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Coast Guard: About 40 Hours Of Oxygen Left; Trump's Support Softens After Indictment; Sources: China Plans New Training Facility In Cuba; U.S. Negotiating For Release Of Americans In China. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired June 20, 2023 - 14:30   ET

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

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[14:31:26]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: Let's get back now to our top story this hour. The Coast Guard has said they still have found no trace of the missing submerged tourist vessel. They estimate the five people trapped onboard have less than 40 hours of oxygen left.

The crew was on a mission, a tourist mission to visit the wreckage of the "Titanic" tens of thousands of feet below the surface, two and a half miles, in fact.

CNN's Jason Carroll following live from Boston.

I guess one of the challenges here is that some of the assets involved in this search are not even on site yet and yet you have a dwindling oxygen supply. What's the latest on getting all these pieces into place?

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's the main challenge at this point. That's the bottom line. The Coast Guard put their best foot forward and said there is a vessel out there at the site where the submersible went down.

This vessel is equipped with an ROV, a remotely operated vehicle, machinery with a camera located on it as well. So as it's heading beneath the surface, it can try to search for this, for the missing submersible.

Again, with just 40 hours of breathable air that's left.

Within the past hour, when the Coast Guard was giving its briefing, I asked Captain Jamie Frederick, look, let's say you had located the submersible below the surface, and let's say you had all the resources you needed at surface level to go down there and get it, would 40 hours be enough even if you had all that?

Here's what he said.

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CAPT. JAMIE FREDERICK, U.S. COAST GUARD: Obviously, getting salvage equipment on scene is a top priority. Unified Command is working through that to prioritize what equipment we can get there.

There are ongoing operations right now via the U.S. Navy and TRANSCOM to get equipment staged and get it on scene. I can't give you an exact timeline of when that's going to happen.

What I can tell you is there's a full-court press effort to get equipment on scene as quickly as we can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CARROLL: So what does "as quickly as we can mean" for some of this type of equipment needed for this deep-sea rescue? Some of that equipment still 24 to 48 hours still away from the site where that submersible went down -- Jim?

SCIUTTO: A 48-hours window, of course, is outside what they say is the oxygen supply inside.

Jason Carroll, in Boston covering the search, thanks so much.

Boris?

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Joining our conversation now, a friend of one of the missing passengers. Retired Air Force Colonel Terry Virts spent a lot of time with Hamish Harding and worked on several projects with him.

Colonel Virts, thank you so much for sharing part of your afternoon with us. We're so sorry that your friend is in the middle of this ordeal.

First, I'm curious what your reaction was to hearing that the vessel went missing.

COL. TERRY VIRTS, U.S. AIR FORCE, RETIRED & FRIEND OF HAMISH HARDING WHO IS IN MISSING SUBMERSIBLE: Well, when I first heard they lost comm, I wasn't too concerned because you lose comm often in missions like this. But pretty quickly, it became obvious it was a serious problem and something more than just a simple lost comm.

SANCHEZ: Sir, I understand you were texting with Hamish before he went down in the vessel. What was that conversation like? What did he share with you?

VIRTS: It was very brief. He was talking with our One More Orbit team. We did a mission where we flew around the earth in honor of the Apollo mission. And he said, hey, I'm going down to see the "Titanic" as long as the weather permits, and that was right before he went down, so.

[14:35:06]

He was very excited about it, and there was no concern in his voice.

SANCHEZ: Had he talked to you before about wanting to see the "Titanic" in person? Was this a longtime goal of his? VIRTS: Well, we've talked about a lot of things. Hamish is the

quintessential British explorer. He loves exploring. He's a pilot. He has done all kinds of different adventures, been to the South Pole and the Marianas Trench.

This is the kind of thing we were talking about when we were hanging out. I'm kind of chuckling that while he's down at the bottom of the ocean waiting for rescue, he's probably planning out his next exploration adventure.

SANCHEZ: I was going to ask you about that because he's been to the Marianas Trench, to outer space. He's done really several cool things with you. I'm wondering how you think those experiences may have served him in a situation like this.

VIRTS: Well, I know when we were on One More Orbit, we were flying over Antarctica in the wintertime. The whole continent was not available to land. It was dark and freezing. There were no runways for us.

We had several thousand more miles. And the temperature got below limits so we had to descend into warmer air. And that meant our gas mileage got worse, and our fuel ability to get to the airport in South America was right on the limit. Like we were just barely able to make it.

And he stayed perfectly calm. He was one of our pilots flying the airplane. So he's had enough experience in these different flying missions and other missions that he's done that he'll be able to stay calm.

And they know, I'm sure, this rescue effort is an incredible armada.

By the way, thank you to the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy and Canadians and commercial vessels involved. I really think if they can be rescued, they will. The rescue effort is just so strong.

So he's going to be able to stay calm. And I hope those five folks down there can. The calmer they are, the longer their oxygen supply will last and they certainly realize that.

SANCHEZ: The temperament to stay calm in that situation is really impressive. And obviously, these rescuers do some incredible work.

I'm wondering if you, Colonel, have been in contact with his loved ones and whether they're holding up?

VIRTS: I have spoken to his family, and thankfully, they're all together right now. They're hoping to stay out of the public eye right now. Obviously, this is stressful time, and hopeful they'll be rescued. And hearing some doom and gloom.

The really good news is we haven't had bad news. We haven't seen wreckage floating or haven't had that explosion under water in the sonar. So that means we don't know anything bad has happened.

And it's very possible they are awaiting rescue. So that's the hope.

SANCHEZ: And again, U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, the Canadians, there's a significant effort. So I'm hopeful they can get going, but there's not a lot of time left.

As you noted, you know, two days from now, it may be too late. So everybody is very much aware they're on the clock and they need to get this rescue operation.

It's two parts. It's a search. They haven't found them. And once they search, they have to figure out if they're stuck on the bottom, if they're tangled in the "Titanic" and how to actually get them up.

They can't just transfer submarine to submarine. It's too deep for that. They have to bring up that vessel they're in.

SANCHEZ: Colonel Terry Virts, your friend, Hamish, is in our thoughts. We hope he's rescued and he has an incredible story to tell.

VIRTS: Thank you for covering this. It's an important story. Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Of course. Thanks again, Colonel.

Brianna?

[14:38:39]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Still to come, it is the first true read of the 2024 race after Donald Trump's federal indictment. He still leads the GOP field, but there are some warning signs for his campaign. We'll take a look at those next.

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[14:43:16]

KEILAR: A new CNN poll shows Republican support of President Trump has dipped in the wake of his federal indictment. He is, though, still the clear leader in the GOP primary field.

But since he has become the first former president to face federal charges, he's now seen his lead shrink slightly.

We have CNN political director, David Chalian, here to break down these now polls.

Let's start with Trump standing among Republicans in the wake of these charges.

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: If you just look at, in the course race, where he stands among Republican and Republican-leaning candidates in the field we tested, you'll see he's currently at 47 percent.

Ron DeSantis at 26 percent, Mike Pence at 9 percent, everyone else is single digits.

He was at 53 percent in May. He's down six points in that support to 47 percent. That difference that you see there. That 53 on the right side to that 47 is something to watch.

For eight years, we've been asking, when might something that happens to Donald Trump in the news actually affect his numbers.

This is something to watch. I'm not suggesting we're there. I'm suggesting we're seeing this little bit of softening. He's still got a 21-point lead.

His favor numbers, another data point in this poll that is telling a story. You just saw he's at 60 percent favorable among Republicans and Republican-leaning Independents. But in May, he was at 77 percent. His favorables are down 10 points.

His unfavorables, as you can see there, are up nine points. That's not welcome news for Donald Trump.

And we've seen an uptick in the number of Republicans who tell us they won't even consider him for the nomination. That's up to roughly a quarter of Republican and Republican-leaning Independents.

KEILAR: That's really interesting. More broadly, what are the views of Americans about this indictment?

CHALIAN: It's such an important question you just asked, because what I was just discussing with you was in the context of the Republican primary, and that's up first, right?

[14:45:04]

But obviously, what we are learning is this news is terrible news for Donald Trump what is happening with him broadly speaking for a 2024 re-election candidate.

And 61 percent of Americans in this poll approve of the indictment, and obviously you see overwhelmingly Democrats do. But 67 percent of Independents, two-thirds of Independents approve of the indictment.

That is not a place Donald Trump wants to be.

KEILAR: It seems like those who are squaring off against Donald Trump, I mean, in normal times this would give them a giant opportunity, but actually it presents them with a conundrum.

CHALIAN: It does because he's still so popular within the Republican Party, so all the other people running have to figure out how to navigate this.

Can they join in the bashing of the, quote, unquote, "weaponization" of the Justice Department that's a big Republican talking point but still try to make ground on Donald Trump who's still under federal indictment? A majority of Republicans not supporting Donald Trump -- so take the

Trump supporters away -- they don't want to hear the candidates talk about this.

KEILAR: Yes.

CHALIAN: Rather they stay silent.

And, Brianna, the fundamental thing is, can Republicans beat Joe Biden in 2024? That's what they are hungry for. They want to find a candidate who can actually defeat the incumbent president.

The Republican Party is split on this. And 51 percent say they're better off with Trump as the nominee. And 49 percent of Republicans in this poll say they're better off with someone else as a nominee.

It is a party sort of at odds with itself.

KEILAR: Some of these folks want an alternative but don't bash him. It's an interesting look there.

David Chalian, thank you for that.

CHALIAN: Sure.

KEILAR: Jim?

SCIUTTO: Now to some of the other headlines we are following this hour.

A restaurant chain in California being forced to pay $140,000 in back wages after federal investigators say the owner hired a fake priest to spy on employees.

The Labor Department says the Sacramento-area chain used the priest to elicit confessions of wrongdoing. The owners also told employees to lie about how much overtime they worked and threatened employees with immigration consequences.

Investigators were unable to identify the alleged priest, but local church authorities are confident he was not actually part of the diocese.

Also, we have an update on Tropical Storm Bret now churning in the Atlantic. It's not expected to reach hurricane strength in the Caribbean. It has increase said force speed but is not strengthening. Carrying about 40 miles an hour. We'll continue to monitor its strength.

Vaccine information and social media rearing its head in yet another presidential election. YouTube has removed video of Democratic candidate, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The company says Kennedy violated its policy that bans misinformation about vaccines that have been confirmed to be safe by the World Health Organization as well as local authorities. Kennedy, an environmental lawyer and anti-vaccine activist and

conspiracy theorist, has mounted a longshot primary challenge against President Biden.

Brianna?

KEILAR: New reports that China is building up military and intelligence activities in Cuba. Ahead, what Secretary of State Tony Blinken told Chinese officials about the reports. We have that next.

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[14:52:41]

SANCHEZ: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken may have yet another problem concerning diplomatic relations with China.

Intel sources tell CNN that China is close to expanding its footprint with a new joint military training facility in Cuba, a facility that could potentially place hundreds of Chinese troops just miles away from the U.S. coast of Florida.

Blinken today, though, said he's made it very clear that the U.S. would have deep concerns about Chinese military activities just 90 miles away from U.S. shores.

CNN national security reporter, Natasha Bertrand, is here with the development.

Natasha, is this a done deal? Is there anything the United States can do to deter China from opening this training facility?

NATASHA BERTRAND, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: Well, Boris, we're told this is not finalized agreement just yet, that China and Cuba are in discussions to build the military training facility on Cuba.

Something that would concern U.S. officials because it would involve potentially hundreds of Peoples Liberation Army troops being stationed on the island at any given time, conducting training exercises with the Cubans there.

It's unclear what the U.S. can do at this point to deter any activity because the Chinese/Cuban partnership in terms of intelligence sharing in terms of economic ties have been growing over the last five or six years.

There's two tracks they're taking at this point to try to minimize the impact this can have on the U.S.

The first, of course, is basic diplomacy. Talking to Cuban officials, talking to Chinese officials to figure out any type of way for the relationship to be tamped down.

And the second is counterintelligence issues, something that the White House spoke to earlier with John Kirby, national security council official. Saying, look, we have our ways of protecting our intelligence, of protecting our infrastructure from being exposed to any kind of Chinese spying or any kind of Chinese military activities. We're not getting into that, but suffice to say it's very effective, the countermeasures they have in place.

SANCHEZ: Yet, in a way, this difficulty in the relationship between the U.S. and China echoes the Cold War, right?

We also know there are negotiations underway right now to secure the release of some Americans detained in China. The U.S. said they wrongfully detained, China says nobody is wrongfully detained?

[14:54:54]

BERTRAND: Yes. Secretary Blinken said this is a top-priority meeting for him with Chinese officials. He spoke to them about wrongfully detained Americans in China. That was something that the Chinese obviously have pushed back against pretty hard.

Blinken told reporters that he does believe this is a major irritant in the relationship.

Well, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said, actually, we don't believe in the phrase "wrongly detained." China is a country of rule of law and there's no such thing as wrongly detained.

Clearly, this will be a major hurdle in the relationship. There are three Americans at this point that the State Department has deemed wrongfully detained in China.

SANCHEZ: One of many hurdles as we've outlined before.

Natasha Bertrand, thank you so much.

Jim?

SCIUTTO: Time is running short in the north Atlantic as rescue crews continue to look for the missing submersible. Officials estimates those on board have about 40 hours of breathable air left. We'll tell you what comes next.

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