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OSU Looking into Terrorism as Possible Motive; Trump Meets with Petraeus Amid Public Feud over Secretary of State Job. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired November 28, 2016 - 13:59   ET

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

[13:30:00] WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Art, it's a very disturbing development if, in fact, as we just heard from officials in Columbus, Ohio, "I think we have to consider that it is a terrorist attack".

ART RODERICK, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: The minute they say something like that, it not only kicks in what's going on there in Columbus, but it kicks in nationwide and internationally. The Joint Terrorism Task Force is pumping out information to all of the other Joint Terrorism Task Forces in the country to try and come up with information on this particular individual, whether he is just from the Columbus or the Ohio area, or from outside and came in to commit this crime.

(CROSSTALK)

TOM FUENTES, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALHYST: It will also indicate which prosecutor's office they used to get search warrants, subpoenas, any other legal process, or whether or not going to a district attorney in Ohio or elevate it to the United States attorney's office that covers that area, Columbus Ohio, so they can get the federal process, the warrants they need in pursuing this investigation, which, as Art mentioned, could be worldwide.

BLITZER: What's critical, Tom and Art, is that if, in fact, this individual was acting alone, if there was a terrorist motivation or if there were others involved, that's what they're going to try to figure out?

FUENTES: Well, they may not be able to figure it out. We now know these jihadists are using dark applications that can't be tracked, can't be traced by law enforcement. FBI Director James Comey talked about that on many occasions that they can't always track what they're saying to each other, or their communications with each other when they use these encrypted dark apps.

BLITZER: That's a whole new feature.

FUENTES: It is.

BLITZER: The Department of Homeland Security, the secretary of Homeland Security, the head of the Joint Terrorism Task Force, all said this worries them the most, these dark apps, if you will.

Hold on a moment. The president of Ohio State University, Michael Drake, is joining us

right now. He's joining us on the phone.

President Drake, thank you for joining us. And we're really, really sorry about what happened.

But what can you tell us? What's the latest information your authorities are sharing with you, President Drake, about the motive of this individual?

DR. MICHAEL DRAKE, PRSEIDENT, OHIO STATE UNIVERISTY (voice-over): Well, thanks. First, we don't really know anything about the motive or the individual, as you've been reporting. At 9:53 this morning, a vehicle drove across the curb and into pedestrians who were on the sidewalk. So, it seems this was purposeful. There were not many people at the crosswalk or something. It was literally driving onto a sidewalk. And one of our officers encountered the suspect within a minute. After he drove into the crowd, I should say, he got out of the car with a sharp instrument and began to stab or cut at people. And one of our offices immediately arrived on the scene. And the suspect failed to respond to commands and he was then shot and was deceased on the premises within a minute of this beginning.

We sent out a campus alert then, probably two minutes after that, for people to shelter-in-place. And other police officers arrived. We're very pleased police officers arrived from the Columbus City Police, from the FBI, from a variety of agencies, to come and secure the situation and then to look throughout the campus to make sure there was no other threat.

We have nine people who were injured. Transported to local area hospitals. I'm actually at one of the hospitals now, and in a few minutes, will go up and see those people who are here. We're pleased -- as terrible as this incident was, as tragic as it was, we're pleased no life-threatening injuries, other than the assailant, of course, that was killed. We are pleased we were able to have our first responders there within a minute and were able to neutralize the situation.

But our thoughts and prayers go out to those injured. And I'll see some of those later this afternoon, as I said.

BLITZER: President Drake, at the news conference you attended a few minutes ago, we heard a question is to one of the local law enforcement authorities saying, could this potentially be a terrorist attack? The answer was, quote," I think that we have to consider that it is that possibility." You know, we had on a man earlier this year with a man with a knife causing multiple injuries. What can you tell us about that earlier attack? Was that on the campus of Ohio University as well?

DRAKE: No. The person speaking was the Columbus City Police chief, and she was speaking about here in Columbus. I know about as much as you do, Wolf. We see these things happening in multiple places around the world, and we can't tell exactly about the motivation. We have to let the investigation proceed further. But we would not rule out this was done purposefully or just with a political motivation. Those things are things we can't rule out, of course, until we learn more information. And I'll say we have an active -- this was just a few hours ago. There's an active investigation going on at this time. We'll all look forward to getting as many details as we can and as quickly as we can.

I will say, we, like my colleagues on campuses around the country do, we do tabletop exercises and prepare and do drills. We always hope and pray nothing like this will happen. But we are pleased with our first responders and students and faculty and staff as well. All did what we wished them to do and were able to have a terrible situation not be any worse because of that effort.

[13:35:31] BLITZER: One final question. I know you have to run. Doctor, Columbus police said, "This was done on purpose," a few times. They haven't released the name, identity of the person shot and killed by local law enforcement. Have you been told this person's name? Have you been told anything about this individual?

DRAKE: No. I know it's a male. But I don't know any more about him than that. We're really focused on -- once the situation was neutralized, our focus was really on those injured. I'll learn more about those things and I think there will be an update later this afternoon and police will give more information about who this person is. But the most important thing we really are most concerned about was making sure the campus was safe and then the condition of those injured. We'll learn more about the investigation as it proceeds.

BLITZER: Was the individual, the suspect, a student at Ohio State University?

DRAKE: You know, I don't know his -- I don't know his identity at this time. So, that's really -- Wolf, hopefully, that will know that later this afternoon. And so, we'll share that with you.

BLITZER: Thank you so much, and good luck over there, Dr. Michael Drake, the president of Ohio State University. We'll stay in close touch with you.

We appreciate it very much.

DRAKE: Thank you very much.

BLITZER: We're going to take a quick break. We're staying on top of the breaking news, potentially, a terror attack right at Ohio State University. More information, right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:40:50] BLITZER: We're following breaking news out of Ohio University, very disturbing information. An individual in a vehicle drove up to a sidewalk, into a crowd, then got out of the vehicle with a butcher knife and started slashing people. Nine people injured, one critically. The individual was quickly shot and killed by a local law enforcement official. Was this an act of terror? The Columbus police are saying, quote, "I think that it is." No information yet released on the suspect shot and killed by local police. We're watching this closely. We'll update you in a few moments.

But there's other important political news we're following here in the United States. At Trump Tower, in New York City, right now, once again, the center of political activity for the Trump transition team. You're looking at live pictures from the lobby inside Trump Tower. Among those meeting with President-elect Trump today is retired General David Petraeus. The meeting takes place as a split is playing over Mitt Romney versus Rudy Giuliani for secretary of state.

Let's go to our correspondent, Phil Mattingly, outside of Trump Tower in New York with more on today's very important meetings.

Phil, first of all, what's the latest on this visit today by General David Petraeus?

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A new interest to the secretary of state race, Wolf. We've seen over the last 72 hours or so, nothing has gotten more attention, except for maybe a recount, than who will be the president-elect's secretary of state?

When it comes to David Petraeus, look back at the career, and he's the type of public official any cabinet would want -- any president-elect would want as a part of their cabinet, up to a point. Track back to when David Petraeus, CIA director, retired four-star general commanding soldiers in Iran, Afghanistan, considered somebody with a political future potentially even president of the United States, until he was charged with a misdemeanor for passing classified information to his biographer, was levied a fine and stepped back from public life sense then, working for a private equity firm, until now. He has not shown up at Trump Tower yet, but we're told from transition officials, Wolf, that David Petraeus is very much in the running for secretary of state, adding a wild card to what already is a pretty crazy and chaotic race - Wolf?

BLITZER: What are we hearing about Mitt Romney? Is he being invited back for a second round of meetings with the president-elect?

MATTINGLY: Exactly, right. Mitt Romney flew into New York and drove into the city to meet with the president-elect. We're not used to seeing this process. All of this public right now and mostly because of Kellyanne Conway, a close adviser to the transition team and to the president-elect. She's making it clear she wants no part of the 2012 Republican nominee, Mitt Romney, as part of a Trump cabinet, as a secretary of state. Privately, she's telling the president-elect the same thing, but publicly, she wants everybody to know what she's hearing from Trump supporters. Other Trump surrogates have said the same thing.

What you need to know that's going on behind the scenes, Wolf, is Mitt Romney does have support inside the room. People point to vice president-elect, Mike Pence, who first reached out and broached this possibility. There's been a back and forth. Mitt Romney coming to Trump Tower tomorrow. So, despite advisers being against his pick as a potential secretary of state, he is very much still in the running -- Wolf?

BLITZER: All right. Stand by, Phil. We're staying on top of this story.

The president-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, said to also be irritated with one of his top aides, Kellyanne Conway's public campaign against Mitt Romney's potential nomination of secretary of state. We'll follow that.

[13:45:46] We're also following the breaking news out of Ohio State University, where potentially there may have been a terror attack earlier in the day. We're getting new information on that as well.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

Once again, we're following the breaking news out of Columbus, Ohio, at Ohio State University, where there may have been a terror attack today. Nine people injured, one critical. An individual driving a vehicle up onto a crowded sidewalk, going after individuals on purpose, according to local law enforcement, then getting out of the vehicle with a butcher's knife, starting to slash individuals. Local law enforcement eventually finding this guy very, very quickly, shooting and killing this individual. His identity has not yet been released.

The Columbus police chief spoke about the possibility of this being an act of terror.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIM JACOBS, CHIEF, COLUMBUS CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT: I think we have to consider at it's that possibility. You know, we had an attack earlier this year with a man with a knife causing multiple injuries. So, we're always aware that that's the potential. We're going to continue to look at that. That's why our federal partners are here and helping.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[123:50:21] BLITZER: The reason they're concerned is ISIS, other terror groups have said online, through social media, you don't have a gun, get a knife. You don't have a knife, get a vehicle, but go ahead and kill infidels. That's what ISIS and other terror groups have said. We're following this very closely. We'll update you as we get other information.

The other big story we're following right now in the United States, President-elect Trump holding a series of private meetings today as he builds his cabinet. He's also dealing with a very public battle within his inner circle. Some Trump aides are split over whether Mitt Romney or Rudy Giuliani is a better choice for secretary of state.

Let's bring in our panel. Joining us is CNN chief political analyst, Gloria Borger; CNN senior Washington correspondent, Jeff Zeleny. And our CNN political analyst and a "USA Today" columnist, Kirstin Powers, is with us as well.

Gloria, this is extraordinary, the fight going on publicly between various Trump aides over whether or not Mitt Romney should be considered a possible secretary of state.

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: It seems like a reality TV show, doesn't it --

(LAUGHTER)

-- in some way, because the fighting is public. What's surprising to me -- I'm trying to report this out right now -- is that Kellyanne Conway, vocal in her sense that Mitt Romney has betrayed Donald Trump and should not be rewarded for that betrayal with this kind of an appointment. She is also very close to Mike Pence. And in Romney world, there's a sense -- and I know this from Romney people -- that Pence is a natural supporter of Mitt Romney for that job. They're finding it surprising that she would be out there to verbally and vocally, on television, on Twitter, and everywhere else. The fight is clearly within the administration is going to be played out in public and behind closed doors.

BLITZER: He's invited Romney, Jeff, for a second round of talks tomorrow at Trump Tower.

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: He has, and that surprises a lot of Romney people as well. They're not quite sure what to make of this. They think Mitt Romney has been somewhat disrespected here. Some even used the word potentially being humiliated here. Now, but Mitt Romney, you have to view it from his point of view. He's a public servant. He believes he can do something good here. But I do think the time is short for the president-elect to make a decision. I don't know how long you can allow this to fester. Conservatives and others saying Romney is not acceptable. If Trump would tap him as secretary of state, he would have a lot of explaining to do to people. It's still an open possibly.

This meeting tomorrow, very interesting.

BLITZER: Kirsten, I don't remember a time we've gone through a transition where we've seen a public fight like this over a presidential secretary of state.

KIRSTEN POWERS, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: No, this would have been like if David Axelrod was getting on Twitter and arguing over someone President Clinton --

(CROSSTALK)

BORGER: Hillary Clinton.

POWERS: Yeah, that would be a perfect example. It's clear Donald Trump has moved on, but the campaign aides haven't. They're still holding grudges against people that weren't on their side. The question is, what is -- what is Donald Trump doing here? Is he

just humiliating Mitt Romney? Is he playing him like a cat with a mouse, or is he serious about this? When you look at the fact he's adding General Petraeus into the mix, he's continuing to expand the list of people he's looking at, and leaving people out there to twist in the wind. And the fact you have Kellyanne Conway out there. I don't know what to make of it. I really don't. Is this somehow that's been sanctioned by Trump? Usually we know if he's unhappy, he goes on Twitter and lets us know. He doesn't seem to be that unhappy although it's been reported he's furious with her. But we also don't know if that's true.

BLITZER: It's interesting, the other development, Donald Trump tweeting over the weekend, "In addition to winning the Electoral College, in a landslide, I won the popular vote, if you deduct the millions of illegally, millions of people who voted illegally." Millions of people --

BORGER: There's no proof for that.

BLITZER: There's no proof of that.

BORGER: That is a falsehood, picked up from websites that are completely unreliable. And if that is, indeed, the case, let's say there were millions of people not counted, then the president-elect should challenge his own election and say, wait a minute, let's stop this and make sure every vote gets counted, because that's what we do in this country. It's kind of head-scratching.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Listen to what White House press secretary, Josh Earnest, just said about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[13:55:09] JOSH EARNEST, WHITE HOUSE PRESSS SECRETARY: -- the president-elect's team for commentary on his tweets. I think what I can say is an objective fact is there's been no evidence produced to substantiate a claim like that. But for a reaction or an explanation, I'd refer you to the president-elect's team.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: It certainly is an explosive comment.

There is one recount that will be happening in Wisconsin later this week. The head of the Wisconsin Election Commission said, we are going to do this at the request of the Green Party candidate. But he chastised Donald Trump for talking about elections like this. He said, there's no evidence of this and what you're doing is talking down democracy here. A lot of Republicans were surprised he said that. We'll see if he says any more.

BLITZER: All right, guys, thanks very much. That's it for me. I'll be back at 5:00 p.m. eastern in "The Situation Room." Coming up, the latest on the attack at Ohio State University right after this very quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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