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The Lead with Jake Tapper

DOJ Releases Findings in Minneapolis PD Probe; Tree of Life Gunman Guilty of All Charges; Darfur Thrust Into Chaos in Prolonged Sudan Conflict; Putin: Tactical Nukes Now in Belarus & Could Be Used. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired June 16, 2023 - 16:00   ET

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

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BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Here's a clip.

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DANIEL ELLSBERG, PENTAGON PAPERS LEAKER: Yeah, it's been, by the way, because of my announcing that with my son has encouraged me to do, would have done it otherwise, some responses have come from doctors that suggest that there may be some targeted chemotherapy, no surgery that might add some months to my life. So I am looking into that. I'm not in a rush to leave. But it's -- it's been a wonderful party and it's time to go home and go to bed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: One of the most famous whistleblowers in U.S. history, Daniel Ellsberg, 92 years old.

THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER starts right now.

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN HOST: Racist and unconstitutional policing in Minneapolis.

THE LEAD starts right now.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland laying out a devastating rebuke of the Minneapolis Police Department.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MERRICK GARLAND, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: The patterns and practices we observe made what happened to George Floyd possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MARQUARDT: A multi-year investigation finds systemic abuses and discrimination by police. We'll break down the findings and what it says about equal justice in the United States.

Then, guilty on all counts for the man behind the deadliest assault on Jews in U.S. history. A federal jury now turning -- turns to debating whether the tree of life shooter will get the death penalty for taking 11 innocent lives.

Plus, only on CNN, relentless fighting in the streets of Sudan. Terrorism turns to genocide as our own Nima Elbagir documents the atrocities, and reports on the disturbing connection between the mercenary group waging war in Ukraine.

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MARQUARDT: Welcome to THE LEAD. I'm Alex Marquardt, in today for Jake Tapper.

We start today with our national lead. Scathing revelations of years of systemic problems in the Minneapolis police department, all of which led to the murder of George Floyd, who was killed three years ago by then-Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.

Today, a blistering new report released by the U.S. Department of Justice finding the city's police, quote, use excessive and unreasonable force, violated peoples First and Fourth Amendment rights, failed to hold officers accountable for their actions, and in first ever finding by the DOJ, engaged in unlawful discrimination against Black and Native American people.

CNN's Adrienne Broaddus begins our coverage with some of the startling examples laid out today by Attorney General Merrick Garland.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GARLAND: We found that the Minneapolis Police Department routinely uses excessive force.

ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The attorney general and the Justice Department unleashing a scathing report Friday in Minneapolis police failures. Detailing systemic problems, leading up to the murder of George Floyd in 2020.

GARLAND: The Minneapolis Police Department and the city of Minneapolis engaged in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the First and Fourth Amendments of the United States Constitution.

BROADDUS: Three years after Floyd was murdered by a Minneapolis police officer, the DOJ findings reveal multiple examples of racial discrimination, excessive and unlawful use of force, First Amendment violations, and a lack of accountability for officers within the department.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara, now pledging major improvements.

CHIEF BRIAN O'HARA, MINNEAPOLIS POLICE: We will change the narrative around policing in this city.

BROADDUS: The longtime activists say the problems are deeply rooted, and need more than transparency.

NEKIMA LEVY ARMSTRONG, CIVIL RIGHTS ATTORNEY: I'm unsure how far the DOJ will go. In terms of pulling this curtain back on the horrific behaviors of Minneapolis police officers. As a matter of fact, the city has put out tens of millions of dollars in paying excessive force settlement agreements over the years, and this is a before George Floyd was killed.

BROADDUS: The findings, based on hundreds of police body cam videos and incident reports, as well as complaints, outline the use of dangerous, techniques and weapons for minor or even quote no offenses, including unjustified deadly force and that the MPD use force to punish people who made officers angry or criticize the police.

The mayor, admitting of the DOJ report echoes complaints this city has heard for years, and that there needs to be fundamental change.

MAYOR JACOB FREY (D-MN), MINNEAPOLIS: Our success will be defined by the people of Minneapolis feeling safe. We are not going to stop.

BROADDUS: The report says Minneapolis police, quote, patrolled neighborhoods differently based on their racial composition, and discriminated based on race when searching, handcuffing, or using force against people during stops.

GARLAND: MPD stopped Black and Native American people nearly six times more often than White people.

BROADDUS: The DOJ report also pointed to a pattern of racist comments within the Minneapolis police department.

[16:05:02]

Local activists are cautiously optimistic, the report will not just inspire but require police to do better.

JEROME RICHARDSON, MINNESOTA TEEN ACTIVISTS: Minneapolis is only a microscope of a huger issue.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BROADDUS (on camera): So what's next? Now the city will be under what's called a consent decree. And that portion is still being negotiated, and we're told it could take months, even years before it's fully implemented and rolled out -- Alex.

MARQUARDT: All right. Adrienne Broaddus in Minneapolis, thank you very much for that report.

Joining us now to talk more about the ramifications of the DOJ's report, of the Minneapolis police department, is Marq Claxton, a former NYPD detective and the director of the Black Law Enforcement Alliance. As well as CNN legal analyst and criminal defense attorney, Joey Jackson.

Gentlemen, thank you both for joining me today.

Joey, I want to ask you first. That's consent decree that Adrienne just mentioned, which will give the DOJ more oversight, do you think that that will go fast and far enough in terms of overhauling the MPD?

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: So, the direct answer is no, but I don't want to say that this is not a significant development. What do I mean? I mean that we all know what happened with George Floyd. I need not say that the despicable conduct that was engaged as to him. So, what that led to was this investigation into the patterns and practices.

But when you look at the investigation and the pattern of practices, that's significant because it shows a federal government had a role, took it seriously, did thousands of investigations, looked into the issue of body cams, et cetera, did interviews and looked at documents. The Trump administration had gotten away from that, so that's significant.

But now that you have this decree, which is an agreement with the federal government to try to make things better, the issue is it's going to take time. Yes, there will be specific recommendations. They will be overseen, those recommendations, the issue will be is to try to get to the community their trust back, with respect to that being lost because of the police aggression and the police misconduct. There will be a number of reforms that have to be implemented, but it will take time and we'll see whether it goes far enough. And so, ultimately, it'll be an open question as to how effective it will be.

MARQUARDT: And this is not the first time we've seen a consent decree. Recently, we've seen them in L.A., Detroit, elsewhere. And, Joey, what has happened, what effect has there been after past consent decrees?

JACKSON: You know, I think that if you ask different people, you get different answers. I think that the consistent answer though is that we are not doing enough. I think that certainly if you look at decrees in the areas that you mentioned, it's hard not to say that we are still not at a place where we can be better. Is it an issue where people are stopping African Americans and other people of color more readily? I think the answer would be yes. Are we in a place where perhaps, you know, there is not as much restraint that could be used? I think the answer many people find, yes. Can we make significant progress in developments in areas of policing, such that police can do a better job with communities, the answer would be yes.

And so, ultimately it's a good first step. Again, I don't want to, you know, really pooh-pooh that. It's important, but I think we have to see what the effect is, what the commitment of the elected officials and the communities are, and see how ultimately it's implemented to see whether it has the desired effect, Alex.

MARQUARDT: When we heard the Attorney General Merrick Garland today, he laid out some examples of the misconduct by the MPD. And, one of the examples that he gave, I want to read. It's after MPD officers stopped a group of Somali-American teens. One of the officers said, do you remember what happens in Black Hawk Down? That's the movie, when we killed a bunch of your folk? I'm proud of that. We didn't finish the job over there. If we had, you guys wouldn't be over here right now. Marq, what's your reaction to that?

MARQ CLAXTON, RETIRED NYPD DETECTIVE: Well, it's disturbing. It's very disturbing. It points to a larger issue of toxicity within the policing culture itself. Look, I think that this investigation, the DOJ investigation, apparently is very substantive, extensive, very detailed, and a necessary move.

But I think it is legitimate to question whether or not in the current environment, and the current mode of public safety, that whether or not the DOJ has the necessary tools to officially investigate these civil rights violations. And whether or not they can shift away from the current practice of these protracted investigations that take multiple years, coming to conclusions that people had made days or hours before the incident had spurred them.

So, the question is whether or not this is an efficient process, and whether or not this process will lead to significant or substantive change and change in the toxicity that exists in the police departments.

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And then the additional question is whether or not we're prepared to move away from the current policing model, more towards this multi- disciplinary public safety model, which incorporates different disciplines into the providing of public safety.

MARQUARDT: All right, Marq Claxton and Joey Jackson, I really appreciate your thoughts in the wake of this very important report.

Now also in our law and justice lead, guilty verdicts today in the trial over the deadliest antisemitic attack in U.S. history. The gunman who killed 11 people at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue in October of 2018 was convicted of all 63 charges he faced.

CNN's Danny Freeman is at the courthouse in Pittsburgh.

Danny, prosecutors now will ask the jury to impose the death penalty.

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Alex. The same jury in just a matter of weeks will be asked to decide whether or not 50- year-old Robert Bowers will be sentenced to life in prison, or be executed. That's what at stake here.

But before I get to that, I want to just illustrate exactly what happened today. As you said, 63 federal charges were found guilty of all of them, including the 22 capital offenses that we've been talking about so much in this particular case. The primary capital offense, the obstruction of religious beliefs, resulting in death, basically the accusation that he killed these 11 Jewish worshippers at the Tree of Life synagogue back in October of 2018 while they were practicing their Jewish faith. The other Capitol crime there, the use and discharge of a firearm to commit murder during and in relation to a crime of violence and possession of a firearm. Now, Alex, we had our producer who was inside the actual courtroom

when these guilty verdicts were being read aloud. She said that it was so silent, you could hear a pin drop. As for Bowers himself, he was a motionless during the process. And then by the time we got past those initial capital punishment verdicts and towards the latter charges that were red, that's when she could hear some sniffling in that courtroom, some emotion there.

It's been a harrowing few weeks of trial and testimony, and for some perspective, these people who are family members of the victims, these people who had been survivors of the shooting, they waited four and a half years for this day in court. We actually heard from some members of the Jewish community a little while ago. Take a listen to what the president of Dor Hadash, one of the congregations who was impacted that day back in 2018, take a listen to what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JO RECHT, DOR HADASH PRESIDENT: I am feeling a sense of relief that after four and a half years, the world has heard again about the horrific acts on October 27th, 2018, and the shooter is being held accountable for those awful acts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FREEMAN: So, obviously, a tremendous amount of relief from the Jewish community here in Pittsburgh, and others as well. But there is some mixed emotions because that death penalty phase does loom large, and we're going to hear likely more gut wrenching testimony over the next few weeks. It's going to be difficult, but this community is ready for that. I will say that death penalty phase will start on June 26th -- Alex.

MARQUARDT: And the head of the Anti-Defamation League joined CNN earlier today that in the past decade antisemitic incidents have gone up some 500 percent.

Danny Freeman in Pittsburgh, thank you very much.

Now, Donald Trump's lawyers need security clearances. Two of the men representing the former president reached out to the Justice Department, as they work to defend their client in that case centered around the country's top secrets.

And, how a baby on the House floor led to a new caucus in Congress. But why is it not a bipartisan group?

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MARQUARDT: We are back now with our law and justice lead and a new filing by the Justice Department in the Trump classified documents case. Prosecutors are now asking for a protective order over the evidence that will be shared with Trump's lawyers.

CNN's Paula Reid now joins me live.

Paula, walk us through what this means.

PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: So here, the special counsel is asking that the non-classified materials that have to be turned over to the defense lawyers as part of the discovery, that there will be limits on them and their ability to share any of this with the public. What's also interesting is they say, look, even though this is the unclassified stuff that we are talking about here, the materials also include information pertaining to ongoing investigations, the disclosure of which could compromise those investigations, and identify uncharged individuals.

I think that's a sentence that's going to pique a lot of folks' interest. I will also know that in the suggested order, I mean, they have a proposal here that they say has not been opposed by Trump or Walt Nauta's lawyers, they say that the defendants, they're talking about former President Trump and his aide Walt Nauta, codefendant, they also should have access to these materials under the direct supervision of their lawyers. They cannot retain copies of them and also any notes that they take on these should be stored securely by their lawyers.

So it's not surprising that given the nature of this case, retaining materials that you're not supposed to have, they have concerns here -- clearly about the defendants in this case potentially keeping the sensitive information, taking notes on it, or sharing it in any way.

MARQUARDT: And that has to do with the unclassified part of this. So much of this is about the classified documents, of course, and we've now confirms that Trump's lawyers have requested security clearances?

REID: Yeah, yesterday, we heard from the judge who said, look, you guys need security clearances for this case. We know that because, of course, former President Trump is charged with taking 31 classified documents. Some of these were top secret. Some of them were sensitive secrets here, the lawyers who represent him in need an active clearance.

So the judge urged them yesterday to get that process started, and they have. They said they've reached out to the Justice Department to begin that process that could take several weeks, but we also know that former president's legal team is not fully decided. I spoke with sources earlier today, could take days, maybe even weeks to pick another lawyer or two to add to this team. And they will also need clearances.

So this is going to take a little while before they begin handing over classified discovery.

MARQUARDT: When you see those 31 documents laid out, just extraordinary levels of classification and secrecy.

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REID: Yeah. MARQUARDT: Paula Reid, thank you very much. Appreciate it.

Joining me now to discuss former federal prosecutor Michael Zeldin and Sarah Matthews, the former White House deputy press secretary under Donald Trump.

Thank you both for joining us.

Michael, to you first. As Paula was just mentioning, President Trump, former President Trump still looking to add another lawyer to his team. How difficult is that going to be for him, and how much of a time crunch is it?

MICHAEL ZELDIN, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Well, it's difficult and time is of the essence. It's difficult because of the nature of the client. Donald Trump is not an easy client to represent. You see lawyers leaving, because he is not following their advice. Nobody wants -- nobody wants a client who doesn't follow their advice.

And it's critical because the judge so far has said we are going to move quickly here, and we need to get security clearances. Then I'm going to set a schedule and you will have to comply with it. And so, time is really of the essence for Trump to find someone who can be a Florida-based trial lawyer.

MARQUARDT: Yeah, how much of that timeframe is complicated by the fact that this additional lawyer, whenever he or she is named, we'll also have to get a security clearance?

ZELDIN: If the lawyer doesn't already have a security clearance, many lawyers have them because of the nature of their practices generally, but if they don't have one, it's a couple of week process. Those forms that -- which I filled out many times, are multiple pages long and you have to fill in your life's history for the last ten years, and then they have to look at it and make sure that it goes through.

MARQUARDT: Yeah, they certainly do. It's a very rigorous process, takes quite a bit of time.

We also heard from the former president on his social media platform early today, he wrote: Indictment must be immediately withdrawn by the injustice department, and with apology.

Sarah, of course, you worked alongside the former president. Do you think that he's doing this as a politician running for president, or that he genuinely believes that he did nothing wrong?

SARAH MATTHEWS, FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE DEPUTY PRESS SECRETARY: I think that he jumped in the 2024 race because he knew he was facing legal trouble. And he thought it would be a shield for him. And so, I do think that now that he's in the race, he's going to try to shift blame, make all of these different excuses, that this is politicization, and the DOJ is being weaponized.

But the truth of the matter is with this case in particular, Donald Trump could have been avoided this indictment altogether had he just listened to his lawyers and given the documents back. This is 100 percent self-inflicted.

MARQUARDT: I mean, in terms of not listening to his lawyers, you are not going to find lawyers who say go out and bash the lead prosecutor against you, in this case, it's Jack Smith. And on that same social media platform, Truth Social, we've heard Trump talk about Jack Smith, calling him deranged, claiming the indictment was initiated by, quote, misfits, mutants, Marxist, and communists.

So, Michael, do any of those comments online matter to the judge who will be presiding over this case?

ZELDIN: I think at some point, if it persists, she's going to call them in and say like they said to Michael Cohen in the earlier case, cool it. We just don't want to hear all of this. Because remember, there is a jury that has to be selected.

And if you're poisoning the jury pool, and what Trump doesn't realize I don't think is that he completely poisons the pool. The prosecutors may say, look, we can't get a fair trial here, let's move it someplace else. Usually, it's a defendant who does that, but if the well is so poisoned by his rhetoric, he may find himself in a different jurisdiction.

MARQUARDT: And, Sarah, in terms of stepping back and looking at why the former president is running to be president again, you know, he would only get four more years. What do you really think is the driving factor here?

MATTHEWS: I do think that he thinks that by running for president, that he could potentially pardon himself of any crimes that he may face or convictions for any of these investigations. I mean, you look at it, we already have two indictments, potentially more coming down the road. And so, he knows that he had legal trouble, and so he's hoping that he can get back to the White House and probably potentially pardon himself and any of his allies surrounding him.

MARQUARDT: Yeah, the case in Georgia, the January 6th case, also being led by Jack Smith still very much out there and certainly weighing on the former president.

Sarah Matthews, Michael Zeldin, thank you both very much.

Coming up, we have an exclusive report from Sudan. CNN uncovers atrocities, potential war crimes, and a troubling link to the mercenaries who are waging war in Ukraine.

Stay with us.

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MARQUARDT: We are back with an exclusive investigation.

CNN has uncovered evidence that the Russian mercenary group Wagner is complicit in the prolonged deadly fighting in Sudan by supplying Sudan's Rapid Support Force. It's a paramilitary group known as the RSFF. About 2 million people have left to Sudan since mid-April as the country's humanitarian crisis grows more dire by the day.

And although the RSF denies links to Wagner and any involvement in mass rape, CNN verified incidents of rape perpetuated by the RSF, including, one captured on video. In the face of the RSF's repeated denials, we feel it is important to broadcast part of that graphic and disturbing video.

CNN's Nima Elbagir has this exclusive report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The fighting on the streets of Sudan is relentless. Ceasefire after ceasefire has not held. Forces previously accused of genocide returning to a well-worn playbook -- terrorize, expel, and ethnically cleanse.

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The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, RSF, are currently engaged in a fight for dominance with Sudan's army. But years before that rivalry spilled blood in Sudan's streets, there were implicated in atrocities in Darfur. Now, once again, Darfur, to the west of the county, is stoked by the specter of genocide.

The damage wrought by these forces so extensive, you could see it from satellite images. This is El-Geneina, West Darfur. Hundreds killed. Whole districts razed to the ground, and it is not only this town that is burning. This is Andor (ph). And this is kadomi (ph).

On the ground, it looks like this. These scenes sadly familiar in Darfur. Twenty years ago, the region descended into genocide. The same RSF leadership in place as their men killed and occupied and raped. Now, once again, women's bodies are part of the field of war.

We must warn you, what you're about to see is shocking. This video filmed at great personal risk will show a girl believed to be just 15 years old being raped.

The RSF have threatened rape survivors and denied their testimony, so we feel it necessary to broadcast a small portion of this horrific assault. You see here, a man in light colored fatigues matching those worn by the RSF. It is too awful to show in full. But when the phone pans, you see what he's guarding. A man wearing light-colored fatigues forcing himself on to the pruned girl.

CNN verified and geolocated the area where this happened. We're not revealing the exact location in Khartoum to protect our sources and the young girl.

This is not an isolated incident. We received and reviewed dozens of cases where women say they were raped by RSF soldiers, identifying them by their light-colored fatigues and the insignia on their right shoulders. So who is complicit in this pain? The RSF key ally, Russian mercenary group Wagner, has been sustaining

their fight and providing the impetus to slaughter innocent people by supplying arms. We're going to show you how.

This is an Ilyushin 76 cargo plane operated by Wagner sitting at an air base. A previous investigation exposed how this Russian cargo plane was providing the RSF with deadly arms from a Russian naval base in Latakia, Syria, via Wagner controlled bases in Libya.

This plane (ph) starts just days before the war begins in Sudan -- Libya, Syria and back. And it picks up pace. What is interesting is the new focus on the city where it goes next. Bangui, the capital of the Central Africa Republic. After our exposure of the Libya route, a route from the central Africa republic into Darfur, became crucial for the RSF.

Eyewitnesses at key transit points and intelligence active in the region tell CNN arms and supplies from Ilyushin transported over land using the truck captured here and others like it. First to a Wagner base in Birao and then into South Darfur. So, an RSF base in Um Dafuq.

Wagner putting their thumb on the scales here, to secure access to Sudan's resources through Darfur, creating chaos and terror, helping tip the balance of power in their war in Ukraine, whatever the cost.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUARDT: And Nima Elbagir joins me now.

Nima, just an extraordinarily harrowing report. As we've just seen, the world has been in a very similar moment before. Watching the same forces commit similar atrocities in this very same area.

So what could the U.S. and other countries be doing?

ELBAGIR: Well, what we're hearing from so many Sudanese is that the U.S. could begin by using the correct language. Until we shared our findings with the state department, they had been referring to these violent assaults and rapes as the action of armed actors, even though most of the recorded testimony pointed directly to the RSF and that has been a real cause of fear for so many Sudanese because they believe it shows that world doesn't have the appetite to hold the necessary actors accountable and you saw that in our reporting.

[16:35:05]

That it's not just about what is happening in Sudan. It's about how this is going to impact U.S. national interests, global interests. The war in Ukraine, Wagner continues and Russian mercenaries continue to sustain this fight, to allow them to exploit in the future further Sudan natural's resources. This is in no one's interest and I think that only further baffles so many Sudanese.

As to why the U.S. has not had a stronger position and when I say baffles, I'm worried I'm not actually representing it accurately. So many of these we're speaking to are really heartbroken that the U.S. and the international community has not been able -- has seemed unwilling to do more to stop what is being done to them. And in the absence of that, Sudanese like the ones who filmed that video at huge risk are risking their lives to save themselves and each other, Alex.

MARQUARDT: Huge risk, as Wagner's presence continues to spread.

Nima Elbagir with her exclusive reporting from inside Sudan, thank you very much for sharing that with us.

Now, Putin said it is theoretically possible that Russia could use nuclear weapons. So how worried should we be?

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MARQUARDT: Russian President Vladimir Putin says that a first batch of Russian tactical nuclear weapons has arrived in Belarus. The country is one of Russia's closest allies in this war and has facilitated Putin's initial invasion of Ukraine.

CNN's Sam Kiley now joins us live from the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.

Sam, what are Ukrainian officials saying about these nuclear weapons?

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, they say it's once again in their view, nuke blackmail being deployed even closer, even more threateningly going into Belarus.

Now, remember, of course, Ukraine has a long border with Russia so tactical nuclear weapons in Russia, tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus doesn't make a great deal of difference to the Ukrainians. What is it does do is threaten Baltic States and NATO partners and it is -- that is really the purpose behind this.

It is Vladimir Putin's way of saying, and he did spell it out today, saying if our territorial integrity, our sovereignty, or the future of the Russian Federation is threatened, they could theoretically imagine a situation in which the nuclear weapons were used. Now, he's counterpart in Belarus, Lukashenko said the size of the weapons are two to three times the size of the weapons used in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

So these are not idle threats. What they're doing is renuclearizing formerly denuclearized states like Belarus as part of their effort to put pressure on Ukraine, on NATO -- to dial back on the support that Ukraine is getting, particularly in the light of this counteroffensive, Alex, that is ongoing. NATO partners are just announced more surface-to-air missiles to protect troops against the Russian dominance in the air while perhaps buying time while the F-16s which are now looking likely to be given to Ukraine before they could come online, they need the protections to prosecute this assaults that they're putting in.

Now all of that adds up to a concern on the Russian side that there could be a Ukrainian breakthrough and a collapse of the Russian armed forces. That's certainly the Ukrainian agenda. And if that were to happen, Putin wants to threaten the world with nuclear catastrophe, Alex.

MARQUARDT: Certainly not idle threats, certainly nerve-wracking.

Sam Kiley in Kyiv, thank you very much.

A tornado ravages a Texas town as millions more Americans are under alert for severe storms. What you need to know, that's next.

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MARQUARDT: Over 10 million people here in the United States are now under severe thunderstorm watches. One line of storms moving through the big cities of the Northeast as another moves through Arkansas into Tennessee. And then in Texas, crews are cleaning up after devastating tornados.

CNN's Lucy Kafanov is on the ground talking to storm victims.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have major damage in town. Oh, my God.

LUCY KAFANOV, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Terrifying video of a deadly tornado captured by storm chasers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my God.

KAFANOV: As the powerful twister leveled many of the small town of Perryton, Texas, killing three and sending a hundred to the hospital.

JAMIE JAMES, PERRYTON RESIDENT: It was barely sprinkling and then, all of a sudden, a tornado formed and just dropped on us. And it came out of nowhere. And there was no sirens. No time to get to shelter. There was a time where I thought that I was going to die.

KAFANOV: Jamie James's home is still standing but nearly everything around it destroyed. The community of roughly 8,000 residents is lefts in shambles.

And this was an immensely powerful tornado. Take a look over there. That vehicle was flipped completely on its roof, slammed into the building.

From the brick structures on Main Street, to mobile homes completely flattened.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Total devastation.

KAFANOV: This cell phone tower snapped in half. Transition lines have sustained damage and many power lines are down in the town, the energy company says.

BRIAN EMFINGER, STORM CHASER: I feel like it was almost a worst case scenario.

KAFANOV: The Weather Service gives notice as quickly as it can but one storm chaser on the ground said this storm didn't look particularly dangerous at first.

EMFINGER: I never heard sirens. And the reason why is when they issued the tornado warning, the tornado was already in town doing damage in the power had been cut to the town.

KAFANOV: Xcel Energy says the city's power facilities were shout off four safety purposes. Residents begin to pick up the pieces. The Red Cross is mobilizing teams to offer support on ground and the local high school is opening its doors to help.

COLE UNDERWOOD, ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, PERRYTON HIGH SCHOOL: We moved pretty quickly to try to make this a safe haven for people to get to. The loss is unthinkable. I don't think you could put it into words.

KAFANOV: Jamie James tells us one of the women who lost her life in the storm would have been out here helping in the recovery.

JAMES: She would always help me carry the groceries out and she would give me a big old hug. She served people. Friendly and hugging people like me who needed it so bad. So much good people in this town.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAFANOV: And, Alex, that is main street. This area took a direct hit. You could see the pile of rubble -- rubble here. The clean-up crews have been out here all day moving the downed power lines, trying to get this town back together but more than a hundred people homeless, dozens injured, three dead, including we're now learning an 11-year- old, the emotional scars will take a lot longer to heal from -- Alex.

MARQUARDT: Just extraordinary scenes. Our thoughts, of course, with every one affected.

Lucy Kafanov in Perryton, Texas, thank you very much for that report.

It is daddy daycare in the people's house. How changing a diaper in Congress brought a group of fathers together.

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MARQUARDT: One thing that lawmakers on the Hill agree on is recognizing dads.

[16:55:02]

Just in time for this weekend, the Senate passed a resolution recognizing Father's Day and the role that dads have in improving lives for moms and children.

Jake Tapper now profiles a group of dads in the House who are pushing legislation to help families.

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JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's a common question as my parents all across the United States. Who is going to watch the baby? And it's one that the Congressional Dads Caucus wants to address head on.

During the House speaker votes back in January, California Congressman Jimmy Gomez was doing two jobs at once, congressman and dad. While Republicans were looking for votes for McCarthy, Gomez was looking for a change in table for his four-month-old son, Hodge.

REP. JIMMY GOMEZ (D-TX): During the speaker's vote, I just changed him on the floor in the Democratic cloakroom. It was fine but, you know, a lot of people don't have access to the Democratic cloakroom.

TAPPER: And after this viral moment on the House floor, the Congressional Dads Caucus was born. The caucus says it will push for policies that support working families, like expanding paid family leave or making childcare more affordable or increasing the child tax credit.

GOMEZ: I think the Dads Caucus is creating a dialogue, what's the role of dads in the workplace, what's the role of dads in the household, and how do you combat some of those outdated notions that dads shouldn't step up and do their part?

TAPPER: The U.S. and Papua New Guinea and a handful of small island nations are the only ones in the world that do not guarantee paid family leave. Family and medical leave act became law in U.S. 30 years ago, but it does not guarantee paid, job protected leave for workers.

Today, only one in four workers in the U.S. has access to paid family leave. Lower income workers are not surprisingly hit the hardest. The Congressional Dads Caucus now has three Democratic members, including Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib. But it has failed to gain bipartisan support in the House.

REP. JOSH HARDER (D-CA): I've written more bills with Republicans than any Democrat on the country, not by compromising values, but a trying to find common ground. If this one area of common ground that should exist, it is caring about a kids and caring about our families.

TAPPER: Republicans have long opposed a government-funded paid leave program. Republicans tend to favor tax credits and policies that will not increase spending.

One Republican criticize the Dads Caucus, saying, quote, farthest care about keeping their kids safe, they care about putting food on the table for the families and keeping a roof over their heads. They don't just care about liberal policy priorities. If they wanted this caucus to actually be taken seriously, they would have made it bipartisan, like almost every other caucus in the House is.

The Congressional Dads Caucus has also taken issue with the Parents Bill of Rights, a Republican education bill that requires public school to share the material with parents. The Dads Caucus argues this takes away from the real problems that families face.

While the Dads Caucus advocate for policies that they say will help American families, they are also hoping to add a few more changing tables in the Capitol complex for themselves.

REP. JOAQUIN CASTRO (D-TX): Changing your daughter on the restroom is not a Republican or Democratic issue, right? It's something that, whether you're a Republican dad or a Democratic dad, it's something that we should all be pushing for.

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MARQUARDT: And our thanks to Jake for that report. And we do wish all dads a very Happy Father's Day.

And speaking of Sunday, be sure to join Jake for a State of the Union. He'll be talking with the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Republican Congressman Mike Turner. That's at 9:00 a.m. and noon, Eastern, on Sunday.

I'm Alex Marquardt. Thank you so much for joining me. Our coverage continues now with Wolf Blitzer in "THE SITUATION ROOM".

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Happening now, the gunman in the deadliest antisemitic attack in history is convicted on 63 federal charges including capital offenses that could lead to the death penalty. We get reaction from the CEO of the Pittsburgh synagogue where 11 worshippers were slaughtered.

Also this hour, three years after the police murder of George Floyd unleashed widespread protests, the U.S. Justice Department now says excessive force and racial bias have been routine among Minneapolis police officers. We discussed new disturbing report with Floyd family lawyer Ben Crump.

And amid fierce fighting in Ukraine, a senior military officer is warning that new Russian air and drone strikes are slowing Ukraine's counteroffensive. The Ukrainian ambassador to the United States joins us with an update on the state of the war.

Welcome to our viewers here in the United States and around the world, I'm Wolf Blitzer, you are in THE SITUATION ROOM.

In Pittsburgh, tonight, the gunman in the 2018 synagogue mass shooting is ready to learn if he will be sentenced to death, a federal jury delivering a quick and divisive verdict against him just a few hours ago.