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Report: U.N. Reports Assad Forces Killing Civilians in Homes; Syrian Gov't Has Control of East Aleppo; UN Says Complete Meltdown of Humanity in Aleppo; Kanye West Meets with Trump; Church Gunman Manifesto Read in Court; Terminally Ill Child Dies in Santa's Arms. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired December 13, 2016 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking news on CNN. Russia now says the Syrian government has control over eastern Aleppo. This is an area once controlled by rebel fighters. We are getting word of a cease-fire to stop what is being called a complete meltdown of humanity in the country's largest city. This video tells the story. It's showing parents pushing children's bodies in some cases through these streets. These updates coming to us after these reports of Syrian forces knocking down doors, slaughtering men and women and children inside of their own homes, others shot and killed in the streets as they tried to leave. These men and women there, they're desperately taping their last good-byes and posting them online for the world to see.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE, SPEAKING FROM ALEPPO: Don't believe anymore in United Nations. Don't believe anymore in the international community. Don't think that they are not satisfied with what's going on. They are satisfied that are we are being killed. Russia doesn't want us to go out alive. They want us dead. Assad is the same exactly yesterday there were many celebrations on the other part of Aleppo. They were celebrating on our bodies. It's OK, this is life. At least we know that we were a free people. We wanted freedom. We didn't want anything else but freedom. I hope you can remember us. I don't know, thank you very much.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Joining me now, Rupert Colville, the spokesman for United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Mr. Colville, hearing these men and women contemplating suicide because they feel that could be the better option saying good-bye, what would you say to them?

RUPERT COLVILLE, THE SPOKESMAN FOR UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS: Well, of course, the situation has changed since he said that and what appears to be good news. Supposedly they'll be allowed out of the hell hole they've been in. But the sentiments are completely understandable. The international community and the U.N. Security Council, the states, the powerful states, have failed abysmally when it comes to Syria. This crisis has gone on for five years. There were hundreds of thousands of people killed, millions of refugees and it's not just Aleppo. There are many other parts of the country where there are sieged cities, towns, districts which are also in a dire state and the situation may get worse once the fighting in Aleppo is over.

BALDWIN: How hopeful are you that the cease-fire will hold?

COLVILLE: Well, it sounds that there have been many false storms, endless attempts to negotiate cease-fires and humanitarian relief for Aleppo and other besieged areas as well so it does sound more solid this time. Of course, what the opposition people are saying and what the government side and the Russians are saying as well so let's just pray this time it does hold and these poor people can get out of this dreadful shrinking death trap they've been in for days, weeks, months.

BALDWIN: Rupert Colville, thank you so much. We just have to continue shining a light on the atrocities happening in Syria. I know you're watching, you've been tweeting me. You want to help. We have a list of vetted organizations on the ground. You can go to cnn.com/impact. Quick break. We'll be right back.

[15:35:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

Surprise. Kanye west rolled through Trump tower today. The rapper and Kardashian spouse says he asked for 15 minutes, he asked for 15 minutes of the President-elect's time, so they met and walked out to reporters. Here's what they said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: Just friends. Just friends, he's a good man. We've been friends for a long time.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What did you talk about?

TRUMP: Life.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What do you have to say?

KANYE WEST, RAPPER: I just want to take a picture right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Kanye didn't have a lot to say but he took to twitter. Here's what he said, "these issues included bullying, supporting teachers, modernizing curriculum and violence in Chicago."

So, let's start there let me talk to Ben Ferguson, CNN political commentator and Marc Lamont Hill, CNN political commentator and professor at Morehouse College. Gentlemen, eenie meeny miney mo on Kanye West. What do you think about him passing through?

BEN FERGUSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think one, I am going to meet with different people, I am going to meet with people that disagree with me. I am going to meet with people and hear other ideas. I was shocked by the meeting just because there's so many other serious things that have been coming out and you're going, wait, he's meeting with who? But when you look at what Kanye tweeted out, I'm OK. Kanye has a lot of people that talked to him and I think that he thinks he represents and I think Donald Trump found that valuable for 15 minutes.

BALDWIN: There have been a lot of people who come through those golden elevators and it's not often you see the President-elect going up to meet the cameras.

MARC LAMONT HILL, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: This is Donald Trump's way of saying "I'm cool, I have black friends, here's my black right here."

BALDWIN: And they're good friends, right?

HILL: He's been to my house. But then there's the fact that Kanye West said I didn't vote but if I had I would have voted for Donald Trump so it's not even that he's necessarily of a different political persuasion.

BALDWIN: We have that sound, here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WEST: Nope, that's not it. Told you -- but I didn't tell you -- I guess I told you but if I would have voted, I would have voted on Trump."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So, he says I would have voted for Trump.

HILL: It's the wrong black guy the first time.

BALDWIN: We're getting to President Obama in just a moment.

HILL: We know the difference, I promise.

BALDWIN: Marc Lamont Hill.

FERGUSON: I'm his white friend so we're fine, we're OK.

HILL: I do like that Kanye raised these issues and said modernizing curriculum, reducing bullying, talking about substantive issues.

BALDWIN: Why do you think he cares so much about that?

HILL: I think he has consistently said those things matter. Kanye is a roller coaster but he does talk about these issues.

BALDWIN: Let's hear from the other person, President Obama sat down with Trevor Noah from "The Daily Show" and here's a clip from that interview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Going forward I worry we don't spend enough time on self-reflection about how our democracy is working and our campaign is working and how all of us I think do a better job making sure that we talk about what is at stake. For example -- because these e-mails got more attention than any policy that was being debated during the campaign.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[15:40:00] BALDWIN: So, we know that the administration they're reviewing -- interference in the elections, obviously, we know what the CIA report has been and the President is saying he wishes Americans had cared more. Hang on, hang on, I'll go to you first, I know what you're going to say. That the President would appear like he was playing politics if he were to have said more. That said, shouldn't he have raised the alarm bells more publicly?

HILL: I think the evidence was there. President Obama is correct that we should have cared more.

BALDWIN: But isn't that about the President saying hey, this is what's up?

HILL: It's about what the media chooses to represent. If we talk about Hillary's e-mails all the time but we don't talk about Donald Trump staying on a podium saying hey, Russia, please, hack us.

BALDWIN: We talked plenty about those hacks.

HILL: We did but if we talked more -- we as a nation, not we as CNN -- talked more about Donald Trump calling for Russia to hack we wouldn't be so surprised that Russia had an influence on the election.

BALDWIN: What do you think?

FERGUSON: These are people that are upset and frustrated they lost the election. They didn't lose the election over hacking or Russia and if Barack Obama had said "there's hacking going on" I don't think it would have changed the election. The fact is you lost because of many issues Hillary Clinton had trust issues with vote. You have to talk about how easy her server was to hack so they purposely didn't go there because it was a massive liability to Hillary Clinton. But the other point is this, you have an issue with Russia where they looked at hacking, not just Democrats, but Republicans but they got better stuff because of the e-mails from Podesta.

BALDWIN: Because she had a political history and Donald Trump had no --

FERGUSON: Those e-mails were more than just political history. They even said Republican stuff that was hacked was outdated and/or boring that was irrelevant. So, if you want to blame somebody for the hack, blame Podesta, blame Hillary Clinton for what she wrote. The polls show I'm right and they didn't trust.

HILL: I agree. The American people decided who they wanted to be President even though I disagree with them. They made the choice. But I do think Russia having an influence on our elections is something significant and something we should talk about. BALDWIN: Time out. That's the point where I have to draw the line.

There is no evidence to prove and/or showed a significant impact on our election.

HILL: Let's say minimal impact. Are you satisfied with that?

FERGUSON: I would concede the point Russia was trying to get information. The fact is they got good information from Hillary Clinton's campaign and they didn't get good information to hack into Republicans but they had no influence on the election at all.

BALDWIN: But even the smallest impact is not good.

HILL: And you have no basis for that claim. The CIA is saying one thing and you're saying the other thing.

FERGUSON: And the FBI is saying something different than what the CIA is saying and the CIA isn't saying it officially.

HILL: So, what's your basis of adjudicating these claims?

FERGUSON: We should be concerned about hacking. There is hacking, we should stop it, from China and Russia and every country.

BALDWIN: There's two questions. What role does Russia play in influence the election? The second is why would Russia want to have a penny in this dollar? Why would Russia want Donald Trump to win over Hillary Clinton? That may say something about the candidate and as we look at Rex Tillerson and Donald Trump's policy --

FERGUSON: That's where I say you are speculating on something that is not proven yet to be a fact that they said we are actively campaigning for Donald Trump. What we know is they hacked and got information.

BALDWIN: Do you think Russia had a presence?

FERGUSON: I don't. I think they wanted information on Hillary Clinton. I think they wanted information on Donald Trump. I think they wanted information on whoever might be the next President and that's their motive.

BALDWIN: Well, we know there will be more investigating and we'll see what happens and we'll see if Tillerson makes it through. Ben and Marc, thank you so much.

Coming up next, inside the mind of a confessed killer. This racist manifesto read allowed in court as jurors decide his face for killing nine people in a Charleston church. We'll be joined live by the reverend who had just left the church minutes before the shooting began. We'll talk about this week's testimony.

[15:45:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Jurors in the case of the Charleston church gunman sat and listened as all 2,000 words of the killer's manifesto were read in court. The writings read by an FBI agent reflect the white supremacist's views and how he wanted to start a race war. He's facing 33 federal charges including hate crimes and could be sentenced to death if convicted. A couple months ago, I went to Charleston to speak to those who were there that might. Among them reverend Norvel Goff, the presiding elder of the South Carolina district that includes Mother Emmanuel church and he spoke in that very room, in the bible study room where nine people were killed and few survived.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: This was the room. This is where he came, where people were seated around the table holding bible study.

POLLY SHEPPARD, CHURCH MASSACRE SURVIVOR: Yes. And he was invited to join them.

BALDWIN: Reverend Norvel Goff left Mother Emanuel just before the gunman entered the church through the side door.

SHEPPARD: Left to go to another meeting and that was about 7:40. My understanding the gunman was already in the parking lot.

BALDWIN: A dispatch log details the initial 911 calls from survivors that night. These chilling words show their pleas for help. "shot pastor. Female is hiding under the table. Male is reloading." the number of shots fired? So many. Were you sitting around the table or you were in the back?

SHEPPARD: I was in the last table in the back.

BALDWIN: When you prayed under that table were you asking for something?

SHEPPARD: I was asking that he wouldn't kill all of us. Yes.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Reverend Goff is joining me now. Reverend it's an honor and pleasure to have you back on, thank you so much for the time.

REVEREND NORVEL GOFF, FORMER INTERIM PASTOR, MOTHER EMANUEL AME CHURCH: Thank you for having me.

BALDWIN: We know, sir, within this courtroom there are some 30 seats being used by family members, survivors, church members including Polly Sheppard who I just talked to in that interview and I was with in Charleston. Why is it so important for all these folks within this community to sit there and be part of the trial.

GOFF: Well, I think for she is to go through what happened on that evening and for others of us who recognized the freshness of death and what took place that evening is. And for others of us who recognized the freshness of death and what took place that evening. We monitor it but we once again say to the world and particularly to the Charleston community that our faith is stronger than fear and we will stand up and say our love for humanity overtakes hate and we must be an example of bringing people together. With this racist bigot -- what this racist bigot terrorist attempted

to do is to create a race riot in Charleston, South Carolina, which he intended for it to spread throughout the country. It did not happen and we continued to work together for those who wanted to make a difference in a positive way to show that our better selves is to bring about a beloved community.

BALDWIN: You use strong language and you should and we're learning more about what he was thinking around the time of when he committed such an atrocity. Released in federal court we have handwritten notes, reverend. These are letters from the gunman to his mother and father and let me read part of it for our viewers. He wrote "I'm sorry for what I did but I had to do it. I know what I did will have repercussions on my whole family and for this I am sorry. At this moment, I miss you so very much and as childish as it sounds I wish I was in your arms." What do you make of those words?

GOFF: I make of those words that it's a troubled individual and that racism and bigotry is a learned behavior. That we here in America and around the world must continue to foster the idea and hope of a better society by being not only tolerant but teaching basically in our homes and in our communities, that we should love our neighbors as we love ourselves, and we can defuse these kinds of attitudes that exist in our various communities.

BALDWIN: It's one thing for me to read some of what he has written. It's quite another to hear from this young man himself. I want to play some of his confession video where he is being interviewed by a member of the law enforcement. In part, he's asked about remorse and he laughs. Here it was.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DYLAN ROOF, CHARLESTON CHURCH SHOOTER: I went to that church in Charleston, and uh -- I did it.

Police Officer: Did what?

ROOF: Well, I had to do it because somebody had to do something. Because black people are killing white people every day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Last question, reverend. I hear you saying, obviously, he is a troubled young man. And in talking to some members of the Charleston community, if he is ultimately convicted he could be put to death. And surprisingly, some don't want him to be. How do you feel about that?

GOFF: I think my feeling is that we must let the justice system allow itself to take us to an ultimate end. And we know what justice looks like, but in terms of forgiveness, forgiveness is a process that not only individuals must go through but also communities and this nation must go through so we cannot repeat these kinds of acts that exist in various communities. And I think, as this trial continues to move forward, we will hear more discussion about this troubled individual. But we also must look and monitor what justice looks like and how the process itself unfolds, not only here in Charleston but how we view it on the world stage.

BALDWIN: Yes, sir. Reverend Norvel Goff, thank you so much for joining me today.

One more story here, and then I'll turn things over to my colleague. We really wanted to talk about this heart-breaking story. Terminally ill 5-year-old boy died in the arms of Santa weeks before Christmas. The only silver ling is that the boy lived long enough to tell Santa he would be granting him his dying wish. We don't have a picture of the child or a name, but we have Santa Claus himself. Eric Schmitt- Matzen. He joins me on the phone. Eric, I have to tell you, I watched this video, and I was weeping in my office earlier today. I just want to thank you for the time. And I want you to -- let's begin with you tell me about that phone call, about going to see this little boy.

SANTA CLAUS ERIC SCHMITT-MATZEN: I'm sorry. Tell you about the phone call?

BALDWIN: Tell me about the phone call you got to see this special child.

SCHMITT-MATZEN: It was just -- I was driving home from work. I got a call from a nurse that I have done pictures for her kids with before. And she informed me that they had a child at a hospital that was in -- that was going to be passing soon, and he was more concerned about missing Christmas than dying. She wanted to know if I could come see him.

BALDWIN: More concerned about missing Christmas.

SCHMITT-MATZEN: I needed to come now.

BALDWIN: In your Santa suspenders. The child was so hanging on that you couldn't put on the full Santa suit. How long have you been Santa Claus in your community? Years and years?

SCHMITT-MATZEN: No. I was drafted by the church like most of us for three years. Then I've done it professionally for six.

BALDWIN: So, the conversation that you had with this little boy, you get to the hospital, and you pick him up?

SCHMITT-MATZEN: No, I don't pick him up. He is laying back in a -- on his pillow there. And -- you want to know what the conversation was? Is that what you're asking?

BALDWIN: Yes, please.

SCHMITT-MATZEN: I just -- first I talked to the parents and said, you know, if I got to go in here and I got to make the child happy and laugh and try to make him forget about his woes, you know. And I know you're in a -- in a bad way right now, because they were all pretty much sobbing already, you know. I says, but I can't do that if you're in there crying as well, you know. And I said, if you -- if you feel -- you're welcome in there, but if you feel like you're going to lose it, come on out in the hallway and afterwards I'll stand out in the hallway and I'll cry with you.

But as far as in the room, we've got to keep it together and be smiling, you know? So, they handed me the present. I walked in the room. And he was kind of lying there with, you know, just like half -- looked like he was about half asleep. Eyelids half closed. I took a couple of steps and looked back behind me and none of the family elected to come in the room with me. I don't blame them. I got in there. I just -- I turned back around, I saw him. His eyes opened. He saw me. And I did my ho, ho, ho, merry Christmas. How are you today? What's this I hear to you think you're going to miss Christmas?

And he looked up and he goes, they tell me I'm dying. I said, well you're not going to miss Christmas. He said he mails me this present for you a long time ago. We know you've been wanting this for a long time. And I brought it to him. I sat down on the side of the bed with him. He opened -- he tried to open the present. He was having a hard time. Didn't have much strength. So, I helped him out with it. Got it opened. He looked at it. He saw it was a patrol character. That put a smile on his face. He kind of just laid back on the pillow and looked back up to me. He says, they say I'm dying. That's the second time he said it to me. I looked at him and said, well, can you do me a favor? He says, sure.

I says, when you get to those pearly gates, you tell them that you're Santa's number one elf. He says, I am? I said, sure you are. I said they'll let you right in those gates. And he -- he just kind of sat up, put his arms around him. I put my arms around him. He looked up at me and he said, can you help me, Santa? He says Santa, can you help me? That's what it was. Santa, can you help me? I just hugged him in tight and right about then I felt him pass.

He passed in your arms. I looked was he passed out or was he dead. He had gone. Looked up at the ceiling, looked back to the window where the --

BALDWIN: Eric, thank you so much. Forgive me. I am unfortunately out of time but I really wanted to hear the end of the story. You are a tremendous human being. Thank you so much for doing that and thank you for sharing it with our viewers here on CNN. We'll be right back.