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Deadly Blast Rocks Turkey; Donald Trump Speaking to Large Crowds in Georgia; Bernie Sanders to Hold Rally in Boulder, Colorado; Battle Over House Leadership; Surveillance Show Student Kicked, Tased Before Death; Democratic Candidates Gear Up for Debate; South Carolina City to Pay Victim's Family $6.5 Million; Israel to Boost Police Presence in Jerusalem. Aired 1-2p ET

Aired October 10, 2015 - 13:00   ET

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

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Breaking News.

[13:00:16] MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Hello. Thank you for joining me. I'm Martin Savidge in for Fredricka Whitfield who is off today.

Let's begin with the breaking news, that is out of Turkey. The Turkish prime minister says ISIS or other terrorist groups could be behind today's deadly blast in Ankara. The death toll rising to 86 after that huge explosion at a peace rally in the heart of the country's capital. At least 186 others injured according to the Turkish Health Ministry.

The bomb blast was caught on video.

You can feel that blast, even in the video. CNN's senior international correspondent, Arwa Damon, has more on the aftermath from Turkey.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ARWA DAMON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: This is the scene of where the explosions took place. Forensic teams now on the ground, the police have it cordoned off.

You can see the force of the blast and the fact that the windows were blown out on the train station and people said that the sheer force of the explosions shook buildings for quite a distance around.

Many people very concerned at this stage that the death toll is only going to rise. People are coming, stopping, looking at the scene. Everyone around us right now, very somber at this stage. The country very much reeling from the impact of this. Very, very concerned about what it means and whether or not there will be more violence. And of course, the families and loved ones of those who perished in this attack understandably right now in mourning along with the entire nation.

The Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu coming out and declaring a three- day mourning period. And in a press conference, where he also vowed to bring the perpetrators of this attack to justice, saying that, initial reports -- or he was saying, specifically, it has been reported that there were two suicide attacks. So not 100 percent confirmed, but it does seem at this stage as if the government is speculating and seems to believe that these were two attacks carried out by suicide bombers.

The prime minister also calling for solidarity, urging people, leading figures to try to refrain from potentially inflammatory rhetoric. The country is at a very sensitive stage, politically speaking, with another round of parliamentary elections coming up on November 1st.

Arwa Damon, CNN, Ankara.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAVIDGE: In this country, tons of action in the race for 2016. And we are just three days away until the first Democratic debate. But first, let's talk about Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump.

Right now Trump is speaking to thousands at an event near Atlanta, Georgia, and we've got team coverage. CNN's Sunlen Serfaty is in Boulder, but first we're going to start with our MJ Lee. She is outside Atlanta, at the Trump event.

And MJ, Trump is still speaking right now. What's he been saying?

MJ LEE, CNN POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: This is quite the campaign rally. There are easily thousands and thousands of people packed into this sweltering event space. And yes, Donald Trump is still speaking, giving his typical stump speech that we have heard him give over and over again. He has gone after some of his rivals, including -- Jeb Bush, rather, Marco Rubio, Hillary Clinton. He has also gone hard after the media calling the media dishonest.

Maybe the more interesting moment, though, from today came behind the stage, backstage when Donald Trump met with a group of African- American pastors before addressing reporters. It was interesting because of the fact that he has been, you know, faced with some questions about whether he is racist, whether he needs to have better relations with minority communities.

Here's something that the pastor who organized this event, Darrel Scott from Cleveland, here's what he said to reporters behind the stage a few minutes ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DARREL SCOTT, PASTOR, NEW SPIRIT REVIVAL CENTER: I also want to dispel this -- no knock to you guys -- media-created notion that Donald Trump is a racist. He is not a racist. We're not here as token blacks to support him. We're here because we want to be here. We're concerned about the direction of this country. And we believe in this man and his leadership.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEE: So clearly, very hopeful for Trump politically to get this kind of public support. Again, he met with a group of African-American pastors and you heard him say there, that he doesn't believe that Trump is racist.

SAVIDGE: MJ, I don't know if you can hear me, but there were some headlines today that perhaps Donald Trump was looking for a way out and he seemed to emphatically say, no, is that right?

[13:05:05] LEE: Yes, he's being absolutely clear on this, that he is not looking to get out of the race. He told reporters that he is in it to win it, that he is in it for the long haul. Let's listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They said, is there any time at which you'd get out? And I said, yes, if I was doing really badly in the polls. If I could see I wasn't going to win, if I saw that things were not going well, if you didn't even call me anymore, Katie, because you say, it's over. Then I would absolutely, I would certainly consider, I'd get killed. They all said, oh, Trump might leave.

On the record, I'm not going anywhere. I'm leading in every single poll.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEE: And to put those comments into context, remember, we're in the state of Georgia right now. This is the first time that Trump is campaigning here. It's important to keep in mind that Georgia is one of the many states that will participate in the Super Tuesday primaries. Many states will be participating on that day. So it's clearly a signal from Trump that he's in it for the long haul, that he's thinking about not just the early states like Iowa and New Hampshire, but he wants to make sure that he's making inroads in a state like Georgia, which will be competing in March. A little further down in the cycle.

SAVIDGE: Yes, it does suggest that he's looking politically down the road a bit.

All right, MJ Lee, thank you very much for that report.

Let's turn to the Democratic side. Bernie Sanders is preparing for a big rally in Boulder, Colorado. That's going to be in just a few hours. This after he was greeted by 13,000 supporters last night in Tucson, Arizona.

Sunlen Serfaty is in Boulder, and Sunlen, Bernie Sanders has been very outspoken about reforming gun laws since the campus shooting in Oregon. I would imagine we're going to hear that theme again today.

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Martin. This is interesting to see Bernie Sanders really try to align himself a little bit more with the Democratic base, in advance of next week's debate. Hillary Clinton on different issues is doing the same thing. So it's interesting last night in Tucson to hear Sanders really deviate from his stump speech and to vote a significant amount of time talking about his own evolution on gun control.

You know, this is one issue where Hillary Clinton actually runs to the left of him. He's much more moderate. So in front of that crowd last night in Tucson, he admitted that he has been conservative on the issue, but talked about how he wants to sharpen, expand the background checks and really close gun show loopholes, specifically, he mentioned that.

Here's more of what he said last night in Tucson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: While yes, there are disagreements of how we go forward, in terms of gun safety, I think the vast majority of the American people want us to move forward in sensible ways, which keeps guns out of the hands of people who should not have that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SERFATY: Now, today here in Boulder, Colorado, Bernie Sanders will speak in about four hours. But I have to show you one thing that really has defined the Sanders campaign are these large crowds, as you can see here. The first person started lining up here, five hours before the event. They expect a large crowd here. The Sanders' campaign touting that this event had to be moved to a larger venue to accommodate what they hope will be 10,000 people to come out here today.

Certainly, the campaign wanting to create this image of momentum, this image of energy, sending Bernie Sanders into the debate next week with a lot of that momentum behind him -- Martin.

SAVIDGE: Feeling the burn, I think is the phrase that many of his supporters use.

Let's talk about the debate coming up, three days from now, on CNN. And I'm wondering, have you heard how Mr. Sanders is preparing?

SERFATY: He's preparing, Martin, in really an atypical way for a presidential candidate. Most candidates will go through mock debates, stand at a podium and practice against someone standing at another podium. But not so for Bernie Sanders. He's really shying away from any sort of formalized debate prep at a podium. No one is playing Hillary Clinton. His campaign advisers tell me that he is studying up. He's going over briefing books, he's calling experts, really digging in on the policy issues.

And the campaign has made clear that they know that this candidate is one that does not attack people, so he's not going to do any one-line zingers against Hillary Clinton on stage, he's not preparing for that, but he is preparing to draw policy distinctions with Clinton. And we saw a little preview of that today -- earlier today when the Sanders campaign out of the blue sent out an e-mail with a link to Bernie Sanders' 2002 floor speech in the Senate in his opposition to the Iraq war.

This is a big difference between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. He was not in support of the war. She was. She's later said she regrets that vote. But clearly, this is just a little preview, a little hint of the sort of argument that Bernie Sanders will bring up there on stage against Hillary Clinton -- Martin.

[13:10:04] SAVIDGE: A little bit of political foreshadowing there.

Sunlen Serfaty, thank you very much.

And of course, all of that leads to the big promotion. You've got to watch the first Democratic presidential debate. It's going to be right here on CNN. It's Tuesday and it's 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

Ahead, several Republican lawmakers doing everything to try to convince Paul Ryan to run for House speaker. It's a job wide open. Why does nobody want it? Well, we'll see if their courting will be enough. And if it is, will the House come together to support him? The battle over leadership, that's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAVIDGE: A courtship is happening right now on Capitol Hill, as the GOP searches for a new speaker of the House. You wouldn't normally think that's a tough job to fill, but it is, extremely hard. Many are setting their sights on Paul Ryan, even John Boehner says he'd be a great fit. And that could be part of the problem for Paul Ryan, because when John Boehner supports you, well, he's the last guy who had the job.

Last hour, I spoke to Representative Walter Jones about just that.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REP. WALTER JONES (R), NORTH CAROLINA: And we don't need John Boehner to pick his replacement. He tried to do that with Kevin McCarthy. He's somewhat behind this movement to bring Paul Ryan in to replace him. Let the -- the will of the conference, let the conference speak and choose the candidate. My candidate is Dan Webster from Florida. But there are other qualified candidates.

SAVIDGE: And you are a member, I should point out, of the Liberty Caucus, is that correct?

JONES: Yes, sir, right.

SAVIDGE: Yes. And so when you talk about Paul Ryan and you make reference to John Boehner and the similarities, I, too, thought the same thing, that there doesn't seem to be that much of a political divide between the two. And this seems to be what, perhaps, is going to be a point of contention, if, in fact, Ryan does come and run.

JONES: Well, Martin -- Martin, you're right. Let's take, for example, a recent vote. The Trade Promotion Authority, TPA. [13:15:06] The majority of us who are conservative and even centrist

types, we were opposed to that. And I saw that action on the floor when the rule to set up the debate on the TPA, Trade Promotion Authority, and how they used the influence of the majority office and the speaker's office to encourage people not to vote for the rule, which set up the debate on the TPA. And this is just going to be an extension of John Boehner's policies. And that's why you've got so much distrust out there and across this nation.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAVIDGE: And some very interesting insight there because we sort of laid the foundation that this is a battle over procedure, and maybe not necessarily over personalities. But I'll get into that in a minute.

Joining me to discuss is CNN political commentator, Jeffrey Lord. He's back again. And Ellis Henican, columnist and co-author of "The Party's Over."

Let's start with Jeffrey. Paul Ryan, do you think he can unite this party? Or do you think that Representative Jones is right?

JEFFREY LORD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I do think Representative Jones is right. If Paul Ryan, who is a wonderful guy and a good congressman, but I have to say, if he becomes speaker, this is the same problem, and Congressman Jones has put his finger on it exactly. A good member -- number of these members want change. They do not want John Boehner 2.0. So if that's what Paul Ryan intends to be, then there is a problem.

SAVIDGE: And I guess for Democrats, Ellis, the concern could be that Ryan does seem, like Boehner, a person who has been able, when the need is right, to reach across the aisle. Do you think he's the best choice for Republicans? From a Democratic perspective.

ELLIS HENICAN, COLUMNIST AND CO-AUTHOR, "THE PARTY'S OVER": You mean he actually wants to govern, huh? That kind of makes him an outlier in this crowd a little bit.

SAVIDGE: Yes, right.

HENICAN: Martin, you mentioned two P's, procedure and personality. I'll give you a third one. It's principle. And that's really the problem here is that everyone, almost everyone in the caucus, believes that everyone issue, every debate, every leadership choice, is a matter of deep, deep moral principle. And when you've got people locked in like that, very, very hard to find a lot of coalition there.

SAVIDGE: Well, I'm not sure -- I mean, some of these, like the Liberty Coalition and others, they do point out that it's the procedure thing. They weren't real keen with John Boehner coming in and telling them how they got to vote or what's going to happen. And they felt that, well, they're supposed to represent the communities from which they were elected. So I'm thinking here, Jeffrey Lord, that this battle could drag out for a while. LORD: Yes, exactly, it could. And that is the question here. I

mean, what happens is, I used to work in the House, what, years ago, and was involved in a leadership battle, as a matter of fact. And what happens is, you get people who feel they're being instructed by the leadership to vote for A, B, or C, when their constituents are telling them to vote for X, Y, or Z. So who are they supposed to listen to?

Of course, the good ones want to listen to their constituents. I mean, their literal title is representative.

SAVIDGE: Correct.

LORD: So that is a battle here. And there's no question about it.

SAVIDGE: Now, Ellis, the Democrats, of course, can be gleefully rubbing their hands and watching the Republicans sort of fall apart. But there are some very serious votes coming up. And if the Republicans are in disarray, it could mean serious trouble for this nation. So Democrats need to be worried, right?

HENICAN: Yes, you know, we're all a little torn, honestly. I mean, it's nothing more fun than watching your opponents light their hair on fire. But, yes, you're absolutely right. I mean, there's some real stuff here. You know, including actually keeping the government operating. So in the end, listen, I mean, I guess I'm an American quicker than I'm a Democrat, so I'd like them to work it out in some reasonable way, but yes, it's hard not to enjoy some of the pyrotechnics.

SAVIDGE: And Jeffrey, isn't it some of these smaller groups, we have to compromise at some point. I mean, we are a nation where compromise is considered key.

LORD: Right. Well, they have to. I mean, what we need here is leverage, to borrow a phrase from somebody who's running for president, they need to understand the art of the deal, and they need to be good negotiators here and get as much as they can, get that 80 percent that Ronald Reagan used to talk about, and then come back for more. But they need to insist and they need stand firm here. President Reagan was one to get up and walk away from the negotiating table if he felt things were not going well. They need to have that kind of pressure on their caucus, and I suspect they will.

SAVIDGE: Ellis, last word, do you think this is going to impact next year's election?

HENICAN: Sure, it's got to. Jeffrey talks about all the things they need to do. I sure think they do, but I don't think they agree with that. They think they need to stick with those rigid principles, no matter what.

SAVIDGE: Well, it's sure interesting to watch, if I wasn't so worried about what could happen in the future.

[13:20:02] Jeffrey Lord and Ellis Henican, thank you both for joining me.

LORD: Thanks, Martin. Thanks, Ellis.

SAVIDGE: There you go. Hands across the phone.

Newly released video showing a young man's violent fight with police. This happened moments before he was found dead in a jail cell. We'll talk about the implications next in a trial.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAVIDGE: And we're going to take you live to Washington to show you what is going on there today. That's Louis Farrakhan. Crowds are gathering in Washington to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the -- Million Man March, excuse me.

The Nation of Islam minister, Louis Farrakhan, called for the original march as a day of healing for the black community. That was back in 1995, of course. Farrakhan is again calling for the mass gathering, this time for a theme of, quote, "Justice or Else." Trayvon Martin's mother is expected to be among those attending.

It's been a violent week on both sides as Israelis and Palestinians clash over restrictions on a holy site. And today new attacks in Jerusalem and Gaza. An Israeli spokesperson says a Palestinian attacker was killed after stabbing two Israeli policemen. And earlier an Israeli or Israeli authorities say that a Palestinian was killed after stabbing two Jews. Authorities say two Palestinians were also killed in Gaza clashes and another Palestinian was killed in an East Jerusalem refugee camp.

[13:25:05] The Secret Service agent credited with saving President Reagan's life in 1981 has died. Jerry Parr was 85. He died of congestive heart failure. In a statement, Nancy Reagan said in part, "Jerry Parr was one of my true heroes. Without Jerry looking out for Ronnie on March 30th, 1981, I would have certainly lost my best friend and roommate to an assassin's bullet," unquote.

And for the first time, we are seeing surveillance video of a young African-American man in police custody, moments before he was found dead, strapped to a restraint chair in a jail cell. This new video shows 21-year-old Matthew Ajibade the violent battle that he had with police. And at one point grabbing a taser from an officer before being punched and then kicked in the head.

CNN correspondent Nick Valencia spoke with the family of Ajibade and also with his attorney and he joins me now with more on this story.

And it's been a controversy going on for some time.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It certainly has. And the family believes that this case has been shrouded in secrecy. They've been wanting to get their hands on this video for nine months. And it's this video that jurors will use to determine the fate of three Georgia deputies charged in the death of 21-year-old Matthew Ajibade, a college student who died while in custody. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VALENCIA (voice-over): This police surveillance footage from the night of January 1st in Savannah shows 21-year-old Matthew Ajibade after he's arrested for a domestic dispute with his girlfriend. In a long awaited video seen for the first time, Ajibade, diagnosed as bipolar according to his family, appears agitated and resists with police during what his family calls a medical episode.

Seen here, he thrashes on the ground after deputies wrestle him down. At one point a deputy enters the scuffle with a taser, but Ajibade is able to grab it. Then the situation escalates. Ajibade is struck in the head several times. He is eventually hogtied and dragged off camera. It's the last images of him alive. Hours later he dies in a Chatham County jail cell. The family attorney says the video shows officers went too far.

MARK O'MARA, AJIBADE FAMILY ATTORNEY: There has been this philosophy of disrespect and then of covering up for it.

VALENCIA: But in court this week, the jail supervisor at the time of the incident says the video stands in favor of the officers.

DEBORAH JOHNSON, FORMER SHERIFF'S DEPUTY, CHATHAM COUNTY, GEORGIA: It appeared that he punched the subject because he had a weapon in his hand at that time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That force is justified?

JOHNSON: That force is considered to be justified, yes, sir.

VALENCIA: Nine deputies were fired as a result of the incident. Two charged have been with involuntary manslaughter as well as a nurse who was accused of not checking on the inmate's well-being as is required by state law.

CHRIS OLADAPO, COUSIN OF MATTHEW AJIBADE: It's painful just talking about it.

VALENCIA: Ajibade's cousin told CNN the entire incident has been shrouded in secrecy.

OLADAPO: The whole world actually got the news the same time the family did. It's just not American.

VALENCIA: Was it excessive force or was it justified? That's the question jurors will attempt to answer in a manslaughter trial that is just beginning.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VALENCIA: CNN reached out to the attorneys for the three defendants on trial. Only one of them so far has gotten back to us to say that it was not incumbent on his client to check on the well-being of Ajibade, that all deputies present that day had that responsibility. He believes that the charges are not warranted -- Martin. SAVIDGE: Nick, thank you very much for that.

Coming up, Democratic candidates will face off for the very first time Tuesday night right here on CNN. We'll talk about what they must do to stand up to Hillary Clinton and what Clinton must do to maintain her lead in the polls.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:30:16] SAVIDGE: Morning rates were mixed this week. Have a look.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAVIDGE: It's always a good time to remind you, we're just three days away from the first Democratic debate. That will be right here on CNN Tuesday night. Five candidates will take the stage to convince you why they should be president. That's right, I said five, because Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders aren't the only ones that are in this race. Three other people are running. Even though they don't often make the big headlines.

Poppy Harlow takes a look at where they stand on the key issues.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POPPY HARLOW, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chances are you know her. And you know him. But do you know them? Martin O'Malley, Lincoln Chafee and Jim Webb. They don't always make the campaign headlines, but all three will share the stage with Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders come Tuesday night.

MARTIN O'MALLEY (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Weather vanes kind of shift in the wind. I know where I stand.

HARLOW: Let's start with Martin O'Malley. You could say the married father of four who was born in Washington, D.C. was tailor made for a career in politics. At only 20, O'Malley left college briefly to work on the presidential campaign of Colorado Senator Gary Hart and by 28 was ready for office himself winning a seat on the Baltimore City council. From there his political aspirations grew. First, mayor of Baltimore, then governor of Maryland.

But here's something you probably didn't know about Martin O'Malley. He's fronted a rock band. And he even used his guitar skills to tease his presidential bid.

On the issues, gun control, O'Malley wants stronger expanded background checks, an assault weapons ban plus a limit on the size of gun magazines. On immigration he supports a path to citizenship. And on climate change, O'Malley says it is real and a real threat. He wants stronger regulation of greenhouse gas emissions.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST, THE SITUATION ROOM: Lincoln Chafee, the one- time Republican U.S. senator then independent governor of Rhode Island, has just announced he is running. HARLOW: Next, Lincoln Chafee, a former mayor of Warwick and a U.S.

senator from Rhode Island who was a Republican then, but he became an independent in 2007 as governor. But now, he wants to be the next president as a Democrat.

On the issues, health care. Chafee not only likes Obamacare, but if president, says he would take it a step further pushing for even more Americans to be fully covered. On defeating ISIS, Chafee opposes American boots on the ground in Syria, but insists America must forge stronger alliances in the Middle East.

In 2002, Chafee was the only Senate Republican to vote against war in Iraq. On social issues, Chafee supports a woman's right to choose to have an abortion and supports same-sex marriage.

JIM WEBB (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'm un-bought and I am un- bossed.

[13:35:00] HARLOW: And then there's Jim Webb, a highly decorated Marine veteran, former secretary of the Navy, former U.S. senator from Virginia, author, teacher, husband and father of six. On the issues, climate change, Webb wants to limit the Environmental Protection Agency's power to regulate emission and supports the Keystone Pipeline and energy expansion.

Immigration reform, he wants to see a path to citizenship, but says the border must be secured first. On prison reform, Webb wants there to be more focus on treating mental illness and drug addiction and would push for more dialogue on ways to reduce the high rates of incarceration among minorities.

Poppy Harlow, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAVIDGE: Thank you, Poppy.

Well, here to help us break all of this down, the candidates, the challenges, and the debate, we've got Democratic strategist, Nomiki Konst, and political columnist, Ellis Henican.

All right. Let me start with the polls. That right now are showing that Clinton is still way ahead. And let's just take a look at the latest. This one is from Barley Dickinson University. Clinton's got 45 percent. Sanders, 23 percent. Oh, and Joe Biden, 17 percent. I think that's amazing.

Nomiki, does this debate really stand to help Clinton or I'm thinking that actually she might have the most to lose.

NOMIKI KONST, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: She does have the most to lose because my mistake that Clinton makes or any reaction she makes that may not sit well with an audience will be magnified. She is on stage and everybody there is going to be dancing around how to attack her, how to challenge her on issues, without seeming combative. And she has to make sure that she's positive, not defensive. And really sticks to her two types of issues.

The problem that she's facing and what most presidential candidates usually face is that she is -- she has a long record. And she's going to have to say, OK, I was -- I worked for the Biden White -- excuse me, the Obama-Biden White House, and I was part of the Trans-Pacific agreement, and now I'm against it. I am now against the Keystone Pipeline. She's -- you know, there's a lot of flip-flopping here that she's going to have to be able to answer to. And I have no doubt that Jim Webb and Lincoln Chafee are going to go hard on her because of that.

SAVIDGE: Oh, I think, absolutely.

KONST: On the other side -- I'm sorry?

SAVIDGE: I think they will absolutely. And that's why I want to jump in with Ellis and just say, you know, the issue that has stood out in the minds of those who might be on the fence when it comes to Hillary Clinton is they're not sure they trust her. And then she does this, what looks like a pretty big flip-flop.

So, Ellis, how much is that going to impact this debate and how much do you think it's going to be talked about on stage?

HENICAN: Well, risk and opportunity for all these people, you're absolutely right, guys. I mean, in the case of Hillary, it seems to me, what she needs to achieve, and she's got to start smelling like a winner again. Right? She has all these advantages, the poll numbers as you cited, Martin, and the endorsements and the money, and the expertise in terms of consultants and others.

But the last summer, she has just felt like she's stumbling. Her political skills are not so good. Her charm has been lacking. She's been clumsy. This is her next best chance to make people think, ah, yes, that's why we thought she was the inevitable nominee.

SAVIDGE: And she needs like the perfume of leadership, as you say.

All right. Well, let's talk about the leadership struggle because that is so rich for discussion. The House speakership race, many Republicans urging Paul Ryan to run, including, you know, John Boehner himself. Not sure that's a good endorsement. And so is Ryan really the so-called savior that so many congressional conservatives are calling on, Nomiki?

KONST: You know, listen, they're a House divided and if this is the one chance that they have that can bring people together, then that's great. On the Democratic side, I have no doubt that -- in the Democratic primary they're going to use that as an opportunity, Hillary is going to use that opportunity to go after Republicans because right now she's focusing on challenging Republicans rather than her opponents.

You know, they have a lot -- they have a lot to put together here right now to make sure that they can find a leader that can work with the other side and still maintain a relationship with the far right- wing.

SAVIDGE: And does this then take thunder away from the Democrats who right now are going to have their first debate?

HENICAN: A little bit, but you know, it's the best way to lose thunder, right, to have the opposing party self-emulating, right? I mean, first of all, you can make fun of it, you can remind voters that hey, these guys can't run their own party, how can they run America? And I think in the end, these debates, we're not going to get too many of them on the Democratic side. And so it's a big event.

Folks, you've got to watch. I mean, it's really important and it's the one unscripted thing we've gotten so far.

SAVIDGE: Right. I agree. I mean, I'm not trying to downplay the significance. It's highly important and you do got to watch.

But, Nomiki, let me ask you this, this divide on the Republican side, and Democrats can certainly, they might, you know, take some joy from this, there's some serious votes that have to be done and I'm wondering, are we in jeopardy, say, with things like the budget if they can't come up with the speaker?

KONST: Absolutely. The entire country is being held hostage to the extreme right-wing of the Republican Party right now. You know, they've created this disaster for themselves. It doesn't matter who's going to be their speaker, they're not going to be happy with the speaker as long as they get -- they don't get what they get.

[13:40:10] And the problem is that 75 percent of the country, 85 percent of the country, to be honest here, suffer as a result. And that's going to hurt the Republicans in the long run and I think that the Republican establishment knows that very well and they're trying to tread very lightly around the Freedom Caucus and Tea Party Caucus and whatever the next caucus is to find the leader that's going to be able to please them for four months, basically, until they're upset again, because they're not getting what they want.

SAVIDGE: Nomiki Konst, we've got to leave it there. Ellis Henican, thank you both for joining me. I know we're going to talk more. Thanks.

Don't miss the first Democratic presidential debate. It is must-see TV right here on CNN this Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. That'll be Eastern Time.

A South Carolina city is settling with the family of a man who was shot and killed by a police officer. Our legal analysts join me to discuss his alleged killer's fate. That'll be right after this.

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SAVIDGE: The family of Walter Scott and the city of Charleston, South Carolina, have reached a settlement. $6.5 million. He was unarmed when he was shot and killed running away from a police officer during a traffic stop April 4th. That shooting was caught on camera by a witness. Former police officer Michael Slager has been charged with his murder. He remains behind bars without bond.

Joining me now to discuss all of this, the legal ramifications, the defense, and everything, Phillip Holloway, who is a legal expert and analyst for CNN.

[13:45:09] Good morning. Good to see you.

PHILIP HOLLOWAY, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Good to see you.

SAVIDGE: Actually good afternoon.

HOLLOWAY: Good afternoon.

SAVIDGE: So let's talk about this case. First of all, the settlement. How does, if I'm the defense team, how do I look at this settlement that the city has given?

HOLLOWAY: Well, if you're the defense team, you've got to be sweating bullets because anybody who makes their way on to that jury is a person who is paying at least part of that very large settlement. And you're going to wonder if that juror can really be fair, Martin, if they're saying to themselves, you know, has the city really paid this much money because this guy is innocent?

No, they've paid it because they've decided that he's guilty. And by the way, why am I as a taxpayer on the hook for it? And the danger is that they will, therefore, hold that against the defendant, and it will impact his right to get a fair trial.

SAVIDGE: But the community there of North Charleston has always acted very quickly. I mean, they fired that officer the moment they saw that video. And not only fired, they charged him with murder. So I think in sort of their defense, they settled because they wanted to show that they are on this case.

HOLLOWAY: Fair point, but they could have done it confidentially. They could have made it so that you couldn't talk about it or no information could be released until the criminal trial resolved itself, because let's face it, proof beyond a reasonable doubt, Martin, is the highest burden of proof known to our legal system. In the civil system, it's just proof by a preponderance of the evidence. It's like, tilting the scales of justice, just --

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SAVIDGE: But there wasn't even a lawsuit. I don't believe that they had actually filed.

HOLLOWAY: They didn't have to file one because they settled it without a lawsuit. There was one threatened in the event they couldn't settle it. But the point is that due process is important. The police officer is presumed to be innocent. And by taking this action, the city leaders have sent this message now to the jury pool, which is going to come from that community, to be sure, that they believe that this person is guilty of a crime. And if that seeps into the jury pool, even if it's just in the back of their mind, it affects their ability to provide a fair trial to this criminal defendant.

SAVIDGE: We've got about 30 seconds. So if you were on that defense team, what would you advise, what would you do, now?

HOLLOWAY: Well, obviously, you have to do a very thorough and sifting examination of the jury pool to find out exactly what feelings people might have about the settlement, if they know about it. And even if they do, can they put it aside? And really, you just have to trust them if they say, yes, I can be fair, even though I know about it and I can put it out of their mind, you just kind of have to take them at their word and hope for the best.

SAVIDGE: No change of venue?

HOLLOWAY: Change of venue is always a possibility and I wouldn't be surprised if the defense doesn't make some motion like that.

SAVIDGE: OK. Philip Holloway, always good to see you. Thank you very much.

HOLLOWAY: My pleasure. Yes.

SAVIDGE: Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians are continuing to escalate. This after what was a very bad week of bloodshed. More attacks in Jerusalem today. We're going to go there next live.

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[13:52:06] SAVIDGE: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has just ordered police reinforcement in Jerusalem. This following violent clashes between Israelis and Palestinians. Also today two new attacks in the Old City at the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem. An Israeli police spokeswoman says that the Palestinian attacker was killed after stabbing two Israeli policemen. And earlier Israeli authorities say that a 16-year-old Palestinian was killed after stabbing two Jews.

We'll be getting a report hopefully later from Ben Wedeman to find out what is sparking this violence and the latest on the circumstances on the ground there.

Let's check top stories. Crowds are gathering in Washington today to commemorate this, the 20th anniversary of the Million Man March. The Nation of Islam minister Louis Farrakhan called for the original march as a day of healing for the black community, that was back in 1995. Farrakhan is again calling for the mass gathering this time with a theme that's slightly different. Quote, "Justice or Else." Trayvon Martin's mother will be among those attending.

An outpouring of grief last night in Flagstaff, Arizona. Thousands of students came together on that school's campus remembering Colin Brough who was shot and killed on Friday in an early morning confrontation with a student. The gunman, 18-year-old Steven Jones has been charged with murder and aggravated assault.

Now I'm told Ben Wedeman is standing by in Jerusalem.

Ben, we were talking about the violence that's taking place over this past week. More violence again today.

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, there are a variety of incidents, Martin. Two stabbing incidents in Jerusalem. The latest was when just outside the Damascus Gate of the Old City when some policemen noticed a Palestinian teenager acting strangely. They called him over to ask for his I.D. and as he reached for his I.D., he also apparently reached for a knife and stabbed three of those policemen. Now when that happened, another group of policemen nearby rushed to their assistance opening fire. They killed the attacker. But they also wounded two of the policemen in the process.

And there's also been more violence down in Gaza where there has been a second day of demonstrations in solidarity with the people of the West Bank and Jerusalem. There, two teenagers were killed in addition, of course, seven being killed yesterday in similar protests. Now we just received a statement from the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying that three police reserve companies will be deployed to Jerusalem to beef up security.

Now if you go around the Old City at the moment, however, there's already a huge police presence in the area, and really throughout Jerusalem itself in anticipation for more trouble -- Martin.

SAVIDGE: And Ben, just refresh for us, we know, of course, the historic tensions between Palestinians and Israelis. But what is sparking this latest round of violence?

[13:55:02] WEDEMAN: Well, this latest round of violence has been sparked by tensions over control of the Temple Mount or the Haram al- Sharif, a noble sanctuary, as it's known to Muslims. Many Palestinians fear that the status quo that's been in existence for decades there whereby Muslims worship on the Temple Mount in the Aqsa Mosque compound. Jews worship at the Wailing Wall. But there's no -- for instance, Jews do not enter the Temple Mount to pray. But increasingly, there's been a push by hard lined elements within Israeli society to gain greater and greater access to the mosque.

As a result, there have been Muslim activists who have been trying to prevent that. That has resulted in mounting tensions. Many Palestinian leaders claiming that Israel is going to try to divide the Temple Mount between Muslims and Jewish worshipers and they're very much oppose to that. And really that is part of the tensions. But of course as I mentioned an hour ago, the tensions are really just constant here. There's always one reason or another for them. But rarely is there a calm day in Jerusalem.

SAVIDGE: Right. It doesn't take much to bring it to the surface.

Ben Wedeman, thank you very much for that update.

The next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM starts right after this short break.

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