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New Day Sunday

President Trump Just Wrapped Up a Meeting with the Canadian PM; Trump on Brexit: PM Johnson is "The Right Man To Do The Job; Protesters Throw Bricks and Fire Bombs at Hong Kong Police; Wildfires Sweep Through Brazil's Amazon Rainforest; Watches and Warnings in Effect for Tropical Storm Dorian. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired August 25, 2019 - 07:00   ET

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


[07:00:00] DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: A very big trade, bigger than we've ever had with the U.K.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The thing with those comments is that you just don't know what to make of them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Amazon provides one of every five breaths you take. And, all of it burning at the rate one and a half soccer fields per minute.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Brazil's president says he is sending in more than 43,000 troops to help fight the fires.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's an enormous task here. And the Brazilian army have experience in this but possibly not the capability to deal with it fast.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Six people were injured at the PGA Tour championship in Atlanta when lightning struck a tree as they sheltered underneath. Look at that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I felt like I was in a major car accident. Felt like I was blind sided. Only until I saw the pictures did I really understand how close we were to something catastrophic.

(MUSIC)

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY WEEKEND with Victor Blackwell and Christi Paul.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Good Sunday morning to you.

President Trump just wrapped up comments to reporters alongside Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. This is at the G7 summit in France. And trade negotiations were high on the agenda.

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: The president is also fresh from a quick- fire round of meetings with other G7 leaders, including the prime minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, and the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. BLACKWELL: CNN senior White House correspondent Pamela Brown is

traveling with the president. She's there in southern France at the summit.

Pamela, good morning to you.

Tell us more about this meeting with President Trump and Prime Minister Trudeau.

We know that in their remarks they talked about trade but there's a lot more potentially on the table for the two.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. They struck a very positive note at the beginning of the meeting which is notable because last year at the G7, the two had a contentious relationship. President Trump called Trudeau meek and mild and withdrew from the communique. This year, they touted the USMCA, the agreement, the trade agreement that they reached with Mexico that Congress has yet to take up for a vote. But the two leaders said they hope other countries will follow suit, being able to reach an agreement on trade.

There's much more for the two leaders to discuss particularly as it pertains to defense, North Korea, Iran. Justin Trudeau also views climate as a top priority. That is something the president will likely not be receptive to talk about because he views this summit to really be about the economy. That's what he wants this focus to be.

Now, earlier in the day, he was asked about, again, whether he thinks Russia should rejoin the group. As you know, Russia was kicked out after the annexation of Crimea. And once again he doubled down and said they should rejoin. He thinks he should be a good thing, and it even came up at the dinner with foreign leaders last night.

Here's what he said.

Well, he did say that -- it came up with the leaders and that basically some agreed that it should, that Russia should rejoin the group. Others disagreed. He wouldn't say exactly who, but it's worth noting that Russia hasn't changed its aggressive behavior as it pertains to Ukraine.

Now, the president before this meeting with Shinzo Abe earlier today also talked North Korea. He said he wasn't happy about the short- range missile testing that's been happening in North Korea but he didn't think it was a U.N. security violation. Now, contrast that with statements from Shinzo Abe when he was asked about it by President Trump. He said, yes, it clearly was a violation, is a violation and that it is regrettable. So, clearly, two different responses from the leaders.

Now, the president also said before the meeting he's been treated beautifully. He's tweeted that all this reporting on tensions between him and G7 leaders just simply isn't true. But we are told behind the scenes the president has been complaining about many of the topics here outside of the economy, having to do with climate change, having to do with gender equality.

The president views the G7 summit as something that should be solely about the economy, especially given all that's going on right now. Though he claims no one has brought up the trade war with China to him, even though Boris Johnson said he was unhappy with the tariffs.

Back to you.

BLACKWELL: Pamela Brown for us there, Pamela, thank you so much.

Now, these remarks to reporters from President Trump and Prime Minister Trudeau, they were relatively brief this morning. It just happened a few moments ago. Here's what they said in full.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JUSTIN TRUDEAU, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: Canadian and American economy are doing well, partially because of the trade relationship we have and great work we did. Quite frankly, around the table there's a lot of people wanting to make trade deals with each another. And we have a deal we were able to negotiate that's good for our workers, good for our citizens, good for the middle class.

And that's the kind of thing we need to see more of around the world. Always a pleasure to talk about a broad range of global issues. And good to sit down with you.

[07:05:07] TRUMP: So, we're going to be significantly expanding our trade relationship when the USMCA gets done, and completed. Our farmers love it. The unions love it, manufacturers love it. Everybody likes it. I think most Democrats like it.

So, hopefully, that will be put to a vote fairly soon. It's got tremendous support if I believe Democrat and Republican. It has been signed and finalized essentially by Canada and essentially by Mexico. So, we're waiting for that from the United States.

And we have really great support. And it's something -- I think it's a very special agreement. And it replaces NAFTA, which is perhaps the worst trade agreement ever done. Within our country, it's the worst.

I can think of one worse but it's not within our country. It's outside of our country. That's the WTO. That's a beauty.

So, we're very happy with the agreement. I congratulate you. I hope it gets done. I guess we should save the congratulations for when they vote. But hopefully that will be put to a vote very soon.

Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: And as soon as we hear more of what came from that meeting privately, we will pass that onto you. But President Trump has met as well with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson for the first time. This was at a breakfast ahead of the summit. The two discussed Brexit and future trade negotiations.

BLACKWELL: President Trump said trade was stymied under previous Prime Minister Theresa May but that he had faith in Johnson's leadership.

PAUL: CNN international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson is in southern France with more on that.

So, they talked about a lot of very good discussions, we're told, on trade between the U.S. and the U.K. But when it came to trade with China, we have this from Johnson, who said, we don't like tear tariffs on the whole.

What do we know about the conversations that went on between the two?

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: We know that Boris Johnson responded when President Trump said he hadn't faced pushback from other leaders at the G7 about the U.S. -- the great U.S./China trade war. Johnson said, well, there was a sheep-like note that the others wanted a trade peace rather than a trade war with China. So, you know, if that's a measure of what happened behind closed door, Johnson choosing his words carefully but he will have heard from President Trump today, precisely what he needs to hear because he potentially faces an election soon and that was the support of President Trump saying he could deliver a strong Brexit and also a strong message there as well towards the European Union, showing that he has a good ally in President Trump.

That's important to Boris Johnson in his Brexit negotiations with the E.U. It's really on trade that Johnson was looking to get a strong affirmation from President Trump. And that's what he got. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: Mr. President, do you have advice for Boris Johnson on Brexit?

TRUMP: He needs no advice. He's the right man for the job. I've been saying that for a long time. Didn't make your predecessor very happy but I've been saying it for a long time. He's the right man for the job.

BORIS JOHNSON, BRITIS PRIME MINISTER: Looking forward to having pretty comprehensive talks about how to take forward the relationship in all sorts of ways, particularly on trade. We're very excited about that.

TRUMP: We're having very good trade talks between the U.K. and ourselves. It would be a very big trade deal, bigger than we've ever had with the U.K. Now they won't have -- at some point they won't have the obstacle. They won't have the anchor around their ankle, which is what they had. So, we're going to have some very good trade talks.

(END VIDEO CLIP) ROBERTSON: But, of course, politically, at home Johnson would have to tread a very careful diplomatic path because if he is too close to President Trump, despite everything that he needs from him, then that can count against him at home. I think that's why we heard him interject and give the sheep-like note of criticism of President Trump there.

PAUL: Nic Robertson, we appreciate the update so much. Thank you, sir.

BLACKWELL: Joining to discuss is CNN European affairs commentator Dominic Thomas, and Josh Rogin, CNN analyst, also a columnist with "The Washington Post", back with us.

Dominic, let me start with you. The potency, that the relevance of that endorsement from President Trump to the new prime minister, especially as he looks ahead to this October 31st deadline for deal or no deal as Britain leaves the E.U.

DOMINIC THOMAS, CNN EUROPEAN AFFAIRS COMMENTATOR: Yes, it's been very important, of course, for Boris Johnson. So much of the Brexit narrative has been about the ability of the U.K. to be able to engage in these bilateral trade deals should they be able to extra indicate themselves from the European Union.

[07:10:01] So, it was an important endorsement here from President Trump.

However, back home, and this is really what this summit is all about, is leaders find themselves on the international stage but it is the domestic issues. And the single issue shaping British politics, right now, is, of course, Brexit. And Boris Johnson wants to come across as unambiguously the person that can deliver this should he go to a general election.

But, of course, at the G7, not only Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany and Macron of France there, but Donald Tusk, the president of the E.U. Council is also in attendance. So, Boris Johnson has to be very careful to the extent to which he goes down that road of arguing the favors of President Trump while at the same time thinking about the realities back home and not further dividing people over this kind of endorsement and support.

PAUL: So, Josh, let's talk about that a little more because we heard Nic talk about how Boris Johnson did interject and say, as we said, we don't like tariffs on the whole when talking about a trade deal with China. Did he in doing so give more potency to push-backs from other leaders to do the same?

JOSH ROGIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Right. It's clear Boris Johnson agrees with other European leaders that Trump's tariff war is not in the interest of the world economy in general but he can't say so as forcefully as was just mentioned, Britain in a post-Brexit scenario is more dependent on the Trump administration and the United States than it would really like to be. And that kind of frames the overall dynamic here in Biarritz for the G7 Summit, where the group of seven was established originally to draw collective action against the largest liberal, free market economies.

Now, what we're seeing is that there is no agreement on Iran, on trade, on China or even on Russia amongst these seven liberal free market economies. That's why we're seeing all of these one-on-one one-off, bilateral deals, bilateral discussions. That's the only action in town. And Boris Johnson knows that.

So, he has to protest to the extent to make his position clear, but he doesn't have any leverage to work with and he needs Donald Trump more than Donald Trump needs him.

BLACKWELL: Dominic, this is the third G7 summit that President Trump has entered or attended and said that Russia should be readmitted. That suspension from 2014 should end. He added now at a meeting yesterday that other members of the group support him, agree with him. Reconcile that claim with what we know publicly from the other members.

THOMAS: Well, this is, you know, once again, talking but the evidence is perhaps not as clear to substantiate that. It's clear that since this organization got going in 1975, that the goal is to reach consensus over these particular issues. And yet we find arguably the most divided G7 that we have ever come around to see.

Now, in the -- as far as you know, you think the support on this might be coming from, say, Boris Johnson. That Boris Johnson is in a very difficult position back in the U.K. precisely for the Salisbury poisonings that Russia is unambiguously involved. But president Trump has other allies in Shinzo Abe, the Japanese prime minister, with whom he's much closer.

And also, let's not forget the Italian situation. The Italian prime minister is attending but has just stepped down, precisely because of the pressure from the far right coalition government for which they were all involved. And Salvini, the deputy prime minister and leader of the far right in Italy enjoys very close ties with the Russian Federation.

So, I think we see a split here between the European Union Representatives Angela Merkel and Emanuel Macron. And, arguably, if what President Trump says is accurate, those are the sort of protagonists one would expect to side with him on this sort of question.

PAUL: All right. Josh Rogin and Dominic Thomas --

ROGIN: Victor, I would --

PAUL: Go ahead, Josh.

ROGIN: I would add my reporting from U.S. officials who were briefed on the dinner last night said it was Boris Johnson, Angela Merkel and Justin Trudeau who argued against readmitting Russia into the G7, and it was actually French President Macron who indicated a willingness to entertain the idea. And that may very well be what President Trump was referring to. BLACKWELL: OK.

PAUL: All right. Josh Rogin, and Dominic Thomas, again, gentlemen, we appreciate you being here. Thank you.

THOMAS: Thank you.

ROGIN: Thank you.

PAUL: So, two leaders who are not part of the G7 Summit still intent on being heard this weekend as we talk about Russian President Vladimir Putin, he's one of them, as well as North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.

Russia has launched two ballistic missiles from nuclear-powered submarine in the Arctic Ocean.

BLACKWELL: The Ministry of Defense says it was part of combat training. Now, it's been two weeks since five people were killed in a blast in Northern Russia.

[07:15:04] And North Korea is showing off images of a new weapons test. The regime says Saturday they fired off, what they call it, a newly developed, super large, multiple rocket launcher.

PAUL: State media says Kim Jong-un called the launcher, quote, a great weapon. This is the latest in a series of missile tests in recent weeks as denuclearization talks are stalled at this point. President Trump has downplayed those launches meanwhile.

BLACKWELL: We're getting new pictures in from Hong Kong. A relatively small group of protesters, compared to what we've seen over the last 11 weekends, has been facing off with police. Tear gas, you can see in protesters threw Molotov cocktails, other projectiles toward the police. We are live on that scene in a moment.

PAUL: And Prince Andrew is saying that he did not know the real Jeffrey Epstein and never suspected any criminal behavior. New words from the prince in a moment.

BLACKWELL: And a view there on the ground of the fires in the Amazon rainforest. What the Brazil's military is doing to stop them.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: Well, Israel says it has foiled a large-scale drone attack by Iran. Israel defense forces carried out a series of airstrikes near Damascus, Syria, hitting Iranian and Shiite militia targets to prevent attacks by so-called killer drones.

BLACKWELL: An IDF spokesman described the drone attack as imminent, as in real-time.

Hong Kong now where a relatively small group of protesters has been fighting with police for the 12th consecutive week we've seen this. PAUL: This was the scene last hour here. Police firing tear gas and

water canyons after protesters threw Molotov cocktails and bricks at them.

CNN's Andrew Stevens live in Hong Kong.

Andrew, help us understand what we've seen the last 11 weeks comparatively to what we're seeing today.

[07:20:10] ANDREW STEVENS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it is pretty much more of the same we've seen, Christi. Having said that, we had a relative calm period of ten days or so which was broken last night on Saturday evening here in Hong Kong when police used round after round of tear gas and that escalated today. This has been a serious confrontation today.

It is now, or at least at the moment, the protesters have literally just melted away. There is a street behind me, you can see these water cannon trucks was crammed with thousands and thousands of protesters. In the last 30 minutes they have disappeared as the place that swept up to this point. And we're really now at a position where the police are wondering what the next step is. They're waiting for orders on where to go next.

We're hearing reports that the protesters splintered and fragmented into different areas and marching on various parts of Hong Kong. So, we will continue to follow that. But for the moment, the tensions have died down. As I said, the protesters have disappeared.

But this was a big protester day in line with recent Sunday. Sundays seem to bring out most protesters and the vast majority with that peaceful -- it's a broad cross-section of Hong Kong society. As it goes into the evening, the harder core, younger, more violent protesters provoked police, linked to these confrontations, followed by tear gas. We've seen petrol bombs, Molotov cocktails thrown at police today. There were six to seven thrown. They didn't land anywhere near.

But there was intent there. There were bricks, iron bars. So, there is intent. I can't say for sure if this is over tonight because you can't tell here in Hong Kong because a mob can suddenly turn up somewhere. Most likely at a police station, or an area, which is going to disrupt Hong Kong, traffic going to the airport, which the police will come out and clear. So, it's a pretty fluid situation at the moment.

PAUL: All right. Andrew Stevens, you and the crew take good care there. Thank you very much.

So, Prince Andrew just issued a statement saying he never saw or even suspected any of the behavior that led to Jeffrey Epstein's conviction of sex crimes but he admits, quote, it was a mistake and error to see Epstein after his release from prison in 2010.

BLACKWELL: The prince is referring to this video which appears to show him at Epstein's New York mansion in 2010. That is two years after Epstein had to register as a sex offender after pleading guilty to sex crimes. CNN could not independently verify the authenticity of the video or when it was shot. This is the second statement from the palace in just one week about Prince Andrew's relationship with Jeffrey Epstein.

PAUL: Police in Mexico say they've arrested the son of a former NFL player wanted for killing his parents. Twenty-two-year-old Dylan Bennett is accused of shooting his parents, Barry and Carol Bennett. Both of them were found dead in their home in Long Prairie, Minnesota, on Wednesday. Dylan has been missing ever since.

BLACKWELL: Affiliate WCCO that Bennett contacted police back in Minnesota before his arrest and said he intended to turn himself into the FBI. He is being sent back to Minnesota to face murder charges.

Los Angeles sheriff's deputy who claimed he was shot by a sniper admitted that he made the whole thing up.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAPTAIN KENT WEGENER, LOS ANGELES COUNTY SHERIFF'S HOMICIDE BUREAU: Angel Reinosa admitted that he was not shot at. He also told investigators that he had caused the holes in his uniform shirt by cutting it with a knife. There was no sniper. No shots fired and no gunshot injury sustained to his shoulder -- completely fabricated.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: Reinosa sparked a massive manhunt on Wednesday after reporting that he was shot in the shoulder there. He claims someone fired at him as he was walking to his personal car outside the sheriff's station. The Los Angeles county sheriff's department says Reinosa will be relieved of his duties. They say a criminal investigation into the incident as well is ongoing.

BLACKWELL: Breaking overnight. Seven people have been shot at a birthday party for a 2-year-old. This happened in Maryland. Police are now looking for a suspect. The shooting happened last night in Camp Springs.

The police chief in Prince Georges County says all seven of those who were shot are expected to survive.

PAUL: The victims age in range between 18 and 20 years old. Police say about a dozen people were gathered for that party when one person came up, a fight broke out and shooting began.

We have new pictures of the trees that are destroyed, the vegetation that is still smoldering today as the fires are burning in parts of the Amazon rainforest. How Brazil's military is starting to take action now.

Plus, this was just terrifying.

[07:25:00] It happened at the PGA championship where a lightning bolt injured spectators. We'll tell you where they were when the bolt hit and how they're doing coming up on NEW DAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: Twenty-eight minutes after the hour.

And this morning, we're getting a look at what Brazil is doing to take on the fires raging in the Amazon rainforest. The Brazilian air force released this video. It shows planes dropping water onto the hot spots. Brazil's President Bolsonaro said he's sending 43,000 troops to fight the fires.

PAUL: Take a look at what has already been lost though. We have these new pictures. It's harsh. The wildlife devastated by fire, the smoke.

This morning, the pope asking for prayers saying, quote, that forest lung is vital to our planet.

CNN's Nick Paton Walsh there in Brazil, in a city waking up to smoky skies.

And, Nick, talk to us about the difference you saw yesterday from the same place you are now to conditions that you're seeing this morning.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. I mean, I don't know who amongst you were watching yesterday but this is a lot, lot worse. I'll have the cameraman pan around. As the sun has come up, it's clear how much more smoke has enveloped the city than previously thought.

Now, yesterday, you could see much of the river delta, one of the tributaries of the Amazon.

[07:30:03] Now, a lot of the city skyline frankly, even these tall buildings now are somewhat obscured. Just in the last few minutes, we saw what we think is a military aircraft fly over, part of this general Brazilian military to get into the fight here and douse them with water.

This is the worst affected, Rondonia state with the most amount of fires burning. This is just the smoke from them. This is not because there's a fire burning just over there.

Brazil is dealing with this huge cloud of smoke from the fires moving around. And it's at mercy, frankly, of the weather. Now, here, you can actually taste it, frankly I've been finding, you struggle sometimes to swallow. It's a very tough environment. It will fluctuate day by day.

Now, we went out into deeper parts of the Amazon here, highways kind of cut through it at the present. Either side you see bits of land that have been burned away. Police said the fires surge at night, they get the most amount of flames, because that's when people set fire to them.

And it's extraordinary to think that a lot of this is human made. Many critics said it's essentially down to people trying to deforest so they can use the land for agriculture, for soy production, they can feed the soy to the beef or just let cattle feed on that particular land, down to the things you and I like to eat on a daily basis, the global appetite for meat.

But it is amazing to wake up here as the world continues its criticism of Brazil's attitude toward the Amazon. Remember, this hasn't happened in isolation. This is the worse forest they've seen for quite some time, 85 percent worse than last year but it's happening in a climate prosecute Brazil's President Bolsonaro is saying to many people, you know, it's OK if you want to deforest because that can potentially make you richer.

Yes, he recognizes the scale of the challenge. The army are out. Is it enough? We simply don't know.

You see really how random this is even after those 43,000 troops are supposed to be deployed and the announcement is made, that doesn't change what we see the next morning. Back to you.

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: That is -- that is pretty stunning.

Nick Paton Walsh, thank you so much.

And Puerto Rico is bracing for what could be, I hate to say it, a direct hit from a hurricane. We're tracking tropical storm Dorian. It's gaining strength in the Atlantic. We have details on its path.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Plus, a scary moment on a golf course. A lightning bolt strikes with a crowd of people nearby.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: Thirty-five minutes past the hour right now.

And there are watches and warnings in effect already as Tropical Storm Dorian is gaining strength in the Atlantic.

BLACKWELL: Experts say it could become a hurricane by Tuesday. Both the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico are currently in its path.

CNN meteorologist Ivan Cabrera is tracking the storm for us.

Ivan, what are you seeing and when could it hit?

IVAN CABRERA, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Hey, guys, good morning.

So, changes overnight. Really the models beginning to go in a different direction here. I think a lot of dry air is surrounding the system. It's inhibiting it from developing, which is a good thing, and different from what we had yesterday, even the track has shifted as well.

Forty -mile-an-hour winds, that's nothing. You get a couple miles under that and it's not even a tropical storm. It does not look all that strong right now. That's going to change over the next few days and we're still thinking this will perhaps become a hurricane by the time we get into the early and latter part of next week.

There you see the tracks. By Tuesday, this thing is already over the Leeward Islands here, Windward Islands, the Lesser Antilles and eventually heading into Puerto Rico potentially as a hurricane. This would be on Wednesday afternoon and into Wednesday evening.

Now, let's talk about the ingredients we need. We need warm ocean water. We have that at the surface here. Temperatures in the mid to upper 80s. That's a check there.

The wind shear, the upper level winds will increase over the next couple days so that won't bear well for this storm, which is excellent news. I think this is going to be what's going to inhibit significant development here. And that has changed now.

Look at all the dry air around this system here. That also inhibits it. So, it has a lot to get through here before it intensifies into anything that I think would rival a strong hurricane. So, we'll watch that closely for you.

But keep checking back because these things will change. So, there's Dorian. Then we have a system much closer to Florida. Why are we talking about Dorian first? I don't think this is going to be much of a threat except for indirect threats, that's wave height, rip current conditions on long the east coast, 30-mile-an-hour winds.

But watch the computer model forecast, they have been consistent over the last several runs over the U.S. That would be, once it does develop, when we think it will, will be Erin there, but again, this is going to be a fish storm. Dorian is the one to watch. It remains to be seen how strong of a storm it will be by the time it hits the islands and Puerto Rico Wednesday, guys.

BLACKWELL: All right. Better news today than yesterday.

CABRERA: Indeed.

BLACKWELL: Ivan Cabrera, thanks much.

So, we have to share with you this moment from the PGA championship in Atlanta.

PAUL: Six people were injured here when lightning struck a tree. Take a look at this. Isn't that something?

The thing is, there were people underneath that tree. That video capturing at least one of the two strikes at this event. Play had been suspended before the strike happened because the storm was moving in. And officials encouraged everyone at that point to leave and seek shelter.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BILLY KRAMER, SPECTATOR INJURED IN LIGHTNING STRIKE: I was in a golf cart just about to pass the tree when the lightning struck the tree. And I'm still -- I still don't recall whether I was thrown from the cart or if I jumped from the cart because at some point I thought the tree was going to fall. So, I was trying to get away from the tree as quickly as possible.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

PAUL: No serious injuries, thankfully. And everyone is expected to be OK.

BLACKWELL: Senator Kamala Harris is delivering a keynote address. This happened actually last night. We'll tell you why she's calling identity politics the 21st century version of the race card.

PAUL: And 400 years later, hundreds of people are expected to come together to commemorate the anniversary of the landing of the first enslaved Africans in North America.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:43:58] BLACKWELL: Presidential candidate, Senator Kamala Harris, is calling identity politics the 21st century version of the race card. She said it during her keynote address at a banquet for the Durham Committee the Affairs of Black People. This was last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. KAMALA HARRIS (D-CA), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: People bring it up in a way that is meant to marginalize the subject, in a way that I believe is meant to say, hush. In a way that sometimes is meant to say, shut up.

And here's how I feel about that. When we talk about how our country is and where we are on civil rights issues, it is not about identity politics in the way that they try to phrase it. Where America stands on core issues of civil rights is about America's identity.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: She went on to list a number of items she believes are a matter of America's identity, including economic insecurity, the racial wealth gap, access to health care and African-American maternal mortality rate.

[07:45:08] PAUL: Today, you're going to see hundreds of people together in Hampton, Virginia, for a day of healing, commemorating the 400th anniversary of the first landing of enslaved Africans in the English colonies.

BLACKWELL: A nationwide bell ringing will take place this afternoon, ringing simultaneously for four minutes, one for each century.

CNN's Natasha Chen has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Say something. Thanking them for their sacrifice. NATASHA CHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In the same spot where

about 20 captured Africans arrived four centuries ago, people whispered prayers to them, and the ancestors who did not survive the voyage, sending those thoughts floating with flower petals into the Chesapeake Bay.

QAHIR ABDUR-RAHMAN, ATTENDING ANNIVERSARY EVENT: The ghosts of the past are still alive with us today. You can feel that as you walk around and look at the backdrop.

CHEN: Under the backdrop of Ft. Monroe, people felt what shackles would have felt like and took pictures at this historic marker where the ship White Lion arrived.

Asia Leeds, co-director of African Diaspora studies at Spelman College says this wasn't the first group of Africans in America. There were others already taken to what were then Spanish, Portuguese and French territories, but this does mark the first to English North America.

ASIA LEEDS, CO-DIRECTOR, AFRICAN DIASPORA STUDIES, SPELMAN COLLEGE: It marks a beginning of the foundations of this nation, of which slavery is deeply embedded. We have the beginnings of not just U.S. governing systems, right, they emerge out of this colonial history but also the foundations of American wealth.

CHEN: And now, African-Americans can be part of that wealth despite struggles inequality.

TANYA WOOLFOLK, ATTENDOING ANNIVERSARY EVENT: Now we're engineers, lawyers, doctors, presidents, maybe a future female president. But we've come a long way.

CHEN: And while they look at the traditions that made them who they are, the next generation is also looking at what their world could be.

BRYCEN DILDY, STUDENT, LARKSPUR MIDDLE SCHOOL, VIRGINIA BEACH: Imagine the problems that would be solved if all people were kind and felt cared for. It doesn't matter what your race or religion may be. We all deserve kindness.

VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Can we talk about where we're going and can we talk about what is necessary to get there? As we look at the next 400 years.

CHEN: Natasha Chen, CNN, Hampton, Virginia.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PAUL: Well, there's a seventh grader in Ohio who earned $15,000, and gives it all away. Find out who Diesel Pippert donated all that money to.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:52:43] PAUL: Have you ever had one of those moments where you get out of the car and you're not sure where you, you're not sure where you're going to and you're just --

BLACKWELL: Yes, what is it? It happened about four and a half hours ago.

PAUL: Yes, yes.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

PAUL: So, let's talk about what happened this morning with the recently minted British Prime Minister Boris Jackson. He was in playful mood today.

BLACKWELL: OK. So, here he is, getting out of the vehicle.

(LAUGHTER)

BLACKWELL: And he is there to meet the French president and Brigitte Macron. And here's what happened.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

PAUL: So, the debate is, did he know where he was going and he was being playful? Did he get out and he did not know where he was going? Because there was another crowd of people back there? And does it matter?

Well, it was a good video.

BLACKWELL: There's the right question.

(LAUGHTER)

PAUL: All right. Listen.

We want to know human kindness and today, a 12-year-old is showing us you're never too young to be kind of generous. Diesel Pippert auctioned off a pig at a county fair in Ohio, raised $15,000 and he's not keeping a penny of it. He's donating all the money to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis. And his mom tells us how he made that decision.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIN SANDERS, DIESEL PIPPERT'S MOM: The auctioneer said, told everyone that Diesel wanted to donate his premium bid to St. Jude's, and they're starting to bid off at $500 and everyone started raising their numbers, after they told everything and made that announcement. And it was crazy.

We hope that one kid from every fair will do this to help St. Jude's. That's our ultimate aim (ph) at the end of the day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: And the family is planning to hand deliver over toys and games to patients as well. So, New York Mayor Bill de Blasio is hoping for a shot at the Democratic presidential nomination.

BLACKWELL: He addressed a group in Iowa by video. But this did not go as planned.

Here's CNN's Jeanne Moos.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): What do the Chipmunks -- New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio have in common?

MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I thank you, everybody. I'm so happy I'm with you and I apologize I couldn't be there in person.

[07:55:02] MOOS: Do not adjust your set. The mayor's voice is distorted beyond fixing. Someone tweeted: I like him better this way.

Mayor de Blasio's flight was cancelled due to weather, so he made an on screen appearance at the Iowa Federation of Labor Convention.

DE BLASIO: A real, intense, bold change.

MOOS: What was real and intense was his change of voice, which technicians tried unsuccessfully to fix, even as he spoke.

DE BLASIO: A really, really difficult battle.

MOOS: And no, the presidential candidate hadn't been sucking helium like Jimmy Fallon.

De Blasio's high-pitched voice inspired only a stifled chuckle in the room but jokes dominated online. He represents the lollipop guild.

(SINGING)

MOOS: When de Blasio ended his presentation --

DE BLASIO: Thank you, everybody.

MOOS: -- the emcee responded.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. So, that was a little bit different.

MOOS: There were other audio issues.

Joe Biden's mic was turned off at one point.

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Spread it. Go spread it, guys.

MOOS: And even the emcee had to blow and tap, tap and blow.

Organizers apologized and later gave de Blasio a second chance to speak undistorted.

DE BLASIO: Crystal clear.

MOOS: De Blasio later joked: A cancelled flight can't stop me from auditioning for "Alvin and the Chipmunks."

Oh, we're talking about it.

DE BLASIO: My message comes down to three words: working people first.

MOOS: Correction, working audio first, or your campaign will be headed --

CROWD: To Munchkinland.

MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(LAUGHTER)

BLACKWELL: There are so many good things about that. I love the lollipop guild and Alvin and the Chipmunks Christmas album when I was kid. It was my absolute favorite.

PAUL: It's the best, I'm with you. It's the best.

BLACKWELL: Love it.

PAUL: All right. Hey, go make good memories today.

BLACKWELL: "INSIDE POLITICS WITH JOHN KING" up after a break.

[08:00:00]