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102-Year-Old Thrilled by Clinton's Historic Nomination; All Charges Dropped Against Officers in Freddie Gray Case; Trump's Thoughts on Baltimore State's Attorney; V.P. Pick Tim Kaine Takes DNC Stage Tonight. Aired 2:30-3p ET
Aired July 27, 2016 - 14:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[14:33:33] DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: You broke the marble ceiling, as you called it. How does it feel to be here and to be part of what you just did?
REP. NANCY PELOSI, (D-CA), HOUSE MINORITY LEADER: Beyond thrilling. It's very exciting. And when they announce at the end that she is the nominee, it's going to be something so spectacular. And whatever dissent there may be in the hall will be drowned out. And when she comes out on Thursday night, it is going to be so emotional.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Hillary Clinton making history as the first woman to top a major party presidential ticket.
I want to show you another very special moment full of pride. Last night, a 102-year-old woman, tears in her eyes, stood up and reported dozens of delegates for her idol, Hillary Clinton. She is Jerry Emmett. She was born six years before women in this country officially got the right to vote in 1920. The retired educator is very well known in Arizona Democratic Party circles. She is legally blind. She doesn't hear perfectly. But none of that matters. Her excitement at the historic magnitude were a thrill to watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. RUBEN GALLEGO, (D), ARIZONA: I am proud to be joined me by Jerry Emmett, age 102.
(CROSSTALK)
GALLEGO: Madam Secretary, Arizona cast 34 votes for Senator Sanders.
(CHEERING)
JERRY EMMETT, HONORARY CHAIR, ARIZONA DEMOCRATIC DELEGATION: And 51 votes for the next president of the United States of America -- (CHEERING)
EMMETT: -- Hillary Rodham Clinton!
(CHEERING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[14:35:21] BALDWIN: Joining me now, honorary chair of the Arizona Democratic delegation, Jerry Emmett.
Jerry, thank you so much for joining me today. I appreciate it.
EMMETT: Thank you.
BALDWIN: Just for a minute, 102 years young and you are sitting here. What convention is this for you?
EMMETT: Oh, five, four, maybe five.
BALDWIN: Four, maybe five. And you had tears in your eyes. You were just asking me for a tissue a moment ago. This whole week has been teary for you. Why?
EMMETT: It hasn't been just this week. My eyes are blind and they fix it so the tears run so that doesn't hurt anymore. Even to be blind, sometimes it hurts. But this time it doesn't.
BALDWIN: You couldn't see everything but could you feel it, that roll call yesterday?
EMMETT: Oh, yes.
BALDWIN: What was that like for you?
EMMETT: It was the biggest thrill of my life since I had my two sons, I think. Just wonderful. Maybe when I got married.
BALDWIN: Maybe when you got married. But definitely, when you had your sons.
You remember -- how old were you when your mom finally could vote?
EMMETT: I was -- when the law was passed in Arizona -- because it was before the congressional law passed. Two years. I'm proud of Arizona for that. But it was -- I was 8 years old when -- 8 or 9 years old when my mother first got to vote. And it was in a little town of Gilbert, Arizona. We only had 400 people there at the time. I'm the oldest graduate from that school. Also, the only graduate from college.
(EMERGENCY ALERT SYSTEM INTERRUPTION)
BALDWIN: Thank you for coming by. I appreciate it.
EMMETT: I'm glad to.
BALDWIN: Thank you.
EMMETT: Thank you.
BALDWIN: Wow. 102 years young.
Coming up next, we'll take a break from Philadelphia and talk about this major story that happened here in Baltimore today. All remaining charges have been dropped against those three police officers charged in that Freddie Gray case.
[14:39:17] Also, Donald Trump weighing in with his thoughts today. What he said should be done to the state's prosecutor. We're live in Baltimore, next.
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BALDWIN: Just moments from now we will have much more special coverage of the Democratic National Convention here in Philadelphia.
But first, we have to talk about what happened today in Baltimore. Charges have been dropped against the last three police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray. Gray died last year in police custody after he suffered a severe spinal injury as he was being transported in the back of a police van. Death sparked protests and riots in that city.
Let's begin with someone who's covered the story from the very beginning, my colleague, Miguel Marquez.
Start with what happened today and does that mean now zero criminal charges for everyone?
MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Zero criminal charges for everyone. It took all of a few seconds in court. The state's attorneys, the representative of the state's attorney stood up and said we want to dismiss all charges on the remaining cases. There were three left to go. Defense lawyers basically said, is that it, are we dismissed? Judge said, "You're done." Everybody hugged and they left.
A short time later, the state's attorney herself, Marilyn Mosby, held a press conference at the very spot where Freddie Gray was arrested. I got to tell you, my jaw dropped at how much she went after the system and the police. Basically saying that they sabotaged her case, specifically saying that they created videos, they created notes, they had text messages, they refused to ask the proper questions, they had their own separate investigation from her own, essentially sabotaging her case.
[14:45:24] The FOP, the Fraternal Order of Police, brought in all the police officers and their lawyers a short time ago. They then responded to her, saying, look, you said you did a separate investigation. There was none. It was you and your office that denied justice to Freddie Gray and his family. They said that the Maryland State Police offered help, the FBI offered help, and she turned it all away. They are laying blame squarely on her. They've already brought a civil suit against her. There may be more administrative charges against her office as well.
This is going -- what was moving along a path of all of these officers being -- charges being dismissed, has now turned into something else entirely. I have never seen a press conference, a state's attorney go after her biggest client, the police, like she did. Astonishing -- Brooke?
BALDWIN: Miguel Marquez, thank you so much.
Pouring gas on the fire, as it's been described, what happened in Baltimore.
I know also this morning, Donald Trump weighed in on what Miguel was talking about, Marilyn Mosby's comments, the announcement today. Really took a swipe at the state's attorney. Here he was.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & CEO, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: I do have reaction. The prosecutor in Baltimore who indicted those police officers, I do. I think she ought to prosecute herself. OK? That's my reaction. I think it was disgraceful what she did and the way she did it. And the news conference that she had where they were guilty before anybody even knew the facts.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Let's talk about this from two very different perspectives, CNN political commentator, Scottie Nell Hughes, who supports Donald Trump; and Angela Rye, the former executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Bringing you both in here.
Angela, first to you on Trump's comments specifically. Your response when you heard that.
ANGELA RYE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think that he has a pattern and practice of offering commentary without knowing the full breadth and depth of the facts. When you consider the fact that he is running to be the commander in chief, it would be nice for him to think about the family who may be in a great deal of pain today given the circumstances. We're talking about six officers who had something to do with the death of someone's son, someone's brother, someone's cousin. And there's no culpability. So whether or not you agree with Marilyn Mosby's strategy or not, it is very, very troubling that that was his response today.
BALDWIN: She brings up a good point, to be mindful of Freddie Gray's family.
But to you, I mean, you are a Trump supporter. Do you support what he said? SCOTTIE NELL HUGHES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Absolutely.
Because there's also six officers and their families who will always be affected by this, who were demonized. $9 million worth of damage at the minimum was done in Baltimore riots. These six people were demonized. You have this woman, because it did not align with her narrative, overly charge, jumped the gun, did not honestly present the facts to the public in saying, yes, he did have narcotics in his system. Yes, they --
RYE: Oh, my god.
HUGHES: These are all facts, all facts. You can sit there and criticize Mr. Trump. Why don't you criticize President Obama who got involved, even Eric Holder? Now listen, Mr. Trump and Rudy Giuliani both have said there are bad cops in the system. We need to take care of this, talking about Walter Scott in South Carolina. But we are innocent until proven guilty in this country. And instead of all of these folks immediately jumped in on this and claimed police brutality and sat there and said the officers did wrong, let's let the facts get out there.
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: Let me jump in. You have all of what you just said and what we also heard from Mr. Trump. But also keep in mind, and starring at the Wells Fargo Center, I think of those mothers who were on the stage last night, Mothers of the Movement, Trayvon Martin's mother, Eric Garner's mother, Jordan's mother. They're all speaking. The next day, this happens.
RYE: Yeah. I think the reality of it is sometimes we can be so doggone partisan, Brooke, we forget about being human. So what I will not allow today is for someone who is dead now, who was alive and walking, just fine, whether they had narcotics in their system or drugs in their system, that does not mean that he deserved death.
(CROSSTALK)
RYE: I'm not done, Scottie.
HUGHES: OK.
RYE: He did not deserve death without trial. He was not committing any crime. And we have an inherent issue in this country of criminalizing and demonizing and deciding that the black body is inherently criminal and violent. He was thrown around in the back of the van regardless of who was culpable. There were no charges that were sustainable. They did not --
BALDWIN: Dropped.
RYE: The officers were -- got dropped. I think that we cannot continue to blame victims when they did not do anything wrong.
(CROSSTALK)
[14:50:20] BALDWIN: Respond to that and then we've got to go.
HUGHES: OK.
They did put him in. They did sit him down. He's the one that got up and jumped around.
(CROSSTALK)
RYE: No, that's not true.
HUGHES: Yes, they did. These are the facts in the case.
(CROSSTALK)
RYE: Were you in the van? Were you in the van?
HUGHES: I'm sorry, were you?
RYE: How do you know he did it?
HUGHES: In that case, they followed the rules.
RYE: They were negligent.
HUGHES: No, they were not.
RYE: But she overcharged. That does not mean --
(CROSSTALK)
HUGHES: She sat there and encouraged it.
(CROSSTALK)
HUGHES: By the way, Freddie Gray's mother was not on the stage last night. You know who else wasn't? The 31 officers whose families have been targeted this year.
(CROSSTALK)
HUGHES: Hey, it's my turn now. Please let me finish. It is my turn.
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: Ladies. Ladies.
HUGHES: No, no. 31 officers have been killed. Mr. Trump -- if you want to make this about a side of dealing with people like Freddie Gray versus law enforcement, I can assure you, I think majority of Americans will always take the frame of law enforcement, good police officers.
(CROSSTALK)
HUGHES: No, that is a -- (CROSSTALK)
HUGHES: We are? Then don't demonize. 31 officers this year have been killed, targeted by gunfire --
(CROSSTALK)
RYE: You're putting words in my mouth.
HUGHES: Obviously, if you're going to sit there and say these police officers committed -- if they were wrong, the Justice Department would have stepped in.
(CROSSTALK)
HUGHES: Justice has prevailed in this and these folks' lives will be forever.
RYE: The system is broken for the African-American --
(CROSSTALK)
HUGHES: They were prosecuted. This has nothing to do with race.
RYE: Oh, it has everything to do with race.
HUGHES: It was African-American officers involved. It was an African-American attorney general. African-American mayor. African- American -- you cannot claim race. It doesn't work.
(CROSSTALK)
RYE: Scottie, I'm not claiming race.
HUGHES: You just did. You brought it --
(CROSSTALK)
RYE: I'm telling you that the system is broken --
(CROSSTALK)
HUGHES: Justice worked. The city rioted based off the words, the inflaming words.
(CROSSTALK)
RYE: Scottie, the reason why the city rioted is because that was the last straw for them, for so many of us. We have cousins, brothers, sisters who have been beaten violently by law enforcement officers, bad actors. When you continually see this happen, at some time, your spirit just breaks. And that is what happened.
HUGHES: In almost every single case, those officers have been exonerated. And yet we've had --
(CROSSTALK)
HUGHES: When the bad actors have been called out, they've been prosecuted. Like what we saw with Walter Scott.
RYE: Because they are all protected by the Fraternal Order of Police.
HUGHES: Because police officers protect us.
(CROSSTALK)
HUGHES: In Dallas, when everyone else was running away, law enforcement was running in. You can't continue this assault on law enforcement.
RYE: That's not what I'm doing. You're lying.
HUGHES: No, that's what you are. OK?
RYE: Not at all.
BALDWIN: Ladies, thank you. Wow.
Quick break. We'll be back.
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[14:55:55] BALDWIN: We're back live in Philadelphia. Just days after Hillary Clinton named him as her running mate, Virginia Senator Tim Kaine will take center stage this evening at the Democratic National Convention, night number three. The stakes couldn't be higher. Senator Kaine got a walk-through of the podium this morning.
For many Americans, this speech will be an introduction to the Virginia Senator. He has spent decades in politics starting at city councilman in the beautiful city of Richmond, Virginia.
CNN national correspondent, Sunlen Serfaty, takes a closer look at Tim Kaine.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Senator, how do you feel about your speech tonight? Are you nervous?
SEN. TIM KAINE, (D), VIRGINIA & VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No, no. I've just got a lot of emotion right now.
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The stakes for Tim Kaine tonight couldn't be higher.
KAINE: I am so humbled by this opportunity.
SERFATY: With the Virginia Senator preparing to deliver the biggest political speech of his life. Soaking in the setting for tonight's address during a morning walk-through of the convention stage, all part of a whirlwind week for Kaine.
KAINE: This is quite a week for me.
SERFATY: Six days after being chosen as Hillary Clinton's running mate, he's stepping into the spotlight solo.
KAINE: This is a civil rights election.
SERFATY: Advisors to Kaine say his speech will paint a stark contrast between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
KAINE: Donald Trump is a one-man wrecking crew when it comes to the alliances we have with other nations.
SERFATY: Starting off his day making the rounds at delegation breakfasts in Philadelphia reviewing his remarks.
KAINE: Is it too much to ask than it be a woman rather than someone who offends women every time he opens his mouth?
SERFATY: Kaine also plans to get person.
KAINE: I'm going to talk tonight about the fact that our older son just deployed two days ago.
SERFATY: Some Democrats are still reluctant to embrace Kaine.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hillary Clinton and Tim Kaine want to build an economy that works for everyone.
SERFATY: Including among Sanders supporters hoping for a more progressive pick.
Kaine supporters encouraging those skeptics to look at his record.
SEN. MARK WARNER, (D), VIRGINIA: When I hear some folks even in this hall say what about his impressive credentials, you go to women's rights groups, civil rights groups, LGBT groups, he has their support, their got their backs. He has leaned in.
SERFATY: Tim's successful debut Saturday raising the bar for tonight.
HILLARY CLINTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: Make no mistake, behind that smile, Tim also has steel.
SERFATY: Highlighting his biography, including his missionary work in Honduras in the 1980s, becoming fluent in Spanish.
KAINE: My time in Honduras changed my life in so many ways.
(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(CHEERING)
SERFATY: Also getting his emotional about his experience as Virginia governor during the Virginia Tech shooting.
KAINE: April 16, 2007, that was the day of my life. It was the worst day of so many people's lives.
SERFATY: And even though he has labeled himself boring --
KAINE: True, I am boring.
(LAUGHTER)
But, you know, boring is the fastest growing demographic in this country.
SERFATY: -- he's revealed there might be more to his personality than meets the eye.
KAINE: I say put down the camera.
SERFATY: Showing off his harmonica skills.
(MUSIC)
SERFATY: And that distinctive left eyebrow, which is now getting its own moment in the spotlight.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SERFATY: And Senator Kaine wrote the speech himself tonight with the help of some advisors and is spending the day today making last- minute tweaks to that speech.
And, Brooke, our team caught such an interesting moment on the floor when he was doing that walk-through earlier today. They saw his staff trying out different wardrobe options. They brought a red tie and blue tie, trying to see which one looked better. Of course, every thing so important, every detail so important for him.
BALDWIN: I'm glad you brought up Virginia Tech. That was sort of the pivotal moment for him. He left Japan, came back, was there, and he went straight to the hospital, and talking to the father of one of the young men who was shot about how in touch the Senator has been with this family all through these years.
Thank you very much.
SERFATY: Thank you.
BALDWIN: We'll see you racing around the floor later this evening.
And now shall we continue on? Hour two.
