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Report: Ex-FOX Chief Spent Millions to Spy on Enemies; Iran Executes Nuclear Scientist for Espionage; Jeb Bush's Son Says He'll Vote Trump; Boy, 10, Killed on Kansas Water Slide; Trump Outlines Economic Plan in Major Speech. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired August 08, 2016 - 14:30   ET

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

[14:30:00] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: I don't know who his sources are but, beginning with this latest bombshell, this black room, with these private detectives and political operatives with FOX's own money to spy on people.

DAN ABRAMS, FOUNDER, MEDIATE: I don't know. Maybe I'm the only one not that surprised in the sense that Roger Ailes ran FOX like a political campaign and so this is what you do in a political campaign. That doesn't justify it, it doesn't make it right, but I guess I'm not that surprised and so some are going to say well, how did he get the authorization? No one knew about it. People forget, Roger Ailes really ran FOX autonomously. Did he have bosses in theory? Yes, in theory. In reality, Roger Ailes was FOX News so there wasn't sort of a separating out, Roger Ailes from FOX News. They were one in the same and I think that's why and how something like this happens.

BALDWIN: The question then is, which is what I know a number of people have been wondering, is when you read about these sexual harassment stories that Gabe and others have been reporting on, and now this black room, it makes you think, well, how widespread is this? How far back does it go?

ABRAMS: It will be very interesting from a corporate perspective, which is how many cases did they sign off on?

BALDWIN: What do you mean "sign off on"?

ABRAMS: Were there other cases where they actually paid someone to keep quiet? They paid for a confidentiality agreement. That's something corporate has to have known about. You can say he ran his own budget, yeah, he called it one thing or another when he ran the special room, but when it comes to actual legal settlements, the legal entity there had to know about it, et cetera. And if there were a number of them, we don't know how many, that's what I'm most interested in because that would really tell me that they had to have known that there was a pervasive issue.

BALDWIN: And then, Dan, it's can you imagine how if this had happened anywhere else how FOX News would be covering this story?

ABRAMS: Oh, yeah. It would be all over I mean, we're covering it on CNN to some degree but there's no question that if this were about CNN leader or MSNBC leader that it would be -- (CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Every hour.

ABRAMS: Yeah, all over FOX.

This is what's interesting about watching the "New York Post," which is also owned by the same company, how much do they cover it? They used to be totally hands-off. Covering the Ailes' story, which is an interesting development.

BALDWIN: From the stories of alleged sexual harassment to the black room, what's next?

Final question, are there other bombshells to drop, do you think?

ABRAMS: I'm sure. Look, once you dig into something that's never been unearthed you're going to find treasures. If there's this area, all of FOX News that no one has looked into before, you're going to find stuff and I think that's the real concern on the part of News Corp is that they're going to dig, they're going to find and the question is just going to be how bad is what they find in there? And as of right now, I think the only people who know that are probably the Paul Weiss investigators know it to some degree, and Roger Ailes himself.

BALDWIN: Dan Abrams, thank you so much.

ABRAMS: Good to be back with you.

BALDWIN: Coming up next, they call him a traitor. Iran says one of its top nuclear scientists was a spy for the United States, he was executed by the Iranian government. Next, we'll look into his contact with the U.S. and why Hillary Clinton now is involved with regard to this man in this story.

Also ahead, this is the world's tallest water slide. Police have closed it down after a 10-year-old little boy died at the Kansas water park. We'll tell you what happened.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:37:58] BALDWIN: An Iranian nuclear scientist convicted of spying for the United States has been hanged for treason. Background, his name, Shahram Amiri, vanished in 2009 before resurfacing a year later in the U.S. claiming he'd been abducted and interrogated by the CIA. At the time, U.S. officials said Amiri defected voluntarily. In 2011, he returned to Iran where he was later tried and convicted of giving, quote/unquote, "vital information to the enemy, America, the Great Satan."

So let me bring in Elise Labott, CNN global affairs correspondent. And also Bob Baer is with me, former CIA covert officer, CNN intelligence and security analyst. Elise, to you first.

So many holes in the story. Can you explain on how he was, how he got here.

ELISE LABOTT, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, he claims he was kidnapped during a religious pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. He showed up in the United States in 2009 and promptly said "I was kidnapped, I'm being held." But when we talked to U.S., he's here on his own free will. You heard secretary of state Clinton saying he was free to come and go. He had a video produced saying he was free then another one reaffirming kidnapping charges. He showed up at the Pakistani embassy demanding to go home. Officials said he believed his family was threatened and when he arrived home in 2010 --

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Hero's welcome.

LABOTT: Hero's welcome. Joyous reunion with the son. Shortly disappeared thereafter. No one heard anything about him. Then we just heard on SUNY that he was executed. And it's really a kind of a dark end to what has been a strange real life spy drama.

BALDWIN: So on the spy drama, Bob Baer, let me ask you on Elise's point about this hero's welcome and then they hang him. What was that about? Was it just a smokescreen to get him back?

[14:40:14] BOB BAER, CNN INTELLIGENCE & SECURITY ANALYST: Brooke, what happens is normally in cases like this you have somebody defect, we call them walk ins, we bring them back to the United States clandestinely, you debrief them, promise them money, there's even a law the CIA acts according to, he can stay here as long as he wants, eventually bring his family but as so often happens these defectors get lonely or their families are threaten sod they And, indeed, Hillary Clinton is right.

You can't stop these people, they're not prisoners. It's advised against going back. Because once you've given up secrets on Iran's nuclear program, you know, you're -- you doomed. Anyhow, he fell for it. The Iranians promised him he'd be fine. They start interrogating him, figure out the secrets he's given up, and that's it. He was doomed the moment he stepped foot on that plane back to Tehran.

BALDWIN: In an interview with Iranian state TV, he claims he was kidnapped by American intelligence operatives and faced "psychological warfare and pressure that are much worse than being in prison." What would that have meant?

BAER: I just don't believe it. Defectors are treated very well in the United States. There had been one exception. In 1962, a Russian was claiming information about the Kennedy assassination. He was held prisoner. But I've dealt with defectors over the years. They're very well treated. But I should also say they often get very home sick, very quick, and they go back. And the CIA has never tried to stop them. BALDWIN: So, Elise, now, you know, Republicans are trying to link his

story with Hillary Clinton, popped up in the e-mails, what is the Clinton campaign saying?

LABOTT: Well, you also heard the Trump campaign try and link that. So what basically -- you know, Hillary Clinton said a lot of the same things publicly, in fact, a little bit more forcefully. And so basically, you heard the Clinton camp come out today and say, "The Trump campaign has never met a conspiracy theory it didn't like. It's pretty remarkable to baselessly claim that Hillary Clinton is responsible for this tragic death." That's a Clinton campaign spokesman.

Now look, obviously, Clinton's critics are seizing on the fact that there was some veiled references to Mr. Amiri in the e-mail. I don't think we can really make a direct correlation that he was executed. Secretary Clinton did say a lot of this publicly, but clearly the whole issue of the e-mails is continuing to dog her. And the more these types of issues arise -- and clearly, there was more e-mails we think could be released between now and the election -- it will continue to dog her.

BALDWIN: Right.

Elise Labott, thank you so much.

Bob Baer, appreciate you both.

Coming up, here's a quick list of words Donald Trump has used to describe Jeb Bush "weak, pathetic, low energy, soft, puppet, terrible, phony, poor, desperate, a basket case, a lightweight, and a sad-sack." So, surprise, Jeb Bush's son just endorsed Donald Trump. Hear why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[14:27:28] DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & CEO, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: He's asleep at the wheel, folks.

Very, very, very low energy, Jeb Bush.

His family's so ashamed.

He's got that little vicious streak because he's a gutless guy.

Jeb Bush is a total lightweight.

We have to get rid of the Bushs of the world. They're weak, ineffective.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Remember all the bad blood between Donald Trump and his former Republican primary rival, Jeb Bush? Well, that's not stopping Governor Bush's own blood from endorsing the Republican nominee. Jeb Bush's oldest son, George P. Bush, is begrudgingly urging Republicans in his home state to support Trump. The Texas land commissioner says it's time to unify.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE P. BUSH, SON OF JEB BUSH & TEXAS LAND COMMISSIONER: You know, from team Bush, it's a bitter pill to swallow. You get back up and you help the man that won, and you make sure that we stop Hillary Clinton.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: It's no secret Jeb Bush and Donald Trump saw eye to eye. What did Mr. Trump really think of Jeb? Here's a look back at the colorful language he used: "No honor, low energy, clueless, hypocrite, failure, desperate, sad, weak, needs help from mommy, pathetic, sad- sack, poor, puppet, soft, embarrassment -- excuse me -- total embarrassment, confused, a basket case." Folks, the list goes on and on here.

Joining me, Jack Barcroft, the vice president of the Texas Republican County Chairman's Association.

You remember that language thrown at Governor Bush, do you not?

JACK BARCROFT, VICE PRESIDENT, TEXAS REPUBLICAN COUNTY CHAIRMAN'S ASSOCIATION: I do.

BALDWIN: So you're a Trump supporter. In your opinion, the room when George P. Bush said, listen, bitter pill to swallow but it's time, I endorse him, how did the overall room react to that?

BARCROFT: They immediately reacted with applause. It was a very -- it's a new day in Texas. And Commissioner Bush was appointed as chairman to the victory activities in Texas and he takes it wholeheartedly. He's doing everything he can to get Republicans elected up and down the ballot.

That's right. He's a victory chairman, which means he wants his Republicans elected. And, yes, he may have endorsed and I hear you on the applause but when you say "bitter pill to swallow," Jack, that isn't a full-throated wholehearted endorsement, do you agree?

BARCROFT: It certainly wasn't an endorsement for Hillary Clinton.

BALDWIN: What does that mean?

BARCROFT: In other words, it wasn't an endorsement. He says that we have to unite and we're united more now in Texas than ever in getting a Republican into the White House, House, and Senate.

[14:50:09] BALDWIN: Were there people in that room who were surprised that he went ahead and did that?

BARCROFT: No, not at all. BALDWIN: Listen, the Bush family is extraordinarily tight. No others

have come out to support Trump. Former President George H.W. Bush, President George W. Bush, you know they skipped the Republican convention there in Cleveland. Why do you think ultimately -- youngest -- Victory Chairman Bush is supporting him? What do you think was the final straw?

BARCROFT: The final straw was right now in our nation that -- think about it, the Supreme Court is up for grabs. So that's not going to affect one generation but two or three. And he sees, just like everybody el in the state of Texas that it's critical to get a White House in this election.

BALDWIN: Final question, Jack. How influential do you think George P. Bush's endorsement will be over the never Trump Republicans?

BARCROFT: It will definitely go a long way. I believe that it's a movement. It's a tipping point now in the state of Texas. He's going to fulfill his commitment to get out the voters in 2016.

BALDWIN: Jack Barcroft, thank you so much, in Gatesville, Texas.

BARCROFT: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Coming up, Donald Trump goes back to talking issues. He's is outlining specifics in Detroit this afternoon, but amid protesters certainly peppering his speech. I believe it was 14 interruptions in total. We will fact check his economic address today in Detroit and see how it will sit with Republican voters and beyond.

Also ahead, Hillary Clinton is getting ready for a rally in St. Petersburg, Florida, this afternoon. We will take you there when that begins.

You're watching CNN on a Monday afternoon. Stay here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:56:08] BALDWIN: This next story is absolutely gut-wrenching here. This 10-year-old little boy, Caleb Schwab, was on the world's tallest water slide when he was somehow killed before he even got to the bottom. So this slide, 17 stories tall. It's as high as Niagara Falls just for a little comparison. Riders apparently hit speeds of 50 to 65 miles per hour, drop 169 feet in a matter of seconds while strapped into a three-person raft. The name of the ride means "Insane" in German.

Kyung Lah is following this story.

Our thoughts and prayers obviously go to this family.

What happened?

KYUNG LAH, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we spoke with the police this afternoon, Brook, and we're getting very little information. They're calling this a death investigation. They're still trying to determine whether or not criminal charges may actually be applicable in this case. They say they're still in those very early stages. The details that we are getting, Brooke, are generally from witnesses, people who saw this happen. They say it wasn't in that first extreme plunge that you see in that slide, it was in the second hump, the 50-foot drop. That's somewhere something went terribly wrong and there is very little room for error in a ride like this, an extreme ride reaching those speeds you mentioned, 55 to 60 miles per hour. Guinness Book of World Records says this is the tallest water slide in the world. Very little room for error. And just to give you a little history, in 2014, when this park opened, there were at least three delays, in part, because of a section of the slide had to be rebuilt. They had to redesign it. There were reports that on those test runs, these rafts, they attached sandbags to them, those sandbags did go flying.

BALDWIN: And so he was 10. You have to be 54 inches tall at least to ride. Was he? Was he of proper proportions?

LAH: We don't know. I asked the police department specifically, was he 54 inches tall. They said they weren't giving out that information. If he was not, that's certainly going to be a big part of this investigation.

BALDWIN: Awful, awful.

Kyung Lah, thank you.

BALDWIN: Let's continue on. Top of the hour. You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thank you for being with me on this Monday.

In mere minutes, Hillary Clinton will strike back against Donald Trump's plans for the U.S. economy from Detroit, Michigan. The Republican nominee talked about how he plans to drive revenue up and bring tax revenue down.

If you're watching, Trump did have a tough time getting out his ideas after protester after protester interrupted him more dozen times. In the end, he revealed how he wants to shrink the number of tax brackets, wants to cut business taxes by double digits, renegotiate trade agreements, and eliminate taxes on child care costs.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & CEO, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: I will ask each and every federal agency to prepare a list of all of the regulations they impose on Americans, which are not necessary, don't improve public safety, and which needlessly kill many, many jobs. Those regulations will be eliminating quickly.

(APPLAUSE)

TRUMP: We are in a competition with the world and I want America to win.

(CHEERING)

(APPLAUSE) TRUMP: All of our policies should be geared towards keeping jobs and wealth inside of the United States.

(APPLAUSE)