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Hala Gorani Tonight
Jeffrey Epstein Dies In Prison In Apparent Suicide; President Trump Tweets About Conspiracy Theories Implicating The Clintons; Hong Kong Protesters Shut Down All Outgoing Airport Flights; Russian Nuclear Explosion Likely Failed Missile; U.S. National Security Adviser Meets U.K. P.M. In London; Boris Johnson's Senior Adviser A Divisive Figure; Scaramucci: I No Longer Support Trump's Re-election Bid; Indian Star Defends Controversial Remarks; Simone Biles Makes History; Music Fans Remember Woodstock 50 Years Later. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired August 12, 2019 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:21] BIANCA NOBILO, CNN HOST: Hello, everyone. Live from CNN London, I'm Bianca Nobilo, in for Hala Gorani.
Tonight, Jeffrey Epstein is dead while Donald Trump tweets a conspiracy theory about his apparent suicide in a New York jail, the world is still
asking how many high-profile people knew about the disgraced millionaire's pedophile ring.
Then, protestors demanding an eye for an eye in Hong Kong, after one woman is injured in demonstrations.
And the U.S. president loses one of his staunchest and loudest allies. Are more American Republicans likely to follow Anthony Scaramucci's lead and
turn on the president?
Much of his life was a mystery. And now, his death is as well. But even though child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has taken his dark secrets to the
grave, the investigation into new charges, brought against him just last month, is far from over.
U.S. Attorney General William Barr is promising justice for Epstein's alleged victims, as well as an investigation into how such a high-profile
defendant was apparently able to kill himself in jail while awaiting trial. We know he was taken off suicide watch and was not being regularly
monitored. Here's what Barr said today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM BARR, ATTORNEY GENERAL: We are now learning of serious irregularities at this facility that are deeply concerning and demand a
thorough investigation. The FBI and the Office of Inspector General are doing just that. We will get to the bottom of what happened, and there
will be accountability.
But let me assure you, that this case will continue on against anyone who was complicit with Epstein. Any co-conspirators should not rest easy. The
victims deserve justice, and they will get it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: Let's bring in CNN Reporter, Kara Scannell for the very latest.
Kara, just then we were playing some sound from William Barr, talking about the irregularities in circumstances here, the fact that Epstein was
actually able to kill himself. Talk us through the timeline of that, and the fact that Epstein was initially being monitored for suicide watch, but
obviously the circumstances are as they are.
KARA SCANNELL, CNN REPORTER: That's right, Bianca. I mean, this really is a strange turn of events. Epstein was held in one of the most secure jails
in the U.S., it's where they had such high-profile defendants as El Chapo, the Mexican drug lord. So a lot of questions swirling over just how this
was able to happen.
And so what we know is that Jeffrey Epstein was detained after he was arrested on July 3rd. Then he was found, a couple of weeks later, in his
cell, unconscious with some marks on his neck. That put him on suicide watch.
TEXT: Jeffrey Epstein Indicted: Florida multi-millionaire; Accused of operating sex trafficking ring to lure minor girls; "Dozens" of victims as
young as 14 years old; Would pay victims to recruit other victims; Some victims were abused for years
SCANNELL: Big questions here are, why was he removed from suicide watch after just about a week in there. But he did have daily psych
examinations, and they agreed to release him.
But after his release, he was supposed to always have a cell mate in the cell with him. And for some reason, which we don't know the answer to,
that did not happen. He did not have a cell mate in there. And in theory, that person could alert the guards if there was any behavior by Epstein, if
he seemed like he was going to hurt himself.
The other thing is, Epstein was moved into a special housing unit. And in that unit, the guards are supposed to monitor the prisoners every 30
minutes, so they're always checking on them. They'll even wake them up if they're asleep. And we're learning, now, that that did not happen.
So there are these two breaches in protocol. And that's what both the FBI and the Office of Inspector General at the Department of Justice are
looking into, to understand exactly why protocol wasn't followed and what happened, to allow Epstein the opportunity to kill himself.
NOBILO: And, Kara, what does this mean, realistically, for the investigation into who knew what and when, why key details didn't seem to
come to light. And crucially, now, where the focus is -- has shifted to, is who else is likely to be implicated within Epstein's circle?
SCANNELL: Right. So Epstein now, since he is dead, there is no criminal case against him. But prosecutors, both Bill Barr, that we just heard that
sound from, but also Geoffrey Berman, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, the person who brought the charges, he vowed on
Saturday, just hours after Epstein was found dead, that this investigation into Epstein's conduct would continue.
He pointed to -- he pointed out that they had charged Epstein with sex trafficking, but also conspiracy into sex trafficking. And in the
indictment, when Epstein was charged, it alluded to -- that some of these co-conspirators were employees and associates.
So I think what we have seen from a lot of the accusations that have come out over the years from a number of the accusers, that Epstein did not do
this alone, that he worked with a number of people. There were some women that went out and recruited these young girls from high schools, to come
and work for Epstein and be -- you know, essentially be assaulted and abused by him.
[14:05:15] So all of these individuals that were involved in that, helped him pull this off, you know, that -- those are all people that the
government is going to want to talk to, and some of them, it seems very clear from the signal from investigators and prosecutors, that those people
might actually face charges as this investigation goes on and they develop more evidence on these issues -- Bianca.
NOBILO: Kara Scannell in Washington, thank you very much for joining us.
Now, Epstein's network of rich and powerful friends was vast and included Donald Trump, who once called him "a terrific guy and a lot of fun," though
later said that they had a falling-out.
Well, the U.S. president is now pushing conspiracy theories about another Epstein associate: former President Bill Clinton. He re-tweeted a video
from a conservative comedian that suggested, without evidence, that Clinton and his wife Hillary were responsible for Epstein's death.
Even for a leader that never fails to shock, Mr. Trump's wild accusation has set off a firestorm of controversy. So let's bring in CNN's Sarah
Westwood to talk about all of the backlash.
Now, Sarah, the president has indulged in conspiracy theories in the past. Kind of strange, because he himself says that he's been the subject of a
witch hunt. How shocking is this? How much of a departure is this for President Trump, to actually say that a former president may be implicated
here?
SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, certainly, Bianca, this has sparked a lot of controversy, just given how wildly irresponsible it is
that President Trump has been promoting this. I mean, we just can't stress enough how there's no evidence whatsoever that the Clintons are in any way
tied to the death of Jeffrey Epstein.
And yet, President Trump gave this conspiracy theory a platform when retweeted that conservative comedian's video. It's now had millions of
views, so he's been promoting that conspiracy theory. A spokesman for the former president said that this was ridiculous, and of course not true.
And there's a big difference between the wave of lawmakers from both parties who have been calling for inquiries into the circumstances of
Epstein's death, given that there are some irregularities, for example, the fact that the required checks were not performed by guards on the night of
his death and things like that, why his cell mate was transferred out.
And there's a big difference between that kind of scrutiny, and baselessly speculating about what might have happened without any kind of evidence.
So there's been a backlash among 2020 candidates, Democrats who have been accusing the president of exploiting the situation to attack a political
rival. President Trump, though, hasn't apologized or issued any kind of clarification, Bianca, for spreading that conspiracy theory.
NOBILO: Sarah, I certainly don't want to descend into any conspiracy theories. But from a political strategy point of view, why has the
president put even more focus on this, when he himself has connections to Epstein, which I mentioned in the intro: He's called him "a terrific guy,"
there are photographs of Melania, Epstein, Donald Trump, Epstein's girlfriend back in 2000 -- there we go, it's on the screen.
So why do you think the president thinks it's a sensible or advantageous move, to draw (ph) more focus onto this?
WESTWOOD: I'm sure, Bianca, there are many Trump allies who are asking themselves that very question, about what help President Trump thinks he's
doing for himself, for his political prospects, by invoking this conspiracy theory.
Because in the past, when President Trump has indulged in conspiracy theories, it has sparked bipartisan waves of outrage. It's almost never
worked to his advantage, when he did it, for example, with birtherism, suggesting without any evidence, falsely, that President Obama wasn't born
in this country. He indulged in conspiracy theories related to Senator Ted Cruz and his father and the JFK assassination.
All of that has proven, in the past, very problematic for President Trump, and he has rightfully been criticized heavily for it. So doing it once
again really just draws attention to the fact that there was that years-old connection socially between President Trump and Jeffrey Epstein. That's
something that the White House, Bianca, had been working to distance the president from Epstein, ever since he came back under scrutiny earlier this
year.
NOBILO: Sarah Westwood in Washington, thank you.
The attorney for one of the alleged victims says Epstein did not act alone, saying justice demands that those who aided him also be held to account.
That alleged victim sued Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein's former companion, who's accused of procuring and trafficking girls for Epstein to sexually
abuse. Maxwell has never been charged.
This is a photo of Epstein and Maxwell, along with Donald Trump and Melania Trump before they were married. It was taken in the year 2000 at Mr.
Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort. Maxwell was a British socialite before moving to the United States in the 1990s.
[14:10:01] CNN's Senior Investigative Reporter, Vicky Ward, told us more about her today.
VICKY WARD, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER: U.S. Attorney General Geoffrey Berman made it very clear in his statement yesterday, that this
was a conspiracy. And that there are other people involved. And, you know, I think that the face of this now becomes Jeffrey Epstein's longtime
girlfriend, the alleged procurer of a lot of these women, Ghislaine Maxwell.
I mean, she was certainly named in the affidavit of Maria Farmer, who was one of the women who spoke to me -- one of the victims in 2002. And her
sister, Annie Farmer, who stood up in court at Jeffrey Epstein's bail hearing, and asked the judge not to grant Jeffrey Epstein bail, you know,
told me that she really blamed Ghislaine Maxwell for what happened to her when she was underage.
Because Ghislaine Maxwell was -- you know, she sounded so sort of aristocratic, British, reassuring. She told their mother that she would be
a chaperone when she invited Annie Farmer, then 16, to come and stay with Jeffrey Epstein.
NOBILO: Epstein's death comes just after newly unsealed court documents revealed new details of sexual abuse claims against him and several high-
profile associates, including Britain's Prince Andrew. Our Max Foster has the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Business as usual, it seems, for Prince Andrew, pictured on Sunday, riding alongside the queen on their
way to church. A bold show of support, perhaps, as new details place a spotlight on allegations of sexual misconduct laid against the British
royal.
Hundreds of pages of previously sealed court filings were released on Friday, bringing to light fresh allegations, which have linked the Duke of
York to his former friend and convicted sex offender, Jeffrey Epstein, who was found dead in his prison cell on Saturday.
At the heart of the documents, connected to a 2015 defamation case, are allegations by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who claims Epstein kept her as a
teenage sex slave.
Giuffre, pictured here with the prince, says Epstein forced her to perform sex acts with a number of prominent men, including the Duke of York, in
2001.
Now, court documents detail fresh allegations that the British royal groped another young woman at Epstein's Manhattan mansion.
The other woman, who has alleged abuse at the hands of Epstein, claims she was forced into sexual acts with Prince Andrew at Epstein's New York City
home, where she says Giuffre participated as well.
TEXT: And so then I sat on Andrew's lap, and I believe on my own volition, and they took the puppet's hands and put it on Virginia's breast, and so
Andrew put his on mine.
FOSTER (voice-over): Buckingham Palace has repeatedly denied the allegations, telling CNN that any suggestion of impropriety with underage
minors is categorically untrue.
TEXT: "This relates to proceedings in the United States, to which the Duke of York is not a party. Any suggestion of impropriety with underage minors
is categorically untrue." Buckingham Palace spokesperson
FOSTER (voice-over): However, in a statement to CNN in July, the palace confirmed that the Duke of York met with Epstein in 2010, describing the
encounter as an unwise decision on the part of the prince.
Whilst the royal family has in the past not been forthcoming in responding to such allegations, the Duke of York took to the World Economic Forum in
2015 to reiterate the palace's steadfast denial of underage sex allegations.
ANDREW EDWARD, DUKE OF YORK: I just wish to reiterate and to reaffirm the statements which have already been made on my behalf by Buckingham Palace.
FOSTER (voice-over): As these unsealed court filings shed new light on the lurid details of the Epstein scandal, questions surrounding the involvement
of the financier's high-profile associates are beginning to mount.
While Epstein's death brought the federal criminal case against him to an abrupt end, the scandal is far from over and prosecutors could still pursue
related criminal cases involving the financier's many associates. Max Foster, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NOBILO: Protestors in Hong Kong are finding new ways to get the attention of Beijing, as pro-democracy demonstrations stretch into a 11th week. They
flooded the city's airport by the thousands with the intention of disrupting operations. And disrupt, they did.
The protest grounded all flights that weren't already en route on Monday. Ben Wedeman has more on how it all unfolded. And a warning, some of the
images in this report are graphic.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): An eye for an eye, furious protestors meted out their own justice, Monday
afternoon, thousands streaming into Hong Kong International, grounding flights at one of the world's busiest airports.
Demonstrators say it's their response to a government that uses heavy- handed police tactics to keep control. This image of a woman allegedly shot in the eye by police with a non-lethal round, galvanized their anger.
[14:15:06] As the anti-government movement decries what it calls "police brutality," the police points to increasingly violent acts against them,
saying that they had to use a certain level of force to protect citizens.
And with this slickly produced video, put out by state media, Beijing reiterated that it will send in its own forces if necessary, to deal with
who they're now calling "radical demonstrators," showing signs of "terrorism."
YANG GUANG, SPOKESMAN, CHINA'S HONG KONG AND MACAU AFFAIRS OFFICE (through translator): Such violent crimes need a resolute and hard crackdown,
showing no mercy in accordance with the law.
WEDEMAN: The cancellation of all departing flights from Hong Kong is a victory for the protestors, and shows just how strong they are. But it's
also a serious blow to Hong Kong as a regional financial hub.
WEDEMAN (voice-over): Hong Kong's government has already made it clear that threatening the city's economy is a red line the protestors should not
cross. But as protestors left the airport Monday evening, the call went out on social media to be back the next day. Ben Wedeman, CNN, Hong Kong.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NOBILO: The city's largest airline is warning its employees not to participate in the airport protest. Cathay Pacific says it could fire
those who, quote, "support or participate in illegal protests." It's part of a zero-tolerance approach at the encouragement of Beijing. Cathay
workers who have taken part in the demonstrations have already been banned from flying to mainland China or passing through the country's airspace.
Turning to another touchy subject for China, it's One-China policy. Several luxury brands are now apologizing for designing T-shirts that
appear to go against it, for how they label places such as Hong Kong and Taiwan. Hadas Gold is here with me now.
So, Hadas, what companies are involved with this? And what was their response to the mistake that they made?
HADAS GOLD, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: So, Bianca, these are some of the biggest luxury brands that we've all heard of: Coach, Givenchy, Versace.
What happened is, they had made these T-shirts that sort of look like concert T-shirts with cities on the back.
But the issue for a lot of social media users in China was that some of these cities include, like you said, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, and
labeling them as seemingly independent from China, whereas China obviously does not see them as such, sees them as special administrative regions of
China or, in the case of Taiwan, a sort of renegade province.
So this blew up over the weekend on social media, specifically with Versace. But then as social media users started to look into the other
brands, they found other examples of it. And this was completely all over Chinese social media. Coach was the most-searched-for term on Monday on
Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter.
NOBILO: And the context of this is obviously even more politically sensitive than this One-China policy would be ordinarily. As we mentioned,
the protests are stretching into their 11th week now. Do you think that's why the companies responded as fulsomely as they did?
GOLD: Right. So the companies immediately responded, said that they were removing the T-shirts, some of them were old designs that said they'd
already been -- already been pulled off, and that they were destroying any stock that they already had.
And their statements, for example, Donatella Versace put out a very personal statement on her own Instagram. She said, "Never have I wanted to
disrespect China's national sovereignty." Other companies like Givenchy said they've always respect China's sovereignty, and firmly adhere to the
One-China policy.
Now, the reason they are having such -- these immediate responses and the way that they're responding with such apologies, is not only because of the
sensitive nature of what's going on right now with Hong Kong and how easy it is to run afoul of these sort of Chinese sentiments, but also because of
the market.
The Chinese market for these luxury brands is huge. There are reports that Chinese shoppers are responsible for one-third of global luxury sales, and
this is a market that they really, really care about. They don't want to mess it up. And for a luxury brand, the last thing they want to get into
is usually something like politics.
NOBILO: Hadas Gold, thank you very much for taking us through that.
Still to come tonight, a remarkable story of courage. A 65-year-old man foils what could have been another tragic anti-immigrant mass shooting.
[14:19:25] Plus, a mystery explosion. Five dead, and reports that radiation spiked. What really happened in Russia last week? We're live
from the Pentagon.
(COMERCIAL BREAK)
NOBILO: Welcome back. The man who allegedly opened fire in a Norwegian mosque was in an Oslo court on Monday. He had black eyes and scratches on
his face and neck.
Police have identified him as 21-year-old Philip Manshaus, and say that he was wearing a GoPro camera on Saturday, when he allegedly began shooting.
The attack was foiled by a 65-year-old worshiper, who jumped on the gunman. We (ph) get more from CNN's Salma Abdelaziz.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SALMA ABDELAZIZ, CNN INTERNATIONAL FIELD PRODUCER (voice-over): On the eve of a Muslim holiday, tragedy strikes. At about 4:00 p.m. local time,
Saturday, a man in his 20s, a Norwegian citizen, entered the Al-Noor Islamic Center by shooting through the mosque's locked glass door.
According to local media, witnesses say the shooter was wearing all black, had on body armor and carried a shotgun-like weapon and a pistol. What
happened next made 65-year-old worshiper Mohamed Rafiq a hero to his community.
ABDUL-SATAR ALI, COUNSEL FOR MOHAMED RAFIQ: Mohamed acted immediately when the shooter entered the room. He toppled the shooter and pinned him to the
floor, sat on top of him. After a while, board member Mushtaq came and helped holding him down. Then police arrived and arrested the man.
ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): Afterwards, the suspect's home was searched by police and another terrible discovery made: the body of a 17-year-old
woman, the gunman's stepsister. Police say the man is a suspect in her murder.
The mosque shooting is being investigated as a possible act of terrorism after it emerged, the gunman had expressed right-wing sympathies online.
On Sunday, mosque members were forced to celebrate the most important Muslim holiday of the year, Eid Al-Adha, at a local hotel.
The country's Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, visited the group and vowed to battle the rise of the radical right.
ERNA SOLBERG, NORWEGIAN PRIME MINISTER: We are trying to fight this, but it is also difficult, but the police is having a higher priority against
hate speech and harassment on the internet. So, we are trying to combat this but it is a challenge. I think it's a worldwide challenge.
ABDELAZIZ (voice-over): Yet another world leader, struggling to contain the rapid spread of hate and fear. Salma Abdelaziz, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NOBILO: There are new questions about Russia's weapons program after a mysterious explosion last week. Officials say the five workers who were
killed in the blast are, quote, "national heroes." You're looking at pictures of their memorial service.
The blast happened at a military test site in northern Russia, but we still don't know what materials exploded. Local officials initially reported a
radiation spike right after the blast. CNN's Barbara Starr has been looking for answers at the Pentagon.
Barbara, we've heard the Russian state media version of events. And from Rosatom, the state atomic energy corporation in Russia. But what can you
tell us about the U.S. assessment of what really happened?
BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is still somewhat a very deep mystery that intelligence services in the U.S. and Europe are
looking into. But a U.S. official tells us, it is likely -- and this is an initial assessment -- that what blew up at this site in Russia's far north
was either one of their new so-called Skyfall prototype cruise missiles, or components of that missile.
[14:25:13] Now, the name Skyfall, of course, is a U.S. NATO name. The Russians call it something quite different. But this is a prototype
missile the Russians have been trying to develop that, by all accounts -- their accounts at least -- would be nuclear-powered, a nuclear-powered
cruise missile.
And of course, that, if it ever worked, would be a huge concern because it means it would have a very significant fuel supply there for a range that
would extremely significant, potentially able to reach the U.S. The Russians, so far, have not been able to make the missile work, according to
U.S. officials.
But they are now watching what happened there very closely, looking to see what radiation might have been released into the atmosphere that will be a
concern for Russian citizens living nearby and other countries also nearby, where any radioactivity might drift overhead, but also of course, a very
significant military concern: What is this missile all about -- Bianca.
NOBILO: Barbara Starr at the Pentagon, thank you very much.
Russia may be quietly consolidating its influence with a secretive private military company loyal to Vladimir Putin. Named Wagner, it employs
hundreds of mercenaries operating covertly on three different continents.
Now, CNN has uncovered some of the group's shadowy mission, in an exclusive interview with a Wagner employee.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Wagner is Putin's instrument for resolving issues by force. When action has to be taken immediately,
urgently, and in the most concealed way possible.
CLARISSA WARD, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Do you think that part of the mission of Wagner is to help Russia restore its role to become
a major global superpower again?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Yes, one hundred percent. This is the top priority for Wagner.
WARD: And so it's trying to be a rival to America?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): Yes. Russia is trying to suppress the U.S. in every way possible. Using legal and illegal means, it's trying
to smash it, get the better of it somehow. What will come of it as a result? Nothing good, I think.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: Watch Clarissa Ward's exclusive interview and her investigation into Wagner's operations in a few hours at 6:00 p.m. in New York and 11:00
p.m. in London, only on CNN.
TEXT: Monday "EXCLUSIVE: PUTIN'S PRIVATE ARMY," New York, 6:00 p.m.; London, 11:00 p.m.
NOBILO: Still to come tonight, the Trump administration sends the president's national security advisor to London. We'll talk about the
messages John Bolton is giving to the new British government, including a very important one on -- you guessed it -- Brexit.
[14:27:49] And Donald Trump's tweets prove too much, even for Anthony Scaramucci. The longtime ally says he can no longer back the U.S.
president.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:30:23] NOBILO: Welcome back. It seems the Trump administration may be looking at -- looking to freshen up its relationship with the U.K. U.S.
National Security Adviser, John Bolton, is here in London. A little earlier, he met with the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson. They discussed a
range of global security issues including Iran and the situation in Hong Kong and, of course, they talked about Brexit.
Bolton's message to Britain, "we are with you." John Bolton is the highest ranking official to visit Britain since Mr. Johnson came into office, but
the prime minister has had plenty of contact with the president himself. According to the White House, they spoke by phone just this afternoon.
So, what does all of the signal about the special relationship under this new leadership? Our U.S. security reporter, Kylie Atwood is here to
discuss.
So, Kylie, you spent the day at Downing Street. What was the objective of John Bolton's visit? Because he didn't have something specific in mind,
but yet, he's meeting with all of these key players from the new government here in the U.K.
KYLIE ATWOOD, CNN U.S. SECURITY REPORTER: Yes. I mean, he definitely want to send a signal by coming here to London. Of course, this is the top
Trump administration official to visit, since Prime Minister Boris has taken over. And so I think he wanted to come here and say, I am the top
Trump administration representative and we're here to work with you.
The interesting thing, however, is that there weren't many deliverables in terms of Iran or Huawei. These two issues that the U.S. really wants to
work more with the U.K. on. But what Bolton was very clear on was saying that we are with you when it comes to Brexit and he was clear eyed about
the fact that the U.K. is going to be focused on that he said, "Very, very focused on that for the next 180 days." So the U.S. has essentially been
patient when it comes to the other issues on the table between the two countries.
NOBILO: Now, there's a concern in the United Kingdom, predominantly shares by those who wish that Britain would remain in the European Union, that
Britain is in a, uniquely, vulnerable position when it comes to Brexit because of the uncertainty that it might mean and the U.S. might be looking
to exploit that vulnerability for their own agenda, whether it's trade, security, whatever.
Is that the impression that you get from the Trump administration that they really do see this as an opportunity to exploit rather than a relationship
to develop?
ATWOOD: Well, the way that Bolton cast it today was that this is a new opportunity for the U.S. and the U.K. to work on trade agreements. So even
though the Trump administration wants a comprehensive trade agreement with the U.K., Bolton was saying that there were specific sectors that the U.S.
and the U.K. will work on to, sort of, carve out and see if they can gain some, sort of, progress forward on those issues when it comes to trade,
some, sort of, smaller agreement before there's a big comprehensive agreement.
Now, of course, this isn't going to happen overnight. You know, the question is, when will this happen? If the U.K. does, in fact, leave at
the end of October, will there be a trade agreement between the U.S. and U.K. the following week? That's something that the U.S. negotiators are
going to have to work on alongside the U.K.
But Bolton was here to say that the U.S. is ready to work on it as quickly as the U.K. is ready to do so. But clearly, there are a lot of issues that
those negotiators have to deal with internally in the Europe as well.
NOBILO: And Brexit overshadows all politics here in the United Kingdom. But if we leave that aside for one moment, what other areas do you see the
Trump administration and Boris Johnson's government being in sync on, especially in contrast to the administration of Theresa May?
ATWOOD: Yes. So I think the questions is the Trump administration is saying that the U.S. and the U.K. are going to be more in sync under Prime
Minister Johnson. But just how much is it going to take to actually turn those ideas into reality is because the U.S. is going to be asking the U.K.
to be tougher on Iran. They're going to be asking the U.K. not to use any Huawei technology. Those are some major asks.
So, right now, it's sort of all these positive talk about unity and Trump and Johnson being similar to one another. But how that actually manifests
into policy is another question.
NOBILO: It certainly is. Kylie Atwood, so good to see you in person. Thank you very much for your reporting.
ATWOOD: You too.
NOBILO: Staying with the new leadership here in Britain. He's been in power for a little over two weeks, but increasingly, it's Boris Johnson's
special adviser, Dominic Cummings, the controversial mastermind behind the Brexit campaign who is dominating the headlines.
Nina dos Santos reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[14:35:02] DOMINIC CUMMINGS, BRITISH POLITICAL STRATEGIST: You've been arrogant and ignorant --
NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A genius to some, arrogance to others.
CUMMINGS: I don't know very much about very much.
DOS SANTOS: Just two weeks into his job, Boris Johnson's most senior adviser, cuts a divisive if dressed down figure in Downing Street.
ANDREW ADONIS, PRO-REMAIN LABOUR PEER: He hates the current political establishment, including in his own party. It's very important to
understand that there's almost nobody that Dominic Cummings likes in politics.
DOS SANTOS: In 2016, he was credited for masterminding the winning vote leave campaign, fronted by Johnson.
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: Do you think they've won? No, they haven't.
DOS SANTOS: A Seminole moment in Britain's recent history, immortalized by Benedict Cumberbatch in the Channel Four drama, "Brexit: The Uncivil war."
BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH, ENGLISH ACTOR: Everyone knows who won. We want to return to a time where knew our place, when things made sense.
CUMMINGS: It will lead to a significant disruption in the commission ECJ issues or architecture.
DOS SANTOS: But after refusing to answer questions on whether his campaign misled the public, he was held in contempt of parliament.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Few things the more you need --
CUMMINGS: That might be (INAUDIBLE) finish what I tell you.
DOS SANTOS: And that has made him a wholly inappropriate choice for such a prominent role say pro remain MPs.
ADONIS: The combination of Boris Johnson and Dominic Cummings is very dangerous. Cummings is very much to Boris Johnson what Steve Bannon was to
Donald Trump. He is the brains and the massively disruptive force.
DOS SANTOS: But this former colleague says Cummings is just what the country needs now.
GABRIEL MILLAND, FORMER U.K. CIVIL SERVANT: He's not a member of the establishment, and he's not really a member of the elite. He works better
with outsiders. He doesn't particularly want to be liked either, and that's actually quite powerful.
DOS SANTOS (on-camera): Cummings has often talked about respecting the will of the British people who voted narrowly in favor of leaving the E.U.
three years ago. However, with the working majority of just one seat, his boss, Boris Johnson, won't have an easy ride forcing a no-deal through
parliament, which is why some say Cummings wasn't just hired to deliver Brexit, but instead, to fight an early election.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- Mr. Brexit?
DOS SANTOS: The U.K.'s already extended departure date to October the 31st, unless the government sanctions a last-minute reprieve. With that
departure less than three months away, the only question is, which one will come first?
NINA DOS SANTOS, CNN, LONDON.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NOBILO: One of the president's longtime allies says, this time, he's gone too far. Anthony Scaramucci, the former White House communications
director tells CNN he's no longer backing Trump's re-election. He says the Republican Party should consider a new candidate in 2020. Scaramucci says
the president is fostering hate in America with his Twitter feed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANTHONY SCARAMUCCI, FORMER WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: I think you have to consider a change at the top of the ticket when someone is
acting like this. When someone is that lax either intellectual curiosity to take ideas from friends.
I think the policies are very, very good for the American people. But the rhetoric is so charged and so divisive that we have to all just take a step
back now and say, what are we doing actually? So one thing that I find reprehensible and the president continues to do this and I think what will
end up happening is sound and reasonably minded men and women in the Republican Party will say, wait a minute, we can't do this. He is giving
people a license to hate. To provide a source of anger to go after each other and he does it on his Twitter account.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: Scaramucci even compared Trump and the Republicans to characters from the Wizard of Oz. Have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SCARAMUCCI: You remember when the water got thrown on the green witch and she started melting? What happened to all those soldiers? Right? I mean,
they're in that position right now. So let's throw some water on the green witch and let's watch what the soldiers do, which is they all teamed up
with Dorothy, I mean, that's how the movies go.
Let's end the bullying and let's end this sort of nonsense. They're all behind her until she gets hit with the water. Then she starts melting and
they're like, hey, Dorothy, I'm sorry about that. You know, she was a little crazy, but now that she's melted, I can speak the truth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: Joining me for a trip down the yellow brick road to talk more about this is CNN Political Analyst, Julian Zelizer. He's a professor of
history and public affairs at Princeton University, and the author of "Fault Lines: A History of the United States Since 1974." Thanks for being
on the program.
JULIAN ZELIZER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Thank you.
NOBILO: How significant is it do you think, Julian, that a once key figure in the Trump White House has come out to say that he's going to be backing
the president for re-election?
ZELIZER: Yes, I don't think this is very significant. He doesn't carry any weight in the Republican Party. He doesn't carry weight in the
administration and I think more relevant than any comments he makes on television is where most Republicans have been. And most Republicans have
been squarely behind the president, and they've known everything that Scaramucci was talking about from day one and it hasn't made them budged.
[14:40:14] NOBILO: Julian, you've written a great piece for cnn.com about Trump impeaching himself. And you contend that Trump has continued to do
more than anyone else to maintain the political momentum necessary to prevent Democrats from putting the impeachment option aside. Why do you
say that?
ZELIZER: Yes. I think since the Mueller testimony, you've seen the number of House Democrats who are open to impeachment investigations grow. It's
now a majority of the democratic caucus. I don't think it's actually what was in the Mueller report, so much as what the president does on a day to
day basis.
And this August has just been really incredible, I think, for many Democrats to watch, from the rhetoric he has used, to the way it's
manifested itself in the shootings to his tweeting conspiracy theory about the former president.
So I think the way he acts on a daily basis, just makes it harder it's harder for Democrats not to consider this option.
NOBILO: But do you think that the Democrats are still being substantially held back by the fear that starting impeachment proceedings would result in
a backlash against them electorally?
ZELIZER: They are. And I say that in the article, "Support has grown among Democrats, even moderate Democrats. But Speaker Pelosi still is far
away from moving forward. She is worried about a backlash against the Democrats, she is worried about protecting Democrats who came from moderate
districts, that this will somehow play badly for the party.
But it's getting harder for her. Even the House Judiciary chairman, Jerry Nadler, has now said the committee is actually conducting formal
impeachment proceedings, so she's really trying to hold back. But president Trump makes it difficult.
NOBILO: And as you say, the president does make that difficult. And you call him his own worst enemy. Why do you think it is that a president -- a
sitting president who can enjoy some of the benefits of incumbency that we know do affect the election campaigns having all the trappings of the
office? What do you think is incentivizing him to descendant to less and less a presidential behavior as time goes on, as he gets closer to the re-
election campaign, instead of enjoying those trappings. He is behaving in a less presidential manner?
ZELIZER: A lot of it is who he is. It's not calculation, it's not political strategy. This is him. His Twitter feed is an x-ray into his
mind. And I think when you read what comes out or what you hear often in press conferences reflects, how he thinks about the world.
And, yes, an incumbent president with a good economy and united party in any other circumstance would almost be a shoo-in for re-election.
President Trump is not. And I don't think it's a strategic decision. I think this is President Trump exposed every day.
NOBILO: And you're right because another president might take advantage of it. Some of the fundamentals are arguably quite strong.
And do you think, strategically or otherwise, that the fact that President Trump continues to court controversy, there's always a Twitter storm going
on, there's -- there tends to be back and forth feuds with various people, do you think it immunizes him, to some extent, against criticism like that
of Scaramucci or others that you might argue or more influential? Because we just hear it all the time? So it doesn't resonate as much as sharply as
it would with another president who didn't receive that much controversy and criticism.
ZELIZER: Yes. I think there's something to that. There's a certain level of numbness in the American public where things that would be totally
scandalous or devastating to a president in earlier years, now, is just news for the day. And people can't really even distinguish always what's
grand and what's not.
So I do think he counts on that. I also think he counts on the fast moving news cycle that he himself fuels. So that stories move one day to the next
and some of these really devastating moments he hopes will be forgotten by the time of Election Day. Thus far though, the -- he has not won a
majority of the public to his side.
NOBILO: Julian Zelizer, thank you very much for joining us tonight.
ZELIZER: Thanks for having me.
NOBILO: Still to come on the program, Indian actress, Priyanka Chopra, has fans around the world, but she's found herself in a hot seat over a dispute
between her home country and Pakistan. That story is coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:45:01] NOBILO: Welcome back. Pakistan's prime minister has sharp criticism of recent moves by India. Imran Khan says India's decision to
revoke Kashmir's autonomy is comparable to Nazi ideology. He also accused India of trying to change the demography of Muslim majority Kashmir through
"ethnic cleansing."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(PROTESTING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: Today, many Muslims turned out to protest after prayers. They shouted "we want freedom" among other slogans. The part of Kashmir that's
controlled by India remains largely on lockdown. But the communications blackout in effect.
A Pakistani woman recently confronted Indian actress and U.N. Goodwill ambassador, Priyanka Chopra, over her support of the Indian government.
It happened at an event in Los Angeles. Chopra was taking questions from the audience when a woman brought up past remarks she had made. Take a
look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AYESHA MALIK, PAKISTANI: So it was kind of hard hearing you talk about humanity because as your neighbor, a Pakistani, I know you're a bit of a
hypocrite. Because you tweeted on February 26th, Jai Hind #IndianArmedForces. You are an ambassador for peace and you're encouraging
nuclear war against Pakistan.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: Take a listen to Chopra's response now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRIYANKA CHOPRA, INDIAN ACTRESS: I hear you. Whenever you're done venting, got it? Done? OK. Cool. So I have many, many friends --
thanks, girls. I have many, many friends from Pakistan and I am from India. And war is not something that I'm really fond of, but I am
patriotic. So I'm sorry that if I hurt sentiments to people who do love me and have loved me.
But I think that all of us have a sort of middle ground that we all have to work just like you probably do as well. The way you came at me right now.
But don't yell, we're all here for love. Don't yell. Don't embarrass yourself. We all want that middle ground. But thank you for your
enthusiasm and your question and your voice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: The Pakistani woman, Ayesha Malik, later said she on Twitter that she feels like Chopra tried to make her, "the bad guy and called the
actress irresponsible."
More to come tonight, including flipping and twisting into the record books. U.S. Gymnast Simone Biles lands two stunning moves in historic
first for the sport. You've got to see it for yourself.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:50:23] NOBILO: U.S. Olympian darling Simone Biles is, once again, smashing world records taking home her sixth U.S. title in a remarkable
fashion. She landed a triple double during her floor routine, becoming the first woman to ever to do so in a competition. That's two back flips and
three twists while in the air. And it comes after she set yet another record Friday for her double-double dismount from the balance beam.
Don Riddell joins me now from Atlanta. Don, talk us through how historic this is and how Simone has been able to achieve this.
DON RIDDELL, CNN WORLD SPORT REPORTER: It's absolutely extraordinary, isn't it? I mean, the video you've just shown at high speed is impressive,
but you need to see it in slow motion to truly appreciate its beauty.
And as you say, historic. No female athlete had ever been able to successfully pull off this move. And actually, most men don't even try it
because it is just so difficult. So that's one thing. Then you've got the fact that she's won six all-around titles at the U.S. nationals, now, you
have to go back to the 1950s to find another gymnast who was able to do that. If she hadn't taken the year of 2017 off, she easily could have won
seven.
And you have to look at our age as well to understand why this is so impressive. She's 22 years old which really doesn't sound that old, but in
gymnastics terms it is. We used to think that athletes who were 14, 15, 16 were at their peak, in their prime. But she is proving that it is possible
to compete at this level much, much later than that.
So she is really groundbreaking in so many different regards is the fact that she's winning more of these events than anybody has, but she's not
content with just turning up and winning. She wants to be better than anybody has been ever before and she's making it look very, very easy right
now.
NOBILO: And, Don, apart from breaking all of these records and making history and giving phenomenal physical performances, she did speak last
week about how the abuse that she suffered from Larry Nassar still affects her, given the emotion that she displayed it adds another dimensional
almost to how impressive this is. Because it's clearly a lot on her mind. And she was very brave about it. But it just shows all the more that she's
clearly remarkable human being.
RIDDELL: Yes, quite right. I mean, she is representing the U.S. Olympic team, the U.S. gymnastics organization. These are organizations that she
has been very clear about. They failed her and they failed hundreds of other athletes. She was in tears at this event on the eve of the
competition last week saying you had one job. You had one job and you messed it up.
So this isn't something that happened to her in another part of her life and she gets to escape it with sport and gymnastics. This happened to her
because she was a gymnast, because she was competing for the national team. And so she will forever tormented by that.
But I think you're absolutely right. This just makes her achievement even more remarkable. She is a survivor, a campaigner, and a very, very
powerful voice on the subject.
NOBILO: Don Riddell in Atlanta, thank you.
And staying in the world of sports for this heartwarming headline. So loud noises and bright lights can make a trip to the professional baseball game
scary for people with autism and other developmental disorders. But now, some teams want to make the experience less frightening.
Philadelphia has just opened this sensory room in its American football field. The room is designed to give those with special needs a quiet place
to decompress. Extra lucky fans could even get to meet Swoop the mascot for the Philadelphia Eagles.
[14:55:07] And finally tonight, it was 50 years ago, this week, on a farm in New York State, the legendary Woodstock festival took place. One woman
who was there and 17 at the time, spoke to CNN's Paul Vercammen about being part of music history.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAUREEN MCFADDEN, WOODSTOCK FESTIVAL SUPPORTER: I just can't believe that I saw all of those people in one weekend. It is more than any music lover
could have asked for.
PAUL VERCAMMEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Maureen McFadden saw it all in the muddy mess 50 years ago, the Woodstock Music Festival in New
York.
Jimi Hendrix, Santana, The Who.
MCFADDEN: They played every freaking great song that they had ever written up to that point.
VERCAMMEN: In 1969, McFadden, a 17-year-old theater nerd from Philadelphia, defied her mother's wishes and traveled to Woodstock. Her
fellow actor, Denise Montana, came along. They loaded up to get loaded.
MCFADDEN: We had our mescaline, and we had our hashish, and it was -- it did enhance everything. And it was -- that's I think -- everybody took
care of everybody at Woodstock.
VERCAMMEN: In this psychedelic celebration, the young stage actresses said they met handsome German bikers and made out.
MCFADDEN: And they had really long hair. You know? It didn't matter that they couldn't speak English. Broken English. You know? They were -- they
were rebels, and we were rebels, so.
VERCAMMEN: For McFadden, the real romance was with her rock idols and the spirit of Woodstock.
MCFADDEN: There are a lot of people who still live by the Woodstock credo of peace and love. I've signed my letters "peace and love" ever since, and
I've had a couple of people in business say, "Peace and love?" I'm like, "Yes, peace and love. Don't forget about that, because it's what it's all
about."
VERCAMMEN: McFadden is an entertainment publicist.
VERCAMMEN (on-camera): And you would argue that, right now, in these troubled times, we could use another Woodstock.
MCFADDEN: Damn straight we could. Damn straight we could. We need to be reminded about that, that it's not all the bull (BLEEP) that we hear every
day. Take a breath, think of where you are. Think of who you love. Keep that in you.
VERCAMMEN (voice-over): Paul Vercammen, CNN, Santa Barbara, California.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NOBILO: Thanks for watching tonight. Stay with CNN. "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
