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The Source with Kaitlan Collins
Trump In Panic Mode As New York Prepares To Seize His Assets; With Police Overrun & Overwhelmed, Haitians Forced To Defend Themselves From Gang Violence; Nickelodeon: Well-Being Of Children Our Highest Priority. Aired 9-10p ET
Aired March 21, 2024 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[21:00:00]
DAVID CULVER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That, we're told, is a police operation that has ended with police killing a gang leader, who is among those who escaped recently, in that recent prison outbreak.
They also confirmed that several gang members were killed, John. However, for them, it's about trying to hold the line, officers continuing to struggle with that.
JOHN BERMAN, CNN HOST: David Culver, in Haiti, tonight. Stay safe, my friend. Thank you so much for your reporting.
CULVER: Thanks, John.
BERMAN: The news continues. THE SOURCE with special guest star, Sara Sidner, starts right now.
SARA SIDNER, CNN HOST: Straight from THE SOURCE tonight.
Ready to collect, New York's Attorney General is moving in on some of Donald Trump's prized properties, taking her first step, to prepare to seize Trump's assets, if he can't put up nearly half a billion dollars, by Monday.
The Justice Department trying to take a huge bite out of Apple, filing a blockbuster lawsuit, accusing the phone-maker, of keeping hundreds of millions in America, reliant on their products. What it could mean for your smartphone?
And free-falling into chaos. CNN's team sees charred corpses, lying in the streets, in Haiti, as they travel through gang territory with police, while the U.S. evacuates dozens more desperate Americans there.
I'm Sara Sidner, in for Kaitlan Collins. And this is THE SOURCE.
Donald Trump only has four days left, to come up with $464 million. And we now know New York's Attorney General is closing in, taking the initial step, to seize Trump's assets, if he can't come up with the money. Letitia James has filed judgments, in Westchester County, just outside New York City, the first indication the State may try to seize Trump's golf course, and his lavish private estate, known as Seven Springs, a property very dear to the Trump family.
This is how the former President's son, Eric Trump, describes it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ERIC TRUMP, AMERICAN BUSINESSMAN, DONALD TRUMP'S SON: We first bought the property in '96. I was about 12, 13-years-old at the time. And it really my brother and I and -- and my father, during the summers would always put us to work, and we were literally riding mowers around.
This is a place that's really special to myself, that's really special to my brother, my father, really the whole family. I mean, this is really our compound.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: It could very well be New York State's compound soon. We're talking about a 50,000 square foot mansion, nestled in the heart of Westchester County, with 60 rooms, including 15 bedrooms, three pools, carriage houses and servants' quarters. It was built in 1919 by H.J. Heinz of ketchup fame. The property spans more than 200 acres.
You may remember hearing Donald Trump himself talk about it before, when he bragged about leasing part of the land to late Libyan dictator, Muammar Gaddafi, to pitch a tent. Trump says he made a fortune from it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP (R), FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: What did I do with Gaddafi? I leased him a piece of land for his tent. He paid me more than I get in the whole year. And then, he wasn't able to use the piece of land.
In one night, more money than I would have gotten all year, for this piece of land, up in Westchester.
Take advantage of a situation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: For a visual, here's what that tent looked like, back in 2009.
And now, in 2024, if Donald Trump can't pay his nearly half a billion dollar fraud fine in just days, it could end up being property of the State.
Trump's National Golf Club in Briarcliff, New York, could also be in jeopardy. A judgment has already been entered in New York City, where Trump Tower lies, along with 40 Wall Street and the Trump International Hotel. Things could move very quickly, come deadline day. As for Trump, he's still sounding off tonight, about the difficulties he's having, securing a bond, saying it's flat-out impossible to do.
I'm joined now by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, David Cay Johnston, and also a very good author.
You've done a ton of reporting, on Seven Springs, over the years. Why do you gather this property is basically the first target, for the New York A.G.?
DAVID CAY JOHNSTON, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST, AUTHOR, "THE MAKING OF DONALD TRUMP," LECTURER, SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF LAW: Well, it's unencumbered, and along with the golf course, pretty easy to value.
You may recall Trump, at one point, claimed that Seven Springs was worth $291 million. It's worth more like $20 million, or perhaps the one appraisal, it said $56 million.
If she goes after his apartment in Trump Tower, he will squawk and scream that you're taking my home. And he may do it here. We should expect Donald Trump, and his lawyers, will oppose every effort, to seize his bank accounts, and to sell his properties.
SIDNER: I would imagine just about anyone, in that position, would try to do the same, to try to stop this from happening.
[21:05:00]
But if Donald Trump cannot come up with the bond, which so far he has not been able to do, and he only has a few days left, how would the seizing of properties actually begin? How would it work?
CAY JOHNSTON: Well the Attorney General would put out liens first. Just like someone does work on your home kitchen remodel, they may put a mechanic's lien on your home. That will prevent any loans or other actions. It also puts the State, at the head of the line, if Donald Trump decides, strategically, to file personal bankruptcy, in an effort to hold everything off, until November 5th.
Once the State has liens, it will then seek court orders to sell the properties. And no matter what price they bring, of course, Donald will scream, you're selling it for pennies on the dollar.
Well, yes, it's a fire sale. You had two years to arrange your finances. Because two years ago, you said you expected this to happen, and you didn't get ready for it.
SIDNER: Can you give me some sense, if we just step back here, for a second, to talk about how unprecedented this is? What would this mean, to Donald Trump, and his whole persona, about wealth, to see even one of his properties seized?
CAY JOHNSTON: Well, Donald's life is his money. Everything about him is wrapped up with his preposterous claims, you know, I'm worth more than $10 billion, I don't need any money from donors to run for president. And so, this goes to who Donald is.
Donald is his money. He had -- doesn't have any regard for anyone else. We just found out, today, from a transcript that was made public, that when Donald's valet told him someone had been shot and killed, during the insurrection, he had no response. Because you and I, we're just objects, we're not human beings, there is no empathy in Donald. We're just objects.
SIDNER: I am curious what the timeline might be, if he's unable to secure a bond. His attorney has already said they've asked 30 different insurers, to help them out. And none of them would take the case.
If he's unable to do this, by Monday, how soon could the former President lose control of something, like Seven Springs, or even Trump Tower for that matter?
CAY JOHNSTON: Well, right now, of course, he's not in control. The monitor and the independent compliance director are in control. Donald is not allowed to run his business.
The bank accounts can be seized very quickly. And that would propose a real problem for Donald. His loans, on some of his properties, require him to maintain certain bank balances and net worth. So, if the State goes in and seizes these bank accounts, he may be in violation of his loans, and then he'll have trouble with lenders that may decide to call the loans.
SIDNER: Wow. I am curious about the cost of these things. Because you talked a little bit about, they would go in, and they would sell it probably like a fire sale. But are there still mortgages on it? I mean, all of this plays into--
CAY JOHNSTON: Yes.
SIDNER: --how much these properties are worth, correct?
CAY JOHNSTON: That's correct. And mortgage holders will get paid, assuming that the prices here cover that.
I mean, one of the ironies, in this case, Sara, is Donald was found to have knowingly, deliberately, persistently inflated the value of his properties. So, when something is sold for far less than what he's claimed, it's worth? Seven Springs would be a good example. He's going to say, you're cheating me, you know, you're trying to destroy me by not getting the right price.
Well go find your own buyer, then Donald.
And he, at the end of the day, he's appealing that there's nothing there for him to win on appeal. No indication, I'm not a lawyer, but I'm professor of law, that Judge Engoron made any reversible errors. The best Donald might get is the intermediate appellate court might say, well, instead of $354 million before interests, we're going to make it $325 million. That'll be immaterial to the underlying problem.
SIDNER: So, they could lower the bond by a bit, but it would still be a very high number, in your prediction.
I want to ask you about that, the monitor, that's overseeing the Trump organization. Because today, the judge, in the case, expanded the role of the monitor. Why? What happened?
CAY JOHNSTON: Well, Donald previously moved money, in violation of Judge Engoron's orders, where he's supposed to notify Judge Barbara S. Jones, the retired federal judge, who's the monitor.
So, the new order gives her expansive new powers. It directs that nothing is to be done, without her advanced knowledge.
That requires Trump, his sons, and his employees, to cooperate in identifying every bank account, every asset, not making any movements of money without approval. I mean, I don't think the monitor is going to care that they pay the liquor bill for the hotel. But anything beyond routine expenses, like that are going to be scrutinized.
[21:10:00]
And the judge, and I think this is very significant, at the end of his order, said, if the monitor concludes additional authority is needed, she is invited to come in and ask for that expanded authority.
SIDNER: Wow. David Cay Johnston, we're going to leave it there. Thank you so much. I know you've covered this ad nauseam, over the many years. And now, we're at a real inflection point. Appreciate your time.
CAY JOHNSTON: Thank you, Sara.
SIDNER: All right, the presumptive Republican nominee has been furiously posting on Truth Social, and firing off campaign fundraising messages, screaming, this is all a witch-hunt.
Both politically and personally, being short on cash is clearly weighing heavily, on a man who, for years, has defined himself like this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
D. TRUMP: I know the secrets to making money. I don't know the secrets to a lot of other things. But I know how to make money. And I've always known how to make money.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: The old art of the deal, if you'll remember that.
Alyssa Farah Griffin was his White House Communications Director, and joins me now.
Our reporting Trump -- is that Trump is extremely worried, about the optics of this. Never mind, what happens if they actually go and seize some of these properties, which he has bragged about for years.
How bad is this for him as he's going through this?
ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP: It's incredibly bad. This is a total blow, to the brand of Trump.
Trump is as much a brand as he is a businessman, in some ways, even more so. I think that's how he was able to get away with inflating his wealth, with being able to secure loans that were completely out of step with what his properties were actually valued at.
And you see this. He's been absolutely losing it on social media, over these decisions. But what I'm worried about is this. When Donald Trump is backed into a corner, he gets reckless, and he makes reckless decisions.
This may very well move forward, next week, and he starts seeing properties taken away from him. Where is he going to turn? There is a possibility he's going to look to foreign, it could be adversaries, it could be individuals within nations that are our adversaries, to lend him money, if he's not able to secure loans here. And I think that's a very real possibility that folks need to be thinking about, in the broader context of this.
SIDNER: That's a really big point that you just said there. And I just want to reiterate.
Because if you look at who he's bringing back into the fold, trying to bring in people like Paul Manafort, who had millions of dollars that were stored in foreign accounts all over the place.
Do you really think that Donald Trump being pushed, to a financial point, would reach out to a China or a Russia or?
FARAH GRIFFIN: Donald Trump does not have a moral compass, when it comes to America's standing in the world, how we interact with our adversaries, and he certainly puts his interests before the country. So, if an oligarch in a Russia, or a Chinese business official wants to help him get this money? I have no question that he would end up accepting it.
SIDNER: Wow. All right.
As we look ahead, do you think that his money problems will also factor into the politics of all this, which is who his Vice President is going to be?
FARAH GRIFFIN: Yes, because he's got the personal, the business side money problems, which are tremendous. And on top of this, by the way, he's got the E. Jean Carroll settlement, which is another gigantic sum. But he's also not raising money at the clip that he should be. He's using his campaign, as essentially a legal defense fund, to deal with his multiple cases.
On top of that, pair that with an RNC that is not raising money the way it should be. This is wild. Filing today, the RNC has about $11.3 million cash on hand. This time, in 2020, when Republicans lost, when Donald Trump lost, they had $77 million.
There is a -- the Donald Trump factor has been a brand blow to the GOP. People are just not giving. They feel like the money that they're giving is going to his legal battles, not to boosting Republican candidates down-ballot.
So, he could get to a place where he's completely being outraised, right now, by Joe Biden, he is having to scale back some events. You may see him turn to more earned media, more calling into Fox News, calling into Newsmax, things that don't cost as much money. But it's a very real concern.
SIDNER: I'm curious. Do you think that that money that is with the RNC, even though it is only $11 million only that he's going to try to leverage that some way? Because his daughter-in-law is now one of the people leading the RNC.
FARAH GRIFFIN: Yes, he's essentially taken over the RNC. He's installed a loyalist, and his daughter-in-law is the Co-Chair. He's taken out a lot of staffers and put in ones, who he believes are loyal to him.
So, I think he's always sort of seen it as his slush fund, and even the way he hoped the RNC would engage in the primary, on his behalf. So, you should assume that money is going to go, as much as possible, to Trump, and not to down-ballot Republican candidates.
SIDNER: When you look at his financial situation. We've been hearing different things from the campaign that they're trying to scale back, choose different venues. They're stopping rallies in some places, and going in other places.
Can he win the election, if he's not spending a lot? Because if you look at the polling, Biden has a ton of money, in comparison. But the polls are showing that Donald Trump is still up.
FARAH GRIFFIN: There are so many crazy dynamics about this election, one being Nikki Haley, who's no longer in the race has more cash on hand than the RNC does, a $11.5 million, right now.
SIDNER: That's wild.
FARAH GRIFFIN: The Republicans decided not to nominate her.
Donald Trump is struggling. Joe Biden is outraising him nearly two to -- more than two to one, at this point.
[21:15:00]
But -- but Donald Trump is unlike any living politician I've seen. He commands media attention. He can take over a new cycle with one statement. And he's going to lean into that.
It's kind of how he ran in 2016. They weren't spending money. It was he was appearing in earned media. He was calling into networks, and everyone had to cover every word he said. So, he's got a plan in his back pocket, if he can't do his giant rallies, because they're simply too expensive.
SIDNER: He's got his own social media thing that he's constantly pumping out, I know this, some tons of emails. We all get them.
FARAH GRIFFIN: Yes.
SIDNER: And so, they're reaching out in all different ways that it isn't that expensive.
FARAH GRIFFIN: Yes.
SIDNER: It seems to be working.
FARAH GRIFFIN: But this is all very bad for other Republican candidates winning, who rely on the RNC, they rely on the presidential candidate, to fundraise for them. And he simply can't.
SIDNER: Pay for ads, and all the like.
Alyssa Farah Griffin, thank you so much. Appreciate it.
FARAH GRIFFIN: Thank you.
SIDNER: All right, just ahead, the D.A. who narrowly avoided disqualification, on Trump's election case, in Georgia, is now pressing ahead with her goal, to put the former President on trial, before Election Day. Exclusive reporting, that's coming up next.
And "The Dark Side of Kids TV," exposed in a new docuseries, featuring former Nickelodeon child stars. One of them, from the show, "Zoey 101," is here with her story.
[21:20:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SIDNER: The district attorneys in both of Donald Trump's state criminal cases, making pushes, tonight, to try and get those trials, back on the calendar.
In Manhattan, D.A. Alvin Bragg says April 15th is enough time for the Trump team, to go over thousands of documents, just recently turned over to them.
While, in Georgia, Fulton County D.A., Fani Willis, fresh off the fight to stay on the case, and facing her own political primary fight in May, is planning to ask the judge, for a summer start.
Shan Wu is a former federal prosecutor, and joins me now.
Shan Wu, so good to see you.
SHAN WU, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR, FORMER COUNSEL TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL: Good to see you too.
SIDNER: I want to start with the Fulton County District Attorney. She has been asking for an August start date, for this trial, for months. I think back in November was the first time we heard August 5th as a trial date.
WU: Yes.
SIDNER: The judge didn't respond to her request in November.
Is there any chance of this actually happening in August, now?
WU: I think it's very hard, especially because the Judge, McAfee, has not chosen to set the trial date. He didn't stay the case, while he gave permission, which I don't think he should have given permission, for this appeal, in the meantime. But he can do some of the work, in getting the case ready for trial.
But if he doesn't set that trial date, I mean, there's only so much that Fani Willis can do. And even if they're ready to go, which they may well be, I just think it makes -- it makes it very, very hard to get it done.
SIDNER: What is he's waiting for? I mean, what hurdles does the D.A. still need, to face to try to get the trial going by the summer?
WU: I don't think there is any hurdles within the case or legally. I mean, he could just go ahead and set the trial date. If something happens, you know, something happens. But there's no reason, if he's serious about trying to get the case done quickly, then he should just set the trial date.
Obviously, the Supreme Court's immunity ruling could upend the applecart, if that happens. But nothing stops him from setting a trial date. So, I think it's real mistake for him not to do that.
SIDNER: And so often, as you and I both know that those dates get moved anyway, they get postponed and changed constantly.
WU: Right.
SIDNER: Let's go now to the hush money trial, in New York. The Manhattan D.A. wants to get started by April 15th.
Is that likely?
WU: That's also hard, although, in that case, for different reasons. There's a little bit of a conflict -- of backstory here.
But all these documents got -- that got turned over, it really, you can trace that back to the Southern District of New York being slow, about producing some of these documents, and then it made its way to the defense.
It's not an overwhelming number of documents. In a day and age, where we're dealing with electronic discovery, you have terabytes worth of documents. But it's sufficient that they have a leg to stand on to say, hey, we need some time. And more importantly, within those documents, they might find issues, for other kinds of motions, other things that might delay it.
So, I think it's hard. It's not impossible. But it is hard. And if you gave -- ask me to choose between the two, I'd say it's more likely for Bragg's case to go, than it is for the Fulton County one.
SIDNER: So, you think the New York case may go quicker, but maybe not April 15th. We want--
WU: Right.
SIDNER: I want to talk about the reason why the New York trial was delayed. And it's because the DOJ was late in handing over records, about Michael Cohen. We're learning now that those records come from the Mueller investigation, which was done five years ago now?
Why all the delays in getting all this stuff, where it needs to be?
WU: Well, it's hard to say. I've rhetorically asked why DOJ was generally kind of late, with looking at the Trump and higher-up investigations, took a long time to appoint Jack Smith.
There can be reasons internally, why one prosecutor's office doesn't like to turn over information from their investigation. They may be thinking we might still want to do something with this. We don't want someone else to mess it up with what they're going to use it for.
And traditionally, there has been a little bit of a competitive tension, between the Southern District of New York and the Manhattan District Attorney's Office. So, that may have played into it as well.
SIDNER: That's an interesting point.
Shan Wu, it's always a pleasure to see you. Thank you so much.
WU: Good to see.
SIDNER: All right. Coming up next, the U.S. government is now suing Apple, accusing the tech giant of illegally monopolizing the smartphone market. What it could mean, for millions and millions of iPhone users, perhaps even you?
[21:25:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SIDNER: A blockbuster antitrust lawsuit, by the Department of Justice, is accusing Apple of illegally monopolizing the smartphone industry, saying you, the consumer, is being hurt by their practices.
Attorney General, Merrick Garland, today, rattling off a laundry list of Apple's alleged anticompetitive conduct, when it comes to the iPhone, including the, so-called green-bubble divide.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MERRICK GARLAND, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: If an iPhone user messages a non-iPhone user, in Apple Messages, the text appears not only as a green bubble, but incorporates limited functionality. The conversation is not encrypted. Videos are pixelated and grainy. And users cannot edit messages or see typing indicators.
[21:30:00]
As a result, iPhone users perceive rival smartphones as being lower quality, because the experience of messaging friends and family, who do not own iPhones is worse.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: Apple, firing back, in a statement, today, telling CNN quote, "This lawsuit threatens who we are and the principles that set Apple products apart in fiercely competitive markets."
Joining me now, tonight, CNN's Senior Data Reporter, Harry Enten, speaking of fiercely competitive and, as it turns out, an Android user.
I don't -- we've fought over this phone for so long.
HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL DATA REPORTER: Yes.
SIDNER: I'm not going to -- I'm not going to go after you, like I normally do.
ENTEN: Ah.
SIDNER: But you're a green bubble guy.
ENTEN: I am.
SIDNER: I'm an iPhone user.
ENTEN: Yes.
SIDNER: How often are you getting shamed by us? Because I know I come after you like pretty much daily.
ENTEN: You're not the only one who comes after me daily, you know? Earlier on, I was visiting with our dear friend, Phil Mattingly, who everyone thinks is this nice guy.
SIDNER: He is.
ENTEN: He is a nice guy, except when it comes to this. He was shaming me.
I'm in a group chat with him, and Mark Preston, of course, who's a VP here. And they're always going, Harry, what is going on here? The videos are so grainy. The pictures are so grainy. You have this green bubble that's going on. It honestly makes me feel a little self- conscious about myself, Sara.
And that's why I'm here, right now, to tell folks, on national TV that it is--
SIDNER: To be nice.
ENTEN: To be nice. And it is OK. Those kids out there as well, a lot of them are actually getting teased in their groups, you know?
SIDNER: It is true.
ENTEN: And they actually take it personally.
For me, it bounces off of me like nothing else. But for those kids, it's actually a pretty big deal.
SIDNER: Yes. For you, it's a little bit of a first-world problem.
ENTEN: Yes.
SIDNER: Let's just be honest about that.
ENTEN: Yes.
SIDNER: The DOJ, in this lawsuit, is basically accusing Apple, of creating toxic ecosystems of devices that really only work with other Apple devices. So, Apple phone, to your Apple Computer.
ENTEN: Yes.
SIDNER: And everything else is problematic.
ENTEN: It is.
SIDNER: Correct?
ENTEN: Exactly right, you know? So, I mentioned the droid here, right, the Android here?
SIDNER: Yes.
ENTEN: But I also happen to work on an Apple Computer, right? So, I work on this Apple Computer, and trying to sync these two up is very difficult. It's very difficult.
I actually have to use a different message chat, in which I have an iMessager chat that goes to my Gmail, in order to chat with other people, on my computer, versus my girlfriend, who has the exact opposite sort of problem going on, where she has an iPhone, but a Windows computer, and trying to sync that up.
It's very difficult to get actually in touch with her, because she can't get her messages, on her Windows computer, during the day. And so, she's trying to go, what, what, what, what, what. And it just becomes this entire cascading problem, where it just becomes -- look, it's not impossible, Sara.
SIDNER: Right. ENTEN: It's just inconvenient, and inconvenient to the matter of fact, that it could be you go, forget about this, I'm going to drop my Android device. I'm going to drop my Windows computer.
In some ways, they're creating vertical integration going on here, right, and trying to assume or trying to get it, so that you have to buy an Apple product, in each of the different ways you might in fact use technology.
SIDNER: What say you about Apple, which can argue, look, we're just doing good business, like we came up with all these different things, and this is how good business runs?
ENTEN: Oh, I guess, it depends what you believe is good business, right? If you look at the stock price, then Apple's doing very good business. Since the iPhone came out, you know how much Apple stock is up? It is up, get this--
SIDNER: Wow.
ENTEN: --4,544 percent. I don't care what language you speak, that is a very high percentage.
If you look at the percentage of folks, who are using an iPhone, in the smartphone market, it's basically more than doubled over the last decade. And of course, the iPhone only came out in the late-20-odds.
So, all of a sudden, Apple, which was this one company that was really known, mostly for using and making computers, all of a sudden was able to jump into the smartphone market, and dominate that market. And now, most folks, who associate Apple with a product, they don't associate it with a laptop, such as this. They associate it with a phone, such as your own.
SIDNER: Right. It's a full computer in your hands, and a television station, and many other things.
But if this lawsuit is actually successful, what does it mean for Apple products? What happens?
ENTEN: Yes, so what does it mean for Apple products? Well, first off, it could mean the easier cross messaging, right? So, all of a sudden, maybe I wouldn't be ostracized for using this particular phone.
SIDNER: It'll be blue now?
ENTEN: It maybe blue.
SIDNER: What? Wow.
ENTEN: Or maybe it'll be some new color, who even knows?
SIDNER: All right.
ENTEN: Maybe it'll be purple. It could also mean lower outside developer fees, right, for essentially trying to create different applications. It could allow for a competitor, Apple's application stores, right, because at this particular point, if you're trying to get something on this computer, you have to go to them, Apple or the Mac App Store. And it could also allow for more digital wallets.
Now, I of course, am not somebody, who really understands what a digital wallet is.
You can see right here, this is my actual wallet.
SIDNER: That's your Costanza wallet.
ENTEN: This is--
SIDNER: That's what you're into.
ENTEN: This is my Costanza wallet.
I don't know what -- you know, I don't know the exact usefulness for a digital wallet. But the fact is, you can't really use anything, outside of the Apple products, on your digital wallet. Right now, that's an Apple digital wallet. So, they're trying to essentially say, if this is in fact successful, you have to allow for more competition, there.
SIDNER: People that are into crypto will care about the digital wallets. I guarantee you.
ENTEN: They will, and likely so.
[21:35:00]
SIDNER: Harry Enten, always a joy. Thank you.
ENTEN: Thank you.
SIDNER: Get a different phone.
ENTEN: Eh, maybe.
SIDNER: All right.
Thank you, Harry.
ENTEN: Thanks.
SIDNER: To the horror in Haiti, where violent gangs are attempting to take over the country, and the battle to stop them is growing more dire and more difficult. One of our reporters, in the middle of it all, joins us next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[21:40:00] SIDNER: Descending into complete chaos, in Haiti's capital, there is no food and water getting in, no fuel, and no way out as the port and roads remain blocked. The streets of Port-au-Prince are filled with smoke, and occupied by violent gangs. And police are overrun and overwhelmed.
Journalist, and Haitian pro-democracy and social justice advocate, Monique Clesca, joins me now, from Port-au-Prince.
Thank you so much for being here.
You are there, in Port-au-Prince. Give me some sense of how safe you are, at this point. And are you able to leave your home, for example?
MONIQUE CLESCA, JOURNALIST, HAITIAN PRO-DEMOCRACY & SOCIAL JUSTICE ADVOCATE, FORMER UN OFFICIAL: No. And I'm not alone. Most people do not leave their home, unless it's absolutely necessary.
And the last four days have been absolutely just terrifying. Sunday night, there was a massacre. 13 people were shot by one person. Monday, my neighborhood was overrun by gangs. Tuesday, it was also in Petion-Ville, in another area, yesterday also. So, it is everywhere. And today, there was a big huge battle, in the center of town.
But I think one of the things that is important, amongst all this chaos, I think it's important to say that we are resisting in different ways. It may be small ways that are not at the level of the chaos, and the assault that we are feeling, from the gangs.
But I think it's important to note that the police killed a gang leader, yesterday. So, that was important. Today also they killed a gang leader. And astonishing, both of them were freed from the jail break recently.
And so, neighborhoods are organizing, they are putting barricades, WhatsApp groups, to let you know what's going on. And so, there is some organization. And the police is also -- the population worked with the police, in the two cases, of the gang leaders that were killed.
So, I think that resistance merits some attention. We are not just sitting down, taking it. But we are fighting, in small ways, but in ways that are important, and in ways that I say are Haitian, you know?
SIDNER: Yes. It really is important to show that there is some kind of community action, to try and get the country back, in any way possible. And if not the whole country, at least a neighborhood.
Can you give me some sense of how difficult it is for you to get food and water, and for the population to get food and water, who are dealing with this in the middle of Port-au-Prince?
CLESCA: Well, a couple of weeks ago, I had difficulties getting water. I got water. Fortunately, I live in a semi-rural area, where there are farms. So, the Farmers' Market opens. But really very, not everybody's there, not all the sellers are there. And they go home quickly. So, one has to be there.
And so, I did go out for one hour, on Tuesday, after the assault, to get things like toilet paper, et cetera. But it really was a feeling of everybody was just rushing, everybody was nervous, everybody was on edge. And I even saw bodies, by the side of the road. So, it is a hellish kind of situation, really very, very difficult.
SIDNER: It is so disturbing to hear you talk about, you go out for one hour, just to get the things that you need to stay alive. And you see bodies, in the road, just laying there. It's horrific, to see what is happening to the people of Haiti.
I do want to ask you about the politics of Haiti. The Prime Minister, Ariel Henry, says that he will resign. But there is a caveat. That he'll only do so, when there's a transitional presidential council. How does that even begin to happen, with the chaos that exists, right now, in the capital?
CLESCA: Well, believe it or not, they are working. They're working about 20 hours out of 24. And I think one thing that is extraordinary is these are people, who normally would not be sitting together. But they are doing it even though a lot of it is being done by Zoom, almost all of it is being done by Zoom, by Google Meet, and whatever, because nobody can move. But there is action.
They are trying to work to get together, this provisional council. And they are working on three specific things, also. One of them is the Accord itself, what will it entail? Another one is the organization and how they will work together. And the third one is a roadmap for the first 100 (ph) days. So, they are moving forward with that.
SIDNER: Yes.
[21:45:00]
CLESCA: Now, how many? And I think there is a game that's being played, perhaps with CARICOM and the U.S. government. How many will be in it? Before, it was seven. And then, there were two observers. And then, it's moving. And then, one group was out, and then one group is in. So, that is a game that is being played.
And I believe they are asking for CARICOM, face-to-face meeting--
SIDNER: So they can sort this all out.
CLESCA: --because they have not met with CARICOM, since last Monday. So, that is important.
SIDNER: That is very important.
CLESCA: So, we are hopeful that they will come to a decision, they will, come to an agreement, so, we can get out of this, and then start the hard work in terms of pacifying, in terms of getting people--
SIDNER: Security.
CLESCA: --to even step out of their house security.
SIDNER: Yes.
CLESCA: And justice also.
SIDNER: Monique.
CLESCA: Because we need justice.
SIDNER: Monique, I -- thank you for explaining what is happening there to you, and to the other people of Haiti, as you deal with this really, really, really difficult situation and chaos there. I appreciate your time and your expertise.
I want to go now to CNN's David Culver. We have a reporter, who is on the ground, in Haiti, he and his crew risking their selves, to try and bring us these stories.
David, you've been on an extremely dangerous trip, into gang territories. Give us some sense of what you saw.
CULVER: Hey there, Sara.
Yes, we were embedded with the Haitian National Police. And I'm going to show you some of those images, in just a moment.
But I want to go back to something Monique just said. And she referenced being out for about an hour in the middle of the day, and seeing bodies. She is by no means exaggerating.
Here's a sampling of what we have seen, just in the past 24 hours.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CULVER: What I'm looking at, right now, here on the streets of Port- au-Prince, is too disturbing to show you in full. But it's the charred remains of a body, sitting in the middle of a very busy street, here in the morning rush hour.
And this is part of these extrajudicial killings, essentially, the community taking justice into their own hands, when they believe that there is a suspected gang member or somebody that has any ties to gangs, maybe even an advanced member, who's trying to get some intelligence. If they suspect that person is in their community, at the wrong time, and in the wrong place as they see it? They will take action.
But it's also just become the reality, when police are so short- staffed, their resources are strained. And they don't have the ability to enforce law. So, it falls on folks in the neighborhoods, to do it themselves.
And you can even see here, look at this, a police car is just going right past. And it'll continue on. Doesn't even stop.
(END VIDEO CLIP) SIDNER: That is just remarkable, David.
CULVER: Well now, four bodies here, that we have seen, charred remains, in the past couple of days here. Yes, it's really difficult to see.
You also saw that we were embedded with police. That was in gang territory, as you've mentioned. That was a police operation that happened in that same area, just a few hours after we left. And we do know that it has ended with several gang members dead. But police struggling to hold the line, Sara.
SIDNER: David Culver, I got to tell you, those pictures of just a charred body in the street, where people just driving by, like there's nothing to see there, nobody moving the body, nobody taking it anywhere to be buried? Really, really disturbing.
CULVER: Yes, it's tough.
SIDNER: Thank you so much to you, and your photographer, Evelio, who I know is with you.
All right, a new documentary, on alleged abuse, on the sets of some of the most popular children's shows, at Nickelodeon. A former child star, from "Zoey 101," with her story, coming up next.
[21:50:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SIDNER: There are some really disturbing allegations, from several child stars, who worked in what was supposed to be a television network for children.
A new documentary called "Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV," looks at what was going on, on the set of several Nickelodeon productions, in the early 90s and 2000s. In it, some of the former child actors, and adult writers, say they dealt with racism, sexism, and in one particular case, sexual assault.
Former child actor, Drake Bell, who portrayed the guitar-playing charismatic stepbrother, in the hit series, Drake & Josh, reveals he was sexually assaulted, multiple times.
The person, who is accused of doing that, and then eventually pleaded to some of that, Nickelodeon voice coach, Brian Peck. Peck pleaded no contest, to two charges, years ago.
But the victim, a minor at the time, had never been named, until now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DRAKE BELL, AMERICAN ACTOR AND MUSICIAN: Why don't you do this?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
BELL: Why don't you think of the worst stuff that someone could do to somebody as a sexual assault? And that'll answer your question.
I don't know how else to put it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: Really disturbing to hear that from him.
"Quiet on Set" from Investigation (ph) Discovery, owned by CNN's parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, also zeroes in on the actions of the man, behind many of those Nickelodeon hits, Producer Dan Schneider.
The series alleges Schneider oversaw instances of fat-shaming, reduced salaries for female writers, and children being sexualized, forced to perform in suggestive scenes, including a disturbing scene, described by "Zoey 101" then-child star, Alexa Nikolas.
[21:55:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICOLE BRISTOW, FICTIONAL CHARACTER PLAYED BY ALEXA NIKOLAS, "ZOEY 101": You just bite the tip.
ALEXA NIKOLAS, FORMER NICKELODEON ACTRESS ON "ZOEY 101": There is goo pops, and my character can't get it open.
BRISTOW: Wait it's not coming out.
NIKOLAS: And ends up squirting on to Jamie's face. It lands on her face.
So first, it was Dan, roaring laughing. And then, everyone kind of giggling.
We heard the boys saying, it's a (bleep) shot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: Here with me tonight, is Alexa Nikolas, one of the child actors, who helped bring these allegations to light.
You were 12, on the set, I think, at that time, correct?
NIKOLAS: Yes.
SIDNER: You worked on these sets. You were just a kid. Tell us about this experience, working on the Nickelodeon show that you were on. What did you see? What did you experience?
NIKOLAS: I experienced a lot of bullying, a lot of emotional verbal abuse. I essentially experienced a toxic work environment. But when you think of toxic work environments, you usually think it's adults that are having to be in them. You don't really think about children having to experience that. SIDNER: Yes. And for people, who are familiar with Nickelodeon, and just how big it was, especially in the 90s and early 2000s, this is something that people saw, as a kids show. It was four kids, you -- kid actors were in it.
And then, you have the -- all of these issues coming up, in this series, which are extremely disturbing.
Dan Schneider was the producer of these shows that got very popular. He got very powerful. He recently apologized, during a friendly interview, with another actor, who was on the show, after seeing the documentary.
Here is what he said in his apology.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAN SCHNEIDER, AMERICAN TELEVISION PRODUCER AND SCREENWRITER: Watching over the past two nights was very difficult -- me facing my past behaviors, some of which are embarrassing and that I regret. And I definitely owe some people a pretty strong apology.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: What do you think about that apology?
NIKOLAS: I feel like an apology is to the person that you have harmed. When you hear an apology through other people, I don't really feel like that is a genuine apology. And so, it's very hard for me to believe him, let alone forgive him.
SIDNER: I want to read this, the statement that came out, from Nickelodeon to CNN.
They say, quote, "Our highest priorities are the well-being and best interests not just of our employees, casts and crew, but of all children, and we have adopted numerous safeguards over the years to help ensure we are living up to our own high standards and the expectations of our audience."
I am curious, from you, did anything surprise you, as you watch this docuseries, and saw actor after actor, who was a child at the time, now adults, talking about some things that were really hard, hard to watch, hard for anybody to watch?
NIKOLAS: As a survivor, I feel like you always think you're the only one. And because of that, you end up holding a lot of what happened to you in. And so, to experience and witness so many others, have their own similar experiences, was not only horrible to watch, and sad. But it was so extremely validating, to know that I was not the only one.
SIDNER: You've been a really passionate voice. I know you were out, protesting, front and center, for people to see, to try to bring light to this.
But you've argued that still not enough is being done, to protect children, on the set. There was such a balance -- inequal (ph) balance, because they're both working and getting money, and they have these bosses that are really big important foe.
What do you want to see done?
NIKOLAS: I mean, eventually, I would love to see some type of legislation that gets put into place, where not only obviously are the children protected, but that there are some type of like hopefully, a therapist, a mental health professional that is on set at all times, checking in on the children's well-being, confidentially, so that the child can find someone, who they can tell their emotional internal world to, without feeling they have to, right away, go to the executives.
[22:00:00]
Because I think one of the scariest parts, about being a child star, is the power dynamic. And not only the power dynamic as a child being surrounded by adults, but the power dynamic of having these people be your bosses. And these people are executives, you know? And you don't want to get fired. You don't want to have the show get shut down, because of what's happening.
SIDNER: Yes.
NIKOLAS: And so, there's so much pressure there.
SIDNER: Even adults have a hard time, going to the boss, sometimes. So for a child of 12, that would be nearly impossible.
NIKOLAS: Yes.
SIDNER: Alexa Nikolas, thank you so much, for being willing to share your story with us.
And thank you--
NIKOLAS: Thank you so much, for having me.
SIDNER: --for joining us.
"CNN NEWSNIGHT WITH ABBY PHILLIP" starts, right now.
