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Growing Push in U.S. to Remove Symbols of the Confederacy; Trump to Resume Campaign Rallies Next Week; Police Body Cam Shows Black Teen Handcuffed for Jaywalking; Minneapolis Police Chief Pledges Reform; Popular Culture Begins Shifting Over Racism Concerns; First Trump Rally in Months in Tulsa on Juneteenth; Latin America Surpasses 70,000 COVID-19 Deaths; German Prosecutors Have New Evidence in Madeleine McCann Case; NBA Star Fronts Platform to Call Out Voter Suppression; NASCAR Bans Confederate Flags at All Races, Events. Aired 4:30-5a ET
Aired June 11, 2020 - 04:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[04:30:00]
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Statues of Confederate figures on display. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has renewed her call for their removal.
Well despite a rising number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. President Trump is eager to hit the road for a few political rallies. One factor driving his need for some time with his supporters could be recent polls which have him trailing the presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden.
So the President has announced a campaign restart. First rally, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They've done a great job with COVID, as you know, in state of Oklahoma. We're going to be coming into Florida. Do a big one in Florida, big one in Texas. They're all going to be big. We're going to Arizona. We're going to North Carolina at the appropriate time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: And Tulsa has its own troubled past with race. Almost 100 years ago it was the scene of a bloody rampage against black residents and businesses known as the "Tulsa Race Massacre." Now a senior officer there is under fire proclaiming there's no racism in the city's police force. He made the remarks in an interview during a conservative radio program. He tried to claim to back up this after this incident in a quiet city street. Bodycam video shows two African- American teens who were stopped for jaywalking, one of the teens then puts up a struggle.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just chill out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are you doing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, chill man.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What are you doing?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What you guys doing? What you trying to choke him. Why you trying to choke his neck?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nobody's choking him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're choking him man.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nobody's choking him. Just chill out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why you putting hands on his neck? Why are you arresting him? Why are you putting handcuffs on him?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why are you putting handcuffs on my --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All he was doing was jaywalking, we just want to talk to him and then he had to act a fool like that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm sorry, does he have anything on him?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, I appreciate you being cool, man.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm just trying to tell you he has nothing on him.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: The police department has now opened an investigation. To Minneapolis now and new developments in case against the officers charged in George Floyd's death. Fired officer Thomas Lane has been freed on $750,000 conditional bond. He's one of two rookies who were involved in Floyd's arrest. Meantime, the city's police chief is pulling out of contract talks with the police union while he implements change within the department.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MEDARIA ARRADONDO, MINNEAPOLIS POLICE CHIEF: This department and its 152 years has certainly had its issues and it's been broken and I brought attention to that a decade ago. But I didn't abandon it. And the reason why I didn't abandon it is because I believe in it, and I have ability and I have the obligation -- I see the men and women every day who are coming here who want to make this a department that is truly one that our communities will trust and embrace. So I believe in that. To my core, I do believe in that. What occurred to Mr. Floyd absolutely should have never happened. It has set this department back. I make no allowances for that. It certainly has. But I believe there's hope and I believe that there's space for us to get better here. (END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Joining us now from Washington is Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, a sociology professor at Georgetown University and author of "Tears We Cannot Stop, A Sermon to White America." Professor, good to see you as again.
MICHAEL ERIC DYSON, SOCIOLOGY PROFESSOR, GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY: Thanks, great to see you as well.
VAUSE: OK, well since we last spoke it seems there's been this sort of real shift in society which has picked up some momentum. The removing of Confederate monuments or statues, banning the Confederate flag from NASCAR, you know surging sales of books of racism. It seems white people are looking at TV shows and films in ways they never did before. How do you see what's happening here right now?
DYSON: Well I think it's salutary development. It's tragic that it took this kind of horror and terror that black America has experienced over the last 400 years for it to finally be home to the nation that we are suffering, that we are enduring enormous travesties and tragedies. And yet at the same time we appreciate the fact that there seems to be a significant and substantial shift in understanding about race and an eagerness and the curiosity that is genuine to try to figure out what's going on. So those developments are good.
VAUSE: Last week former major league baseball outfielder, Torii Hunter, he told ESPN, I've been called the "N" word in Boston 100 times from little kids and grownups right next to them didn't say anything. A few hours ago the Boston Red Sox released a statement supporting Hunter.
Torii Hunter's experience is real. If you doubted him because you've never heard it yourself, take it from us, it happened. Last year there were seven reported incidents at Fenway Park where fans used racial slurs. Those are just the ones we know about.
It seems you can take one or two altitudes towards this. The first is, well why wasn't something done long before now? Or you can look at this as being the start of what is the sort of a very difficult reckoning and acknowledgment period of past wrongs for this country.
[04:35:04]
DYSON: You know, we've got a move on. Not that we have to deny that, we've spent so much time as black people saying, this is the real deal. Now that people are coming to it, they have to acknowledge it. That's extremely important. Because acknowledgment is only part of the process, the beginning. After you acknowledge in the way you do so, determines what you will do subsequently. And in terms of doing it subsequently, what we have to say is that -- excuse me for that. What we have to say is that America is ready to engage in serious and sustained dialogue about what is going on in the country. And as a result of that we've got to figure out a way together to forge connections, build bridges and have a determination in every arena of life that it is time for us to move forward. So in that case I think America is doing a good thing. We can't live
-- as Gore Vidal said -- in the United States of amnesia. We have to claim our membership in the kingdom of memory but having done that, if we can determine to move forward with substantial action, that will be a great thing.
VAUSE: Whatever is happening in the United States right now, it is not being led by the President. For example, when it comes to the ten army bases named for Confederate army officers, he tweeted this.
These monumental and very powerful bases have become part of the great American heritage, and a history of winning, victory and freedom. The United States of America trained and deployed our heroes on these hallowed grounds, two world wars. Therefore, my administration will not even consider the renaming of these magnificent and fabled military installations.
In a way the President's stance here kind of almost adding to the enthusiasm and the momentum for those who really want change.
DYSON: Well absolutely. Because here's a man who has been stubborn and arthritic in his refusal to let go of old premises that no longer suddenly work. I mean, here is a man who was used to ginning up racial consternation as the premise of his presidency. He is going on Juneteenth, the day when black people finally found out that they were freed indeed as the word got around. We didn't have an internet back then. I do this He's going to Tulsa, Oklahoma, which is the site of one of the worst racial massacres, racist massacres in America.
So here's a man on the day celebrating the liberty of black people, the emancipation word finally getting to black people at a sight of enormous slaughter to have a rally. This is a kicking dust in the face of black people. This is a refusal to acknowledge the change that must happen. And hopefully what people will see, those who are enraged and those who are engage, will find out finally that Donald Trump means no good for America and must be removed like the monuments he refuses to let go of.
VAUSE: This is not to say though that the President is not listening to members from the African-American community. On Wednesday he invited conservative black radio hosts to the White House. This is what they said to him, listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN CARSON, U.S. SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT: I am delighted, Mr. President, that you have made it a priority to solve this problem.
WAYNE DUPREE, HOST, THE WAYNE DUPREE SHOW: Thank you, Mr. President, for allowing us to come.
I met President Trump when he was a businessman. I think he's a natural leader.
JA'RON SMITH, DEPUTY ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT. DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF OFFICE OF AMERICAN INNOVATION: And what we've done through your leadership is start to break down that system and fight back.
If you want to know the truth, if you want us to dissect the Obama economy, let's do it. I think, Mr. President, your record would win the debate. You've been nothing short of historical
RAYNARD JACKSON, PRESIDENT AND CEO, RAYNARD JACKSON AND ASSOCIATES: I you want to know the truth, if you want us to dissect the Obama economy, let's do it. Because I think, Mr. President, your record would win the debate
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Ben Carson the housing secretary was also there. But there's nothing wrong with meeting and talking to people with diverse points of view. There is a problem though when all they're telling you is how amazing you are.
DYSON: Yes, and I don't see much diversity going on there. And when does he meet with those who are diverse, whose opinions differ from those? When is he meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus to hear their truth? When is he generating meetings with the NAACP, the National Urban League, the National Action Network with the Reverend Al Sharpton. So there are many diverse viewpoints within African- American culture that can be expressed.
What he's doing is exclusively focusing on an echo chamber of black conservatives who you must know are a small percentage of African- American people. An extremely low percentage of people subscribed to their beliefs. So as a result of that what you're doing is predetermining and self-selecting people who will not only echo you, but you're predetermining that the outcome will be black support because it's such a small sliver of black people who are represented there.
So that doesn't do anything for Mr. Trump. It doesn't up his value in the polls.
[04:40:00]
It doesn't give him a stronghold within black communities and given the racial animus that is flowing now and the determination to oppose it, his siding was -- the monuments proves that he was not only out of step but like those monuments he's frozen in time and in need of removal.
VAUSE: Professor, we're out of time ourselves. So thank you so much for being with us. Much appreciated.
DYSON: Thank you so much for having me.
VAUSE: Well you're watching CNN NEWSROOM. Still to come here. New developments in the long running mystery over what happened to the British toddler Madeleine McCann. A live report from Berlin just after this. 20 minutes before the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) VAUSE: U.S. is now the first country to confirm 2 million cases of the coronavirus. More than a quarter of all known infections worldwide. During the past week 19 states here have reported an uptick in new infections.
Latin America continues to struggle with the surging outbreak of the coronavirus. Johns Hopkins University reports that the total number of dead at more than 70,000. Brazil accounts for more than half of that and has the third highest death toll in the world after the U.S. and the U.K. For more, here's CNN's Shasta Darlington.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHASTA DARLINGTON, CNN REPORTER: Latin America and the Caribbean surpassed 70,000 deaths from coronavirus as of Wednesday, with Mexico reporting a record daily surge in new cases. In Chile, police were deployed on the streets of Santiago to enforce lockdown measures after a spike in COVID-19 cases prompted an extension of quarantine.
Meanwhile, in Brazil Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro forged ahead with plans to reopen stores and even shopping malls despite warnings from the Pan American Health Organization that the virus is still spreading aggressively in the region. Officials insist the decision is based on improving conditions. Such as increasing availability of intensive care beds in some areas.
[04:45:02]
But experts worry the rush to get back to some kind of normal and limit the financial ruin could just fuel more transmissions and postpone a real recovery.
Shasta Darlington, CNN, Sao Paulo.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: Well the new suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann had two prior convictions in Portugal, the country where the little girl went missing. Prosecutors say the German national was convicted of disobedience and theft. Meanwhile, German prosecutors say they've discovered new evidence but still not enough to bring charges.
CNN's Fred Pleitgen in Berlin has spoken to prosecutors there about Madeleine McCann and this case. So what do we know at this point about this new evidence? What is the nature of the evidence?
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, John. Well they're pretty tight-lipped about what exactly this evidence is. But they let on certain things saying that they have more than they are able to tell the public. There are certain things that we do know and that they are putting out there. But they also want help from the public.
They say, for instance, that they geo-located a phone that was used by the suspect to that area where Madeleine McCann disappeared. Of course, in that resort Praia da Luz in the south of Portugal at pretty much the time that Madeleine McCann was abducted. And then on top of that, there were two vehicles that he apparently used at that time in that area and one of those vehicles was actually reregistered the day after Madeleine McCann disappeared.
So the police are saying they do have certain things on hand and they're saying on top of that and the prosecutor there in Braunschweig, that city where I talked to him. He said, look, there are obviously things that let us to go this step in making this man the prime suspect, of going out towards the public and saying that we have a prime subset. But there are things, obviously, that they can't share with the public. So they told me they are pretty confident that they have the right guy. But of course now all of it is now about building the case.
One of the other interesting things, John, and that they also told me as well, is that it was also a big step for them to make this case from what the metropolitan police in the United Kingdom called a missing person investigation into a murder investigation. And they obviously talked to the McCann's before doing that. They informed them that according to all the information they have, and again, they say there is more out there than they're able to share with us.
They believe that Maddy is no longer alive. And I pressed the prosecutor on that and then he said that on top of that, they also don't believe that after her abduction that she lived for very long. They believe she was murdered fairly quickly and that there was not some sort of period of captivity. And they know, they say, that that's obviously something very painful for the parents to hear but that is where they are right now in that investigation. But again, they continue to build and by the way, they continue not only to try and bring this man to justice for the possible murder of -- for the murder of Madeleine McCann. But they also say that they believe -- and they told me this yesterday -- that there are other victims out there, possibly also but probably also sexual offenses in the past as well. That's also one of the reasons why they're going to the public and asking for more information. Because they simply believe that there is still more out there -- John.
VAUSE: Oh, god. It sounds like they're building a pretty good case here. What are the chances of convicting this guy?
VAUSE: well that they say is obviously the big issue right now. They say that right now according to the information that they have, according to the clues that they're getting that they are at a point where they can name him as being the prime suspect. But they're not at a point yet where a conviction would be likely. They say they will bring this case to trial and officially make him the person who's charged with this offense. Once they are -- they believe that there's more than a 50 percent chance of him actually being convicted. So obviously, they're not there at this point in time yet.
They say that they are competent that they can get there. And they also say -- this is also really important, John -- that time is not working against them at this point. He's currently serving a jail sentence for an unrelated offense. However, he is currently asking for parole. But they say that if he does get parole for that jail sentence that there is another arrest warrant out. So he will remain in custody for pretty much as long as they'll need. They obviously say, if all of this leads to nothing, at some point they are going to have to close the books on it or stop their investigation.
But they say at this point in time they are fairly confident that they are going to be able to see this through, that they are going to be able to get more clues also from people. They say they've also already gotten hundreds of tips not just here in Germany but of course, in the United Kingdom and in Portugal as well. Also working with the authorities there. So they are confidence but they do say, of course, it is still possibly a long way to go -- John.
VAUSE: Fred, thank you. Our man in Berlin is Fred Pleitgen. And you got the memo, too. The blue shirt and the red tie, looking good. Thanks Fred.
You're watching CNN NEWSROOM. Still to come here -- Lebron James is fighting for African-American voting rights. The new more than a voting initiative. We'll explain what he's trying to achieve with all of that.
[04:50:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VAUSE: NBA star LeBron James is working with other black celebrities to try and prevent suppression of the African-American vote. It's called "More Than A Vote" and will focus on protecting black voters and energizing others to show up at the polls in November. Activist groups have become increasingly worried about voter suppression. Which James says is aimed at minority and lower income areas. Basketball star Jalen Rose is a member of that organization. He tells CNN why.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JALEN ROSE, FORMER NBA PLAYER: The system isn't broken, it was built this way. And when we understand that's the reality, now we must navigate and figure out how we can systematically implement change. And you've seen over the last 16 days that people can mobilize like it's the '60s when they're truly fed up with government and the brutality of police and in particular the final killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
And you know we can go down the line -- Tamir Rice, Ahmaud Arbery, Eric Gardner, Breonna Taylor. Like the unfortunate deaths that keep happening. And so you ask yourself, how can I be a beacon for change? We're going to have this energy. Everybody in a pandemic.
[04:55:00]
We are all watching a 9-minute video and everybody stumping for change. But then what happens when sports start backup. When businesses open back up. So now we have to use this energy to mobilize people, in particular black and brown people, to use their voice by voting, and not just for the president, for Senators, for governors, for prosecutors. This is one way we can institute change. (END VIDEOTAPE)
VAUSE: On Tuesday many waited for hours to vote during Georgia's primary elections. The wait seemed especially long in counties with large African-American populations. Dozens of polling stations were closed because of coronavirus concerns. Many voters stayed home.
Now earlier this week the only full-time African-American driver in NASCAR, Bubba Wallace, called for a ban on the appearance of Confederate flags at all events. On Wednesday, well it happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUBBA WALLACE, NASCAR DRIVER: Sir, bravo, perhaps to NASCAR and everybody involved. You know, this has been a stressful couple weeks. Again, hats off to NASCAR. Phelps and I have been in contact a lot just trying to figure out what steps are next and that was a huge, pivotal moment for the sport. A lot of backlash but it creates doors and allows the community to come together as one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VAUSE: Now Wallace told CNN that at first Confederate flags didn't really bother him. But after educating himself he sees how uncomfortable it makes people.
Now thank you for joining us. I'm John Vause. "EARLY START" with Christine Romans and Laura Jarrett is up next. A short break. You're watching CNN.
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