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Gun Store Declares Shop a Muslim-Free Zone; Evidence Points to Terror Motives in Chattanooga Shooting; Will Evangelicals Jump on Board with Trump? Becky Hammon Leads Spurs to NBA Summer Title; Ashley Madison Hack. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired July 21, 2015 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:29:50] ANDREW HALLINAN, OWNER, FLORIDA GUN SUPPLY: You know, it's a pretty unenforceable action, right? I mean I can't, by law, ask each and every person that comes through my doors what their religious background is, but the ATF expressly gives me the right and the authority to deny service to anybody that I feel is a threat for any reason.

And it happens on a weekly that basis we have people come through the gun shop that they pass their background check, they seem, you know, -- but they seem a little off. And we make the determination on a case-by-case basis whether or not we're going to arm and train these people because the last thing we want to do is have more loss of life for any sort of tragic event.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: But mostly if their last name sounds a certain way to you that would disqualify them.

HALLINAN: Well, no. I mean, you know, you can have the first name of Abdul, you know, and we're not going to disqualify you, but it will be done on a case-by-case basis. The broader picture here is that we want to bring light to Islam's tenets as a whole. We do believe that Islam is evil at its core and that the Koran is built to establish a one-world order, a caliphate and superior --

COSTELLO: Well --

HALLINAN: Go ahead.

COSTELLO: I'm just saying that, you know, just by the way you're basing on who comes in your store and is provided service seems off to me, because for example, Elton Simpson (ph) is the name of one of the gunmen who opened fire this summer at the Prophet Muhammad cartoon contest in Garland, Texas. I will just go down some other names for you of people who have been arrested for attempted terrorism.

Alexander Ciccolo (ph), David Wright, Nicholas Ravinsky (ph), Elton Simpson, as I mentioned, Hassan Edmunds (ph), Tarod Pew (ph), Christopher Cornell (ph).

HALLINAN: Yes, I mean Islamic extremism comes in all shapes and sizes. And we're not going to be able to just recognize it right off the bat. But if people are seeming unnecessarily -- COSTELLO: But isn't that ineffective? I mean it's a very -- isn't

that ineffective what you're doing? It's not going to help anything. It's just going to incite things, don't you think?

HALLINAN: Going back to the point of the video was it is to get the conversation started about Islam and that the core tenets is to establish a one world order and do so by violent acts. And that's why we're seeing such unrest in the Middle East. That's why we're seeing these jihadist terror strikes in the United States is because their ultimate goal is to establish one world religion that is superior to any other religion and that's the only religion that says that.

COSTELLO: What about mass killers like Dylann Roof? He was a white supremacist.

HALLINAN: Absolutely. I won't arm and train anybody from the KKK --

COSTELLO: OK, you will ban them, too? A guy who wrapped himself in the Confederate flag?

HALLINAN: If I have reason to believe that the person is not buying these firearms or getting these trainings to do good in the community or to protect their homes and families from evil people then I'm not going to sell them firearms whether that be somebody from the KKK or somebody from, you know, a white supremacy movement or anything like that. But we don't necessarily have to have a sign out that says "No KKK" -- right.

COSTELLO: So if a white supremacist is a Christian and follows the bible, is that the same as a Muslim who follows the Koran? Are they both the same in your book if they're intent on committing mass murder?

HALLINAN: Yes. So my goal is to keep guns away from anybody who is going to use these for any sort of violent actions, and I do believe that Islam at its core is violent. I am not saying in any way, shape, or form that every Muslim is violent at all or evil at all. The people that -- the vast majority of Muslims are peace loving, you know, normal, everyday Americans and people that are not out to seek the jihad.

COSTELLO: But you do realize that the number of gun deaths in this country -- there are many, many killers, and they way outnumber Muslim-Americans who kill -- way. 190,000 since 2000. There were 37 Muslim-Americans who specifically targeted people because of their political or religious beliefs.

HALLINAN: You know, studies show time and time again that the more lawful firearms and the more trained people per population, the crime rate always goes down. 100 percent of the time, it's never been proven wrong.

The perfect example was Chicago. The day after they announced concealed carry finally in Chicago, they had the lowest murder rate in the history of Chicago. And that's a really wonderful testament to lawful firearms being a deterrent to violent crime. And my goal is to --

COSTELLO: It wasn't because they were denying guns to Muslims who read the Koran.

HALLINAN: So I'm not denying guns to Muslims who read the Koran. I am denying guns to Muslims who believe the Koran exactly the way it's written and wish to establish a caliphate, a one world order and kill unbelievers for not believing. And that's my goal.

COSTELLO: All right. I'll leave it there. Andrew Hallinan, thank you so much for being with me.

HALLINAN: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Appreciate it.

Also we're getting new details about the investigation into that Tennessee shooting. Let's bring in CNN justice correspondent Evan Perez. Good morning -- Evan.

EVAN PEREZ, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Good morning -- Carol. This shooter is a lot of contradictions all wrapped up in one according to officials I have been talking to. The law enforcement really is still struggling to figure out his motive, but it's increasingly clear that he had developed these anti-American political views and that he was being radicalized on his own.

[10:34:57] He wasn't necessarily following ISIS or any particular strain. He seemed to be making his own version of radical thought. And so that's one of the things that we know that investigators here have arrived at after spending several days looking at his writings, looking at his telephone.

For instance, on Wednesday, just a day before the shooting we're told, he did a search on his -- using his phone, an Internet search, looking for martyrdom terms -- the definition of martyrdom. And he had written in the past about whether or not you could use martyrdom to make up for your sins such as drug use and alcohol abuse, which we know he was struggling with. He was struggling with mental issues as well.

And so the FBI, you know, at this point thinks this is definitely a terrorist act and it is definitely something based on his political views that he was increasingly getting more radicalized. But they still have not established a firm motive. They don't believe, for instance, that his writings referring to Anwar al Awlaki, the Yemeni- American cleric really explained the shootings. They know that he seemed to agree with Awlaki on certain things but it doesn't really explain everything that happened on Thursday.

COSTELLO: All right. Evan Perez reporting. Thanks so much.

PEREZ: Sure.

COSTELLO: Still to come, evangelical Christian voters have been the rock solid base of the Republican Party, but will they vote for the Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump? We'll talk about that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:40:35] COSTELLO: He believes in God but he hasn't turned to God for forgiveness. That's not exactly something you'd expect to hear from a Republican presidential candidate. But then again Donald Trump isn't your typical candidate. This is how Donald Trump responded over the weekend when asked whether he's ever sought forgiveness for his sins.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm not sure I have. I just go and try to do a better job from there. I don't think so. I think if I do something wrong, I think I just try and make it right. I don't bring God into that picture. I don't.

Now, when I take -- when we go and church and when I drink my little wine, which is about the only wine I drink and have my little cracker, I guess that's a form of asking for forgiveness. And I do that as often as possible because I feel cleansed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: It's important to point out Trump made those comments at the Family Leadership Summit in Ames, Iowa -- an event organized by several socially conservative Christian organizations like the Family Research Council. So the big question is whether evangelicals will jump on board with Trump.

So let's talk about that now. Joining me now, Lin Bennett, she's the former vice chairwoman of the South Carolina Republican Party. Thank you so much Lin for joining me. I appreciate it.

LIN BENNETT, FORMER VICE CHAIR, SOUTH CAROLINA REPUBLICAN PARTY: Thank you for having me, Carol. It's a pleasure to be here.

COSTELLO: Thank you for being with me. So Mr. Trump is talking in south Carolina in just about 20 minutes. How will he be received?

BENNETT: He'll be received well. All candidates that have come through South Carolina have been received well. If you have looked at the events, they're all packed and crowded.

That's because South Carolina voters are very savvy. They will vet these candidates. They will do their due diligence. They will know what these candidates are all about before they go in the voting booth and vote for them.

COSTELLO: His comments about religion, how do you think they will play among evangelicals in South Carolina?

BENNETT: Well, that's hard to say because with all the negativity that evangelicals get, they do believe you have a right to honor your God however you see fit as long as it's good and kind. They may not agree with him, but they won't judge his religion. COSTELLO: Got you. And on the subject that everybody is talking

about and that's Donald Trump's comments about John McCain's Vietnam War service, how is that going over in South Carolina?

BENNETT: It's not going over well. South Carolina is a very pro- military state. We love our soldiers. We love those who serve. There are people that support him and are going to support him. I guess that just happens with any candidate that's out there.

I think he tried to make a half apology last night. I watched him on another show. I'm not sure if that's what it is. We'll just have to see. People will make those judgments, but there's a lot of military here that are very disappointed in what he said or more importantly how he said it, because it did seem to imply that any person who served and was captured was kind of like a loser. And I don't think that's true, but, you know, sometimes the filter between your brain and your tongue doesn't always work. And I really think that's what happened with Donald.

COSTELLO: Do you think he should apologize in very concrete terms on that stage today?

BENNETT: Yes, I do. I think he should apologize to every person who has served in the military, especially those who were POWs because getting captured is one of those things that just happens in war, and it doesn't make you a loser. And, unfortunately, that's just how it came off sounding.

And I just think he really needs to reach out to them and understand how much he's hurt them. I don't think he gets it. Donald is this overblown figure who really just likes to say what he thinks, and a lot of people appreciate that. But in this instance he needed to be a little more careful in how he phrased his disappointment in Senator McCain and not include all military personnel in his comments, which is what it came off as.

COSTELLO: Right.

You are the former vice chairwoman of the South Carolina Republican Party. Is Donald Trump bad for the Republican Party?

[10:44:55] BENNETT: Oh, I don't know that he's bad for the Republican Party. Like or dislike Donald Trump, he has obviously hit a nerve with certain voters. I honestly admit I don't like the way that he says it, but there's something out there that I think we need to pay attention to.

There's some disappointed people that feel left out of the process that don't feel like their government is concerned about their issues as they are. It's sad when you see -- I think people are just jumping on him because they're looking for a fighter. And I think you can be a fighter without being so blatant and without speaking -- what do you say, how does Donald --

COSTELLO: Quite so bluntly. BENNETT: Speaking Donald Trump. Yes, exactly. There's a way to hit

-- you know, with the immigration issue, you know, people don't dislike immigrants. They don't. But they are concerned about the criminal element that comes in the country, and our conversation has just lumped everybody into one bucket, and we just need to find a way not to do that.

COSTELLO: All right. Lin Bennett, thank you so much for your insight. I appreciate it.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM --

BENNETT: Thank you for having me.

COSTELLO: You're welcome.

They say what happens in Vegas should stay in Vegas, so why does this NBA coach in the Vegas Summer League have everybody talking?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:50:29] COSTELLO: What better way to end the show than with a little female empowerment?

Meet Becky Hammon. She's taking hanging with the boys to a whole new level. This former WNBA star is now the NBA's first female assistant coach and the first female to serve as head coach in the Vegas Summer League. And now she's got a title under her belt.

CNN Sports anchor Rachel Nichols has more on what happened in Vegas last night. Good morning.

RACHEL NICHOLS, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Good morning -- Carol. The NBA's Summer League is where NBA teams send their rookies, younger players to get a little bit of extra experience and they usually tap an assistant coach on the regular NBA team to coach these younger players. All of this usually just flies under the radar except that Becky Hammon is the first and only female assistant coach in the NBA. And this summer she became the first and only head coach in an NBA- type setting.

The fact that she won the entire thing is so huge because for three weeks she had younger NBA players who really hadn't met her before coming in under her, following her, letting her lead them, and showing her basketball acumen. Remember, this is a woman who before this iteration of her career was one of the WNBA's top 15 players of all time and they won. And it was really a special moment in the building because it showed what could happen going forward.

One of the MVPs of last night's game said "I just met her and I love her already." It was really charming.

COSTELLO: That's awesome. So is this a sign of things to come? Will we ever see a female head coach in the NBA?

NICHOLS: I think you will, and Becky Hammon is certainly the favorite to be that person because she has such impeccable credentials and has proven herself so well. But it's also a big moment in terms of what it means for the wider implications of sports and beyond. This is in some ways the summer of the female athlete -- the women's soccer team, we've watched Serena Williams.

But Becky Hammon, in particular, the fact that she has led a group of men in a way that a lot of people didn't think maybe was possible. Maybe they wouldn't listen to her, maybe they wouldn't respect her enough. Well, they did, and it worked, and she won.

And remember when Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs. We heard all these stories of secretaries marching in and demanding raises from their bosses the next day. I don't know if we're having a widespread wave of people emulating Becky Hammon this morning but, you know what, Carol, if one woman who leads a sales team of a bunch of guys who haven't been very nice to her walks in and says I'm not taking this crap anymore, that's a good thing. And it's an example for everyone and certainly for young girls everywhere as well.

COSTELLO: Absolutely. Rachel Nichols, many thanks. I appreciate it.

Still to come in the NEWSROOM, a cheating website is hacked and millions of unfaithful spouses are at risk. Hackers warn your dirty little secret may soon be exposed.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:57:28] COSTELLO: You're looking at live pictures out of Bluffton, South Carolina where Republican frontrunner Donald Trump is getting ready to rally supporters. So stay with us. We're expecting that event to get under way in just about four minutes.

Finally this hour, millions of Americans tossed and turned last night wondering if that slumbering spouse beside them was about to learn a terrible secret. Hackers have apparently broken into a website that caters to cheating husbands and wives.

CNN's Jeanne Moos has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The Ashley Madison website for people who want to cheat --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Life is short, have an affair.

MOOS: -- is known for its catchy slogan.

Now, members are worried they will get caught, thanks to hackers who taunted the company with "Welcome to your worst bleeping nightmare. Close down your site or else."

The hackers are threatening to release customer records including secret sexual fantasies. Not to mention real names and addresses.

The writer who broke the story says the hackers contacted him and for an hour and a half, the accounts of several thousand individuals were viewable online.

BRIAN KREBS, KREBSONSECURITY.COM: Whether they're interested in, in sex with multiple partners, or with partners of the same sex.

MOOS: This after the website boasted of its security and discretion.

VOICE: Ashley Madison.

MOOS: I signed up as a guest with the user name DollyMadison5 to check out profiles. From sexysidedish2 to the porkchopqueen, to bustyforlusty, all probably sweating bullets that they'll get busted for infidelity. That they're online escapades will be exposed like Anthony Weiner's.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: You would know if this is your underpants --

ANTHONY WEINER (D), FORMER U.S. CONGRESSMAN: The question, I appreciate you continuing to flash that at me.

MOOS: Ashley Madison, the site that loves to provoke with billboards like "your wife is hot but so are ours" is now in the hot seat, saying, "We have been able to secure our sites and close the unauthorized access points."

The suspicion is that --

KREBS: This was somebody who had an ax to grind against the company, probably a former employee.

MOOS: Spilling sex secrets isn't your useable hack job.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You can change your credit card number. You can't change your fetishes and sexual proclivities.

This is not Best Buy or Home Depot.

MOOS: No, this is homewrecker.

DollyMadison5, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Thank you, Jeanne Moos.

Thank you for joining me today. I'm Carol Costello. "AT THIS HOUR" with Kate Bolduan starts right now.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN HOST: Three big events happening live during this show.

First Donald Trump getting ready to hold a rally and face the media in South Carolina, a key primary --