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Trump Slams Russia Probe, Democrats, Jeff Sessions & Rallies Base; Bernie Sanders Gets to His Roots, Compares to Rich Trump; Will Democrats Pay a Price if Employment, Stock Market Stays High & Mueller Finds No Collusion; Washington State's Jay Inslee 1st Governor to Announce Presidential Run; Beto O'Rourke Makes Decision on 2020 Race but Won't Tell Yet; Poster Associating Muslim Rep. Ilhan Omar with 9/11 Causes Chaos in West Virginia Capitol; Rep. Ilhan Omar Criticized for Comments Insinuating Pro-Israel Groups Pushing Allegiance to Foreign Country; San Francisco Giants Owner Larry Baer Apologizing & Police Investigating Video of Altercation with Wife; Jackson Family Sues HBO for "Leaving Neverland" Documentary. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired March 02, 2019 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:00:21] ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.
ANA CABRERA, CNN ANCHOR: You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM. Thanks for so much for being with me. I'm Ana Cabrera, in New York.
President Trump is speaking publicly for the first time since a week of defeat in Vietnam. And on Capitol Hill, ditching his prepared remarks at CPAC and delivering one of the longest speeches of his presidency, sounding off about the Russia investigation, former attorney general, Jeff Sessions, even mocking his own infamous calls for Russia to find Hillary Clinton's e-mails.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Unfortunately, you put the wrong people in a couple of positions, and they leave people for a long time that shouldn't be there.
And all of a sudden, they are trying to take you out with bullshit. OK?
(LAUGHTER)
(CHEERING)
TRUMP: With bullshit.
(CHEERING)
TRUMP: Now Robert Mueller never received a vote. And neither did the person that appointed him. And as you know, the attorney general said, I'm going to recuse myself.
(LAUGHTER) And I said, why the hell didn't he tell me that before I put him in.
If you tell a joke, if you're sarcastic, if you're having fun with the audience, if you're on live television with millions of people and 25,000 people in an arena, and if you say something like, Russia, please, if you can, get us Hillary Clinton's e-mails, please -- please give us e-mails.
(LAUGHTER)
(CHEERING)
TRUMP: Please give us e-mails, please.
(CHEERING)
(CHANTING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CABRERA: So this caps off a week marred by controversy. The president's former attorney naming names and handing over financial documents on Capitol Hill. New explosive reporting that the president forced the approval of his son-in-law's security clearance. And the president walking away empty-handed at the summit with North Korea's leader in Vietnam.
I'm joined now by White House correspondent, Boris Sanchez.
Boris, the president's audience today filled with strongest supporters. This is arguably a re-election rally. What case did he make?
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Ana, the president certainly said quite a bit today. He made clear early on that he was going to go off script and then he went all over the map. The president speaking for well over two hours. At one point saying that he wished it was 2020. He is clearly eager for that campaign battle that lies ahead.
Now, the president talked about the crowd size at his inauguration. And he talked about Democrats and a radical agenda, saying that the United States would never allow for Socialism to take root in the country, something that we heard during his State of the Union address. And the president also attacked the press and even current and former members of his administration, as you heard in that sound bite.
Notably, though, the president also talked about the reasons he believed that Democrats on Capitol Hill are investigating him and his administration.
Listen to some of what the president said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) TRUMP: So they don't have anything with Russia. There's no collusion. So now, they go and morph into, let's inspect every deal he's ever done. We're going to go into his finances. We're going to check his deals. We're going to check -- these people are sick.
(LAUGHTER)
They're sick.
I saw Little Shifty Schiff yesterday.
(LAUGHTER)
No, it's the first time. He went into a meeting, and he said, we're going to look into his finances. I said, where did that come from? He always talked about Russia, collusion with Russia, the collusion delusion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: Now, on a really interesting moment of his speech, keep in mind the context here, the president returning from Vietnam after a failed meeting with Kim Jong-Un, that didn't deliver the deal on disarmament from North Korea. The president talked about negotiating with Kim Jong-Un and talked about having to walk a fine line in trying to negotiate with Kim and also sympathize with the family of Otto Warmbier. Otto Warmbier's family put out a statement yesterday that was scathing about the way the president dealt with the North Korean leader. And the president is explaining why he dealt with it the way he did, even though, yet, he said his comments about Kim Jong-Un were misrepresented -- Ana?
CABRERA: Boris Sanchez, at the White House, thank you, following the president's address to CPAC.
Joining us now Samantha Vinograd, who worked on national security issues under President Obama, and Mark Mazzetti, the "New York Times" Washington investigative correspondent.
[15:05:06] Mark, President Trump, with his rift against Mueller, Comey, Rosenstein, Sessions, he went on and on and talking about a cavalier way, joking about the Russia, the "if you're listening line" from the campaign. Does President Trump really understand just how serious the Mueller probe and other investigations are?
MARK MAZZETTI, WASHINGTON INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT, NEW YORK TIMES: Well, he certainly made it a point of his, an object of his criticism for years now. And he was getting to be a part of it today, with this sort of point that the Mueller investigation was illegitimate from the beginning, that Jeff Sessions recused himself, Rod Rosenstein who he said never had a vote, ended up appointing Mueller. So this thing should have never began. And so it's something that obviously the crowd likes. It has been a point that he has made repeatedly. And as we believe the Mueller investigation is winding down, this is something you're going to hear from the president and his supporters for some time. As you said, he continues to make light of it. We'll see whether Mueller actually has reason to make the president certainly concerned, not only about the Russia issue, but also the obstruction of justice issue.
CABRERA: The president also said this today, listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: The men and women here today are on the front lines of protecting America's interests, defending America's value, and reclaiming our nation's priceless heritage.
We have people in Congress, right now, we have people in Congress that hate our country.
(BOOING)
TRUMP: And you know that. And we can name every one of them if they want. They hate our country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CABRERA: Sam, the idea of preserving heritage, tapped into historically darker times. Certainly not only that, though, you say what we heard from the president and those remarks also could pose a national security concern.
SAMANTHA VINOGRAD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, Ana, his statement makes me sick, on a personal level. Preserving your heritage, reclaiming our heritage, that sounds a lot like a certain leader that killed members of my family and about six million other Jews in the 1940s. But our national security level, the president talks about preserving our heritage as a catch-all for implementing policies that misallocate resources. He pretends there are massive flows of illegal immigrants coming over our borders and spending billions of dollars on a border wall emergency instead of paying attention to real national security threats. He sounds a lot like despotic leaders who talked about white heritage and white nationalism around the world and putting resources in the wrong place and pretending there are foreign people trying to influence our country in a way that just isn't accurate.
CABRERA: Who does that speak to?
VINOGRAD: It speaks to his base. And it also -- by the way, this whole CPAC speech, how many pieces, parts of President Putin's to-do list was President Trump trying to accomplish today? He denigrated our institutions, the Department of Justice and U.S. Congress, and spread misinformation and conspiracy theories. He undermined the credibility of several of our institutions. He sowed divisions, he sowed confusion, he was speaking to the base. And also saying things that really looked like Vladimir Putin scripted his speech. So it helped him perhaps with his base and politically, while at the same time, making Russia's job a lot easier.
CABRERA: Let me pivot, Mark, to this bombshell report this week alleging the president personally ordered officials to give his son- in-law, Jared Kushner, top-security clearance. Well, now we have Elijah Cummings demanding the White House hand over documents to detail how Kushner obtained that clearance. How exposed might the president be legally here?
MAZZETTI: Well, you see, you know, the dynamic of Congress has changed, that Cummings actually can order these documents. Whether the president, whether the White House will turn them over is another question. But they can keep these investigations going. As we reported, the president is legally able to do this. He can grant clearance to whomever he would like to. But the fact that they circumvented the process, that, and over the objections of intelligence officials, and concerns of senior staff, including John Kelly, Don McGahn, and let me add, lied about it, when we asked them about it some months ago. So you know, whether there's legal exposure here is one question, but there's this lingering issue of, why did people have so much concern about Jared Kushner's clearance? And why did the president feel compelled to override them?
CABRERA: In order to obtain a top-security clearance, you have to fill out a 127-page form, which includes this question -- hard to see there. Let me read it to you: "Have you or any member of your immediate family in the last several years have contact with a foreign government, embassy, intelligence, or security service, inside or outside the U.S.?" Now, Kushner initially didn't answer that question. He left off more than 100 contacts initially. He had to go and update his form that he filled out, talking about these interactions that he had, multiple times.
[15:10:25] Sam, what potential national security risk might there be? What reason for not giving him a top-secret clearance can you see?
VINOGRAD: I filled out that form. I've done it twice. I had to get my initial clearance and then I had to re-up my clearance. It is a pain in the butt. You have to go back through your entire history and really think carefully about everyone you've had contact with, everyone you have had e-mails, e-mails that were not done on behalf of the U.S. government, and that takes time, and it takes thought. But if you're not going to spend that time or thought on a document related to counter-intelligence concerns in the U.S. government, what are you doing? And Jared Kushner's failure to disclose these kinds of meetings, these kinds of relationships, means that there were potential conflicts of interest that the U.S. government didn't know about. There were potential conversations and information, that foreign governments and that foreign people knew about that the U.S. government didn't know about. What all that means, Ana, is that there are potential manipulation points that Jared Kushner was susceptible to because foreign governments and foreigners had information on him that he did not disclose. He opened himself up to bribery -- the question is, why -- and manipulation by failing to take the time to appropriately fill out these forms.
CABRERA: Sam Vinograd, Mark Mazzetti, good to have both of you with us. Thank you so much.
MAZZETTI: Thank you. CABRERA: Returning to his roots, presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders, officially kicks off his 2020 bid with a rare and deeply personal look at his past. His remarks, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:17:00] CABRERA: Senator Bernie Sanders hosting his first large- scale rally of his 2020 presidential bid. The Vermont Senator taking the stage just a few miles from where he says he was born in Brooklyn, New York.
Now, Sanders made a point to separate his blue-collar upbringing from President Trump's more upscale childhood, shall we say, and give a lot of credit to his immigrant father.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. BERNIE SANDERS, (I), VERMONT & DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Unlike Donald Trump, who shut down the government and left 800,000 federal employees without income to pay their bills --
(BOOING)
SANDERS: -- I know what it is like to be in a family that lives paycheck to paycheck.
Now it is true, I did not have a father who gave me millions of dollars to build luxury skyscrapers, casinos and country clubs. I did not come from a family that gave me a $200,000 allowance every year, beginning at the age of 3.
(BOOING)
SANDERS: As I recall, my allowance was 25 cents a week.
(LAUGHTER)
But I had something more valuable. I had the role model of a father who had unbelievable courage of journeying across the ocean with no money in his pocket to start a new and better life.
(CHEERING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CABRERA: Ahead of his 2020 kickoff, Senator Sanders getting a few laughs when he was asked who he may or may not get advice from this time around.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're hearing about a lot of Democratic candidates who are meeting with Hillary Clinton for advice, though, people like Amy Klobuchar. Do you think you will do the same?
SANDERS: I suspect not. Hillary has not called me. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are not interested in any advice from her?
SANDERS: I think not. Look, we have--
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You think not?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CABRERA: Joining us now, the host of "THE AXE FILES," David Axelrod, a former senior adviser to President Obama and a CNN senior political commentator.
David, Hillary Clinton, let me remind everybody, won the popular vote in 2016, but Sanders says, no thanks. He doesn't want any advice from her. What's your reaction?
DAVID AXELROD, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR & CNN HOST, "THE AXE FILES": Well, my first reaction is I don't think she's going to want to offer any advice. There's still lingering bitterness between the Clinton forces and the Sanders forces. They had a titanic struggle for the nomination in 2016, and there are people in the Clinton camp who fault Sanders for not being more forceful about urging people who were thinking about voting for third-party candidates to vote for Hillary in 2016. And by the same token, I think there's still some ouchiness on the part of the Sanders forces about how the whole primary season went down. So the last thing I would expect is a big confab between the two of them.
[15:20:13] CABRERA: You interviewed presidential candidate, Senator Elizabeth Warren, for a new episode of "THE AXE FILES" tonight. Here's a sneak peek.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AXELROD: You said the other day that Donald Trump might not be a free man by 2020, which seemed like a kind of brazen shot.
SEN. ELIZABETH WARREN, (D), MASSACHUSETTS & PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, is that any surprise? Look at the number of investigations that are swirling around him. We never had anything like this before in history.
AXELROD: But what is your -- I mean, he is going to be the first president who live tweets the opposing party's primaries, so he is going to be inserting himself regularly. You felt a little of the brunt of that but I don't think he will limit his attention to you. How best to deal with that? Should you engage? He seems to enjoy that.
WARREN: Look, the way I see it, is, yes, you got to pushback. You never let boys run over you. But we've got to get out there and talk about what we believe in. That's what I think. That's what I do every chance I get.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CABRERA: Warren talking about pushing back on bullies.
But let me throw a little hypothetical out there. Let's say the Dow stays in record territory, let's say unemployment is at 4 percent, or even below, let's say the Mueller report doesn't find definitive collusion, between Trump and Russia. Are Democrats going to pay the price at the ballot box?
AXELROD: Well, look, the economy was very strong in the midterm election, and Democrats did pretty well. But one should not underestimate the president. He's got, I always say, a kind of feral genius for this media environment, and it is always easier to run against an opponent than to run against yourself. What we don't know is beyond the Mueller report what kinds of things might happen between now and November of 2020. Listening to the Michael Cohen testimony, and some of the stories that emanated from it, you wonder what's going to happen in the Southern District of New York that might complicate the president's re-election. So you know, I don't think Democrats should take for granted that Donald Trump's going to lose, even though he lost the popular vote by millions of votes last time.
CABRERA: The governor of Washington State, Jay Inslee, just announced he's running for president, making him the first governor to join the race. When you look back in history, there are plenty of examples of former governors going to the White House. You have Carter, George W. Bush, Reagan, Clinton. Is that executive experience, do you think, an advantage for anyone out there on the campaign trail or could it be a disadvantage because he has more of a record?
AXELROD: No, I think you could say executive experience has its appeal. And frankly, operating outside of the hothouse of Washington has some benefit, because you tend to speak in a different kind of language when you spend all of your time in Washington. Inslee's pinning his candidacy to one issue, in particular, which is climate change. And he sees himself as kind of a Paul Revere on this issue. There's no other candidate -- they're all talking about climate change, no other candidate has focused on it as he, and that's where he's putting his bet or at least casting his mission in this race. But one would have to consider him a long-shot when you consider the name recognition that he doesn't have nationally, and the ability to raise the kinds of money that you need to compete in a field like this.
CABRERA: Perhaps the person with the most name recognition is Joe Biden. Everybody's been waiting to see if he will officially join the race.
Take a look at what happened this week while he was speaking at the University of Delaware.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We just had a family meeting with all of the grandkids, too, and there's a consensus that I should, they want, they, most important people in my life, want me to run, but there's still a couple hurdles to go through, to make sure we have all of this in place. And if we can conclude that, I would announce and I'd run for president and -- but, you know --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)
(LAUGHTER)
BIDEN: No.
(LAUGHTER)
Well, but I'm not there yet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CABRERA: David, given his family is saying yes, you should run, what do you think he's still weighing, and what do you think he's risking by waiting?
AXELROD: Well, I think the timing issue, Ana, is really interesting because you could make an argument, given the name recognition that he has, and the place he holds within the party, that he can wait a little longer than others. And there's some virtue in waiting longer because you shorten the race. You know, he is 76 years old. He has a 45-year record in public service. And once you enter the race, you become fair game for others. Right now, he has a kind of a protected status. So I can see why he would want to shorten the race. At some point, donors, activists, who are looking to volunteer, grow impatient and go elsewhere, and I think that is what he has to be concerned with. I think time is running out. Perhaps another three weeks to a month and he'll have to make a decision, or at least announce a decision.
[15:25:42] CABRERA: A lot of eyes on another candidate, Beto O'Rourke, who nearly upset Ted Cruz in the Texas Senate race, and that tells you about the competitiveness of the GOP, and last year, of course. He said he reached a decision about 2020, but he doesn't want to say just yet. Here's the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BETO O'ROURKE, (D), FORMER SENATE CANDIDATE: I'm going to be making an announcement soon. I will be making the same announcement to everyone at the same time. And that's all I can say at this time.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: You are running for president?
O'ROURKE: That's all I'm going to say.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: When will you make that announcement?
O'ROURKE: Soon.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CABRERA: Soon. Well, on the heels of that comment, we have this new poll out of Texas and a hypothetical matchup between President Trump and O'Rourke. It's practically a dead heat, and 47 percent pick President Trump, and 46 percent pick O'Rourke at this stage in the game. So for all of the questions about O'Rourke and whether he's ready to be president, his maybe lack of experience, does that argument even matter in the age of Trump?
AXELROD: Well, the argument doesn't matter. The reality matters. And the thing about campaigns is they test you. Beto O'Rourke is -- he's proven himself to be a really talented candidate, talented communicator, and he's -- he operated in a state that obviously is not a blue state. And he went everywhere, and he related well to voters, and you know, he has clear talent. The question is, can he put the organization together? Can he handle the pressure that comes in a presidential race? What is his range in terms of the issues that he would have to deal with? All of that will be tested and campaigns are proving grounds. Barack Obama was a bit of a question mark when he started the campaign four years out of the Illinois State Senate, running for president of the United States, and the campaign allowed him to prove himself. He dealt with the pressures that came, setbacks that came, issues that came at him at a fast pace. And Beto O'Rourke will have to do the same. And if he comes up short, he will not be the nominee of the party. But he has real potential to do well in this race.
CABRERA: Tomorrow is the annual commemoration of the Bloody Sunday civil rights march, and we know several Democratic presidential candidates plan to be in Selma -- Bernie Sanders, Cory Booker, Sherrod Brown, Julian Castro. And you know who else will be there? Hillary Clinton.
David, do you read anything into that?
AXELROD: Well, I think Hillary Clinton wants to be in the conversation, wants to maintain her voice in our politics. It's inconceivable to me that she would be a candidate for president again. I don't think that the experience of 2016 is such that she would be able to put together the kind of organization, the kind of support. People are looking to move on. But she still has a voice. And this is one way of reminding people.
CABRERA: David Axelrod, always good to get your take. Thank you very much for being here.
AXELROD: Thanks, Ana.
CABRERA: Be sure to tune in tonight for a brand-new episode of "THE AXE FILES," featuring Democratic presidential candidate, Senator Elizabeth Warren. Tonight, at 7:00 p.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.
And still ahead for us, how a poster connecting a Muslim congresswoman to the 9/11 attacks sparked a chaotic scene in West Virginia's state capitol. Don't go anywhere.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:33:38] ANA CABRERA, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar is dealing with two new controversies this weekend, one not of her own making. The Democrat is one of two lawmakers who made history in January becoming the first Muslim woman to serve in Congress.
But hundreds of miles away in West Virginia, anti-Muslim sentiment led to chaos in the halls of that state capitol.
And Brynn Gingras is with us now.
Brynn, this started with a poster?
BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN REPORTER: Yes, pretty disgusting poster, Ana. It was a poster associating Omar with the 9/11 terrorist attacks. And written on the poster are the words, "I am proof you have forgotten." And this was on display at the table at the West Virginia capitol building at a Republican-sponsored public event. As you can imagine, this caused a fire storm in the state house there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED DEMOCRAT WEST VIRGINIA LAWMAKER: It sickens me. It absolutely sickens me. But yet I kicked that door open. I'll own it. I did it. And I said some things I don't normally say. So the point should be, we shouldn't do what's going on outside here, whether it's the Democratic Party, or the Republican Party. There's no place for that.
UNIDENTIFIED DEMOCRAT WEST VIRGINIA LAWMAKER: I find it distasteful. I said so. I went over and spoke with the people at that booth, that I believe is sanctioned by a political party, they're out there with them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[15:35:00] GINGRAS: So those are two Democrats in West Virginia.
This is how the chairwoman for the state GOP condemned that poster. She did it pretty immediately and it was in a statement. She said, quote, "Our party supports freedom of speech, but we do not endorse speech that advances intolerant and hateful views. We have shown that when West Virginians are united, when we respect each other and embrace our differences and focus on moving our state forward what we can accomplish."
Back in Washington, Omar did respond on Twitter saying this, "No wonder why I am on the hit list of a domestic terrorist, an 'assassinate Ilhan Omar' is written on local gas stations. Look no further. The GOP's anti-Muslim display likening me to a terrorist rocks in state capitols and no one is condemning them."
Since then, others, especially Democrats, have come out and condemned the hateful act.
CABRERA: Meanwhile, Omar has come under a little bit of criticism herself for comments she made, insinuating this week that pro-Israel groups are pushing allegiance to a foreign country. What's been the reaction?
GINGRAS: So the poster not of her own making. This being a different story. Basically, Omar is arguing that her criticism of pro-Israel groups on politicians, something that she has been very vocal about, is being misinterpreted and labeled as anti-Semitic. And she says, she believes it is being done really to just shut down the base.
Regardless, there's a lot of outrage over her comments not only on this latest one, but similar ones she has made before. And the criticism is coming from Republicans, it is coming from the president, but also people in her own party, all the way up to Democratic leadership. Chairman Eliot Engel, a fellow Democrat from New York, for example, he is demanding an apology. And he said in a statement, late last night, quote, "I welcome debate in Congress based on the merits of policy, but it's unacceptable and deeply offensive to call into question the loyalty of fellow American citizens because of their political views, including support for the U.S./Israel relationship. We all take the same oath. Worse, Representative Omar's comments invoked that charge by invoking
vile anti-Semitic slur."
So Engel has asked for an apology. She, Congresswoman Omar, or her office, have commented on this. But the freshman congresswoman creating a lot of talk on Capitol Hill with these two situations going on.
CABRERA: Brynn Gingras, thank you.
GINGRAS: Thank you.
CABRERA: Another apology happening today, more controversy. This time, involving the CEO of the San Francisco Giants. He is apologizing after an altercation with his wife ends with her on the ground. We will show you the video police are now investigating.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:41:39] CABRERA: San Francisco Giants CEO Larry Baer is apologizing after an altercation with his wife, Pam. The couple on camera clashing in a public park with Pam falling to the ground in the process. Major League Baseball and police in San Francisco are looking into this incident.
CNN's Kaylee Hartung is covering every angle of the story.
Kaylee, first, how did the video of the Baer's altercation surface and what more have you learned?
KAYLEE HARTUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was yesterday morning that the couple was reportedly seen arguing very loudly for 20 minutes in this public plaza and then, when this altercation turned physical, a man captured the video on his cell phone and then reportedly sold the rights to TMZ. TMZ then very widely circulated this video, and it captured social media's attention, not just what you see, but also what you hear on this video.
Take a look for yourself.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
PAM BAER, WIFE OF LARRY BAER: Oh my god! Help.
HARTUNG (voice-over): "Oh, my god, help," Pam Baer screams as her husband, San Francisco Giants CEO Larry Baer, tries to grab what appears to be a cell phone out of her hand. Caught in a struggle, she falls to the ground in the chair she is sitting in. This video captured by a bystander, and first released by TMZ, shows just a few seconds of the scuffle. After a cut in the video, you can see Larry Baer, the cell phone, and cup of coffee in his hand saying, "Stop, Pam, stop," and walking away. Bystanders are heard yelling for her to stay away from him.
The couple, married for nearly 30 years, say they're embarrassed in a heated argument over a family matter. And in a joint statement, they say they resolved the issue.
But this video is now an issue for authorities.
(SCREAMING)
HARTUNG: The San Francisco Police Department is investigating the incident. And so is Major League Baseball. A statement from the league says, "Just like any other situation like this, they will immediately begin to gather the facts. Major League Baseball's strict domestic violence policy applies to executives as well as players."
Baer is part owner of the Giants and is seen as a major part of the success enjoyed by the organization, which won the World Series three times in the last 10 years.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARTUNG: Larry Baer has since apologized for the incident. And his wife has even defended him. She sent a casual statement by e-mail to CNN that says, "An unfortunate public marital argument. I grabbed his phone and fell back. I love Larry more than anything."
But, Ana, I've talked to players in the league. They say, if this was video of a player taking such action against a woman, they say that conversation would immediately be had about cutting that player. The domestic violence policy for Major League Baseball is very strict and we've seen players suspended for games for much less.
CABRERA: Kaylee Hartung, I think the story will continue, thank you.
[15:45:26] Coming up, "Leaving Neverland," a shocking new documentary of sex abuse allegations against the king of pop triggers a $100 million lawsuit.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CABRERA: Welcome back. Michael Jackson's family says they are suing HBO for $100 million over a new documentary detailing sexual abuse allegations against the late king of pop. It's a two-part series, "Leaving Neverland." Two men, who are now 36 and 40 years old, describe how they were allegedly molested by Jackson when they were children in the late '80s and early '90s.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He told me if they found out what we were doing, he and I would go to jail for the rest of our lives.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Secrets will eat you up. You feel so alone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I want to be able to speak the truth as loud as I had to speak the lie for so long.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[15:49:53] CABRERA: After the film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, "Leaving Neverland," it was premiering in January, then the Jackson estate responded immediately calling it a public lynching, Jackson's accusers admitted liars. They point to one man's previous statements in support of Michael Jackson in the 1990s. He then testified under oath in support of Jackson at his 2005 trial where the singer was acquitted of child molestation. The other man denied he was molested by Jackson to investigators.
When CNN spoke to members of the Jackson family about the documentary, the super star's nephew, Taj Jackson, had this to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TAJ JACKSON, NEPHEW OF MICHAEL JACKSON: He was the star witness. He was the first witness in the trial. Which if you are molesting someone for seven years, you wouldn't put someone that you molested on the stand.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CABRERA: I should mention, CNN and HBO are owned by the same parent company, Warner Media.
Joining us to discuss this is CNN chief media correspondent and anchor of "RELIABLE SOURCES," Brian Stelter.
Brian, what is the reaction to the documentary? And how is HBO responding to this?
BRIAN STELTER, CNN CHIEF MEDIA CORRESPONDENT & CNN HOST, "RELIABLE SOURCES": HBO says the show will go on, it is important people see this for themselves. The early reviews have been devastating. This is an incredibly painful subject describing alleged pedophilia by Jackson for many years. Viewers say these two men come across as very, very credible. Their accounts have so much detail, so much information to back up the allegations that they are very, very -- should be taken very seriously.
Here is part of the statement from HBO, responding to this $100 million lawsuit, saying, "Despite the desperate lengths taken to undermine the film, HBO will move forward on Sunday with the airing. This will allow everyone the opportunity to assess the film and the claims in it for themselves."
As you mentioned, this is a two-part film. It's four hours long. What the filmmaker does is lets people listen at length to the accusers in their own words. As the "New York Times" said, Michael Jackson cast a spell, and "Leaving Neverland" breaks it.
CABRERA: Oprah is one of the most famous survivors of childhood sexual abuse. She actually filmed the special with the two accusers featured in the documentary, "Leaving Neverland." She says she's bracing for backlash herself. Why?
STELTER: Yes, expecting that from Jackson's fans. In the decade since he has passed away, we have continued to hear from a large number of Michael Jackson fans who will defend him absolutely, defend him at all cost. There's a backlash to the film. There were protesters when the film debuted. Oprah did tape an interview with the two survivors. It will air as a town hall with 100 survivors of abuse in the audience.
Here is what she said about why she decided to participate: "For me, this moment transcends Michael Jackson. It's bigger than any one person. This is a moment in time that allows us to see this societal corruption. It's like a scourge on humanity and it's happening right now."
That's why she says she wanted to participate and draw even more attention to this film.
CABRERA: We saw how the Lifetime document are R. Kelly brought new attention to his case. There's also the documentary series at the Fyre Festival that exposed the scandal around that event. What is it about a documentary that seems to really ignite reaction versus the initial reporting?
STELTER: The initial reporting at the time. Obviously, there were claims against Jackson for many years, even when he was alive. In this case, the difference is time. There has been more time that has gone by since he died. Also, the film takes so much time to go into detail with these accusers and let them tell their own stories. A reviewer for "Time" magazine, who watched this film, said, now there's such an instinct to believe survivors that we don't always listen to their stories. It's a little exaggeration on purpose but it's an interesting thought. It's one thing to believe an accuser. It's another thing to take the time to listen to what they say happened no matter how painful it is. In this film, it's very painful. You hear about childhood sexual abuse over a number of years. Describing situations where one of the most famous men in the world is exploiting his power with little boys. To listen to that, it's difficult I think for a lot of viewers. But essential. I was in Starbucks and "Beat It" was playing on the speakers, a Michael Jackson song.
CABRERA: Yes. Yes. STELTER: We have to reassess how we treat these people, both dead, alive in other cases, who have been accused of some of the worst sins. I'm not so sure that music should be on speakers anymore.
CABRERA: Michael Jackson not here to defend himself.
STELTER: Defend himself.
CABRERA: He has been acquitted on the charges.
Brian Stelter, thanks for staying on top of the latest for us.
STELTER: Thank you.
CABRERA: Be sure to tune in to "RELIABLE SOURCES" tomorrow morning at 11:00 Eastern right here on CNN.
[15:54:43] We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CABRERA: Next week, we reveal our first "CNN Hero" of 2019. But before we do, an update on last year's Hero of the Year. Dr. Ricardo Pun-Chong, of Lima, Peru, where he was recognized for his work helping needy families to get access to medical care. His nonprofit provides them with a home and services so they can comfortably stay and receive treatment.
Here's a quick update with Anderson Cooper.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: Ladies and gentlemen, the 2018 "CNN Hero" of the Year is -- Dr. Ricardo Pun-Chong.
(APPLAUSE)
COOPER (voice-over): An incredible night. And when he returned to Peru --
(CHEERING)
COOPER: -- crowds gathered to greet Ricardo at the airport. He has been hailed a national hero.
(CHEERING)
COOPER: Ricardo plans to use the CNN prize money and viewer donations to build a new shelter.
This way.
DR. RICARDO PUN-CHONG, CNN HERO OF THE YEAR: These kids inspire me every day. Really, they are heroes.
(END VIDEO CLIP) CABRERA: What a guy.
