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2 Dead, 29 Injured After Tornado Rips Through Oklahoma; Trump: Smiled When Kim Jong-Un Called Biden "Low IQ Individual"; "El Chapo" Claims Cruel And Unusual Punishment In Prison; Utah Judge Michael Kwan Suspended For Criticizing President Trump; French Far Right Tops Euro Election, President Macron Suffers Setback; Memorial Day: Honoring Fallen U.S. Servicemembers Around The World; Martin Savidge Talks With Colin Quinn. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired May 26, 2019 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:00] MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Martin Savidge in for Fredricka Whitfield. We begin with breaking news out of El Reno, Oklahoma. Two people are dead and nearly 30 injured when a tornado tore through the city, destroying a mobile home park and a motel.
Right now search-and-rescue missions are underway. This is all part of the massive tornado outbreak across the Central U.S. Oklahoma has been the target of dozens of tornadoes. This latest twister just one of more than 200 that region has seen over the past 10 days.
So let's begin by checking in with CNN's Omar Jimenez. He's in El Reno, Oklahoma and we point out this is the same city that got hit hard with the widest tornado on record six years ago, and the memories must still be fresh if not brought back by what you're seeing there now, Omar.
OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, that's right Martin, almost to the day six years ago right now, and of course this one ripping through El Reno in just a matter of minutes. At this point I want to show you some of the damage it was able to bring in a matter of minutes.
You see just behind me crews are hard at work trying to restore what is left of this is on the grounds of the hotel that was destroyed. One of the things that residents described in the immediate aftermath of the storm is that, it was completely pitch black, meaning that likely this entire region - or this part of the region lost electricity.
And as you pan over the right you see the destructive power of this tornado. It destroyed this hotel, completely mangled it. There is a mobile home park just it that was completely destroyed as well.
We actually spoke to someone who was inside this hotel as the tornado came through, believe it not, and lived to tell the tale. He said that he was asleep. The storm came in later in the evening last night. He was in nothing but his shorts. The windows began to shake than they eventually shattered.
He dove down to the ground just before the entire roof came down almost on top of him. He said if it was not for the bed supporting just those last portions, he would not have been able to crawl out with his life. He's been waiting on the outskirts trying to get back in, because he literally left everything else in there, just trying to escape with his life.
We spoke the Major a little bit earlier today as well, who gave us an indication of how much work still needs to be done. He gave us his impressions of what he saw when he first arrived to the scene.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYOR MATT WHITE, EL RENO, OKLAHOMA: I don't think you fully understand the mammoth of it until you get up close to it and start knocking on doors, clearing doors to make sure people are alive. And the second thing is when the light comes up and you see the true damage.
It's just horrific when you go there and you see all these walls lying down. It was absolutely decimated. Those trailers were absolutely just taken apart. I mean, all there was cardboard and installation.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMENEZ: And in that trailer park it's impossible to get to by foot right now .Crews have that completely blocked off, because they're just trying to clear as much of the debris out as they can.
And let's remember, this did not happen in a vacuum. This happened on the tail end of a week that brought deadly tornados, brought flooding and including high water rescues across the region. In this city, specifically, the Mayor told us that just a few days ago they took - they had 46 water rescues in just the El Reno area alone. And then here we are just days later on the scene of a devastating tornado. Martin?
SAVIDGE: Yes. They can't seem to catch a break, Omar. Omar Jimenez, thanks very much for that.
This recent tornado outbreak has been ravaging the Central U.S. and there is a chance for more severe storms in that same general area tonight, so we're going to check in now with our Meteorologist, Ivan Cabrera. And these storms are stretching all the way to the East Coast and I'm wondering, Ivan, what can you tell us.
[15:05:00] IVAN CABRERA, AMS METEOROLOGIST: They are stretching to the East Coast and we're going to continue with this threat through tonight. I mean this just literally came in, so I didn't have time to update to Omar or you Martin.
But the National Weather Service has concluded their survey there of the El Reno tornado and it has been rated as an EF3. What does that mean? Well that means that we were looking at winds of 140 to 145 miles an hour, equivalent essentially of a category 4 hurricane, if you will.
As far as its width about a football field, imagine that kind of raking through your neighborhood, that's what we're talking about here - 75 yards wide and it was on the ground for a deadly 2.2 miles, so that's the latest stuff from the National Weather Service - apologies for the spelling out there, but just wanted to get you updated on that.
From when I last talked to you we had a severe thunderstorm watch in effect for portions of the Ohio Valley. Now we have a tornado watch as well for the area that we have been also monitoring for the development of thunderstorms. And I don't like the way these are already starting to set up.
We're likely going to start seeing tornado warnings out of that in Eastern Colorado and Western Kansas and into the panhandle of Oklahoma as well. I'll move you to the severe thunderstorm watch. That does include Cincinnati by the way.
So if you're outdoors, enjoying your holiday weekend, keep in mind the thunderstorms that develop today, the thunder you hear outside has the potential to be damaging as far as winds and large hail and even some isolated spin-up tornadoes as well.
So we have the main area here - and what I mean my main is this is the area it's likely going to see the worst of the tornadic threat. And then we moved through the Ohio Valley and into the Mid Atlantic that area also under the gun for large damaging wind potential and also some tornadoes and even that some hail as well.
And I'll leave you with this, again we're talking about a moderate threat, that's where I showed you those watches already developing across the West. These are the two areas we're going to watching. Going to be very busy afternoon and evening as things continue to bubble up and they will likely continue through tonight and are another severe weather day on tap for us on Memorial Day as well, Martin.
SAVIDGE: Yes, this is the weekend a lot of people spend outdoors, so it's important they keep in touch with the weather. Ivan Cabrera. Thanks very much for the update.
Coming up President Trump, he takes another dig at Democratic challenger Joe Biden and he does it while referencing his friendship to a dictator. What the White House is now saying about the President support of North Korea's Kim Jong-un.
And then later he was one of the most brutal drug kingpins in the world, now Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is complaining he doesn't get enough outdoor time in prison. Federal authorities think it may be part of an elaborate escape plan, more of that coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVIDGE: President Trump downplaying North Korean missile test, while simultaneously taking shots at 2020 contender Joe Biden. Trump tweeted "North Korea fired off some small weapons, which disturbed some of my people and others, but not me. I have confidence that Chairman Kim will keep his promise to me and also smiled when he called Swampman Joe Biden a low IQ individual and worse, perhaps that's sending me a signal".
This morning White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders defended the President's response saying, that he doesn't need anything but his own assessment at the former VP.
[15:10:00] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHUCK TODD, NBC MODERATOR: President United States takes the North Korean dictator's word about Joe Biden, what's - what happened to speaking with one voice in American foreign policy? Is the President not setting up trying to have world leaders sort of pick which political party they should side with? I don't understand what message the President is sending here.
SARAH SANDERS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The President doesn't need somebody else to give him an assessment of Joe Biden. He's given his own assessment a number of times, I think you've seen it, I'm sure you've covered it on your program.
The President watched him in his administration with President Obama failed for eight years. He's come in, in two and a half he's cleaned up a lot of the messes that were left behind. We shouldn't even be in the position that we're in to have to deal with North Korea at the level we are if they had done their job in the first place, and that we're seeing in moment after moment, in relationship after relationship that the previous administration did nothing--
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: All right. So let's talk about this some. I'm joined by Doug Heye. He is former RNC Communications Director and Al Mottur who's a former member of the Hillary for America national finance committee leadership team.
Doug, let me start with you. What kind of message does it send when the President publicly shares his enjoyment of a foreign dictators criticism of a man who is basically his opponent - likely?
DOUG HEYE, FORMER RNC COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Yes, in short, not a good one. And I think we - if there's one thing that we know about this administration is that it's cozied up to some foreign leaders who I'd say their reputations are a bit questionable, and cause strife with a lot of our allies where their reputations aren't so questionable.
And I think it's very easy to see one of my concerns about Donald Trump is, we've crossed a lot of thresholds that we never fully come back. I think if you're on the Trump team, you need to know that there's going to be a day when Donald Trump is not President.
And if we're going to continue by this new standard that we're in, this new kind of abnormal, that it's very easy to see all of our allies criticizing Trump after he leaves the White House just as what we've seen just today on Joe Biden.
SAVIDGE: All right. So that point is well taken. Al, the other question is, is this kind of cozy relationship that the President seems to enjoy with Kim Jong-un, he also brags about Putin, is this something you think that Democratic candidates can play up on the trail? In other words, use against the President or does it not really matter?
AL MOTTUR, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: I don't think it matters too much for the Democratic primary electorate, Martin, but I do think it's something to talk about, particularly for someone like Joe Biden who does have significant foreign policy experience. He was in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he was the vice President of the United States for eight years.
And so he may be uniquely able to talk about the problems that occur when you cozy up to dictators. But for the rest of the candidates, I think, it's less of an exigent issue.
SAVIDGE: Do you think it not connects with voters then in any way, they don't care?
MOTTUR: I mean they care, but the Democratic primary electorate is so aggravated by this President and disgusted with him that this is one of a 100 issues that anger them, and so it's one of many I would say.
[15:15:00] SAVIDGE: Doug, I'm going to - let me play some sound, Sarah Sanders was very vocal today, she talked a lot. And she was slamming the FBI over the Russia investigation. Here is just part of it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANDERS: We already know that there was an outrageous amount of corruption that took place at the FBI. They leaked information, they lied they were specifically working, trying to take down the President, trying to hurt the President.
We'll leave the final call up to the Attorney General and he'll get to the bottom of it. But we think Americans deserve the truth--
TODD: So he doesn't
SANDERS: President has asked for that and we should expect nothing less.
TODD: So the President is not going to accept exoneration if that's what Bill Barr finds.
SANDERS: Look, I'm not going to get ahead of what the final conclusion is. But we already know that there was a high level of corruption that was taking place. We've seen that in the IG investigation that's what should happen.
TODD: Which is not out yet.
SANDERS: But there is lot more there that we still need to know and we're going to let the Attorney General do his job.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) SAVIDGE: I do find it interesting that she says she'll let the investigation go ahead, but then immediately comes out and gives you what the response is, which is that there's high level of corruption. Doug, what's your response when you listen to that?
HEYE: Yes, look, I grew up in a Republican Party that had firm respect for the rule of law, that honored law enforcement, honored the military and so often I think we don't see that right now in this administration, which is unfortunate.
Certainly, there are questions that need to be asked. Certainly, we want to know all the information that that we can about the whole process and there certainly were bad actors at DOJ. I think people at the Clinton campaign would also agree there were bad actors in a different direction at the Department of Justice.
But this constant tearing down of American institutions that we've seen, not just in this administration, but really over the course of a generation now, I think, is damaging the fabric of the country and decelerates it.
SAVIDGE: Let's switch gears just a little bit. OK. I had a campaign event in Iowa Saturday, Senator Amy Klobuchar revealed that during Trump's inauguration, late Senator John McCain rattled off the names of dictators while Trump gave his speech. Yes let's--
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEN. AMY KLOBUCHAR (D-MN) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The day when I sat on that stage between Bernie and John McCain kept reciting to the names of dictators during that speech, because he knew more than any of what we were facing as a nation, he understood it. He knew because he knew this man more than any of us did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: Al, I had the greatest respect for Senator McCain, but I - and it's clear they didn't see eye to eye - I mean the President and the Senator. But should a sitting U.S. Senator and a military hero, be there comparing the President and dictators at his inauguration. What does that say?
MOTTUR: Well, it says that John McCain never respected President Trump, didn't respect him as a candidate, didn't respect him as a guy taking the oath of office and didn't respect him as a President.
And switching to 2020 and Amy Klobuchar, I've known Senator Klobuchar for many years and one thing I will say about her, is she is very, very funny, and she has used humor effectively against the President, for example, when he mocked her campaign announcement in the snow. And I wouldn't be surprised to see her use it again and this could be a prequel of that with respect to Trump cozying up with these dictators.
SAVIDGE: Do you think this was an attempt at humor with this?
MOTTUR: No, I think she's talking about an issue that I think she will later use with effect and in a humorous way to make fun of the President. It gets under his skin much like Nancy Pelosi has done effectively with humor this last week.
SAVIDGE: All right. Doug, we know that Bernie Sanders has said that, he doesn't want to make this election about Trump, and yet it is about Trump or it seems it will be about Trump. Is there any way that Democrats can avoid, going forward, not making this about President Trump?
HEYE: Ultimately, I don't think they'll be able to resist. Donald Trump's supporters always talk about how he's a counter-puncher. I'd argue that he always takes the bait. But Donald Trump is really almost a North Star for Democrats. Whatever they do it becomes a comparison to Donald Trump and how much they can be the most anti-Trump person out there.
That makes sense to certain segments of the Democratic Party, but overall, if you're talking to the broader swath of voters - and certainly those voters who voted for Barack Obama and then Donald Trump in states like Wisconsin or Michigan or Pennsylvania, my home state of North Carolina, they're looking for more, and I think that's where Democrats are going to have to explain more of what they're for, what they want to do than just I'm not Donald Trump.
SAVIDGE: Well, Al and Doug, thank you both. Doug Heye and Al Mottur--
HEYE: Thank you.
MOTTUR: Appreciated.
SAVIDGE: --appreciate your insights this afternoon, thanks.
HEYE: Thank you.
SAVIDGE: Coming up, planning an escape or maybe just wanting some fresh air? The infamous drug lord El Chapo request better prison conditions, including outdoor time, and why authorities say that should never happen.
[15:20:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVIDGE: The notorious Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman says that he's not getting enough time outside in prison. But federal officials say that could be just part of a plot to escape, he has done it before.
The drug kingpin is set to be sentenced next month on drug charges, but his attorney alleges that in the last two years he has had no access to fresh air or sunlight, calling it cruel and unusual punishment.
CNN's Polo Sandoval joins me now. Polo, as we know, he has a history of trying to escape, so I can see why federal authorities might be a bit dubious.
POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: He's done it not once Martin, but two times already from his Mexican prison cell until he was ultimately captured and then eventually extradited to the United States in early 2017, which is where he's been awaiting - obviously after the court proceedings he was - that conviction that occurred and now currently awaiting that June 25th sentence.
And as you mentioned, right now his attorneys are pushing for court intervention here to improve those conditions inside of the basically - it's an 8 - it's a 10 by 8 foot windowless cell that it's been held at - held in in this facility in New York City.
[15:25:00] However, prosecutors here are arguing that if you give this individual the requested two hours a week for outdoor recreation where there are various concerns here. The first one is that the only outdoor recreational area at that facility is a rooftop that's covered with a wire mesh. And prosecutors here are arguing that this crafty cartel kingpin would find it very easily to potentially communicate with individuals surrounding that lower Manhattan building.
And the second argument which is that possibility of this Hollywood- like airlift to freedom, and it almost happened at this very same facility in 1981 here in New York City where an inmate's cohorts hijacked a sightseeing helicopter, flew over - at least hovered over that rooftop to try to help that an individual escape.
That plan was foiled, but that constant threat still remains and especially as you point out for somebody who's been able to successfully escape prison at least two times south of the border.
As prosecutors say, he was able to set up the sophisticated tunnel just outside of his prison in Almoloya de Juarez, in 2015. So an escape via rooftop, in the prosecutors' own words would be elementary by comparison.
So prosecutors have submitted their argument on Friday - this was in response to the defense's letter from May 9th requesting not only those two hours, but also earplug, so that "El Chapo" can get better sleep at night and also access to water.
So now what comes next will be "El Chapo" and also his attorneys have until Friday to respond to the government's argument and then the Judge Martin will finally decide whether or not Guzman will get those two hours of outdoor rec time, we'll get access to maybe more bottles of water and even earplugs.
SAVIDGE: Yes, I'm sure there are many victims who don't necessarily feel too bad for him. Anyway Polo Sandoval thanks very much for that appreciate it.
SANDOVAL: You bet.
SAVIDGE: Still ahead, a Utah judge facing a backlash, suspended from his job for critical comments about President Trump. Could future or could judges in the future pay similar punishment for their statements? We're going to discuss that after a break.
But first a comedy special that is bigger than both sides, Colin Quinn: Red State Blue State premieres tomorrow at 9:00 on CNN, here is a preview.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is comedian Collin Quinn. You know him from SNL's weekend update. MTV's Remote Control and comedy Central's Tough Crowd and now, he's coming to CNN with Red State Blue State.
COLIN QUINN, AMERICAN STAND-UP COMEDIAN: Anybody can grow up and become President of the United of States. Hey they said anybody, they weren't kidding on that one.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The comedy special based on his hit Off-Broadway show, the critics were impressed. Colin takes aim at both sides of the political divide.
QUINN: Russia played history perfectly. From day one, they go where the (bleep).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: With his signature mix of history, social commentary and pop culture.
QUINN: If you can name 20 great speeches since our country began - but you can't. There's been like five. Martin Luther King speech, the John F. Kennedy, and the next three were end of the season monologues on "The Bachelor".
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Colin Quinn: Red State Blue State, CNN's first comedy special premiere's tomorrow at 9:00.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[15:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVIDGE: A judge is pulled from the bench for six months without pay. That was the punishment for Utah Judge Michael Kwan for making anti- trump comments both in his courtroom and on social media. Kwan has sat on the bench for roughly two decades.
The Supreme Court of Utah cites multiple occasions that Judge Kwan made politically charged comments. One example came on the day of President Trump's inauguration.
Kwan wrote on Facebook, "Welcome to governing. Will you dig your heels in and spend the next four years undermining our country's reputation and standing in the world? Will you continue to demonstrate your inability to govern and political incompetence?"
Joining me now to discuss this is CNN Legal Analyst and Defense Attorney and former Federal Prosecutor Shan Wu. Shan, good to see you.
SHAN WU, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Good to see you, Martin.
SAVIDGE: So what do you think, is this suspension warranted?
WU: I don't think it is and I'm going to divvy it up a little bit. I think a judge's comments in this courtroom, I think, they can pretty much say what they want as long as it's not influencing their sentencing or some decision they're making.
In DC and other places I've been in many courtrooms where the judges are making jokes, and sometimes there are political jokes. I think as long as it doesn't influence the decision that should be off-limits.
Two other areas he was reprimanded for, though, I think are problematic and the judicial ethics canons they vary from state to state, but they basically say judges can't do anything makes them look like they're political or that they're not impartial.
So he also made these Facebook postings and he also held an office with a advocacy organization - organization of Chinese Americans those, I think, probably shouldn't be doing that.
I mean think you're holding yourself out with an advocacy organization. Social media is very powerful. People know you're a judge, so those I think are problematic. But the remarks in the courtroom, I think that's fine.
SAVIDGE: Well, and that is something new - I mean social media, because of course, if you do keep it to the courtroom not too many people will hear it, but if you post it, the whole world does. Has this happened before?
WU: I'm not aware of happening very often. I actually clerked for a great Texas Judge Jerry Buchmeyer who wrote a humor column for the Texas Monthly, but he mostly kept it to lawyer jokes, actually.
There are cases where judges are targeted for being biased or being asked to recuse themselves. But usually the judges are pretty careful about the actual politics of things. Now this is a Municipal Court judge. He's been there for a long time. It's not as though he's ruling on constitutional issues or federal cases, so it smells a little bit questionable to me.
He's, obviously, in the conservative state. He seems like he's liberal. And also I read a newspaper article that indicated that Utah has the least diverse bench in the entire country, so I think it's a little bit questionable.
SAVIDGE: What do you think will he make it back from this kind of exile, if that's what it is? I mean, if you're sort of thrown out there for six months without pay, do you think he's going to come back and take the job over again?
[15:35:00] WU: I don't know what his decision will be. But he's been there for quite some time, so I think he'll probably come back and he'll probably have to tone it down a little bit. I'm I think it's an interesting question as to whether you're going to see some repercussions of this where Trump and his team start to use some of these techniques as well.
SAVIDGE: Well, that's the thing. I mean the President does make points as to who is appointed under what administration and this seems to play into it. And as much as you say that you have heard it before from judges in a courtroom, as a guy who only goes in to hear testimony usually in criminal cases. This is like - wow, I didn't know that they were so vocal. Do you think this could hurt the public perception?
WU: If it was very well publicized in a bigger case, I think it might affect that. But I think you know anyone who's been in courts both civil as well as criminal, here judges make jokes all the time. And some of the bigger cases just in the Manafort case, we heard a lot about Judge Ellis' his courtroom demeanor.
I am concerned, though with, as many lawyers are, with the President's comments trying to say that judges who were appointed by the Obama administration for example perhaps are biased. And it's a short step from there to them actually seeking to actually recuse judges like that, which I think would very problematic.
SAVIDGE: Well, we're going to have their watching on this one Shan Wu, it's nice to see you, thank you.
WU: Good to see you. Up next tomorrow millions of Americans will remember fallen service members on Memorial Day. In fact, that's what the whole weekend is about.
But the tradition to commemorate their sacrifices doesn't just stop on our shores. How the world pays their respects right after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:40:00] SAVIDGE: We have breaking news. A severe blow to French President Emmanuel Macron, Marine Le Pen's right-wing national party is poised to be France's biggest delegation in the next European Parliament.
CNN International Correspondent Melissa Bell joins me now, and Melissa first let's begin, explain the significance here of what's happened?
MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Martin, it's pretty simple, in fact, here in France perhaps more than in any other European country. We were looking throughout the evening it's how this battle between populist Euroskeptic would play out against more liberal Pro European parties.
But here in France that battle has been heightened, because this is the first electoral test after a complete change of Frances political landscape. You'll remember that back in 2017 Emmanuel Macron swept aside the two parties on the right and from the left that had essentially shared power since 1958, blowing apart that political landscape.
This was the first electoral test for his new party that simply didn't exist at the last European elections and Marine Le Pen who's reinvented her party, reinvented the far-right and giving it a sort of more Euroskeptic edge also trying to pick up on the yellow vest protests of the last few months.
Of course, France has been very shaken by this protests that have gone on since November that have been very focalized on the person of Emmanuel Macron himself. His popularity ratings are pretty low.
This was the test, was he going with his pro-European message to convince voters that his was the right way or was Marine Le Pen on the contrary with her Euroskepticism going to be able to capitalize on what had been that palpable anger out on the streets of France.
The result we've just had it through the exit polls, Martin, is that she has won 24%, we understand, compared to 22% for Emmanuel Macron's party. It is a blow and the Prime Minister has just admitted as much saying that clearly they had to accept that they hadn't won and that the message would now be heard.
Marine Le Pen tonight, on triumphant mode, going as so far as to say that, given that all that had happened over the last few months, given this electoral defeat Emmanuel Macron's party, it was time that he dissolved the National Assembly and changed tack entirely, Martin.
SAVIDGE: We've only got about 30 seconds left. But does this mean that the divisions in France and elsewhere are just getting worse?
BELL: I think clearly in France they are. I think this was probably the only example in Europe tonight in this European vote, Martin, where you had someone who was freshly arrived to the scene. Emmanuel Macron created his own party, you'll remember, it was profoundly pro- European.
His really wasn't - his message wasn't sullied by any of the other considerations of some of the more mainstream and traditional parties in Europe. His was about a pro-European liberal future and that is what tonight has taken a severe knock here in France.
SAVIDGE: All right. We're only just seeing the beginning of this. We'll continue to follow. Melissa Bell, thank you very much. And we will be right back.
[15:45:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVIDGE: This weekend is expected to be the last ride of the Rolling Thunder.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: Each Memorial Day, since 1988, thousands of bikers descended on Washington for the annual ride across the Potomac. The tradition highlights POWs and MIAs who never came home from the Vietnam War.
While many of us enjoy Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer, the holiday is actually a time of national remembrance for U.S. soldiers lost or killed in combat. And it's not just observed here in the United States. At cemeteries, around the world, American soldiers who never made it home are honored by citizens of towns that they helped to liberate.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Lieutenant General Mark Hertling joins me now and he ended a 37 year military career as Commanding General of the U.S. Army Europe and 7th Army, and on Memorial Day 2012 you spoke about these citizens who take it upon themselves to care for the graves of U.S. soldiers. Let's just remember.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LT. GEN. MARK HERTLING, U.S. ARMY EUROPE COMMANDER: Since this place was established in December 1944, the people of Margraten have taken it upon themselves to adopt this site, to honor these graves. And their only connection to the soldiers buried there is an eternal gratitude for their individual freedom.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: You know, General - first of all, good to see you. I have witnessed this myself both in places like France and also the Netherlands. Why is it and what does Memorial Day really mean to people in places not even in the U.S.?
HERTLING: It is truly amazing. Martin, having been the Commander of Europe and being honored to be invited to speak at many of them more than a dozen military cemeteries throughout Europe - U.S. military cemeteries.
These are places - the only place the U.S. military wants to conquer, the land that we want to keep our places where we bury our dead. What's fascinating about these more than two dozen that are spread across the world, these cemeteries, that where American soldiers are laid to rest, is the people in the towns nearby take care of them.
In places like Margraten where that speech came from or Ham and Luxembourg or Normandy, local citizens literally adopt the graves of the over 100,000 soldiers that are buried in these various cemeteries and they care for those graves, and they are beautiful.
And having talked to some of the people that adopt the grave, they have a passing along to their children, and they want to make sure that they know that it was the American soldiers that liberated them from dictators and from people who were trying to subdue them.
So it's a fascinating and very emotional visit if you ever get a chance to go to those cemeteries, which I know you have.
SAVIDGE: Yes. No, I encourage anyone who has that opportunity you have to do it. I'm intrigued by the fact that as you say this is sort of handed down through generations. In other words, people caring for graves today may not have lived through - they may not have been liberated themselves, but still feel this very close connection.
[15:50:00] HERTLING: Yes. One time my wife and I were at the cemetery and Margraten, we saw an old man probably about 80-years-old who had been caring for an American grave for 40 years. He had adopted that grave.
We were there on a very cold blustery day. It was near Christmas time. It was sideways. We looked around and not only was there this 80-year- old man caring for this grave, but there was a family with two young children.
And we approached them and said, "What's the deal with this?" And they said, "We have to pass down from generation to generation that we have to fight for freedom. And these two children of ours need to know what happened 70 years ago".
So it isn't just something for the older generation in Europe. They understand how close they were to being subdued and how the American soldiers that were unleashed on the continent in 1944 really saved all of their lives and their liberties.
SAVIDGE: Can I ask you as, of course one who not only served, but one who led many who have served, what is it we should focus on them remember as we start Memorial Day?
HERTLING: Well, certainly, I think we should pause and reflect upon those who sacrificed and gave their lives or that were captured and killed in in prisoner conditions. But we should also, in my view, focus on how do we make the country better, how do we contribute.
And as the famous line in "Saving Private Ryan" says, "Earn This". How do we earn their sacrifices in living a good life and living a life of integrity and in contributing to the civility of our nation and the social societies of the world which bind us all together? I personally think that's what we should reflect on, on this Memorial Day.
Not only the sacrifices of those who gave their lives, but also how we can pay back that sacrifice and the way we live our lives.
SAVIDGE: That's a great point. I mean it's not just the debt we owe, it's the responsibility we all have to carry on and do our best and do better. Lieutenant General Mark Hertling, a pleasure. Thank you very much.
HERTLING: Thank you, Martin. Thank you very much.
SAVIDGE: We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SAVIDGE: Coming up tomorrow, a CNN Original Series special presentation, Colin Quinn: Red State Blue State, starring comedian Colin Quinn. In the special, Quinn takes a look at the vitriolic rhetoric that is creating so much division in America today and he wonders if the United States should actually stay United after all.
[15:55:00] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
QUINN: So the problem is not out there, problem is in here. We have met the enemy. It is us and now we're at risk of a civil war. And you don't want to see a civil war in this country this country is not built for another Civil War.
It's going to be the first time in history that you see fat refugees, that's not going to be a good look. Refugees in jorts and flip-flops and Dunder Mifflin t-shirts, holding coolers towards a Canadian border, it's going to look like a giant cattle drive.
There's nothing glamorous 50 years from now kids are in history class reading about the Battle of Six Flags, the Siege of Dave & Buster's.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SAVIDGE: Joining us now is Colin Quinn, comedian and creator of Colin Quinn: Red State Blue State. Great to have you - very--
QUINN: Thanks.
SAVIDGE: --cool stuff.
QUINN: Thanks. I could say fat refugees because I get fat a lot. The imagery was wonderful. This originally started as an Off Broadway play, now it's of course CNN's first comedy special, so how did this all come together?
QUINN: Well I was doing some stand-up and then a friend of mine, Bobby Moresco, who directed me also. He's directed a lot of stuff, and he directed me in Irish Wake we did years ago. He got interested into it as a play. We got everybody. We got the money and then just did it.
And we both feel like this is what's going on right now. This country is in - never been like this vibe.
SAVIDGE: And I mean we haven't been in this vibe and humor is a fascinating way to approach what is otherwise sometimes difficult conversations for people to have. Is that basically it that we were just so unhappy with one another politically, you thought it was good fodder for a comedic show?
QUINN: I mean, I just feel like it's such a - it's so the elephant - I mean, not the elephant who everybody talks about. But it's just so ugly right now like this country just have more of like at all worst. We were always like enthusiastic and positive, now everybody's hateful all day, so maybe you know it's time to try to figure something out, because this is bad.
SAVIDGE: I do - I mean humor is a wonderful way. First of all, it seems to disarm people. Do you really think we ought to split America up?
QUINN: I think it's coming to it. I think that we at least need a trial separation, just so people could appreciate each other maybe, because it's - no one's going to change their opinions. No one - and maybe no one should, that's what the country's about. But the days of compromise have apparently ended for everybody.
SAVIDGE: One of the things I really like is that you go - you don't give the Founding Fathers any slack. Why is that? That almost is taboo.
QUINN: All the Founding Fathers, well, because they left a lot of things on that they left a lot of things undone. I mean, what they did do was they set up this great premise, but they should have forced, this should have been in that the Bill of Rights - I would say the Bill of Rights was our mistake.
That the Constitution is great, the Bill of Rights was where we screwed up, because you know freedom of speech led to just people talking, drunks at a wedding is what social media became. Like it never supposed to go electronic, that's my whole line about freedom of speech. It was a acoustic art.
SAVIDGE: Well, drunks at a wedding is a wonderful image, what it talks about social media, and maybe taking a break is not a bad idea. Colin Quinn, it's great to see you--
QUINN: Thanks Martin.
SAVIDGE: And we want to encourage every one of be sure to tune in the CNN original series, it's a special presentation, it's called Colin Quinn: Red State Blue State, and it premieres tomorrow night at 9:00 Eastern and Pacific. It's only on CNN, have you to check it out. Thanks.
