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Former TV Anchor Says Kevin Spacey Sexually Assaulted My Son; Trump had CIA Director Look into DNC Leak Conspiracy Theory; Many "Firsts" in Elections Across America; North Korea Says the U.S. Must Oust "Lunatic Old Man" Trump. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired November 08, 2017 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00] HEATHER UNRUH, MOTHER OF ALLEGED VICTIM: And it cannot be undone. To Kevin Spacey I want to say this. Shame on you for what you did to my son.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: That is incredibly powerful. Chloe Melas, our CNN entertainment reporter has broken the story wide open. So, it's one thing you are getting all these phone calls. Reading all these accusations. To hear it from a mother and to have that message for Kevin Spacey, shame on you, and that there is a potential witness because she said this concerned woman who came over to her son. Tell me about her.

CHLOE MELAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: You know, Brooke, I think that what you're saying though is that just hearing this mother's emotion and seeing her cry. I think that it really just hits home and makes it more real. At the end of the day she does say that there was a woman at the bar that saw something happen between her son and Kevin Spacey. And they have publicly asked this woman to please come forward. Because they don't know her name. They don't know who she is. She not only wants to thank her, but we are also assuming that because the Nantucket police department is looking into this now, because it took place in Nantucket and we've also spoken to the district attorney's office as well. They did confirm there is not an investigation but they're looking into it. That they could use her as a witness. So, this is very important that hopefully this woman is watching and remembers and comes forward because her testimony would be vital.

BALDWIN: 30 seconds. Still nothing from Kevin -- I mean these are just allegations at this point. Anything from Kevin Spacey?

MELAS: I've made repeated calls. Repeated attempts and I can't reach his attorney. They just don't respond. I'm not exactly sure why. The last we heard Kevin Spacey was in rehab seeking treatment. He hasn't respond to these allegations or the ones last week even from current and former "House of Cards" employees who told us that Kevin Spacey either sexually harass them or the one that said that Kevin Spacey sexually assaulted him with very similar story to this story we are hearing today.

BALDWIN: Chloe Melas, keep on it. Thank you very much. Now to this, and an unusual request, President Trump urging his CIA

director to meet with a known conspiracy theorist who was convinced DNC email hack was inside job and not Russian interference. Details on what happened in that meeting.

[15:35:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: A rather unusual request involving President Trump and the CIA director, Mike Pompeo. Multiple intelligence sources tell CNN that Pompeo met with this conspiracy theorist at the behest of the president. According to sources they say President Trump asked Mike Pompeo to meet with this gentleman by the name of William Benny. Benny used to work for NSA. He's the one who circulated this conspiracy theory about the hacked Democratic Party emails last year calling them inside job and saying that it's not a result of a cyber hack by Russian hackers. So, with me now former CIA senior analyst, John Nixon. John Nixon, welcome.

JOHN NIXON, FORMER CIA SENIOR ANALYST: Good afternoon.

BALDWIN: So, Benny told CNN that Mike Pompeo started the meeting by saying, and I quote, the president told me I should talk to you. How unprecedented is it for the president to push this kind of meeting with a conspiracy theorist?

NIXON: It's quite unprecedented. And also, it's really shameful, I think. It's one thing for the director of central intelligence to want to look into this issue of Russian activity during the election. It's another thing to be wasting time and resources talking with people who are not only the opponents of the administration, or trying to discredit the opponents of the administration, but also talking to people who are trying to discredit the findings of your own intelligence community. The director of central intelligence has got to it be somebody who will give the president his best information and the unvarnished truth. It shouldn't be an in-house think tank to give the president what he wants to hear and justify what the president says.

BALDWIN: Now let's be clear. Because on the findings and where Mike Pompeo stands in response to CNN's inquiry the CIA said the following. Quote, Director Pompeo stands and has always stood by the January 2017 intelligence community assessment. AKA, it was Russia. What does this tell you?

NIXON: That's damage control. Because Director Pompeo has also made slips of the tongue concerning what he believes it is involved in the election and Russian involvement. So, I think that that is just office of public affairs getting out in front and trying to sort of control the damage that Pompeo has done. He really -- my take on this is that this is very damaging to the morale of the workforce. Because --

Which workforce? DOJ?

NIXON: No, CIA. Yes, because if you have a director who is basically going to -- and let's face it, director Pompeo has also made the center for counter intelligence mission, he has them reporting directly to him. And that's got to send a chill down the spine of everybody dealing with this issue. Because he is now going to be the filter for all the information that's going to go to the president. Because he wants to see everything. And if he's going to be doing something where he says -- or ignores the things that president doesn't like, but then passes on the things that the president wants to see, he's not serving the president well and he's not serving the intelligence community well.

BALDWIN: On not serving the president well, because you know there are people saying out there saying, listen he may or may not agree with the denier with whom he is tasked to meet. But at the end of the day this is the president of the United States asking him to meet with this guy. Did he have the option of saying, with all due respect, Mr. President, no?

[15:40:00] NIXON: I can understand that, you know, the director normally wants to do what the president asks them to do. But the thing is we are getting into sort of issues of domestic politics. And I think that the director of CIA might have been wise to have said, no, Mr. President, I don't want to meet with this person. This is similar to what happened with the Nixon era, where Richard Nixon went to Richard Helms, the director of the CIA, and said to him, I want you to tell the FBI that they should stop looking into Watergate. And much to his credit, Richard Helms said, no Mr. President I'm not going to do that.

BALDWIN: John Nixon. Thank you.

NIXON: Thank you.

BALDWIN: We've got some breaking news. North Korea now responding to the president's big speech last night from Seoul. Warning the dictator Kim Jong-un do not test the U.S. the North calling the president a quote, lunatic old man. Stand by for more.

[15:45:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Even though President Trump is getting most of the headlines, it's truly historic night full of firsts across America. One of them is in the Virginia House where Kathy Tran has become the first Asian American woman to be elected and she joins me now. So how incredibly exciting for you. Congratulations. Delegate elect.

KATHY TRAN (D), FIRST ASIAN-AMERICAN WOMAN ELECTED TO VIRGINIA STATE HOUSE: Yes, thank you so much. Thanks for having me.

BALDWIN: I understand you decided to run for office shortly after President Trump won a year ago. And soon after you gave birth to your fourth child. What specifically inspired you?

TRAN: You know, I was pregnant and due on inauguration day. And so, after the election I wanted to give my daughter a name that reflected our values. It was important to my husband and me given the direction the country was taken. And so, we named her Elice Minh Khanh. Elice was inspired by Ellis Island. Mat's family that were escaping were escaping anti-Semitism at the turn of the certainty, and they passed through Ellis Island and their search for opportunity in America. And Minh Khanh is Vietnamese for bright bell. That was inspired by Liberty Bell. So, to us her name means to ring the bells of liberty and champion opportunity for all. I made the decision to run when she was a month old. And I had given a very aspirational name to this baby and realized I couldn't sit on the sidelines. I need to stand up and moment is now to fight for those values and fight for my kids' futures.

BALDWIN: I've seen pictures of you. At some point, four kids in toe, door to door, knocking on doors there in Virginia. I mean, the list of women specifically who won last night across the board. What do you think that was about, Kathy?

TRAN: I really think it's about making sure that our voices are heard. That we have a seat at the table when we are making laws that affect our families and our communities on everything, from education, to women's rights, and equal pay for equal work, and health care access. These are issues that affect woman directly, but they are also issues that affect men and our families and our communities. And I think it's really important that we are part of that decision-making process bringing our experiences and perspectives to bear.

BALDWIN: Hours before your big win -- I've go to share this poll with you. I know you have seen it. But just with our viewers here, at the Democratic Party, with its lowest favor ability rating in 25 years. How concerned are you that last night, Kathy, was less about enthusiasm for all these, you know, Democrats on the ballot and more about a referendum on Trump?

TRAN: You know, what I think happened last night was a clear rejection of hate and of racism, of violence. And we saw how the Republicans were running their campaign in the governor's race. And I think it was a clear rejection of that. But at the same time, it was a, you know, affirmation that at the heart of our democracy, our core values are about hope and opportunity and inclusiveness for all. And it was also a clear support for a very strong progress agenda that's really going to make sure that working families and that people who are striving to do better can do better. And I really think that's what the election results in Virginia and across this country was about.

BALDWIN: Delegate elect Kathy Tran. Best of luck to you.

TRAN: Thank you so much. I really appreciate it.

BALDWIN: Thank you. I can tell you right now the vice president, Mike Pence, is on the ground in Texas. He is getting ready to meet the survivors and the victims' families from Sunday's church shooting. He is joined by his wife. There she is, Karen, and the Attorney General Jeff Sessions. While in Sutherland Springs, the vice president will also be briefed by local enforcement and attend a prayer service. Alex Marquardt, our CNN Senior national correspondent is there live in Sutherland Springs. So, we are learning, Alex, that that pastor who lost his daughter on Sunday will be preaching next door this coming weekend. [15:50:00] ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes,

that's right. Isn't that great? Just a week after this horrific massacre took place in which 25 people and unborn child were killed, we are learning that there will be a church service by the first Baptist church pastor, Frank Pomeroy. Now, it can't take place at the church, obviously, that is still a crime scene. That's right back there behind me. And we know from the pastor wife, Sherry Pomeroy, that church might not every serve as a church again. That is very much to be determined.

But what we do know there will be a church service on Sunday at a nearby community center, really right next door. It's being organized by fellow pastors. We know that the pastor Frank Pomeroy will be there. He will be speaking. Now, he and his wife were a way when this horrific attack took place. But their 14-year-old daughter, Annabelle, was there and she was killed. So, as I said, we don't really know what this church will do going forward in terms of a structure, but what's clear is this community is coming together. They're trying to heal. They're trying to say that we will not be deterred in our faith by this attack.

BALDWIN: Alex Marquardt, thank you so much. And as we mentioned, we saw the pictures the vice president with his wife. We've understanding that he'll be at the Brooke Army Medical Center meeting with some folks who've been in the hospital and then on to where you are in Sutherland Springs. Thank you.

We do have more on our breaking news. Back to North Korea, you know, the president is in Asia. He spoke last night at the National Assembly in Seoul. And so now, the North Koreans are responding to the president's words last night. They are calling the president a, quote, lunatic old man. More on that next.

[15:55:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: In today's future tense, NASA and Uber are teaming up to make flying taxis a reality. You heard me right. Uber is partnering with NASA to develop air traffic management systems for flying taxies. The tech company wants to call it Uber Air, but it won't be coming to a city near you any time soon. A demonstration of the flying car network is planned for 2020 in Los Angeles.

Let's get to North Korea now. The North Koreans are now responding to President Trump speech from Seoul last evening against them. And so, let me just read for you exactly what North Korea is saying. Quote, the U.S. must oust the lunatic old man -- this is how they refer to President Trump -- from power and withdraw the hostile policy towards the TPRK at once in order to get rid of the abyss of doom.

This is from this news article push established by the state-run news agency KCNA. Let's start there. Ryan Browne is at the Pentagon and CNN global affairs correspondent Elise Labott and Ambassador Gary Locke are both on the phone with me. First to you, Ryan. Lunatic old man.

RYAN BROWNE, CNN PENTAGON REPORTER: Well, some very bellicose rhetoric coming out of this communist party-controlled newspaper, state-run news agency. Not that untypical for North Korea to use very strong rhetoric, strong language when talking about the United States. But this coming just, you know, right after -- the day after Trump left South Korea, where he gave a speech kind of reemphasizing the U.S. commitment to the defense of South Korea, to the military alliance between the U.S. and South Korea.

Trump was just in Japan where he similarly talked about the threat of the North Korea nuclear missile program, expressing solidarity with Japan. And Trump currently in Beijing talking with China where North Korea is expected to be a big topic of conversation, trying to get China's cooperation in leveraging economic pressure against North Korea to get them to curb there their nuclear and missile activities. So, Trump on this big push, North Korea sending out its own very strong language in response it appears.

BALDWIN: Elise, to you on the phone. I mean, listen, this kind of rhetoric -- this is old news, the bellicosity from North Korea, and, frankly, some of it from Washington that we've witnessed the last couple of months. Add to that the fact we know the North Koreans found out that president Trump tried going to the DMZ and had to bail because of bad weather. The White House had to be expecting this kind of rhetoric from the North Koreans.

ELISE LABOTT, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT (via phone): Well, they absolutely did, Brooke. And, listen, as Ryan said, this rhetoric is typical, but it is pretty clear that this is very personal between these two leaders. President Trump and Kim Jong-un have really gotten in each other's head and the rhetoric has become very personal against each other. I think the North Koreans are, you know, kind of hunkering down. They don't know what to do, really, with this President Trump. They're not sure if he means what he says.

And they're hearing conflicting messages. They're hearing from Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, that the U.S. wants to talk, the U.S. wants to have a back channel and president Trump is all fire and fury and it's all a waste of time. I think they don't know what to do. Clearly, they want to continue on their missile and nuclear programs. Finish what they started and then be able to negotiate from a position of strength. Even though this tough talk from President Trump, this administration wants to talk. So, I mean, the rhetoric is going to continue to fly. I think we just need to look for whether there will be an opening for talks down the road. And we have to see what comes out of this trip. I mean, will the North Koreans launch some kind of missile? What kind of missile will it be? I think people are going to be looking for North Korea's behavior over the next few days while the president is in the region to decide where this is going next -- Brooke.

BALDWIN: Elise Labott, thank you so much. And Ryan Browne, again, the news just coming in from the North Koreans reacting to this Asia swing. President Trump having been in South Korea for the last couple of days. Calling President Trump, a lunatic old man and talking about getting rid of the abyss of doom. Just in from us swinging back. As Elise said, it does seem very personal now between the North Korean dictator and the president of the United States. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thanks for being with me. "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts now.