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Clinton: Trump Supporters "Basket of Deplorables"; Pence Releases Tax Returns, Will Trump Follow; U.S., Russia Announce Deal on Syrian Ceasefire; Larry King Speaks Out on Trump's Russian TV Interview; Polls; Trump Closing Gap with Clinton in Swing States; Reagan Shooter John Hinckley Jr Released from Mental Hospital; New Technology Lures Fans Back to NFL Stadiums; Clinton: Trump Supporters "Basket of Deplorables". Aired 1-2p ET

Aired September 10, 2016 - 13:00   ET

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

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[13:00:00] MIKE PENCE, (R), INDIANA GOVERNOR & VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We get the news this morning revealing, as it is, Hillary Clinton in remarks that were made in New York City just last night bear repeating. And let me see where someone put them here.

(LAUGHTER)

Take your time.

(LAUGHTER)

Hillary Clinton said last night, at a big fundraiser in New York City, that the American people, the millions of Americans that are supporting my running mate, were described in the most deplorable of terms. It's extraordinary to think of it. She referred to those people as "irredeemable."

Well, I would tell you right now, I campaign on a regular basis with Donald Trump. I campaign all across this country for Donald Trump. Hillary Clinton's low opinion of the people that support this campaign should be denounced in the strongest possible terms.

The truth of the matter is that the men and women who support Donald Trump's campaign are hard-working Americans -- farmers, coal miners, teachers, veterans, members of our law enforcement community, members of -- members of every class of this country who know that we can make America great again.

So let me just say from the bottom of my heart, Hillary, they are not a basket of anything. They are Americans and they deserve your respect.

(CHEERING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: All right. So in case you missed it, here are Clinton's remarks from the fundraiser last night. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: To just be grossly generalistic, you could put half of Trump supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables --

(LAUGHTER)

Right?

(LAUGHTER)

Sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic, you name it. Unfortunately, there are people like that. And he has lifted them up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: This obviously has a lot of people talking.

Let's continue the conversation. And to help me, I have a whole group of guests, beginning with CNN senior political reporter, Manu Raju; Larry Sabato, the director for politics of at University of Virginia; and also Jay Newton-Small, the Washington correspondent for "Time" magazine.

Manu, let's start with you.

Give me some context of Clinton's comments that, quote, "half of Trump's supporters." She is attacking people instead of a candidate here. It really does not seem to have panned out well for her.

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL REPORTER: That's right, Martin. She is trying to paint Donald Trump as someone out of the mainstream, that plays on the fears of African-Americans, and is backed by the fringe of the American electorate. But the problem with Clinton's remarks is she just painted a large segment of Trump supporters with a broad brush in inflammatory terms. It's never safe to attack a group of voters, like Barack Obama in 2008 when he said certain voters cling to their guns and religion, or when Mitt Romney, in 2012, dismissed 47 percent of voters. Now Mike Pence is seizing on Clinton remarks. The Clinton campaign is trying to downplay this controversy. Nick Merrill, the Clinton spokesman, tweeting she was referring to Trump supporters at rallies, not necessarily voters who go to the polls. Some believe the distinction is without a difference. Clearly, a lot of ammo with the Donald Trump campaign going forward -- Martin?

SAVIDGE: Jay, I am wondering this. Of course, the Trump supporters are outraged. Those who support Hillary Clinton are saying, yeah, bring it. But the Independents, what are they supposed to make of it? Is she hoping that branding people who support Trump as this despicable bunch, the new Independents don't want to go that way, do you?

(CROSSTALK) JAY NEWTON-SMALL, WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, TIME MAGAZINE: Absolutely. I think she is clearly trying to drive a wedge here between what she says are two groups of Trump voters. I think she's basically saying, Independents, are you going to be like these racists, uneducated horrible, essentially, people or are you going to take a stand against this and not vote for Trump. She is trying to shame them saying are you in two baskets. This is the basket of the two other people and do you want to associate yourself with those other people? I this I this comes almost as a response to Donald Trump's outreach in the last week to African Marines. To me, this is all about getting white suburban women voters. He was reaching out to African-Americans. But he wasn't trying to win the African-American vote. It's improbable right now. He isn't polling more than 3 percent with them. What he was trying to do is make himself more palatable to suburban white women who don't like the idea of voting for a racist. In this case, Hillary Clinton is basically saying to those suburban white women, like all of these other supporters of Donald Trump are racists, and you will be a racist, too, if you vote for him.

[01:05:32] SAVIDGE: Larry, Trump had his own attack lines with Florida. Here, listen. Then we'll talk.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Because she is being so protected, she could walk into this arena now and shoot somebody with 20,000 people watching right smack in the middle of the heart, and she wouldn't be prosecuted. OK?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: No, of course, Donald Trump has used that own speech about himself, actually, his popularity in the primary season. But now he is talking about Mrs. Clinton. He's insinuating a conspiracy, that she's protected. Would you agree?

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Well, of course, it's not true. The most important thing is he shouldn't have said that either. I don't believe Hillary Clinton should have said what she did about Trump supporters. Maybe both of them should agree to walk back those statements. The sooner, the better. I doubt that Trump ever walks it back. Clinton may decide to double down the way Trump does when he is challenged on any statement.

SAVIDGE: I can't imagine either candidate is going to walk back what they said. Up to now, they've invested so much in those words. It's turned in a way a lot of people didn't expect.

Jay, I want to get your thoughts. The Independents, we have already talked about them. Think are going to make or break either candidate. What are we to think? I get they don't want to be racist. Many were thinking of Donald Trump.

NEWTON-SMALL: That's why this strategy, as blunt as it is, and potentially really insults and off putting to a huge group of Americans, it does seek to appeal to essentially moderate Republicans, certainly college-educated Republicans> And it almost shames them, and it almost says, look, do you really want to vote? Do you want to be a part of this group of people that are despicable and do not represent American values? Or do you want to be a part of everyone else, with this big inclusive, big tent, not racist, not sexist, and everything else. It's an interesting strategy, certainly a bold one, and a blunt one. I've never seen anything like it in a presidential campaign. I think it's because she has been stalling with particular swing state voters in Ohio and Pennsylvania -- not so much Pennsylvania, but in Ohio and Florida. And she's really now making this bold play for Independents and this is how she's doing it.

SAVIDGE: It will either be branded after the election as brilliant or, oh, that was the moment it went against her.

Manu, Mike Pence just released 10 years of his tax returns. Does that put more pressure on Trump, which he has not done?

RAJU: Absolutely. He released them this on Friday night about 6:00 p.m., which is typically the time are you trying to bury bad news. There was no smoking gun in Mike Pence' tax returns for the 10 years. It showed he had an upper class, upper middle income life. He had some financial strain with his family, taking out a college loan for his kids, and earns less than $200,000 a year over the last 10 years. But it was not about Mike Pence. It was about Donald Trump. That's why they released this last night so the discussion would not focus on why hasn't Donald Trump released the tax returns?

SAVIDGE: Why not release them at all?

RAJU: I don't know Donald Trump will release his tax returns. Mike Pence realized he doesn't have that argument that Donald Trump is making he is under IRS audit. That's why he is not releasing his. If you are Donald Trump, why not release them now? It could lead to a score of stories even more unflattering than the fact that he's decided to withhold them, which, of course, very, very uncommon.

SAVIDGE: The IRS, I've been told, does not say you can't release even if you are under some sort of audit.

Larry Sabato, Jay Newton-Small, Manu Raju, thank you all for joining me.

NEWTON-SMALL: Thanks, Martin.

[13:09:34] SAVIDGE: Coming up, Russia and the U.S., they agree on something, a ceasefire in Syria. Where is Syria in all of this? It's a big step forward in an effort to promote peace in that war-torn nation. We'll take you overseas for the details next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAVIDGE: The Syrian government announced its support to a ceasefire deal brokered by the U.S. and Russia. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry announcing the agreement in Geneva.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN KERRY, SECRETARY OF STATE: The United States and Russia are announcing a plan which we hope will reduce violence, ease suffering, and resume movement towards a negotiated peace and a political transition in Syria.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: The deal, which calls for a ceasefire to take effect across Syria at sundown on Monday, is aimed at putting Syria's peace process back on track. It's being greeted with cautious enthusiasm around the world. Enthusiasm might be a bit strong. But at least people are cautious.

Let' talk about this with our CNN International diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson, in Geneva; and CNN contributor and senior editor for "The Daily Beast," Michael Weiss.

Nic, tell us about this deal. What's in it?

[13:14:48] NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Well, one of the things that's in it is the that the United States and Russia, if the first seven days are successful, will form a combined military operation that will target ISIS and al Nusra. They have now rebranded themselves. They have the former al Qaeda affiliate inside Syria. Jointly, the U.S. and Russia will target them. There will be large parts of the country put off limits for Assad's air force. This is to save civilian casualties from barrel bombs and fighter jets. There will be humanitarian access in the city of Aleppo and elsewhere in the country. But there were some very specific terms and agreements on paper at least on how the ceasefire in Aleppo and other places will go into effect.

But we are talking here about this broad exception to the deal that can be had right now, if you will. But we have just heard now from al Nusra, the former al Qaeda affiliate, and they are branding this whole agreement as the United States and Russia teaming up to fight the opposition. This is how they, radical hard-liner Islamists in Syria, will sell it to Syria. Of course, some of the more moderate rebel groups on the front lines, because they needed to militarily, have been fighting side-by-side with Nusra. One of the key points of the agreement is these moderates groups separate out from al Nusra on the front lean so they can be targeted. That is one of the things that will be difficult, perhaps, to put into effect -- Marty?

SAVIDGE: Right. It is. Because, actually in the middle of a war, there are a number of other little wars taking place.

Michael, the U.N. issued a statement, let me read it to you: "It creates a real window of opportunity which allows you us to put the crisis" -- I'm sorry, let me go back and say it. "It creates a real window of opportunity which all relevant actors in the region and beyond should seize to put the crisis in Syria on a different path and ease the violence and suffering being endured by the Syrian people."

Where does Assad sit in all of this? Specifically, does this require him to step down? Because that is what many of these opposition groups have been fighting for since the beginning.

MICHAEL WEISS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Right. That's what President Obama said in 2011. Unfortunately, this legitimates the Assad war regime. As Nic pointed out, there will be large parts of the country that are off limits to the Syrian air force and the Syrian army, and its various proxy groups, but that means there are some parts of the country in which Assad can continue to fight and drop bombs.

Now if you read the draft text of this agreement, one of the things they said was, look, anywhere that Syria faces a, quote, "imminent threat" by Nusra and presumably by ISIS and other jihadi factions, it doesn't have to ask a by-your-leave from Washington or even Moscow to start attacking. Russia can do the same. The difficulty here, from day one, Bashar al Assad has claimed, even when he was hiding 13 year old boys delivering water to peaceful protesters, the entirety of al Qaeda consists of al Qaeda. The definition of Nusra is going to be a baggy one, indeed.

With respect to where they the ceasefire pays acute attention in Aleppo, there are two areas Secretary Kerry distinguished, one, the Costello Road, a main artery that provides commercial, humanitarian, military traffic into the northern province of Aleppo, the other is the Ramusa Gap (ph).

Secretary Kerry called for a demilitarized zone in the Costello Road. This is being interdicted by three separate factions, one is U.S.- backed Kurdish militias, known as the People's Defense Unit, the other is a consortium of rebel groups, including Islamists and jihadists, and the third is the Assad regime. They are all now supposed to lay down their arms, stop fighting each other -- they have all fought each other at various points in this war -- and simply go home and allow a peaceful movement of goods and services through that road.

The second is even more problematic. Ramusa Gap (ph), what was formally known as the al Qaeda franchise, is planning a massive counter offensive to break the siege imposed by the regime and Russia and Iran in the Ramusa Gap (ph). Are they going to stop this counter offensive now that this peace deal, which they have summarily objected, has been looted? Further, how does the United States have any leverage over rebel and opposition forces at the Ramusa Gap (ph) when they are being led by the al Qaeda franchise itself? This is the problem of decoupling the legitimate opposition from the illegitimate ones.

There are so many loopholes in this you can drive a Humvee truck through it.

SAVIDGE: Right --

WEISS: I don't have an optimistic sense of enthusiasm. I think it's doomed to failure. Unfortunately, there are too many actors on the ground. We have over-exaggerated the level state influence and leverage, whether it's the West and so-called Friends of Syria Coalition or the Russians and the Iranians. The Assad regime, itself, no longer exists as a conventional military power. It has devolved, much like the opposition, into a series of gangs, warlords and militias, many now fighting the regime, struggling in weapons and people and oil and selling this stuff to groups like ISIS and Nusra. The whole thing is --

(CROSSTALK)

[13:19:53] SAVIDGE: Michael, I have to stop you, only because we are running out of time.

WEISS: Sure.

SAVIDGE: I want to say thank you to Nic Robertson, as well.

I was going to ask you, Michael, if you were optimistic, but you've summarized it well. Clearly, you are not.

We'll be right back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAVIDGE: Larry King is speaking out after a controversial interview with Donald Trump. The Republican presidential nominee defended Russian President Vladimir Putin during the interview with King that aired on a television network that's owned by the Kremlin.

Here's what Trump said to King about accusations the Russians hacked Democrats.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP (voice-over): I think it's probably unlikely. I think maybe the Democrats are putting that out. Who knows? But I think that it's pretty unlikely. But you know, who knows? I hope that if they are doing something, I hope that somebody's going to be able to find out so they can end it, because that would not appropriate at all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: Now the Trump campaign claims it had no idea that interview would air on a Russian-owned network. King says that claim, quote, "Stretches it a little."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LARRY KING, RUSSIA TODAY HOST (voice-over): We are carried by cable companies all over the world. We are signing a deal with China. I just broadcast, like you do. You go in and you broadcast. I go in and I broadcast. I don't know what Trump knew. He couldn't have known it was a podcast because he just did my podcast.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: CNN senior media correspondent, Brian Stelter, joins me to discuss this.

Hi, Brian.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT & CNN HOST, RELIABLE SOURCES: Hi.

SAVIDGE: Larry King is essentially saying the Trump campaign is wrong. They knew this was more than a podcast. How much damage could this do?

[13:25:13] STELTER: I think King is gently contradicting Trump on this point. The interview was clearly for a television show because King was on camera for it. He was lined up to do it. In fact, his TV producers have been asking for the interview for months. King had Trump on a podcast about a year ago and had been lobbying for a TV interview ever since. Once this interview finally came through, it was obviously, at least for King, that it was an interview. Trump said it was only a podcast does seem to be contradicted by what King is saying.

I think why this matters is it was aired on Russia's state television. It shows that there are new rules for this campaign season. This may be example 100, of how there are different rules, different standards this year versus past election seasons. Can you imagine if Barack Obama or Mitt Romney showed up on Russian TV? There would be a different reaction than there's been this week.

SAVIDGE: Larry King says he has complete independence --

STELTER: Right.

SAVIDGE: -- over what he says and doesn't say on his program and even if Russia is criticized, Putin is annihilated. Assuming that's the case, what is the real impact of this interview airing, whether it's "RT, America" or anywhere else?

STELTER: Right. First of all, I believe King on that front. There is no reason to believe he doesn't have independence with his show. "Russia Today" is one network that carries the program, probably the most prominent network that carries the program, but not all of them. The reason this is interesting is because of the questions about Trump's ties to Russia, his confidence in Vladimir Putin, the positive things he's said about Vladimir Putin. There is intrigue for that reason.

The ultimate impact of this story is actually what Trump said to King in the first place. Trump said he believes it's unlikely Russia is trying to interfere in the election. There's a lot of evidence to the contrary. U.S. intelligence estimates, former defense officials, et cetera, who believe Russia is trying to interfere in this election. So the fact that Trump says it's unlikely, is notable. We will see if he changes his view as he receives more intelligence briefings between now and Election Day.

SAVIDGE: Brian Stelter, always good to have you on the program.

Thanks very much.

STELTER: Thanks.

SAVIDGE: With less than two months to go until Election Day, both electorates are scrambling to win over voters in the key battleground states. This comes as new polls show a tightening race in those swing states. We'll have more after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:31:03] MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everybody. Thanks for joining me. I'm Martin Savidge, in for Fredricka Whitfield. It's great to spend the Saturday with you.

Recent national polls show Donald Trump is closing the gap with Hillary Clinton. It's also true in some swing states. This Quinnipiac poll has Clinton ahead in Pennsylvania, North Carolina, a dead heat in Florida, and Trump ahead in Ohio. It's a different story for Trump in the battleground states of Colorado, New Hampshire and Virginia. A new report from "Politico" cites GOP insiders saying they believe those states are now all but unwinnable for Trump.

Let's bring back my political panel to discuss all of this, Larry Sabato -- Larry, I apologize for mispronouncing your name the last hour -- Jay Newton-Small; and joining us is Julian Zelizer, historian and professor of history at Princeton University, and the author of "The Fierce Urgency of Now."

Larry, let's start with you.

While Trump is closing this gap in some battleground state polls, we are showing he faces a shrinking map. In what states are must-wins for Trump to close the Electoral College count?

LARRY SABATO, DIRECTOR, CENTER FOR POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA: Martin, there really are only two credible ways for Trump to win. He has to flip -- by flip, I mean the last two times they've gone to Obama. He has to flip Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania is the toughest of the three by far. Or he has to carry the entire Rustbelt mid-west, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin. There really isn't any other way for him to get to 270. That's why so many analysts have said Hillary Clinton is favored. She has seven or eight different credible pathways to 270, which is what you need in the Electoral College to win.

SAVIDGE: Julian, we heard there is a difficult road ahead for Donald Trump. But he could still navigate it. What does he have to do to pull off a crucial win in the last two months?

JULIAN ZELIZER, PROFESSOR OF HISTORY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY & AUTHOR: I think even says you have contest in the last few election cycles, where you have battleground states. Right now, Donald Trump would need to win most of them. He's not. So what we're talking about instead is the promise of his campaign from the start. He will turn blue states into red states. So a state like Pennsylvania, Ohio, he's become more important where he needs to have a pretty commanding performance. I don't know if that's going to happen. At this point, we're waiting for the ground game to appear. He's talking about his potential outreach to moderate voters. All of this still has to happen. He is still playing a game where he is coming from behind. SAVIDGE: And the checkpoint campaign is hoping to turn some states

blue, Georgia for one.

Early voting likely to be a factor. It starts really soon.

Let's take a listen to John King. He is talking about this impact. We'll come back after that and I will talk to Jay. Go ahead.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN KING, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Early voting is a big deal, an increasingly big deal.

First, the scope of it. Let's take a look at it. 37 states and the District of Colombia have early voting. You don't have to wait until Election Day. Some starts as early as September 23rd, this month, a couple days before the debate, if your mind is made up, you can vote early.

Back in 2012, a little higher than 30 percent cast early votes, more than three in 10. That's a big deal. In some states, more than 50 percent, even higher than that, of the electorate vote early. So it is a big deal.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAVIDGE: It's a very big deal.

Jay, I'd like your thought. Which candidate stands to benefit from early voting?

JAY NEWTON-SMALL, WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, TIME MAGAZINE: Well, clearly, Hillary Clinton stands to gain more from early voting. As Julian mentioned, Donald Trump hasn't a ground game yet. He hasn't begun huge amounts of voter outreach. Hillary has twice in the state of Ohio that he has national staffers. So as all of those states, 36 states the District of Colombia, begin early voting, she's the only one out there driving people out to vote, to the polls, making sure that people are actually voting. And Donald Trump is relying on the RNC for a lot of this stuff. Comparatively, the efforts between Hillary Clinton's campaign, plus the DNC, versus what's going on in the Republican side, it dwarfs it. There is such a huge amount of organization. The more the voting happens earlier, the better for Hillary Clinton.

[13:35:33] SAVIDGE: I would have thought it was the other way around.

Larry, here's my point. We seem to talk about traditional ground game, for instance, in these swings states, and what must be done, and what it has shown us. Yet, every time we used traditional, it's gone out the window. I'm wondering, are we putting too much thought into saying he's got to do this because that's what we learned from previous elections?

SABATO: Martin, you are certainly right. This campaign, this election season has set all kind of new precedents. I certainly learned a lot. I have been doing this for decades.

But I do think what both Jay and Julian have said is valid. You, have to focus on this. Campaigns are partly about mass appeal but they're also about organization. They're about organization where it really matters. The Clinton campaign and the DNC have been working since before 2008 to build a kind of machine they've got in key swing states that really are very close, like Florida. Donald Trump is throwing a lot of this together. The RNC can't possibly substitute for what a campaign can do. So I would have to give Clinton the edge in this area. That's not to say that if she continues sinking -- she's at 2.7 percent in the polling averages. If she continues sinking, she will lose that advantage, too.

SAVIDGE: I get your logic.

We'll find out in about two months who's right and who's wrong on this one.

Larry Sabato, Jay Newton-Small, Julian Zelizer, thank you all for joining us.

NEWTON-SMALL: Thanks, Martin.

SAVIDGE: And coming up, the man who tried to assassinate Ronald Reagan, he is going to be free. I think he is free today. After the break, what is next for John Hinckley Jr. after 35 years in custody?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:41:08] SAVIDGE: Any moment now, I am told, John Hinckley Jr, the man that shot president Reagan in a 1981 assassination attempt, will be a free man. He spent 35 years in custody. Hinckley tried to kill President Ronald Reagan in a delusional attempt to impress the object of his obsession, Actress Jody Foster. He fired six shots, one bullet coming within an inch of Reagan's heart. He also wounded was a Secret Service agent and a police officer and Reagan's press secretary, James Brady, who was shot in the head and partially paralyzed.

Over the last 10 years, a federal judge has allowed him to take longer breaks away from the hospital and visit with his mother in Williamsburg, Virginia. In July, the judge granted him full release, beginning today.

Civil rights attorney and law professor, Avery Freeman, is in the NBA championship home of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

(LAUGHTER)

He joins me now.

Let's talk seriously, Avery. Nice to see you. Government prosecutors have opposed Hinckley's release over security concerns. So what was the judge's rationale for letting this guy go? He tried to kill the president.

AVERY FREEMAN, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY & LAW PROFESSOR: You know, the bewildering, troubling thing about the case, Martin, is that if you look at it without studying the opinions written -- the most written opinion was 103 pages of analysis. After doing that, you really do understand that Hinckley really isn't free at all. Rather, the federal court said he is on "convalescence leave." It's kind of like being freed, except there are so many restrictions that he has to, among other things, do a daily log, get a job, check this with a psychiatrist, can't go on the Internet, has to carry a cell phone with him. You know what else? The agency that's overseeing this is the Secret Service. So if he screws up, Martin, if he makes one false move, believe to be back serving gruel at the hospital. This is no walk in the park.

SAVIDGE: Let me read the statement that Hinckley's attorney released saying, in part, quote, "The very careful decision to release Mr. Hinckley, based on copious information by medical professionals and government expert witnesses should give great comfort to concerned mental health system and the judicial system worked and worked well."

The problem is he can mess up. What if he messes up with a gun? I don't want to labor a person who has been a lot of medical assistance. I know the issue of mental health comes into play. But it was an assassination attempt on the president.

FREEMAN: It sure was. It was by a deranged 25-year-old, who is now maybe a slightly and, hopefully, a lot less deranged 61-year-old. I think the only good news about this.

And remember, it's not the federal judge that makes the decision. A jury in 1982 made the decision that John Hinckley was not guilty of a crime, therefore, the court was obligated to do something with him and, indeed, got him care. I don't think a federal court, Department of Justice, the St. Elizabeth Hospital would come together and participate in this "convalescence release" -- and it sounds like weasel words or something but those are the words of the court, Martin. They intend to monitor him tightly and carefully, because if there is any symptom, any manifestation of inappropriate behavior, bam, he's right back in St. Elizabeth.

[13:45:07] SAVIDGE: All right. Avery, I will wish Mr. Hinckley well on the next chapter in his life. And I will hope that all those precautions are enforced.

Thank you very much.

(CROSSTALK)

FREEMAN: You, too.

SAVIDGE: Good to see you.

Coming up, a new and very stunning image paints a sobering picture of the heroin epidemic in this country. We'll get a look at the devastating effect the drug is having on millions of Americans, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) SAVIDGE: Police in a small town in Ohio releasing a stunning and stunning photograph to drive home the danger of heroin. Here it is. Take a look. It shows a man and a woman passed out in the front seats of a car. There, in the back, is a child. The photograph was taken at a traffic stop, according to authorities. It was posted on Facebook with a graphic warning.

So let's bring in CNN's Polo Sandoval to give us the back story.

Pictures sometimes do tell a remarkable story, and this is one of them.

[13:49:49] POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A remarkable one, a disturbing one, Martin, and it seems to be the case here. It also seems to be the story of a police office possibly in the right place at the right time.

We will take you to East Liverpool, Ohio. That is when an off-duty police officer noticed an SUV being driven erratically, crossing the center median, and all signs there was possibly an impaired driver. Well, the driver eventually screeches to a halt. The officer approaches, looks inside that SUV, and is met with the scene we showed a few moments ago. It's a very disturbing sight.

Investigators saying police officers made contact with James Cord. His head was bobbing back and forth. He was still conscious at the time. He had pinpoint pupils. He wasn't making sense, except for the fact he claimed he was taking his passenger, the woman you see there, to the hospital. He tried shifting that SUV back into gear to continue with his drive and that's when he then passed out. Paramedics arrived and administered Narcan, which causes the victims of overdoses to regain consciousness. That's what happened to both of these individuals. They were quickly regained consciousness and were placed into handcuffs.

Martin, as you see that picture there, the most disturbing, heartbreaking part of the image is a 4-year-old little boy. We're told that's her 4-year-old son in the back, conscious this whole time. He's in the care of Child Protective Services. We do know Cord was charged and pled no contest to child endangerment and also driving under the influence. He will serve some jail time. As for Possit's (ph) charge, her case is still ongoing right now.

SAVIDGE: It is a heartbreaking picture. I get upset watching it now.

What's been the backlash or has there been any against the police department. They did post it, and initially the child's face was seen.

SANDOVAL: It was the city that posted the image. The police department was investigating the case. Going through the social media and some of these Facebook posts, there's mixed reaction. Yes, there are individual who say, "It's a good thing that the city is seeing this as an opportunity to shed more light on this massive issue, these heroin cases that we continue to see." Thousands of people dying from overdoses. But there's also criticism about the city of East Liverpool not blurring the child's face.

I want to read you a quick portion that they posted on Facebook saying, "The poison known as heroin has taken a strong grip on many communities, not just ours. The difference is we're willing to fight this problem until it's gone. If that means offending a few people along the way, we are prepared to deal with that."

That's the city of East Liverpool saying they want to put a face on the issue. It's not just the people under the influence but also the innocent people, including a 4-year-old little boy.

SAVIDGE: Polo, thank you very much.

SANDOVAL: You bet.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[13:56:34] VANESSA YURKEVICH, ANN DIGITAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It costs 481, on average, for a family of four to go to an NFL game. It is a lot less expensive to watch a game at home, even though the experience is tough to beat. Technology offers easy access to instant replays and you can switch between big games. Stadiums are taking notice. Last season, attendance slipped.

(on camera): Is the game just not enough anymore?

SETH RABINOWITZ, SENIOR V.P. OF MARKETING, NEW YORK JETS: I think the game still is enough but modern audiences want to be as immersed in the game and have as much access to the game, as much information about the game as they possibly can.

YURKEVICH (voice-over): MetLife is one of dozens of stadiums and arenas investing in technology, everything from Bluetooth to mobile apps to virtual realty, in order to help fans better connect and get them back in the seats.

RABINOWITZ: Now we have tremendous Wi-Fi in the stadium. You can use our app to stay connected to all of the scores and stats and everything from that game. You can now have your tickets on the app.

YURKEVICH (voice-over): Ideally, once you get those people in the stadium, you do want them to spend money to be here.

RABINOWITZ: If more people have a chance to purchase something all the better. Of course, we find certain groups of people aren't trying types of products that we want to promote. Now we can target just those people and develop that.

YURKEVICH (voice-over): And according to a Northwest University study, almost half of season ticket holders would pay even more for a better in-person experience.

RABINOWITZ: We have a very stable business model. We know how to generate revenue. The great thing in the sports business is if we serve the fans right,

we will make a great return on our investment.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAVIDGE: For more, watch the full special, "Agility in Action." That will be at 2:30 eastern time right here on CNN.

Right after me, we have much more meanwhile just ahead in the NEWSROOM and it all starts right now.

You're watching the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Martin Savidge, in for Fredricka Whitfield. Thanks for spending part of your day with me.

We're following two major stories. First, Donald Trump's running mate firing back at Hillary Clinton after she insulted some Trump supporters, claiming that half of them fall into the, quote, "basket of deplorables."

Here is how Mike Pence responded while speaking today at the Value Voters Summit in Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE PENCE, (R), INDIANA GOVERNOR & VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Hillary Clinton said last night, at a big fundraiser in New York City, that the American people, the millions of Americans that are supporting my running mate, were described in the most deplorable of terms. It's extraordinary to think of it. She referred to those people as "irredeemable."

Well, I would tell you right now, I campaign on a regular basis with Donald Trump. I campaign all across this country for Donald Trump. Hillary Clinton's low opinion of the people that support this campaign should be denounced in the strongest possible terms.

The truth of the matter is that the men and women who support Donald Trump's campaign are hard-working Americans -- farmers, coal miners, teachers, veterans, members of our law enforcement community, members of -- members of every class of this country who know that we can make America great again.

So let me just say from the bottom of my heart, Hillary, they are not a basket of anything. They are Americans and they deserve your respect.

(CHEERING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)