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Mother of 7-Year-Old Rape Victim Speaks Out; New Possible Victims Come Forward in Rape Case; Pilots Avert Crisis on September 11 Air India Flight; Bobi Wine Returns to Uganda, Faces Treason Charges; If Donald Trump's Hollywood Star Could Talk; Kavanaugh Accuser Willing To Testify; Lawyer: Kavanaugh's Accuser Willing To Testify; ABC: Cohen Has Met With Mueller Team Multiple Times; Vietnam's President Tran Dai Quang Dies At 61. Aired 1-2a ET
Aired September 21, 2018 - 01:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:00:00] JOHN VAUSE, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles. Ahead this hour, ambushing leaders united in taking a hard line on Brexit telling the British Prime Minister to her chequers plan does simply won't work and giving her a month to come up with a better deal.
Brett Kavanaugh's confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court may just gotten a little tougher after the woman accusing her of sexual assault says she will testify before the Senate Committee under certain conditions. And (INAUDIBLE) on reality T.V. television now more women coming forward to accuse California surgeon of drugging and raping them.
Hello everybody, great to have you with us for our second hour. I'm John Vause, this is NEWSROOM L.A.
Well, it was nothing short of an ambush for the British Prime Minister when she arrived in Salzburg in Austria and expected to have far- reaching consequences for the U.K. as well as Europe. Theresa May arrived at a summit with E.U. leaders expecting words with encouragement and talk of a compromise on her so-called chequers plan for Britain to leave the European Union. That would go long way for making her political life a little easier back home but instead, European leaders took a united hard line and blindly told her the chequers plan wouldn't work and she should come back in a month with a better plan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TUSK, PRESIDENT, EUROPEAN COUNCIL: s. Everybody shared the view that while there are positive elements in the Chequers proposal, the suggested framework for economic cooperation will not work. Not least because it risks undermining the Single Market. (END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Various report say the British Prime Minister was like either physically shaken or downright furious insisting hers is the only credible plan on the table.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
THERESA MAY, PRIME MINISTER, BRITAIN: There is nothing counterproposal on the table at the moment that actually deals, delivers on what we need to do and respects the integrity of the United Kingdom and respects the result of the referendum and that's what we put forward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: For more now, Dominic Thomas is with us, CNN's European Affairs Commentator. OK, so after this horrible breakfast blunder, you know, this sort of shellacking she received, she never expected and was left stunned apparently. She was talking about the need to compromise, about both sides needed to evolve. Here she is. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAY: I believe it is the right proposal because it maintains frictionless trade. It is only tradable and negotiable plan on the table that delivers no hard border in Northern Ireland and also delivers on the vote of the British people. And if we're going to achieve a successful conclusion, then just as the U.K. who has evolved, his position, the E.U. will need to evolve its position too.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Funny she made those comments in her sort of way to the airport but got there as fast as she could. But the fact is you know, E.U. is not evolving. I mean, they're not going to -- they're saying that this is their position and they're not budging it. They made that perfectly clear.
DOMINIC THOMAS, CNN EUROPEAN AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Right. There are 27 of them. She's there all by herself. And I think what the European Union is saying is two things. First of all, come to us with a deal for which you have some kind of support from your own political party, if not we're wasting our time. You're going to take this withdrawal build your comments and nothing will come out of it.
And I think secondly what we're seeing from the European Union is that they're tired if not exhausted of this protracted, prolonged process that has been distracting them from other very important issues in the European Union and they're essentially saying to her come back with a deal and also studying a message to the other 27 groups that actually leaving the European Union is not that straightforward and complicated and you should not expect compromise and a great deal from us.
VAUSE: It's like leaving the Mafia. You know, it's easy to get it -- maybe not so. OK, the checkers plan which Theresa May put forward, it tries to solve this problem of what to do with Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, the border between these two because on the E.U. side is the Republic of Ireland, on the Northern Ireland side is the U.K. It is the only land border between you know, these two parties the U.K. and the Northern Ireland but the problem is that has to be bought or less as part of the Good Friday peace agreements. So how are they going to solve that and this is you know, this is one of those issues which doesn't seem to have a solution?
THOMAS: Right. It's a really complicated one because of course, the best solution is just to stay in the European Union, right? It's what Emmanuel Macron has been pointing out for the -- from the beginning. The best deal you can get is to remain in the E.U. So short of that happening, of course, it's an incredibly complex issue. One -- first of all, that the hardcore Brexit is will not tolerate the solution or a compromise that treats Northern Ireland differently from Great Britain, right?
[01:05:22] So that's not going to go anywhere with that nor will they won't tolerate any kind of E.U. involvement in controlling goods entering these particular areas at some kind of you know, ocean port. So Theresa May was hoping that through her checkers deal that contained some kind of adherence to common rules and regulations that essentially a product leaving the United Kingdom and going into the E.U. would have to respect certain kinds of standards and ultimately that's where they're going to end up anyway when they have to do the thing.
And so that that was the way in which she was trying to work that. But that's neither OK with the European Union and that sees in the chequers plan, a kind of cherry picking of agreeing to do goods but not services, not the circulation of people and so on and ignoring the core values, the four freedoms of the European Union.
VAUSE: Which is what the Brexit being was all about, to begin with. You know, we hard you know, from the French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron. He said, you know, those -- he said that those people who tries to do everything before the referendum, they lie and then they cut and run. And in some ways, it now seems really obvious there's no Brexit solution, no plan out there that would deliver everything they promised.
You can't have sovereignty, you can't have freedom to do the you know, trade deals and every other country you want and stay within the E.U. And what about what, the 300 million pounds that was meant to go to the national --
THOMAS: Right. So I think there are a couple of things going on. I think, first the E.U. is becoming more active in its defense you know, and its criticism of Poland and it's criticism of Hungary. And of course, Brexit is a pain. But the United Kingdom for a good decade has been a problem. They didn't sign on to the Schengen Border Agreement, they didn't sign on for to single currency, and for the last decade, the European Union has been making concessions to the British Prime Minister whether it was (INAUDIBLE) Theresa May on the question to avoid a Brexit vote which we know is catastrophically, poorly handled by the previous -- by the previous prime minister.
So ultimately the question of sort of this information and lies is so problematic. What's also problematic are the divisions in Britain between those who would like to leave the European Union no matter the cost is and others that would like to remain and there's no particular party line or seeing because this divide --
VAUSE: This divide between Tories and (INAUDIBLE)
THOMAS: Right. The other ones are absolutely unambiguous to the other liberal Democrats and in this system, it's very difficult for them to emerge as the leading political party and to -- and to shape this.
VAUSE: So this sort of gets to the point that it now looks as if come what, next year --
THOMAS: Right.
VAUSE: That it will be a no deal exit. Basically, they just pack up and leave there's no divorce settlement.
THOMAS: Sure. Well, yes, I mean, all of these images around sort of divorce, you know, into this were so eager to get out at first and then realize their financial issues, and the moment you going through the divorce, you got to be civil and speak to one another in a way that you weren't able to do.
VAUSE: This was a pretty big fight.
THOMAS: Yes, it was -- it's a big fight. And so, of course, we've been through all of these different questions, right, of what was explaining and what would be a soft Brexit, a hard Brexit, a Canadian Deal, the Norwegian deal and so on. Ultimately what we could say out of this and this is sort of the you know, the irony of it all is that the E.U. withdrawal bill that Theresa May will have to present to the house of to parliament, one could argue that the least it has in there, the less it has in there, the more chance that it has of getting through. Because the more she adds in there, the greater chance that these divisions, right, which had nowhere to go and that are equally present on the Labour Party side as they are in the Conservative Party.
VAUSE: Here's a short clip from the Fictitious Reporter Jonathan Pie played by actor Tom Walker.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM WALKER, ACTOR: Who thinks Brexit is going well? Who? Stockpiling food and medicine, yes, let's take back control, guys. Adequate food for all. This must be the Brexit dividend we've all heard so much about. Soon that E.U. mountain we used to hear so much about in the 90s, it'll look like rich pickings.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: You know, clearly Brexit negotiations are not going well. You know, Theresa May said there would not be a referendum, there would not be another vote. This is sticking to the original one but is that in some ways to me, it seems like that is going to be the only sort of sensible logical conclusion to this. There has to be another vote. THOMAS: Once again, like with the Irish border, you have the vote. What is the outcome going to be? First of all, it is highly unpredictable. Second, if the remaining camp wins, OK, fine. But if they don't, then what happens to those that initially voted a remain? And let's not forget that the whole purpose of the Salzburg meeting was to soften her landing at the Conservative Party Conference that is coming up here which was hoping to have a deal. And that was the conference at which last year I remember correctly, the signs were falling off on the wall behind her and it was itself a comedy sketch.
And so, this year once again, I little unpredictability about her future, how long she will last and who's there to replace it. And that's the question because she goes back and you know, all those critics who you know, Emmanuel Macron called out, you know, all the -- all the leaders, you know, the Boris Johnsons and Nigel Farage, this hardline they're taking these critics are now emboldened and will essentially go after her when she's there politically?
[01:10:37] THOMAS: Well, they could but then what happens when they actually you know, win the sort of the game and end up the taking over and let's not forget that Theresa May herself is a prime minister that voted to remain in the European Union. So right from the beginning, there's been this complicated division. She's been purging the governor -- the cabinet of the hardcore Brexiters in trying to balance them out and so on too. So it's -- there's so much unpredictability. And I think over the question of the Irish border given the fact that really her support and her majority really hangs on those the handful of votes from the -- from the DUP that we have to wonder how that will play out before the whole thing just falls in.
VAUSE: And she's not likely to resign. She's not --
THOMAS: She's shown no indication of wanting to do that and you know, this could drag on until you know, 2021, 2022.
VAUSE: (INAUDIBLE) in the world right now.
THOMAS: Well, yes. But as many people would say, you know, she chose to volunteer and she could have walked away at the time in some ways like David Cameron did. You know, he lost the vote and sat down. I think he had a very good idea of what was coming out.
VAUSE: Dominic, thank you.
THOMAS: All right, thanks.
VAUSE: Still ahead here, the woman who says Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in high school now seems willing to testify to the U.S. Senate Committee. More on that in a moment. Also a surgeon and his girlfriend accused of drugging and raping at least two in California. Investigators though, believe there could be dozens of other victims.
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VAUSE: Brett Kavanaugh's chances of being confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court may just taken a hit. Christine Blasey Ford who accuses Kavanaugh of sexual assault now says she is willing to testify next week, maybe, before a Senate committee. Kavanaugh denies the allegation. President Trump says he wants to hear from Professor Ford and her version of events but he continues to publicly praise Kavanaugh as a good man. More now from CNN's Jim Acosta.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[01:14:59] AMERICAN CROWD: We believe we see in the court. We believe Anita Hill.
JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: The battle over the fate of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is escalating once again with a protest on Capitol Hill, in demands flying back and forth.
The latest in the e-mail to the Senate Judiciary Committee from the legal team for Kavanaugh's accuser, Christine Blasey Ford. The e-mail states, "Ford is willing to sit before the committee next week," adding, "She wishes to testify, provided that we can agree on terms that are fair and which ensure her safety. A hearing on Monday is not possible."
That was in response to a letter from Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley who had set a Friday morning deadline for Ford to decide whether she would appear at Monday's scheduled hearing. But sources told CNN, that Friday deadline is negotiable. Saying, Ford has time to weigh her options. Democrats wonder, what's the rush?
SEN. PATRICK LEAHY (D-VT), SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: As a prosecutor, you know you cannot rush something like this. You have to have people investigated as to the Democrats on the committee have asked for. This rush to judgment makes you wonder, what else are they trying to hide?
ACOSTA: Ford's attorney has said, their client wants the FBI to investigate her accusation that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her while they were in high school. But Republicans are refusing that demand. Even though Grassley himself was receptive to an FBI probe and to Anita Hill's allegations against Justice Clarence Thomas in 1991. Accusations he described as an 11th-hour charge.
SEN. CHUCK GRASSLEY (R-IA), SENATE BUDGET COMMITTEE: When the FBI has completed its work, every committee members should be notified and have access to that report. Any determination by the committee should be made as to how we need to proceed with any allegations. A rule like this should ensure once and for all that even an 11th-hour charge like yours has been fully considered.
ACOSTA: With her attorney's warning, Ford has received death threats, her family released a statement showing support for Kavanaugh's accuser saying, "We know how difficult this is for her. Chrissy is not someone who chooses to be in the spotlight." Her accusation promises to have a major impact on the upcoming midterm elections.
Republican Congressman Ralph Norman mock the accusation facing Kavanaugh at a debate in South Carolina. REP. RALPH NORMAN (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: Did you all hear the latest late-breaking news on Kavanaugh hearings, Ruth Bader Ginsburg came out that she's groped by Abraham Lincoln.
ACOSTA: It's no wonder Democrats say, Ford is reluctant to testify.
SEN. CHRIS COONS (D-DE), SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: I do hope that she testifies, but I deeply respect her hesitation given the ways in which her life and her family's life have already been disrupted by attacks, by disrespect, by death threats.
ACOSTA: As for Kavanaugh, the judge stayed behind closed doors at the White House prepping for a possible hearing that may exclude any other witnesses. As they stood the president said, Mr. Trump has been bragging about the way he has handled his latest Supreme Court pick.
Senate Judiciary Committee is now weighing its next move in how to respond to these demands coming from Ford's legal team. Committee could potentially hear from Ford later on next week if the GOP members in charge of that panel agree to her terms. Jim Acosta, CNN, the White House.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Joining us now for more on this, CNN's legal affairs analyst and civil rights attorney Areva Martin, Democrat strategist Wendy Greuel, and Republican strategist and former advisor to the Romney campaign, Lanhee Chen.
Lanhee, first to you because we're hearing some of the demands being made by Ford's attorneys for this appearance include -- you know, she doesn't want the same room with Kavanaugh. And we're also hearing she doesn't want lawyers, outside lawyers taking part in this process.
Because the Washington Post has reported, "The Committee has interviewed lawyers to be potential outside counsel who would lead the questioning in this highly charged hearing, according to two people familiar with the process.
If the outside counsel was a woman, it could help with an optics issue facing the 11 Republican senators on the committee, all of whom are man. The objective of bringing an outside lawyer, one Senate GOP official said, would be having an experienced attorney who hasn't been so deeply involved in the nomination and could bring some fresh eyes to evaluate everything fairly and firmly.
First of all, you know, is this just a table fix for the Republicans or is this -- you know, a genuine attempt to find out what happened? And if there is a genuine attempt to find out what happened, couldn't the FBI do that?
LANHEE CHEN, DIRECTOR OF DOMESTIC POLICY STUDIES, STANFORD UNIVERSITY: Well, I think there are both processes, reasons, as well as optics as you say, John, to this process. I mean, obviously, look, a number of Republicans have said that they want to be able to get to the bottom of what happened, they want for Dr. Ford to be able to present her side of the story, and it certainly seems reasonable to have an outside party conduct the questioning rather than the Senators.
Because look, let's be honest, we've seen how these hearings have gone. We've seen how they've gone with Republican nominees, with Democratic nominees, they tend to be a sideshow. You look at what Cory Booker did with the Kavanaugh hearings. You look at what some Republicans have done in the case of certain Democratic nominees.
So, these hearings, if they're left the devices of the Senator's asking questions, you're not going to get a whole lot. So, the notion is, how do we get the information we want in a setting that allows people to assess the probity of what it is that the witness is trying to say. And I think that's the purpose of the hearings next week.
[01:20:07] VAUSE: And Wendy, I think that's a fair point. You know, both sides here, Republican and Democrat are -- you know, guilty of often turning these public hearings into a circus.
WENDY GREUEL, FORMER CONTROLLER OF LOS ANGELES CITY: Well, a look, this is for the highest court of the land. And this is someone who's going to serve there for a very long time and make decisions that impact all of us.
I think the FBI who is used to doing this as is their job should be the people. They are not the Senators, they are not an outside counsel, they're responsible. And this is a serious allegation and one in which we should allow her to have her day there and to be able to testify.
She is willing to do it and there is no rush. I cannot think of one reason why the difference between a Monday or a Thursday. And -- in the lives of how this is going to go forward.
VAUSE: And for the control room, I'm just going to drop jump forward to element number eight here. Because one of the arguments being put forward by Kavanaugh's defenders is that all this happens such a long time ago. You know, who can really remember what happened? You know, the memory fades. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GRASSLEY: I hate to ask, have somebody asked me what I did 35 years ago.
SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC), SENATE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE: It's a 36-year-old allegation. We can't tell us when it happened and where it happened.
KELLYANNE CONWAY, COUNSELOR TO THE PRESIDENT: She says she simply cannot remember. I was 16 at that summer. I don't remember a lot about that summer, either.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: So, Aretha, how would the FBI differ in piecing together what happened as opposed to outside counsel, or you have a bunch of senators? AREVA MARTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes, let's first address this notion that this was 35 years ago. If this were murder, we wouldn't be talking about -- you know, the fact that it happened a long time ago. When you have serious allegations, I don't think we should put some artificial time limit on it.
(CROSSTALK)
VAUSE: Well, I think merit say, Maryland that they have no statute of limitation on (INAUDIBLE)
MARTIN: No. Absolutely, and that's also which raises the stakes of this because in theory, if he is appointed, he could be under investigation by the state's attorneys -- district attorneys in the State of Maryland.
So, the time period I don't think is a -- is a very persuasive argument. You asked why the FBI? The FBI, because you have trained professionals who are used to investigating claims of sexual assault. Hiring an outside lawyer isn't going to do any -- it's not going to change the game in terms of game to the truth.
If you want to get to the truth, you have to conduct a full investigation. There are witnesses that were there that could shed light on what happened at this particular event. These Senators are saying, we don't want to hear from any of those other witnesses. We're just going to let Kavanaugh and Dr. Ford testify and that's it.
I don't care if it's the most skilled attorney in the world. She or he in a presumably it's going to be a female, it's going to be limited by the information that's been provided. And it's going to be limited to only questioning those two witnesses. So, by definition, the process is not going to be full and exhaustive.
VAUSE: And Lanhee, just very quickly to you. Let's assume that Professor Ford does actually testify publicly before the Judiciary Committee. How will that impact Kavanaugh's telling us chances of the nomination? He also probably get and confirms it to the court. But, you know will he take a big hit?
CHEN: Well, I think part of it that, John, depends on how credible the witness is. And I think that's the whole idea here is that if Dr. Ford is making these accusations part of the reason why you put her in a public hearing to be able to tell her story is A, so she can tell her story, but B, to be able to assess whether, in fact, what she's saying has any kind of relationship to what actually happened.
And I think that's the reason why you put witnesses in these situations. And so, that -- that's the idea here.
VAUSE: OK, you know, sometimes -- you know, when you speak publicly, we have to make a speech they say it's always good to start with a joke -- open with a joke. Sometimes, it's not a good idea, like this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) NORMAN: I thought I was going to be late. Did you all hear the latest late-breaking news on Kavanaugh hearings, Ruth Bader Ginsburg came out that she's groped by Abraham Lincoln.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Yes, that was South Carolina congressman we storm into because this report Republican Ralph Norman kicking off relation debate.
There was a backlash which finally sits tweeted doubling down. "My comments earlier today were meant to add a bit of levity to a very serious debate between me and my Democratic opponent and to point to the circus-like atmosphere that Washington, D.C. has become.
People really need to learn to lighten up. Once again, the Democrats and the media have taken an event that was newsworthy for so many substantive reasons. And now, only adding more clowns and distractions to the current circus."
Wendy, he said it. He added the clowns. I mean --
GREUEL: There's nothing funny about this. There is nothing funny about a woman who has a test rule -- you know has spoken about the fact that there was potentially an attempted rape. That is serious business, and that's what this whole MeToo movement is about, as well.
And I will say to you, if you I remember in college when I had a professor inappropriately approached me, I remember everything about that when I was 18 years old. I will never forget that. Same with in all instances when women have had those experiences. So, I think their argument is very thin.
[01:25:05] MARTIN: Yes, we're not asking Kellyanne Conway to remember what she wore to the -- you know, the team dance when she was 15 years old.
GREUEL: That's right.
MARTIN: Or -- you know, she went swimming in their front pool or the back pool. We're talking about being sexually assaulted. You're going to remember that whether it's 30 years ago or 50 years ago.
VAUSE: I want to bring all very quickly because ABC News is reporting that Michael Cohen, Trump's former fixer, bagman, lawyer, what you're going to call him, has been speaking for a period of time with Robert Mueller, he or the Russia investigation.
And Lanhee, just you -- it really -- you know, probably a surprise that Robert Mueller will actually be having these lengthy conversations with Michael Cohen?
CHEN: I don't think it's a surprise at all. Look, I think Robert Mueller is conducting a very thorough investigation. And -- you know, people have said this for a while that if there's any individual who knows about the dealings of Donald Trump back over many years, it is Michael Cohen. This is the person to talk to, to figure out where all of these past leads. So, the notion that they're having a conversation I think it's not surprising to anyone and it probably isn't surprising to President Trump, either.
VAUSE: And we heard from Cohen's lawyer, he tweeted this. "Good for Michael Cohen in providing critical information to the Mueller investigation without a cooperation agreement. No one should question his honesty, veracity, or loyalty to his family and country over POTUS and Donald Trump." Areva, were surprised it that he's doing this without an agreement?
MARTIN: Oh, not at all. We knew when he started negotiating with the special counsel when he went in and pled guilty to those eight counts. And even though there wasn't an explicit cooperation agreement in his plea deal, there was no doubt that he was going to provide the FBI with whatever information the FBI, the special counsel put whatever information he had. Because he still has a sentencing hearing hanging over his head.
VAUSE: Yes.
MARTIN: And what we now know about Michael Cohen is he's no longer willing to take that bullet for Donald Trump. He's thinking about his family, he's thinking about his life after Donald Trump.
VAUSE: Yes.
MARTIN: And he doesn't want to spend a considerable amount of time in jail. That's pretty clear and he can curry favor with the special counsel, then, perhaps he gets a lesson -- a lesser jail term. So, I think he's doing everything he can to cover his eye.
VAUSE: It went from taking a bullet to stab -- just to have in the back. Trump's outside lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, the world's greatest attorney told CNN's Dana Bash, "Cohen is a professional deceiver. If anyone believes him, it's only because they want to get President Trump so badly. They've lost any sense of fairness or objectivity."
So, Wendy, you know --
MARTIN: My mama.
GREUEL: Yes.
VAUSE: What do you make of that?
GREUEL: You know, look, Giuliani seems to want to say anything he can to --
VAUSE: That's sort of possibly he's had.
MARTIN: Any given day.
GREUEL: Any given day that he is going to criticize, whoever criticizes President of the United States. And you know, this is the same Michael Cohen that was Trump's lawyer. That Trump trusted him to defend him and be his representative. So, I think we're going to see a lot that comes out of these discussions with Mueller. And there's going to be documentation. This is not just as he said, he said.
VAUSE: Yes.
GREUEL: I think it's going to be we have documents that prove the point that he's making.
MARTIN: And I'm sure you could find some footage where Rudy Giuliani has said the most incredibly positive things about Michael Cohen.
VAUSE: Yes. He said it like --
GREUEL: His best friend.
MARTIN: Great man.
VAUSE: And got to wrap it up here but I guess the point here is that Mueller is talking to everybody, he's got everyone wrapped up.
MARTIN: Oh, my God.
VAUSE: I mean, who hasn't talked to him yet? I wonder if Ivanka's going to talk, anyway.
MARTIN: Trump has to be worried.
VAUSE: OK, Lanhee, there. Thank you so much for being with us. We really appreciate you taking the time. And Wendy and Areva, as well. Good, good discussion. Appreciate it.
CHEN: Thanks, John.
VAUSE: With this just in to CNN, Vietnam's president has passed away. State media reporting Tran Dai Quang died at a military hospital in Hanoi on Friday after a period of illness. Quang was 61 years old and was elected president in 2016. Or post president rather since 2016.
And still, to come here, the mother of a seven-year-old rape victim speaks to CNN about the horrific crime. And she says she now wants her daughter's attacker to be put to death.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:31:27] JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everybody. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM live from Los Angeles.
I'm John Vause with the headlines this hour.
Vietnam's president is dead. State media reports Tran Dai Quang died at a military hospital in Hanoi Friday morning after a serious illness. Quang was 61 years old. He had been president since 2016.
European leaders have rejected U.K.'s latest proposal on Brexit. This after a summit in Austria with British Prime Minister Theresa May. Some of the most difficult issues are yet to be resolved. In particular how to manage trade on the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
At least 44 people have died after a passenger ferry capsized in Lake Victoria in Tanzania. Rescue workers are searching for survivors but don't know how many are missing. Social media reports say up to 500 people were packed on to the boat.
Now to India where the mother of a seven-year-old rape victim says her daughter's attacker should be hanged. The little girl is in stable condition in a hospital in New Delhi. A 21-year-old man has been arrested, apparently known to the family.
This case yet another reminder of the long string of attacks on girls and women in India and we should warn you, some of the details you're about to hear in this story are very disturbing.
Anna Coren joins us now live from New Delhi. She's been speaking with the child's mother. I can't believe this one has actually managed to speak out after what her daughter has gone through.
ANNA COREN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. It is quite incredible -- John. That she felt compelled to do so because of what her little girl has endured. She said that her daughter is traumatized. She, at least yesterday when we spoke to her, was still bleeding. She was vomiting.
But in saying that she is a fighter, she has this inner strength about her. And that is why the mother felt that she also needs to speak out on behalf of her daughter so that this doesn't happen anymore.
But as we know, John -- this is an all too familiar story here in India where little girls are being brutally raped.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: After three days by her daughter's hospital bedside, this 26- year-old mother returned to her home in this poor neighborhood in New Delhi to bathe and change her clothes. She walks past the rubbish and stray dogs as she has done every day of her life.
But this time her heart is heavy, filled with sorrow for her seven- year-old child who has suffered what too many girls in India have already endured.
"Never in my life had I thought this would happen to me or my child. But what can you do. Our fate turned on us."
On Monday night, her daughter was rushed to this hospital bleeding profusely after being brutally raped.
Her mother says she had been at a temple playing with friends when a man who collects the rubbish in their neighborhood took her to a park. She told police he jumped on her tiny body, tied a hose around her neck to stop her from screaming while he raped her and then inserted the hose inside her.
A 21-year-old man has been arrested and he's now in police custody.
"When I saw the blood coming out of her, there was no strength left in my body. I thought she was going to die."
The girl underwent emergency surgery and is recovering in hospital. But it is a case that has clearly shocked the doctors now caring for her.
DR. SHALINI RAJARAM (ph), CNN CORRESPONDENT: She's malnourished. She's crying. She's clearly traumatized. And it is a terrible thing. It is something that we see can't sleep when we see such things. It's difficult for even us.
[01:35:06] COREN: This is the latest in a string of brutal rape attacks on young girls and women in India where according to the National Crime Records Bureau, more than 100 rapes occur on average every day. And while the government has toughened laws against rape and has just set a national registry of sex offenders, one prominent minister believes sexual violence is a social problem and a real challenge for the country.
KIREN RIJIJU, MINISTER OF STATE: It is shameful for whole society. It's not a question of how many incidents -- more incidents, then more shameful. But I'm saying even one incident of the brutal case of rape is shameful for all of us.
COREN: Just last month India finally passed a law introducing the death penalty for rape of a girl under the age of 12. And while human rights groups say this is not a solution, the mother of the seven- year-old girl believes this is the only way her daughter will get justice.
"He should be hanged. Life imprisonment is too small punishment. It's nothing compared to what he has done. He should definitely be hanged."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COREN: Now John -- the government believes that the introduction of the death penalty will be a major deterrent for potential attackers. However, as we know these attacks keep on happening on a daily, weekly basis here in India.
Now the minister that we spoke to, Kiren Rijiju, he says that the Prime Minister Narendras Modi, who he's very close to, takes sexual violence very seriously. And as we say they have toughened laws. They have brought in these fast track courts to better deal with the victims.
But there are some six million rape cases pending. It gives you an idea of the bureaucracy, the dysfunction really of the judicial system here in India. This minister says that in this patriarchal society, it is not a cultural problem or a socioeconomic problem. The sexual violence is a social problem; that this is a mind-set, a mentality or aggressive, abhorrent mind-set that has no place in this country -- John. VAUSE: Yes. Anna -- thank you.
It is truly one of the most horrific stories. Thank you.
Well here in California, a surgeon and his girlfriend are facing a growing number of accusations of rape, at least six more possible victims have come forward. Grant Robicheaux and his girlfriend Cerissa Riley once featured in a reality TV show are already facing charges for allegedly assaulting two women.
CNN's Sara Sidner has details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Surgeon Grant William Robicheaux seemed like a catch when he went on reality TV on a dating show. But police are saying that the reality is that Dr. Robicheaux was raping women when they were unconscious or semiconscious.
They say he and his girlfriend, Cerissa Riley, were in the apartment. They would go to bars. They would pick up women, that Cerissa would put drugs in the women's drink. For example the date rape drug GHB. They would also -- they have other drugs in their home -- Ecstasy, according to investigators as well as using potentially anesthesia on some of these women.
And they say that they would do that. They would render the women semi-conscious or unconscious, take them to this apartment, have sex with them, rape them and then they would videotape it.
How did the police find out about all this? Well, apparently at some point in 2016 a woman was inside of the apartment. She became conscious suddenly and started screaming. And then the neighbor heard the screaming and that neighbor called police.
Police have been investigating this for, as you know, at least a year or so because this happened in 2016. It is now 2018. They were able to get a warrant.
They said that they found out about all of this according to the district attorney because they looked at the phone, the device of Dr. Robicheaux where they saw all these videos of women they say were conscious -- unconscious, excuse me or semiconscious.
But Dr. Robicheaux and his girlfriend, Cerissa Riley, both have attorneys. Those attorneys have said that they are completely innocent, that they did nothing wrong, and that the sex was consensual. And so that is what the attorneys have put out saying that they are innocent until proven guilty and that their clients are innocent.
Police beg to differ and they believe that there are dozens more women out there who are potential victims of this couple not only in the state of California but in Nevada and in Arizona potentially -- some of the places that they would frequent. [01:39:57] They have asked that women come forward and make police reports. They already now have -- they started with two women who came forward -- they now have eight women who have come forward and they believe there will be many, many more.
By the way, Dr. Robicheaux and his girlfriend have both bailed out of jail. They're facing a myriad of charges.
Sara Sidner, CNN -- Los Angeles.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Next up here on NEWSROOM L.A. usually it is not news when a plane lands safely. Occasionally though it is the best news of all. Details just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: About a week ago, Air India Flight 101 from New Delhi to New York made an unscheduled landing at Newark Airport in New Jersey. We normally don't report when a plane lands safely but the fact this one did is incredible.
After 15 hours in the air, the Boeing 777 was on final approach to JFK. The weather was bad and at 300 feet, the pilot reported an unstable approach, aborted the landing, initiated a go-around -- what would also be called a do-over.
Once the plane reached 2,000 feet the cockpit crew radioed JFK tower and advised of multiple instrument failure.
We're about to hear part of that conversation but first an explanation of some of the jargon. ILS refers to the instrument landing system. TCAS is traffic collision avoidance system. The windshear system measures changes in wind speed relative to altitude which is needed for landing. And APU is auxiliary power unit.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOWER: Other than both ILS's, both radar altimeters, what other things have failed on the airplane?
PILOT: Basically we've got our single source radio altimeter. We've got we got TCAS failure, no autoland, windshear system, autospeed brakes and the APU is unserviceable as well.
TOWER: Ok, Air India 1010. So just when you get a chance give me the people on board and the fuel on board, please.
PILOT: We have total of 370 and fuel of -- of -- 7,200 kgs Air India 101.
TOWER: 7,200 kilograms, you said?
PILOT: Yes. Air India 101.
TOWER: Air India 101. Ok. So you have one operational navigation radio that you're going to shoot the ILS forward at Newark, correct?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Joining me now for more on this, CNN safety analyst David Soucie. He's also a former safety inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration. David -- it's been a while. Good to see you.
[01:45:03] DAVID SOUCIE, CNN SAFETY ANALYST: Good to see you -- John.
VAUSE: You know, when you listen to these guys in the cockpit it really stands out that they're cool and they're calm.
I want you to listen to one more clip here. This is the hand-off from JFK tower as the Air India flight heads off to Newark. Some reports say this was when they had about ten minutes of fuel left. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOWER: Air India 101 -- is there anything else that you need from me?
PILOT: We're good. Air 101 -- thank you for this approach.
And thank you very much.
TOWER: You're welcome. I wish there was more I could do for you.
PILOT: Thanks. Thanks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Cool as Fonzi. How common though is it, you know, a Boeing -- a passenger airline like this to lose multiple instruments on final approach?
SOUCIE: Extremely rare. There's only a few instance I can even think of in the last 20 years or so of something like this happening. It is really fascinating to me just how calm everybody stayed during this incident.
When they said they had 7,200 kilograms of fuel left and you could hear the air traffic controller saying did you say 7,200. And he was yes. He knew he only had a few minutes left in the air. So it was really amazing how they kept their cool.
VAUSE: You know, so add into the mix here that there's bad weather at JFK. There's bad weather in the region. The plane is running low on fuel, you know. The instruments are failing. There's what -- 300 something people on board. This could have ended very differently.
SOUCIE: Most definitely, if the weather hadn't lifted in Newark as it did, they went from 300 feet to 400 feet, they didn't have any instrument, they only had one radio to do this instrument landing approach which most Cessna 150s have.
I mean it's not like this is not a high-tech landing at this point. It is just basically get it to the airport and land that thing because there's not a lot of instruments.
VAUSE: So one of the reasons for actually getting to Newark -- as you say this was the better weather, the better visibility for actually a non-precision landing. So a little bit more on that -- what is actually involved? And is that something which pilots would actually be trained to do?
SOUCIE: Yes. They are actually trained to do that because they all learn on non-precision before they learn precision. So it's something that -- it's a skill set they have. It is not something they often do.
If it is a visual landing they'll do it. But, you know, without instruments, without a very precise landing equipment -- that's a lot of airplane and a lot of lives in the back to stay that calm. There's 300 and some people in the back of that airplane relying on your ability to recall how you do this approach without relying on -- really without relying on any automation or auto pilot or even brakes.
VAUSE: Yes.
SOUCIE: Their brakes -- typically what happens is the brakes are on when they land and they figure out how much to put on much like your anti-skid that you have on your cars when you hit the brakes in water or ice. It is much like that.
But they didn't have that. They had to put their on brakes on. They had to do everything as though this airplane was, you know, an airplane from 30 years ago.
VAUSE: Yes. And you mentioned the 7,200 kilograms of fuel. Clearly that's not a lot. India -- Air India has been reported as saying that fuel reserves were adequate. Can fuel reserves be both adequate and low at the same time?
SOUCIE: Well, they can. So what you're looking for is when you plan your flight, you have an alternate airport in mind, so if you -- if you have enough fuel on there to make it to your primary airport, if you're diverted from there, you have to have enough fuel to get to your secondary landing spot. And they did have enough fuel for that.
Clearly they did. They landed where they needed to. The problem was they spent many, many critical minutes circling around trying to find out which airport they should go into because as they said the weather was changing and without the instruments -- if they had had all their instruments, they could have selected their alternative airport and landed there.
But because the weather was so severe at each of those other airports, they had to clearly wait until the airport cleared just a little bit so that they could meet those landing minimums and make that landing in Newark.
VAUSE: Yes. You know, a shout out to these pilots, you know, obviously cool under pressure and did a great job, you know. Everyone survived, you know. And this story has barely registered, you know, because everything went right.
So -- to the other extreme now, doing the wrong thing. Jet Airways (ph), this flight was forced to return to Mumbai on Wednesday. Thirty passengers started to actually bleed from their nose and their ears because the cabin crew failed to pressurize the actual cabin. The airline is investigating. The crew has been suspended. How hard is it to pressurize a cabin? It is like a switch.
SOUCIE: Yes. It's a switch. And it is part of a checklist before you take off, before you taxi to the runway, before you take off -- before you apply power to the aircraft. These are checklists that you go through. You say is this pressurization switch in the right position? Is it armed? Yes. And you just automatically -- he must have just said yes without looking at it is all I can think about.
[01:49:57] VAUSE: Ok. So 30 people were you know taken to the hospital with nose bleeds and ear bleeds and, you know, temporary deafness. But a lack of cabin pressure can actually be catastrophic and it has been in the past.
SOUCIE: Most definitely it has. We've had Lear jets where the wind shields pop out of the aircraft. Payne Stewart is another example of that. When Payne Stewart's aircraft went down it was because the pressurization had failed. There was a part installed incorrectly. And in that case the aircraft was already in the air and everyone went unconscious and the airplane continued on auto pilot for many, many miles before it finally ran out of fuel.
So this is definitely something that could have been much more damaging. And if it had disabled the pilots then that aircraft would have most certainly crashed.
VAUSE: If I'm not mistaken, I think Payne Stewart's plane crashed in Mina, North Dakota back in the day.
SOUCIE: That's right.
VAUSE: Finally ran out of fuel. I was the one who reported that one. It was a bizarre story at the time.
David -- thank you so much. Appreciate it.
SOUCIE: You bet. Thanks -- John.
VAUSE: Bobi Wine is back home in Uganda promising to continue the fight for freedom and liberty from government oppression. The pop star turned opposition politician was in the U.S. for medical treatment for injuries he says were caused by government security forces.
More details now from CNN's Farai Sevenzo.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FARAI SEVENZO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Musician turned politician Bobi Wine returned to Uganda after a trip to the United States where he was receiving treatment for what he said were injuries sustained under police and security torture and beatings.
When he arrived in Entebbe International Airport, the streets in Kampala and indeed the whole way from Entebbe International Airport into Kampala were heavily fortified by several deployments of police and security personnel.
The government of Uganda had made it plain just the day before that there were to be no demonstrations, no welcoming committees for Mr. Wine's return. And that everything had to be done according to the law which is the Public Order and Management Act of the Ugandan parliament.
Despite this many of the youths in Kampala were very glad that Mr. Wine had returned. And he himself was seen after having been detained for three hours at Entebbe International Airport walking on a walking stick which is different from when he left the country as he was on crutches.
He also wore his trademark red beret and gave the (INAUDIBLE) sign and the peace sign and told his followers to be resilient, and to carry on the fight. This marks a new chapter in Uganda's political life.
Remember while the two sides from Museveni's government and the with Bobi Wine's People Power Movement are at loggerheads the movement keep going on. In the last couple of years Mr. Wine's People Power Movement have fielded 34 people for elections in Uganda. And he has won 30 of those with four going to Mr. Museveni's government.
So it's a real fear about what this means for the future of Mr. Museveni's long-running National Resistance Movement Party in Uganda. And, of course, what will happen in terms of Mr. Wines' own trial for treason come the end of this month.
Farai Sevenzo, CNN -- Nairobi.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Well many of his critics believe that the U.S. President actually should be behind bars. That may or may not happen but his star on the Hollywood "Walk of Fame" is actually now behind bars. We'll tell you how it happened in just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[01:54:57] VAUSE: Bashed (ph), routinely targeted with defecation. There was a tiny border wall placed around it. That was kind of cute. And now prison bars have been placed on Donald Trump's star on the Hollywood "Walk of Fame".
And if that star could talk, CNN's Jeanne Moos knows just what it would say.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Stars are supposed to twinkle but me, I spark when some guy takes a pick axe to me because he's mad at my namesake, Donald Trump.
This star was born in 2007. Since then I've been pulverized at least twice. A comedian named George Lopez pretended to relieve himself on me. And now the latest indignity -- street artist who calls himself Plastic Jesus put bars over me.
Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder -- who would do this to me. And why would you put bars on me?
PLASTIC JESUS, STREET ARTIST: Well, because you're going to jai.
MOOS: Says the street artist, Plastic Jesus who wanted to remain incognito. When he placed the wood bars in broad daylight using industrial double-sided sticky tape, a Trump supporter tried to rip them off.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dude, leave it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you mean dude, leave it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's a street art, ok.
MOOS: Two years ago the same street artist, mad about Trump's border wall surrounded me with a wall, complete with razor wire.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Leave it, yes. Leave it.
MOOS: At least Plastic Jesus doesn't believe in torture.
PLASTIC JESUS: I try to do my pieces in a way which doesn't vandalize the "Walk of Fame" too much.
MOOS: It costs over $2,500 to repair me every time someone obliterates me. Someone once came along and put a pizza box over me. Then he deployed spray paint using some kind of stencil. What self- respecting star wants to be defaced with a mute symbol.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's hilarious.
MOOS: Hilarious -- why don't you mute yourself. This isn't the "Walk of Fame", it is the walk of pain -- ouch.
Jeanne Moos, CNN -- New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Well, you're watching CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles.
I'm John Vause. Have a great weekend.
The news continues on CNN right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[02:00:11] NATALIE ALLEN, CNN ANCHOR: The woman accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh --
