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Trump Transition Team Criticizes CIA Report on Russian Hacking Efforts Involving Presidential Election; Tape Released of Charleston Church Shooter's Confession; Army-Navy Football Game to Commence. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired December 10, 2016 - 14:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:00:29] BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN ANCHOR: Hey, there. It is about 2:00 p.m. on the east coast. Thank you for joining me. I am Boris Sanchez in for Fredricka Whitfield.

Right now top Democrats are demanding a full investigation into the claims that a Russian espionage operation helped Donald Trump win the White House. Sources now saying that U.S. intelligence officials believe it's true. Senator Chuck Schumer who will serve as the Senate's top Democrat in the Trump era, issued this statement, writing, quote, "It is imperative that our intelligence community turns over any relevant information so that Congress can conduct a full investigation." In the meantime, Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid is blaming FBI Director James Comey, calling him, quote, "the new J. Edgar Hoover." Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARRY REID, (D-NV) SENATE MINORITY LEADER: The FBI had this material for a long time. He, Comey, who is, of course, a Republican, refused to divulge this information in the presidential election. He violated the orders of the attorney general, president, and good taste by getting involved in the election like he had. I am so disappointed in Comey. He has let the country down for partisan purposes, and that's why I called him the new J. Edgar Hoover.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Meantime the Trump transition team issued this defiant statement discrediting not just the claims but the entire CIA. They write, quote, "These are the same people that said Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction. The election ended a long time ago in one of the biggest Electoral College victories in history. It is now time to move on and make America great again."

Let's talk now with CNN global affairs correspondent Elise Labott. Elise, the CIA obviously not commenting publicly. You have spoken to your sources personally within the agency. Do they foresee this becoming a feud between Donald Trump and the U.S. intelligence community?

ELISE LABOTT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think it is too soon to tell, Boris. Obviously, in making this statement, Donald Trump, the president-elect, and his transition are taking issue with agency that is going to be basically advising him on these critical national security issues going forward. And it does set up a little bit of an adversarial relationship.

It remains to be seen whether it is isolated to this political issue on the hacking, on Russian interference in the election, I think because that plays into the defensive of the president-elect that he didn't win the election fair and square. What I think people are talking about not whether this actually affected the outcome. I know some Democrats are saying this. But the investigation that this administration is underway right now is really about what happened.

I think administration officials I talked to say it is impossible to know why voters voted the way they did, whether this mix of fake news, any Russian hacking, what FBI Director James Comey released about Secretary Clinton, whether that all played into voters decisions.

So I think it remains to be seen. If it is an isolated incident about the Russian hacking, I think that could be resolved. The larger question in a lot of people's minds is, does the president- elect trust the intelligence community that's going to be advising him for the next four years? If he doesn't, if there is going to be some kind of wholesale intel reform, I think there is a lot of anxiety about that right now.

SANCHEZ: Yes, especially in the manner he has gone after them so aggressively. Elise Labott, thank you.

Let's chat about this with CNN political commentator Matt Lewis and Julian Zelizer. He is a history and public policy professor at Princeton University. Julian, Harry Reid is blaming James Comey. The "Washington Post" is reporting that Mitch McConnell was briefed about this in September. Democratic Representative Adam Schiff says that the Obama administration had the tools to intervene, that they'd known about this for month, that they simply were reluctant to act against Russia more aggressively. What do you make of all this blame game?

JULIAN ZELIZER, HISTORY AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS PROFESSOR, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY: Well, this has been a story that went on during the election as well. The story about the Russians trying to intervene in the election was out there. And there obviously were also stories about whether there was any connection between the Trump campaign and this intervention. I think many Democrats are frustrated to learn about this so close to the Electoral College meeting. And there are still many Democrats that are upset that James Comey sent that initial letter on October 28th about Hillary Clinton, that this all remained buried.

[14:05:12] SANCHEZ: Matt, Sean Spicer has come out and said he believes that this is the work of just a few people in the CIA that were upset with the outcome of the election, saying that this was a way to delegitimize Trump's win. Do you agree?

MATT LEWIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Look, I don't think we know. The sources that I saw are anonymous sources. Having said that, I don't have a hard time believing that Russia actually did try to intervene. I have sort of always thought that. They don't like Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump has been much more friendly rhetorically toward Putin. And we know some of the DNC stuff was obviously leaked to WikiLeaks.

I don't think it was dispositive, though. I think Hillary Clinton ran a bad campaign. She did a lot of unwise things such as setting up a private server that might have actually made her more vulnerable to hacking. I don't think this would change the results of the election, but certainly I think that we need to investigate the possibility, the likelihood, in fact, that Russia did try to tamper in this election.

SANCHEZ: Julian, let's talk about Trump's reaction. His team going out of their way to point out the failures before the invasion of Iraq, saying that -- comparing this new intelligence to the reports about WMDs in Iraq. Is that fair? In the sense that Colin Powell was very convincing at the United Nations when he made his presentation and the information turned out to not be true, it seems -- there are 17 different agencies backing this. Do you see that as an equivalent, or does this not make sense to you?

ZELIZER: This is connecting different issues. And so obviously there was an intelligence failure with the war in Iraq. But that's not what this is about. And he is being selective in what failures he points to and other times when he boasts of what intelligence agencies are doing.

Look, the questions are very straightforward. One, did the Russians interfere in the election, and what was the interference? And the second is was there any kind of connection with the Trump campaign, which is the obvious other issue that is out there where there is no evidence there was a connection. But I think Democrats want to know that. I think president-elect Trump is doing what he often does. He is turning attention to something else at a moment where he feels defensive as a way to try to explain what is going on or to just distract the public and distract the press.

SANCHEZ: He has certainly been sensitive to any question about his victory. You recall the tweet about illegal voters. Matt, getting back to Russia, though, there appears to be some division between Republicans about how they should handle Russia, namely, John McCain, Lindsey Graham. How are you reading the way Republicans on the hill are responding to this versus the folks on Trump's transition team?

LEWIS: I think this is going to be very, very interesting to see what happens. I grew up in a conservative movement and a Republican party with Ronald Reagan talking about an evil empire. And now we have a Republican party that seems to be divided over Russia. Obviously the Soviet Union is no longer around, but over Russia, which is headed by a former KGB agent.

And so, for example, there are reports that Donald Trump may soon pick a secretary of state who has some ties to Russia. It will be interesting to see what the sort of Republican hawks do. Would John McCain, would Tom Cotton, would Lindsey Graham, these Republican senators who are hawkish, who are very concerned about Putin and Russia, will they suck it up and support President Trump's nominees or will they sort of stand up and oppose them? So I think it is going to be very interesting to see if these Republican senators stand on principle or if they say, look, Trump is the guy. He is our guy now. Let's get with the program.

SANCHEZ: Julian, I turn that question to you. How do you see this playing out amongst Republicans?

ZELIZER: Look, this is a test of how united government is going to work. The argument is that Republicans in Congress, who control congress, won't want to cause trouble for this administration, won't do things like conduct oversight and investigate. This is often a dynamic when both branches are controlled by the same branch. But this issue will test it like no other, both because of the controversy over Russia that Matt just spoke about, but also because of the issue, itself. The allegation of tampering in an election is something that is going to concern many Republicans.

[14:10:00] So this will be the first big test of whether united government will hold or whether it will break apart earlier than some think.

SANCHEZ: Matt Lewis, Julian Zelizar, thank you so much for the time on the weekend, gentlemen.

Coming up, an eerie confession from accused mass shooter who targeted a South Carolina church. Dylann Roof laughing while telling the FBI, quote, "I did it." Why he said somebody had to do it, next.

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SANCHEZ: The gunman in the Charleston church massacre confessed with a laugh. The chilling interrogation video was played during Dylann Roof's murder trial. In it he tells the FBI he, quote, "had to do it." CNN's Polo Sandoval has the latest from Charleston.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DYLANN ROOF: I went to that church in Charleston and I did it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did what? Did you shoot them?

ROOF: Yes.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The confession video is overexposed, but Dylann Roof's motive is crystal clear.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So your deal, so is it -- is it like --

ROOF: To agitate racial relations.

SANDOVAL: Seemingly consumed by a racist theory, Roof told officials that he researched black-on-white crime during the George Zimmerman trial. It was then he started down a path towards hate crimes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Would you consider yourself a white supremacist?

ROOF: I do consider myself a white supremacist, sure. White people are superior, if that's what you mean.

[14:15:02] SANDOVAL: Church surveillance video this week shows Roof entering the house of worship in June of last year. He was inside for about 45 minutes, then Roof peeks his head out, a Glock .45 pistol in his hand. He then slowly walks out the door of the church.

ROOF: I was in absolute awe that nobody was out there after I shot that many folks. When I walked out that door, I peeked out the door, I thought there was going to be somebody there ready to shoot me.

SANDOVAL: Roof was prepared to kill himself but didn't when he saw no flashing lights, he told officials. In the video confession, Roof laughs occasionally. And when agents tell him he murdered nine people, he appears shocked.

ROOF: There wasn't even nine people there. Are you guys lying to me?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. We're not.

SANDOVAL: Dylann Roof also wrote a 2000-word statement with photos and posted it online the afternoon of the shooting.

In it, Roof said he thought black people were stupid and quote, "inferior to whites and violent." He goes on to say, "We have no skinheads, no real KKK, no one doing anything but talking on the Internet. Well, someone has to have the bravery to take it to the real world, and I guess that has to be me."

Charged with 33 federal counts, including hate crimes, Roof's defense team has conceded that he committed the slayings and has instead focused on trying to spare him the death penalty.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANDOVAL: And there were no cameras allowed in the courtroom, but I can tell you as we were watching this video along with the jury, we also kept our eye on roof. No emotion there, Boris. He simply sat there at the defense table with that blank stare on his face. As for what we expect on Monday, that question, we expect another witness to be called. And you talk to people here in Charleston. Many seem to agree it is not a matter of if he will be convicted but when that actually happens. And then that leads to the question, what punishment will the jury hand out? Will they put him to death or will he go to prison the rest of his life?

SANCHEZ: So difficult to watch that video. Polo Sandoval, thanks for the update.

Still ahead, much wider news. It's a countdown to kickoff arguably football's greatest rivalry, Army versus Navy. We are live from Baltimore with a preview next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [14:21:10] SANCHEZ: It's a big day for college football. Tonight, the Heisman trophy will be awarded. But first, the 117th Army-Navy face-off in Baltimore. It's a big, big game. And in attendance, a big name, president-elect Donald Trump. Our Coy Wire is at the game right now. Coy, we are about 30 minutes from kickoff. Who you got?

COY WIRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You are going to put me on the spot again and I like it. Navy has won 14 straight, Boris. And that's pretty substantial. This game has been played since 1890. It's an incredible rivalry. But can you imagine if you play for Navy, say you run the ball, and your father is one of Army's greatest running backs of all time? Well, that's the case with Calvin Cass Jr. I am here now with his parents. I am here with Miss Marshella Cass and Calvin Cass Sr. This is really unique. How does it feel to be one of Army's all-time great runners and you are out there watching your son playing for the opposing team?

CALVIN CASS SR., ARMY RUNNING BACK, 1987-1990: Well, this is a great game. And I am just proud of my son that he actually has an opportunity to play in this game. It is very special. I actually had someone at my job the other day say, what's the big deal with the Army-Navy game. I said, imagine playing your brother. You want to beat the snot out your brother, right? But once it is over, guess what, he is still your brother. So that's the importance of this game. We're playing your brother, and at the end of the game you are going to serve side by side with your brother. So it's great. It is a great opportunity.

WIRE: I love it. Miss Marshella, you have had the opportunity to watch your husband and your son playing this iconic rivalry. Miss Marshella has missed her first game of her son's career earlier this year. She hadn't missed one. But you go to a game, but your son got a little emotional when you missed it. Let's hear about Calvin Cass Jr. now talking about when he talked about his mom.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CALVIN CASS JR., NAVY RUNNING BACK: It was great. It was great for her because she loves coming to the games. That was the first game back. She was in tears because she is back. The fans know her because she is very animated when she's there. The stadium was very welcoming here and the team was and I was especially excited to see her back there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where will she be for this game?

CALVIN CASS JR.: She's be in the stands. She will be in the stands wearing her Navy gear and screaming her loud defendant for her son right in front of her husband's face.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WIRE: Miss Marshella, she has some tears going behind these sunglasses. How is it going to feel to watch your son play in his very last Army-Navy game?

MARSHELLA CASS: I actually had thought about this this morning. I had watched the videos last nice of him talking about his last game, and it hard. It really is hard because that means to me now that graduation is right around the corner. And he is going to be off serving his country. So this is pretty special, and I am so excited that he is having this opportunity and going to get out there. He is going to do something for his mommy, his mumsy.

WIRE: That's right, and something for our entire nation. And we are not going to miss you. Mr. Calvin Sr., you have your Army grad, Navy dad shirt on. It's almost game time here in Baltimore, the 117th edition of the Army-Navy game. We'll see, since I'm with you, go, Navy!

MARSHELLA CASS: Go Navy! All I want for Christmas!

WIRE: I couldn't get dad to say beat Army. We tried, though. Boris, back to you.

(LAUGHTER)

SANCHEZ: Coy, I love how mom is decked out, total spirit going, and dad is just incognito. No response. That's great. Coy Wire, thank you.

[14:20:01] We'll be right back after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Checking the top stories, defense secretary Ash Carter says as many as 200 troops will join the fight against ISIS in Syria. This as Secretary of State John Kerry is also pushing today for the Syria regime and Russia to stop bombing rebel fires. Kerry says opponents of the government fear a ceasefire in name only. They want guarantees they won't face a massacre is they laid down their arms.

Gatlinburg is getting back to business. Shops and tourist spot ns the Tennessee resort town are reopening after wildfires tore through, killing 14 people and destroying some 2,500 buildings.

And nearly 38 million people are being warned of extreme weather across the country. A strong storm is pushing through the Rocky Mountain area and into the Midwest today and tomorrow. Chicago and other parts of the Midwest could get as much as a foot of snow this weekend.

We thank you so much for watching Newsroom today. "Vital Signs" starts right now.