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USA's Lily King Sets Olympic Record, Defeats Russia's Yulia Efimova; Bad Reaction from Crowds to Russia Olympic Athletes; 54 National Security Officials: Trump Unfit for Presidency; Clinton Criticizes Trump's Economic Plan; Another Republican Enters Presidential Race; Why Manbij Is So Important. Aired 2-3a ET
Aired August 09, 2016 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:00:06] SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Ahead this hour --
(HEADLINES)
SIDNER: Hello, and welcome to our viewers around the world. I'm Sara Sidner.
VAUSE: And I'm John Vause. The third hour of NEWSROOM L.A. starts now.
SIDNER: A big night for the U.S. In a major showdown in the Olympic pool in Rio, American swimmers Lily King set an Olympic record as she defeated Russia's Yulia Efimova. She won gold in the women's 100 meter back stroke Monday night.
VAUSE: King had criticized Yulia for her history of doping.
Ryan King of USA also set an Olympic record, winning gold in the men's 100 meter back stroke.
SIDNER: "World Sport's" Christina McFarland is in Rio with more on the day's big events.
VAUSE: So, Christina, walk us through the big gold medal else and the excitement of the day?
CHRISTINA MCFARLAND, CNN WORLD SPORT CORRESPONDENT: It's all been in the pool tonight, John. Really, the swimming one of the big marquis events of the Olympics and it's proving to be really exciting. Had two gold medals from the United States tonight. The first you mentioned from Ryan King, who swam an Olympic record tonight, 51.97 seconds in the 100 meter back stroke. We should have expected this win from Ryan because the U.S. has won this every year since 1986.
But I think all eyes tonight were on the big showdown in the pool between Lily King and Russia's Yulia Efimova. There's been somewhat of a spat between these two in the build up to the 100 meter breaststroke today. Efimova has been a controversial figure especially since she made a big statement yesterday by wagging her finger at Lily King and pointing out the number one, that she was number one in the pool. That didn't sit all that well with Lily, who was behind the scenes, and wagged her finger back at her. It's all been heating up and it played out in the final today, as well. Efimova has tested positive for doping twice in three years and she was banned for taking the drug malzonium (ph) this year. But it all played out in the pool. Lily King let her swimming do the talking and she defeated Efimova by a single second. Heartbroken, as you would expect, in tears after the race. She did say she didn't expect to be here even a week ago, so Efimova was happy to go home with silver.
SIDNER: There's more drama when it comes to the Russian athletes. They are getting a reaction that I don't think we've heard in years at the Olympics. Tell us what's happening with the crowds there.
MCFARLAND: It's really strange. There's been a lot of booing ringing out, especially in the swimming arena when the Russian athletes have been coming in. And in recent days, we've seen being in the men's 400 meters. There was a cheer, but there were boos, as well. And you've got to consider that, you know, it was just a couple days ago that Thomas Bacconi cleared 271 of Russia's athletes to compete here after allegations of state-sponsored doping. And the spectators and the athletes are making their feelings known about that. They don't like it. By and large, and Lily King is just one of a number of athletes who said she didn't think that was the right decision. And I think the reason we're seeing a lot of this in the pool is because seven of the swimmers here originally banned have the reinstated for these Olympic Games. But like I say, it's a bit of an awkward atmosphere. We're used to seeing crowds cheering for the underdog rather than engineering at some of the athletes when they come in.
VAUSE: What should we look out for on Tuesday, Christina?
MCFARLAND: A lot. We have 15 gold medals to come across nine sports. Chief among them, though, will be Katie Ladecky of the United States. Back in the pool once again. She's taken two in the 400 meter silver and the 400 freestyle gold. She'll be going for the 200 meter freestyle on Tuesday.
We're looking out in the men's 100 meter freestyle, a refugee swimmer, Rami Anis (ph), is going to make his Olympic debut. Having the refugees has been one of the standout stories of this Olympic Games and he is going to be loudly cheered tomorrow in the pool.
And then, of course, it's the women's gymnastics team final and Simone Biles going for her first gold in Rio. And, of course, the women's U.S. team, they're the favorites to take back here on Tuesday.
[02:05:33] SIDNER: Thank you so much for that, Christine McFarland, in Rio de Janeiro.
The U.S. presidential campaign has had its share of remarkable moments, but a new one brought on by a large number of prominent Republicans is truly unprecedented.
VAUSE: As Donald Trump tries to focus on the economy, Dana Bash reports on the latest public division within the party.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: A who's who of the Republican foreign policy world coordinating an unprecedented effort to stop their party's nominee from winning the White House. 54 national security officials signing a letter saying, quote, "Donald Trump is not qualified to be president and commander-in-chief. Indeed, we are convinced that he would be a dangerous president and would put at risk our country's national security and well being."
Some high-profile officials like former CIA Director Michael Hayden and former homeland security secretary, Michael Chertoff, have experienced concerns about Trump before. But nothing like this forum. 50 like-minded foreign policy experts, many of them no nonpoliticians, coming together to say they're not wild about Hillary Clinton, but Donald Trump in charge of the nuclear arsenal makes them alarmed. Quote, "We are convinced in the Oval Office he would be the most reckless president in history."
The letter was released just as Trump was finishing his speech in Detroit, aimed at trying to alleviate concerns those GOP national security experts voiced, like lack of self-control.
Usually, when Trump is interrupted by protesters, he insults them. Today, his economic policy speech was disrupted 14 times, but he bit his tongue, except to say this.
DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & CEO, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: The Bernie Sanders people have far more energy and spirit, I will say that.
(CHEERING)
BASH: After a tumultuous week, it was Trump's attempt to get back to basics.
TRUMP: We need to stop believing in politicians and start believing in our great country.
(CHEERING)
BASH: A detailed economic policy speech, but with a more fundamental goal, reminding voters he's an outsider, eager to disrupt a broken system.
TRUMP: Our party has chosen to make new history by selecting a nominee from the outside and that's outside of the very, very already proven rigged system.
BASH: But he also used his speech to the Detroit Economic Club business people to talk tax cuts, and court college-educated wealthier GOP voters that Trump showed may be at risk of losing.
TRUMP: We're reducing new taxes from 35 percent to 15 percent.
BASH: Trump even dumped his own tax reform proposal, wiped it from his website, and adopted the House Republican plan.
TRUMP: My plan will reduce the current number of brackets from 7 to 3 and dramatically stream line the process.
BASH: But some experts in both parties have cautioned large tax cuts coupled with the kind of increased spending Donald Trump wants could balloon the deficit dramatically.
Trump also used his speech to warn Republicans considering voting for Hillary Clinton about her plans.
TRUMP: Hillary Clinton, who has spent her career voting for tax increases, plans another massive job-killing $1.3 trillion tax increase.
BASH (on camera): As for that brutal letter from 50 former Republican foreign policy officials calling Trump effectively unfit to be commander-in-chief, he responded in kind saying, quote, "The names on this letter are the ones the American people should look to for answers on why the world is a mess, and we thank them for coming forward so everyone in the country knows who deserves the blame for making the world such a dangerous place. They are nothing more than the failed Washington elite looking to hold on to their power, and it's time they are held accountable for their actions."
Dana Bash, CNN, Washington.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Hillary Clinton has labeled Trump's economic plan nothing more than repackaged trickle-down economics.
SIDNER: She says it would give huge breaks to big corporations and wouldn't help most Americans at all.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[02:10:02] HILLARY CLINTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: It's clear, and a lot of the journalists have written this, that Trump is scrambling to do damage control. That's why he listed those dozen new economic advisers, three Wall Street money managers, an oil baron, a former chief economist, from one of the banks at the heart of the financial crisis. But this is from a guy who has said he knows more than the generals about ISIS.
(SHOUTING)
CLINTON: So he's not only putting our national security at risk. Now he's putting our economy at risk.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Joining us now for a closer look at Trump's economic plan, one of his economic advisers, Peter Navarro, who is also professor of economics and public policy at the University of California, Irvine.
SIDNER: Also with us, Robert Reich, professor of public policy at the University of California at Berkeley. Robert also served as labor secretary for President Bill Clinton.
Robert, I'm going to go ahead and start with you.
After listening to Donald Trump's speech today, what are your concerns? What are your criticisms?
ROBERT REICH, PROFESSOR OF PUBLIC POLICY, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, BERKELEY & FORMER LABOR SECRETARY: Well, basically, the speech represented a move backward from kind of almost inarticulate and incoherent economics that he was talking about before to a more traditional supply side approach that, for example, Speaker Paul Ryan has taken. And, to the extent that there is anything to say about that, the criticisms are fairly today. As supply side economics has not had, in the minds of many people -- and researchers who have looked carefully at the economy -- the kind of effects supply siders claim it will have.
SIDNER: Professor Navarro, tell us what you think --
VAUSE: Yeah, respond to what Robert said.
SIDNER: -- to what Robert just said.
PETER NAVARRO, ECONOMIC ADVISOR, DONALD TRUMP PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN & PROFESSOR OF ECONOMICS AND PUBLIC POLICY, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE: The difference between Robert Reich and myself, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, is that Reich/Clinton approach is a standard Keynesian approach, treating things as a cyclical problem and you just throw a lot fiscal stimulus on it. You throw in a lot of Robin Hood redistribution of income and life is supposed to be all good. Well, Robert Reich and the Clinton's have been trying that the last 20 years and what we are now is 15 years of misery in this country. We have a growth rate that's half of its historic norms, 20 million people out of work and zero income growth.
What the Trump plan is, it was a four-point plan. It was a coherent plan based on a structural approach. It included energy reform, regulatory reform, tax reform and trade reform. It's designed to double our GDP growth rate. Basically, when you do that, we will generate millions of jobs and trillions of dollars in additional tax revenues to pay for things like infrastructure, national defense, Medicare and Social Security. So this was a 21st century version of Ronald Reagan with a trade deficit twist on it. It's much, much more than simple supply side economics and it's certainly a far better alternative to Robin Hood and John Maynard Keynes that we've been getting.
VAUSE: The credit agency, Moody's, has looked at the economic policies of both candidates. This is what they said. "Clinton's plan would create 10.4 million jobs and GDP growth would increase to 2.7 percent. Trump's plan would bring unemployment to 7 percent, spark a prolonged recession, and house and stock prices would fall." Peter, that analysis was done before trump scuttled his original tax
plan, increasing the tax rate for the top income earners. At the end of the day, there has been a lot of criticism from both sides of the political spectrum for this plan put together by Donald Trump.
NAVARRO: Let's start with the Moody's plan. As good journalism, I think it's important to report that Mark Zandi, who wrote the report, is a major donor to the Democratic Party and Hillary Clinton as well. And he's been the defender for the last eight years of the failed fiscal policies of the Obama administration. And Moody's was faulted for its terrible credit ratings for getting us into the housing bubble collapse in the crisis. So that report is not credible.
What we look at here is a four-point program, really, that is designed significantly to double our growth rate. And if you look at, for example, the trade problem, we've got an $800 billion trade deficit annually. In addition to that, we have our business investment domestically reduced because of off-shoring to Mexico and China. That's the structural problem with our economy here and in the U.S. It's the same structural problem with the economy in Europe. And it speaks to the currency manipulation and unbalanced trade around the world. And until we solved that here in America, in Europe and around the world, we're going to have what we have, which is consistently slow growth and no wage income growth. And Donald Trump sees that. He's got the intelligence to understand we're fighting a structural problem. Keynesianism and Robin Hood is not the solution.
[02:15:16] VAUSE: Robert, do you want to reply to that?
REICH: Yes. I could respond to that. First of all, an ad hominem attack on Mark Zandi doesn't wash. Moody's Analytic is a Wall Street institution. Mark Zandi --
(CROSSTALK)
NAVARRO: He's a major donor to the Democratic Party.
REICH: Wait a minute. If I could please --
(CROSSTALK)
NAVARRO: But he's a major donor to the Democratic Party.
REICH: Professor Navarro, would you please have the courtesy to let me finish my situation.
He was also, Mark Zandi, the major chief economist to John McCain and --
NAVARRO: That's incorrect.
REICH: I'm absolutely correct and --
NAVARRO: That's factually incorrect.
REICH: I'm absolutely correct. (CROSSTALK)
Who are you?
Let me just finish my thoughts for a moment, please. Have some courtesy. You sound like Donald Trump.
With regard to the Trump plan --
(CROSSTALK)
NAVARRO: You sound like Hillary Clinton.
(CROSSTALK)
VAUSE: Peter, please let Professor Reich finish his point, please.
REICH: The aspect of the plan can be shown. The Tax Policy Project, the Tax Policy Council has looked at the plan from which this is derived, that is the Paul Ryan's plan, and found that it would generate for the top one-tenth of 1 percent an $800 tax cut per year. This will aggravate inequality. We know that. We've tried it before. We've seen these kinds of supply side policies do aggravate inequality. That kind of inequality coupled with the deficit creation that is going to be made, this is not a good policy.
I was part of the Clinton administration. We provided over an economy generating 22 million net new jobs. For your guest, Professor Navarro, to say that somehow the Clintons and I have, you know, driven the economy into the ground expresses and displays a failure to understand economic history.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SIDNER: A spirited discussion there between Professors Robert Reich and Peter Navarro talking about Donald Trump's economic plan.
Trump's speech came as another player enters the race for the White House.
VAUSE: Republicans opposed to Donald Trump recruited a former CIA staffer, Evan McMullin?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EVAN MCMULLIN, (I), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & FORMER CIA AGENT: I don't think Donald Trump is good for this one country, nor is Hillary Clinton. In fact, I think both are dangerous in their different ways, in their unique ways. Donald Trump, I believe, is a real authoritarian. I believe he has no respect for our system. I believe he's inhumane. I don't think that he cares about anyone but himself.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Inhumane is a pretty harsh accusation. What do you mean by that?
MCMULLIN: I don't think he cares about anyone other than himself. You look at sort of some of his remarks in the past week or a couple of weeks where he's attacked the families and those who have served our country and risked their lives or even given their lives. He attacked the khan family. Of course, he attacked John McCain early on in his campaign. I think this shows, you have to be a special kind of person to attack those who risk their lives to protect you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: He is, obviously, a long shot. Not a lot of people ever heard of who he is. But McMullin could cause problems for Trump in the typically Republican state of Utah. And let's say he could siphon off enough votes there to hand the state to Hillary Clinton.
VAUSE: We shall see.
There is still no end to the Delta Airlines after a power supply problem took down its computer system on Monday. The airline has canceled 100 flights Tuesday. At least 200 others have been delayed. That comes after more than 800 flights were canceled on Monday.
SIDNER: The airline is offering vouchers of $200 for passengers delayed at least three hours. The system is now fully operational, but it will take days to get back to normal.
VAUSE: $200 seems not enough money.
SIDNER: I'm sure there are people complaining about that.
VAUSE: We'll take a short break. When we come back, U.S.-backed militias say they have nearly cleared out ISIS from the city of Manbij in Syria. Why it's considered a big victory. And the strategy to eliminate ISIS.
SIDNER: Plus, Turkey's president pays a visit to Russia. What he's trying to do and how he's trying to mend fences with Moscow.
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(WEATHER REPORT)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:23:21] SIDNER: Syrian rebels are calling it a miracle. The Syria government is calling it a lie. But rebels insist they have broken through the government siege of Aleppo.
VAUSE: 250,000 people in that city are running out of food and medicine. And one fighter says government troops have used civilians to keep the rebels at bay.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): These civilians were used by the regime as human shields. They used 5- and 6-year-old children as human shields. The regime used them to prevent us from advancing, but thank God we saved them. God willing, next step will be the city of Aleppo.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: Staying with Syria, another fierce fight is under way in the northern city of Manbij. U.S.-backed militias say they've nearly cleared ISIS out in a major victory against that terrorist group.
VAUSE: Fred Pleitgen explains why this city is so important.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(EXPLOSION)
FRED PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): These are America's most important allies in the war against ISIS in Syria. The Syrian Democratic forces, or SDF, have been pushing the terror group back for months.
(EXPLOSION)
PLEITGEN: But this could be their most important victory yet. Fighters have all by liberated the town of Manbij.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): We have taken these areas away from ISIS.
PLEITGEN: This video, obtained exclusively by CNN, shows the Syrian Democratic Forces in house-to-house combat. The group is made up of Syrian Kurds, many of them women but also includes Arabs, and foreigners like, Damian, from France.
[02:25:02] UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translation): First of all, I came to fight. I came to fight ISIS because they are also in France, because they are a common enemy. This is an enemy that we also have in France.
(GUNFIRE)
PLEITGEN: Manbij is a hub for ISIS that lies about half way between the Turkish border and the extremist's self-declared couple, Raqqa.
Taking it means choking off a supply of weapons and fighters. The U.S. is providing air support for the SDF fighters, strikes that have made a difference on the battlefield. But there are also reports of more than 100 civilian casualties. The U.S. military is investigating the deaths.
(GUNFIRE)
PLEITGEN: And even with American air power the going has been tough. ISIS booby-trapped much of Manbij. Some of its bomb making factories later discovered.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mostly they used handmade mines because we have surrounded them they had no manufactured materials left. They have nothing left. They even used teapots to make mines. This is also a belt for explosive materials. They fasten the belt, filled with explosives, to themselves.
PLEITGEN: The SDF fighters had to battle snipers and determined ISIS foot soldiers.
(CHANTING)
PLEITGEN: ISIS released this video showing its militants on the front lines using suicide truck bombs to halt the advancing U.S.-backed force.
The U.S. has called Manbij, quote, "a fight that we haven't seen before."
Many of the civilians are happy to have escaped with their lives.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translation): We were afraid of ISIS but today we are free. When we were in Manbij there were four snipers above our house and the snipers shot at us. ISIS didn't allow us to leave. If they capture us and see us they will kill us.
PLEITGEN: Some of the women saved from ISIS's grasp, burned the clothes they were forced to wear in celebration. But while these civilians rejoice for now, the SDF will have to fight many more tough battles before ISIS is destroyed.
Fred Pleitgen, CNN, Berlin.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SIDNER: Coming up for our viewers in Asia is CNN's show "State of the Race" with Kate Bolduan.
VAUSE: For everyone else, stay with us, because after the break, Donald Trump, the politician, promises more jobs for American workers but businessman Donald Trump seems to have a very different track record.
SIDNER: He said he was kidnapped by the CIA, then he changed his story. Coming up, more details on the nuclear scientist Iran says it executed.
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[02:30:49] JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks for staying with us. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause.
SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Sara Sidner.
The headlines for you at this hour --
(HEADLINES)
VAUSE: After a really bad week, Donald Trump is hoping a new major policy speech will reboot his campaign.
SIDNER: The Republican nominee unveiled his plan to jumpstart the economy.
CNN's Richard Quest looks at the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT & CNN HOST, QUEST MEANS BUSINESS: Donald Trump was speaking in Detroit in Michigan, the home of the American car manufacturers. So appropriately enough, he said he wanted to jumpstart the economy. And when he means jump start, he's talking about a variety of different ways in which it could be done.
First of all, what he calls the biggest tax revolution since the Reagan years. It would reduce the number of tax brackets from 7 to 3. Although it must be said, he has proposed higher tax rates than the original plan, which was released in September of last year. He's expecting that will improve the deficit position.
Then, as another jolt, a moratorium on new regulation. He's called regulation a hidden tax on consumers and a train on business. The big one and perhaps maybe the most famous one relate to trade and the renegotiation of key trade treaties, like NAFTA. He said Secretary Clinton and the NAFTA trade and Trans-Pacific Partnerships. He would withdraw from TPP. He would renegotiate NAFTA. And when it comes to all these big trade deals, if he couldn't get the deal that he wanted, he would be quite happy to walk away.
Richard Quest, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SIDNER: Another of his big economic plans, Trump says he wants to keep things in America, both companies and jobs, right here in this country.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & CEO, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: We punish companies from making products in America, but let them ship products into the United States tax free if they move overseas.
(BOOING)
TRUMP: This, ladies and gentlemen, is backwards. This is backwards.
Trade has big benefits and I am in favor, totally in favor of trade. But I want trade deals for our country that create more jobs and higher wages for American workers.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Well, what Donald Trump says now seems to be very different to what Donald Trump did when he was in business.
SIDNER: CNN's senior investigative correspondent, Drew Griffin, takes a look. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(BOOING)
(CHEERING)
[02:34:42] DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The visas tell the story. Donald Trump can't find what he's looking for to stamp his beach club, his golf course, his vineyard, his modeling agency and even his own Trump organization, which is why for the last 15 years he's been importing workers.
The U.S. Department of Labor has approved at least 1,256 requests of foreign guest workers for Trump companies. According to sources, not just any foreign guest workers. Sources say Trump likes them pretty, if they're women, and good looking, if they're men. And he has a fondness for accents.
Nowhere is that more evident than here, Trump's Mara-Lago Beach Club, where 849 requests were foreign guest workers approved in the last decade. They are waiters, cooks and housekeepers and various other positions.
Some of the foreign guest workers told us their Trump jobs allowed them to live the American dream.
A former executive chef at the Mara-Lago Club says the guest workers are more dependable than U.S. workers, have more skills, and says they cherry picked some pretty people, explaining the club hired attractive foreigners for front-line positions. The chef called the practice common at many clubs and restaurants in south Florida.
That explanation, though, is slightly different from how Donald Trump explained why he has to hire foreigners.
TRUMP: You cannot get help during the season. The season goes from like October to March. It's almost impossible to get help.
GRIFFIN: Trump's argument, in all cases of importing foreign guest workers is that no Americans would accept the jobs that he's offering, that he tried his best to find Americans and couldn't fill the positions.
It's a requirement of the Department of Labor visa applications, the employer must verify that reasonable attempts were made to hire Americans first. And only after proving Americas could be or would not fill the jobs will visa be granted.
The Trump organization claims it followed the regulations to the letter.
Tom Veenstra says, in the case of Mara-Lago, he just doesn't believe Donald Trump.
TOM VEENSTRA, SENIOR DIRECTOR, PALM BEACH CAREER SOURCE OFFICE: We have hundreds of qualified candidates for jobs like these. GRIFFIN: Veenstra is senior director at the Palm Beach Career Source Office, part of a state-funded program to help workers get jobs. The services here are free.
VEENSTRA: We help place local residents into jobs like those.
GRIFFIN: Only once, Veenstra said, did Trump make use of his services. He said of four candidates, one was hired. He never heard another word.
Labor Department records show Donald Trump and his various business interests have applied for and been granted foreign guest worker visas at his Jupiter Club in Jupiter, Florida, at the Lamington Farm Club, and at the Trump National Golf Club. 39 workers were brought in on the H2A visa program as agricultural workers to work at Trump's vineyard estates in northern Virginia. Another 280 workers were brought in on special H1B visas to work as fashion models, engineers and food and wine experts.
And believe it or not, Trump even requested to import fitness trainers and aerobic instructors because he says he couldn't find any in south Florida, which came as a shock to Miami fitness instructor, Nick Solor (ph).
NICK SOLOR (ph), FITNESS INSTRUCTOR: That's ridiculous to think he had to go out of the country to find qualified fitness instructor or a trainer of any kind.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SIDNER: CNN's Drew Griffin reporting there.
And it appears the Trump companies will continue to seek employees from overseas.
VAUSE: Records from the Department of Labor show Trump has started the visa process to fill many jobs for cooks, waiters in May for his Florida clubs.
SIDNER: Now, Iran says it has executed a nuclear scientist accused of spying for the United States. Shahram Amiri had been in custody in Iran since 2010. He vanished during religious pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia a year earlier. Amiri said he had been kidnapped by the United States.
VAUSE: He repeated that claim after returning home. But U.S. officials say he defected voluntarily and gave useful information to the United States.
Now, Donald Trump is blaming Hillary Clinton who was secretary of state in 2010 for his execution. She received e-mails mentioning his name on her controversial personal e-mail server.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: CNN's intelligence and security analyst, Bob Baer, joins us now from Colorado.
Bob, what are the guidelines if a defector decides to go home?
BOB BAER, CNN INTELLIGENCE & SECURITY ANALYST: He gets to go home. There's a thing called TL110, which sponsors him in the United States. Has nothing to do with the Sate Department or the secretary of state. He gets to come in here, he gets to breathe, he gets paid. He can leave if he wants. I've seen this so many times where defectors arrive in the country, they expect something and they decide to go home, even after a year, even facing a death penalty like this. This is fairly normal.
VAUSE: One of the reports we were hearing from Iran is that he was missing his son. Apparently, the authorities there were threatening the family, particularly the son. How common is it to get those threats?
[02:40:00] BAER: It's very common. They get homesick. The family says -- authorities in Iran said, don't worry about it, come home, tell us what you told them, it will be fine. He gets off the airplane, there's a celebration, it looks fine. They start to realize just what he's compromised in 2009, the judiciary gets a hold of him. And this execution was probably approved by the supreme leader. This is a big decision on the part of the Iranians. But you can count on it. They were very upset about the information he leaked to the United States.
VAUSE: There was some thought that he had been sentenced to five to 10 years in prison. If that is true, and the sentence was changed to the death penalty, could that have happened because he was mentioned in those Hillary Clinton e-mails?
BAER: No. He didn't stand a chance when he went back. It's the family that said he only got 12 years. What they were hearing from the judiciary is probably wrong. That was never confirmed. But in Iran's, finding for the CIA in the United States is almost certain death penalty.
VAUSE: One thing, if Amiri was returning home, U.S. officials told American reporters he had been paid, he has been offered residency, he gave a lot of information about Iran's nuclear program. Why would they do that? Wouldn't that put his life at risk?
BAER: Well, you know, I think these are rumors. I think he probably confessed in prison. The Iranians already knew that. He was not going to go back and not face Iranian intelligence. They're tough. The moment they got a hold of him, he probably confessed. What leaked out in the United States is really unnecessary, but I doubt that really contributed to his execution.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SIDNER: The Clinton campaign has responded to Trump blaming her for the scientist's death. It called the claims baseless, saying, Trump never met a conspiracy theory he didn't like. VAUSE: Still to come here, we'll keep an eye on the Turkish president as he meets with Russia's Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg in the coming hours. We'll look at what tops their agenda.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:45:36] SIDNER: Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan meets with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in a few hours in St. Petersburg.
VAUSE: They're working to repair relations after Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet last year. And Erdogan wants the two countries to work together to end the fighting in Syria.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, TURKISH PRESIDENT (through translation): Let me express it loud and clear. Russia is the most important actor in bringing peace to Syria. I believe that Russia and Turkey should solve this problem by taking joint steps.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Repairing the relationship, though, may not be easy.
SIDNER: CNN senior international correspondent, Matthew Chance, has more now from St. Petersburg.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is the moment Turkey shot a Russian fighter out of the sky over the Turkish/Syrian border last November. It plunged in a fireball. Relations between Moscow and Ankara also crash in flames. Russia's infuriated president could barely contain his anger.
"Today's loss for us was like a stab in the back delivered by the accomplices of terrorists," he said at the time.
(GUNFIRE)
CHANCE: "It will have serious consequences," he promised, "for Russia's relations with Turkey."
And he wasn't kidding. As well as blocking trade ties with Ankara, halting flights and banning Turkish workers, the Russian defense ministry released this video saying it proves the Turkish leader and his family profited from the sell of ISIS oil to the sale of Iraq. For months, it seemed the bitterness between Putin an Erdogan would never heal.
It can become personal, too want a battle of wills between Putin and Erdogan, his Turkish counterpart, would never heal.
(on camera): The two were at odds over Syria but it became personal, too, a battle of wills between two autocratic hard liners. But then, suddenly, something changed. Perhaps it was economic necessity. But the Turkish president unexpectedly moved to heal the rift with the Kremlin, expressing regret for the family of the pilot who was killed. Putin quickly responded by lifting sanctions and beginning what he said was a process of normalizing trade ties. This summer in St. Petersburg is meant to cement that rekindled partnership.
(SHOUTING)
CHANCE (voice-over): But its timing, after a failed military coup against President Erdogan last month, has given the meeting extra significance. With a Turkish crackdown on opponents, relations with the U.S. are strained, presenting the Kremlin with an opportunity.
(on camera): Is it also about Putin trying to pry Turkey away from NATO, away from the Europeans, and bring Turkey into Russia's orbit?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely, absolutely. But not -- I don't think that he is so much hopeful to get into the Russian orbit, but to increase the divisions within the Western community, within the NATO. And it is one of the purposes, one of the goals designed by Russia.
CHANCE (voice-over): Russian officials deny the Russian visit means they're turning their backs on the West. But this roller coaster, Putin/Erdogan relationship, from enemies to friends, make Turkey's allies pause.
(SHOUTING)
CHANCE: Matthew Chance, CNN, St. Petersburg.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: A short break here. When we come back, the Olympic host country, Brazil, wins its first gold medal of the games. We'll have that and more Olympic highlights from the third day of competition in just a moment.
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(WEATHER REPORT)
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[02:52:41] VAUSE: And back to the Olympics we go. Day three of the competition now in the books. Let's take a look at the highlights out of Rio.
It was a historic day for the sport of rugby. Australia beat archrival New Zealand to win the gold in ruby sevens first ever Olympic final.
VAUSE: The Olympic host country won the first gold of the Rio games. Brazil's Silva Rafaela won all five of her matches.
SIDNER: And Ibtihaj Muhammad made history being the first woman to compete wearing a hijab. She won her first match in the women's individual saber fencing competition before losing in the round number 16. She could still leave Rio with a medal in the women's team fencing competition.
VAUSE: And U.S. tennis star, Serena Williams, destroyed her racket during a frustrating second round match against France. Williams won, though, to advance to Wednesday's third round.
SIDNER: Later Tuesday, Michael Phelps gets a chance for revenge against Chad le Clos in the men's 200 meter butterfly. The South African swimmer beat Phelps in that event four years ago in London.
VAUSE: CNN spoke to South Africa's Chad le Clos ahead of the Olympics about Phelps and what it meant to go up against a swimming legend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHAD LE CLOS, SOUTH AFRICAN OLYMPIC SWIMMER: I've always believed that I was the best. You know, maybe necessarily when I wasn't the best. I know when I get on that block, I don't care who you are, I believe that I can beat you. My name is Chad le Clos. I won a tournament gold medal in the butterfly. I am a World Cup series. When I raced Michael Phelps in the final, it was a crazy feeling. Because when I touched at the 150, I think I was .5 or .6 behind him. When I turned, I actually looked at him under water and I actually kind of thought I was him. That sounds absolutely crazy, but I saw myself as him coming past someone else, you know, because he was such a huge inspiration to me coming up. And I beat him by .05 of a second. It was obviously life changing for me. But it was a huge moment for South Africa. Obviously, to represent your country is a huge honor, but to beat Michael Phelps in the Olympics, I mean, that was, you know, that was amazing. I've always tried to swim for my family. I have so much support. So many people are proud of me back home. I wouldn't say I'm living in -- if I don't achieve, but, you know, you feel that when you're swimming. I think sport is about that. Yes, you see me on the thing, but behind the scenes, I have so many people to thank for my success. It helps you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[02:55:39] VAUSE: Well, the Olympic officials have made an apology for using the wrong Chinese flag during medal ceremonies. It wasn't a wrong flag, but it was a wrong detail. Both flags are red. The difference is in how the stars are lined up.
SIDNER: So pay close attention. The correct Chinese flag on the left side of your screen, now there has the four smaller stars rotated so they point towards the center of the larger star. And Olympic officials say the flags were approved by the Chinese before they were made.
VAUSE: I lived in China for four years and I had no idea what was wrong with that.
SIDNER: You have to be looking carefully.
VAUSE: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles. SIDNER: I'm Sara Sidner. He's John Vause.
The news continues with Rosemary Church, coming up.
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