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Trump Tweets Doctored Video of Himself Punching "CNN"; Some GOP Senators Echo Trump: Repeal Now, Replace Later; NJ Gov. Christie: "No Option But to Close Government". Aired 6-7p ET

Aired July 02, 2017 - 18:00   ET

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

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: It is the top of the hour. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Boris Sanchez in New York, in for Ana Cabrera.

[18:00:01] Thank you so much for joining us this weekend as we celebrate our nation's independence.

The thing that's grabbing everyone's attention this weekend is the oxygen problem at the White House. There is simply not enough to talk about policies and progress made by this administration amid the very important week ahead. That's because President Trump, for reasons not well-explained, continues to steer attention away from those things by posting this on Twitter.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

SANCHEZ: It is on the president's Twitter feed right now. He posted a clip of himself from about ten years ago fake wrestling and fake punching a CNN logo on the floor. No context or commentary just a hashtag.

It's just the latest in a string of week-long personal attacks, name- calling and cheap shots at media figures, and, of course, the news industry in general. And it's just a few days before what may be the most critical event in America's foreign policy since the end of the Cold War.

We've got Brian Stelter, he's our senior media correspondent, also the host of CNN's "RELIABLE SOURCES". We also have a panel of experts on hand, including a Trump biographer, a legal analyst and a conservative radio host.

We will get to all of you, gentlemen, shortly. But let's start with Brian Stelter.

Brian, we would love to be talking about the Supreme Court decision that partly went the president's way on the travel ban, the visit from Moon Jae-in, the South Korean leader, the House passage of a key part of his illegal immigration program that cracks down on sanctuary cities. There is also the trip to Germany in a few days where he'll get to meet Vladimir Putin face-to-face.

You are a media expert, though, and we are talking about this tweet because there's no way you can look away from it. It's a video posted by the president of the United States of America, of him violently pounding the logo of a news network.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Perhaps his fantasy comes to life here.

SANCHEZ: Yes.

STELTER: I know some viewers are wondering what the heck is he doing in a Wrestlemania video? Well, years ago, the president would appear with his friend Vince McMahon in these WWE broadcasts once in a while, as we see on Twitter. He would actually get in and do some of the fighting. Of course, all fake, all staged.

But here we have many years later, the video of now President Trump doing this kind of fighting and, of course, showing the other figure being a CNN logo.

Listen, it's strange. It's amusing to some people. Maybe it's clever.

It's also disturbing. And we have seen mostly Democratic lawmakers coming out and condemning this. We've seen journalism advocacy groups calling this out, saying this seems to be encouraging violence.

CNN's statement says this network will continue to report the facts, continue to report on this presidency and continue to do our jobs and we hope President Trump will start doing his job.

So, pretty strong words from the company about this video, about this story that "The Post" did. This apparently came from a pro-Trump message board a few days ago. So, this was something that someone produced, maybe at home on their computer, and then somehow, we don't know how, made its way to the president of the United States.

I think a lot of folks are wondering, is this presidential behavior? Is this appropriate for the president? And is it appropriate to be shared on Twitter?

We have asked Twitter for comment about whether this violates the company's terms of service because it does have rules forbidding harassment and hateful content, incitement of violence. However, the company after many hours did conclude that this was OK, that it does fall within the company's policies. I'll tell you, though, there are Twitter users that have gotten banned or suspended for much less than what the president posted today.

SANCHEZ: That's right. It seems, though, like the president is trying to goad us. He's trying to pick a fight. He's trying to get journalists to become overly emotional and get into an argument with him. Why do you think that is?

STELTER: I think that's a very good point and I think it's incumbent on journalists not to stoop to his low level. When he has low standards, we've got to keep having high standards. When he wants to talk solely about the press and why he thinks the press is fake, we've got to keep being real. As we know we are and as our audience mostly knows we are. But he is tapping into extreme resentment of the media among some of

his fans. Not among all Trump supporters but among the most loyal, the sort of hardcore base of Trump supporters out there. There's been an anti-media narrative for many years that he has tapped into.

And I would argue as you are describing important stories all around the world, challenges this president faces, his delegitimization of the media is also a big story, whether it's him attacking "The New York Times" or "The Washington Post" or the cast of "Morning Joe", today it happens to be CNN. He has different targets on an almost daily basis.

But he is trying to tear down news outlets that try to report on him fairly. That is a big deal. It does have corrosive effects for our country.

[18:05:01] There is damage that has to be repaired in the future because of his anti-media attacks. And today as the most recent example that happens to involve CNN.

SANCHEZ: All right. Brian, please stay with us.

We want to bring in the rest of our panel. Joining us now, CNN contributor and Trump biographer, Michael D'Antonio, CNN political commentator and the host of "The Ben Ferguson Show", Ben Ferguson, and CNN legal analyst and former federal prosecutor, Michael Zeldin.

Gentlemen, we thank you all for joining us.

Ben, just last night, the president tweeted out that his tweeting is modern day presidential.

BEN FERGUSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes.

SANCHEZ: So, his posting this doctored video of him wrestling with a news organization presidential?

FERGUSON: Yes. Look, I think it is a little bit fun. I think it's pretty funny, actually. I think that some people are taking this just a little bit too seriously when the reality is, it's pretty clear that the president is not a big fan of us at CNN.

I also think that he was referring to a story that was, he feels like was a hit piece on him that a couple of people had to resign over. And so, he decided after he saw it to tweet it out. I don't think this is inciting violence. I think that people that are trying to imply that somehow this inciting some sort of big violence are stretching a little bit here.

The fact is, this was a tweet from the president. Would I have sent it? No. I wouldn't have sent it.

Is this Donald Trump's style? Yes. Is he going to stop? The answer is no.

But let's also put this into perspective. This clip shows the president in a pretty funny light when he was doing fake wrestling.

So, before you act like it's over the top or this is inciting violence, remember this is showing Donald Trump doing something that was pretty funny at the time, as well. I think everyone needs to just take a deep breath, relax a little bit.

STELTER: He is the president now.

FERGUSON: I agree. But he is a different type of president. I think that's very clear.

And this is something that is a little bit humorous. I don't think it needs to be taken as such an intense thing as many kind of --

(CROSSTALK)

STELTER: I'm glad you're laughing, Ben. There are some CNN staffers that are pretty nervous on a day like today.

FERGUSON: Well, I --

STELTER: We've seen some of our colleagues posting about their concerns asking a president not to do something like this.

Listen, I agree with you that people should not overreact to every crazy presidential tweet, but this stuff can have consequences.

SANCHEZ: There is also a history there, Ben. I mean, the president did tell supporters in rallies to punch protesters in the face. As a reporter reporting from a Trump rally, I have had all kinds of things yelled at me that I can't say on TV. There seems to be a pattern here of very heated rhetoric.

Is it the right thing of this moment of very raw feelings between both parties for him to be tweeting something like that out? And all the other things that he's tweeting about journalists too?

FERGUSON: Look, I worked on campaigns before. My role with Twitter or any type of social media is, was it worth it or is it worth it? I don't think these tweets are worth it because it takes away from the legislative agenda of the president, and that's ultimately the reason why the majority of the people that voted for him voted for him. They want him to get things done, and this takes away from that narrative.

Let's also be clear. He said he wished he could punch that guy in the face and laughed about it when he was talking about the protesters. Both sides take a lot of heat. Go look at my Twitter feed after anytime I'm on TV, and I take heat some of those vile heat of anybody because I'm a conservative.

That's just part of the deal when you go into -- when you go -- the reality is now, people are going to trash you if you're a journalist, if you're a commentator, if you're the president. This president posts things fighting back sometimes. I'm not saying that I would do it. But I also think in this one instance, this video, I think people are

reading way too much into this and trying to make this a bigger deal than it really is.

SANCHEZ: Michael D --

MICHAEL ZELDIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Sure.

SANCHEZ: Go ahead.

ZELDIN: I'd like to add something. I think that framework for analyzing it is just flat out wrong. It was probably not libelous for the president of the United States to say that President Obama wiretapped him and it probably wasn't obstruction of justice when he said Comey better hope there were no audio tapes, and it was probably not some sort of violation of the rights of Scarborough and Micky in extortion sense when he tweeted out that.

But these things -- it wasn't, you know, this wasn't incitement in and of itself. But when you bundle these things together, when you aggregate all these tweets together, you have to look at this in legal terms as abusive, as an abuse of office. And so, I think trying to say this one tweet doesn't equal incitement or this one tweet doesn't equal extortion is just the wrong way of looking at these things.

These are a package of tweets that create a narrative that is abuse of power in legal terms. And I think that at some point, he'll have --

FERGUSON: It's not abuse of power.

SANCHEZ: Ben --

ZELDIN: It's an abuse of office. And it is something that will have to be looked at, at some point, either by Congress or by the special prosecutor because it just can't go on.

[18:10:08] And I'm surprised actually that

FERGUSON: Let me get this straight.

(CROSSTALK)

ZELDIN: Let me finish one second. I'm surprised that -- I'm surprised that Twitter doesn't see this package as an abuse of their terms of use and doesn't deactivate his account.

FERGUSON: Come on! This is --

SANCHEZ: Michael D'Antonio -- let's bring Michael D'Antonio into the conversation. Michael, I want to read you something that Maureen Dowd wrote in her latest "New York Times' editorial.

She writes, quote: Before he got to D.C., Trump was used to media that could be bought, sold and bartered with. He is not built for this hostile environment and it shows in his deteriorating psychological state. You have channeled the president pretty closely for a biography. What

do you make of that?

MICHAEL D'ANTONIO, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, I think Maureen Dowd is correct and so is Howard Stern about six months ago when he said that he was concerned that the president would suffer under the microscope and withering criticism that all presidents receive.

This is a different kind of president. The way that he is different is that he is fully unprepared for the office. He had no experience prior to running for president other than marketing essentially himself. What he does now is continue to market himself in the face of a legislative agenda that's stalled.

Now, he is going off to meet with Vladimir Putin. And he is promoting a doctored video of a fake display of his athletic prowess. You know, it gets so meta that it's almost ridiculous and it's also kind of a sign of his insecurity because he is following a number of presidents, whether you are talking about George Bush or President Obama or even the example of President Clinton who was an avid runner.

He is probably the least physically fit man to be in the White House since Eisenhower. He is going off to meet with Putin who is extremely robust and masculine and demonstrates this all the time. And I think it's a very bad thing for him to be doing this kind of symbolic gesture as he is going off to represent our country.

FERGUSON: Can we just recap --

SANCHEZ: Ben, I know you're inching to jump in.

FERGUSON: Yes. Let's just recap where we've gone in the last, I don't know, minute and a half. There is going to be an investigation to the stability of the president because of a tweet that deals with an old video of him doing fake wrestling. There is -- well, that's what he was implying. He's saying special prosecutors at some point with all of these tweets are going to have to look at.

Tweeting is not against the law. So, let's not make that clear.

Now, you have people there saying, well, I'm worried about the stability of the president and he is obviously not physically fit. You are now looking at a wrestling joke tweet that took eight seconds and now, you are telling me that he is now physically not fit and somehow deteriorating.

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: Ben, we are very short on time. But I do want to ask Ben one quick question.

Ben, we've got North Korea threatening a nuclear attack on the United States. We've got Russia encroaching in Ukraine. We've got the mess in Syria. We've got a health care overhaul that is stalled. We've got an array of problems.

How do these tweets help the president get anything done?

FERGUSON: Look, this is what I said earlier. I asked the question when I talk to political people before they tweet anything, is it worth it or was that tweet worth it? I don't think it helps push forward your legislative agenda because it allows people to talk about something outside of what you think --

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: So, you think he should stop doing it?

FERGUSON: I think you should -- he should dial back the Twitter a little bit, because I think it takes away. He had two big accomplishments when the first tweets went out against MSNBC. One of them was Kate's Law, which overwhelmingly the majority of Americans were in favor. It got lost because people got to focus on the tweet instead.

So, the question is, you've got to ask yourself is, was that tweet worth it? I would say the answer is no, it's not because he has been getting some pretty good things done, including the fact the Supreme Court at 8:00 on the same night allowed part of his travel ban to keep Americans safe to go into effect. That was also lost because of a tweet.

But, look, there are also people that are overplaying this. The fact that people are talking about his physical appearance or if he is fit enough to be president, literally physically fit because of a tweet is insanity.

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: We are just out of time but we do appreciate the perspective.

I will say this, though. The president has launched quite a few attacks based on physical appearance and physical fitness before. But we've got to leave it there.

FERGUSON: Right, but to say that he is not physically fit because of a tweet is insane.

(CROSSTALK)

SANCHEZ: Ben Ferguson, Michael Zeldin, Brian Stelter, Michael D'Antonio, we do appreciate the time, but we are very, very short on it. We have to leave it there.

Gentlemen, thank you again for joining us.

[18:15:01] FERGUSON: Thanks.

SANCHEZ: Enjoy your Independence Day weekend.

Ahead at this hour, budget standoff. Another state fails to meet a deadline to shore up its funding, shutting down everything from state parks to beaches. We'll go live to New Jersey, next.

Plus, a Catholic controversy. The number three man at the Vatican facing sexual assault charges. How Pope Francis is responding.

And later, you may not want to go in the water. Great white shark spotted at the beaches in New England. Why researchers are thrilled.

We're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Some Republican senators are embracing President Trump's new direction on health care. If the current Senate GOP bill fails to pass, Trump says just repeal Obamacare now, worry about replacing it later. Not surprisingly, Republican Ben Sasse and independent Senator Bernie Sanders have different opinions on this idea.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[18:20:00] SEN. BEN SASSE (R), NEBRASKA: If we can do a combined repeal and replace over the next week, that's great. If we can't, though, then there is no reason to walk away. We should do repeal with a delay. Let's be clear -- I don't want to see anyone thrown off the coverage they have now. I would want to delay so we can get straight to work.

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I), VERMONT: This Congressional Budget Office indicated that if you simply repeal the Affordable Care Act, Obamacare, you will throw 30 -- you will throw 32 million Americans off of health insurance, 10 percent of the population of the United States.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: We're now joined by the former health care policy adviser to Mitt Romney, Avik Roy. He is also president of the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity.

Avik, thank you so much for joining us this Sunday.

AVIK ROY, PRESIDENT, FOUNDATION FOR RESEARCH ON EQUAL OPPORTUNITY: Hey, Boris.

SANCHEZ: For Republicans is repeal now, replace later a realistic solution or potentially a gamble?

ROY: Well, Boris, you may remember that right after Donald Trump was elected, congressional leaders on the Republican side wanted to do that. There was this idea that they were going to repeal Obamacare through reconciliation and then they were going to spend the next few years negotiating with Democrats as to how to replace it.

Then, Rand Paul and a bunch of other senators rebelled, saying, no, we have to repeal and replace at the same time because the health insurance industry and the health care industry needs that stability, that certainty in order to plan how to go forward. So, that's why we have the repeal and replace simultaneously.

So, now, to go back to this old idea, I don't think there's 50 votes for that.

SANCHEZ: Well, I wanted to ask you about this, but I'm not clear on this, maybe you can help understand. A repeal now bill, wouldn't that require 60 Senate votes to pass instead of 50 because it's not under reconciliation?

ROY: Well, what they're really talking about when they say repeal is defunding. You can defund Obamacare. You can repeal the Medicaid expansion. You can repeal the use of tax credits to fund coverage on the exchanges. You can repeal the tax increases. So, you can do those basic things through a repeal-only bill, quote/unquote.

You wouldn't be able to repeal regulations that affect insurance markets, so things about preexisting conditions. That stuff would stay on the books. So, there -- it wouldn't be a full repeal. It would be a repeal of the fiscal elements of Obamacare.

SANCHEZ: Ultimately, does this thing stand a chance if Mitch McConnell who may have floated this idea of repeal now, replace later a while ago is not supporting it now? He is steadfast on trying to get this thing done with a replacement in order.

ROY: Yes, I think the train has left the station on this repeal first/replace later idea. I think the real focus of the Senate and Senate leadership is they actually have a pretty good bill in terms of contours of what center-right conservative health care policy looks like. They have a couple of final pieces to get Lee and Cruz on board on the right, and maybe the Portmans and the Capitos on the left, or those center, you could say, Murkowski.

I think they can work that out. They have time. They don't have to have this artificial deadline. If you don't pass something next week, we just show throw in a towel. I don't think they're going to do that. I think they're going to work through July and get something done.

SANCHEZ: Now, you wrote a "New York Times" editorial that is really interesting because you write that there are several elements of the bill that are somehow bipartisan. First, I want you to explain that. And then the question I guess would be, how do they, then, go to Democrats and try to get them on board if they can't get some of these more conservative Republicans?

ROY: Well, to be clear, the process by which this bill is being considered by the Senate and the House is totally partisan. That was also true of Obamacare in 2009-2010. The analogy I was making to the fact that a lot of Democrats in 2009-2010 said, hey, we are borrowing from Republican ideas. It was Mitt Romney in Massachusetts. He was the inspiration for our health care plan.

In similar ways, there are core elements of the Republican replacement for Obamacare that they borrowed from Bill Clinton. The Medicaid reforms in this bill were first proposed by Bill Clinton in 1995 and 1996 and 1997. So, the ideas are bipartisan even if the process has not been.

SANCHEZ: All right. We have to leave it there. Avik Roy, we thank you so much for joining us on this Sunday afternoon.

Straight ahead, planning ongoing to a state beach in New Jersey this holiday weekend? No chance. Why a budget crisis is going to keep some residents from enjoying their Fourth of July on the water.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:28:36] SANCHEZ: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie says a budget standoff between Democratic and Republican lawmakers has turned into a crisis and forced him to shut down the state's government because lawmakers could not pass a budget before July 1st. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), NEW JERSEY: Let's make a choice here. This government is not open because I can't constitutionally let it be open. I don't have any money. And so, as of July 1, I had no money. Now, I told them that I would sign a budget if they send it to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Governor Christie's decision has left many New Jersey public parks and beaches shut down on this holiday weekend.

CNN's Polo Sandoval is at a state park in Jersey City that's been closed on this busy July 4th weekend.

Polo, there was an emergency budget meeting in New Jersey today. How did we get to this point?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, the short answer, Boris, here is you have New Jersey's governor and also several lawmakers and they cannot seem to come to a compromise or solution here for the new budget. So, the result, some of the nonessential New Jersey government agencies have to shut down and the parks have to close up. And that includes here, Liberty State Park.

This is the entrance right here, Boris. You could see park officers there are blocking it off. They have been doing so since yesterday. Any other day, this obviously would be an inconvenience but especially this weekend. The Fourth of July weekend this place is one of the main access points for individuals who want to go up to the Statue of Liberty. So you can't drive in; you can't walk in either.

This is what folks are greeted with, this long steel barrier and also some signage, as well. And this has turned into quite the inconvenience for not only people from New Jersey but also some of those who have been coming to visit.

We caught up with one individual earlier today, Mr. Roberto Barca. This is how he feels about this ongoing budget battle. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERTO BARCA, NEW JERSEY RESIDENT: It's ridiculous. Just figure it out, you know. We pay you guys to figure it out, figure it out, you know.

SANDOVAL: You saw it on the news already, but did you believe it until you came out?

BARCA: No. I said to her -- I was, like, no, you know what, it'll be open. I just thought the services. I didn't think they actually would have the gates over.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: And so they certainly are. I have some of these individuals from New Jersey who have been inconvenienced by this, but this also is translating to disappointment for people from all over the world. This is one of the main access points if you want to, for example, go on to Liberty Island to check out the Statue of Liberty.

I just spoke to a couple of folks from the Ukraine, for example, earlier, people from Estonia -- before that, from South America -- now having to go back to Manhattan if they want to catch a view of Lady Liberty, Boris.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: And, Polo, very quickly, Governor Christie is being criticized because as all these folks can't get into state parks, he and his family are at one this weekend. What's the story there?

SANDOVAL: Yes. Well, the main issue there, obviously, is that Governor Christie is spending the weekend there with some of his family members on the state-owned beach house, if you will, that happens to be in Island Beach, New Jersey, which is one of many state parks that have closed up.

His office, though, is saying that he is not, you know, making use of any of the services there like garbage collection, lifeguards, et cetera. They're simply staying on the complex itself. So that's their way of defending that decision to be able to spend their holiday weekend at a state park when the rest of New Jersey, the rest of the tourists and visitors, simply can't.

SANCHEZ: Well, we should note his approval ratings are at all-time lows. Polo Sandoval, thank you so much for the time.

SANDOVAL: Yes.

SANCHEZ: Coming up, scandalous accusations deep within the walls of the Vatican. Why the number three man there is being forced to respond to sexual assault allegations and what this means for Pope Francis' legacy. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:36:26] SANCHEZ: Let's take a look at some other stories in the news this past week in case you missed them.

The House approved a pair of tough new immigration bills on Thursday. The first bill is known as Kate's Law, and it raises the maximum prison penalties for immigrants caught repeatedly entering the United States illegally and escalates with repeat offences.

The bill, of course, was named for Kate Steinle, who was murdered on a city pier in San Francisco two years ago. Police arrested an undocumented immigrant who had been deported multiple times.

Also, the No Sanctuary for Criminals Act would expand what cities must do regarding federal immigration enforcement. The government could deny federal law enforcement funds if the cities don't comply. Neither bill, though, is expected to pass in the Senate.

The claims of a woman who says she is the daughter of Salvador Dali were enough to convince a court in Madrid to exhume the late painter's body. The decision came after the woman filed a paternity claim with the Madrid Supreme Court.

Pilar Abel Martinez was born in 1956, says that her mom told her that she had a secret relationship with the world famous artist. The court ordered the exhumation so that DNA testing could be done.

And finally, this! The Vienna Chamber Orchestra's performance was one for the dogs a couple of weeks ago as the orchestra performed at the 31st International Izmir Festival Concert in Ephesus, Turkey.

This stray Labrador just wanders on stage to laughter and applause. Then he just chills out, laying down at the first violinist's feet to enjoy the rest of the Mendelssohn Symphony Number 4.

For its part, the orchestra did not miss a beat. He looked like he was having fun, and the crowd certainly enjoyed it.

Tonight on "ANTHONY BOURDAIN: PARTS UNKNOWN," Tony returns to Portugal in the seaside city of Porto. Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY BOURDAIN, CNN HOST: Portugal, sandwiched between Spain and the Atlantic Ocean and tiniest country's go, has had an outsized impact on the world. During the age of discovery, the Portuguese went to see in great numbers. Gained fame as navigators, ship builders, explorers.

They conquered a large part of the world, their empire stretching from Brazil to Africa to the East Indies. The city of Oporto is a reflection and a creation of that relationship with the sea.

A lot has changed since I was last here, or has it?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: My colleague, Ana Cabrera, had a chance to speak with Anthony Bourdain about his return to Portugal and the very unique and memorable dining experience that he had there.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BOURDAIN: One of the first shows I ever did on television, I reached out to my former boss at the last restaurant I worked at when I was still a chef. I knew he was from the north of Portugal, the Porto region.

And I said, you know, could you show me around? And he said, oh, I will arrange everything, and we'll do it the way I grew up.

[18:40:01] And among those arrangements was a traditional pig feast at his family's farm. Now, I'd been a chef for almost 30 years by that point. I had been ordering meat over the telephone my whole life, essentially complicit in the death of a living thing.

This was the first time that I ever saw really where my dinner came from because they bring out the priest, they bless the pig --

ANA CABRERA, CNN ANCHOR: Wow.

BOURDAIN: -- and then it is a grim and deeply disturbing process, particularly the first time you experience it. But I wanted to go back and see how that region had changed, how my friend had changed, how I might have changed. So it was really, let's do it again and try to do better and see.

CABRERA: Did it feel different to you this time around?

BOURDAIN: They were a little better at whacking the pig this time, frankly. The first time was pretty horrifying and --

CABRERA: But it's a cultural thing.

BOURDAIN: It is.

CABRERA: It's not meant to be --

BOURDAIN: You watch little kids watch --

CABRERA: Really?

BOURDAIN: -- you know, what would cause a lot of adults here to faint. You know, people who grow up in farming communities and rural communities everywhere I've been understand that the rabbit, for instance, the bunny rabbit is cute.

And they can love and appreciate a bunny rabbit, but they also understand it's dinner. And when the time comes --

CABRERA: That it's livelihood.

BOURDAIN: -- the rabbit goes.

CABRERA: Wow. Of all of the places that you visited and experienced in this season of "PARTS UNKNOWN," is there something that's more memorable than another?

BOURDAIN: You know, I'll never forget the Dry Valleys. We flew an impromptu -- we were drinking whiskey with ice in it that was thousands of years older than even the idea of whiskey, after which we staggered in crampons across a frozen lake and collapsed onto the sand of a beach beneath the glacier and threw the Frisbee around with our jackets off.

And it was the most sort of -- the closest to dancing on Mars, which is, you know, kind of an unthinkable thing. It was the strangest, oddest, and most unique experience in memory.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: Dancing on Mars. Be sure to tune in to "ANTHONY BOURDAIN: PARTS UNKNOWN - PORTUGAL." That's tonight at 9:00 Eastern and Pacific, right here on CNN. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:46:40] SANCHEZ: The suspect at the center of a manhunt following a case of deadly road rage in Pennsylvania turned himself into police early this morning. Twenty-eight-year-old David Desper faces multiple charges including first degree murder in the shooting and killing of 18-year-old Bianca Nicole Roberson.

Police say Desper was driving a truck and got angry as their vehicles merged onto the same lane of highway in West Goshen, Pennsylvania on Wednesday night. As they jockeyed for position, police say that Desper shot Bianca in the head, killing her instantly.

Police say they used surveillance video to identify the truck and its owner. Roberson recently graduated high school, and she had planned to attend Jacksonville University in just a few weeks.

Catholics around the world attended church today, many likely unaware of some major shakeups centering around two top Vatican officials. A top adviser to Pope Francis, Cardinal George Pell, the number three man at the Vatican, is taking a leave to fight sexual assault charges in his home country of Australia. He says the accusations are false and part of a relentless character assassination.

And just yesterday, the Pope replaced another top leader who publicly disagreed with him about the future of the church.

With us now from Orlando, Florida is CNN's Senior Vatican Analyst John Allen.

John, thanks so much for joining us. You're actually at the Convocation of Catholic Leaders, which is an unprecedented gathering of almost 3,300 bishops, clergy, lay leaders, academics, and just rank and file Catholics.

As everyone gathered to talk about challenges and opportunities for the church here in the United States, what's their reaction to this turmoil in the Vatican? JOHN ALLEN, CNN SENIOR VATICAN ANALYST: Well, frankly, Boris, I think

most of the lay people here, those who are from the Catholic rank and file, you know, parishes and diocese around the country, have no idea any of this has happened. And so they're not really, you know, sort of -- there's no ferment about it.

But certainly, among the bishops and clergy who are here, those who pay closer attention to the ups and downs of the Vatican, this has been a hot topic. You know, not on the floor of the Convocation but, you know, in coffee shops and breakfast tables and hallways, it's something you do hear about an awful lot.

You know, in terms of what the reaction is, I think the two cases are quite different. In the case of German Cardinal Gerhard Muller, who had been the head of the Vatican's doctrinal congregation and was well known for expressing skepticism about the cautious opening to communion for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics that Pope Francis expressed during his document of last year, "Amoris Laetitia," you know, reaction to that move, I think, depends on where you stand on "Amoris Laetitia."

If you are the kind of bishop or priest who thinks that document was long overdue, then you're glad someone you perceived as a roadblock to implementing it is gone. If you're the kind of bishop or priest who thinks that document maybe was a bridge too far and you were glad to have a voice in the Vatican raising some yellow lights, then, of course, it's an object of regret. T

But I think everyone would see that as a kind of normal personnel move that popes make all the time.

[18:49:56] The case of Cardinal George Pell from Australia is quite different because, as you indicate, he is now facing criminal charges in his home country for historical sexual offenses. The details of those charges have not been revealed, but this is the first time a senior Vatican official has been criminally indicted for sexual abuse.

Now, Cardinal Pell, we have to say, has strenuously rejected those charges and indicated that he plans to go back to Australia to clear his name. He says he's looking forward to his day in court.

And, of course, an indictment is not the same thing as a conviction. But I think it's fair to say, this is nobody's idea of a good news story either for Cardinal Pell or for his boss, Pope Francis.

SANCHEZ: And we want to ask about Pope Francis. This is a big deal. How does this impact his legacy and his ability to oversee the church long-term?

ALLEN: Well, I think we'll only be able to answer that question when the story is over, Boris. I mean, we know charges have been brought. You know, we don't know that a judge is going to allow this case to go to trial. And if there is indeed a trial, you know, we don't know how it's going to shake out.

You know, so I think if Cardinal Pell is able to mount a successful defense and if people basically buy that defense and he's vindicated, then maybe this is no more than a blip on the radar screen for Pope Francis. And actually, he may get some credit for basically standing by his man, which is what he has done to date.

If, on the other hand, when Cardinal Pell goes home and there is a trial, if he is convicted and if people find that conviction convincing, then obviously this becomes a major chapter in this papacy and undoubtedly will raise critical questions about the sincerity of Pope Francis' commitment, his rhetorical commitment, to root and branch reform.

SANCHEZ: All right. John Allen, thank you so much for the time. We appreciate it.

ALLEN: You're welcome.

SANCHEZ: And now, this week's "Before the Bell." Here's CNN MONEY Chief Business Correspondent Christine Romans. Hey, Christine.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Boris. A wild end to the first half of the year for investors. Yes, half the year is over.

Here's the scorecard for stocks. The NASDAQ up 14 percent. The S&P 500 and the Dow up eight percent, each driven by stellar corporate earnings. Companies are making a lot of money. And there are high hopes for tax reform, lower tax rates for companies.

But there are some powerful forces shaping the second half of the year. It's why the NASDAQ looked like this last week, the biggest swings in months. A few things at play here. The dollar had its worst quarter in seven years, and bond yields are rising.

Central banks around the world are expected to be raising interest rates. That has investors selling big dividend and tech plays and moving money into things like bank stocks. Bank stocks saw a big jump. After the settle out, banks to give generous payouts to the shareholders.

The question now, Boris, is there political risk for your investments? Wall Street is still holding out for tax reform. Health care reform hangs in the balance. And traders will have a short week to contend with it all. Half a day on Monday, then the market is closed Tuesday for Independence Day.

Christine Romans, CNN, New York.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[18:57:28] SANCHEZ: Beach goers, beware this holiday weekend after shark sightings are reported in several states. Off the coast of Cape Cod, researchers spotted three great whites this week alone. But one person who is probably not too scared, the man who is about to race one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One trained to be the best since the day he was born. The other has been perfected by evolution. The great white shark meets the greatest of all-time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Olympian Michael Phelps will race a great white shark for Discovery's "Shark week" later this month. It's all part of an effort to help raise awareness about the dangers facing shark populations. CNN actually took a trip to Cape Cod to meet these underwater predators.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. GREG SKOMAL, FISHERIES BIOLOGIST, M.A. MARINE FISHERIES: We're heading out to survey the area for white sharks. We'll videotape them, and if possible, place some tags on them.

The second we're going to hear the voice of our spotter pilot -- I mean, he is canvassing this entire shoreline looking for white sharks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, there's a big, slow-moving one.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: South of Nauset Inlet.

SKOMAL: All right. All right, we've got a shark.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can we get a little power for a few, John (ph)?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're going to see it shortly.

SKOMAL: I see the shark. It's lazily moving along here. God, that's beautiful. He's looking right at my camera.

All right. Did you see him? Dorsal came right out. Oh, what a beauty.

So we've discovered that the white shark numbers are increasing here off of Cape Cod and have been for, you know, roughly the last decade. We firmly believe that that's driven by the growing seal population.

And those seals, which are piled up here right on the coastline of Cape Cod, are drawing these white sharks in because white sharks feed on seals. And now we have the opportunity to study them for the very first time.

He's dead ahead of me, slow down. Maybe we'll have him head into shallower water and tag him.

Magnet off?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come back left a little.

SKOMAL: He's up pretty good. All right. He's coming up, Will (ph). (APPLAUSE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Beautiful. Whoa!

(LAUGHTER)

SKOMAL: Well, we went ahead and placed an acoustic tag on this shark. You could see it right there. We'll get a sense of where it spends its time over the course of the next 10 years around Cape Cod.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are we thinking, like 13 or 14 on this one?

[19:00:00] SKOMAL: I have been doing it now for several years, and I've been studying sharks for over 30 years. But every time I go out, I'm like, you know, a kid opening my presents on Christmas morning. I love it. I love it.