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Don Lemon Tonight

Fired Dolphins Head Coach On His Explosive Lawsuit Alleging Racial Discrimination In The NFL; GOP Outrage Over Biden Vowing To Nominate A Black Woman To SCOTUS; John Kasich And Jordan Klepper Bringing The Country Together; Biden Relaunches Cancer Moonshot Initiative To Cut Cancer Death Rate In Half; Ex-Chicago Officer Jason Van Dyke Gets Early Released. Aired 11p-12a ET

Aired February 02, 2022 - 23:00   ET

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

[23:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DON LEMON, CNN HOST (on camera): Welcome back, everyone. He is suing over what he calls racial discrimination and now the entire NFL is reacting. Former Dolphins head coach, Brian Flores joins me, right here on the set live in just a moment.

Also tonight a GOP Senator making a despicable comment on President Biden's pushed to nominate a black woman to the Supreme Court. We are going to talk about the Republican outrage over the promise of a black woman on the court.

Plus, he is a daily show correspondent talking to Trump supporters.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: What would you call the events of January 6th?

UNKNOWN: A wonderful glorious event. People were excited that day.

UNKNOWN: January 6th was the greatest day of my entire life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Comedian Jordan Klepper is teaming up with Governor John Kasich. They say they know what will heal this country. I'm going to ask them just what that might be, straight ahead.

And President Biden relaunching the Cancer Moonshot initiative aiming to cut the rate of cancer deaths in half over the next 25 years.

But first, I want to start with this very important story. Reactions to the explosive lawsuit rocking the NFL. Former Dolphins Coach, Brian Flores, alleging racial discrimination. The league calling the suit meritless, but tonight he is getting a lot of support from current and former players.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) EPHRAIM SALAAM, FORMER NFL OFFENSIVE TACKLE: We're seeing as people

who can't lead, I mean I'm speaking African-Americans. There was a notion of African- American quarterbacks not being able to perform at the level of white quarterbacks. There's a notion of African- American coaches not being able to perform at the level of black or excuse me, of white coaches.

KJ WRIGHT, NFL LINEBACKER LAS VEGAS RAIDERS: I believe that he should have filed a lawsuit. What is most embarrassing about this whole situation was the memo that the NFL put out just disregarding, you know, what Brian Flores has to say.

UNKNOWN: Black coaches are not awarded the same opportunities as the white counterparts, right? Black coaches are -- you know, it take longer to get hired. They get fired faster.

MARCUS SPEARS, FORMER NFL DEFENSIVE END: The NFL owners are the ones that determine who will be the head coaches for their football teams and they have no incentives to hire black coaches, minority coaches, because nobody, they don't have to answer to anybody.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: All right. This is a real conversation we are going to have here. No holds barred. Brian Flores joins me now along with his lawyers John Elefterakis and Douglas Wigdor. Thank you so much. We go way back.

JOHN ELEFTERAKIS, LAWYER FOR BRIAN FLORES (on camera): Yeah. We do.

LEMON: Thank you.

ELEFTERAKIS: Thank you.

LEMON: I'm proud of you.

BRIAN FLORES, FORMER MIAMI DOLPHINS HEAD COACH (on camera): Thank you very much.

LEMON: Thank you for doing this. I really appreciate it. Thank you guys for coming on. Why are you doing it?

FLORES: For a number of reasons. First and foremost I think there is one black head coach in the National Football League and I believe that the system is broken and the National Football League in regards to hiring minorities and black coaches -- head coaches and people in positions of power, G.M., head coach.

[23:05:16]

I'm doing it because I think about my two boys and my daughter. And there are just simply is not enough representation of people who look like them in head coaching roles, and general manager roles, and executive and president roles in the National Football League and I want them to be able to look at those roles. I want them to be able to look and believe that they can get into a role like that and that's simply not the case right now.

LEMON: You know that people will say Brian, look, man, you've got -- you had a very successful career and you can still have a successful career. You can make a lot of money. You know, black man doesn't really get a chance to do that. You are risking it all and you say what?

FLORES: I say this is not about me. None of this is about me. I think -- look, we didn't need to file a lawsuit for people to see that there is issues regarding, you know, the hiring and firing processes in the National Football League.

I mean, just look at the numbers. Look at the players in this league are -- 70 percent of players in this league are black and you are telling me that there is only one qualified black coach -- one qualified person to coach an NFL team. I just -- I think there's some a lot of issues.

LEMON: I want to read some of the things, several athletes have pointed out that it's really the NFL owners that need to answer to this. They are the gate keepers for change. I'm sure you agree with that. There's not a single black owner in your lawsuit compares the league to being like a plantation. Do you see this ever changing?

FLORES: That's why we filed the lawsuit.

LEMON: Do you really think it is like a plantation?

FLORES: A modern form of that. Look, the people who make the decisions and you know, the people who are working, the players, 70 percent among them are black (inaudible) making decisions and the majority are white. And what we are trying to do with this lawsuit is really create change. And I think, you know, people talk about it.

We implement, you know, a policy here, a policy there. I'm not looking for, you know, fluff policies. I'm looking for real change and that to me that starts in the hearts and minds of people who make those decisions and that's got to come through dialogue, that's got to come through communication.

That's got to come through keeping an open mind and being willing to talk to and get to know people that are different than you are used to. And quite frankly, I think that an owner is not willing to do then he is not fit own in this league. This league is better than what they've shown.

LEMON: I jumped off in L.A. last night and I got off the red eye and the first thing -- as soon as I got home, I turned it on -- first take and I saw Stephen A. Smith. They were having a conversation about this. I want to play this and I want to bring the rest of you guys in. Let's see what Stephen Smith says.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHEN SMITH, AMERICAN SPORTS TELEVISION PERSONALITY: All of these social justice issues that we attack and it was valid and legitimate, we saw players in the National Football League and players in the NFL addressing that. This is an issue too. This is an issue to protest about. This is an issue to speak about. This is an issue to be -- to come together as athletes, black athletes everywhere. And say we got to do something about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: We all remember what happened to Colin Kaepernick. That's why I said, are you -- why are you willing to risk it all because Colin Kaepernick has worked and he just took a knee, you know, from a service member who told him it was more respectful to take a knee. You are here, you know, out here on your own. You got these gentlemen supporting you. You have other players supporting you. But what do you think about what (inaudible)?

FLORES: I am not on my own. I have gotten a lot of support, a lot of text messages, emails, phone calls, a lot of support from, you know, other coaches who have gone through similar experiences that I have gone through. So I'm not on my own. And this is bigger than me. This is bigger than football. This is for generations for those who came before me and those generations to come.

DOUGLAS WIGDOR, LAWYER FOR BRIAN FLORES (on camera): We hope that owner sees this as an opportunity. You know, coming together as Stephen A. Smith was just talking about. You know, opportunity here to do the right thing. We put this on a silver plate for them to say, you know what, we can do better, we will do better, we are going to start hiring more black coaches at all different levels. We are going to make sure that we do the right thing.

[23:10:06]

You know, unfortunately they've taken the initial stance like denying things, even though they haven't done investigations. But we hope that as outpouring of support comes for Coach Flores that things are going to change.

LEMON: You want to jump in, John? Would you?

ELEFTERAKIS: Yes, I mean, you know, the amount of people who when we have been together traveling today and since this broke and obviously listening to the conversations of people calling, coach, and talking about, you know, how grateful they are and how thankful they are and now how they feel like they can come forward just off of his courage and obviously lending himself and sacrificing it all for a greater good, for a cause. So, you know, the intended effect of promoting change and stepping out, it's working. It's working.

LEMON: I want to ask this because I think it is very important. You also and this is a very serious charge and it is a charge. You also allege that Dolphins owner Steven Ross offered to pay you $100,000 for each game you lost in 2019 in order to tank the season and get the first pick in the 2020 draft. Your coach is trying to motivate players to win games. What do you -- I mean, that is a serious charge.

FLORES: I mean, this game has done a lot for me. It has opened doors for me that would have never been opened. So to hear that. To disrespect the game that I love that has done so much for me. I mean, that was appalling to me and I wouldn't stand for it.

But that's -- I would say that's not as -- unfortunately it's more common than you think. I think there's another bridge coaches, something that happens in the National Football League which I mean by that is, you hire coach, they'll give that coach the resources necessary to, you know, feel a competitive team and then you get rid of that coach. That happens. It's happens you know, quite often it happens to black coaches and it is unfortunate.

LEMON: Steven Ross has denied that the NFL says they are going to fight vigorously against that they've denied this. What do you guys say?

ELEFTERAKIS: They came forward, you know, in an hour pretty much of us filing a 60-page complaint rife with allegations of criminality, inappropriate conduct, racial discrimination which is obvious by the numbers.

And within an hour, just flat out -- this is meritless. No investigation and said earlier they investigated deflated footballs longer than they even have given any consideration to these serious allegations. I mean, it is ridiculous when you actually think about it.

LEMON: I am so happy that you gentlemen came. Thank you again. I am so glad you are speaking out and you have the support system around you. It's good to see that. Thank you and we will have you back to discuss this. This just continues on. You are going to fight it. You are going to continue the course, right?

FLORES: We certainly are.

ELEFTERAKIS: Thank you.

LEMON: Thank you very much.

WIGDOR: Thank you.

LEMON: Thank you, brother.

FLORES: I appreciate it.

WIGDOR: See you again.

LEMON: I have worked with this guy before. So, some people sure seem to be afraid of black women. What else explains demeaning comments like the ones, Senator John Kennedy made, saying that he wants the Supreme Court nominee who knows a law book from a J. Crew catalog. Saying he doesn't want her to advance a so called woke agenda. All that from a nominee who hasn't even been named yet.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:15:00] LEMON: Republican heads are exploding over President Biden's vow to

nominate the first black woman to the Supreme Court. No one knows who he will pick but that doesn't seem to matter, it is all about stoking outrage, really. Here is what Senator John Kennedy told "Politico" today. "Number one, I want a nominee who knows the law book from a J. Crew catalog. Number two, I want a nominee who is not going to try to rewrite the constitution every other Thursday to try to advance a woke agenda."

How low can they go here? Joining me now, "Washington Post" senior critic-at-large, Robin Givhan. Robin, thank you so much for joining. I'll let you, this is -- to me it is ridiculous. The difference between a law book and a J. Crew catalogue? That is a despicable comment. And this whole idea about a woke agenda. Is that the new buzz, is that new racist buzz word?

ROBIN GIVHAN, WASHINGTON POST SENIOR CRITIC-AT-LARGE (on camera): Well, I don't know that it is a new buzz word but I do think that it is a reflection of what really seems to be a kind of nearly hysterical reaction to the idea of a black woman on the Supreme Court because all of this has come before. There is an actual named nominee with qualifications that can be judged and can be compared to, you know the qualifications of previous nominees.

LEMON: Yeah. This is what you wrote in the "Washington Post" about the highly qualified women who had been mentioned as potential nominees. You said, "They are afflicted by stereotypes that black women in particular too often have a difficult time shaking off presumptions that have some people viewing them as both threatening and unworthy. To some minds they are unruly and angry even when they are merely making a case for fair treatment and their fair share."

Buckle in to somehow both threatening and inconsequential, how do you make sense of that?

GIVHAN: Well, I think it's a bit impossible to make sense of it because it really doesn't make sense. But you know, I was struck by this idea that you know, the retiring Judge Breyer, Justice Breyer was described as, you know, a stately whack (inaudible) liberal and that the likely replacement would be a bit more like Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

[23:20:21]

Which suggested that, you know, a woman of color in this case, a Latina is neither stately nor refined and it is apparently something so far beyond liberal that it is unspeakable. And at the same time there are other critics who are suggesting that it's an absolute, you know, insult to the court to look for a black woman to sit on it.

LEMON: Yeah. I got to ask you this. Do you think President Biden could have prevented all of this manufactured outrage by not saying out loud that his pick would be a black woman and then nominating one any way and I say that because, you know, Reagan said he wanted to nominate a woman, Trump said he wanted to nominate a woman but you know, somehow Joe Biden says black woman, it is different? GIVHAN: No. I don't think it would be different because I do think

that as soon as the nominee is actually selected or revealed that there will still be this immediate attempt to disqualify that person. I think this was preemptive mostly because there is an understanding that the ability to block this nomination or this confirmation is pretty woe.

And so the desire is to really just sort of immediately attach an asterisk next to this person's name to immediately sort of cede in the public consciousness that this person, this nominee is not qualified and really shouldn't be there and really shouldn't be paid attention to.

LEMON: Yeah. Robin, it is always a pleasure to having you on and I would encourage everyone to read your piece in "The Post." Thank you so much for joining us. We will see you soon. Be well.

GIVHAN: Thank you.

LEMON: Thank you.

Well, one is a daily show comedian and the other is a Former Republican Governor. Why do they think that they can bring the country together? Jordan Klepper and John Kasich explains, they are next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:25:00]

LEMON: Our democracy is under threat as we learn more about the plot to overturn our free and fair elections. Americans are divided in ways that we have never been. Not even living in the same fact universe. More than a third of people don't even believe that Joe Biden is the legitimate president of the United States.

But my next guests are teaming up for podcast that they hope will help people find common grounds. It's called "Kasich and Klepper" and it is hosted by CNN's senior commentator John Kasich and comedian Jordan Klepper, they join me now. Gentlemen, thank you very much.

I'm going to get to how tough it is for Jordan to carry you on his back for this whole podcast in a moment. But I want to start with some news. Thank you both, I appreciate it.

One thing that, you know, you are going to be contending with I'm sure as we talk about here all the time, John, is that we are not even living in the same fact based reality, there's a lot of people who believe lies and misinformation about COVID, the election cultural issues, educational issues, on and on and on.

After the 2020 election there was some hope, I think, that this divide would somehow ease, that we would, you know, put it all back together. But it has only gotten worse. What do you think? Can we hang together? Can we come to a basic reality about what is truth and what's not?

FMR. GOV. JOHN KASICH (R-OH), CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Don, you know, in a lot of ways it has gotten worse, it's more depressing and you know you see it in your school board. These, you know, these campaigns and these meetings that go on where you got neighbor against neighbor. There's so much emotion. People seem to be afraid and that's why they are angry when people are afraid for whatever reason, whether it is economic. Whether they feel safe or not, when they are angry.

That way they tend to be angry and, Don, it is in our communities, it's in our families. I happen to believe the only way out is for people to be able to recognize each other's humanity. You know, everybody deserves respect. We should never treat somebody else as an object.

And Don, over the years that you and I have worked together, we disagree a lot but you know I have great respect for you and we have some good conversations. And I respect you as a person with your beliefs and that is the way it ought to be across the board for everybody.

LEMON: Yeah. You know, Jordan, I have watched you all the time and I want to talk about this huge disparity on basic facts in our society like who is a duly elected president and you are known for talking to people who don't believe these basic truths. Let's listen and we will discuss.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JORDAN KLEPPER, CO-HOST JORAN AND KLEPPER PODCAST: What would you call the events of January 6th?

UNKNOWN: A wonderful glorious event.

UNKNOWN: People were excited that day.

UNKNOWN: January 6th was the greatest day of my entire life.

KLEPPER: OK. You're obviously not a police officer.

UNKNOWN: There was no insurrection that day. If there was any intention on our part, we would have been actually freaking armed.

[23:30:01]

KLEPPER: There was intention. People would have come with zip ties or bear spray or pitchforks.

UNKNOWN: We would had been. Belt bags.

(LAUGHTER)

KLEPPER: What about the people who did come with zip ties, bear spray and pitchforks.

UNKNOWN: Well, those were arms, those are just visible defensive measures.

(END VIDEOTAPE) LEMON: OK. When you talk to these Trump supporters, these folks on

camera and when the camera stops rolling, do you have any breakthroughs?

KLEPPER (on camera): Boy, I wish I could say yes. But no. We tend to live in different worlds. I would say that last one I went to, I did talk to somebody that offered me a glimmer of hope. He came up to me and he said that he had been to three months' worth of Stop the Steal rallies and that after three months, he was wiped out.

He says he was talking to himself and a friend said he was in a cult. And he told me very honestly, he'd looked up cult online, all of the signs, and realized he was in a cult, doubled down. I mean, in that moment I was sort of like, oh, I think we are reaching this point where we are having some awareness of these devices that control our thoughts.

Though I asked if he still believes the election was stolen, and he said he was certain that the election was stolen. And so, I don't know if we've got to a point where we could change but we are at least getting to a point where we are aware of some of the messes we are in but we are not quite willing to get out of them yet.

LEMON: You know, John, it is really concerning to me when, you know, we are not of the exact same generation but we've learned about a lot of things in school, right, about slavery, about the holocaust.

KASICH: Yes.

LEMON: We are seeing this concerted effort now by the GOP to white wash history whether it is banning books, Critical Race Theory, whatever it is, there is a full vote by the GOP to capitalize on people's anger. Is it solely about winning the GOP? Are they giving any thoughts to the consequences to our society?

KASICH: Well, you know Don, one of the things that has concerned me, legislatures across this country have been now passing laws. I think it was like in 38 states where they are putting some restrictions on teacher's ability to teach history, including some of the profound things that people need to understand about race.

You go too far on that and you are getting towards, you know, something like book burning, where people shouldn't know the truth. They should know the truth. And when you see states doing that, and it's probably not just limited to the Republican Party, it is -- there are people in these states who are responding to a lot of the anger that people have out there.

And I think -- I read this, I was like, I felt terrible about it because that's not the way people should understand the history of our country. We have so much good but it is also important to understand those places where we made terrible mistakes. It is very concerning to me.

LEMON: Jordan, how do you think we -- how do we overcome the divisions when people are so dug into their information styles? Like you said, there was a glimmer of hope, but then, yeah, the election was stolen, they are 100 percent sure.

KLEPPER: Well, I mean I do think right now is where people get their information and I think if you are going to a place that you know is going to tell you the things that you want to hear then you are just going to hear those things and not change your mind.

So we need to fundamentally rethink the way in which we get our news, our information and then how we reach out to people we might not understand or think differently than us, and I think that takes vulnerability. I would like to think that Americans have the ability to be vulnerable, to admit that they are may be not perfect and that our country is broken.

As we just say, we have school boards right now that are trying to ban books, trying to control the narrative and that comes from a place of invulnerability, a (inaudible) to confront some of those evil's den.

I wish we treated guns the same way we treat books in schools. But we don't. And so it's going to start with conversations but it's going to take a larger effort than that to let Americans actually be open with the things that they don't know.

LEMON: And perhaps media literacy should be a required course. I want to -- John, let me get to your podcast and you can answer as we talk about the podcast. Let me play this clip, John and then we will talk about it. I want to play this clip from your podcast. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KLEPPER: We are not just the R or the D next to our names.

KASICH: We have so much more in common than we have that divides us particularly if we open our minds we can all learn from one another. It seems that though more and more in the country that if you don't think the way I do or you I don't think the way you do, we should cancel each other out.

KLEPPER: To be clear I never agreed to enter into this with an open mind. We are going to talk about politics, I'm sure. But we are also going to talk about the things that affect us and I might ask for fatherly advice of like, how do you raise a child who won't become a Republican?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: That is funny. Now, John, I want to you continue, I just want to make sure that we got the podcast in before you take up all the time. And we don't get to talk about it.

KASICH: No, I don't want to take up anytime. I just want to say it is this whole division, Don. It is what is so concerning. It's in our families too.

[23:35:00]

Families can't get along, they can't discuss things. People are canceling each other out. And it is a debate about so many things and not just the Critical Race Theory but vaccines, it is everything. You know how we treat police. It is right down into family level, the next door neighbor level and it has to stop.

LEMON: Yeah, not the first pairing that came to mind, Jordan, I mean, how is it talking to your dad every day or talking to -- I mean, talking to John on this podcast?

(LAUGHTER)

KLEPPER: You know what, it is a real nightmare, Don. Clearly I have been on to America, I've talked to a lot of people that I disagree with and so at this point it is like I don't care. Just let me pick a name out of a hat and I got somebody who almost became -- I was going to say almost became president. That's not true.

I got a failed presidential candidate as my podcast partner. So be it. You know, I would like to show the American public that if I can do it, if I can sit and talked to a failed presidential candidate and we can find some common ground maybe there's hope for you. So, I will take this burden on to myself for the greater good of this country.

(LAUGHTER)

LEMON: I have got to listen to this podcast. John, we're going to see you here on CNN because your here all the time. Jordan we love having you and we are going to listen to the podcast. The name of the podcast is again, what is the name of your podcast? "Kasich And Klepper," you can find it anywhere you get your podcast. Thanks, gentlemen.

KLEPPER: Thanks, Don.

KASICH: Thank you.

LEMON: A mission to have cancer death rate caught up, right, to slash them. President Biden launching his Cancer Moonshot initiative.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: It is one of the reasons why quite frankly I ran for president. Let there be no doubt now that I am president, this is a presidential White House priority, period.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:40:00]

LEMON: We have been talking a lot about the lives lost throughout this pandemic. More than 894,000 Americans have died from COVID in the U.S. The loss has been horrific over the last two years.

But in one year, we also lost nearly 600,000 American lives to cancer. That's based on the latest data from 2019. So President Biden wants a Cancer Moonshot with the goal of cutting cancer deaths in half over the next 25 years.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: I promise you we can do this. All of those we lost, all those we missed, we can end cancer as we know it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: In 2015, the president's oldest son, Beau Biden, died at the age of 46 after battling brain cancer.

Joining me now is Dr. Laurie Glimcher, she is the president and CEO of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and a professor at Harvard Medical School. Thank you for joining us doctor. I really appreciate it. Especially on this very important subject. You just heard that the president says, we can end cancer as we know it. Obviously that would be incredible. Is it attainable is the question?

LAURIE GLIMCHER, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE DANA-FARBER CANCER INSTITUTE (on camera): I think this is great news for cancer patients, Don, and their families. Because more money and attention is going to be directed to research to help find new cures.

And you know I was so pleased with President Biden's announcement that his administration is going to reignite the Cancer Moonshot. And he does have that specific charge. Let's decrease the cancer death rate by 50 percent over the next 25 years.

And that will improve the experience of our patients and their families as they go through what we all know is a very difficult time. I'm optimistic that 25 years from now cancer will be detected early and it will be treated earlier and will have new cancer drugs and that will benefit all of us no matter what our zip code is.

LEMON: Is it possible, doctor, to cut cancer deaths by more than 50 percent without flat out curing certain types of cancer?

GLIMCHER: I think it is. You know, most people present to Dana- Farber with cancer that have already progressed and have spread. If you present with stage one cancer, we have got a very, very good chance of curing you.

So we need early detection strategies. And I believe that is going to help make this effort possible over the next few years. This is a very hot topic now. And we are moving forward. We have to be able to detect cancer earlier and prevent cancer from occurring.

LEMON: You know, the president said speaking you know, of that, the president said that Americans missed more than nine million cancer screenings in the past two years because of the pandemic. What do you think the impact -- what impact is that going to have on American health?

GLIMCHER: Well, you know we are already seeing the impact. We are seeing more patients coming in with more advanced cancers because they didn't have the opportunity to get cancer screening with colonoscopies and mammograms and what have you.

And you know, the percentage of patients that didn't receive those important screening was huge. So I think we are going to have a 10 percent increase in deaths from cancer over the next few years.

[23:45:11]

LEMON: Wow.

GLIMCHER: I hope that's not true but clearly the pandemic took us down a very bad road here. And it also -- you know, cancer health disparities have been hugely exacerbated by the pandemic. And at Dana- Farber I want you to know we are absolutely committed to addressing this disparity and looking forward to working with the president and his team on this effort.

Our own chief clinical access and equity officer at Dana Farber, Dr. Chris Lathan (ph) was actually in attendance at the White House event today and so we are very excited to share our experience and our knowledge with the president and his staff as they move forward with this wonderful new initiative.

LEMON: Yeah. And that's a positive note that we should end on. You began with a positive note, you said you were optimistic and you thought it wonderful what the president said. And I'm glad that some folks got to be there for it.

Doctor, thank you. We will have you back. I certainly hope that it is possible. I hope your words ring true. Thanks so much.

GLIMCHER: Thanks, Don. It's a pleasure.

LEMON: Yeah. So he was sentenced to nearly seven years in prison for murdering a black teenager. Now a former Chicago police officer set to be freed after serving only half his time.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[23:50:00]

LEMON: Tomorrow, former-Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke is set to be released from state prison in Illinois after serving just over three years, only half of his original sentence for murder in the shooting death of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.

And many people expressing outrage at Van Dyke's early release, and demanding that he face federal civil rights charges. More on this story from CNN's Omar Jimenez.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Now, it's 16 shots and an early release. Former-Chicago police officer, Jason Van Dyke was sentenced in 2019 to nearly seven years in prison for the murder of Laquan McDonald, shooting him 16 times.

JASON VAN DYKE, CONVICTED OF SECOND DEGREE MURDER: It was due to my actions that the McDonald family has suffered.

JIMENEZ: He is now being released after a little more than three years tied to good behavior in prison.

JOE MCMAHON, FORMER SPECIAL PROSECUTOR, JASON VAN DYKE CASE: In Illinois, individuals who are sentenced to prison are eligible for, by law, statutory good time. Less than what I thought was appropriate. But it's an incredibly rare for a police officer in any jurisdiction, especially here in Chicago, to be charged, convicted, and sentenced to prison for a murder. And that's -- that's the message.

JIMENEZ: But for many, the successful state prosecution isn't enough.

REP. BOBBY RUSH (D-IL): I can't rest comfortably until I know that I have exhausted all the means

JIMENEZ: U.S. Congressman Bobby Rush is among those now calling for federal civil rights charges against Van Dyke.

RUSH: Being sentenced was a slap more on the wrist. Justice have not really been served, and so there is no relaxing. There is no sense of, well, let's move on because we can't move on. We can't move on.

JIMENEZ: This moment doesn't disqualify any future?

RUSH: Absolutely not. We will fight in the future. We'll fight right now in this very moment. For justice.

JIMENEZ: He is not alone either. Some of the family has pushed for the same, and the NAACP even penned a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland this week, asking to provide your commitment to move forward with appropriate and applicable federal charges. But not everyone agrees.

MARVIN HUNTER, REVEREND, GREAT UNCLE TO LAQUAN MACDONALD: It will set a precedent in this country for hundreds and thousands of black men that are still in prison. They could use it to re-prosecute them, and keep them there.

JIMENEZ: McDonald's great uncle feels some evoking Laquan's name are more concerned with themselves than reforming the system.

HUNTER: A lot of this stuff that you see happening, it is not about Laquan McDonald. It's about cash app and sales. The real problem in America is not Jason Van Dyke, it's the system that Jason Van Dyke worked for. We never asked for revenge. We ask for justice.

JIMENEZ: The protest in 2015 centered on what was deemed a cover up. Police, initially, claimed McDonald pointed a knife at van Dyke in October 2014. Dash-cam video released over a year later showed something different. McDonald moving away from Van Dyke, with his back turned, before being shot 16 times.

Do you think you would have gotten a conviction here if not for the existence of -- of that dash-cam video? MCMAHON: No. The narrative would have been dictated and controlled,

really, by members of the Chicago Police Department. It was horrific, what happened to Laquan McDonald.

HUNTER: It was a lynching. That's what you saw with Laquan McDonald. They were invoking fear. This is what you do when you get out of line. This is what you do when you do anything other than what we tell you.

JIMENEZ: Some of those same wounds are now being re-opened years later as the man responsible for them walks free.

MCMAHON: After Laquan had been shot 16 times, he was left to die in the middle of the street and there were at least a dozen members of the Chicago Police Department who were standing there, and not a single police officer rendered aid.

[23:55:13]

HUNTER: They reduced this boy to a second-class citizen by saying that, no matter what happened to him and how he suffered, we're not going to take his suffering into consideration. That is not how the justice system in this country was designed to be. If you are wrong, you should pay for what you've done.

JIMENEZ: The question now is, will that payment end with this sentence having been served? Or will there be new federal charges? A spokesperson for the Department of Justice acknowledged receiving the letter from the NAACP, along with a similar one from both of Illinois's U.S. Senators and says the department is currently reviewing the information. Don.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: Omar, thank you so much. And thank you for watching, everyone. Our coverage continues.

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