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Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich Freed In Prisoner Swap With Russia; VP Harris Delivers Eulogy For Late TX Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee; WH Official: Harris Had Two Private Conversations On Prisoner Swap At Munich Conference In February; Americans Released In Historic Prisoner Swap With Russia. Aired 3-3:30p ET

Aired August 01, 2024 - 15:00   ET

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

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[15:01:27]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is CNN Breaking News.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Breaking news today, the largest exchange of prisoners between the United States and Russia since the Cold War unfolding, apparently without a glitch. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, retired U.S. Marine Paul Whelan and Alsu Kurmasheva are heading home to the United States as we speak. This was a photo posted online just a short time ago. All smiles aboard their flight back to the United States. They are due to land at Andrews Air Force Base this evening.

We should note prominent Putin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza is en route to Germany after also being freed in today's prisoner swap.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: Family members of the newly freed Americans are meeting President Biden this afternoon at the White House as he addressed the American people and confirmed the elaborate and historic deal that he reached with several allies to make this day happen. The President saying, quote, "Their brutal ordeal is over."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The deal that made this possible was a feat of diplomacy and friendship - friendship. Multiple countries helped get this done.

Everybody stepped up. Poland stepped up. Slovenia stepped up. Turkey stepped up. And it matters to have relationships.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: CNN's Kayla Tausche is at the White House today. I think we expected tears today, Kayla. I don't know if any of us had on our bingo card National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan making us cry a little bit, but that happened as well. What an emotional day. Tell us about it.

KAYLA TAUSCHE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It's been an emotional day, Brianna, and one that's been more than a year in the making for this White House. As you mentioned, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan tearing up when he said today is a good day, as he recalled the painstaking conversations that he and other members of the administration have had with the families of Evan Gershkovich, with Paul Whelan and with the other American detainees who were freed from Russian prisons just in the last day.

It was a painstaking negotiation involving seven countries taking more than a year, and a deal that Sullivan confirmed was supposed to include Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Sullivan acknowledging that Navalny's death complicated the ability to move those talks forward, but eventually they got that deal. And that deal, he said, did not involve at any point what (INAUDIBLE) Brianna, Boris?

KEILAR: I'm so sorry to interrupt you. We do need to go to Houston where Vice President Harris is about to speak.

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Good afternoon.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Thank you, thank you.

And let me thank Chaplain Black for your words and the time that we have prayed together when I was in the United States Senate. I thank you, Chaplain.

And Pastor Michael A. Pender Sr., thank you for the warm welcome this afternoon.

And to the Members of the Lee family, President Bill Clinton, Secretary Hillary Clinton, the members of Congress, and the elected officials, and all our distinguished guests, it is an honor - a true honor - true honor - to be with you this afternoon to remember and to celebrate the extraordinary life of Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) ...

HARRIS: So, Sheila Jackson Lee would want that we are focused on her right now.

[15:05:01]

But I thank you.

Sheila Jackson Lee - to know her was to know a true champion - a fierce champion for justice. Sheila Jackson Lee was a woman of deep faith and deep compassion. She was a proud member of our beloved Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. And she was a dear, dear friend to my husband Doug and me.

Over her career, as we all know, Sheila had many titles - judge, councilmember, congresswoman. And yet, perhaps the titles she cherished the most were wife to Elwyn, mother to Jason and Erica, and "BeBe" to Ellison and Roy.

And so, to the entire Lee family, Doug and my prayers are with you.

It is not easy to lose a member of one's family who holds such an extraordinary place. Sheila was just a presence. She was a presence.

And it is not easy - and I say to the family - when a loved one lives a life of public service, and so especially someone like Sheila Jackson Lee. And I want to thank the family on behalf of the people of our nation for your sacrifices and the work that you did to support her over these many, many years that allowed her to give so much to our country.

So, the Bible teaches us, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as if you were working for the Lord."

In everything she did, Sheila Jackson Lee worked with all her heart.

As a member of the United States Senate and the Congressional Black Caucus, I had the honor to work directly with Sheila on many issues over the years and to observe firsthand her leadership. And she truly was a force of nature.

When it came to her constituents, there was no task too big or too small for the congresswoman. If it needed to be done, she made sure it was done and done right.

When it came to crafting policy, there was no detail too minor or point of order too obscure. If it needed to be understood, the congresswoman make sure - would make sure everyone understood it and understood it well and used it to the benefit of the people she served.

To know her was to marvel at her mastery of the legislative process. We were talking about it backstage - Sheila Jackson Lee was one of the smartest and most strategic legislators in Washington, D.C. And, I will say - and we all who have worked with her and had the blessing of work with her know - she was also one of the most unrelenting.

As those of us who were her colleagues can attest, there was never a trite or trivial conversation with Sheila Jackson Lee.

Now, there were times, I will admit, if I saw her walking down the hall - I would almost want to hide. Because I knew whatever else may be on my mind, Sheila Jackson Lee would require a very serious and specific conversation with you about what she had on her mind. And then, she would tell you exactly what she needed you to do to help her get it done.

And Sheila Jackson Lee - that was her character - she never lost an opportunity to fight for the people she served. And her fight - her fight was borne out of love. She had a big, big heart.

Very few people have loved the people of Houston more than Sheila Jackson Lee. In the community, she was ubiquitous and omnipresent. Whether it was the funerals and memorial services or the birthday parties or block parties, she celebrated with the people, she mourned with the people, she stood with the people always. And you may not know, but Sheila and Doug, my husband, struck up a fast friendship in recent years. And they did a number of events together, including with the Jewish community here in Houston, because Sheila, of course, was also a coalition builder.

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And she fought for everybody, knowing that the vast majority of us have so much more in common than what separates us. Yes, she did.

And as folks in this city can attest, if you were having trouble getting your VA benefits or your Social Security, or if a family member had an issue with their visa, you called the congresswoman, even if you did not live in her district.

In fact, I suspect she gave nearly every person here her cell phone number at one time or another. And when you called, Sheila Jackson Lee would always find a way to help, even if she needed to get a little creative.

As some of you may remember, a number of years ago, the city of Houston faced a budget shortfall and, to save money, decided to close a number of public pools in the middle of an historic heat wave.

Well, Sheila Jackson Lee wasn't having that. And so, she called around, as the story goes, to business leaders across Houston and convinced them to donate more than $350,000, and those pools then stayed open all summer long.

The congresswoman was a leader for Houston, and she was a national leader. She was a national leader. She touched the lives of people all over our country.

As a champion for women's rights, she helped reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act.

As a fighter for LGBTQ rights, her support helped repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

As a lifelong advocate for our nation's children, she founded the Congressional Children's Caucus.

And as a leader who believed deeply that America's true and full history must be acknowledged and honored, it was Sheila Jackson Lee whose bill made Juneteenth a federal holiday - which, as a United States senator, I was proud to cosponsor.

And then, as vice president, it was my honor - with the president - with the President, it was my honor - it was my honor with the - with our president, Joe Biden, to stand beside Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee as our president signed her bill into law.

So, I'll say this. The late, great Barbara Jordan, a mentor of Sheila's, who also, of course, represented the 18th District once said, and I'll quote, "It is a privilege to serve the people, a privilege that must be earned. And once earned, there is an obligation to do something good with it."

Sheila Jackson Lee understood the privilege and obligation and nobility of public service. And through her service, she did untold good.

You know, a few days before she passed, I called her. And I expressed my sincere and deep gratitude for all she had done. And I told her she had such an impact on me and my life.

You know, to know Sheila is to know how she could be tough, but, oh, my goodness, she was so loving and so encouraging. And she always encouraged me. And so, I called to thank her for that. I called to thank her for the impact she has had on so many people.

I know all of us, and in particular all of us who have worked with her in Washington, have stories to tell. She was a force, but she never allowed anything to be mediocre. She always expected in all of us that we would rise to a point of excellence, knowing life was too short and there is too much to be done.

And so, I expressed to her my personal gratitude for her long-standing friendship and inspiration.

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And I thanked her for her courage and her conviction and her relentless focus on those who are too often left out and left behind and her unwavering belief in the power that we each have to change our country for the better.

So, I will end with this: Sheila Jackson Lee was the first elected to the United States Congress 30 years ago this year. She was first elected 30 years ago this year.

Hours after her swearing in, she stepped onto the House floor and she addressed the American people. So, new members of Congress have that moment where after they are elected, they will speak in the chamber to give a statement about what they intend to do with their time in Congress.

And Sheila's words were simple but very concise. She said, "As members of Congress, we are here to make change."

Sheila Jackson Lee was a changemaker. She worked with all her heart to lift up the people of her city, of her state and of our nation.

And to honor her memory, let us continue to fight to realize the promise of America - a promise of freedom, opportunity, and justice, not just for some but for all.

And, Sheila, we are going to miss you dearly. We will carry your spirit with us every day in all the work that we have ahead.

God bless the dear congresswoman, Sheila Jackson Lee. And God bless the United States of America.

Thank you all. Thank you.

KEILAR: Vice President Kamala Harris there eulogizing the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and really capturing the spirit of Lee, indeed, calling her a force. And she's someone who's been a fixture on Capitol Hill, and she noted that she'd been elected about 30 years ago.

SANCHEZ: Yes, saying she was a presence, she was a force, a change maker. She also said that at times when she was walking through Capitol Hill, she was afraid to run into her because the Congresswoman was so forceful and single-minded in her effort to persuade folks to jump on board the issues that she was working so hard on. A touching moment there from the Vice President in dedicating that eulogy for the Congresswoman.

Later today, Harris is expected to return to Washington, where the news today is of historic proportions, this prisoner swap between the United States, its partners and Russia, a big moment that Harris apparently played a role in as well.

Let's take you live to Houston now with CNN's Arlette Saenz. And, Arlette, this also comes with the backdrop of a presidential campaign. And just 24 hours ago, we heard former President Donald Trump in Chicago questioning Harris' racial identity.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Boris, but for Vice President Kamala Harris today, she was really trying to focus on the personal, not the political. She was here to eulogize the late Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who Harris actually said she was friends with. They were both members (INAUDIBLE) and in her eulogy said - she said that Sheila Jackson Lee had been a great friend to both her and her husband, Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff.

Now, she used these remarks to really praise Jackson Lee's legacy here in the state of Texas and nationwide. She said that she was a champion for justice. Harris also talked about how smart and relentless of a legislator she was working for her district here in Texas. Of course, she has been an advocate for progressive issues as well as black Americans in the country.

Sheila Jackson Lee was among those working on that legislation to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. That is something that President Biden signed into law during his time in office.

Now, for Vice President Kamala Harris, this was also an interesting view into the role that she can play as consular in chief. That is something we have often seen President Biden step into, and it's something that she could also have to adopt, especially if she is elected in November.

Now, it all comes at a tense political time after you had those comments from former President Donald Trump. Yesterday, falsely questioning Harris' racial identity as a black - her heritage and identity as a black woman. Harris in no way reacted to that today.

Last night, she did push back on Trump's appearance at the NABJ convention saying that his remarks were simply the same old show, divisive and disrespectful, and also saying that Americans deserve better than that.

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Instead, today, she's really trying to keep the focus on her personal connection with Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, trying to celebrate her - that here at this service were other high-profile politicians, including former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. They both celebrated Sheila Jackson Lee's legacy and life and both made nods to the fact that Harris could be elected as the first black woman president come November.

So all of this is something that Harris is taking very personally today. She's celebrating her - the life of her friend, who she has called a champion for justice.

SANCHEZ: And we saw Harris sharing a moment with some of those leaders, including Reverend Al Sharpton, the House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and the family of Sheila Jackson Lee, before - standing before the coffin of the Congresswoman paying her respects.

Arlette Saenz from Houston, thank you so much for that reporting. We're still focused on this big breaking news. Several Americans detained in Russia, now making their way back home after the biggest prisoner swap with Russia since the Cold War. A historic day, not only in Washington, but abroad as well and we have much more coming up on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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SANCHEZ: Right now, three Americans released in today's historic prisoner swap with Russia are heading back to the United States. The White House says President Joe Biden is reaching out to world leaders this afternoon to give personal thanks to the nations involved in helping free Paul Whelan, and journalist Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva.

KEILAR: So let's bring in our experts now, CNN's Chief National Security Correspondent, Alex Marquardt. We also have Steve Hall, our national security analyst, and Washington Post columnist, Josh Rogin.

All right. Alex, talk to us a little about how this came together and also we have to be clear how this is going to play out once these three make it back to U.S. soil.

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: This really just came together in the past few weeks. It was accepted, finally, this proposal by the Russians, I'm told, in mid-July. That was conveyed to the U.S. Intelligence Community just a few weeks ago, and this took so many twists and turns, Boris and Brianna.

What was made clear, I was told, in November of 2023, so almost a year ago, was that the Russians would not accept any deal without Vadim Krasikov, the FSB colonel who carried out that assassination of a Chechen in Berlin. The U.S. had tried all different kinds of combinations to have a deal in which they would - in which Russia would get back a couple of their spies from other countries. The U.S. would get back Gershkovich and Paul Whelan. That wasn't going to happen, according to the Russians.

So the discussions continued throughout this year. The name Alexei Navalny was floated, of course, the biggest Russian opposition figure. He was in Russian custody. The Germans wanted him out. So that was being discussed. But then he died in Russian prison in February.

So then the U.S. started applying pressure to the Germans to try to figure out what they could do or what - or who they could - who else could be released to the Russians in order for the Germans to release Krasikov. They eventually got to this extraordinary deal that we're seeing take place today: Some 24 detainees from seven different countries, all being exchanged on the tarmac at Ankara airport. Just a tremendous feat of diplomacy, of alliances, as Jake Sullivan just said, at the White House, a truly historic moment, not just in terms of the size of the number of prisoners being released today, but also the number of countries involved. Boris, Brianna?

SANCHEZ: Josh, what does this mean for Vladimir Putin?

JOSH ROGIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Right. Well, to be sure, Putin and his regime will count this as a win. They'll conclude and try to spread propaganda to the effect that they've successfully traded what they consider to be spies for spies. Of course, that's not true because Putin is a liar. And because if you just look at the people that he released, journalists, political dissidents, against the people that he wanted, murderers, thieves, and thugs, you can see the difference between who each side values.

The American side valued people that spoke up for human rights, including people who spoke up for human rights inside Russia. And Putin valued spies, murderers and thieves. And so you can expect Putin to try to spin this as a win. But I think for any fair-minded person who's not consuming Russian propaganda, it's pretty clear what makes our two countries so different on this very important day.

KEILAR: And these are live pictures from Moscow where you see Vladimir Putin, the detainees arriving. He is there, plane side, to welcome them, obviously reveling in the moment. We are continuing to watch this.

Steve, it's an interesting point that Josh made there. I mean, the sort of crown jewel of this prisoner release for Vladimir Putin was someone who - I mean, it was a targeted killing of a former Chechen fighter in Germany in the middle of the day in an area where there were, you know, moms and babies and toddlers.

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And that is the big get for him ...