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2020 Democrats in South Carolina; U.S. Justice Department Concludes Democrats Demand For Trump's Tax Expose; U.S. Officials Says Iran Fired Missile At U.S. Drone Before Tanker Attack. Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired June 15, 2019 - 11:00   ET

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


[11:00:00]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. It's 11:00 on the East Coast, I'm Fredricka Whitfield. NEWSROOM is starting right now.

It is all about South Carolina today for the 2020 hopefuls, many of the candidates are spending the day in the crucial state hoping to win over voters.

First on the agenda there, protest and worker strikes advocating for increasing the minimum wage to $15.00 an hour and you can see Senator Cory Booker and Beto O'Rourke who are participating and Mayor Pete Buttigieg is also joining in a march starting at any moment there in South Carolina.

And then up next, in the Palmetto State, the Black Economic Alliance Forum where the candidates hope to make their pitch to black voters.

Let's check in with CNN's senior Washington correspondent, Jeff Zeleny. So, Jeff, this is extremely important. What messages do you think the candidates are focusing on delivering today?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fredericka, good morning. No question, South Carolina, the first in the south primary at the end of next February, is critical to all of these candidates, certainly to send them on their way when the primaries really start happening across the country.

But right now, several of these candidates are simply introducing themselves to voters, particularly Pete Buttigieg, Beto O'Rourke, Cory Booker, Elizabeth Warren coming as well, trying to make their cases and they're making an economic argument as well.

You said this morning that that Senator Booker and Beto O'Rourke were joining striking workers -- McDonald's striking workers calling for a $15.00 minimum wage. So that is one of the central things that a lot of Democratic candidates are doing as they're traveling across the country.

But we've noticed one thing, Fredericka, that was interesting this week, Beto O'Rourke always said he is going to stay positive, always saying he is going to focus on his own campaign.

Earlier this week, for the first time, he had some criticism for Joe Biden, of course, he is the front runner in this race. He said that Joe Biden represents the past, and he represents the future.

We caught up with him and asked him about that new message. Let's watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: Your first day on the campaign trail, you said you're going to not talk about other candidates. This week, that changed. You talked about Joe Biden, you said it's time for a new generation. You talked about some of his votes. Why the change?

BETO O'ROURKE (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: No, I was asked a direct question, and I answered it. But I remain firmly focused on the future, what it is, I think that we can bring to not just this race, but the movement that we can lead that can defeat Donald Trump and make sure that we bring this country together around the big challenges that we face.

ZELENY: With Joe Biden the past and you're the future?

O'ROURKE: Well, look, I'm going to focus on the future, and I think that this campaign represents the kind of bold, aspirational ideas that will allow this country to fully fulfill its promise.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZELENY: And Fredricka, that has been one of the defining issues. Several candidates are talking about how they are the future.

Joe Biden saying earlier this week, he said, "Look, I represent the future as well." But this is going to be a test of ideas, the size of the ideas, the boldness, if you will, of these ideas, all of this is gearing up for the first Democratic debate happening at the end of the month in Miami.

It's going to be a critical two evenings for these candidates to go head to head with each other and define and introduce themselves as well.

But first, before all of that, there will be a meeting here this afternoon with the candidates making the case to African-American voters; 60 percent of the Democratic primary here next February, African-American voters. So a very important audience here, Fredricka, that's why these candidates are here in Charleston.

WHITFIELD: Yes, and Jeff, well, you said you know, many candidates are introducing themselves for the first time to South Carolinians, really on the debate stage, many of those candidates will be introducing themselves to the nation for the first time in some respects.

Jeff Zeleny, we will check back with you. Thank you so much, in Charleston, South Carolina.

All right, with me now, assistant editor for The "Washington Post" and CNN political commentator, David Swerdlick, and congressional reporter and the author of "Huddle" for POLITICO, Melanie Zanona. Good to see about.

So David, you first, what do these candidates need to do? How do they need to shape their messaging to the South Carolina voters, particularly the black voters?

DAVID SWERDLICK, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Right. So as Jeff just reported out there, the majority of the Democratic primary electorate in South Carolina and early primary state is African-Americans.

So it makes sense at this juncture, as we're almost to the debate season, the first couple of debates, including one on CNN this month, that you have these four candidates coming down to South Carolina to talk to the Black Economic Alliance, about some of their specific proposals.

Cory Booker, who I interviewed in 2014, and was working on the Leap Act with South Carolina's Republican-African American Senator Tim Scott now is out with this proposal where he is talking about wealth savings accounts, and you have Senator Elizabeth Warren, who just recently rolled out a plan.

[11:05:17] SWERDLICK: She says everything, "I have a plan for that," for seven billion in entrepreneurship credits for minority business people.

So they are coming with these specific proposals and saying, look, we're going to address specific African-American concerns, and we're also going to tie this in with a broader message about how to narrow the wealth gap and how to address some economic inequality issues. That's what they're lining up to do in the next couple of hours.

WHITFIELD: And Melanie, you know, this is a first of its kind, you know, presidential forum hosted by the Black Economic Alliance there in South Carolina. But what does it say to the voters that there might be candidates who are not making appearances? How will that be deciphered?

MELANIE ZANONA, CONGRESSIONAL REPORTER, POLITICO: Yes, I think this, there's a missed opportunity for some of these candidates to introduce themselves to black voters, especially in South Carolina. But I will point out that Joe Biden has the highest voting approval with black voters right now. He is leading the polls. He is someone who has a lot of name recognition already.

He's also seen as a sort of extension of Barack Obama. He's, in fact running on the idea that he would be a third term for President Barack Obama.

And then, of course, Bernie Sanders, he did very well with black voters, young black voters in 2016. But I would say don't sleep on Elizabeth Warren. She has been someone who has been making inroads with the black community with a truck-full full of policy proposals that would address economic and racial inequalities.

She has been campaigning in the Deep South, and she is starting to edge out Bernie Sanders, who is second in the polls. So she is definitely someone to keep an eye on.

WHITFIELD: And Warren was someone who talked about the disparities and racial inequalities, really, from the very beginning with her, you know, first official campaign speech when she said, "You know, I am officially in." In the meantime, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, he discussed why this forum today is so important to him. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PETE BUTTIGIEG, (D-IN), MAYOR, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We know that there's a lot of work to be done in criminal justice reform that is unequally impacting black Americans, and this needs to go to everything from sentencing reform, to legalization of marijuana, but also with an expungement to reverse incarceration is doing more harm than the original offense.

We have to set ambitious targets to reduce incarceration across the board in this country and take a whole lot of other steps in criminal justice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So David, how does Buttigieg get traction there?

SWERDLICK: Yes. So first of all, I agree with Melanie, that for the candidates that aren't there. And they may have other conflicts, but it is a missed opportunity to directly address African American leaders in an important primary state.

WHITFIELD: Even if you were Biden? Even if you're Kamala Harris?

SWERDLICK: Yes, I think so. Because I don't think -- and even though Biden right now is leading among black voters in that state, and even though Kamala Harris is African-American, I don't think anybody in this race can afford to take the black vote in any state for granted, especially in a state like this.

Buttigieg, though, Mayor Buttigieg, I think has the most to gain and needs to be there the most. There was some early reporting on Buttigieg about some sort of deficiencies in the way that he handled racial issues in the South Bend Police Department, and I think he is trying to play catch up from some of that. He is also not as familiar to African American voters around the country, including in South Carolina.

Senator Booker has been working on these criminal justice issues that Buttigieg was just talking about there in that clip you played for a long time. Warren, as Melanie said, is really making inroads with black voters, especially black women. Biden has the Obama tie.

Buttigieg, I think is going to have a situation today where he can really help himself or maybe just sort of coast alone. WHITFIELD: Kamala Harris, however, David spent a lot of time in South

Carolina kind of preemptive of this forum. So might it be the feeling in her camp that they already have the capital they need in South Carolina, or is that too presumptive?

SWERDLICK: I think they know what they're doing and they know that they had an early good rollout in South Carolina. She's got a lot of support, especially among African-American women. I remember some of the reporting when she first launched her campaign there several weeks ago.

She had support from her sorority, the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, which is traditionally African-American sorority, strong in that state. She knows what she is doing, and you know, perhaps they felt like this wasn't the time for them to be at that forum.

But I do think that the African-American vote, the African-American electorate, which right now is slightly leaning Biden, is really looking at all these candidates and saying, A, who is going to be the best to beat Donald Trump, that is a huge issue for black voters in general. And then secondly, who is going to be able to address issues near and dear to the black community?

WHITFIELD: And Melanie, all of this just a couple of weeks ahead of the first, you know, Democratic presidential, you know, debate, Senator Elizabeth Warren, you touched on it already is, you know, really nipping at the heels of Bernie Sanders, who has been number two in the polling.

[11:10:05] WHITFIELD: Do you see that forum potentially changing the landscape for the Democratic candidates?

ZANONA: Well, specifically for Elizabeth Warren, I think it could go either way. She is going to be on the first debate stage the first night, and there's not a lot of other top tier contenders.

So on the one hand, maybe she can shine. She can use this as an opportunity to stand out. Also, there might be more viewers on the first night tuning in. I think there will just be more interest.

But she will not have a chance to be on the second stage, which is where you have the big dogs like Biden and Bernie, so she doesn't have that opportunity to really land a blow or to present a contrast with Bernie Sanders. So we'll just have to wait and see how it pans out.

But I would just say, generally, yes, this is an opportunity for candidates, but there's also the risk that they could mess something up. So you know, high risk, high reward for a lot of these candidates on that debate stage.

WHITFIELD: All the time. All right, David Swerdlick and Melanie Zanona, thank you so much. Good to see you.

SWERDLICK: Thanks, Fred.

ZANONA: Thank you. WHITFIELD: All right. Still ahead. Sources inside the White House

tells CNN they are frustrated with how President Trump admitted that he would take dirt on his political opponents from foreign spies.

Plus, the U.S. Justice Department concludes Democrats demand for Trump's tax exposed, and I am quoting now, "serious risk of abuse," end quote. Is this a win for the President?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out of the [bleep] car.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And cameras capture it all -- the moment police with guns drawn confront a pregnant woman accusing her family of shoplifting and now that family is suing.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:15:13] WHITFIELD: Welcome back. White House officials are now admitting the President handled questions on election interference, quote "poorly."

A source close to the White House tell CNN the clips of the President's recent interview with ABC News in which he says he would happily take dirt on political opponents in the 2020 election from Russia have quote, "been tough."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC HOST: In your campaign this time around, if foreigners -- if Russia, if China, if someone else offers you information on opponent, should they accept it or should they call the F.B.I.?

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think maybe you do both. I think you might want to listen. I don't -- there's nothing wrong with listening.

If somebody called, from a country -- Norway -- we have information on your opponent. Oh, I think I'd want to hear it.

STEPHANOPOULOS: You want the kind of interference in our elections?

TRUMP: It's not an interference. They have information. I think I'd take it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The President then offering justifications as he tried to clarify what he meant exactly.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Well, I don't think anybody would present me with anything bad because they know how much I love this country. Nobody is going to present me with anything bad.

Number two, if I was -- and of course, you have to look at it -- because if you don't look at it, you're not going to know if it's bad. How are you going to know if it's bad?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: But the head of the Federal Election Commission is blasting the President's willingness to listen to or even receive foreign dirt on opponents.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELLEN WEINTRAUB, FEC CHAIRWOMAN: The law is completely clear that it is absolutely illegal for anyone in the United States to solicit, accept or receive anything of value from a foreign source in connection with an election.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, Larry Noble is a former general counsel for the Federal Election Commission and a CNN contributor. Larry, thanks so much for being with us.

So, the President says, if a foreign government comes to him to offer dirt on a political opponent, he would listen first and then if it's bad, he would call the FBI or the Attorney General. Can you clarify if that is a legal or ethical option?

LARRY NOBLE, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: That should not be an option. It is not an option. The correct answer would be I would reject the offer and I would call the FBI. That is the only answer he should have given.

This idea that he would look at the information and decide whether it was bad or good means that he is willing to accept certain types of information from a foreign government.

As the Chairwoman of the FEC said, the law is clear. You cannot accept anything of value from a foreign national and that includes a foreign government and why he can't get this is really mind boggling.

And it's not a hypothetical, by the way when he says that it wouldn't happen. It did happen in 2016. Russia, went to Donald Trump, Jr. and then they brought in Kushner and Manafort and they went to a meeting to receive information about Hillary Clinton.

WHITFIELD: Well, I wonder if what you just said there and by, you know, underscores why the President said that because maybe he is trying to protect his son.

NOBLE: Well, that is a possibility. But the idea that he is saying it's still an option is what should frighten us for 2020.

You know, Mueller decided not to indict anybody over this, and --

WHITFIELD: But it was about on the same day, and about the same time that his son was back on the Hill testifying.

NOBLE: Right. We don't know -- and we don't know what he said. But you know, first they took the position that it didn't happen in 2016; that they talked about just adoptions. Then they said that it did happen, but it was not illegal.

Mueller said that the reason -- one of the reasons he wasn't going to indict anybody for this was because he believed or he didn't think there was sufficient evidence that they knew what the law was.

They've now been told over and over again, what the law is and they continue to say that, well, we can look at the evidence, and it's a case by case decision.

And, you know, it would be one thing to say, look, in 2016, the law was unclear. We thought the law was unclear what we now understand that we would never do it, or even say, we thought we still think we can do it but we would never do it.

He is not saying that. He is giving us a warning that he is going to do it again in 2020.

WHITFIELD: He essentially gave a lot of answers though in a span of just a few days. So the Mueller investigation into election interference by the Russians, it certainly has cast a dark shadow over the entire Trump presidency. And here is what Robert Mueller said in his only remarks on his two-year long investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBERT MUELLER, FORMER SPECIAL COUNSEL: I will close by reiterating the central allegation of our indictments, that there were multiple systematic efforts to interfere in our election, and that allegation deserves the attention of every American.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So, Larry, just listening to that again, can you tell whether it is a concern from the President of the United States?

NOBLE: Well, it's a concern. It should be a concern for us. It should be a concern for Congress. I don't think the President is concerned about it. Not only did the report show numerous attempts and actual successes of Russia interfering with the election.

It showed that there are numerous meetings with people who are representing the Trump campaign.

[11:20:06] WHITFIELD: Does it mean to you that the President is open, potentially to it happening again?

NOBLE: Yes, I think his statements that he would take it on a case by case basis, or I guess that came from, from one of administration people, I think his statement that he can look at the information and decide on it, I think he is sending out a clear signal to Russia or to anybody else, including, I guess, Norway, that he would be opening -- open to getting information and to further interference in our election.

WHITFIELD: All right, and then something else now Larry, you know, the U.S. Justice Department is releasing a new legal opinion defending the Treasury Department's refusal to turn over Trump's tax returns to Congress. The DOJ argues the request is unprecedented and raises a serious risk of abuse.

This may potentially go to the courts, because Congress particularly, House Ways and Means feels like it has the protection, it has the support of oversight. Where do you think this is going?

NOBLE: Well, I think it is going to the courts. We have to be clear about this, and then the opinion says this, the law says that they have to turn over the tax returns if they get a request from the House Ways and Means Committee, they got the request.

Now, what they've added to that is that the executive branch or the IRS has the right to decide whether it's a legitimate legislative purpose for this request. That is not in the law.

They also have -- they say that the right comes from basically our constitutional authority, and they've looked at the request. They've looked at statements made by various Democrats, and they said we don't think this is a legitimate request. That is not for them to decide.

The court has been very clear in the past that once a request is made, and we have to make a justification for it, you make a justification -- they do in this case. It's not up to the courts to look behind that justification.

The second point, though, that is a little bit frightening in this is they go on to say that they have the right to make this decision, and then they say that the courts should basically stay out of it.

They say that it's really not the court's position to second guess the Executive Branch on this issue.

WHITFIELD: How do you interpret that? For that kind of statement to be made by the Department of Justice?

NOBLE: Well, it's consistent with what this administration has said. It is that they're not subject to oversight.

What they seem to be saying is that the court should not really look very carefully at the IRS's decision, and it should back away because it's a political decision, and therefore, if that's true, what they're saying is, the President gets to decide, the Executive Branch gets to decide if it is going to comply with congressional requests, and nobody can decide whether or not the President is justified in doing that.

WHITFIELD: Larry Noble, we will leave it there. Just for now. Thank you so much.

NOBLE: Thank you. WHITFIELD: All right, next. Dramatic video showing the arrest of a

pregnant woman in an alleged shoplifting incident involving her family. Now the officers in this video are under scrutiny and the family says they plan to sue.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:26:39] WHITFIELD: Welcome back. A family is taking steps to sue the Phoenix Police Department for $10 million after police pointed a gun and shouted profanities at them and their two young children all because a clerk at a Family Dollar Store accused them of shoplifting.

A warning that some in this video may be hard to watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get out of the [bleep] car.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: The family has filed paperwork indicating that they will sue the police department. The couple says they didn't realize their four-year-old took a doll from the store until they were in the car and that's when the family says officers approached their car with guns drawn.

Reporter Max Gorden with KTVK and KPHO walks us through what happened.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MAX GORDEN, REPORTER, KTVK AND KPHO (voice over): Guns drawn, profanity flying. Cell phone video from two angles shows the moments Phoenix police officers detained 22-year-old, Dravon Ames and 24-year- old, Iesha Harper.

It all stemmed from accusations that their daughter stole a doll from a Dollar General. But both Ames and Harper were later released and no charges were filed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. JARRETT MAUPIN, FAMILY SPOKESPERSON: If that's the way you typically stop people of color or anybody in this city, you are asking for problems in the streets of this city.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORDEN (voice over): Now, the family is suing Phoenix PD saying officers used excessive force after approaching their car without lights or sirens.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DRAVON AMES, PLANNING TO SUE PHOENIX POLICE DEPARTMENT: We parked in the complex, dropping our daughter off to the babysitter. Next thing you know, a police officer -- or we didn't know who he was, a guy -- random guy comes up to the car, "Open the door," bang on the window with a gun. Say he is going to shoot us in our face, telling us to get out of car. We don't know who he is.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORDEN (voice over): The family says between five to ten minutes went by from when officers first approached and when people started filming.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAUPIN: The whole --- the whole shebang was racist.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORDEN (voice over): But police experts say there's lots of missing information here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEVIN BOONTJER, RETIRED TEMPE POLICE OFFICER: You know nothing about what led up to this encounter. You know nothing about what radio traffic transpired. We know nothing about the officer's state of mind as to what they believed and what their perceptions were.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORDEN (voice over): And while it's not clear if officers knew it at the time, Ames currently has a pending charge of aggravated assault on an officer from October of last year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOONTJER: Police officer has every right to go home at the end of their shift as anybody else does.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GORDEN (voice over): So were these officers being overly aggressive or does the tape only tell half the story?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOONTJER: We always treat people nicely and with respect, but you do not know who they are or what they're about.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks to Max Gorden of KTVK and KPHO for that reporting.

The Phoenix Police Department posted on Facebook this saying, "The Phoenix Police Department takes all allegations of misconduct seriously. And for this reason, this incident is currently being investigated by the Professional Standards Bureau." All right still ahead, hours before and attack on two tankers in the

Gulf of Oman this week, a U.S. official tells CNN the Iranian spotted a U.S. drone flying overhead and launched a surface to air missile at the unmanned aircraft and we'll talk about all of that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:33:26] WHITFIELD: The U.S. is leveling new accusations about Iran's possible involvement in an oil tanker attack in the Gulf of Oman. A U.S. official says Iran launched a missile at a U.S. drone flying over the Gulf hours before that attack. Iran maintains it had nothing to do with the tanker attacks.

CNN's Barbara Starr explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the hours just before the attack on two oil tankers, a U.S. drone flying overhead saw Iranian boats closing in on the tankers and then Iran launched a surface to air missile at the American drone but missed, a U.S. official tells CNN.

The source did not say the drone captured the Iranian boats conducting an actual attack.

Now at the Pentagon, tough words for Iran.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICK SHANAHAN, ACTING DEFENSE SECRETARY: We're making sure that General McKenzie and the Central Command has the resources and the support that they need to conduct their missions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR (voice over): But Iran doesn't seem to be backing off. More provocation. Iranian small boats are preventing tug boats from towing away one of the damaged tankers, a U.S. official says. President Trump, this time, believing the Intelligence he is shown.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

TRUMP: Iran did do it and you know they did it because you saw the boat.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

STARR (voice over): U.S. officials pointing to these images as the proof. An Iranian boat coming along side one of the two commercial tankers that had just been attacked in the sea of Oman. Iranians trying to remove an unexploded mine so no evidence is left behind, according to U.S. officials.

Now, President Trump is sounding a warning.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

TRUMP: We don't take it lightly, that I can tell you.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

[11:35:08] STARR (voice over): Right now, U.S. policy is to maintain diplomatic and economic pressure on Tehran through sanctions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHANAHAN: The focus for myself and Ambassador Bolton and Secretary Pompeo is to build international consensus to this international problem.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STARR (voice over): Behind the scenes, all options are being reviewed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE POMPEO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE: These unprovoked attacks present a clear threat to international peace and security, a blatant assault on the freedom of navigation and an unacceptable campaign of escalating tension by Iran.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STARR (on camera): And CNN has learned just days earlier, another U.S. drone was shot down by Iranian backed rebels in Yemen. And to add to the confusion, one of the owners of one of the tanker says he doesn't even think his vessel was hit by a mine. Barbara Starr, CNN, The Pentagon.

WHITFIELD: All right, let's talk further now. Aaron David Miller is with me now from Washington. He spent two decades at the U.S. State Department and as an adviser and negotiator under Democratic and Republican administrations. Good to see you.

So the U.S. says it has proof of a major provocation by Iran and Iran is denying the involvement. What are your greatest concerns about what happened?

AARON DAVID MILLER, FORMER STATE DEPARTMENT NEGOTIATOR: I mean, based on the video, I was an Intel analyst State Department for a decade, Intelligence is rarely slam dunk. But you know, if it quacks it swims and as it is feathers, it is most likely a duck.

And looking at that video putting Iranian mariners in a gosh - declassed fast boat up against the hull of the Japanese tanker, its crew had been evacuated, in part because they saw an unexploded mine, it seems pretty obvious that a state actor with the capacity and the intention was responsible for this.

By process of elimination, I suspect the Iranians were in fact responsible. WHITFIELD: So what are your concerns about what is potentially next?

You heard from the interim Defense Secretary who, you know, talked about international consensus. How do we gauge that right now?

MILLER: Well, the problem is and the administration has some serious constraints and liabilities here. Number one is the President's very strange relationship with the truth. And, and let's be clear what amounts to incessant lying.

The problem is if you are taking the nation into a crisis, let alone into war. You need your credibility, your believability, the notion that you have the intelligence, the prudence, the wisdom and the facts to take America into a military conflict becomes incredibly important, not just for the American public, but for the allies that you want to cohere into an alignment.

And on this issue, the administration is in trouble because most of the Europeans, even if they believe, and I suspect they do, that the Iranians were responsible for this are against the administration's policy of unilaterally withdrawing from the Iran nuclear agreement, which they would argue, is the reason that we're in this mess right now to begin with.

And that's not to say the Iranians are a serial human rights abuser, a regional troublemaker, but the reality is, and your question, Fred is right, where does this go and without an end game on the part of the administration, either to push the Iranians back into a serious negotiation, or at least to set up a de-confliction channel or a hotline? I think the headlines on this one are bad and the trend lines are bad, and we could be heading for a serious confrontation.

WHITFIELD: And do you see great potential as it pertains to U.S. military involvement there? And of course, with congressional approval, or are you worried that this administration may not be working with Congress as it pursues such potential?

MILLER: Well, it's clear when it comes to a number of elements -- the murder of Jamal Khashoggi, arms sales, which the Congress is trying to obstruct, in my judgment, rightly; the war in Yemen, all of these things have created a suspicion and profound mistrust, let alone on the domestic issues, which makes the Executive Branch and Legislative Branch interaction very difficult going into a crisis, which is not great.

But final point, you have a very risk averse President who ran on a campaign of getting Americans out of unwinnable old wars and not getting them into new ones.

I think in the end, hopefully, that will be the primary reason that we're not going to go to a serious escalatory cycle that gets us into a significant military confrontation with the Iranians.

We need to start talking to them if they're ready, rather than just about them.

WHITFIELD: Aaron, David Miller, we'll leave it there for now. Thank you so much.

MILLER: Thank you, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Still ahead. Questions being raised after another American tourist dies in the Dominican Republic. Her son says he was told she died of a heart attack, but he doesn't believe it. Details, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. New questions are being raised after another American tourist dies in the Dominican Republic.

So far at least seven tourists have died there in that country in the past year under different circumstances, and now CNN affiliate, WATE reports another American tourist has died at a resort.

The son of 53-year-old Leyla Cox says his mom was in the Dominican Republic celebrating her birthday when she was found dead in her hotel room. William Cox says he was told she died of a heart attack, but no toxicology report was ever ordered. He says he was also told the toxicology machines were broken.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILLIAM COX, MOTHER DIED IN DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: My mother was too healthy to pass away of a heart attack, which is what the Dominican Republic claims is her cause of death.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: CNN correspondent Patrick Oppmann is in Santo Domingo, so Patrick what more about how details of the death -- this latest death are coming about?

[11:45:10] PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, as with all these tragedies, people are asking whether this is just a coincidence or pattern of something. And so far, there is no evidence to suggest that any of the 2.7 million tourists that come from the United States to the Dominican Republic every year, face any kind of unusual or extraordinary danger.

But the question still remains is what happened to all of these different people? And are they separate, unrelated incidents? Or is there some kind of connection here? And we just don't know.

But we did speak to the hotel in Punta Cana, where this woman, Leyla Cox, tragically passed away on Monday. And they told us that she had been feeling unwell, and that she was taken to the hospital.

But of course, when her son was told, according to our affiliate was something different and that she had been found passed away dead at the hotel from a heart attack.

So there is some conflicting information. We are trying to get to the bottom of it. We've asked Dominican authorities, with a Tourism Office, with police have to tell us what they know. There is a lot of hesitance here to talk about this, because so much of this country's economy depends on tourism.

WHITFIELD: Of course, and so Patrick, who or what body would be leading an investigation like this? Or now engaging in this investigation, particularly since there are so many discrepancies about the circumstances of death, about when or whether somebody was actually sick leading up to their death and commonalities of any of these resorts?

OPPMANN: Yes, so for the deaths that happened at one resort, this death today that we learned about today, happened at a different resort. Many of them in the same area -- tourist areas which is not surprising since these people are tourists, and they're going to the beach areas, but it would be the National Police here.

We've been dealing with them a lot this week, reporting not just on this story, but on the on the shooting of David Ortiz, the major league baseball player who they are investigating his still unresolved shooting and it is a police force in a poor country. And they do not have the resources perhaps that you have in other countries.

The F.B.I. is assisting, but no results back from the toxicology testing that they have been doing.

WHITFIELD: All right, Patrick Oppmann, thank you so much. We'll check back with you in Sano Domingo.

Next, all charges dropped against government officials in the Flint, Michigan water scandal. And now a new prosecution team says it is starting over starting from scratch. We will tell you why.

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[11:51:20] WHITFIELD: A restart for the investigation in the Flint water scandal. It has been four years since Flint, Michigan declared an emergency over its water quality. And this week, prosecutors announced that they are dismissing all related criminal cases against government officials and they will start the investigation from scratch.

CNN correspondent, Polo Sandoval is live for us now in Flint, Michigan this morning. So what is the explanation? And what's the consensus about this?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Fred, Michigan's current Attorney General has made it very clear when this announcement was made just a couple of days ago that this is really just justice delayed, not justice denied.

The AG is saying that basically they want this hard reset on the investigation, saying that they still have to comb over millions of documents that did not get reviewed. They are concerned about the integrity or really the strength of this case.

So their solution is to literally wipe the slate clean and restart again. They do still have some time to file these charges against these high-ranking Michigan State officials for multiple charges, including manslaughter.

Now, when you hear from the community, though, they are certainly stunned. They are outraged. They are calling for accountability. And many of them just say that they do not believe this version that's coming from officials.

They believe that this is perhaps an attempt to make some of this go away. We heard from somebody on air yesterday from a resident of Flint who says that every time that they close to having somebody held accountable, it simply stops.

And then today, just a few moments ago, I heard from somebody on this very spot, Paul Macintosh a resident of Flint for over 50 years who says he just doesn't buy what he is hearing from officials. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL MACINTOSH, FLINT, MICHIGAN RESIDENT: I think it'd be justice denied, but they still are out there enough that they really can't get away with it and just swipe it up under the table. You know, well, everybody knows how politicians are.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Now Nick Lyon, one of the highest ranking officials who was among the list of defendants releasing a statement through this attorney saying that he feels vindicated and that he is not concerned about a continued investigation. In fact, he welcomes a broader investigation.

And when you hear from the Attorney General, Fred, she says that that is exactly what they're doing. They're essentially looking at this case again.

WHITFIELD: Yes, and this is very serious for so many residents there. We're talking about at least 12 people who have been killed or at least associated -- their deaths associated with this polluted water and Legionnaires disease. All right, thank you so much, Polo Sandoval. Appreciate it. From Flint, Michigan. And we'll be right back.

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[11:57:45] WHITFIELD: Next hour, Notre Dame in Paris will host its first mass since a fire destroyed much of the iconic Cathedral exactly two months ago today.

Millions of dollars in donations have poured in for repairs. CNN's Cyril Vanier has the story.

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CYRIL VANIER, CNN ANCHOR (voice over): It was a moment that no one in Paris or even the world expected that evening back in April. France's beloved 850-year-old Notre Dame Cathedral bursting into flames, bits of embers flying off its roof and singeing the ground below.

Much of the bustling city coming to a standstill as hundreds of fire trucks roared through the streets. Just a couple hours later, the Cathedral's iconic spire burned to a blacken shell then finally toppling. Thousands of Parisians watching from below in horror.

It all started when a fire alarm rang out interrupting mass. A police officer running in telling everyone to evacuate. Three rescue workers were injured, but no worshippers were hurt.

Authorities ruling out terrorism, but the investigation into the fire's cause continues.

Nearly two months after the blaze, the church once again opens its doors Saturday evening for mass, the first time since the tragedy. Only about 20 to 30 people will be allowed inside out of safety concerns. The church remains under construction.

Within days of the inferno, donations were pouring in from all over the world. The Notre Dame Foundation reports that as of Wednesday, it has received over $17 million and an additional $425 million has been pledged.

Saturday's mass, a small step in not only rebuilding the structure itself, but the faith of those who will step inside. Cyril Vanier, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: And don't miss an all new episode of the CNN Original Series, "The Redemption Project" with Van Jones. Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VAN JONES, CNN ANCHOR: Nobody explained this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nobody.

JONES: What were you doing?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was just -- like stealing stuff out of the stores and everything, going to school selling them.

JONES: What was the money for?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I like Jordan. Don't shoot me. I like shoes.

JONES: Sneaker head.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I was a sneaker head. I just loved shoes. I was like, I've got to keep these shoes.

(END VIDEO CLIP) [12:00:10]

END