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One Man Dead After Truck Hits People At Pride Parade; New Bipartisan Infrastructure Package Picking Up Steam; Interview With Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) About The Infrastructure Bill; Exploring The January 6th Insurrection; GOP Figures; Weekend Shootings; Chauvin To Be Sentenced; CNN Heroes. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired June 20, 2021 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:00:00]

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: And thank you for joining me today. I'm Jessica Dean. CNN NEWSROOM continues right now with Jim Acosta.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington.

And just into CNN, a new look at the scene of this weekend's parade tragedy in South Florida. This is Wilton Manors, a few miles from Fort Lauderdale. That's where the city's Pride Parade was just getting under way on Saturday when a pickup truck drove into a group of people. One man is dead, another is badly hurt. The driver of the truck is cooperating with police.

Let's get right to CNN's Natasha Chen, she is right near Wilton Manors.

Natasha, this happened right in front of the county sheriff and a U.S. congresswoman. What are police saying about this incident? Do we think this was a deliberate attack or just an accident?

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, Jim, we're getting a couple of new updates within the past hour now. The latest from Wilton Manors Police who are saying that they now -- they now determined that this was not intentional. That this was a tragic accident is the update they've just put out there.

The Fort Lauderdale Police also put out a statement within the past hour kind of describing the details of what happened saying that this was a 77-year-old driver who was chosen to drive this truck in the parade because his ailments prevented him from walking in the procession. So as the truck was starting to move forward at the beginning of the parade it suddenly accelerated and that's when witnesses saw this truck actually plow across the street and into that garden center.

I'm going to step this way so you can see that yellow tape that's up right now. That truck went right through there and in the process struck two pedestrians, police said. One of whom passed away and the other whom is expected to survive is still in the hospital. As you mentioned right at the top, you know, there were law enforcement and Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz who were all right here at the time, ready to celebrate, ready to be part of the parade.

And they witnessed this. And part of the reason, you know, there was such quick action is because there were a lot of first responders right here who jumped up to help. The police in Fort Lauderdale did also say that they did a DUI investigation, that they did not see signs of impairment on the scene. And so, again, they are talking about this being a tragic accident.

We've also been speaking with the Fort Lauderdale Gay Men's Chorus. They are Florida's longest established gay men's chorus and they are so devastated right now because the victims involved as well as the driver are all members of the chorus. You can imagine this tight-knit group, about half of the members were here to be part of this joyful event, and now they are mourning the loss of one of their own and just dealing with all of this tragedy, Jim.

ACOSTA: So sad to see that news there in Florida.

Natasha Chen, thanks for keeping us posted on that.

Now to Washington, momentum is gaining on Capitol Hill for a bipartisan deal, that's right, a bipartisan deal, on infrastructure. The $1.2 trillion proposal would overhaul the country's deteriorating roads and bridges among other things. It's something that must get done and it appears we're closer now to a deal than ever before. Twenty-one senators are on board, including Republican Senator Lindsey Graham.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): I think the difference between this negotiation and the earlier negotiation is that we're willing to add more new money to infrastructure in this package, and I am hopeful that the White House and Joe Biden stay involved we can get there.

I would just say this. President Biden, if you want an infrastructure deal of a trillion dollars, it's there for the taking. You just need to get involved and lead.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And CNN's Suzanne Malveaux joins us up on Capitol Hill.

Suzanne, it seems too good to be true. A bipartisan deal. Is this actually going to happen?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We'll see, Jim.

(LAUGHTER)

ACOSTA: Right.

MALVEAUX: I mean, we're not going to hold our breath just quite yet here. But the indications are looking good. The signs are looking good potentially that there may be a breakthrough here. I mean, Senator Bernie Sanders talked to our Dana Bash earlier this morning and essentially he is rolling out in his role as the powerful chair of the Senate Banking Committee a $6 trillion reconciliation package.

That's a Democratic only package, of course, and it goes beyond the physical infrastructure ideas. It's not just roads and bridges and broadband, but also what they call human infrastructure. Medicare, dealing with immigration, climate change, things of that nature. Well, Senator Sanders has already heard from moderate Democrats like Joe Manchin and Jeanne Shaheen, John Tester. They're not going to go for that price tag.

It does seem to me as if Senator Sanders is acknowledging in some way that this goal that he is putting for this plan is aspirational. Take a listen.

[16:05:10]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. BERNIE SANDERS (I-VT): You know, I sometimes think we get boggled down in numbers. And that's important but we've got to look at what the needs are of the American people. What's going on right now.

And what is going on right now, so all that the president is doing, all I am doing is taking a look at reality for working families, understand their needs have been ignored for decades. Now it is time to create good-paying jobs, millions of good-paying jobs addressing health care, housing, infrastructure.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

MALVEAUX: So, Jim, what's more likely that folks will sign on is the bipartisan proposal. Just a couple of highlights of that, in a draft framework, $110 billion in new spending for bridges and roads. $73 billion to expand power infrastructure. $66 billion passenger and freight rail. $65 billion to expand broadband and more than $48 billion for public transit.

These are the kinds of things that there is bipartisan, for the most part, consensus. And one of the ways that they are talking about paying for this which is also of course a hot-button issue, a debate if you will, is using the unused COVID relief funds to potentially fund what is an infrastructure package, the physical infrastructure package that many of the lawmakers feel that they would be able to support -- Jim.

ACOSTA: Sounds like a lot of hurdles between now and President Biden's desk.

Suzanne Malveaux, thanks so much for that. We appreciate it.

President Biden says he will respond to the Senate's bipartisan infrastructure proposal tomorrow. And he does have some political capital to spend here. A Monmouth poll finds most Americans support his infrastructure plan nearly 7 in 10.

And joining me now is Democratic Congressman Seth Moulton of Massachusetts. So, Congressman, thanks so much for joining us. What do you think? I

mean, the word bipartisan almost sounds foreign here in Washington, D.C. do you see a bipartisan plan at this point that you could support? What about the one that's floating around in the Senate right now?

REP. SETH MOULTON (D-MA): Well, I'm all for bipartisanship, and it's important in Washington. I'm proud of the bipartisan bills that I've been able to pass in my time as a member of Congress. But I'm not for bipartisanship if it's just a race to the bottom. And what we've seen often from Republicans on infrastructure is that they just want to fill the last generation's potholes. Not invest in the next generation's infrastructure, things like high-speed broadband, high- speed rail.

That's the way to the future. So at the end of the day, what matters here is not just the amount on the bill, not the quantity, but the quality. What is the substance of this. If we're going to invest in future infrastructure, I'm all in. If we're just going to invest in the past, then we need to go it alone as Democrats.

ACOSTA: Well, patching potholes can be a good thing especially when we have so many. But let me ask you. I know you want increased funding for high-speed rail. Is that a sticking point for you if it's not in the final legislation and might we see other members of the House Democratic Caucus balk at that?

MOULTON: It absolutely is. And Jim, look, if we just invest in more roads, we will have more congestion. If we just put a lot of electric vehicles on the highway, we're going to have silent traffic jams. We'll still going to be stuck in traffic. The rest of the world is investing in things like high-speed rail to give Americans freedom to travel how they want. To go 250 miles per hour to your destination, not a max of 70, and most likely stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

So if you're filling potholes and you're just encouraging more people to drive, this is going to actually make things worse. And now we're not even talking about the climate implications here. Congestion means more carbon in the atmosphere. So we've got to think about how we can invest to make sure we're doing right by the climate. We've all seen the crazy weather that is happening all over the world, all over America right now with that drought out west.

This is a chance to do the right thing for the future. It's a generational opportunity to invest in infrastructure. We can't squander it by investing just in the last generation's infrastructure.

ACOSTA: I want to ask you about how the lawmakers are hammering out a deal in the Senate that apparently will not raise taxes. And the chairs of the House Problem Solvers Caucus told CNN this morning that nothing is off the table, including a gas tax. Let's listen to that and talk about it on the other side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: You heard Senator Sanders say he doesn't support anything that would raise the gas tax. We've heard that from President Biden as well. Tying it to inflation is another nonstarter for them. But your fellow Republicans are largely saying they don't want to raise taxes on corporations to pay for it. So what's the solution here?

REP. BRIAN FITZPATRICK (R-PA): We've addressed the pay-fors, we've done it without any tax increases. Now should everything be on the table? Of course it should be because that's part of compromise.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And these negotiations come as leaked IRS files reveal that the wealthiest Americans are paying very little in federal taxes.

[16:10:06]

This is just outrageous to a lot of Americans, Congressman. Is there a direct correlation do you think between these billionaires going virtually untaxed and the U.S. not having enough money to pave roads? It sounds like we could have some potholes and maybe some high-speed rail if we were to start taxing some of these billionaires.

MOULTON: I mean, absolutely. I think it's outrageous as an American taxpayer myself. It sounds like I paid more in federal taxes than Jeff Bezos. Probably just about everyone watching your program right now paid more in federal taxes than some of the wealthiest Americans, some of the wealthiest people on the planet.

That's absurd. And if we're not going to pay for this infrastructure bill today, it just means we're passing on the bill to our kids and our grandkids. I mean, on Father's Day, the last thing I want to do is pass a bill for our infrastructure to my two daughters. That's wrong. So let's find some political courage here to do the right thing and recognize that we've got to pay for what we invest in.

The good news about infrastructure is that you will get good economic returns. So let's pay for it and understand that eventually it will pay us back. But I'm not just going to send that bill to our kids.

ACOSTA: And I've got to ask you about January 6th. You wrote an op-ed for CNN during the insurrection. You said, quote, let me put this up on screen, "As I write this I am sheltering in the Capitol complex with the rest of Congress.

We were rushed here by the Capitol Police from our offices in the House floor as these terrorists stormed the building and started weaving through the corridors. This is no protest. This is anarchy. It's domestic terrorism. The people who are in the building right now are traitors to our nation."

This week, as you know, Congressman, 21 of your Republican colleagues voted against awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to officers who defended the Capitol on January 6th. What would you say to them, and what do you say to some of these members who are floating this wacky FBI false flag conspiracy theory? MOULTON: They are trying to whitewash history. And they are traitors.

They are a domestic terrorist, the people who attacked us in the Capitol, who attacked the seat of government. All with the intention of undermining the election. Undermining the will of the American people. And frankly, if you're aiding and abetting terrorists by your actions in the Capitol, whether it was back on January 6th or with your votes today, you don't deserve to be a member of Congress.

The oath that we take is to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. It's the same oath that I took as a United States Marine. It's time for these Republicans to take that oath seriously.

ACOSTA: And Congressman, I want to ask you, I want to follow up on that, because, you know, when we look back at that op-ed you wrote and what was going through your mind that day, were you around some of your Republican colleagues and what did you witness in terms of their behavior?

MOULTON: Well, at the time we were in the middle of a pandemic and a bunch of them refused to put on masks while we were huddled together in this shelter in place. I remember when several Democrats politely asked them to put their masks on, Jim, you may remember that there was an outbreak of coronavirus from that gathering amongst members of Congress after that because these Republicans weren't wearing their masks.

Of course, they refused the polite request. I took out my camera and just started recording them and then all of a sudden they started putting their masks on. I guess they didn't want to be hypocrites on TV. But the point is that these Republicans are just bad for democracy.

And that's not every Republican. There are some really courageous Republicans out there who are doing the right thing, who voted to impeach Donald Trump. Who voted for the January 6th Commission to simply investigate this in a bipartisan way and make sure it never happens again.

But the Republicans who are violating their oath by supporting this domestic terrorism, by whitewashing history and now by making light of it, they need to go.

ACOSTA: And you served this country overseas. You served in Iraq. When you think about that experience and how you and other fellow service members who were overseas defending this country, defending this democracy, what goes through your mind when you think back to January 6th and how the events of that day are still being whitewashed, not just by members of Congress but by some very irresponsible people on television on some other networks?

MOULTON: I mean, Jim, that's what I expected in Iraq. That's what I expected from terrorists who were trying to undermine the Iraqi government. Being in a government complex in Iraq, I expected to be attacked on a daily basis.

But I never imagined that as a United States congressman serving here in Washington, D.C. But the fact that this is happening to our country right now ought to shake Americans to the bones and make us realize that we've got some serious -- there's some serious repair work to do here to our country.

[16:15:01]

You know, Jim, you're a historian. One of the problems coming out of the civil war is that we didn't take -- we didn't have a serious reckoning with what went wrong. A lot of people tried to whitewash that history. Venerated confederates even though they were traitors to our country, traitors to our Constitution. We can't repeat that mistake with what happened here. We've got to take this history seriously.

We've got to honor the service of people like the Capitol Police who worked to protect us on that day. And we all have to work together, Republicans and Democrats, to make sure it never happens again.

ACOSTA: All right. Congressman Seth Moulton, thanks so much for joining us today. And Happy Father's Day. We appreciate you taking some time out of your day to join us.

MOULTON: Thanks so much, Jim.

ACOSTA: All right, thank you.

And coming up, we are getting harrowing new video from inside the Capitol building during the insurrection. What it is showing us about that day and why some Republicans still won't accept reality. That's next.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:20:08]

ACOSTA: Every time a new video of the January 6th Capitol riots comes out, we relive that frightening day all over again. This clip went public this week and we warn you it is violent and you will hear some cursing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stand up for America. One idea.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get the fuck out of here.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: This new video is just unbelievable. We're watching Americans riled up by the lies told by the former president at the time, invading their own nation's Capitol building and beating up police officers. Tonight on CNN, you'll see a special two-hour breakdown of the riot,

"THE STORMING OF THE CAPITOL" and you'll hear from the people who there were, who got arrested and who still believe the ridiculous story that pushed that mob to do what it did.

CNN's Drew Griffin put together this special called "ASSAULT ON DEMOCRACY." He joins me now.

Drew, thanks so much for joining us and putting this together. It's pretty mind boggling to see some of the interviews in this documentary. A highlight of tonight's special is watching you keep a straight face while some of the people that you talk to explain these bizarre theories that they're still hanging onto. It's just baffling.

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, delusional. And the conspiracies in their own heads continue to grow, even when they are presented with, as we did, the actual facts of that day, Jim. They can't handle the facts so as you're about to see, they just make up more conspiracies to cover the explanations.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN (voice-over): Ashli Babbitt, an Air Force veteran from San Diego. Shot and killed by Capitol Hill police.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's got a gun.

GRIFFIN: U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian Sicknick died from a stroke one day after being attacked by rioters. Couy Griffin, like others, cannot accept their so-called peaceful protest led to death so they deny it.

(On-camera): So let me just ask you. Do you believe Officer Sicknick died because of the riot?

COUY GRIFFIN, CHARGED IN CAPITOL RIOT: No. I'm not so sure that Officer Sicknick is even dead. I'm serious. That's how -- and I hate to be so crazy conspiracy minded. I'm not even so sure Ashli Babbitt is dead. I mean, who is to say that -- have you seen anything of her family?

ROGER WITTHOEFT, ASHLI BABBITT'S BROTHER: Up until the point where she passed we lived two blocks apart.

GRIFFIN (voice-over): The answer is, yes.

WITTHOEFT: I mean, I'd say through high school me and sister were best friends.

GRIFFIN: This is Ashli Babbitt's sister, Roger Witthoeft. He says he and his 35-year-old sister were very close.

WITTHOEFT: It was weird because we saw it on the news and it was like, you know, that's my sister.

GRIFFIN: Witthoeft says his sister was a tomboy who joined the military out of high school.

WITTHOEFT: She could do anything. She was invincible. You know, that's the way I look at her.

GRIFFIN: After the Air Force, Ashli Babbitt then bought a pool company in San Diego, which she ran with her husband and her brother.

WITTHOEFT: She was happy. Talked about how she lives in a beautiful place. You know, does what she wants. It's the American dream.

GRIFFIN: And Witthoeft says his sister had voted for Barack Obama.

WITTHOEFT: I think that proves in itself she wasn't as crazy as a lot of the media is portraying her to be.

GRIFFIN: Then she became a Trump fan.

ASHLI BABBITT, DIED DURING THE CAPITOL RIOT: We can make America great again.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GRIFFIN: Jim, it was those acceptance of lies that brought Ashli Babbitt into the Capitol that day and cost her her life. Couy Griffin began Cowboys for Trump. He is a county commissioner in New Mexico. And he just has these radical beliefs about what happened and is refusing to face the facts and the charges that he is facing right now.

ACOSTA: That is mind boggling to watch, to hear what he had to say to you about all of this. It's just -- people are just denying reality. They are denying the real world when they say these things. And Drew, thank you for exposing all of this. And hopefully maybe when some of these people watch this documentary they'll see, OK, maybe they've been led astray.

Drew Griffin, thanks so much. His special airs tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

And joining us now to talk about this is David Frum. He's a staff writer for "The Atlantic." Also joining us is Tara Setmayer. She is a resident scholar at the University of Virginia Center for politics. She's also a senior adviser for the Lincoln Project.

Tara, great to see you. David as well. Let me start with you first, Tara. What is your reaction to some of what Drew Griffin was just showing us there a few moments ago, and this new insurrection video that we're seeing. It's incredible when you see this new insurrection video and then to hear the voices in Drew's documentary, people denying reality. Denying the reality of what happened that day.

TARA SETMAYER, RESIDENT SCHOLAR, UVA CENTER FOR POLITICS: It is really -- it defies belief at times, but this is consistent with what we've seen over the last few years as Trumpism has taken over.

[16:25:05] The malignancy of Trumpism as I call it. And the irresponsibility of elected Republican officials in this country that have not been very clear about the facts of that day and denying Donald Trump and his big lie from metastasizing this way throughout the Republican zeitgeist. That's how we got here.

They sat back and passively allowed Donald Trump to get away with lying to millions of Americans year after year after year with no consequence, and it culminated with a violent insurrection, you know, on January 6th of our Capitol where you have Republican leaders who know better. Who were there that day, who lived it themselves. Trying to BS the American people into thinking it was a regular tourist day.

I applaud the journalists that continue to get these videos and report them and put them out there for all of us to see because the only way that we're going to push back against these lies is to continue to tell the truth. Every single time a Republican goes up there and tries to deny what happened that day and tell us something else, this Orwellian level of double speak, it feeds right into not only Donald Trump's lies but into our enemies' attempts to try and undermine our democracy.

Donald Trump is giving Putin a gift. The Republican Party has given Vladimir Putin and our enemies a gift by continuing this level of BS, whether it's through their media outlets or whether it's through their -- you know, the topics that they discuss on -- in the Capitol. You know that Vladimir Putin repeated back to us, repeated back to the media the lies and the same propaganda --

ACOSTA: It's incredible.

SETMAYER: -- that Tucker Carlson is using about Ashli Babbitt, about what happened that day? And this an active measure operation and the Republican Party is feeding right into it. It's disgraceful.

ACOSTA: Yes. They're on the same talking points. David, you've been pretty outspoken about this. You've seen this new video that came out. What goes through your mind when you see the video of these rioters just being absolutely brutal with the police officers out there and the people trying to deny this and cook up with these crazy conspiracy theories to try to make it go away, I guess?

DAVID FRUM, STAFF WRITER, THE ATLANTIC: Well, it's not just one denial. Look. If one says to someone, hey, we have security camera footage of you robbing the bank and the person says, it wasn't me. Mostly it wasn't me. That denial is at least a rational activity. I mean, it may be a flagrant lie. It really is, you on the security video, but it's a single story told for rational reasons. They don't want to go to prison for robbing the bank.

In this case, what is going on is that there's a series of interlocking stories that they can't, even from the point of view of the person telling it, it can't all be true that Antifa did it, that it was a justified and reasonable response to stop the steal, that it was completely peaceful. That the other side started it, that Portland was worse, and now that the FBI somehow entrapped them into doing that.

That one person will repeat, in fact there are broadcasters who repeat the same story over and over again. I mean, to pick up on this point about the convergence of what you're hearing on FOX News and from the Russian head of state, I mean, you have to check the time stamps to know whether Vladimir Putin is acting like Tucker Carlson's assignment editor or whether Tucker Carlson is Vladimir Putin's assignment editor.

I'm not sure which one of them went first but they clearly are working on a common story. But it's a common story that contradicts all the other parts of their common story. So it's not just that wasn't me on the video that robbed the bank. It was also OK, that wasn't me on the video. Also my family needed the money, also it was my evil twin Skippy. Also, I don't remember. And all of those things are told in the same voice at the same time in rapid succession.

ACOSTA: Yes. Tara, I mean, speaking of Tucker and Vladimir Putin, I mean, it's hard to tell which one is the organ grinder and which is the monkey in this scenario here. But this ridiculous conspiracy theory about the FBI being involved. I mean, have you ever heard of such a thing? Let's listen to some of this and talk about it on the other side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TUCKER CARLSON, FOX NEWS HOST: But wait. Here's the interesting thing. Person two and person three were organizers of the riot. The government knows who they are, but the government has not charged them. Why is that? You know why. They were almost certainly working for the FBI.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: What did you think, Tara, when you saw that?

SETMAYER: I was screaming at the television. The absurdity of this on so many levels, it's hard to fathom. And it's just so irresponsible. The irresponsibility of someone like Tucker Carlson who has the audience that he has and all of these right-wing media outlets that are perpetuating this is incredible.

[16:30:00]

It's so dangerous. And not only is it nonsense, but it's not -- he doesn't even have a clear understanding of what unindicted co- conspirators do. How FBI informants can't even be unindicted co- conspirators. I mean, it's just not even legally possible.

But this is the B.S. that they have to -- they have to cook up because the court filings that we're seeing coming out in rapid succession are incredibly damning. And so, basically, Tucker Carlson would rather push out Russian propaganda and nonsense, in order to whitewash what really went on. Because the facts of what we actually see in our own American court system are so damning that they don't know what else to do. ACOSTA: Yes.

SETMAYER: And, yet, you have Republican Congressmen that are still out here trying to say that they support police. They support -- they back the blue. They support our Constitution and our institutions. No, they don't.

The Republican Party has become useful idiots for Vladimir Putin and traitors to their oath of office. And disgraced -- they are disgracing their own oaths of office and they dishonor the honorable men and women who defended them that day.

ACOSTA: And, David, what do you -- what do you make of these 21 House Republicans who voted against awarding the Congressional gold medal to the capitol police?

FRUM: Well, it shows how this alternative reality, this contradictory alternative rally, entraps you into -- look, it's got psychic consistency. It's not logical but it makes sense. Because, I mean, if it's true that Antifa were the real villains here, then the police should be heroes.

If it -- if it's true that this was something where -- that was completely peaceful, then the handful of people that we see on the video that you'd think the people were defending the so-called peaceful protesters would want to defend them. It has a, kind of, psychic logic which is, at some level -- look, these people, they are connected to something really bad. I mean, what -- something really shameful, disgraceful, illegal, criminal.

They -- and everyone saw the president incite this crime. And we know that important Republican donors gave money to bus people to come to the scene of the crime. This was not a spontaneous act by a few. Many people are implicated.

Now, many of the people who began -- who joined the crime may not have understood how far it was going to go. And there may have been elements of the crime that no one, that morning, consciously intended. Mobs have a logic of their own.

But you had a group of people who were in this together and who need psychological coping mechanisms. And so, I think there's something -- when we try to argue about it and re -- and say how they're wrong. I mean, that's why things like that, the documentary, excellent as I'm sure it is, is not going to work, because this is not the reasoning part of the mind. This is the tribal, defensive, I was wrong and, therefore, I must lie part of the mind.

ACOSTA: Yes. Hopefully it'll change some minds, and I suspect it will. But, I mean, it all begs the question as to why we don't have a bipartisan commission to investigate all of this.

David Frum, Tara Setmayer, excellent discussion. Thanks so much for joining us this afternoon, and we'll have you back again real soon. We appreciate it. And Happy Father's Day to everybody. Appreciate it. Thanks so much. A manhunt is underway right now for the gunman who ambushed a deputy and his family inside their home. Was the attack targeted? That is next. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

[16:33:10]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: It's the first official day of summer, and the U.S. is gearing up for a violent one as the country struggles with surging gun violence and mass shootings. In Philadelphia, two men were killed and a toddler was shot multiple times. The three-year-old survived but is now left without a dad on this Father's Day.

In Oakland, California, a Juneteenth celebration ended with a 22-year- old man dead and five others injured as gunfire erupted. Two men are under arrest there. And in Colorado Springs, two separate shootings less than a mile from each other left five people injured. One of the shootings at a carnival near a mall.

And in Chicago, there were three more incidents, 20 incidents of gun- related violence overnight. Three people are dead. The youngest just 20 years old.

And in Houston, police are searching for the gunman who ambushed the home of an off-duty deputy early this morning shooting both the deputy's wife and that deputy's four-year-old stepdaughter.

CNN's Camila Bernal joins me now. Camila, what's the latest on this investigation? Just a stunning number of shootings across the country and just a terrible story there where you are.

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it really is a difficult situation for this deputy's family. We know that, at the moment, authorities are really focused on finding the shooter. They say he may be injured. He was wearing all black, according to police. And they believe he is Hispanic.

But what really is concerning, for law enforcement in this case, is that this happened at the home of an off-duty officer. Now, they don't know if this was a targeted shooting, but it -- nonetheless, this man was able to injure the family of this deputy. According to police, they say it happened at around 2:20 in the morning Central time.

And this man was able to get to the apartment wearing all black with a handgun. And they believe some kind of assault weapon. He shot into that apartment multiple times, and that's when he was able to shoot at the wife and the four-year-old stepdaughter.

The wife of the deputy, she was hit in the leg. And she is OK, thankfully. The daughter, the stepdaughter, she had to have surgery. She was shot in her arm but authorities are saying that she is in stable condition.

In the meantime, the chief of police in Houston saying there's just a lot of work to be done in this case. Listen to what he said. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TROY FINNER, CHIEF, HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT: We don't know anything of what's the motive with this. We don't know if it was targeted or what. All we know is he forced entry.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[16:40:00]

BERNAL: Now, as you heard there, no info on the motive. But we are being told that the off-duty officer was able to exchange gunfire. And, at the moment, all they need is just to find this man -- Jim.

ACOSTA: Camila Bernal, thanks so much. Another weekend of just so many mass shootings across this country. Thanks for keeping us updated on that. We appreciate it.

And former police officer, Derek Chauvin, is scheduled to be sentenced this week for the murder of George Floyd. We'll walk through how much time he could get, next. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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ACOSTA: This week, we will learn how much time former police officer, Derek Chauvin, will spend in prison for murdering George Floyd. Back in April, a jury found Chauvin guilty of felony murder, depraved murder and criminally negligent murder.

A month later, a judge in the case found aggravating factors potentially setting up Chauvin for a longer sentence. Prosecutors are pushing for 30 years, while Chauvin's attorneys are asking the judge to sentence him just to probation.

[16:45:02]

CNN Legal Analyst, and criminal defense attorney, Joey Jackson joins me now to talk about this. Joey, what can we expect from the judge on Friday? This is a critical week.

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: It's a very critical week. Jim, good to be with you. I think there's really two things to look for. One is punishment and the other is deterrence, right. Those are always critical when you're looking at sentencing.

We should be mindful, just as a reset, that we have a defendant here before the court who has been convicted of three things. What are they? We know that the first thing was the second-degree unintentional murder. What does that mean? It means, in the course of commission of the felony, that is the aggravated assault, right. There's a death here. And that, as we see, carries 40 years.

We know that the second thing was third-degree murder. What does that mean? It means when you engage in an act, which is so depraved and so inhumane, and you cause a death as a result of that, then, of course, you have criminal culpability, as the jury found. And that's punishable by 25 years.

Then, finally, Jim, the last thing that the jury concluded was that there was a second-degree manslaughter. That means that you acted with negligence. There are policies, regulations and procedures that tell you what to do that does not have someone in the prone position, particularly for nine minutes and 40 seconds. You did that. You certainly violated policy. And so, the jury concluded that he was guilty of that.

And notwithstanding those items, Jim, I think what you have to look for is you have to balance them against the guidelines. There are certain sentencing guidelines. And those guidelines provide a range of 10 1/2 years to 15 years. And, as you noted at the outset, of course, the prosecution is asking for 30.

And then, of course, you have the defendant who's asking for probation. And I think you'll see the judge balance those factors, in addition to other things that we can talk about which provide for aggravated circumstances.

ACOSTA: Yes, and let's talk about those aggravating factors. The judge found four aggravating factors in Floyd's death. How does that impact the sentencing? Does it maximize it, potentially?

JACKSON: It really does, Jim. Because what you do now is that, generally, I spoke to the issue of guidelines with that range, right, of 10 1/2 to 15 years. That throws that right out of the equation. Why? Because a judge found the aggravating factors present which enhances the sentence.

And when you look to the abusing trust and authority, of course, you're a law enforcement officer. You're supposed to have the trust of the community, the support and respect of the community. But you have to earn that. You certainly shouldn't be killing people.

So, the judge concluded, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that he abused that authority. The judge additionally concluded the other items that we talked about, or at least that we saw. He acted with three or more people. That's a problem.

Made no finding as to the guilt; I should be clear. The judge did not, as to the other officers. But said that he acted, Chauvin did, with the other three. Also found that there were children that were present. Remember, Jim, there were three 17-year-olds on the sidewalk and a nine-year-old.

And, in addition to that, found that he acted with particular cruelty. So, the judge has a lot to balance. I think -- in weighing and balancing those equities, I think there'll be a strong message here sent, as it relates to Chauvin's conduct. That's the punishment. As it -- and as it relates to deterrence, moving forward, for others who might look to engage in something similar.

ACOSTA: And, Joey, I have to ask you about this. The defense is asking for probation? Is it -- could that actually happen? JACKSON: I don't believe it will happen at all. And I think it's

particularly offensive, quite frankly. I mean, as a defense attorney, just to be clear, I'm one and I'm proud to be. But I think you can't argue against facts. You can't argue against law. And you can't argue against reality. And I think it really undermines your position when you do.

As I noted before, you have sentencing guidelines. If you want to ask the judge to depart from those guidelines, you have to have specific reasons which might justify that request. And I think when you have the aggravating factors found here, I don't think there's any compelling, significant or other reason why a judge would depart from that. And I think it really undercuts your argument when you say something that is just so offensive and so against what the system and the norms provide for.

So, I do not see probation at all. I see a significant sentence, Jim, being meted out on Friday.

ACOSTA: All right, we'll be watching for that. Joey Jackson, thanks so much. Great to see you again. We appreciate it.

JACKSON: Thanks.

ACOSTA: And coming up next, talk about a lucky break. You've got to see how close this massive tree came to hitting the driver of this car. The rest of the video is next. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

[16:49:28]

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ACOSTA: You have to see this brand-new video out of Georgia. This is a massive tree on top of a car. And, yes, when it hit, there was someone in the driver's seat. As you can see, it fell just inches away from her head. According to CNN affiliate, WSB, in Atlanta, firefighters were able to free her from the car and take her to a nearby hospital. She had just minor injuries. And we hope she's OK. You know, after something like that, just an unbelievable stroke of luck. Glad everybody is all right after that.

Turning now to Los Angeles. A city with 65,000 individuals experiencing homelessness. And while many may look the other way, this week's CNN Hero has planted herself squarely in L.A.'s homelessness epicenter, skid row. Meet Shirley Raines.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHIRLEY RAINES, CNN HERO (voice-over): It is just being seen, being touched, being cared for.

(on camera): Do you want a face mask?

(voice-over): It plants a little bit of self-esteem in them, so they feel like, OK, maybe no one knows I'm homeless because I have a fresh cut. RAINES (on camera): Good to see you. Happy Saturday, P (ph).

(voice-over): I address them as kings and queens because that is who they are. We want to make them feel beautiful.

(on camera): What do you want, hair? Haircut? OK.

(voice-over): When they say they're broken, I am, too.

[16:55:01]

RAINES (on camera): They're, like, how did you get fixed? I'm not. I take Prozac, 20 milligrams every day. What the heck? I ain't fixed, child. I ain't fixed at all.

(voice-over): I'm not going to lie to you and tell you things will be better now. But what I am going to do is feed you while you're out here. What I am going to do is do your hair. What I am going to do is give you a hug. What I am going to do is encourage you and speak life into you. And that's what I can do.

(on camera): That was Mickey (ph) on the mic, you guys. Give her a hand. Give her a hand. Give her a hand.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: And to nominate someone you think should be a CNN hero, go to CNNheroes.com.

Coming up, a multivehicle crash in Alabama left 10 people dead, including a nine-month-old girl and her father. We are live on the ground to bring you the latest, next. You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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