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Sheriff Calls Buffalo Attack Racially Motivated Hate Crime and Pure Evil; NATO Chief: Ukraine Can Win this War; Interview with Rep. Conor Lamb (D-PA). Aired 3-4p ET

Aired May 15, 2022 - 15:00   ET

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

[14:59:42]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me, I'm Fredricka Whitfield and I'm joined by my colleague, Victor Blackwell in Buffalo, New York. We will get to you in a moment, Victor.

We begin this hour in Buffalo, New York at the scene of the deadliest mass shooting of 2022, which authorities say was motivated by hate.

The community there in shock, mourning and in pain -- deep pain -- after police say an 18-year-old mass shooting suspect, Payton Gendron, who is White targeted that predominantly Black neighborhood after traveling 200 miles.

Plus, CNN has learned from two Federal law enforcement sources, investigators are reviewing a White supremacy Manifesto in connection with the alleged gunman.

Ten people were killed and three injured following the attack Saturday, 11 of those who were shot were Black. Two people remain hospitalized in stable condition. A third victim was discharged. Local authorities did not mince words earlier today as they describe this case.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSEPH GRAMAGLIA, BUFFALO POLICE COMMISSIONER: This is an absolute racist hate crime. It will be prosecuted as a hate crime. This is someone who has hate in their heart, soul, and mind. And there is no mistake that that is the direction that this is going in.

This will be completely geared toward securing a conviction for this individual. Our detectives, agents, deputies, everybody standing before you will work this tirelessly for as long as it needs to go and it is done by a person again, who does not live in our community who brought this kind of hate to our very close-knit Buffalo community.

We will not tolerate this. We will stand tall against it. We will rebound against it. We will show how strong we are. And all the members of our Police Department, the Sheriff's Department, the F.B.I., the State Police will continue to fight hate on a daily basis.

(END VIDEO CLIP) WHITFIELD: Police say not only was the suspected gunman heavily armed,

but he also wore tactical gear as he livestreamed the shooting before eventually surrendering.

One witness described what he saw.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRADY LEWIS, WITNESS TO SHOOTING: It took the police about two minutes -- a minute and 30 seconds actually. That was pretty much it. You know, it took them about two minutes. They got here, and they stood and watched him.

I thought they were going to shooting him, but they didn't shoot him. But yes, like I said, he got on the ground and surrendered himself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: President Joe Biden also addressed the tragedy at a separate event.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We must all work together to address the hate that remains a stain on the soul America, our hearts are heavy once again, but our resolve must never ever waver.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: All right, Victor with us now there in Buffalo.

In the last hour, Victor, we heard from the New York Attorney General, Letitia James sharing powerful words about many that she is trying to comfort now after this horrific day.

I want to play again, to our viewers what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LETITIA JAMES, NEW YORK ATTORNEY GENERAL: I heard about the senior citizen who planted trees on her block. I heard about the woman who just went to visit her husband in a nursing home and then stopped by at Tops to get something to eat. I heard about the young gentleman who worked in the office of Senator Kennedy who survived, who was shot through the neck and who God basically spared his life. I heard about countless number of victims this morning.

I held in my arms a young lady who worked at Tops who was so afraid that she was about to die, who witnessed the bloodshed, who shaked and quivered in my arms this morning, who was afraid for her community, afraid also for herself.

This event will not define Buffalo. This event will bring Buffalo residents together.

This event was committed by a sick, demented individual who was fueled a daily diet of hate.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And Victor, obviously people in the community, they are trying as best they can to comfort one another, but certainly no one has answers -- clear answers about why something like this could possibly happen.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: No clear answers here, and just as we heard the music and the evangelism here last hour, it's still happening. That's on one end.

On the other end, which goes to the point of why this supermarket is so important, there is a food giveaway -- rice, flour, fruits, vegetables -- without this supermarket, this community is now a food desert where there is no place to buy fresh food, to buy produce in this community. So it is a practical loss in addition to the loss of life, the loss of a sense of safety in this community.

Of course, we know the investigation is happening, continuing, the F.B.I. Evidence Response Team. You can maybe see in the parking lot behind me as there were four people shot in the parking lot, an additional nine inside this supermarket.

Let's get more on the investigation as it continues now from CNN's crime and justice correspondent, Shimon Prokupecz and we know about this suspect that he has been making some comments, some pretty dark comments to investigators.

[15:05:02]

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Dark and disturbing is how one official who is familiar with some of the statements that he made following his arrest. They say that it's really just disturbing, a lot of hate and really lays out the motivation here from the alleged shooter, saying that he made it very clear why he came here, targeting the Black community, wanting to shoot Black people is what this investigator tells me, that's what he spells out.

And he is clear to them in these statements. He is lucid, almost in a very frightening way, kind of gleeful sort of what he accomplished to do, he was able to do and it is very disturbing for many of the investigators who have listened to it and have seen some of the words that came out of this individual's mouth.

So that was all part of that investigation. They have his own words. And obviously, they are investigating and going through this Manifesto, which they now suspect and believe is tied to him.

So they have a lot of information. They know where the weapons were purchased, when they were purchased. And also, significantly, they know that he was here on Friday, as we talked about doing this kind of reconnaissance mission, scoping it out, seeing if it was a suitable target. And they know that he was here on Friday. And then another significant point that we learned today was that the

State Police last year were called to his school because of a threat that the police say he made, and he was taken in for mental health services, and there was no follow up and we don't know whatever happened with that. But he was 17 at the time, he is 18 now.

So they have learned a lot from the information they've gathered. His parents have been cooperating and they're still doing more search warrants and other information to try and get a better idea of exactly, how all this happened? How did he get so radicalized?

BLACKWELL: We've learned a lot, and it's only been 24 hours since this started. Within hours of the attack, he pleaded not guilty to one count of first-degree murder. But I mean, if there's any case in which Federal hate crimes would be pursued, this would be one of them.

PROKUPECZ: Yes, and that is going to happen. It could happen tomorrow, it's likely to happen in the next few days. I actually asked the U.S. Attorney here at the press conference about that and she said that they are working swiftly. They're working quickly, they're doing their own warrants. They are gathering all the information and that perhaps, in the next few days, we will see Federal hate crimes.

That's going to be very significant because it is really going to lay out the allegations of race here and how he targeted this community and why he targeted this committee.

Look, every person I have talked to, every person that comes out publicly, privately, it's very clear why they believe this shooter, this alleged shooter targeted this shopping -- really this grocery store -- Victor.

BLACKWELL: Again, we will try to get more about the recon effort that he launched on Friday, which was in many ways if that's exactly what happened, a stalking of the people that he was going to hunt a day later, targeting the Black community here.

Shimon, thank you very much as you continue your reporting.

Fred, I'll send it back in to you.

The effort to comfort this community is still going on. There's been a Memorial set up at the other end of this block where people are bringing notes and flowers because at this point, that's all they can do. Come and speak to their neighbors, maybe they have not met before and show some solidarity, if they're coming from out of this community here.

Back to you -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: Yes. But sadly, they all have this shared moment now.

All right, thank you so much, Victor, appreciate it. We'll check back with you.

Now let's turn our attention overseas as the consequences of the Russian invasion of Ukraine ripple across Europe. Finland says it is now ready to join NATO. The country officially announcing today it will apply for membership.

The Finnish President telling CNN this morning, why it's moving away from its traditional stance of neutrality.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAULI NIINISTO, PRESIDENT OF FINLAND: Russia tried to deny any enlargement of NATO, and that changed in a way, very much our position here, undoubtedly and what we see now, Europe, the world is more divided.

There is not very much room for nonaligned in between, so that was also what we were thinking.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Sweden says it is also likely to apply for NATO membership, and just in the last few hours, the country's Prime Minister threw his support behind the move.

Let's bring in retired Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman. He is also the former European affairs Director at the National Security Council and a senior adviser for Vote Vets.

Colonel, good to see you. So have a listen to what the Secretary- General of NATO, Jen Stoltenberg said this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENS STOLTENBERG, NATO GENERAL SECRETARY: Russia's war in Ukraine is not going as Moscow had planned. They failed to take Kyiv, they're pulling back from around Kharkiv, and their major offensive in Donbas has stalled.

Russia is not achieving its strategic objectives. Ukraine can win this war.

[15:10:16]

WHITFIELD: Stoltenberg says he thinks Ukraine can win this war, and you just wrote an op-ed saying, the U.S. must embrace the goal of Ukrainian victory. So, in your view, what more does the U.S. need to be doing?

LT. COL. ALEXANDER VINDMAN, FORMER EUROPEAN AFFAIRS DIRECTOR AT THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL: So my starting point for this op-ed was the fact that we have not done enough to avoid this war in the first place, armed Ukraine, helped Ukraine defend itself in the prelude to this war, and now in these first 10-plus weeks of war, we were too slowly metering in equipment, losing opportunities.

Ukraine was in a position to decisively crush Russia's forces in the north. They did that largely on their own. In the east, they have been performing valiantly. But they haven't subdued the Russian military sufficiently. They are still missing some capabilities with regards to long range fires, air defense capabilities, and long range strike capabilities.

Russia is going to continue to try to adjust its objectives to more limited aims as long as it has the ability to fight. Even if the ground forces are destroyed, and the Ukrainians have been doing this mainly on their own, Russia is still going to have air power and rockets and artillery, long range artillery.

Until they get provided with those types of equipment, Russia is going to believe that there is a theory for victory and press this war. So, that's what we need to do.

Yes, Ukraine could win this war. The question is, does it win this war over the course of months? Or does it win this war, maybe over the course of weeks, that's not outside the realm of the possible, Russians are about spent. And as long as they continue to punish Ukrainian cities with airpower, and these rockets, they might not be able to continue this war at all.

WHITFIELD: So you see more U.S. aid in terms of arsenal, like long range, like you just described. Do you also see that the U.S. has to become more involved by investing in placement of its own U.S. military in this conflict?

VINDMAN: I don't think the U.S. needs to be involved with the placement of its own military at this point in time. My fear is that in a long war scenario, we may be compelled to get there. That's just the way long wars are played out in U.S. history.

We could avoid that. We could avoid a scenario where U.S. troops are involved directly by arming the Ukrainians with sufficient capability. Right now, we seem to believe that it's our equipment that's decisive. It's not. It's coming in now. It's coming in relatively late. It's been on the ground for a couple of weeks.

We could now help actually contribute in a major way by providing the kinds of things that the Ukrainians need to win and avoid a long war scenario.

WHITFIELD: In your op-ed, you also said: "The Ukrainians could not understand why the U.S. national security establishment continued to privilege maintaining stable relations with Russia over support for Ukraine, a democratic state." So in your view, why is the U.S. holding back if that's a way to put it?

VINDMAN: Fears and aspirations. This is the legacy of U.S. foreign policy towards Ukraine for probably 30 years, 10 to those -- the first 10 years and maybe justifiable because we had a lot of hopes, based on the fact that a post-Soviet world Russia would move in a different direction.

But since the Bush administration on, since Putin came to power, there was definitely a bent towards undemocratic activities and we too often looked the other way. We encouraged Putin to think that he could get away with this. In previous efforts to wage war around Russia's periphery, we let

things slide. And in so doing, we sacrificed the relationships with the countries that we could have really helped solidify their hold in democracy and hardened them against Russian aggression.

So, it is hopes and fears, hopes of a good relationship that were misplaced. Russia didn't want that, or fears that we were going to end up in a Cold War, which is where we are right now anyway, that drove the relationship thus far.

WHITFIELD: Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, good to see you. Thanks so much for joining us.

VINDMAN: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: And this quick programming note: Why is Vladimir Putin trying to destroy Ukraine? Can he be stopped? Join Fareed Zakaria as he looks to experts for answers, "Inside the Mind of Vladimir Putin" begins tonight at 8:00 Eastern and Pacific.

And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:18:43]

BLACKWELL: I'm Victor Blackwell, live outside a Tops Supermarket in Buffalo, New York where investigators say there was a racist, heinous attack here yesterday. It has been about 24 hours. Ten people are dead, several others injured.

The investigation is in the early stages both outside and inside the grocery store here physically, but an expansive investigation through technology. The alleged shooter's cell phone, social media accounts, computers. We know investigators are speaking with his parents and that those parents are cooperating.

I want to bring in now the Mayor of Buffalo, Byron Brown. Thank you for spending just a few minutes with me. We were talking during the break. You have represented this community for more than a quarter century. Three terms on the City Council, three in the State Senate, and now you're in your fifth term as Mayor.

A day out since this tragedy, what are you telling your community?

MAYOR BYRON BROWN, BUFFALO, NEW YORK: We're heartbroken. Many people with tears in their eyes. Families that have lost loved ones. I'm telling the community to grieve, but let's stay strong. Let's stay together and let get through this as a community.

[15:20:01]

BROWN: We are at the point where the community is about to see a renaissance, where millions of dollars are slated to flow through this community and other parts of the city. Hope and opportunity that people have been waiting for, for a long

period of time is within our reach, let us not let a racist madman take that from us.

BLACKWELL: Let's talk more about what we're learning about that suspect. One of the wrenching details is that this was a targeted community because of the high percentage of African-Americans, 14208, that's according to the latest state stat, 78 percent African-American population, and that he was here a day early.

What more can you tell us about that, what the investigators called reconnaissance effort here on Friday?

BROWN: From what I've heard, it seems like he did a lot of reconnaissance of this area. He did a lot of research and homework to find a heavily populated community of African-Americans. And his goal, it seems, was to try to take as many Black lives as possible.

I also want to note that I live in 14208 with my family. I and my family have come to the supermarket from time to time. So this is my neighborhood. This is my market. This is my community, and it hurts.

BLACKWELL: Is there any evidence, any indication that he interacted with anyone, that he spoke with people, they remember him or saw him?

BROWN: I have watched one individual doing interviews saying that he did interact with this gentleman, I shouldn't say gentleman, he interacted with this individual, with this hate-filled individual and spoke to him for more than an hour and did not detect in him what would later happen.

BLACKWELL: Do you know if there's any surveillance video in this store, any others that show him maybe preparing for it or coming here as part of the recon?

BROWN: Not aware of that, but tremendous law enforcement partnership, law enforcement at every level has been literally working around the clock, Federal, State, Buffalo Police, Erie County Sheriffs looking at every detail and every angle of this heinous crime.

BLACKWELL: You obviously have lived in this community, know the people here, they are your neighbors. As you're getting information about the people who lost their lives here, we were talking about a community activist who is on that list, unfortunately, tell us about them.

BROWN: I just learned today that a woman who is very active in the Block Club Movement in our city, someone that has worked to make our neighborhoods better is one of the victims. Our former Fire Commissioner, someone who I have worked closely with for years, his mother is one of the victims.

There was a gentleman who was here purchasing cupcakes for his son's birthday party. He is one of the victims. And one of the victims that survived is the son of a woman that works for our New York State Senators. He was shot through the lower neck, and fortunately the bullet went straight through and he is at home expected to make a full recovery.

So there are a lot of connections of the people who are victims of this, to me, but to also many people in this community.

BLACKWELL: Absolutely. Finally here, President Biden says that he has not yet decided or he doesn't know if he is coming to Buffalo before he leaves for Asia later this week. Would you like the President to come before he leaves?

BROWN: I would love to see the President come. In fact, the President did call me to express his deep concern and condolences. Unfortunately, I was in a church service and missed speaking with the President.

I've spoken to his Director of Intergovernmental Affairs. I've also spoken to the Homeland Secretary, all expressing deep concern for Buffalo and the potential that the President, if the schedule can be worked out will come and visit Buffalo.

BLACKWELL: LL RIGHT, Mayor Byron Brown, thank you so much.

BROWN: Thank you, Victor.

BLACKWELL: For spending a couple of minutes with me, and that is what is happening here, trying to understand this, trying to move forward in the investigation, but also comfort this community that is lost as we've learned from the Mayor, some very prominent members and some names they may not know, but faces they recognize.

Our special live coverage here from outside Tops Supermarket, the scene of the deadliest mass shooting of 2022 continues in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:29:38]

BLACKWELL: Welcome back to our special live coverage of what is the deadliest mass shooting of 2022 here in Buffalo, New York at the Tops Supermarket. Ten people killed, several others injured.

Just a few moments ago, Vice President Kamala Harris, she was at Joint Base Andrews boarding a flight on our way to the UAE and she had a few words about what happened here yesterday. Let's play that.

[15:30:04]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS (D), VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In our country, we have to recognize that we may very well be experiencing an epidemic of hate towards so many Americans. That is wrong. It is taking on a level of violence in the case of what happened in Buffalo, and we've seen it in other places in our country, and we all must speak out against it.

Hate against any one of us, we should interpret it as being hate against all of us, as a nation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: An epidemic of hate, the Vice President speaks about there. Let's bring in now the Co-Chair of the Poor People's Campaign, Reverend William Barber.

Reverend Barber, thank you for spending a few minutes with us. We're seven years out from the shooting at Mother Emanuel in Charleston, South Carolina, and there are so many similarities, a young White male radicalized, writes an online Manifesto, targets of community as one witness that the Mayor here talked about, spoke with members, and then goes in to kill people simply because of their race.

Your first thoughts as we are now here as a country again?

REV. WILLIAM BARBER, CO-CHAIR, POOR PEOPLE'S CAMPAIGN: Well, Victor, I'm so tired of all this death and dying, there is so much down through our history. Families are grieving. You know, this is an act of terror meant to terrorize a whole community, for Black people that is re-traumatized and (AUDIO GAP) about what we must have this, who radicalized this young White supremacist, who created the atmosphere and spewed the great replacement theory that he wrote about because this is not an anomaly or the insanity of one person.

That's what we've got to get a hold of, you know too much of this hate speech that ends up producing them, the politicians repeat it, FOX News repeats it, President -- that's when Donald Trump said that, you know, it is critical race theory -- that lies about critical race theory was toxic propaganda. Some people say diversity is a word for destruction.

This whole notion about White genocide, and now this replacement theory that he simply wrote about has made its way into the mainstream consciousness. And you know, we heard it in Charlottesville, "Jews will not replace us, you will not replace us."

We saw it in some politicians, I remember when, I think it was Steve King, we can't restore our civilization with somebody else's babies and all of this violence.

You know, I was born in 1963, and the people remember 1963, you had a Governor who started out segregation yesterday, today and tomorrow, all of this vile talk. And by the end of that year, you had deaths on the campus of South Carolina State, you had Medgar Evers who was dead. You had four girls in a Birmingham (AUDIO GAP).

The challenge all of this hate and this hate speech and these lies that somebody else's existence is threatening your existence because words -- words, you know, my scriptures tell me the power of life and death is in the tongue, and we cannot just say this is just one person over here. We have to ask the question: Who radicalized this young man and others that are out there? And we must (AUDIO GAP) too much meanness and far, far too much death.

BLACKWELL: Yes, according to this Manifesto, the author who identifies himself as the person matching the name of the suspect here, I won't repeat it, says that he's a fascist, a White supremacist, an anti- Semite and says that he got his ideas online.

Reverend Barber, we are unfortunately having some audio issues. So, we'll have to thank you here for being with us. But you're right, this is not something as one politician on CNN said today that you can just force the people who espouse this back into their holes, they are not in holes, they are on television, they are on Capitol Hill, and they have some prominent positions across our country.

We will continue our coverage of now the investigation and attempt to understand what happened here, why it happened. And this community trying to soothe one another. The music continues, the praying continues, and the Memorial as there have been in so many other scenes, that Memorial grows.

We'll be back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:39:43]

WHITFIELD: On Tuesday, voters in Pennsylvania will head to the polls to pick a Democratic and Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate. Democrats are hoping to flip that seat as Republican Senator Pat Toomey is retiring. Conor Lamb is a Democratic Congressman from Pennsylvania and he is one of the candidates running for the Democratic Senate nomination in Pennsylvania.

Congressman, good to see you.

[15:40:07]

REP. CONOR LAMB (D-PA): Great to see you, too.

WHITFIELD: So Congressman Lamb, before we talk about your race, let me ask you about your reaction to that mass shooting in Buffalo, New York. Officials say, a White teen targeted a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo killing 10 people at a supermarket. Where does this nation go from here?

LAMB: Well, I think the country has to get a lot more serious and focused on what is clearly one of the biggest, if not the biggest internal security threats that we have.

And I mean, I remember last fall, the F.B.I. Director testifying to Congress that domestic terrorism, and specifically racist domestic terrorists were one of the largest threats that we have.

With respect to any, in fact, crime and I while I think the F.B.I. is doing all that again, I don't think we have devoted enough resources to preventing, tracking down, prosecuting this type of crime, dismantling their organizations. But just from a purely, you know, sort of public safety perspective, there is clearly a need that we do a whole lot more. Black Americans should not have to fear this type of violence. WHITFIELD: So if elected to the U.S. Senate, how do you hope to make

an impact? Make a difference?

LAMB: Well, I think it has a lot to do with, certainly agency budgets, and then the priorities that that we help set with them, right? I mean, the reason you have the F.B.I. Director up to Capitol Hill, or the Attorney General, is because you want to tell them, hey, this is what we think you need to be focusing on. They clearly understand it's a problem.

Again, they've published, you know, reports on it, they've testified, but I don't know that we are -- we clearly are not, if an incident like last night is happening, we clearly are not doing enough to, you know, to weaken and kind of dismantle these types of organizations and their ideology. We have to do a lot more.

And of course, we have to talk about the fact that an 18-year-old, racist, violent extremist is able to get his hands on an AR-15. We could stop that tomorrow with legislation that would make those guns harder to get, but we haven't been able to do that either.

WHITFIELD: You're considered the moderate candidate in this race. So what are the challenges that perhaps you face as a moderate just within the Democratic Party or perhaps in your district?

LAMB: Well, you know, I think that the challenge actually has a little bit more to do with, you know, being newer. You know, this is my first statewide campaign. I'm going against the guy who's been running for seven years statewide. It's the third one.

On fundraising, certainly, there are some challenges. There's just a lot of energy at the progressive end of the party when it comes to primaries. You talk to, you know, moderate political donors, and they don't like to give in primaries. So some of the -- you know, we've been sort of underfunded and under financed the entire time.

That's okay. You know, the first time I ran in a special election, I was outspent 10 to one and the district outnumbered me, Trump had won it by 90 points. So, I'm used to that situation. But it's not say that it's ever easy.

WHITFIELD: On the on the G.O.P. side, the Republican race for this Pennsylvania seat is a three-way race with a Trump-backed candidate trying to hold off a far right candidate who is surging in the polls. I mean, this is a seat that Democrats desperately need to flip if they want to hold on to the U.S. Senate. So are you confident that Democrats can win this seat? Are you confident that it's going to be you particularly with Joe Biden's approval numbers so low?

LAMB: Well, I think anyone who is in the predictions business has probably not had a very good four or five-year period here. There's been a lot of political surprises, including the first race that I ever won. Everybody counted me out in that one, and we surprised a lot of people by winning it.

So you know, no one can promise you anything. What I can say is, I've gone three times head to head against Republicans on their own turf. You know, the first time very, very outnumbered, all three times Trump has come to campaign against me.

They've used every attack and argument they can use, they've spent tens of millions of dollars against me. John Fetterman has not had that experience ever. He's been in a Democratic primary only in our state. You don't run in the general election as a lieutenant governor, you wait and see if the governor gets elected, if he does, you go into office.

So we have a very different experience in preparation for this job, and my pitch to our Democratic voters has been, I give us the best chance in what is going to be a very difficult year, just look at my own records to see why I would say that.

WHITFIELD: All right, Congressman Conor Lamb, thank you so much and I know you probably didn't know this as we were going on the air, last hour I did talk with Malcolm Kenyatta, another Democrat running for the Pennsylvania Senate seat. We also invited Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman to join us, but then we are just learning, just as you and I are wrapping up our conversation, Congressman that his campaign -- Fetterman's campaign released a statement saying the lieutenant governor has suffered a stroke caused by a clot in his heart.

We did invite him to be on. He had cancelled all campaign events this weekend saying he was feeling sick and now, we've gotten a bit more clarity on his situation.

Of course, we are all hoping for the best after learning now that he has suffered a stroke.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:49:32]

WHITFIELD: In an all-new CNN Original Series "Nomad" with Carlton McCoy, the renowned chef, master sommelier, I love saying that -- an expert traveler takes us on a global exploration of food, music, art, and culture to discover the universal threads that connect all of us.

This week, Carlton takes us back to his hometown of Washington, D.C. Here is a preview.

[15:50:59]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

CARLTON MCCOY, CNN HOST, "NOMAD": Here in D.C., we never boil crab. Instead, we cover it in an enormous amount of Old Bay seasoning and steam it with beer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I tell people about like, oh, in D.C., like we grew up eating crab, they're like, what? Like, I thought that was like a Maryland thing. And it's like no, like D.C. is like right there.

MCCOY: Yes, you grew up close to here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I grew up in the Southeast. This is southwest. The wharf was the original fish market in D.C. D.C. actually has a very long history, especially of like Black fishermen. And Black people have had a really big stake in the fishing and crab industry.

This is, in my opinion, one of the great seafood markets in the U.S. You know, we think of Seattle and the guys throwing the Seattle --

MCCOY: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is as iconic book for blue crab.

MCCOY: Shell turned it into a show. This has kept it has --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This people couldn't tell [bleep].

MCCOY: They don't care.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: if you come or go --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Joining us right now is the host of "Nomad," Carlton McCoy. Carlton, you'd get a big kick out of this. My mom is actually visiting me right now from the Maryland, D.C. area. It is like, okay, where are we going to get our fresh crab for that gumbo we were making?

I'm like, no, no. I'm in Atlanta, we're not getting the fresh crab like we did when we go to the D.C. Wharf. So that's something that you talk about. Talk to me about what is so special about, you know, your journey growing up in D.C.? And of course, now taking everyone back on this food journey, cultural journey that you want to open the eyes of people about.

MCCOY: Well, I think, you know, watching the show, you recognize this consistent theme about trying to look at the whole picture, the narrative outside of what is the sort of a cliche identity of a place and D.C. has an identity as a political hub, which it very much is, not to discount that, but there is far more to the narrative and identity in Washington, D.C. than that.

And, you know, I sort of felt a little guilty as we were building out the list of places to go say, and hey, look, you know, my hometown is quite similar to this, where it is the idea of D.C., it is the D.C. that I grew up in, which has equally rich and exciting heritage culture that very few people who visit there even go and explore.

WHITFIELD: Right. They are thinking about, you know, politics, the White House visiting, when you talk about the exploration of the monuments, and you're saying you need to, you know, think of some other things.

You do go to kind of -- it's a kind of truncated war for now, though, right? It's not like it used to be in the pier where people would go, we'd go to restaurants, and get our fresh seafood.

MCCOY: Yes.

WHITFIELD: A little different now, but tell me about those discoveries that people, you hope that people will make.

MCCOY: Well, I think, you know, the world moves very quickly and it changes very quickly. You know, I work a lot. So I've not been visiting D.C. regularly. That was actually my first time going to the wharf since all that has been built up. And it was tough to see, frankly, you know, the wharf had always sort of a scrappy rusticity that I think I loved about it, and big long tables, and people just pouring out bushels or crabs and eating right on the wharf. That culture has changed a bit.

But what was really gratifying and we filmed this was I had the opportunity to share that experience with my girlfriend. We had a little small corner and we -- you know, we shared that experience and while I know that's not what's there now. You know, I know that was in the past, and to me, it's still a very special place. It's still a place you can go and see a different part of D.C. that you would typically see in a tour guide.

WHITFIELD: Right.

MCCOY: But you know, D.C. is -- yes.

WHITFIELD: Yes, I mean, it is like generational stories being told on the wharf there. I mean, that beautiful real estate is fabulous. Now, don't get me wrong, but there was something to what it used to be.

Carlton McCoy, we have to leave it there for now, but will be watching your show. I am so glad you could tune in with us and be with us today.

So an all-new episode of "Nomad" with Carlton McCoy airs tonight at 10:00 PM Eastern and Pacific only on CNN.

And thank you so much for being with us today. I'm Fredricka Whitfield alongside my colleague, Victor Blackwell in Buffalo, New York.

Our coverage continues right after this.

But first, this week's "Taking Care of Business."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

TARA GOMEZ, COFOUNDER, CAMINS 2 DREAMS: I feel with the connection to my ancestors that I'm able to understand better the growth cycle. Listening to the vines, I feel their strain. I am indigenous from the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians. I've been in the wine industry for 24 years now.

With the financial support of my Chumash tribe, I was able to go off to college and get my degree.

I'm the cofounder, cowinemaker of Camins 2 Dreams that I share with my wife, Mireia. We source our grapes from Central Coast of California.

Camins 2 Dreams focuses on low-intervention, natural winemaking from grape to bottle meaning no additives added to the wine.

We have 10 different wines out in the market right now. My indigenous heritage of course shows itself in the winemaking process because I'm really always searching for the balance in the wine, the chemistry and the vineyard.

[15:55:07]

GOMEZ: The future hopes for Camins 2 Dreams is to one day have our own vineyard.

I am the first Native-American winemaker to be recognized here in the country. I'm, of course very proud, but I'm also too very humbled. I'm trying to create that path for other people that are like me in this industry.

I'm here to cheer them on and be a support group for them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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