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Hala Gorani Tonight
Trump Launching Re-election Campaign Tuesday Night; Immigration Remains Top Talking Point For Trump Campaign; Calls Grow For Investigation Into Mohamed Morsi's Death; Dominican Prosecutors Identify Suspect Behind Ortiz Shooting; Environmentalist Brings Rooftop Farming To Parched Cairo; Donald Trump Announces Deportation of Undocumented Immigrants Beginning Next Week; Mexico Deploying Half of Promised Troops to Its Southern Border; U.K. Conservative Party Narrows Race to Five Candidates. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired June 18, 2019 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:00:21] ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR, HALA GORANI TONIGHT: A very good evening to you, coming to you live from CNN London. I'm Isa Soares,
sitting in for Hala Gorani. It's 7:00 p.m. here in London, tonight.
Just hours before he officially launches his 2020 campaign, Donald Trump promises a big move against illegal immigrants. But is the Department of
Homeland Security on the same Twitter page.
Then, the U.K. is a step closer to having a new prime minister. And this man has a commanding lead in that race. We'll tell you why so many of
Boris Johnson's fellow Conservative M.P.s think he is the man for the job.
And then later this hour, CNN lays eyes on Dominican court documents that reveal the person accused of paying for the hit on baseball superstar David
Ortiz.
But, first, we begin with a vague yet ominous threat by U.S. President Donald Trump took even many of his own staffers, I may add, by surprise.
Just before officially kicking off his re-election campaign, Mr. Trump tweeted that the U.S. will begin deporting millions of undocumented
immigrants next week. Now, he gave no details except to say they'll be removed -- I'm quoting him here -- "as fast as they come in."
Well, that kind of declaration's like throwing red meat, as you can imagine, to Mr. Trump's base. His supporters are already gathering outside
an arena in Florida -- you can see there -- where he'll headline a rally tonight.
And CNN, of course, has the story covered from Washington to Mexico's southern border. Abby Philip joins us live from the White House. And
Michael Holmes is in Ciudad Hidalgo in Mexico, along the border with Guatemala. If I can, start with Abby first.
Abby, we know -- do we know at this stage -- (INAUDIBLE), I might add -- whether these suites (ph) that we saw from President Trump, threatening
undocumented migrants, will be part of his campaign rally tonight, and perhaps the rest of his campaign. And more importantly, how do you think
this will play with his supporters?
ABBY PHILLIP, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, undoubtedly, the president's immigration message is really at the core of his presidency and
it's at the core of his appeal to his own supporters.
So I think there's no question that the president will be talking about immigration. The question is, will he talk specifically about what he --
what he teased in his tweet last night, which is a widespread, you know, immigration crackdown that he said would be coming next week.
There's already indications that that is not the case. That's not exactly what's happening here. And so will the president double down on that, is
really an open question. But I think there's an element to this that's really about how he signals to his base of supporters, which is always to
tell them that he's trying to do something about this problem.
But the reality has been that of all the promises that President Trump has made to his supporters, I think immigration has been one of the most
difficult for him to keep. This border crisis continues to escalate, month after month. He has not gotten the money to finish the wall, as he has
wanted for years and years.
And so every time he is faced with a moment like this, he tries to let his supporters know that he's doing something about it. And I think that's
what this tweet seems to have been about, especially on the eve of the relaunch of his campaign, where he's expecting thousands of supporters to
be in this arena.
It's an important message for them because this is one of those promises that he's made, that he's really struggling to keep. And struggling to
handle all by himself, considering that congressional Democrats are not going along with the administration's demands to change the way that
immigration laws work in this country.
SOARES: And on that point, Abby, as you and I are talking, we're looking at live pictures coming out from Orlando, Florida where it looks like it's
raining on the ground there. I'm not sure whether that's impacting the numbers.
But what -- on what you were saying, Abby, he seems -- I mean, the immigration, focusing on immigration seemed to work for the president back
in 2016, when he was attacking immigrants coming from Mexico, was attacking the wall, saying they were rapists. It didn't work for him in the
midterms. So why does he think it will work this time around?
PHILLIP: Well, this is not so much about reaching those undecided or independent voters, it's really about speaking to the president's base.
Speaking to his core supporters, the types of people who will show up at campaign rallies like the one that he's about to have tonight in Orlando,
it's about those people.
And so it didn't help him in 2016, or the Republican Party, because they needed to expand their support among, you know, suburban voters, among
purple state voters.
But when the president is at a moment like this and he's trying to get his supporters to stick with him, that's why he reverts back to this message.
[14:05:00] But you'll also note that campaign advisors privately will say, "We want the president to talk about the economy, we want the -- we want
him to talk about what's working for the American public." These messages about immigration do not expand his base of support. And that has been a
source of contention with his aides.
But it is also something of a comfort blanket for President Trump. He goes back to it when he wants to sort of, you know, maintain control over the
message of his campaign, and really distract, in some ways, from other things that are going on that are less favorable to him.
SOARES: Abby Phillips, there, for us at the White House. Thanks very much.
And I want to go to Michael Holmes, who joins us now from Ciudad Hidalgo in Mexico, the border with Guatemala.
And, Michael, we're looking at these live pictures coming from Orlando, Florida, of Trump, expected to speak later on today. Give me a sense of
whether these tweets, these comments by President Trump, have they rattled nerves on the ground where you are at all?
MICHAEL HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Yes. We were up in Tapachula, about 40 minutes away from here, just a little while ago, Isa.
And people up there, they were responding to it. Some of them were saying that because of the general attitude of the U.S. to migrants at the moment,
some of them are saying they're going to stay in Mexico. They're trying to get their paperwork sorted, that will allow them to stay.
Others were saying, though, "It doesn't matter what Trump says. We are so desperate to get out of our home countries and find some stability and
security, we will continue on to the U.S."
So there has been -- there has been a reaction, but it hasn't been a strong one yet. They're used to hearing Donald Trump basically saying, "We don't
want you here." So for them, it's more of the same. But there is also a determination -- and we've talked about this a lot -- the problems in those
home countries -- Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua as well -- where people are escaping, literally for their lives, Isa.
So whatever Donald Trump says about deporting millions -- of course it won't be millions -- they are still determined to change their lives one
way or the other.
SOARES: Yes. A deterrent for some. But, like you've been showing us, day-in, day-out on the ground, many people -- as you're clearly saying,
Michael -- extremely desperate. Give me a sense of the desperation there.
HOLMES: Yes. Exactly. In fact, one of the families we were just talking to was a family of seven or eight, three generations of the same family.
The woman's husband had been killed by gangs for not paying up. The son- in-law was threatened. He drove a bus and he was threatened for not paying up taxes on his bus route. And then they came home to a note on their
door, saying, "You've got 24 hours to leave."
They've been sleeping on the streets in Tapachula for the last nine days. The next immigration appointment is a month away. There's a baby there,
five-month-old baby. They're sleeping on the streets. It is hot. It is humid. It rains every afternoon. And when it rains, they get wet.
Meanwhile, the Mexican government is doing that rollout of troops, as they'd promised to. And -- but it's not going to be the numbers that they
initially said it would be. Have a look.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES (voice-over): The Mexican government initially said 6,000 troops and police would be in place along the southern border with Guatemala by
Tuesday, to deal with the migrant crisis.
But at a news conference Monday, a government spokesman said that won't happen.
MAXIMILIANO REYES ZUNIGA, MEXICAN UNDERSECRETARY OF STATE (through translator): I think that finishing this week, there should be
approximately 50 percent of those 6,000 assigned.
HOLMES (voice-over): Still activity has increased in the last 24 to 48 hours. Here, entire truckloads of migrants found in the state of Veracruz.
Also, more checkpoints, roadblocks and a growing number of detentions.
But here, at a packed human rights center in Tapachula, those in charge say this isn't a job for soldiers not trained to deal with women and children
who are fleeing for their lives.
HOLMES: Are troops the answer? Is the military the answer?
SAL DE LA CRUZ (ph): No, because they need protection. They don't need more violence, more detention. And being deported, sent back again to the
violence in their countries.
HOLMES: So you think it'll make it worse?
SAL DE LA CRUZ (ph): Yes. I'm sure about that.
HOLMES (voice-over): Sal De La Cruz (ph) says the center he runs has seen more migrants in the past five months than the previous three years
combined. And what people are fleeing in their home countries is worse than dodging troops to get here.
SAL DE LA CRUZ (ph): The situation we have here is people hiding away from violence and trying to save their life because if they don't leave their
countries, they will die. They will be killed.
HOLMES (voice-over): Mexico's government says it is unable to cope alone, needing international help including from the U.S.
ZUNIGA (through translator): Without a doubt, the U.S. will have to invest because the Latin American migration phenomenon is not exclusive to one
country. And all those involved should be doing this.
HOLMES (voice-over): The migrants come from many countries. But the vast majority come from right there, Guatemala, more than 210,000 apprehended at
the U.S. border in the eight months to May (ph). And this is one of the ways they get there: jump on a pontoon, go from there to Mexico, a dollar
a head and you're there.
[14:10:04] There are dozens more crossing points, a porous nearly thousand- kilometer border. And human rights groups say migrants will take more remote and potentially more dangerous routes to avoid security forces. But
while the reasons they left in the first place remain, they will still come.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HOLMES: And, Isa, we're on the Suchiate River, here. Guatemala is behind me. We're in Mexico. The traffic going back and forth on those pontoons
continues, most of it, it has to be said, is commercial. People come bring goods over. They're avoiding taxes, basically. They might come, do
a bit of shopping, go back to Guatemala.
But this is also where migrants come across. We're talking to the guys who operate these pontoons. They say there are fewer migrants coming across,
but if the Border Police send the National Guard, show up here and stop those migrants, they'll just move further down the river. You're talking a
900-kilometer border. It is hard to plug the holes -- Isa.
SOARES: Michael Holmes there for us on the ground. Thanks very much, Michael. Good to see you.
And then, there were five. Here in the U.K., we're one step closer to finding out who the next prime minister will be. The race for the leader
of the ruling Conservative Party has just been whittled down, with former Brexit secretary and arch-Brexiteer, Dominic Raab, eliminated from the
contest after a vote by the party's M.P.s and (INAUDIBLE).
Now, Boris Johnson is still the favorite to replace Theresa May after topping the ballot with 126 votes. His closest challenger was Foreign
Secretary Jeremy Hunt, with 46. The surviving candidates will now face two more ballots until only two remain in the race. Let's hear (ph) more on
this now, Erin McLaughlin has been looking at all the numbers.
Erin, what do you make of these numbers? Because we shouldn't be surprised, Boris Johnson's still there in the lead, many expecting him to
be -- he is the favorite, right?
ERIN MCLAUGHLIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely.
SOARES: So what's the point of having two more races?
MCLAUGHLIN: Well, you know, I think at this point, what's interesting to me, looking at these numbers, is the fact that things haven't coalesced
much further than five. They've gone from six in the last round to five.
Keep in mind, three were eliminated last round, one, dropping out. Now, five in the race to become the next prime minister. But they haven't
coalesced around two names or perhaps even Boris Johnson.
So some are still holding out, which I think is interesting. Also, what's interesting from these results is the strong showing by the international
development secretary, Rory Stewart, picked up 18 votes, which is more than any other candidate, including Boris Johnson.
SOARES: And he was considered an outsider, correct?
MCLAUGHLIN: Considered an outsider, came in last place. He's also very much seen as the anti-Boris. He's advocating for Theresa May's deal as the
solution to Brexit --
SOARES: Wow.
MCLAUGHLIN: -- wants to see it go through, which is --
SOARES: -- and (ph) he has (ph) support for that?
MCLAUGHLIN: -- very -- well, yes, clearly. I mean, he has -- he picked up 18 more votes. He had also, a surprisingly strong showing in the debate on
Sunday. I don't know if you had an opportunity to watch it, but he was very candid. People like his campaign style as well, seen as very organic,
very different for a member of the Conservative Party.
But I think it's important to also remember here, you (ph) said that these are M.P.s voting.
SOARES: Yes.
MCLAUGHLIN: It's not -- this isn't yet going out to the wider Tory party, that only happens at the end of the week once they coalesce on two names.
SOARES: Right. I want to show our viewers some extraordinary statistics. now, YouGov conducted a poll of Conservative Party members, where they were
asked if they would rather Brexit took place, even if it not only jeopardized the integrity of the United Kingdom, but actually caused it to
break up.
TEXT: Conservatives Would Rather Brexit Took Place Even if it Caused... Northern Ireland to leave U.K., 59 percent. Scotland to leave U.K., 63
percent.
SOARES: Look at these numbers. You can see 59 percent said they would be willing to see Northern Ireland leave the U.K. -- this is truly shocking --
while 63 percent said they would be OK if Scotland left as long as Brexit is delivered.
Now, extraordinary of course, given the Conservative Party's commitment to the union. However, only 39 percent said they would want Brexit took place
even if it caused Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to become prime minister.
MCLAUGHLIN: Corbyn is their greatest fear.
SOARES: It is. It's --
(CROSSTALK)
MCLAUGHLIN: -- is what this poll shows us. It's also interesting to me, the statistics, 61 percent responded, saying they would rather Brexit took
place even if it caused significant damage to the U.K. economy.
And that is significant, and possibly why so many of these candidates in play -- Boris Johnson, Jeremy Hunt, Michael Gove, Sajid Javid -- are going
for that no-deal in terms of their -- they want to keep that as an option on the table, to gain leverage from the European Union. But this poll,
saying it's worth -- to the Tory Party members, it's worth that cost.
SOARES: But, Erin --
MCLAUGHLIN: Which is alarming to diplomats and other E.U. officials, to have (ph) to (ph) --
(CROSSTALK)
SOARES: It doesn't matter which way you slice it. However we read the numbers. The reality is, the numbers in Parliament just don't add up. So
whoever gets the votes, how are they going to get out of this mess?
MCLAUGHLIN: Well, and I think that's going to be the key question for Boris Johnson when he appears at the debate in the next hour. Many people,
also hoping that Rory Stewart, the likes of Rory Stewart, the so-called anti-Boris will really hold his feet to the fire --
[14:15:06] SOARES: Yes.
MCLAUGHLIN: -- and get some detail from him as to how he plans to pull Brexit off without a complete economic catastrophe. And, in the worse-case
scenario to many members of the Tory Party, according to this poll, triggering a general election, ushering in a Jeremy Corbyn government.
SOARES: Erin McLaughlin, thanks very much. Great stuff. Of course, we'll keep an eye on that debate taking place here in the U.K.
Now, there were a few scary moments today for German Chancellor Angela Merkel. She began to shake while standing next to Ukraine's president as
the band played both nations' national anthems.
It was fairly hot in Berlin, about 30 degrees Celsius, and Merkel later said she was just dehydrated -- you can see her there, shaking -- the
chancellor says she drank three glasses of water and is now doing fine.
Now, still to come tonight, both Iran and the U.S. say they don't want war. So why, then, is the U.S. sending more troops to the Persian Gulf? We are
live from the Pentagon and from Tehran.
And disgraced former UEFA president, Michel Platini, has been taken into custody as part of a corruption investigation. We'll have the full story,
next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Now, there's a mixed reaction from Iran after the U.S. announced plans to send 1,000 more troops to the Persian Gulf. Iran's president said
he doesn't want war, but senior military commander says that Tehran is ready to act if the U.S. shows, quote, "ill intentions."
Now, the Pentagon released these images we want to show you, which reportedly proved that Iran is behind the attack on two oil tankers.
Now, Iran denies this. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met with Central Command generals a short time ago. He says the U.S. wants to show
Iran it is serious. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE POMPEO, SECRETARY OF STATE: We have been engaged in many messages, even this moment right here, communicating to Iran that we are there to
deter aggression. President Trump does not want war. And we will continue to communicate that message while doing the things that are necessary to
protect American interests in the region.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Well, Russia, meantime, warned the U.S. is on-course to provoke a war. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen is in Tehran with more reaction. Ryan Browne
is at the Pentagon.
Good evening to you both.
Ryan, I want to begin with you, if I may. We heard President Trump and Mike Pompeo just say that President Trump does not want war. Yet there's a
deployment of troops to the region. This, after weeks of bellicose rhetoric. So how much of this, Ryan, would you say is a bit of posturing
from the U.S.?
RYAN BROWNE, CNN PENTAGON REPORTER: Well, the U.S. is describing this newest deployment of about 1,000 troops as a defensive measure. In fact,
officials are telling us that the types of troops being deployed include surveillance, reconnaissance forces, force protection units, missile
defense units that could shoot down enemy missiles.
So they're very much attempting to portray this as a defensive move, potentially to ward off a threat from Iran or one of Iran's proxies in the
region.
TEXT: Active Duty U.S. Troops: Turkey, 1,648; Syria, about 2,000*; Iraq, about 5,200*; Egypt, 275; Saudi Arabia, 297; Kuwait, 2,097; Bahrain, 4,270;
Qatar, 10,000; UAE, 379; Afghanistan, about 14,000*. Source: DMDC as of 3/31/2019, Countries with 100+ U.S. Troops; * = CNN Estimate
[14:20:04] BROWNE: In fact, the Pentagon, pointing to the attack on the tankers as evidence of -- as proof as to why this deployment is a prudent
gesture. So very much trying to describe this additional force movement as defensive in nature, not seeking to provoke Iran. But, again, tensions
remain very high right now.
SOARES: Do stay with us, Ryan.
If I can ask my producer, Niall, to bring up that map again, of active U.S. troops in the Middle East. Because, Fred, we're looking at a map now of
active duty U.S. troops, right across the Middle East. How effective is this pressure, in your opinion? This pressure campaign by President Trump.
Is Iran at all rattled by this, do you think?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. No, I don't think it's effective at all. And it was quite interesting to hear
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, as he was giving that speech, saying that he believes that the maximum pressure campaign of the Trump administration
is, in fact, working.
So far, I don't think that the Iranians believe that it's working at all. There were two things that essentially President Trump said that he wanted
to achieve with that maximum pressure campaign. Of course, those very tough sanctions, which have been highly detrimental to this country's
economy.
On the one hand, he said that he was going to stop Iran being prolific in this greater Middle Eastern region, stop some of the military things that
Iran was doing in this region. And on the other hand, he said that he would bring Iran back to the negotiating table.
Now, we know that last week, when Shinzo Abe was in Tehran, that the Iranian supreme leader flat-out told him there's not going to be any
negotiations with President Trump, certainly not as long as this maximum pressure campaign is in place.
And then, you look at the current situation in the -- in the Persian Gulf. And generally in the area, it certainly doesn't appear as though Iran is
backing down there. In fact, just a couple of minutes ago, actually listening to a speech by the head of the Revolutionary Guard, who was all
of a sudden claiming that Iran now has the capability to fire at American aircraft carriers with their ballistic missiles.
Now, we don't know how much of that is bluster. But the Iranians certainly are saying, look, they're pretty strong in this region. And on the face of
it, a lot of it is asymmetrical. Obviously, they don't have the kind of fire power that the U.S. does, but they do also control a lot of militias
in a lot of other countries. So certainly, they do feel that if there is any sort of escalation between themselves and the U.S., that they could
make it very painful for the Americans -- Isa.
SOARES: On that point then, Fred, from those you have spoken to on the ground, do you get there's a sense -- is there a sense of hubris from Iran,
that they have the upper hand here?
PLEITGEN: I think that there are some generals who believe that they're in a pretty good position. I don't think that generally, the Iranian
population believes that this is about to -- people having the upper hand or not. I mean, we have to keep in mind that there are a lot of people who
are suffering a great deal economically under these sanctions, under what's been going on.
I was actually walking around Tehran, going around, also, the grand bazaar here, speaking to a lot of people, actually, in the past couple days. And
many of them have said they would like all of this to end. They obviously want their economic situation to get better. Some of them are concerned
that there could be a military standoff, that things could escalate with the United States.
So by and large, many people just want this to move forward and they want to find or they want their leadership -- and the U.S. leadership together -
- to find some sort of solution for this.
But at the same time, you do have those military commanders who very much say, if it does come to an escalation, they are ready for it. It's
something that they've been preparing for for a very long time. And they believe that they do pose -- maybe an asymmetrical threat to the United
States, a presence here in the Middle East, but certainly still quite a threat, in any case -- Isa.
SOARES: And thank you, Fred, for reminding us, really, of the impact of these sanctions on the people. Because often, with the politics and the
rhetoric, we often forget about that.
Ryan, let me go back to you. Because the deployment marks, I think it's fair to say, a reversal of sorts for the president. And only last week --
correct me if I'm wrong -- said he thought no more forces were needed. How is the news of more troops being received in the U.S.?
BROWNE: Well, I think the additional troops are coming at the request of the commanders on the ground. U.S. Central Command actually, where
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was visiting today, which oversees U.S. military operations in the region, they're the ones who actually requested
the additional reinforcements, feeling that the threat was still there.
And, again, so it's very much being driven by commanders on the grounds, these requests, we're being told. But, again, 1,000 troops, relatively
small number given that there are some 70,000 U.S. personnel deployed throughout the region. You saw in that graphic earlier. It's a relatively
small increase in force protection troops at this stage, anyway.
SOARES: Thanks very much. Ryan Browne at the Pentagon, Frederik Pleitgen for us in Tehran this evening. Thank you to you both.
Now, he was one of the greatest footballers on the planet, and one of the most powerful men, in fact, in football governance. Now, disgraced former
UEFA president, Michel Platini, has been taken into custody as part of a corruption investigation over the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.
I want to bring in CNN's world sport (ph) Don Riddell with more.
[14:25:08] And, Don, just to clarify for our viewers, he's only been brought in for questioning, right? Do we know at this point, what exactly
authorities are focusing on?
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT: Hey, Isa. So, yes, we understand that he was taken into custody earlier on Tuesday, in a suburb of Paris, for a
conversation about a number of things. The main focus does appear to be the 2010 event, when FIFA awarded the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.
We also understand, he's been discussing the Euro 2016 bid, which was won by France by a single vote. We understand he's been asked questions on
that.
But the main focus -- and certainly the main headlines of this event are around what he knew about that 2010 vote, and crucially, a lunch he had
with the then-French president, Nicolas Sarkozy and the emir of Qatar, just two weeks before that vote at the end of 2010.
SOARES: And, Don, Platini has been accused of changing his mind to vote for Qatar rather than the United States, correct?
RIDDELL: Mm-hmm.
SOARES: So he is always denied this. But of course, we have covered this here on CNN with labor rights, human rights records, really (ph) bought
(ph) into questions over Qatar. Explain to our viewers, how did Qatar beat the U.S., Japan, Australia and South Korea?
RIDDELL: Well, that's the $64 million question, isn't it? And critics of FIFA would argue that perhaps millions of dollars have something to do with
the answer. I mean, how did Qatar with that vote? Well, they got more votes than any of the other countries. The big question is, how did that
happen. And that's something that investigators have been working on for several years now.
Of course, supporters of FIFA in this decision would say that every region of the world has every right to be able to host the World Cup. The Middle
East has never had a World Cup, so why shouldn't they get one.
But when you look at all the factors around this -- and you mentioned some of the more negative aspects of Qatar as a country -- but this tournament
is going to have to be played in the wintertime, European-wise. The games are going to have to be played at night because it's just so hot there.
It's going to completely disrupt the European calendar for a good three football seasons.
So it -- whichever way you look at it, it was a strange win for Qatar. There were gasps of disbelief in the room at the time. And it's never
really made sense to a lot of people who have been looking at it.
SOARES: Yes. And we know that FIFA's own 2014 internal investigation also cleared Qatar of corruption, so it's important to mention that.
RIDDELL: Right.
SOARES: But on Platini, Don, finally, for -- our viewers will know this. He really is no stranger to controversy, is he? I mean, he was banned, I
think, for four years from football. What more do we know about this?
RIDDELL: Well, of course, he's an absolute megastar in the world of football as a player. He captained his country, France, to the European
Championship title in 1984. He won the Ballon d'Or, best player of the year award, three consecutive years.
TEXT: Michel Platini, Former UEFA President Detained: Taken into custody by police near Paris Tuesday; Action connected to 2022 World Cup bid
process; Currently banned from football for ethics breaches; three times Ballon d'Or winner has denied any wrongdoing.
RIDDELL: And then he successfully transitioned into a career as a football administrator. He was the head of UEFA -- that's European football's
governing body -- for an eight-year period between 2007 and 2015, and he was expected by many to succeed Sepp Blatter as the president of FIFA.
TEXT: Michel Platini, Former UEFA President: Three times Ballon d'Or Winner; 1984 European Champion; 1998 World Cup organizer; Banned from
football in 2015
But of course, all that went horribly wrong in the aftermath of these investigations into FIFA and corruption. He was banned from the game for
four years for accepting a $2 million advisory payment. But that was found to be in breach of FIFA's ethics code.
He is now, actually, approaching the end of that four-year ban and he's trying to rehabilitate himself. Just a couple of years -- couple of days
ago, he's giving interviews, talking about how he still thinks he has something to offer.
And when his ban ends later this year, that perhaps he can return to football governance. But I think that's going to be very difficult for
him, especially given the events of today, Isa.
SOARES: Don, very quickly, you mentioned Sepp Blatter. Was Sepp Blatter also questioned over this?
RIDDELL: I don't believe that he was questioned today. But it's going to be interesting to see who else is brought in to answer questions on this.
And of course, it is a reminder that even though this vote was nine years ago, even though the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 is expected to go ahead
there, the shadow of that fateful day still affects world football now.
SOARES: Don Riddell for us there in Atlanta. Thanks very much, Don, really good to see you.
And still to come tonight, Donald Trump puts immigration at the core of his re-election bid as he promises the deportation of millions. We'll have
that story for you.
[14:29:45] Plus, former Egyptian president, Mohamed Morsi, is laid to rest as calls grow for an investigation into his death. We'll bring you both
those stories after a very short break. Do stay right here.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:17] ISA SOARES, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Welcome back. Now, we're just hours away from the official start of Donald Trump's
campaign for second term as U.S. president. He never really stopped campaigning, in fact, since he won the election back in 2016.
And as Joe Johns report, supporters will hear familiar themes in upcoming rallies.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOE JOHNS, CNN SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Four years after making this escalator ride down into Trump Tower.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I am officially running for president.
JOHNS: President Trump officially kicks off his 2020 reelection campaign in Florida tonight. In that first speech, then-candidate Trump made headlines
with this incendiary statement.
TRUMP: When Mexico sends its people, they're not sending their best. They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, they're rapists, and some,
I assume are good people.
JOHNS: Mr. Trump's anti-immigration focus still a major part of his campaign. The president tweeting last night that "Next week, ICE will
begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States."
A senior Trump campaign official says President Trump's campaign will focus on promises made, promises kept, President Trump seemingly providing a
preview of his upcoming rally speech after firing off tweets about the southern border, fake polls, the Mueller report, and once again mentioning
his 2016 Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton.
Mr. Trump telling ABC News in an interview, he just has to be himself and doesn't need to change to appeal to swing voters.
TRUMP: Safety, security, great economy, and I think I've done more than any other first-term president ever.
JOHNS: It's as if the president never left the campaign trail, holding close to 60 political rallies across the U.S. since his inauguration in
2017.
TRUMP: Make America great again.
JOHNS: This time, he's heading to his adopted home state alongside First Lady Melania Trump. Also on the roster, Vice President Mike Pence and
members of the Trump family.
Some groups planning a protest against President Trump's rally, including several Latino organizations representing a key voting bloc in Florida,
many in opposition to President Trump's border policies and his response after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are fed up. You haven't done what you have said to do for our community.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: Well, as you heard in Joe Johns' report, immigration is a key issue for the president. Today's tweet, as far from the first time, in
fact, he's put illegal immigration front, as well as center.
There was the attempt by the administration at the so-called Muslim ban, travel restrictions on a number of many Muslim countries. You see that in
your screen.
[14:35:03] As a presidential candidate, Mr. Trump was open about his intentions. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Donald J. Trump is calling for a total complete calling for a total complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States. Until our
country's representatives can figure out what the hell is going on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Now, Mr. Trump was quite about his attempts to tackle legal immigration as he track down asylum seekers coming in to the U.S. The
president says it was to cut off incentives for migrants heading into the country. Critics said that would stop vulnerable people from being
protected.
Now, despite the tough words, President Trump still lags behind his predecessor Barack Obama when it comes to deporting immigrants.
When Obama was president in 2009, the government removed almost 400,000. However, last year, under Mr. Trump, the number was significantly lower at
250,000.
Ron Brownstein is CNN Senior Political Analyst and Senior Editor at The Atlantic. He joins me now from Washington.
Ron, good to see you.
Let start, if I may, with those tweets from the president where he threatened to deport undocumented immigrants. For our international
audience, Ron. Can -- explain -- can the president legally do this?
RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, here, they have tremendous discretion over ICE -- over internal immigration enforcement.
The Supreme Court has starkly been very differential to presidents on that.
Obviously, they upheld the Muslim -- the modified Muslim travel ban, largely on those grounds. So, yes, he can significantly ramp up
enforcement. It's not clear exactly what he has in mind here or how practical it is.
It is very expensive to do the kind of sweeps that he's talking about. And it also threatens to recreate in the interior of the country. The same
sort of scenes we saw a year ago in the border with families being separated and that generated, as you know, an enormous backlash in America.
SOARES: I'm glad you brought that up, because I suspect that a massive deportation blitz, if you can call it this, wouldn't just affect
undocumented immigrants, but I suspect also millions of mixed status families with members who are U.S. citizens, particularly children, I
suspect.
BROWNSTEIN: Yes. Right. There are millions -- there are millions of mixed status people in the U.S. and families where typically the parents
are undocumented. But the children are U.S. citizens because they have been born in America.
And, of course, the prospect that you have, depending on exactly what the president seems to have in mind, is children literally coming off from
school and their parents are gone. And you have the potential of separating families, but this time, in Houston and Chicago, and Charlotte
and Los Angeles, that we saw last year on the border. And I think that is something that makes a lot -- will probably make a lot -- not only
Democrats outrage, but makes a lot of -- will probably make a lot of Republicans uneasy.
SOARES: Ron, let's talk about the politics of immigration. Because -- and correct me if I'm wrong. I think it's fair to say that President Trump
sees immigration as one of the reasons perhaps he's at the white house.
Has he tapped into a sentiment, into something that has been bubbling beneath the surface in the U.S. for some time you think?
BROWNSTEIN: Well, first of all, I think he does think it is the linchpin of his relationship with his base. I think it is -- he believes it is the
issue that more than any other kind of kneels him to his core supporters.
And, of course, his political strategy of which this tweet is very much a reminder, his political tragedy is much more about trying to mobilize his
base than it is on trying to reach out to voters beyond his base.
And, in fact, often, immigration is an issue that he uses, that gins up his own supporters, but in the process raises more questions among voters who
may be satisfied with the economy but uneasy with the way he comforts himself and his values as president. I think this is another example of
that.
There is no question, there is a component of the electorate, and particularly a component of the Republican coalition that is uneasy about
immigration, and particular at about demographic change more broadly.
And what President Trump has done is essentially trade votes. He has traded blue -- increase Republican support among blue color, non-urban,
rural, religiously devout voters. But at the cost of hurting them among white collar voters, suburban voters and people who are less a religious.
That is the trade that he is imposing by focusing on this culturally divisive issues.
SOARES: But, Ron, you said it was a linchpin for President Trump, but presidents looking for a second term, I suspect any president, can't just
depend on rhetoric, but promises and successors.
Let me play out what we heard from him -- his promises back in 2016. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: We are going to build a great border wall.
We will build a great, great wall.
We're going to build a wall, don't worry about it. We'll build a wall.
I promise, we will build the wall.
[14:40:00] The Trump administration will re-negotiate NAFTA and if we don't get the deal we want, we will terminate NAFTA and get a much better deal
for our workers.
Repeal and replace.
Repeal and replace.
Obamacare, we're going to repeal it, we're going to replace it, we're going to get something good.
Repeal it, replace it, get something great.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Ron, your opinion. Has he delivered on any of those promises?
BROWNSTEIN: Not on those. But I would differentiate, politically, between immigration and healthcare in a very important way. I think for voters who
want a hard line for healthcare, it's going to be relatively easy for the president say -- to say that I have tried to deliver what I promise, but
Democrats and liberals and the courts, and these un-appointed judges are blocking me.
I think voters want a hard line on healthcare -- excuse me, on immigration, are going to stick with the president. Healthcare is a very different
issue. Because what happened during the effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act is that it became very clear that the alternatives Republicans
were proposing, by and large, were detrimental to their own voters.
I mean, they now rely on older blue collar voters to a much greater extent than an earlier generations, and those are voters with greater health
needs.
And by every analysis, there would have been significant losers under the Republican healthcare care plan. We saw that play out in 2018 with a
measurable number of white working class women in the states that tip the 2016 election to Trump like Michigan, like Pennsylvania, like Wisconsin,
moving back to the Democrats.
And I would say to you, looking forward to 2020, the prospect of blue collar white women abandoning the president over his efforts to repeal the
ACA is one of the most significant risks he faces, particularly, because he won those three states, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, by such a
narrow margin that he has very little room to give up any of his supporters.
And yet, I think there's a -- he has continued, again, this week, reaffirmation that he intends to repeal the ACA if he's reelected is
something that could be a huge headache for him among those voters in those pivotal states.
SOARES: Ron, always great to get your insight on the show. Thanks very much for coming on. Good to see you.
BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me.
SOARES: Pleasure.
Now, you're about to see some amazing images from what could be have been a really terrifying tragedy. Have a look at this video, as a man armed with
a high-powered rifle and hundreds of bullets began shooting up federal office building in Dallas, Texas. The gunman was shot and killed by
police.
Now, remarkably no one else was hurt. But look in the bottom corner of the screen, hiding behind a pillar is a man named Tom Fox. He's a
photographer. And when he saw a man with a gun approaching, his first instinct was to take this picture then, he did, and prayed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM FOX, PHOTOGRAPHER: I just prayed. I just prayed that he didn't walk pass me, because I'm in -- well I'm -- I've been plain sight. And if he
saw me sitting there with the camera, I have no doubt he would have shot me. All I heard was the sound of breaking glass and repeated gunfire into
the building and he was literally just around the corner, eight to 10 feet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SOARES: Surely terrifying.
Now, investigators are looking at the gunman's social media history. Try to figure out why he shot up -- why he shot up the federal building.
Now, former Egyptian president, Mohamed Morsi has been laid to rest, the day after he collapsed and died in court. We brought you those breaking
news story right here on HALA GORANI TONIGHT, yesterday shown up.
His sudden death is raising new questions about his treatment while in prison.
His son says neglectful care amount to slow and deliberate murder as cause grow for an independent investigation. Our Jomana Karadsheh has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was in a courtroom behind these walls that Egypt's first freely elected president
collapsed and died.
According to state media, Mohamed Morsi who was on trial for espionage died of a heart attack. But supporters in Egypt and beyond have called it
murder and an assassination blaming the 67-year-old sudden death on the government of the man who ousted him in 2013, President Abdel Fattah el-
Sisi.
MORAD ADAILEH, SECRETARY-GENERAL, JORDAN'S ISLAMIC ACTION FRONT: We count this man as a heroic martyr. This martyr who was killed today by the
Egyptian regime forces. The forces of the coupe who prevented him from getting his medicine and carried out a crime against Morsi.
Human Rights Watch said his death was entirely predictable. Morsi was behind bars for nearly six years and human rights groups have long raised
concerns about his state, saying Morsi did not receive adequate medical care for his diabetes, sending him into diabetic coma several times, and
they've accused the government of not providing him with specialized treatment for his liver condition.
The Egyptian government fired back on Tuesday denying these allegations and accusing Human Rights Watch of, "political exploitation in the name of
human rights."
In a statement, Egypt maintained that Morsi was in quote, "Good health and only suffering from diabetes." But it's not just Human Rights Watch, a
panel of British parliamentarians warned last year that what they called inhuman and cruel treatment of Morsi where they say was kept in solitary
confinement for prolong periods of time could amount to torture under Egyptian and international law.
[14:45:13] With the Muslim Brotherhood, the now mostly outlawed political movement, Morsi was a part of, a thorn in the side of some regional regimes
that have designated it a terror group. It was a muted reaction for most. As allies paid tribute.
The Emir of Qatar in a tweet sending his sincere condolences. Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, calling him a brother and a martyr.
RECEP TAYYIP ERDOGAN, PRESIDENT OF TURKEY (through translator): History will never forget those tyrants who led to his death by putting him in jail
and threatening him with execution.
KARADSHEH: Calls are rising for an independent and thorough investigation, not just into the death of Mohamed Morsi, but into the allegations of the
ill treatment of thousands of other political prisoners and decedents.
SAMER SHEHATA, ASSOCIATE PROF. OF MIDDLE EASTERN POLITICS, UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA: This is something that's not specific to Morsi. This plagues
Egyptian detention and prisons elsewhere and many believed that with regard to political prisoners that they're specifically denied adequate healthcare
and so on.
KARADSHEH: In a statement, the government said there's no credence to claims about ill treatment of other inmates and said the prosecutor will
provide more details on Morsi's death after forensic analysis is done.
Under tight security in the presence of his wife and children, Mohamed Morsi was buried in this Cairo cemetery on Tuesday, alongside other leaders
of the Muslim Brotherhood, leaving behind a complex legacy in an increasingly polarized Middle East.
Jomana Karadsheh, CNN, Istanbul.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And still to come tonight, an update on David Ortiz. The former baseball star shot in the Dominican Republic last week. Authorities have
identified the man behind the murder plot. We'll give you more details after a very short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Now, another American tourist has died in the Dominican Republic. The sister of 55-year-old, Joseph Allen says he was found dead in his hotel
room last Thursday.
His family doesn't immediately know what caused his death. Nine U.S. citizens have now died during or after stayed on the island. That's in the
past 13 months. Of course, we'll keep on top of that story.
We're staying in the Dominican Republic. There are new developments in the failed attempt to kill David Ortiz, the beloved former baseball star.
Prosecutors have identified the man who paid for the hit. The suspect is on the run and police are searching for him. Patrick Oppmann is following
case in Santo Domingo for us.
And, Patrick, what do we know about this man, this fugitive who allegedly paid for Ortiz's killing?
PATRICK OPPMANN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, court documents that CNN obtained late last night for the first time really laid out
something of a narrative. It all begins a week before the shooting when this man is now a fugitive, Alberto Miguel Mota Rodriguez contacted
somebody in prison here, somebody serving a homicide sentence to an unrelated murder, and essentially reaching out to this person to set up a
hit on Ortiz that they contacted them to hire what they call Sicarios here, a "Hit Man," and that began a series of events that led up to about an hour
before Ortiz was shot.
[14:50:26] These men, the Sicarios, meeting at a gas station. Been shown a photo that been sent to them from inside prison here of Ortiz, identifying
who their target was. And then, of course, as we all know the hit was bungled, they shot him one time. Both the alleged hit man and his getaway
driver eventually were caught. And police say they have both caught and they have turned over cellphones and names, and just one after another of
more and more suspects have been arrested.
And police now say that they are very close to telling us what happened and they're actually holding a press conference tomorrow to explain and lay out
more details.
But the interesting thing, we still don't know is, how do you go from a team of harden criminals, according to police, to David Ortiz? What's the
connection? And we still don't have that information.
SOARES: And the other thing that struck me, Patrick, I don't know if you've got any answers to this, is that why would this individual, this
Rodriquez Mota, you were saying, paid nearly, I think it was $8,000 to kill Ortiz if he was acting on someone else's behalf?
OPPMANN: And that just perhaps demonstrates what a lot of Dominicans tell us life is cheap here and with a couple hundred or a couple of thousand
dollars, you can have somebody murdered here quite easily.
But, you know, with each level, you wonder if some suspects are holding money back for themselves. And it is very common and no one thinks that
this is the top guy here that I have talked to. Everyone thinks there must be someone pulling the strings who was probably much, much higher and much
richer.
But this is what you do and each suspect that you've seen, they have someone else -- that they have essentially sub-contracting out to that
makes it harder for police to reach them. And so we'll see tomorrow if police say that they have cracked the case and that they have clearly
gotten somebody who had a motive to kill David Ortiz or if it's going to stay at this level.
Essentially, the street guys, the soldiers who a lot of times here run security or do the dirty deeds or the cartel is here. But we just don't
know many Dominicans are skeptical of their justice system.
SOARES: Patrick Oppmann there for us in Santo Domingo, thank you very much, Patrick.
More to come tonight including this is not a new water sport. It's the latest sign of the impact of climate change. Take a look at this photo.
The story behind this amazing image when we return.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SOARES: Now, Egypt is facing a critical water shortage by 2025, that is according to United Nations. And the issue is inspiring people to come up
with sustainable solutions.
Sherif Hosny is one of those people who's making to make Cairo a greener place by bringing urban farms to the capitol's rooftops alone.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In Egypt's capital, Cairo, one environmentalist taps into the power of community to spread his green message.
[14:55:02] SHERIF HOSNY, CO-FOUNDER, SCHADUF: My name is Sherif Hosny. I am the cofounder of Schaduf.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Schaduf is an Arabic cord for an ancient irrigation tool that is still used by farmers today. It lifts water to irrigate
canals to harvest crops.
Sherif's company works to lift farming to the rooftops of Cairo.
HOSNY: We grow all our crops hydroponically. We also use recirculating system, which means we save a lot on water, which of course, great for the
environment and great for Egypt, because we have a shortage of water.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Egypt has long been called the Gift of the Nile with the river supporting around 90 percent of the country's fresh water needs.
But this country, along with its congested capitol, is in the grips of a serious water crisis.
According to the United Nations, Egypt could face a critical water shortage by 2025. An issue that prompted Sherif to set up his company in 2011.
HOSNY: We decided we want to have -- create a company that has an impact. The money was important, but we also said we have to have some kind of
impact, environmental and social.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: it's a simple business model. With the help of donations and microloans, residents can purchase a small flack packed farm.
Schaduf install the urban garden. Provide training on growing crops and using recycled water and mineral solutions. Communities can grow cheaper,
healthier produce within a few weeks.
Yet according to Sherif, growing crops is not the only part of the company's impact on society.
HOSNY: We thought, you know, it could be a great combination having solar agriculture on the roof and having like low-income families working on them
to generate income.
Since the company started, more than 500 farms have grown on the rooftops of Cairo, earning each farmer up to 600 Egyptian pounds per month. The
equivalent of $35.00 U.S.
HOSNY: In the region, a lot of the cities face very similar challenges to Cairo. We want to expand in the Gulf and maybe other Arab countries.
I think the future looks bright for this industry and it's probably going to change the way farming is done in the future.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Saving water and sowing the seeds of food security in the region whilst helping to improve incomes for low-income families.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SOARES: And before we go, I want to still look at the impact of global warming. Take a look at this. Scientist, Stephen Olson (ph) took this
shot just a few days ago. His sled dogs, you can see there, would normally be running on ice, but instead, they are knee-deep in a wide expand of
light blue water.
Greenland's melt season runs from June to August, but on this one day, June the 13th, a whopping 40 percent of the island's ice sheets experienced
melting. It's remarkable looking at these images and truly shocking.
That does it for me for tonight. Thanks very much for watching. IN fact, I'll be back for another hour, so don't go anywhere.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
