Return to Transcripts main page

Wolf

Charlotte Unrest Over Death of Keith Lamont Scott; Peaceful Protests on Third Night. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired September 23, 2016 - 13:00   ET

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


ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Please stay tuned because "WOLF" starts right now and it will be the last time I say, thank you for watching LEGAL VIEW.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer. It's 1:00 p.m. here in New York, 8:00 p.m. in Moscow, 1:30 a.m. Saturday in Pyongyang, North Korea. Wherever you're watching from around the world, thanks very much for joining us.

Let's begin with some breaking news coming into CNN right to you. Donald Trump and Supreme Court nominee, as the GOP presidential candidate, today expanded his list of individuals he would consider naming to the Supreme Court if he's elected president. The moves -- the move brings his list of potential picks to 21 names from the 10 he had previously announced.

Let's go to CNN's Sunlen Surfaty. Sunlen, tell us a bit more about these additional names.

SUNLEN SURFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, there is a lot more diversity in this second batch of names that Donald Trump released today. And one interesting name that really caught the eye of so many of us here is that of Senator Mike Lee. He is a U.S. Senator from Utah. He is not a judge.

And, notably, this is a senator that still has not endorsed Donald Trump. He's really refused to get behind his campaign. He is a close ally and close friend of Senator Ted Cruz. So, interesting to note that Donald Trump is putting him prominently on this new list.

Now, Senator Lee's office says that he's not interested in the job. He likes the job that he has just fine. But Donald Trump, on the campaign trail, he likes to tout that he's taken this unusual step of releasing these, sort of, names of potential Supreme Court justices he would pick he said. And uses this as an argument on the campaign trail. He recently has said, you know, look, if you like me, that's great. If you don't like me, I have one thing to tell you, Supreme Court justices, Supreme Court justices.

So, Wolf, really trying to use this as a unifying factor for conservatives who might be still anxious about his potential presidency -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Yes, Sunlen, he was a little -- a bit criticized. His initial list of 10 were all whites. And now, in this new list expanded to 21, he's got one judge who's of south Asian origin, one Hispanic born in Venezuela, and one African-American. So, a bit of diversity among the 21. Sunlen, thank you very much.

Let's get to the countdown to an epic showdown. We're only three days away from the first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. It's expected to be one of the most watched political events in history. Trump and Clinton square off in the first of three presidential debates.

They'll go one on one Monday night at Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York, out on Long Island. The topics, America's direction, achieving prosperity, securing the country. Both candidates are off the campaign trail, at least for now. They're preparing for this critically important debate.

Let's talk about what's at stake, what we can expect from the Monday night 90-minute uninterrupted debate. With us here in New York, CNN Political Director David Chalian and Senior Washington Correspondent Jeff Zeleny. Joining us from Washington, CNN Chief Political Analyst Gloria Borger, our Chief Political Correspondent Dana Bash and our Senior Political Reporter Manu Raju.

All right, David, what are you looking for? Very different approaches between these two candidates.

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Certainly different approaches. We know about how they're preparing and we know that they're stylistically quite different.

There are two things I'm really looking for here. First and foremost, I am very curious to see, we've talked a lot about this, do these two candidates show up on this debate stage to win over the small slice in the middle who is still not decided or are these two candidates making a play to energize they're bases? Is that their political focus and they really are trying to motivate their bases which is, I think, where this election is most likely to be decided, who can get more of their core voters out? That's one thing I'm watching.

And then, of course, I'm watching to see Donald Trump, if indeed, Hillary Clinton does anything to get under his skin and how he handles that. Because we saw examples of that in the primary season debates, you recall, and that is where you could have a volatile moment in the debate.

BLITZER: I suspect there will be several volatile moments in that debate. Jeff Zeleny, what are you looking for?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: I'm looking for, really, how they're preparing. We've been drilling down into this somewhat and to talk to Clinton advisers, she is really learning everything she can about Donald Trump, all of this positions. The challenge for her, though, is to, I'm told, that she does not want to be lecturing. She wants to have more levity.

So, remember the moment from the Democratic convention when she says, no, Donald, you are not and kind of smiled at that moment? So, when he -- the context is that he says he knows more than the generals. She is going to act more like that, I'm told. At least they hope to, you know, and sort of have more levity in this moment.

And, also, we're told today, Jim Acosta was reporting, that Donald Trump is now also watching videotape of Hillary Clinton's primary debates. She has more debate tape than any other presidential candidate in modern history here. So, interestingly, that they're going the weekends here watching one another, like a game film in college football.

[13:05:04] BLITZER: Yes, or NFL football, for that matter. To Gloria, what about you?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, you know, to David's point about which audience these candidates are looking towards. One thing, if Donald Trump is going to try and appeal to the so-called persuadable voters, whoever they are, and if there are six percent to eight percent of them left in the country, what he will try and do is persuade these mostly white college educated, largely female voters that he has control of the issues. And that he addresses Hillary Clinton with the appropriate tone and demeanor. Because if he starts calling Hillary Clinton names during this debate, that may play to his base, but it is not going to play with those persuadable voters.

And as for Hillary Clinton, she has to find a way to get under his skin and try, to a degree, to humiliate him with a smile on her face, because there is nothing that makes him respond more to people than when he feels insulted. And if she can do that, that may be a way for her to get under his skin, goad him into saying something intemperate which is exactly what they want.

BLITZER: That's a good point because Dana, as you know, Trump always makes the point, I don't hit back unless I'll hit first. But if I'm his first, I'm going to hit back twice as hard. And I anticipate something like that coming forward Monday night.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. And my -- the thing that I'm looking for is similar to what Gloria said. And it's whether or not Donald Trump will take Hillary Clinton's bait.

The worst moment, post getting the nomination or at least being the presumptive nominee, for Donald Trump was when he took the debate, a debate I should say, that Democrats put out for him during their convention with the Khans, with the gold star family, trashing Donald Trump. Saying that he is not somebody who gets what it takes to be commander in chief. He took the bait. He went after them and he got really pummeled for it. That is -- that version, it is hard to see that version of trying to get him to bring out his worst, not being a part of Hillary Clinton's strategy.

BLITZER: Manu, what about you?

MANU RAJU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, I think how well Donald Trump does off script. I mean, what we've seen from Donald Trump in the last weeks is he's had a very good moment because he's been very disciplined, for the most part. He's given very limited interviews, or friendly interviews, for the most part.

And when he's done his campaign appearances, he's read from a teleprompter. What does he do in this 90-minute session when he's going to be asked a lot of tough questions. He's going to be attacked by Hillary Clinton. How does he perform? How does he respond?

And then, on Hillary Clinton's side, she has, still, that honest and trustworthy factor that she needs to overcome. Can she sell herself to the middle of the electorate as someone who can be trusted? And on two policy issues, I would look for -- interesting to see how Donald Trump, does he try to moderate at all on the issue of immigration, his key issue here in his campaign that has rallied his base? Can he get to the middle on that issue and court Hispanic voters? And what does Hillary Clinton do on health care where she's run to the left of Barack Obama and Obamacare. And she'll certainly be pushed on that issue as well.

So, it'll be interesting to see the extent to which both of these candidates try to court the middle or rally their base.

BLITZER: Gloria, in an --

BORGER: You know, --

BLITZER: -- interview with ABC News with Robin Roberts, President Obama had this debate advice for Hillary Clinton. Listen to this, Gloria.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Be yourself and explain what motivates you. Because I will tell you, I've gotten to know Hillary, and seen her work, and seen her in tough times and in good times. She's in this for the right reasons. I think there's a reason why we haven't had a woman president before, and so she's having to break down some barriers. There's a level of mistrust and a caricature of her that just doesn't jive with who I know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: So, Gloria, what do you think of that advice?

BORGER: I think it's -- I think it's good advice. But it's very hard to say to a candidate, you know, be more like yourself. Because it -- that is something that Hillary Clinton has a -- has a hard time with, a lot of the time. And I think that if she can be the person she was, say, in her debate with a couple of debates with Bernie Sanders, where she knew how to attack but kind of kept it low key, I they will help her. And getting under his skin will help her.

[13:10:04] And he just -- you know, he just has to watch it. I look back to history, honestly, and I look at Ronald Reagan's challenge when he was debating Jimmy Carter. People -- they were -- you know, they were on -- Jimmy Carter was unpopular. But Ronald Reagan, like Donald Trump, had to show that he had the temperament and the knowledge to become president of the United States, even though he was running against somebody who wasn't popular.

So, I think that's the challenge for Trump here. And the challenge for Hillary Clinton, as the president has said, is just be the person the people who know you the best see you as when you're off camera. It's hard.

BLITZER: Dana -- you know, Dana, the Trump campaign clearly trying to downplay expectations. The Republican National committee communications director, Sean Spicer, released the memo saying, I'll put it up on the screen, Trump hasn't been running for president for 24 years. He spent his career as a successful businessman. Few are expecting the same level of polish from a verbal gunslinger whose rhetorical strength is speaking to the heart and the gut of the American people. What do you -- what do you think of that analysis?

BASH: That Sean Spicer is doing his job. He's doing what he's supposed to do as a -- as the spinner in chief for the Republican Party which is try to lower expectations for his guy and raise expectations for their opponent. If he didn't do that, I would go over and put a thermometer in his mouth and make sure he was feeling OK.

Our challenge, as reporters and analysts and veterans of this process, is to see it differently and to see it about how each performs on the stage at that time, based on the reality that no matter where each of them has come from, each wants to be the most important and the most powerful person, not only in this country but in the world.

So, you know, the spinners are going to do the spinning, as Taylor Swift would say, but we have to focus on what matters.

BLITZER: And David Chalian, the fact that Mark Cuban now got a front- row seat. He's a millionaire businessman, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, just got a front-row seat to watch Hillary Clinton overwhelm, reel (ph) Donald Trump at the -- at the humbling at Hofstra on Monday. It is on. They're sort of playing mind games right now, too.

CHALIAN: Sort of. I think that's the equivalent we were saying before, studying game film. That's the equivalent of trash talk before kickoff. And so, by saying you're going to put Mark Cuban, who's been trolling Donald Trump on Twitter, who's one of his chief tormentors who plays to one of the things Donald Trump gets most worked up about, which is, like, is he as wealthy and successful as he says he is? Is he as successful as he says at the line of attack? Putting him front and center as your guest, that is a clear sign to the Trump campaign of a little elbow before the game.

ZELENY: It is. And Donald Trump has not said who his surprise guests are. We know his family is going to be with him there. But I think, interestingly about this, I'm remembering back to the first Obama- Romney debate in Denver, Colorado. The Obama folks at the time, the president's folks at the time, knew he was losing, in their view, in the first seven minutes of that debate. And they started -- they were watching it on social media and other things. So, that, to me -- we're four years after. Things are much faster now. Both sides are going to be spinning this instantaneously. As Dana was saying, you know, we watch this and analyze it. Let's watch the whole debate and let's see the entire outcome of both sides here. Both of them are coming to play here. But it is, without question, the most fascinating, most important moment of this campaign yet so far.

BLITZER: And potentially could have a huge, huge impact --

ZELENY: Right.

BLITZER: -- on all of the polls --

ZELENY: Sure.

BLITZER: -- and, of course, the eventual outcome of this presidential election as well. Everyone, stay with us.

There's more news coming into CNN right now. The family of the man shot and killed by police in Charlotte is now speaking out, as the police department reconsiders its decision not to release video of the deadly shooting. We'll update you, right after this.

[13:13:55]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:17:43] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VERNITA SCOTT WALKER, MOTHER: I said, I love you, son. He said, I love you, love you, mom. That's the first he ever said it like that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: That's the mother of Keith Lamont Scott, the man fatally shot by police in Charlotte, North Carolina. Vernita Scott Walker says her son left her a message on the day he died, but it was quick and cut off.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEITH LAMONT SCOTT: This is Lamont.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After you leave a message, you can (INAUDIBLE) by pressing pound.

WALKER: (INAUDIBLE) he (ph) had done get shot.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

WALKER: And he called, and he called me. Yes, he did.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Walker adds she believes her son was reading the Koran in his car.

There's new information coming in. I need to take a quick break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:23:02] BLITZER: The death of Keith Lamont Scott has sparked protests three nights in a row in Charlotte, North Carolina. But what we saw last night was in stark contrast to Tuesday and Wednesday. Instead of violence and chaos, there were handshakes, hugs and respect. Protesters were insisting the police video of the shooting be released. Charlotte's mayor and police chief agree, but there are considerations, they say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR JENNIFER ROBERTS (D), CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA: I do believe the video should be released. The question is on the timing. And I am willing to work with our law enforcement officials to discuss when that will occur.

CHIEF KERR PUTNEY, CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG POLICE: If I were to put it out indiscriminately and it doesn't give you good context, it can enflame the situation, and make it even worse. It will exacerbate the backlash. It will increase the distrust.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Joining us now, the lead ministers of the Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church, the Reverend Robin Tanner, and Reverend Corine Mack, president of the NAACP Charlotte-Mecklenburg branch. Thanks to both of you for joining us.

There was peaceful marching last night.

REV. CORINE MACK, PRESIDENT, NAACP CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: I assume -- let me start with you, Reverend Tanner, that's precisely what you wanted, right?

REV. ROBIN TANNER, PIEDMONT UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CHURCH: Absolutely. And that is what we have been envisioning and know to be true of the community leaders and protestors that are here on the ground in Charlotte, that it is a non-violent movement. And that is why we encourage that there not be a curfew and that our city not be militarized. We believe that would escalate violence.

BLITZER: There was a curfew last night at midnight, Reverend Mack, and about 350-plus National Guard troops were sent into Charlotte. Was that a problem?

MACK: That's true. But as Reverend Tanner said, we believe that it's important that we have a justice march that's a peaceful march. And most of our leaders feel the same way. We did not expect anything but that. We do understand that there were a couple of days where there were some problems, but most of the leaders here were very peaceful, very orderly. It was just a select few that did something different. And we, in no way, condone violence.

[13:20:23] TANNER: And Minister Mack and I have been on the ground since Tuesday evening when all of the -- when protestors began to gather in the streets. We were first in the neighborhood where Keith Lamont Scott was shot and killed. And what we can say is that as soon as police arrived armed and armored in riot gear is when we saw things turn very rapidly on that Tuesday evening. We saw the same pattern on Wednesday evening, which began, of course, peacefully, a peaceful movement. And yesterday evening we saw, you know, this positive engagement with law enforcement who were on bicycles throughout the city in -- some in uniform walking beside and alongside, and we saw what we would anticipate, what we know of our community, which is a non-violent movement.

We're trying to underscore that when you militarize the city, when you begin to march towards folks in riot gear who are not armed and who are not armored, their vulnerability is palpable and it sets a state of fear that is completely unnecessary at this time in our city.

BLITZER: Minister --

MACK: To be honest, if you look at -- I'm sorry.

BLITZER: I was go to ask you, Minister Mack, do you want all the videos that are out there, that the police have, for example, private citizens have, do you want all those videos released?

MACK: Absolutely. We believe in transparency. And we also believe that the citizens of Charlotte need to see every video. At the end of the day, we can handle it. We need to know what they know. And then maybe we can begin to move past whatever problem we're having and begin to rebuild that trust. But we need to see every single video that the police department has, and has access to.

BLITZER: Reverend Tanner, do you have confidence in the mayor and the police chief of Charlotte, North Carolina?

TANNER: We are a people of faith who move forward with hope. That is the grounding. It's the ground that we walk upon. It's the ground that we have walked upon on the streets of our city. So we remain hopeful. We have been in communication with city leaders expressing our concerns, pleading with them to release this video footage, to begin to demonstrate that transparency that rebuilds trust. And we believe releasing the videos is key to rebuilding trust in our community.

BLITZER: So is that a yes, you do have confidence in the mayor and the police chief that they're doing the right thing?

TANNER: We question the decisions that have been made. We disagree with some of the decisions that have been made. Again, we move forward with a hope that they will listen to the urgings we've offered before them and release those videos.

BLITZER: Minister Mack, what you think? MACK: I concur. I concur.

BLITZER: I -- I -- could you just repeat it? I didn't hear it.

MACK: I just think that it's important for us as people of faith to be hopeful and to continue to converse with the mayor and the police department, as well as the chief of police, around the very issues that have us out here today. And through those conversations, deeper conversations, we can come to some agreement that it is important that transparency is the word of the day and that, in fact, once everyone has the opportunity to see the videos, we can then possibly move forward. But until then, I don't believe we could ever get to a place we need to be. And we are hopeful. We really, truly want this community to come back together again. Having serious conversations, deep conversations around race and other things so that we can be citizens that can be viable, interacting in the way that we haven't in a long time. I think that if today the video was released, by tomorrow there would be a conversation that we're not having today.

TANNER: Right.

MACK: Please, release those videos.

BLITZER: All right. Let's see if they accept your recommendation. Reverend Mack, Reverend Tanner, thanks to both of you for joining us.

MACK: Thank you for having us.

TANNER: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: Thank you, and let's hope it stays peaceful once again tonight as it did last night.

[13:29:28] Let's take another quick break. We'll continue our coverage of this right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)