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Hip-Hop Artists Turn Their Backs on Trump; Bridgegate Verdicts, Guilty on All Counts; Officials Monitoring Election Terror Threats; Interview with NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired November 04, 2016 - 14:30   ET

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


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[14:32:04] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

A political revolution is under way within the hip-hop world and it's aimed at Donald Trump.

Once upon a time, rap artists regularly idolized the mogul for his wealth and status.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SINGING)

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BALDWIN: Well, the love fest appears to be fading. Hip-hop icons are turning their backs on Donald Trump. Tonight, Jay-Z is headlining a benefit concert for Hillary Clinton. Pharrell Williams stumped for Clinton in the battleground state of North Carolina.

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PHARRELL WILLIAMS, HIP-HOP ARTIST: I know they sometimes call us minority. But you see our influence everywhere. We are not minorities. We are majority.

(CHEERING)

WILLIAMS: That's my culture. We're black, beautiful.

(CHEERING)

WILLIAMS: So if you've ever been called a minority ever in your life -- and I'm standing with the Standing Rock Sioux, OK?

(CHEERING)

WILLIAMS: If you've ever been called a minority, go out and vote and show everybody that you are actually really the majority.

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BALDWIN: Let's begin the conversation.

Luther Campbell is back with us today, founder of Luke Records and founder of 2 Live Crew. He's spent quite a bit of time hanging out at Donald Trump's Florida pad, Mar-a-Lago, and has stories he can share. Also with us, CNN political commentator and Morehouse college professor, Marc Lamont Hill, and Marc supports Jill Stein, we should point out.

Great to have both of you on.

Luther Campbell, let's begin with you.

We played some of the raps and people looking up to Trump a, the Trump planes and -- can you remember the time artists rapped about that?

LUTHER CAMPBELL, HIP-HOP ARTIST & FOUNDER, LUKE RECORDS: No doubt about it. Most New York artists wanted to be like Trump because he pretty much represented the glossy and fly life-style that everybody wanted to live. Until he went after those young men in the park --

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: The Central Park Five.

CAMPBELL: -- in that particular case, yes.

BALDWIN: And even for you, I mean, can you just tell me the P.G. version of what that was like? Donald Trump. What did you tell him? Eddie Murphy and Mike Tyson at the parties in Palm Beach?

CAMPBELL: Well, I mean, the pg version is that we basically went to the party, me, Mike Tyson, Eddie Murphy, we were invited to this big mansion in west palm beach just to hang out with Donald Trump and all these different pageant girls but, you know. I can't get into the details of all those things. But just put it this way, the party was too wild for me.

MARC LAMONT HILL, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Wow.

CAMPBELL: I had to whisper in old Mike Tyson's ear and say, "Mike, we got to go. This is a little too wild."

[14:35:24] LAMONT HILL: When Uncle Luke and Mike Tyson are like, "I got to roll," that's a party.

BALDWIN: I've got to go. I've got to go.

CAMPBELL: That's a party.

BALDWIN: What do you think about this? What's changed? He mentioned the Central Park Five.

LAMONT HILL: In some way it's changed and some way it hasn't. Hip- hop has always had a critical assessment of the world and its surroundings, so hip-hop asked tough questions and pointed out poverty and challenged the status quo. That's always been the case. It's had an aspirational identity as well. so hip-hop aspires to be the scar face, aspires to be the Donald Trump in a playful way. Just like any kind of art form. And so Donald Trump the figure, the mogul is a great person to aspire to. The problem is we got to know Donald Trump the person. And you see Donald Trump who unfairly blames the Central Park Five, Donald Trump who engages in forms of sexual assault, allegedly, Donald Trump who says all sorts of awful things. The more we know him the less we want to be attached to him because hip-hop isn't about that thing Donald Trump is talking about.

BALDWIN: Would you agree, Luther, that, for example, that many artists -- we're looking at Jay-Z for Hillary Clinton, Jay Cole. And will we see anti-Trump lyrics now coming forward from some of the artists?

CAMPBELL: Well, I don't think you're going to see anti-Trump lyrics. You know, I just did a show earlier today where it was a young lady talking about whether or not hip-hop artists matter. Take in my case, in Florida, when I ran for mayor of Miami-Dade County, was in third place. And now today, I had to decide whether or not I was going to endorse one of the mayoral candidate, which is I ended up endorsing carols Jimenez. At the same time, it does matter so hip-hop artists -- I keep telling people, we're the hip-hop party and we need to go ahead and start that party because, without us, you don't win and that's the bottom line of it all.

BALDWIN: Let me quote what rapper and social activist, Common, told CNN. Common said he felt Trump forced America to have an honest conversation about race saying, "Trump supports some of the racist ideals that this country does have and we've got to acknowledge that. And I don't think it's a bad thing that this is brought out because we need to know it exists and stop acting like it doesn't and not be fooled because President Obama was in office."

LAMONT HILL: That's an interesting observation. Trump takes this sector we thought was a race, people wanted to have a post-racial America, people wanted believe there weren't races in America. There were racists all over America, and white supremacists all over America. What Donald Trump was able to do for us is put the stupid hats on them so we could find out where they were. And now you suddenly you can spot them out. It's a great conversation.

But if Hillary Clinton beats Donald Trump, we can't say, whoo, we averted racism, whoo, we averted militarism. We have to have the honest and tough conversation no matter who is in the White House.

BALDWIN: I keep going back to the fact emotions that have been stirred up and that's not going anywhere no matter who wins --

LAMONT HILL: That's exactly right.

BALDWIN: -- on Tuesday night.

Luther and Marc, thank y'all very much. Appreciate it.

LAMONT HILL: Thank you.

CAMPBELL: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Thank you.

Two of Governor Chris Christie's former allies convicted today in that Bridgegate case. What does that mean for the New Jersey governor?

Back after this.

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[14:43:] BALDWIN: To the verdict in New Jersey, the so-called Bridgegate trial that could affect the political future of Governor Chris Christie. Two of his former aides were found guilty on all charges in connection with the Washington Bridge lane closures that caused that horrendous traffic jam. Prosecutors alleged it was part of a deliberate effort to punish the Democratic mayor of Fort Lee, New Jersey, who didn't endorse Governor Christie for reelection. Bridget Kelly, Christie's former deputy chief of staff, wept quietly as her attorney reacted to the court's decision. She, and port authority staffer, Bill Baroni, faced seven counts, including conspiracy and fraud, now each faces a maximum prison sentence of 86 years.

As for Governor Christie, he responded a little while ago with the statement reiterating he had no advanced knowledge of the lane closure.

So Danny Cevallos is here, CNN legal analyst and criminal defense attorney.

Governor Christie is not totally off the hook. What does his future look like with all of this?

DANNY CEVALLOS, CNN LEGALLY ANALYST: In the opening statements from the beginning of this case, the U.S. attorneys made reference to Governor Christie which was an ominous thing to do. They didn't charge him so they didn't feel they had enough to indict him but that doesn't mean that they didn't think he wasn't some level or at leas aware so this does not bode well for his political future if any and it doesn't rule out the possibility that he's still being looked at. After all, the federal government, the Department of Justice is notoriously tight-lipped about investigations, if they are investigating additional people in relation to this case. They could be. But they certainly mentioned him early in the case and often after that.

BALDWIN: What could be the sentence?

CEVALLOS: The sentence here? You talk about maximum -- statutory maximums of 85 years. These are first-time offenders. They have contacts with the community. They have a strong support system. They're not going to get 85 years. They're going to get something much less than that. But they're probably going to end up getting more than the chief witness against them, Wildstein, who made a deal with the government. This is a classic federal case in that they approached one of the -- someone they thought was a main participant, he made a deal, he turns around, he testifies on everybody else. And in a case like this, that, plus some of the text messages and e-mails that came in, were really probably what aggravated this jury.

[14:45:24] BALDWIN: Quick reminder, Chris Christie is the head of the transition team for Donald Trump and he will be stumping for him tomorrow.

Danny, thank you very much.

We'll be right back.

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BALDWIN: First, a bomb exploded at a charity race in New Jersey. Then, hours later, in New York's Chelsea neighborhood, another explosion shattered the calm of a summer Saturday night. Two New York police officers who aren't normally partnered up happened to be out on patrol that very night just blocks away. And while everyone else was running away from that blast, they rushed toward it.

I caught up with these two hero officers recently for this week's "Beyond the Call of Duty."

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[14:49:57] OFC. JOHN CAMPANELLA, NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT: We know that New York is a -- it's a target but you don't put your uniform on everyday thinking that today might be -- there might be an explosion.

UNIDENTIFIED POLICE OFFICER: Sergeant.

BALDWIN (voice-over): These NYPD officers, Dan Sendrowski and John Campanella, were on routine patrol on a Saturday night in September when they saw the explosion that shook New York City's Chelsea neighborhood.

OFC. DAN SENDROWSKI, NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT: We saw the explosion go off.

We were pretty much like half a block away. At that point we knew we had to do something.

BALDWIN: Where were you guys? You pulled up.

(voice-over): At the scene, their first priority was helping the injured.

CAMPANELLA: I just saw blood on their clothes and they were just hysterical. I tried to calm them down and say help is on the way, help is coming.

Everybody get off of this street.

BALDWIN: 15 minutes later, police found another unexploded device several blocks away. It, like the first device, was filled with shrapnel and built from pressure cookers and flip phones.

In press conferences to come, officials would call the Chelsea blast intentional and an act of terror.

ANDREW CUOMO, (D), NEW YORK GOVERNOR: A bomb exploding in New York is obviously an act of terrorism.

CAMPANELLA: And that was probably the scariest part, just not knowing if there was a second bomb.

BALDWIN (on camera): An explosion goes off and it's your job to go towards it.

CAMPANELLA: Yes.

BALDWIN: Does that ever make you nervous or you know that's your job?

CAMPANELLA: No, it's our job.

BALDWIN: And so that dumpster from the explosion flew across the street.

CAMPANELLA: Launched right over there, yeah. Even till to this day some of the windows are blown out. You can see it's cracked over there.

BALDWIN: Yes. Oh, wow. Yes.

(voice-over): Despite the damage, by Sunday morning, all of the injured were released from the hospital.

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BALDWIN: By Monday, following a frantic manhunt and shoot out in New Jersey, Ahmad Khan Rahemi was arrested.

And the two officers were back at work, protecting a city still on patrol.

BALDWIN (on camera): Why do you put the uniform on?

SENDROWSKI: Whatever I can do, if I can help them, that's what I want to do.

CAMPANELLA: It's in my blood. It's in my heart. I want to be there. I want to help people. I think that day we did help. We helped out a lot.

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BALDWIN: I'm with New York police commissioner, James O'Neill.

So nice to have you here. Thank you for taking the time.

When the day of that bomb went off in the city in September, that was your first day as police commissioner.

JAMES O'NEILL, COMMISSIONER, NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT: That was my first full day. I actually just got moved into my office from the 13th floor to the 14th floor and I was driving home. One of my sergeants called me and the first call that came over, we thought it was a bomb that exploded on a bus.

BALDWIN: And then you found out it was that sort of device. It could have been so much worse and just to think the second device.

O'NEILL: It was called into 911. Two state troopers looked and found t device about three quarters of the way down the block. They did a tremendous job.

BALDWIN: I'm going to ask you one of the same questions I asked the officers. You were an officer. You were a transit cop back in the day, 34 years for you. You choose to have a job in which you run towards something. Why did you sign up for that?

O'NEILL: I think I signed up to be a police officer for the same reason other people sign up, to make a difference, to help make people's lives better and to lead a life of significance. You want to go through this world and help push people's lives forward. Cops might not tell you that because they're proud but in their hearts that's why they become cops.

BALDWIN: Thank you for what you do. And I thank the NYPD.

And riding along with those guys, it was amazing.

And that particular incident in Chelsea, that was dubbed an act of terrorism. And I have to ask you. In the news today, al Qaeda reportedly plotting attacks on Monday, the day before elections, specifically in Texas, North Carolina and here in New York. Do you have specific intel on this?

O'NEILL: We were made aware of it, we have a great working relationship with the FBI and so many other federal agencies. It's non-specific and we're assessing the credibility of it. We're geared up to go. People in New York should feel safe.

BALDWIN: Let's talk about everything that's happening in New York between -- you have the marathon where you have tens of thousands of people coming into the city to run this weekend, then you have election day, then you have two candidates in the same city on election night with their own respective parties and events, plus the people in the streets celebrating or not, depending on the outcome of the election. How are you preparing? What are you preparing for?

O'NEILL: Well, if you look at the Fourth of July, there's million of people. If you look at New Year's Eve, which is at Time's Square, a tremendous amount of people down there. So this is not something that --

BALDWIN: This is emotional for you.

[14:55:11] O'NEILL: I know. This is not something that we're unfamiliar with. We do large events. We plan for them very carefully. I have a chief in Manhattan South, Bill Morris, and he's a veteran. Bill has been in Manhattan South for three years, so we know what to put our resources out there. We're intel. John Midber (ph), I think you know. We have tremendous people in the New York City Police Department. But, again, we don't do it alone. We do it with the Secret Service and so many other federal agencies.

BALDWIN: What's the biggest challenge planning ahead?

O'NEILL: Planning for the unknown, which is sometimes difficult. But we have a tremendous number of resources. Mayor de Blasio backs us completely so whatever resources we need we can put out there. I'll be happy when it's Wednesday but this is part of my job.

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: I don't think you're alone, commissioner.

O'NEILL: This is what we do. We get paid to keep people safe.

BALDWIN: What's your message for people in New York City on that Tuesday night and into the wee hours of Wednesday morning?

O'NEILL: My message is that if you see something that looks unusual, whether you're going to work or you're at home, you see something that doesn't look right, make sure you take some affirmative steps to do something about that. Don't just walk by. Call 911, let us respond, let us make an assessment. We do a good job of keeping people safe, but everybody has to help us out.

BALDWIN: Thank you.

O'NEILL: Thanks, Brooks.

BALDWIN: Thank you so much. Good to see you.

O'NEILL: Good to see you, too.

BALDWIN: Let me briefly correct myself. The alleged al Qaeda threats are Texas, Virginia and New York.

Coming up next, an interesting moment a short time ago. Bill Clinton, the former president, weighing in on Melania Trump speech in which she calls out mean and tough cyberbullying. Clinton says he has never felt so bad for anyone in his life as he did for her in that moment. Hear why, next.

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