Return to Transcripts main page

Wolf

Pence to Join Trump at Indiana Event Tonight; Obama to Honor Dallas Fallen Officers; Heart-Felt Words for Fallen Dallas Officers. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired July 12, 2016 - 13:30   ET

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

[13:30:00] DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: He is one of the top contenders. There are a couple others that nobody is talking about. Maybe that's just his way of having some suspense when the obvious contenders seem to be right in front of us.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: We will know soon enough.

Phil, Hillary Clinton, the meeting and discussing key very sensitive issues, including abortion, LGBT issues. Is Donald Trump getting language included on his core proposal, for example, building a wall between the United States and Mexico? Is that part of the official Republican Party platform?

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's on its way, Wolf. Two Trump supporters inserted it into the draft language. An interesting element, Wolf, that's one of the few areas where there is a very clear stamp. Some non -- people are opposed to Trump said that's because Trump doesn't care about policy. There is a strategy here. What you are seeing is social conservatives rack up victories during this process. That's the Trump campaign being a little hand off. They are allowing social conservatives, people who are very wary of some of Trump's policy positions to rack up win ns the platform committee. It is not going to change anything that Donald Trump says or does. Let them have their wins and perhaps that will help molly phi those against Donald Trump and unify a party that still remains quite fractured a couple days out from the Republican convention.

BLITZER: Phil, Jeff, Dana, guys, stand by.

I want to show our ewers live pictures we're getting from Dallas right now. President Obama and former President George W. Bush will be speaking shortly at a memorial service for the five slain police officers. We have just learned that aboard Air Force One on route to Dallas, the president placed telephone calls to family members of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, to offer his and the first lady's condolences on behalf of the American people for the deaths of their loved ones. Those were the two African-Americans killed by police officers. The president just called their families.

Let's take a quick break. The memorial service will begin shortly.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:31:45] BLITZER: The city of Dallas getting ready to honor five police officers shot and killed in an ambush attack. The five police officers, Brent Thompson, Patriccio Zamarripa, Michael Krol, Lorne Ahrens and Michael Smith. They are about to be honored by the president. He will speak at the interfaith service about to begin. The president will meet in private with the families of those police officers. They were murdered during a demonstration over the death of two African-American men killed by police.

At a vigil, the city's police chief compared the fallen officers to super heroes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID BROWN, DALLAS POLICE CHIEF: Faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, look, it is a train, it is a plane. No. It is Patriccio Zamarripa. Look, it is Michael Krol. And look, it is Lorne Ahrens and Michael Smith. God's speed. God bless you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The Dallas police chief there. Very dramatic word.

The Democratic congressman from South Carolina, Jim Clyburn, is joining us as we await the president of the United States. The former president, George W. Bush, and others will speak at this interfaith memorial service.

Congressman, thank you so much for joining us.

How does President Obama help heal the country right now? This is a difficult moment.

REP. JIM CLYBURN, (D), SOUTH CAROLINA: Thank you so much. This is a very difficult moment as someone who lived through the '60s, was very active back in 1968. In 1972, when the country faced similar challenges, I know what the president is up against. If we're not careful, we will see forces using these kinds of incidents to further divide the country. That's why I was very pleased when I heard this morning that the president was writing his comments today himself. I think this is what is necessary for him so poor himself into these comments today. I do believe he has a very good feel for how to connect on this level. I'm looking forward to his comments. I am sure they will go a long ways towards healing the division that currently exists in too many parts of our great country.

[13:40:03] BLITZER: This is going to be the 11th time he has had to go out there and troy to console the nation after a horrific event. You have to deal with this type of tragedy, that mass shooting at the historic Emanuel AME church in Charleston where you live. Nine people, wonderful people were murdered. He went and murdered those nine people. How do you console a community and bring everybody together?

CLYBURN: It is tough to do. As you know on Thursday evening at 7:30, we will have a national speak-out. There is a busload of Emanuel members and family members, survivors will be coming from Charleston up here on Thursday evening. Quite a few AME members will be coming from Philadelphia where they are now meeting in their conference. That closes down today and tomorrow. Many of them, including Reverend Pinckney's widow will be here on the West front of the capitol on Thursday evening, trying to do what we can to say to people that we need to heal and come together. Violence is not the way to respond to this kind of issue. Recall, Dr. King often said that doctors cannot drive out doctors. It takes love to drive out hate. So when people mistreated you let's go to our basic religious teachings. I have family members who are police officers and very good friends. Pray for the families that are suffering in Dallas. We must also keep in mind, though, that there are forces. I've seen this stuff on the Internet that will use this to try to further drive wedges in our society. We must do everything we possibly can for them not to succeed. We must disarm hate.

BLITZER: Thank you for joining us on this important day.

CLYBURN: Thanks so much for having me.

BLITZER: Up next, what does President Obama need to say in Dallas to help bring the nation together and to start the healing process as he gets ready to pay tribute to the five police officers gunned down in an ambush attack? There are the pictures of these five police officers.

Let's take a quick break. Much more of our special coverage after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:47:35] BLITZER: We'll have live coverage of the memorial service, the interfaith memorial service for those five Dallas police officers coming up. They lost their lives in last week's horrific ambush.

Here are some of the health-felt words from those officers' friends, fellow officers, delivered a vigil last night.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: These five heroes weren't just outstanding police officers, sons and husbands. They were neighbors, coaches, and church members.

UNIDENTIFIED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER: Brent Thompson became a shining example of what it means to be a warrior, to be strong, to be brave and act with valor, above all, to be a hero. Brent Thompson was my friend and I loved him.

UNIDENTIFIED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER: I've never been so honored as I am now to have the opportunity to speak about our brother and friend. He was giving and selfless and compassionate. He saw no color. Nothing mattered to him except that you were human. And that is why he is loved so much.

UNIDENTIFIED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER: Michael was a great friend. UNIDENTIFIED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER: Your family, your brother, your

sisters, your girlfriend, your co-workers, your mom, your dad, we will miss you but we will never forget you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I've been entrusted with the difficult task to find the words to remember my brother, Loren.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was Mike's long-time partner. We choose to continue Mike's fight for good and to not let the evil prevail.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Our deepest condolences to those families and friends.

Let's bring in Michael Eric Dyson, author of "The Black Presidency, Barack Obama and the Politics of Race in America." Also with us, presidential historian, Douglas Brinkley; and our "CNN Tonight" anchor, Don Lemon.

Michael, this is the 11th time the president's had to go out and comfort the nation. What can he say today that he hasn't already said so many other times?

MICHAEL ERIC DYSON, AUTHOR: Well, he's got to recapitulate what he said during those horrendous and horrific events in the past where race and culture have clashed, where authority in those who protest the misapplication of authority. I think the "Dallas Morning News" editorial had it right. You've got to console the nation and the grief-stricken officers, their families and the enormous evil that was revealed and you've got to also deal with the intransigence of racial bias against African-American people that led to the protests in the first place. And I think if the president focuses a light on both, he will help heal the nation as opposed to divide us.

[13:50:17] BLITZER: You heard the congressman from South Carolina, Don Lemon, say he was heartened that the president himself has written his speech. This is a very, very personal issue for the president of the United States. Explain why.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Well, this time because of the issues that it has to deal with race. I remember he wrote his speech as well for the Newtown killings of those children as well. I think this has become deeply personal for the president because he's had to do it 11 times. We say 11 times. We just say numbers. But that's dozens of families. Dozens of loved ones who have lost people that he has had to console over the years. This is why it is personal to him. Again, we keep saying 11 times.

Wolf, let me just read this off quick: Ft. Hood, 2009, Tucson was 2011, Newtown, 2012, Aurora 2012, Navy Yard 2013, Ft. Hood 2014, Charleston 2015, Roseburg 2015, San Bernardino, 2015, Orlando, 2016. Here we are at Dallas just a few weeks after Orlando. This is why it's personal for the president. I have to say that I agree with Michael, he's walking a tight rope here, one that he has walked before, at least when it comes to Charleston. But on top of that, he's going to have to deal with the issue of mental health and possibly how we treat our veterans. How our veterans don't get the help they need when they come home. This time he has to deal with race, he has to deal with gun violence and he has to deal with mental health issues in former members of our military. I think that's why it is deeply personal to him and he chose to write his own speech this time.

BLITZER: Douglas, you're our presidential historian. Give us some perspective on this moment we are about to observe.

DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Well, as mentioned, it is sad that President Obama's two-term presidency has been engulfed with this many mass shootings. What he has to do today is not give a policy speech but do a prayer of national reconciliation. He's tried this before, this reconciliation speech, and it kind of beautifully written. Then the news cycle goes on to something else. So it is a president that's very frustrated about what's happening in the country now. But he also has to reassure us all in the sense that we have conventions coming in Cleveland and Philadelphia. There's fear of violence. We're a nation of 40 million African-Americans and many of them are afraid of their local police.

So I think he has to kind of bring the temperatures down in honor of the victims of the violence, not just in Dallas but in Louisiana and Minnesota. And then talk about what a great job Dallas has done, particularly police chief, David O. Brown, and the mayor, Mayor Mike Rawlings, are kind of soothing in keeping -- showing of the city. R6 Dallas has performed magnificently in the last few days.

BLITZER: He's our first, Michael, African-American president so this is especially personal for him, the issues he is about to address.

DYSON: That's right. Deeply in his heart and in his breast and he understands them as well as don and professor blink are have indicated, not only intellectually but existentially. He knows the fear when police roll up or approach them. We've seen time and again the terror unleashed on these people, and at the same time in his need to respect the authority of the police people. It is a delegate balancing act. But I think to name the victims of those murdered, those killings in Louisiana and in Minnesota, as well as those today to show that they are equally grievous in the collective spirit of America.

BLITZER: What's also important, Don Lemon, is the other speakers who have been invited to participate today, Senator John Cornyn, he's the Republican from Texas; Former President George W. Bush. The Dallas police chief, David Brown, has been getting enormous respect as a result of his behavior, what he has said. His words have been so powerful over these days. They will all speak. Their remarks will be relatively short. The president will speak we're told for about 20 minutes. But it is an impressive lineup and an important one. Right?

LEMON: It is an impressive lineup and it is important. Everyone, Chief Brown, everyone has been impressed by Chief Brown. What an amazing man. Last time I spoke to the surgeon, Dr. Brian Williams as well. I don't think we should let it pass, the heroes -- there are many, many heroes to come out of this but two of the most visible heroes to come out of this have been two men of color, two black men. That's Dr. Williams and that's been David Brown, the police chief as well.

And to hear this police chief take the lead the way has, to be so honest the way he has been, and then speaking today, I'm so interested in what he's going to have to say as I have been over the last couple of days. He's handled this so greatly and so diligently and so peacefully. But I can't wait to hear from him. I think -- I really want to hear from the former President Bush as well. I think that him speaking Republicans a time of healing between both parties and I want to hear from him, of course, the president of the United States as well.

[13:55:45] BLITZER: It is significant the president invited Republican Senator Ted Cruz to fly aboard Air Force One with him from Washington to Dallas to participate in this memorial service.

Everyone, stand by.

Our special coverage will continue right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(MUSIC)