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Remembering Tony Bennett; Looming Indictment for Trump; Danya Perry is Interviewed about Trump Cases. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired July 21, 2023 - 09:00   ET

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

[09:00:49]

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL. Thank you so much for joining us.

We begin with breaking news. It's an end of an era in the music world. Tony Bennett, the legendary singer, whose timeless classics like - gave us -- brought us timeless classics like "Rags to Riches" and "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," he has died.

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN ANCHOR: Bennett was 96 years old.

CNN's Stephanie Elam looks back on his life and his incredible legacy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TONY BENNETT, MUSICIAN (singing): Stepping out with my baby.

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): A legend on stage, Tony Bennett's career spanned more than 70 years. He was opening up for Pearl Bailey when Bob Hope discovered him in 1949 in a New York City club.

BOB HOPE: You know, it's been about 16 years since I discovered you singing in a Greenwich Village nightclub. How come this is your first appearance on my television show?

BENNETT: Well, I've been waiting for you to make good.

ELAM: Bennett had a string of hits in the '50s, but the best was yet to come. He won his first Grammy Award in 1963 for his song "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," and performed it on "The Judy Garland Show."

BENNETT (singing): I left my heart.

ELAM: The crooner's unique voice and timeless style helped him win a total of 19 Grammy's and two Emmy's throughout his career.

FRANK SINATRA: Tony Bennett, ladies and gentlemen. Maybe the best pop singer in the whole world.

BENNETT: You know, I asked Sinatra, why do you think we stayed around for so long. And he said, because we stayed with good songs. ELAM: But the classics weren't always his. In the '70s, Bennett found

himself without a recording contract. He was in debt and battling a drug problem.

BENNETT: I realized that I thought I was doing well with the drugs, and it -- I really wasn't.

ELAM: That's when Bennett's son Danny stepped in as his manager. Bennett resigned with Columbia Records and began to revitalize his career. It was then he discovered a new audience, the MTV generation.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look, it's Tony Bennett.

BENNETT: Hey, good to see you.

I had "The Simpsons." We did a commercial for MTV. And they liked it so much they gave me an unplugged special and it won album of the year.

BENNETT (singing): Fly me to the moon.

ELAM: Bennett went on to collaborate with singers like Amy Winehouse for "Body and Soul," and Lady Gaga for "The Lady is a Tramp."

LADY GAGA, MUSICIAN (singing): I never bother with people that I hate.

ELAM: At 85 he became the oldest living artist to hit number one on the Billboard 200 chart with his "Duets II" album.

Several years later, he toured with Lady Gaga to promote their album "Cheek to Cheek," yet Bennett's talent went beyond singing. He was an accomplished painter with artwork at the Smithsonian.

BENNETT: I have a sound life because I've always known what I wanted to do.

ELAM: The son of a grocer and a seamstress, Bennett married three times and had four children. He and his third wife, Susan, founded the Exploring the Arts Foundation and opened the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in New York.

BENNETT: Everybody has a dream and a hope that something is going to work for them. And then when it happens, it's a great joy.

ELAM: Bennett was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2016, but with the encouragement of his doctors, kept doing what he loved best, singing.

BENNETT (singing): How do you keep the music playing

ELAM: He cut his final album, "Love for Sale," with Lady Gaga. And performed with her one last time in two sold out concerts for his 95th birthday.

LADY GAGA: He's my musical companion. Him - he's the greatest singer in the whole world.

ELAM: Aired on CBS, it was a moving tribute to a musical legend.

BENNETT (singing): Your golden sun will shine for me.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BOLDUAN: It was such a show and such a life.

SOLOMON: Yes, (INAUDIBLE).

BOLDUAN: Tony Bennett.

[09:05:01]

Stephanie Elam there for us.

And joining us now for more on this is CNN's Chloe Melas.

Chloe, you had the opportunity to interview and speak with Tony Bennett on his 90th birthday. Just - I mean Stephanie did - Stephanie did an amazing job right there just laying out the extraordinary career and the life of that man and the number of generations that he's hit, the legacy he leaves behind.

CHLOE MELAS, CNN ENTERTAINMENT REPORTER: I mean he's right up there with Frank Sinatra and the greatest singers of all time and performers. And, yes, I was at his birthday covering for CNN that unbelievable night at the Rainbow Room. An iconic venue for an iconic human being. And I asked him, how does it feel to turn 90? And this was several years before his Alzheimer's diagnosis. And I want to read you some of what Tony told me that night.

He said, life goes fast. It goes fast. I'm 90, but I still feel like I'm about 35 years old. The audience has always made me feel accepted. I've been sold out throughout my whole life, performing throughout the world. It's a great gift and I'm very honored to have had a great life entertaining people.

And Lady Gaga was there that night, John Travolta, Katie Couric, Regis Philbin. I mean, the list goes on and on.

I just remember how kind he was and obviously being able to see him perform. And all of the younger generation that got to know his music because of the albums and the tour that he did with Lady Gaga. I've reached out to her for a comment, and we are waiting to hear back. Obviously, a devastating blow. She gave an interview about a year or so ago after his Alzheimer's diagnosis was made public and she just said it was devastating to watch him go through this.

And you heard Anderson Cooper, just a little bit ago, talking about spending time with Tony and interviewing him for "60 Minutes" and how hard it was to see him go through that. But then, on the other hand, he could remember the music and he could perform and it was just spectacular what his mind was still capable of being able to do.

And, obviously, this is a massive blow to the music community and to all the people all over the world who have loved Tony and have had the pleasure of enjoying his music over the last several decades.

SOLOMON: And, Chloe, talk to us a bit more about that, the generations that you talk about that have grown to love Tony. We heard in that piece him say that, you know, his shows have remained sold out throughout his career. It's the type of career and success that I think most artists would kill for. Talk to us a little bit about what you think really resonated with the audience.

MELAS: I mean, first of all is the fact that his music has spanned 70 years, right? So, all of the generations that have grown up or have enjoyed Tony Bennett at one place or another, whether it's a wedding or a birthday party, where you've listened to Tony Bennett's music, it's - it's -- he's just one of those artists, like Frank Sinatra, that when you hear it, you know that's Tony Bennett.

Just to point out, he had his first number one single in 1951 with "Because of You." And he made music industry history by being the oldest performer twice to have a number one album on the Billboard Top 200 albums at the age of 85 and 88. So, if that doesn't motivate you to just keep going. He received 20 Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, two Emmy Awards, was named a Kennedy Center Honoree. I mean the list goes on and on.

And like Anderson Cooper was saying a bit ago, he served as a foot soldier in World War II, and he became a life-long pacifist and a humanitarian. He marched with Dr. Martin Luther King in Selma, Alabama, in 1965. A very big supporter of human rights for everyone. And so, you know, his publicist confirming this morning to CNN that he passed away at the age of 96 at his home, surrounded by his family. He's survived by his two sons and his daughters. He has nine grandchildren. He's lived a full life.

BOLDUAN: Right.

MELAS: You know, not many people can say that they have lived such a life like Tony Bennett.

SOLOMON: Well, I think it says a lot that when you spoke to him at his 90th birthday, as you said, he said, I feel 35. And I think that was clearly reflected in the life he lived.

BOLDUAN: I liked that. May we all - may we all always remain 35.

SOLOMON: Touche.

BOLDUAN: And one thing that this is also just an important opportunity to highlight how Tony Bennett - in this -- and in celebrating his long life and career and legacy, just what he -- he and his family kind of did and represented for all of the families who suffer from the devastating disease of Alzheimer's. When he and his wife came out publicly to reveal and talk about the Alzheimer's diagnosis, I think it was back in 2016.

[09:10:04]

And just seeing how he carried on. Even as Anderson had highlighted in the "60 Minutes" piece and was just talking about, even with the struggles of it and seeing the damage that it does and how it robs you of some of your - you know, some of your life's memories, how they - how he continued and how important it was for his family to do that.

It's a -- it's a - it's beautiful what he did and important what he and his family and his doctors kind of represent for all of those families fighting against Alzheimer's.

MELAS: Yes, and the fact that they came out publicly, his wife Susan speaking to AARP, Kate, and talking about this not that long ago. They have been very public in a very short amount of time since his diagnosis. And like Lady Gaga and Anderson Cooper and others have said, just, you know, this disease that at times can be mystifying, he might not know your name in some moments, but he can go up on stage and perform songs that are decades old alongside Lady Gaga to a packed house. And so I think that perseverance, the will to live, his pure talent and I think, yes, his openness from his family and himself to share this, to let people know that they are not alone and that, you know, they have been advocates for this and, yes, he was diagnosed in 2016 with Alzheimer's. And I think that them being public with his struggle helped a lot of people, Kate.

BOLDUAN: Yes, I mean, an extraordinary life. A beautiful man. A legend in the music industry.

SOLOMON: In so many ways.

BOLDUAN: In so many ways. Tony Bennett has passed away at 96 years old.

Chloe, thank you so much for coming on and speaking with us about this. We're going to be hearing more voices celebrating the life and the legacy of Tony Bennett throughout the day.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[09:16:40]

SOLOMON: Welcome back.

This morning the January 6th investigation widely expected to bring Donald Trump's third indictment is pressing forward with more witness interviews now scheduled. Sources say a key Trump ally and a former Trump lawyer will soon speak with federal investigators. Overnight, Trump's deadline to respond to the special counsel's target letter expired. And while Trump, the target, apparently isn't interested in talking right now, Trump, the candidate, still is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: All of a sudden I hear they want to indict me in this one. And why didn't they do it two years ago? Why didn't they do it like when it would -- would have been, you know, timely? (END VIDEO CLIP)

SOLOMON: CNN's Alayna Treene joins us. And joins us just down the road from Trump's golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. She is in Bridgewater.

So, Alayna, while Trump questions the timing of all of this, what are you learning about how his team is preparing for a possible third indictment?

ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Well, good morning, Rahel.

Yes, Donald Trump's team very much expects an indictment in this case to be delivered imminently. And they've spent the last several days now calling aides and allies, as well as lawyers, and trying to get a better picture of the potential criminal case that will be brought against him.

Now, they have a few key questions. One, they want to know if anyone else has received a target letter in this investigation. They also want to gain a better understanding of the scope of the evidence that the special counsel's team has against him. And, third, they are trying to figure out who in Trump's inter circle may be cooperating with the special counsel's team.

Now, Donald Trump has also been keeping it business as usual. He held a screening at his golf club just near where I am now on Wednesday night with some of his closest aides, as well as his fiercest allies, including people like Steve Bannon, who is also caught up in this January 6th investigation.

Now, Trump has also been giving interviews. We heard him speak last night with "News Max" where he continued to rail against these charges as being political.

Let's listen to that exchange, Rahel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: A very unfair situation.

They did it because it's election interference.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.

TRUMP: They did it right in the middle of my campaign.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

TREENE: Now, Rahel, as you can see, Donald Trump is still being very defiant in public. But I know from speaking with many people close to him over the past several days that these charges are weighing him -- on him. This target letter is also weighing on him, especially as this potential third indictment is looming.

SOLOMON: Right. It could come any day down.

I mean, Alayna, what more are we learning about who the special counsel still has to interview?

TREENE: Well, Rahel, we do know that investigators are moving very quickly on a number of different fronts, but their work has not yet been completed. My colleagues Paula Reid and Katelyn Polantz, as well as others on our team, have learned that for weeks now, even before they sent that target letter to Donald Trump on Sunday, they have been reaching out to witnesses and scheduling interviews with people that they've not even spoken to yet in this case.

And this is similar to how they treated the classified documents case in which the former president and his aide, Walt Nauta, were indicted on last month. Even though they brought that indictment, they still have their work to be completed. And we're hearing that some of these interviews are scheduled to continue throughout the summer. Some of those interviews include with people like a former Donald Trump lawyer, as well as the former New York Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik.

[09:20:03]

He's someone who worked closely with Rudy Giuliani in and around the election. And so even if there is an indictment in this case, their work is still going to continue, Rahel.

SOLOMON: Alayna Treene, live for us in Bridgewater. Alayna, thank you.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Joining us right now for more on this is former federal prosecutor Danya Perry.

It's good to see you, Danya.

So, let's start with - let's start with the calendar. I know that you've said that you think an indictment is going to be coming next week, this third criminal indictment. But when you look then, if you move forward from that, how do you think the calendar then lines up and the complications that come with it? With -- you've got multiple indictments, the possibility of more charges coming in Fulton County, Georgia, and adding in the very real thing of the political calendar at the very same time. How do you handle that as a prosecutor?

DANYA PERRY, FORMER PROSECUTOR, U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK: Yes, this is a complicated one. Courts and prosecutors and defense lawyers are used to conflicting schedules, of course. And defendants can be very busy. They can be very wealthy. They, you know, can have other -- other trials. But this one, obviously, there's an intersection between our criminal justice systems and our political system. That is, of course, unique.

And so the prosecutors have been pushing for quick trials. We've seen that in the Mar-a-Lago case where they're requesting a trial later this year. But, of course, there are already some cases that are already on the docket. We've got a trial in New York, a civil trial, brought by the attorney general in New York. That is slated for later this year. And then we've got the criminal case out of the district attorney's office in New York in early next year, in March. And then there are a couple civil trials in between.

So, there is going to be some pairying (ph) and some discussions, I imagine, between the judges' chambers about exactly how to sequence these and how to prioritize these. It's certainly a unique -- as we say in the law, sui generis situation.

BOLDUAN: That's a - yes.

Some of the reporting is there is - that we have -- that CNN is reporting is there are at least two more people that the special counsel wants to speak to and wants to interview. Those interviews scheduled into - is scheduled into August. What does that indicate to you in terms of where they are?

PERRY: I don't read too much into that. It does appear, given the witnesses who have already come in, and given, most importantly, the target letter that was just issued earlier this week, that charges are coming shortly. There is almost zero chance, I think at this point, that an indictment will not follow, and follow quickly.

So, the grand jury, however, can continue with its work. It has additional evidence it can receive. It will take the testimony of additional witnesses. And that could be because they could be exploring additional charges and perhaps a later superseding indictment, or they could be looking at charges against additional defendants. That would kind of make sense because I'm imagining that special counsel Jack Smith will want to get the indictment against Mr. Trump issued as quickly as possible for the reasons we said, to try and slot in on the very complicated trial schedule docket. And he might later bring cases against additional other defendants because he has plenty of time under the statute of limitations.

BOLDUAN: Danya, the target letter, while Trump received it Sunday, the target letter was revealed publicly Tuesday by Donald Trump. How would you describe everything that has happened and how much has changed for Donald Trump's legal troubles in this -- in this, you know, one week as we look back on Friday?

PERRY: I guess they've -- I would say tripled. He already has two pending criminal cases against him. This one, you know, many people would argue is the most significant. The one that speaks to the most profound injury to this country and to its citizens. And so I -- it certainly has changed the landscape for him tremendously.

But, of course, we also keep hearing reports of another indictment that perhaps will be coming shortly from the Fulton County district attorney's office along the same lines, also exploring various schemes with respect to January 6th and the events leading up to it.

So, he's got a lot on his plate. Several civil cases. I actually have a case against him. I'm representing Michael Cohen in the $500 million fraud case that Mr. Trump brought against Mr. Cohen. And just yesterday we had his deposition scheduled within the next 45 days.

[09:25:02]

I think mindful of all of these calendaring issues. We're trying to get in sooner rather than later. So, he's going to have a busy summer, fall, winter and on.

BOLDUAN: Danya Perry, thank you so much.

Rahel.

SOLOMON: All right. Kate, coming up for us, for a fourth straight day, Russia launches air strikes against the city of Odessa. Now the CIA is warning of a false flag operation. We are live on the ground in Ukraine coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SOLOMON: Welcome back.

For the fourth night in a row, Russia has bombarded Odessa with an onslaught of missiles.

[09:30:02]

Those attacks destroying tons of food crucial to people in developing nations.