the two police officers.

That's when in the subsequent seconds we hear multiple gunshots. According to the coroner, Sterling was pronounced dead at the scene. He had gunshot wounds to his chest and back. And we mentioned those activists who are concerned, angered and outraged about what they call excessive force. They're really upset also upset that more video they suspect of the shooting has not been made public, specifically the surveillance video from inside that convenience store. The police chief knows that this is a charged environment here in Baton Rouge and addressed some of those concerns at a press conference earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MAYOR KIP HOLDEN, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA: You find people want to jump make a political statement, including the justice department. We've got congressmen from New Orleans saying I'm calling for a full investigation. Well, we've already been working on that. It's not like we need to be handheld and spoon-fed when it comes down to doing what's right. And so when we tell you these things and what's going on, it's very, very important that you understand we are doing our best to make sure we get all the answers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: Part of the criticism of police is that it took them more than 48 hours to make a public statement after this shooting happened. And that only came after there was intense protests here last night. One of the unfortunate things about shootings like this, as precedent has shown, is that we know an incredible amount of the person -- incredible amount about the person that was shot, but very little about the officers involved. That's the same in this situation, we know that Sterling had a criminal history, but we know very little about those two officers involved, other than they were both veterans of the police department, three-year veteran and four-year veterans being named as Howie Lake and Blane Salamoni, respectively, Pamela.

BROWN: All right, Nick Valencia. Thank you very much. And outraged over this incident is sweeping social media.

Local community leaders are demanding the mayor and police chief resign. And some also want both officers arrested and charged. Joining me now to discuss all this. Criminal and civil trial attorney, Eric Guster. And former DEA agent and law enforcement expert, David Katz. Lots of debate about whether this was justified, that debate will continue, but David, you say from your vantage point, yes, it was justified. Why so?

DAVID KATZ, LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIREARMS, HOMELAND SECURITY EXPERT: OK, so you can at least make a good case that the officers acted pursuant to departmental guidelines. Let me give you the general department of justice use of force policy, which is consistent with most please departments all over the country. An officer is justified in the use of deadly force when he is acting under the belief he's about to or a third party is about to be subject to deadly force or receive serious bodily harm.

So they responded to a call with a man with a gun. It turns out the individual, later the hidden gun from his person. That seems to be a corroborating fact. He does not listen to the arrest commands as they're given. They take him to the ground. They're using less than lethal force. Both officers holster the weapons during the confrontation. Immediately thereafter you hear one of the officers say he's got a gun. The gun does not have to be taken from the pocket. I'm sure when they were wrestling or it's possible that they were wrestling they actually felt the gun.

So you hear that, he's got my gun, or he's got a gun. The officer after that fires. So there is a persuasive case to be made that the officer fired when he believed that the individual that Mr. Sterling was actually reaching for that weapon. You don't have to clear the pocket. We've done a million training scenarios in Quantico, where I was an instructor, The Department of Justice, they're all scenarios that are consistent with this policy. One of the them is a person reaching into an area that is commonly used to secret a firearm. In this case, we know the firearm was in his pocket. Before we rush to judgment, we have to see whether the officers were in fact acting, because he was reaching for or had the gun in his hand.

[15:25:00] BROWN: All right, Eric, do you agree?

ERIC GUSTER, CRIMINAL AND CIVIL TRIAL ATTORNEY: No, I don't. This video is very clear and it clearly shows two officers attacking a man who was simply selling CDs. There was a call in reference to a gun being drawn on someone. However, these officers did not approach him with their guns drawn. Therefore, the first officer attacked him. He attacked Alton. Took him to the ground. And the second officer pulled his weapon and shot him several times, not even once or twice, but several times.

That's one of the problems that the community has with Baton Rouge. Baton Rouge has a history of -- their police department has a history of abusing and segregating certain people and abusing them, especially with police brutality. I'm talked to several lawyers in the area as well as community leaders today, and this is a pattern of processes with the Baton Rouge police department. That's why so many people are outraged and so many people are calling for resignations. This is one that's just on video, and fortunately that this was caught on video, unlike so many dozens and dozens of other shootings, this one is caught on video, and hopefully they'll be brought to justice.

BROWN: Something though that the video does not show is what happened regarding that gun that we've been talking about. That a witness said was in Sterling's pocket. How do we know if he did or did not reach for it? Will it be hard to prove Sterling's that his civil rights were violated, Eric?

GUSTER: It may be difficult to prove that, but the witnesses also stated it was still in the man's pocket. If the officer does not feel threatened by an offender, they cannot use deadly force. And David is aware of that and all of us are aware of that. You cannot use deadly force unless you're threatened by it. A weapon being present is not enough for an officer to engage his firearm and shoot a person who's lying on the ground --

KATZ: But that's not what happened here.

GUSTER: -- who is being detained by someone else.

BROWN: But what about before, David, the 911 call where threatening someone with a gun. How does that factor into all of this?

KATZ: This is the important point. Eric, I know you're aware of this, but the important fact is that police are responding to a man with a gun charge. You say selling he's selling CDs. He wasn't -- that encounter was not because he was selling CDs. The encounter was because somebody called in a man with a gun. And by the way, a couple years back right here in Times Square, not 12 blocks from this building, a CD seller, one of the guys down in Times Square after being approached by a police officer drew a MAC-10 machine pistol and started firing.

GUSTER: But David, the gun was still in his pocket, though.

KATZ: Yes, but wait. OK, I understand that, but they respond to a man with a gun call. They draw their weapons. They give him lawful commands and he does not comply. There's no such thing as I don't feel like listening to police officers. When you're giving a lawful order you comply.

GUSTER: Oh, so, so --

KATZ: Period.

GUSTER: Not complying with officers does not equate to murder.

KATZ: Get your -- again you're --

GUSTER: He was being restrained by one of the officers, and then the other officer shot him. What is there to debate about that?

KATZ: Very simple. The guy -- he has a weapon on his person, we know that. Where was his hand? You can't see it. I can't see it.

BROWN: Part of the reason why is because as we know, the body cameras fell off. And so the full story isn't there in that regard. But there is surveillance video. Apparently at a vantage point, which of course will be in the DOJ investigation as we know the Feds are taking over. Eric Guster, David Katz, thank you very much for sharing your analysis and perspective on this story. We do appreciate it.

Coming up on this Wednesday, two years after a CNN investigation exposed major problems in VA hospitals, a new report shows some problem have only gotten worse. And are our very own Drew Griffin, who broke the story, joins us live to explain.

Plus, just a few hours from now Donald Trump will hit the campaign trail with Newt Gingrich. This as another potential VP pick backs out. We'll weigh the pros and cons of the people left on the short list with a Republican insider.

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