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Legal View with Ashleigh Banfield

Further Information on the Nice Terror Attack; Candidates React to Nice Attack; Trump Selects Mike Pence as VP. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired July 15, 2016 - 12:30   ET

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

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[12:31:06] ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: The stories of those killed are just coming into the United States and around the world, and now we know at least two of the dead are Americans, 11-year-old Brodie Copeland and his dad, Sean.

They were on a family vacation and joined in the celebration of the French National Holiday, Bastille Day. They did not survive last night's attack. The photo that you're seeing on your screen right now, this is Brodie, he sent this to his friends back home, and this picture was taken just hours before Brodie was murdered.

Joining us now with more is CNN's Jean Casarez, and you've been looking into the Copeland's story.

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We're learning a little bit more. First of all, they're from Texas, the heart of Texas, the Austin, Texas area. And we've just learned that in fact, the mother, Kim was also with them and she survived. We don't know if she was there with them at that scene or if she wasn't but Kim was there along with two children from Sean's previous marriage.

But I want to tell you about Brodie, 11 years old. And he was a big, big little league player in baseball, and his coach has come out already today, his name is Jonathan Paiz talking about Brodie. Let's listen to that.

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JONATHAN PAIZ, BRODIE COPELAND'S BASEBALL COACH: Brodie was a bright light to us and he was an amazing kid. He was a promising baseball player, and the Copelands were very involved in our program as far as supporting and helping us to get the word out. We are a tight-knit group, with the program and we're all just hurting. A lot of overwhelming response and just trying to help them recover. I don't know how we're going to do that but we'll -- we're going to be there for them.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

CASAREZ: And that statement came out of Texas. We also want to show you one of the two family statements. We have Haley Copeland who is a niece of the victim. We want to show you this. "This is an extremely difficult time for my family and anyone who knows Sean and Brodie Copeland. Losing a loved one is hard no matter the circumstances but losing a loved one in such a tragic and unexpected way is unbearable. Prayers are very much appreciated."

And a direct statement from the family, "We are heartbroken and in shock over the loss of Brodie Copeland, an amazing son and brother who lit up our lives and Sean Copeland, a wonderful husband and father. They are so loved."

And Ashleigh, a little bit more information we're finding out, the father, Sean, attended the University of North Texas. He was a vice president of LexMark's Corporation in charged of the North and South America of their software.

And right now, the family is just trying to get things set, family members to come back to the United States. But we didn't know his wife was with them but she was ...

BANFIELD: Oh my god. Do we know if she's one of the ...

CASAREZ: ... celebrating Bastille Day.

BANFIELD: ... if she's one of the injured. Do we know anything about her situation?

CASAREZ: I don't believe she's injured at all but the family had started out in Spain -- this was their vacation of a lifetime, started out in Spain and then had gone to France to celebrate Bastille Day.

And the reason that so many children are victims in general, because there so many children at this point ...

BANFIELD: It's fireworks display.

CASAREZ: ... it was fireworks and close to midnight, but the it was that national holiday and you let your children stay up late.

BANFIELD: Yeah, there was a stroller that was found mangled at the scene as well.

Jean Casarez, thank you for finding out that information for us, our hearts go out to not only the Copeland family but as all the rest of the stories come in as well, all of the families. There are so many of those families who were suffering today and who are searching for the same things that everyone else is searching for answers, motives, reasons.

[12:34:50] A truck used as a murder weapon and inside of that truck, fake rifles and fake grenades also complexly confusing. We're going to ask our experts, what they make of this situation. In fact these images tell us. This is our new normal no matter where we live.

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BANFIELD: As we continue to follow the terror attack in France, we are getting these images now out of a cathedral in Nice where an ad hoc memorial service has convened. Several hundred people gathered in this cathedral to pay their respects to the 84 people who were killed. Ten of them are children, 52 people are still in critical condition which means that death toll could certainly climb.

[12:40:07] There are an additional 202 people who were injured by this terror attack. In the front row just off to the center of your screen, the former president of France, Nicolas Sarkozy is in attendance. It's hard to tell from the angles that we are getting any of the other dignitaries.

And again, this is in Nice, this is not in Paris.

But those are the scenes from a community completely devastated, a world really in shock and still no hard indications that that deadly holiday attack in the french Riviera was a direct order from any known terror group or organization. There's been no claim from ISIS or Al- Qaeda or any affiliated group. Nothing. We just don't know why this person did what he did.

But what we do know is what the attacker looked like. This is now confirmed, the truck driver's identity card. That is his face and this is his name, Mohamed Bouhel. We also know these awful numbers, 84 dead at present because of what that man did.

These images are left in his ugly wake. More than 200 people injured and dozens of them critically, so we are watching the official announcements of those who survived and hoping that the numbers don't change.

The man behind the wheel of an 18-ton refrigerator truck decided to barrel right through a packed promenade in the City Of Nice seemingly just smashing into people and as many as he could find, and at the same time shooting at police officers who were chasing him. The police ultimately shot that driver dead and he ended up just being alone in that truck.

They've identified him through his fingerprints, they match that identity card found in the cab. They know where he lived as well as some of the things about his family and his background.

CNN Contributor Michael Weiss is here live with me. He is a senior editor of the "Daily Beast" and also, and also Bob Baer, our intelligence and security analyst joining me live here as well.

To the two of you, there's so many questions and it's hard to ask many of them because we still don't know a lot about the motives behind this madman that we know.

But Michael, I want to -- to you first, address something that I asked Fareed Zakaria, and that was Clarissa Ward's reporting that the mood seems remarkably different than the mood after the Bataclan. That while people were shocked and saddened and stunned by the Bataclan, they are now angry and they are looking for solutions, security-based solutions. I supposed that's not surprising, but much is it too soon to be feeling that way? MICHAEL WEISS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: No, I don't think so. I mean this is the third attack in France in 18 months. The french have a colossal problem on their hands and whether it is turned out been ISIS' inspired or Al Qaeda-inspired, put that to one side. This is a ...

BANFIELD: Or a madman, just poor madman hell bent on murder ...

WEISS: Or a madman, yes, and by the way those things are not -- those things aren't mutually exclusive. Plenty of madmen go on join terrorist organizations or commit acts of mass murder. And then look for after the fact for banner into which they claim some kind of world historical mission to their insanity.

I mean, look, you know, we've discussed this many times on the air after every attack. France has not adequately dealt with the problems and it's mixed which it didn't cultivated or inculcated for decades.

In pre-dating 9/11, areas, communities within the country that essentially there is no integration between Muslim citizens and the mainstream. And this is a problem that has to, you know, the french have to sort out. Hey need more Muslim police officers, they need better engagement in community outreach. And their counterterrorism intelligence officials need to do a better job.

Now, in this case, look, he had this attacker what I would call the "Early C.V." of a future jihadi. The petty gangsters in history of spousal abuse according to press reports in France, you know, the fact that he was a bit of a boozer and a party animal. All of that is almost type logical for a future Jihadi.

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the founder of Al-Qaeda was a pimp in Zarqa, Jordan. He was a thug, he used to get in street brawls, he's alcoholic. But what's missing here, the big piece is, was there any kind of Islamist orientation.

And so, this will come out eventually that the ex-wife is now in French police intelligence custody. They're interrogating her. I'm sure she'll have the sense of where this guy's head was and where he was, you know, leaning in the last several years, but who knows.

BANFIELD: Bob Baer, one of the reasons I think a lot of people would guess right away that there is potentially this nexus to terrorism was that he used a truck.

And it's been two years since, you know, a prominent leader in ISIS, Abu Mohammad al-Adnani put out a statement that any disbelieving American or European especially, he said the spiteful and filthy french should be murdered with whatever you can use.

[12:45:07] I'm going to ad-lib this, but he suggested a rock, a knife, your car, choke him, poison him, this was sort of a mission statement to, you know, exact terror any way you can with whatever you can find in you toolbox. And this certainly looks like it fits that bill.

BOB BAER, CNN INTELLIGENCE AND SECURITY ANALYST: Well, Ashleigh, absolutely, I mean, they use effectively trucks in Iraq and Syria usually with explosives. But there are great weapon you can knockdown barriers with them. They're hard to stop, especially a truck of this size and these people watching these tactics going on in Iraq and Syria. And then of course is Israel which Palestinians have been attacking Israelis with cars. So that's an example for them.

But I like to go back and say one thing. I served in Tunisia and Morocco and I watched the radicalization of North Africans. And it's a bit confusing, but the Saudis were pouring tons of money in there, opening up mosques for Wahhabi Islam that preaches violence frankly. And so many of these North Africans then immigrate to France, and there's a system of apartheid there. I lived in France, too. They just cannot rise in the system. They're unemployed. They have accents. They stand out, and they're not accepted in the French society. Something we have difficulty understanding as Americans. If you know the French system, it's not a surprise.

So for someone who is having a lot of problems, and is looking for an anchor in life, they turn to this radical form of Islam, and like Orlando, it can happen overnight. So none of this is a surprise and Ashleigh, I can assure you with the French cracking down on the North African population, it is going to get worse.

BANFIELD: Bob Baer, I don't suspect you're wrong, although some would say that that's exactly what they need. The answers everyone is madly searching for. Michael Weiss, Bob Baer, thank you both for your perspectives. Appreciate it.

Whoever ends up leading the United States, this is the kind of thing that will be top of agenda. So that's why we also look at politics now.

Donald Trump has made a choice for vice president. He's made it official. Indiana Governor Mike Pence will be his running mate. So, what kind of person is Mike Pence? Who is he? What is his background? They are all making comments now about what has happened in Nice. We'll going to keep you up, to see it next.

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[12:51:25] BANFIELD: The two presumptive nominees who want to become president of this country both put out reaction statements right after what happened in Nice, France. But they were markedly different.

Donald Trump effectively saying we need to get tough against terror. Hillary Clinton effectively saying we need to actually start a real intelligence surge but both of them saying we are at war with this kind of terror. And in light of what happened in France, Donald Trump decided to push back the announcement of his vice presidential decision.

All of the signs certainly pointing towards Indiana Governor Mike Pence, but now the presumptive presidential nominee has removed all doubt, and he did so with a tweet. Here it is.

I'll quote him. "I am pleased to announce that I have chosen Governor Mike Pence as my vice presidential running mate. News conference tomorrow at 11:00 a.m."

In the meantime, Governor Pence has responded with this tweet of his own "Honored to join Donald Trump and work toward -- work to make America great again."

I want to get more from CNN Sarah Murray who's covering the campaign and CNN Politics Executive Editor Mark Preston who is just days away from Cleveland effectively rocking with that convention.

Sarah first to you, obviously, I think that Donald Trump would have preferred to have an announcement with a lot of pomp and circumstance today, but he had to change that plan because of what happened in Nice. But what effectively is he doing to roll out this very important decision, his vice presidential choice?

SARAH MURRAY, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Well, he did send out the tweet making it official, which I'm sure is a very big sigh of relief for Mike Pence who was here in New York and saw Donald Trump on Fox News last night saying that it was not his final, final pick. But they are still going to have a joint appearance tomorrow. It will be in Manhattan. It was just delayed for a day.

But Ashleigh, this is not a pick that comes entirely drama-free. You know, Mike Pence was here yesterday when Donald Trump canceled the event when he was out there saying things weren't final, and we're hearing from the sources telling me, they're telling Dana Bash, they're telling John King that Donald Trump was sort of angry that his campaign moved to get Mike Pence here. He felt boxed in that the pick was leaked even before he made a call to Mike Pence offering him the slot.

So there is a little bit of anxiety coming ahead of this. Now the decision is final. We don't expect anything to change at this point. And frankly we didn't expect Donald Trump to really pull back his decision after he called Mike Pence and offered him the slot yesterday. But you can still see this sort of drama playing out between Donald Trump going with the pick that many of his advisers and his family members felt comfortable with. One that might help to unite the conservative base behind Donald Trump, and then versus Trump going with someone he felt more comfortable with someone like Chris Christie or Newt Gringrich who is known for a long time.

BANFIELD: Well, and then there's always that delicate, you know, effort to blend philosophies, and that is a tough dance for anyone especially for a guy like Donald Trump.

Mark Preston, let me get you to weigh in on this one. You're in Cleveland and I'm sure that this will be a very big talking point once Governor Pence and Donald Trump arrive there if not already. They may share some philosophical ideologies, but they certainly differ in some critical ones. I'm thinking the Muslim ban. The Iraq war, trade, they couldn't be further apart. But is that still the case or is either one of them budging? Or do they need to?

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICS EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Well, there's no doubt, there's a little bit of oil and water when it comes to major policy decisions. Specifically policy decisions that Donald Trump has made the cornerstone to his candidacy. As you said, the ban on Muslims, Mike Pence was not supportive of that. Trade which has been a cornerstone, a strong cornerstone for Donald Trump's candidacy and as he talked about trying to make America great again, he is not a free trader, Mike Pence is a free trader.

[12:55:15] So there are certainly some differences, but when you join the ticket, you have to agree to work closely with the nominee. And I think that's what we saw over the negotiations over this past week between Donald Trump and Mike Pence, as Donald Trump was trying out Mike Pence, Chris Christie, and of course, Newt Gingrich.

Now, he's adding a little bit to what Sarah said right now, you're talking about Donald Trump now not going with his gut. He would've probably felt more comfortable with Chris Christie, somebody who has been loyal, who has been at his side from basically day one, one of the first, if not the first Republican to get behind Donald Trump who was challenging him for the nomination.

However, what Mike Pence does give you is that he helps you try to consolidate the conservative base, and Chris Christie would've not been able to do that for Donald Trump. Chris Christie is considered suspect by conservatives. So it's one of those pick, and we'll see how it plays out over the next few months.

BANFIELD: That's why it makes it absolutely fascinating among other things. Thank you, Mark Preston, thank you Sarah Murray. They'll be continuing to report throughout the day on this.

Back to our breaking news as well, 84 people killed after a truck plowed to a crowed in Southern France.

Coming up, the French ambassador to the United States will join us live.

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