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Virginia Officer Fired After Pepper-Spraying Incident; Caucus for Campaign Cash; Airlines Prepare for Increased Demand. Aired 8:30- 9a ET

Aired April 12, 2021 - 08:30   ET

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

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[08:31:13]

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Developing overnight, CNN has learned that one of the two Virginia police officers who drew their guns and sprayed pepper spray at a black and Hispanic army lieutenant during just a traffic stop has been fired. The incident happened last December. It was all caught on body camera video. One officer wrote in his report that he pulled over Lieutenant Caron Nazario for driving without a license plate.

But here's the thing, a temporary tag was actually taped inside of the brand-new SUV's back window. The officer said he didn't see it taped to the back of the window of the new Chevy Tahoe, seeing tinted windows and Nazario's delay in pulling over until he came to a brightly-lit area, the officer decided it was a, quote, high risk traffic stop and decided to approach the vehicle with his gun drawn.

Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARON NAZARIO: I'm honestly afraid to get out. Can I (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, you should be. Get out now!

NAZARIO: I have not committed any crimes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're being stopped for a traffic violation and you're not cooperating. At this point right now, you're under arrest for -- you're being detained, OK? You're being detained for (INAUDIBLE) --

NAZARIO: For a traffic -- for a traffic violation, I do not have to get out of the vehicle. You haven't even told me why I'm being stopped.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Nazario is suing those two officer involved claiming, among other things, excessive force and assault and battery. We should note, CNN has not been able to reach either of the officers for comment. It's unclear at this time if they do have legal representation.

Let me bring in retired U.S. Army Major General Dana Pittard. He served as the former Army ground commander in Iraq.

General, thank you.

You're also the author of the book "Hunting the Caliphate."

And we're glad you're here this morning.

MAJ. GEN. DANA PITTARD (RET.), U.S. ARMY: Good morning, Poppy. Thank you for having me.

HARLOW: I have to ask you, as someone who served this country, just as Lieutenant Nazario has, who lived -- you lived in Suffolk, you know, miles away from where this happened. You know the area well. You know the culture very well. Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, as you know, is saying he's very disturbed and angered by this video, as I think anyone waking up to see it is.

What did you think as you watched it?

PITTARD: Oh, I thought several things. First of all, we don't know all the facts and that will come out in time. But what we do know, what we saw in the video, was absolutely unacceptable.

You're right, I used to live in that area and I'm familiar with the town of Windsor. That's a route that my family and I used to take to get to North Carolina, to get to I-95 you went through that town. And it has had that reputation of, you need to go slow because it was almost like a speed trap. So I remember that.

But this -- this is bothersome on several levels. First of all, as a parent, as a father of two African-American sons who are 27 and 25, you know, around the age of Lieutenant Nazario, when -- when your child gets stopped and you're a person of color, it's not a routine traffic stop.

HARLOW: Right.

PITTARD: What we've taught our sons to do is to call somebody. Put on your flashers, your blinkers, slow down, pull over. But if it's not well lit, try to get to a well-lit place if you can and then follow the instruction of the officers, be polite.

And, in this case, I felt like that's what he was trying to do. Now, the one thing maybe he didn't do is when they said, get out of the car, get out of the car, but very confusing situation with the police with their --

HARLOW: Well --

PITTARD: With their guns drawn on him is very difficult. They didn't even tell him, you know, why he was being stopped in the first place.

HARLOW: Why, yes. And to your point about, you know, not getting out of the car right within they said to, I mean, let me remind people who may not have seen the whole video, and they should go back and they should watch it all and Natasha Chen's report on it.

[08:35:03]

But when the officer said, get out of the car, he said, I'm honestly afraid to get out of the car and one of the officers responded, you should be. I mean, that is significant. You should be afraid to get out of the car.

PITTARD: Absolutely. My heart leapt when I heard that because what we want of our children in that case, adult children, is we want them to come home and come home alive. And that situation could have turned south even more and it could have been much, much worse.

But in many ways the de-escalation was taking place from the Lieutenant's calm behavior, Lieutenant Nazario's calm behavior. The police were not trying to deescalate but he was. And part of that may have been his training of the U.S. Army and his overall demeanor. But it was calm.

So, in fact, his demeanor helped to deescalate the situation somewhat as he was trying to.

HARLOW: There is a moment that I think is really important at the end -- at the end of the -- I don't even know what to call this, confrontation doesn't even fully explain it. But I -- just watch this between the lieutenant and one of the officers. And I want your reaction on the other side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's no need for this to be on your record. I don't want it to be on your record. However, it's entirely up to you. If you want to fight and argue, and I don't mean that disrespectfully, OK. I mean you have that right as a citizen. If that's what you want, we'll charge you.

It doesn't change my life one way either way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: In fact, it did. It changed both of their lives. And that officer has been fired. But I just wonder what you make seeing that thing, it doesn't need to be on your record. I mean it turns out the lieutenant had the temporary license affixed to his rear window.

PITTARD: He did. And you would have thought that the police officers would have seen that because that was the whole reason why they gave for stopping him in the first place.

I have problems with that, period, you know, that last interaction. It's almost like he's kind of implying that -- a threat to the young lieutenant's career. You know, there's over -- or nearly 200,000 service members in the entire Hampton Rhodes area between the Army, Air Force and, obviously, the very, very large naval base in Norfolk. So one would have thought that the police were used to interacting with service members.

In fact, you know, most service members and leaders and this -- and Lieutenant Nazario is an officer in the United States Army, we're used to working and cooperating with the police. We protect and defend the nation abroad. The police protect and serve here. So we're used to working together.

But he did not -- or at least one of the officers, if not both of them, did not even give them -- give him the credibility of being an officer in the United States Army, serving his country, even though he clearly said that.

HARLOW: In uniform.

PITTARD: So I have problems with that.

HARLOW: In uniform.

PITTARD: And he was in uniform, absolutely.

HARLOW: Yes. Wow.

Major General Dana Pittard, we appreciate you being here very much this morning. Thank you.

PITTARD: Thank you.

HARLOW: Well, ahead for us, he has denied mass shootings and believes QAnon. Now you will not believe the kind of money that Marjory Taylor Greene is raising. And she is not the only one. A "Reality Check" is next.

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[08:42:32]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: New this morning, Senator Josh Hawley, who infamously tried to overturn the election even after the Capitol insurrection, he pulled in more than $3 million in donations in the first quarter. That's according to "Politico." And he's far from the only lawmaker to raise huge amounts of totals for doing everything but law making.

John Avlon here with a "Reality Check."

John.

JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: The sickness in our politics is the result of a screwed up incentive structure that rewards irresponsibility, conspiracy theories with fame and cash.

And that's just not my opinion. It's the view of former GOP Speaker John Boehner. Here's what he has to say about what he calls the chaos caucus. Quote, they didn't really want legislative victories, they wanted wedge issues and conspiracies and crusades. They built up their own power base thanks to fawning right-wing media and outrage-driven fundraising cash.

And as if on cue, we learned that QAnon conspiracy peddling, mass shooting denying Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene says she raised $2.3 million in the first quarter of the year. That's despite being stripped of her committee assignments. That's a lot of loot (ph) for someone who seems to be grandstanding rather than governing.

We reported (ph) 100,000 donors represent just 0.03 percent of Americans. But it shows that crazy has a constituency.

And she's a symptom of the trend towards politician as professional troll.

Take Matt Gaetz, Trump loyalist, Florida congressman, being investigated for a whole host of shady and possibly illegal weaselry (ph), including serious sex trafficking allegations. He denies it, but we all know the playbook by now, right? Say or do something outrageous, demonize the opposition and then play the victim to raise cash.

And folks fall for it. Gaetz raised more than $6 million last cycle, more than twice the typical representative. Or how about one of Gaetz's very few defenders in Congress, Jim Jordan, who Boehner calls a political terrorist. He raised more than $18 million last cycle. And this is the rinse and repeat that's come to dominate Republican politics.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BOEHNER, FORMER SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: Getting elected, make a lot of noise, draw a lot of attention to yourself, raise a lot of money, which means you're going to go make more noise, raise more money.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AVLON: Yes. And this is where Donald Trump's big lie, and his thousands of smaller ones have gotten us, defining deviancy down, while elevating political grift, offering not just alternative facts, but an alternative reality, reinforced by right wing media obsessed with negative partisanship.

So some good people don't want to serve anymore because the system seems to reward the worst in us.

[08:45:03]

It's one reason why so many Republicans have refused to run for re- election in the Trump years through today. Listen to what a long-time advisor to Senator Rob Portman, a guy named Corey Bliss (ph), told "The National Journal." If you want to spend all your time going on Fox and being an a-hole, there's never been a better time to serve. But if you want to spend all your time being thoughtful and getting stuff done, there's never been a worse time to serve. That's a cry for help that cuts to the heart of our democracy because

we're living in a time when autocracies are trying to overtake democracy as the world's leading form of government. And every unhinged obstructionist conspiracy theorist who gets elected is an exhibit in their case.

Republicans will try to deflect away from this political gang green with all kind of whataboutism (ph). But unless they clearly condemn it, they will own the rot that is consumer their party and our republic.

And that's your "Reality Check."

BERMAN: So weaselry --

AVLON: Yes.

BERMAN: Both legal and illegal, should be condemned, right? We can --

AVLON: Certainly never embrace a weasel. Well-known (INAUDIBLE).

BERMAN: All kinds of weaselry. It turns outs it's lucrative, though, as you point out.

AVLON: It is.

BERMAN: All right, John, thank you.

HARLOW: It's one thing to watch his "Reality Checks" on television. It's another to be in the presence of them. It's quite moving.

BERMAN: The live show -- it's like The Grateful Dead, a live show is much better than listening to the tapes.

HARLOW: It's like -- yes. Just like that.

BERMAN: All right, John, thank you very much.

Airlines are planning for a travel bounce this summer, but it will take a lot of work to get the planes ready after sitting idle for a year. How are they preparing? That's next.

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[08:50:38]

HARLOW: Clearly, people are ready to travel. The airline industry is preparing for a busy season a year into this pandemic. Airlines now face the enormous task of getting employees ready, planes ready to meet the demand.

Our Pete Muntean is live at Reagan National Airport with more.

Pete, you've got the outfit on. You've got the big plane behind you. Tell us about it. PETE MUNTEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Poppy, it wasn't all that

long ago that thousands of planes were parked by the pandemic. Now, American Airlines says all of its planes will be out here and flying again by the end of the month, but first they must inspect everything, from the engines all the way down to the coffee maker.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MUNTEAN (voice over): Pressure is on at American Airlines Tulsa maintenance base. Here, crews are preparing planes to meet the new surge in air travel. Hundreds of commercial airliners sat idle on taxiways, ramps, even runways through much of the pandemic. Now, American says all of its planes will be flying again by the end of the month. No easy task.

ROGER STEELE, AMERICAN AIRLINES: In many ways we (INAUDIBLE) the aircraft had to have more maintenance requirements on the aircraft that has been in storage, or is in storage, than we do if the aircraft is out actively flying.

MUNTEAN: Roger Steele's team of mechanics are spending 1,000 hours for revive just one plane here. Part of their work includes federally mandated inspections of the Boeing 737. It is the world's most popular airliner. American alone parked 300 of them because of the pandemic. The FAA said the planes sitting idle could cause a critical valve to fail, risking catastrophic dual engine power loss in flight.

ED SANGRICCO, AMERICAN AIRLINES: All of the things that could have been negatively impacted by the fact that it was parked have been identified, they've been addressed and they've been resolved. And so I can assure you 110 percent that these aircraft are safe and they're ready to fly.

MUNTEAN (on camera): Planes have been stored exclusively outside for months on end and crews came out here about every ten days to check things like the engine, uncover them and fire them up. Also, check the landing gear, the tires and the brakes, the crucial parts inside there. About 100 planes were stored out here at the peak of the pandemic, but now there are only a few left.

MUNTEAN (voice over): The latest data shows airline travel closing in on a recovery. Industry groups say flights are now 75 percent full, up from 60 percent just last month. New demand means the industry is bouncing back sooner than expected. The newest jump in numbers means the Transportation Security Administration needs more help screening passengers. It is hiring 6,000 new officers to staff checkpoints, holding hiring events nationwide.

SUSAN TASHIRO, TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION: I think the big thing is for us, we want to be prepared for the summer. We're clearly taking a lot of efforts to make sure that happens.

MUNTEAN: United Airlines just said it will hire new pilots for the first time in more than a year, while thousands of existing pilots will be coming back from pandemic time off. A CNN review of aviation safety records from across the country uncovered flight crews reporting rusty skills and in flight errors after returning to work. American Airline says its pilots will be thoroughly rechecked in classrooms and simulators before coming back on the job.

SANGRICCO: There's a lot of pent-up travel demand and we really want to be there and be ready to move our customers to wherever they want to go, safely, efficiently and make sure we're putting out a good product.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MUNTEAN: Demand for flying is so strong right now that Southwest Airlines has ended the leaves of about 2,700 of its flight attendants. The TSA screen more than 1.5 million people through America's airports yesterday, just shy of the pandemic record.

And, John, it seems the numbers will only go up from here.

BERMAN: Pete, I've got to say, it was fascinating to see the difference in the planes moving from sort of the on-ground warehouse to being out there and seeing you out there. I think you need to guide that plane.

HARLOW: Yes.

BERMAN: You know, get that -- get that aircraft out on to the runway and everything (ph).

MUNTEAN: I have everything but the batons. They gave me everything but the batons. I've got the vest, but, you know, I could be marshalling in here. Next time. Next story.

BERMAN: Next time.

All right, Pete Muntean, that's a great report. We appreciate it.

Time now for "The Good Stuff."

In Georgia, a bar and a pharmacy are teaming up to get people vaccinated.

[08:55:03]

Tito's Lounge has become a coronavirus vaccination site two days a week after partnering with Premier Drug Store. It was Douglasville (ph) Councilman Sam Davis' (ph) idea so residents could have some place local to get their free vaccine, no appointment needed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You walk in, just take it to the streets. Just walk in and get your shot and they love it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's perfect because I live right down the street. So it was, you know, more convenience to come here.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BERMAN: Whatever it takes, right? I mean what a great idea. The lounge's owner also offers food and drinks to people waiting. He hopes it will draw them back when they're only serving up the other kind of shots.

HARLOW: That's a great story.

BERMAN: It's good.

HARLOW: The best -- the best "Good Stuff."

Can I come back tomorrow?

BERMAN: You're -- absolutely. I insist.

HARLOW: All right. We'll see you then.

BERMAN: All right, our coverage continues right after this.

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