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A Closer Look Inside the Missing Submersible With Five On Board; Coast Guard: About 40 Hours Of Oxygen Left; Hunter Biden Agrees To Plead Guilty to Federal Charges In Deal With DOJ; McCarthy: Hunter Biden Deal A Sign Of "Two-Tiered" Justice System. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired June 20, 2023 - 13:30   ET

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

[13:30:00]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: We're going to stay on top of this story, this race against time, including what it's like to be inside a submersible like this one. We're going to speak to someone that's been in the one that's missing. That's still ahead on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: There is no time to lose in the urgent search for the missing submersible with five people on board. We just got an update on the operation by the U.S. Coast Guard. They say the vessel only has about 40 hours of oxygen left.

And so far, their search has yielded no results, though they confirm that more search vessels are on the way.

We want to give you a closer look at what it looks like inside the missing sub. This is a picture of the cabin, if you could call it that.

It's just 21 feet long. The whole thing weighs about 23,000 pounds, made out of carbon fiber and titanium. Not space for a lot of people. Very cramped, uncomfortable, no seats. And as you can see, when you're inside you can't actually stand up.

[13:35:11]

A CBS crew took a trip on the "Titan" last year, and they were stunned by some of the hardware inside. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED CBS CORRESPONDENT: Inside, the sub has about as much room as a minivan.

STOCKTON RUSH, CEO, OCEANGATE: This is not your grandfather's submersible. We have one button, that's it. It should be like an elevator. It shouldn't take a lot of skill.

We can use these off-the-shelf components.

I got these from Camper World. We run the whole thing with this game controller.

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED CBS CORRESPONDENT: Come on!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: CNN correspondent, Gabe Cohen, has actually been inside this very submersible.

It was about five years ago, Gabe, when it was about to launch, and this looks like the kind of thing that might be uncomfortable and claustrophobic for somebody to be in on land.

GABE COHEN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Boris, absolutely. That's what we went through. I reported several times on Oceangate while working in Seattle, including a piece in 2018 about this vessel, about the "Titan" before its first expedition to the "Titanic."

I was struck by not just how cramped the vessel actually was but also some of the simple, almost rudimentary technology on board. It was pirated, this vessel, with a gaming controller, effectively a PlayStation controller.

Yet the company told me they were extremely confident that they could safely use this vessel to go on such an expedition, 13,000 feet down into the ocean.

And that the "Titan" could handle 150 million pounds of pressure at the ocean floor, largely because of its carbon fiber structure.

Oceangate, the folks there, said they worked with NASA and Boeing to design this vessel. They didn't cut any corners when it came to cost and safety.

That said, we have learned the "Titan" has had communication issues in the past last year.

The crew on board during an expedition lost communication with their support crew on the surface of the ocean because they were relying on messages -- they didn't have GPS under water.

So a lot of questions remain as to what went wrong here.

SANCHEZ: And you've interviewed someone who, we learned, is on board. The fifth crew member is the CEO of Oceangate. What was it like speaking to him?

COHEN: Stockton Rush, I interviewed him several times at different points as they completed vessels or even completed those journeys.

He always spoke extremely passionately about not just the journeys but the science behind it, the goal of mapping out shipwrecks to learn more about their decay and potentially impact on the ocean.

I also pushed him on safety during those interviews and how safe these vessels really were. And of course, he took pride in what they created. They told me they were extremely safe.

I'll read you a quote that he told me right before one of their expeditions to the shipwreck "Andrea Doria." I asked him about safety. He said, quote, "Everyone's getting back safe. We can take risks with equipment, but not with people."

SANCHEZ: Was it 150 million pounds of pressure you said?

COHEN: 150 million, correct.

SANCHEZ: That is incredible.

Gabe Cohen, thanks so much for the reporting. Appreciate it.

Jim?

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: I now want to bring in Rick Murcar. He's the owner of Aquatic Adventures of Florida, Inc and the international training director for the National Association of Cave Divers.

Rick, good to have you on. Thanks so much.

RICK MURCAR, OWNER, AQUATIC ADVENTURES OF FLORIDA, INC & INTERNATIONAL TRAINING DIRECTOR, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CAVE DIVERS: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: First, I want to talk about the attempted search-and-rescue operation at this point. An area the size of Connecticut, and we have to keep in mind, that then extends two and a half miles down at the deepest point.

So this is a massive, almost incomprehensibly large area to search. They say no progress so far.

Is that search conceivable even given the resources they have in place?

MURCAR: Well, I mean, I kind of hate to say this, but the Coast Guard said it's a complex search. I agree with them. It's a "Titanic" search. Pardon the pun here.

And you're talking the size you're looking at the surface area of Connecticut. It's not going to get any easier.

Add to that the depth of 12,500 feet to where the "Titanic" rests on the bottom, and it truly is a titanic effort.

We hope that they -- our prayers are out to the family and the crewmen or the passengers on board this vessel.

": Let me ask you a very basic question. Should civilians, tourists be on such an operation like this? Should a company, a private company be operating a tour like this given the depths, the danger?

And we just had a segment on showing the level of technology in this particular submersible.

[13:40:06]

MURCAR: We could ask that same question of SpaceX going into space, where the private corporations are starting to take that on. I think we need that.

Should people be going to the "Titanic"? I would say, yes. If I had the chance, I would be all about that.

There's mystique around the "Titanic." There is this romanticism. There's a lot of mystery surrounding it. And of course, embellishment by Hollywood and various movies.

And having gone to a trade show and met somebody that was actually on one of these dives, she described it in a way that -- you know, you can hear all you want, you can see the movies.

But when you get down and the bow of the shift appears with rust icicles coming off it, you now have a tangible feeling that goes right to the core of the human spirit.

If we do not investigate our ocean, then we are truly not learning about our world. And I would say the same about space. Know about as much for both environments, relatively speaking --

(CROSSTALK)

SCIUTTO: Well, I get the exploration desire here, but there's a different function. SpaceX missions, they take satellites into space. This is purely a tourist mission. You might compare it to, say, a tourist mission to the top of Mt. Everest, right?

The question is, the skill, not just to the people involved, but the operation itself.

For instance, I was reading, its communication is basically a one-text message system. One system. Doesn't appear to be a failsafe. I don't know if transponders are possible at this depth. It would give you some sort of passive communication if you go missing.

But you run sea dives. Does this have the safety measures that you would have in place?

MURCAR: Well, we hope so, certainly. Obviously, in the dives I'm doing, I couldn't compare it to the depth here. The physics and the physiology have to be considered. Wouldn't be the same. The risk is much greater at these depths.

We look at the structure of this vessel, being carbon fiber, titanium. And we have to know the people inside it, there have to be certain safety measures.

Reading on the "Titan" vessel, there are several systems in place, should something fail, the vessel would automatically begin an ascent to the surface.

It can't race to the surface. We cannot forget the physics involved here. That would be a risk.

We're not designed, created to put our face in the water and breathe, and yet we're going to these great depths.

I could argue that the risk of it is acceptable. The human spirit, the quest for improving and learning, the very endeavor, I think that drives us to do that. So part of me says, yes, we have to go, but there have to be safeguards.

So, what are the safeguards on this particular vessel? What has proven, what has been the tests performed? Its rated depth is just over 13,000 feet. That is well within the "Titanic's" depth range at 12,500. Not a big margin when you think about it.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

MURCAR: You have to appreciate that this submersible is capable of going to 380 atmospheres of depth. And you're talking at a million and a half pounds of pressure on the ship.

Let's break that down. You're about 5,600 pounds for square inch on the outer hull of this vehicle.

Just the breathing medium that has to go on, and effects, the physiological and psychological effects the human will experience, the nervous system, high pressure, nervous system syndrome, all these things.

So the occupants are not at that kind of pressure. The inner hull has to keep them -- it's hyperbaric technology. It has to keep them at a respectable limit. However, we're talking, what, 40 hours remaining? That's a long time to be at that depth.

So the Coast Guard is saying, they're breathing in compression chambers, hyperbaric chambers.

Because, once you get these people and you can confirm that they're good -- I mean, phase one locate, confirm the status of the people, is recovery possible?

Phase three, let's hope a recovery can take place. That's going to be a long process. You're bringing them from wherever they are. Are they on the surface? Are they subsurface? Are they on the bottom trapped at 12,500 feet?

Or we lost, what, communication an hour, hour and a half-plus into the dive, shortly after the "Titan" left its launch platform?

So now you have this issue that they somehow get stuck midwater column and the currents are pushing them well outside the search area.

(CROSSTALK)

[13:44:58]

SCIUTTO: That's a great point. It's a great point, because we don't know where, at what depth they went missing and what depth they are now.

Listen, Rick, I know these are difficult questions beyond the rescue itself but also the border question about the overall risk of an operation like this.

We do appreciate you sharing your expertise.

MURCAR: Thank you.

Brianna, goodness. We can only wish the folks in there the best.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Yes, we certainly can.

Also breaking today, Hunter Biden's plea deal. What the president's son is facing for a pair of tax crimes and a felony gun charge, and what his father and Republican critics are saying about it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:50:15]

SANCHEZ: Now to a developing story. President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, agreeing to plead guilty to two federal tax charges and making a deal on a felony gun charge.

His attorney says the deal will resolve the Justice Department's criminal probe, although prosecutors, led by a Trump appointee, characterize it as ongoing.

CNN's Kara Scannell joins us live outside a Wilmington courthouse.

Kara, walk us through the details of this deal.

KARA SCANNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Boris, that's right. Hunter Biden has agreed to plead guilty to two tax related misdemeanors. Prosecutors allege he failed to pay taxes on more than $1 million in income in both 2017 and 2018. Those are misdemeanor charges.

And as part of this agreement, one source tells us the prosecutors, that Trump appointee, has agreed to recommend to the judge that there be probation. So no jail time for Hunter Biden.

Now, another part of this deal is that he is charged with a gun possession charge, that is possessing a gun while addicted to controlled substances. He's been very public about his addiction.

And that will be diverted. Meaning, if he meets certain criteria and conditions and abides by them for the next 24 months, that that charge will disappear and go away.

Hunter Biden's attorney has said -- issued a statement saying, "I know Hunter believes it's important to take responsibility for these mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life. He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward."

And the next steps here will be that this case will be assigned to a judge and the judge will set the date for Hunter Biden's arraignment.

That's when he'll come and appear in the courthouse behind me and say exactly what he did in committing these crimes. At some point further down the road is when the judge will sentence him.

And while this U.S. attorney's office here is making this recommendation, according to our sources, for probation, it will ultimately be up to the judge to decide what the sentence will be -- Boris?

SANCHEZ: Kara Scannell, thank you so much for that.

And even though Trump's attorneys or, rather, Hunter Biden's attorneys say that this inquiry into his activity has been wrapped up, Brianna, there's a potential for more congressional oversight of his actions.

KEILAR: Yes, there certainly is and we'll be looking for that.

Plenty of reaction to get to in Washington.

First is CNN's Manu Raju live on Capitol Hill.

Manu, you just caught up to Speaker McCarthy, to Boris' point. What did he tell you?

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I caught him for the second time today. And I asked him about whether the Trump-appointed attorney, David Weiss, the one who led this investigation into Hunter Biden, whether he would accept the fact it was a Trump-appointed attorney that did the investigation that led to this plea deal.

But he continues to down-play that fact and insisted there are two standards of justice, in his view, given there's also prosecution the Justice Department is pursuing former President Donald Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): The question I have, you want equal justice in America.

(CROSSTALK)

MCCARTHY: It just seems to me, if you are the leading opponent of the president, you're going to get jail time, but if you're the son of the president, you don't get any jail time.

And for the DOJ now to say there's still an investigation? That's unacceptable. Congress has to have a right -- we have the constitutional right to investigate and to oversee.

And for any investigation that we have or any information we need, you can't now stand behind that there's an investigation going on.

RAJU: Well, there's two separate cases. The Trump case involving alleged obstruction of an investigation, alleged misstatements. This is a tax case and a gun case. These are two separate cases. Why conflate that?

MCCARTHY: I'm not conflating them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: So he went onto compare the situation involving former President Donald Trump with Joe Biden's mishandling of classified documents. Of course, those two situations also much different.

But McCarthy's larger point is that House Republicans plan to investigate the investigation of Hunter Biden, try and figure out why they did not pursue certain charges, why overseas business dealings, which have been a central part of the House GOP charge, that did not lead to any charges here.

So don't expect Republicans to drop this despite this plea deal announced today.

KEILAR: Manu, thanks so much for that.

I want to bring in CNN political analyst, Laura Barron-Lopez, now.

So, Laura, President Biden just held his first campaign event of the 2024 election cycle last weekend. All things getting underway now. What does the charges against his son mean for his re-election efforts?

LAURA BARRON-LOPEZ, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: It's certainly something looming over the president for a while now, Brianna.

[13:54:58]

But right now, the response from Democrats are a bit muted. They aren't saying they're that concerned about this deal that has been struck and that they don't think it will necessarily, right now, impact the president's re-election too much.

The White House put out a statement, the White House spokesperson, Ian Sam. All they said was that the president and first lady standby their son, they support him as he tries to rebuild his life.

But they did not comment on the deal itself and on these charges. And that's something that the president has been doing since he took office. He has decided not to talk about this at all, any of the investigations.

The White House has repeatedly said he's never spoken to the attorney general or to the DOJ about these investigations.

KEILAR: Let's talk about the U.S. attorney in this case, David Weiss. He was nominated by the former President Trump and kept in place by Attorney General Merrick Garland, who was described as the former president as someone who shared his vision for making America safe again.

And yet, you have many Republicans, many Republicans with different views on other topics, really singing to the same tune about this situation with Hunter Biden, calling this a sweetheart deal. What do you make of this?

BARRON-LOPEZ: So to Manu's point, they're saying this is a two-tiered justice system, when these are very different case, whether it's the charges are being brought against the former president and those being brought against Hunter Biden.

This is something that, also when McCarthy was being pressed by reporters today in the capitol about what exactly -- what type of charges would he have been happy with or would he think would create an equal justice system.

And the speaker dodged. He wouldn't answer that and repeated the line of a two-tiered justice system.

I was just texting with a Republican pollster who did a recent focus group, who said that, among swing voters -- and they said that those swing voters had started to mention Hunter Biden a bit more in the focus group.

And ultimately, they were kind of using it as permission to maybe return to voting for former President Trump over President Biden.

But that pollster noted that it's not widespread at all among these swing voters.

And I was also talking to a Democratic pollster today who was saying that they really don't think this is going to have that big of an impact on moderate voters, on those voters at the margins going to ultimately decide the election.

KEILAR: Very interesting to hear what they're hearing from voters.

Laura, thank you for that.

Jim?

SCIUTTO: Rescue teams are scouring the surface and the depths of the Atlantic for the missing submersible. Hour by hour, sadly, hope is dwindling for the five people inside. We're going to speak, coming up, to a friend of a person onboard.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)