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Donald Trump to Hold Rally in Iowa; Accusations in Court against Donald Trump's New Campaign CEO from Ex-Wife Examined; Italy Still Recovering from Devastating Earthquakes; Past Allegations of Sexual Assault against Writer/Director Nate Parker Draw Controversy; Documentary Examines Possible Cult. Aired 2-2:30a ET
Aired August 27, 2016 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:00] FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: -- holding a rally in Miami Lakes, Florida. Meanwhile, Donald Trump is expected to speak this afternoon at an event honoring veterans in Des Moines, Iowa. CNN's Sunlen Serfaty is there and joining us right now. So Sunlen, an interesting stop considering what the host of this event has said about both candidates.
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Fred. The host of this event Iowa Senator Joni Ernst who had some pretty blunt words for both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton when talking about the tone and rhetoric, the words and allegations exchanged between the two of them, allegations of racism, allegations of bigotry.
Senator Ernst, who, again, is hosting this event where Donald Trump will appear later today, basically said to both of them, cut it out. In "The Washington Post" she said, quote, "To both of them I say they need to take this into a civil discourse. I don't like when campaigns go that direction. I say to both of them back down and let's talk about the policies and the issues."
Now Donald Trump will be here in just a few hours speaking to this crowd and we will see if he, indeed, does take her advice and tone it down. I should point out that this is called a ride and roast event, second annual turning into an Iowa tradition here, Fred, that Senator Joni Ernst is hosting. Donald Trump, though, is not having a role in the 42-mile bike ride here.
WHITFIELD: All right, so what about the crowd there, Sunlen? Have people said anything about how their views have changed in the course of recent days based on what they're hearing in these ads, what they're hearing from the candidates or whether, you know, they are staunch supporters no matter what? I mean is there an evolution of the way voters there are thinking?
I can tell you that people seem very aware of the rhetoric and the words that are flying between both of the candidates this week. It doesn't appear from the conversations I've had with voters that they're changing anyone's mind, but we have heard from voters time and time again the rhetoric is getting them down on the campaign trail. So we'll see if both of the candidates keep this up. Both of them had ads this week really using the other one's words against them, addressing these issues. So we'll see if this is something that the candidate keeps working out on the campaign trail.
WHITFIELD: All right, Sunlen Serfaty, thank you so much from Des Moines, Iowa. We'll check back with you.
Donald Trump's new campaign CEO Stephen Bannon ranted to his ex-wife about their children having to go to school with Jewish kids. She made those accusations in court documents filed during a battle over child support. CNN national correspondent Dianne Gallagher joining me from Washington. So take us through what was said.
DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred, like you said it is important to note that those charges of anti-Semitism do come from his ex-wife during a child custody case that happened back in 2007. She said in that statement that Bannon did not want his daughters to attend a particular girls' school that they had been considering for them due to the number of Jewish students.
The document shows she stated, quote, "He doesn't like Jews and that he doesn't like that they raise their kids to be whiney brats, that he didn't want the girls going to school with Jews." Now again, those are his ex-wife's words from that court declaration that involved a dispute over child support. CNN has reached out to the Trump campaign, but we haven't heard back yet, but Bannon's spokeswoman did get back with us. She tells us at that time, Mr. Bannon never said anything like that and proudly sent the girls to Archer for their middle school and high school education.
Look, of course all of this does come as the newly appointed campaign chair is already facing scrutiny about his background. We learned this week more than 20 years ago Bannon did face multiple charges, including misdemeanor domestic violence stemming from an incident involving his ex-wife. Those charges are dismissed because the ex- wife didn't show up to court, Fred. She later said that it's because his attorney threatened her, saying she wouldn't be able to support their children if she came. Now that is a charge that his attorney has denied. The Trump campaign, for what it's worth, has said that incident involving 20 more years ago is not going to affect Bannon's future with them.
WHITFIELD: Dianne Gallagher, thank you so much.
Just a short while ago Hillary Clinton wrapping up her White House intelligence briefing. She was spotted leaving the FBI field offices in White Plains, New York. According to a Clinton aide her briefing started at about 9:00 a.m. this morning and lasted a little more than two hours. She was not accompanied by aides while in the meeting and met with a handful of officials. The briefing was scheduled for an earlier date, but was moved to accommodate Clinton's schedule. Each candidate receives one briefing before the election. Trump received his briefing at FBI offices in Manhattan last week.
All right, Maine's governor is under fire after leaving a profanity laced and threatening voicemail for a state lawmaker. CNN's Phil Mattingly has more on the story, and we want to warn you some of the language is inappropriate. [14:05:13] PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fred, there's a pretty
good chance that governor, state lawmakers, state legislatures, they probably trade voicemails every once in a while. That's just how it works when you're governing. But what happens when you're a state legislature in Maine and you upset the rather volatile Republican governor of Maine? Well, this.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GOV. PAUL LEPAGE, (R) MAINE: I would like to talk to you about your comments about my being a racist you -- sucker.
MATTINGLY: That's Maine's governor Paul LePage, his target, Drew Gattine, the state lawmaker LePage thought had called him racist. The governor did not hold back.
LEPAGE: I want you to prove that I'm a racist. I've spent my life helping black people and you little son of a -- socialist -- you -- I feed you to -- I want you to record this and make it public because I am after you. Thank you.
MATTINGLY: And in a page right out of the 19th century, the governor later challenges Gattine to a duel.
LEPAGE: That's how angry I am. And I bet and I would put my gun in the air, guarantee you, I would not be Hamilton. I would point it right between his eyes.
MATTINGLY: LePage is no stranger to controversy.
LEPAGE: I was Donald Trump before Donald Trump become a populist.
MATTINGLY: Something he himself acknowledged in his endorsement of Donald Trump earlier this year. But the parallels go further. An outsider riling up the establishment, a fighter willing to go to the mat with political foes. LePage's daughter even works for Trump's campaign. And yes, he's a politician of history of no so politically correct comments, from strong word to President Obama.
LEPAGE: As your governor you're going to be seeing a lot of me on the front page saying, Governor LePage tells Obama to go to hell.
MATTINGLY: To punctuating a dispute with the NAACP like this.
LEPAGE: Tell them to kiss my butt.
MATTINGLY: And recently, on the father of a Muslim-American soldier killed in action in Iraq.
LEPAGE: Send us the mighty powerful ones like Mr. Khan, who is a con artist himself, and uses the death of his son, an American soldier which we respect and honor, and he uses that to go after Trump, which I found very distasteful.
MATTINGLY: But it's comments related to the heroin crisis that have followed LePage for months. LEPAGE: These are guys that are named D-Money, Smoothie, Shifty,
these type of guys that come from Connecticut and New York, they come up here, they sell their heroin, and then they go back home. Incidentally, half the time they impregnate a young white girl before they leave, which is the real sad thing because then we have another issue we have to deal with down the road.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MATTINGLY: And Fred, it really does all go back to the comments from Governor LePage in January, comments that he doubled down on Wednesday during a town hall. Now these are comments that LePage himself has repeatedly stated we're not racist, they weren't meant with racism in mind, but their comments drew a lot of criticism as racially charged from civil rights groups, from Maine Democratic legislators.
Now Le Page himself put out a lengthy statement after all of this. He apologized to, quote, the people of Maine for his comments for the language he used in the voicemail. But he did not apologize for saying he would like to have a duel with the Democratic lawmaker, and he also pledged that he would do everything in his power to stop the state representative from doing anything legislatively or politically going forward. So a little bit of a walk back, not much of one. Fred?
WHITFIELD: All right. Phil Mattingly, thank you so much.
Straight ahead, hundreds of families are set to bury their loved ones in Italy following a devastating earthquake. CNN is there with new details on today's funeral services and the ongoing search for those still unaccounted for, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:12:50] WHITFIELD: A national day of mourning in Italy after a deadly earthquake hit a popular resort area Wednesday. Dozens of funerals are taking place, Italy's prime minister and president attending 35 of them. The death toll now at 290 and many more still unaccounted for. CNN's Atika Shubert joins us now live from Italy. So, Atika, more than 6,000 rescuers are in the region. What's the latest on the search?
ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the search conditions, but it's become more of a search and recovery effort. In fact in the last few hours another body was found, the death toll has gone up to 291. So it will be a long process of mourning, but that has begun today with the state funeral.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SHUBERT: The School gymnasium turned makeshift chapel fit for a state funeral. Three rows of coffins, 35 in all, each with a bouquet of flowers and a photo of the person lost in Italy's devastating earthquake. Besides them family members, many of them survivors themselves, their broken limbs in casts, their faces bruised and bandages, their eyes red and swollen from crying. Italy's prime minister and president attended, offering condolences to
those who lost loved ones, conveying their gratitude to the firefighters, police, and emergency medics that pulled survivors from the rubble.
Bishop Giuseppe Del Colle (ph) led the service, mentioning victims by name, including Julia Naldi, the young girl who died shielding her four-year-old sister Georgia as their summer home collapsed around them. Georgia survived with minor injuries, Julia did not. Maria lost friends and family in the earthquake. She and her husband used their bare hands to dig neighbors out of the rubble. "Community is very important," she told us. "Small villages like this, the relationship with the land, with those you love, with your family, very, very strong. It will be even stronger. We won't give up," she says.
There will be more funerals. The death toll from the earthquake continues to climb into the hundreds as more bodies discovered in the rubble. This funeral is only among the first, a national day of mourning for the country to come together and begin the process of healing and rebuilding.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[14:15:16] SHUBERT: Now, part of the problem of the recovery is the aftershocks that still continue. There was another big one last night. Not only does it affect those damaged buildings and hamper the search, but obviously it traumatizes so many of the survivors. This is why you see so many tent camps not only for those displaced but for those living in their homes. Every time an aftershock comes it can be terribly frightening and they will run out, and for many of them they feel safer sleeping out here in the open.
WHITFIELD: Wow. All right, tragic. Thank you so much, Atika Shubert.
Straight ahead, we'll tell you what happened when a couple stranded on a deserted island signals for help. Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
WHITFIELD: All right, there's been Oscar buzz around the new film "The Birth of a Nation," but this week's planned screening at the American Film Institute was axed because of the writer behind the movie.
[14:20:02] Nate Parker was acquitted in a college rape case which wasn't fully known until after the film gained attention. Here now is Jean Casarez.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What you think you're doing boy?
JEAN CASAREZ: From the moment Nate Parker's film "Birth of a Nation" premiered at this year's Sundance Film Festival, the picture has been met with critical acclaim.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm Nat.
CASAREZ: The historical accounts staring Parker as Nat Turner who led a slavery revolt in 1831 won big honors at this year's film festival. FOX Searchlight then invested a record $17.5 million for distribution rights. "Birth of a Nation" was on its way to blockbuster success.
That is, until this. Parker, the writer, director, and star of this film, rated R in part because of violence, was formally accused of a violent act himself in 1999, rape, sexually assaulting a young woman that he knew while a student at Penn State University. Parker was arrested and charged with multiple offenses.
His roommate at the time Jean Celestin, now co-author with Parker on "Birth of a Nation," was also charged with sexually assaulting the young woman at the same time. According to legal documents, Parker harassed the accuser during the time before trial. Parker was found not guilty on all charges. In 2012, the woman who accused Parker and Celestin committed suicide.
The future of the movie is now in question, with showings being canceled or modified before the national premier October 7th. Parker himself has taken to Facebook trying to explain what happened 17 years ago. "Over the last several days, a part of my past, my arrest, trial and acquittal on charges of sexual assault," has become a focal point for media coverage, social media speculation, and industry conversation. I understand why so many are concerned and rightfully have questions. While I maintain my innocence that the encounter was unambiguously consensual, there are things more important than the law. There is morality. No one who calls himself a man of faith should even be in that situation."
CNN has reached out to Parker's representatives for comment. They have not gotten back with us. The Toronto International Film Festival has said it will be going ahead with the screening of the film, minus a press conference that had been scheduled with Nate Parker himself.
Jean Casarez, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: And a look at our top stories right now. New precautions to help stop the spread of the Zika virus. The Food and Drug Administration is now calling for Zika testing of donated blood across the nation. According to the CDC more than 2,500 people in the U.S. infected with the mosquito borne illness. Most of those cases are travel related.
And flash flooding has put much of the Kansas City, Missouri, area underwater. The National Weather Service is calling this an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation and issuing an unprecedented flashflood emergency. Emergency crews have been working around the clock to rescue people trapped by the floods.
And this rescue on a remote pacific island is just like a scene out of a movie. An SOS signal was scrawled in the sand by a couple who were stranded for nearly a week after their boat ran into trouble. An international team searched nearly 17,000 miles for the pair before the plane caught a glimpse of the distress signal and sent a patrol boat to pick them up.
We're back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:27:40] WHITFIELD: Welcome back. This Thursday a new CNN film follows a man in search of a spiritual awakening. Will Allen gave up his life and family to join the Buddhafield. Now, some former members call it a cult that is still active today in Hawaii.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were told that he would have a day set aside where we could come and ask him for the direct experience of God, and he called it the knowing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The knowing was based on this book called the Bhagavad Gita, this Hindu book where Krishna reveals the direct experience of God to his disciple Arjuna.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was like, yes, that resonated with me. I was like, I knew it was possible.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The knowing was the realization of being able to see and hear and taste God.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You could only comprehend what this means, to finally have God means to you in his purest form, finally.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That was something that I felt like I had been looking for my entire life up to that point. I had gone it school. I had a degree. I had a great job. I was engaged. And yet, when this happened, it was like all of that meant nothing.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
WHITFIELD: Wow, powerful stuff. Don't miss the inside look into the Buddhafield journey for enlightenment and the consequences that followed. "Holy Hell" is what it's called. That premiers Thursday on CNN at 9:00 p.m. eastern time.
Thanks so much for being with me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Much more in the Newsroom continues at the top of the hours. But right now "Vital Signs" with Dr. Sanjay Gupta.
