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Roe v. Wade Overturned, Protests All Across The United States; Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) Is Interviewed; Justice Clarence Thomas Targets Privacy Rights; Jordan Klepper Talks To Trump Supporters About January 6. Aired 5-6p ET
Aired June 26, 2022 - 17:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[17:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington. Abortion rights across the country are crumbling days after the Supreme Court declared there is no constitutional right to an abortion. Protesters are gathering outside the Supreme Court again today while a new CBS/YouGov poll shows 59 percent of Americans disapprove of the court's decision to overturn Roe versus Wade.
This video from a protest in Greenville, South Carolina shows the moment police detained several demonstrators, six people were arrested. A witness telling CNN it all started when counter-protesters leveled misogynistic slurs at women who were advocating for abortion rights.
As of today, abortion is effectively banned in 11 states, more states with trigger laws are expected to outlaw abortion in the coming days and weeks. CNN's Camila Bernal is in Los Angeles, but we begin with Sunlen Serfaty who is outside the Supreme Court. Sunlen, what are you seeing?
SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Jim, it certainly is a very tense moment right here on the steps of the Supreme Court. I want to show you the scene that's playing out now at this moment. I'll take you through the crowd here. In the last few minutes, we've seen really this conversation between both sides break out.
The police have moved in some barricades, some police fences and they have separated the two sides. Over here you have a side who is not in support of Friday's Supreme Court decision and then over here you have those who are pro-life on this side, and we have seen them yelling back and forth.
I want to just give you a flavor of the crowd at the moment out here on the steps of the Supreme Court.
UNKNOWN: Abort the court! Abort the court! Abort the court!
SERFATY: Now, although they are very vocal and loud and they are certainly taking issue with each other, we have seen these protests remain largely peaceful throughout the day, Jim. We are seeing this crowd swell in size a couple hundred out here today and it has been sustained throughout the afternoon and we anticipate that through the evening.
We are seeing families come out, mothers with their children come out, people who say they want to come out to witness history and certainly make their voice heard for what happened at the Supreme Court on Friday. A lot of people saying right now though there's not much of organization, that they're perplexed exactly what to do.
That people want to show up and let their voice be heard, but beyond that and donating, they are questioning what way the country is going. We have heard that from a lot of women and we certainly have heard that from a lot of men out here protesting as well. Back to you, Jim.
ACOSTA: All right, very tense situation there, Sunlen. Keep us updated on that. Camilla, you're out there in Los Angeles. What are you seeing on your end?
CAMILA BERNAL, NATIONAL CORRESPNDENT: Hey Jim. It's the third day of protests here in the downtown Los Angeles area. And while the crowd is a lot smaller than it was yesterday, still a lot of people showing up today. They're currently listening to speakers who are sharing their personal stories.
The last speaker sharing her abortion story saying she does not regret her abortion and instead wants that right to be extended to many more women who may be in other states where abortion is not protected. I'm going to step out of the way just to show you a little bit of the crowd.
They begin by introducing themselves to their neighbors, the organizers, saying that these are the people that are going to fight hand-in-hand over the next couple of months and they are also focusing on abortion funds.
They say that the money and the volunteer work here in California will make a difference because what they want is to get the states ready for an influx of women coming from other states to California in search of an abortion.
What they're telling the crowd is that they have to stand together in order to help women in other states. As we know, California is essentially a sanctuary state. The governor and the legislation say they're standing to be able to saying that they will fight back, and even this week signing a bill into law that essentially protects women and abortion providers from civil action in other states.
So, that is sort of the work that's happening here in California. But as we listen to more and more speakers, the message had been very consistent and it is that they said with other women who do not have the right to an abortion. They say they have a lot of work moving forward, but they believe the work starts right here on the streets. Jim?
ACOSTA: Yes. It seems to be a lot of anger about this decision and it appears that anger is building. Alright, Camila Bernal, thank you very much. My next guest made headlines a decade ago when she revealed on an emotional speech on the floor of the House of Representatives that she had had an abortion.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
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REP. JACKIE SPEIER (D-CA): I'm one of those women he spoke about just now. I had a procedure at 17 weeks, pregnant with a child that had moved from the vagina into the cervix, and that procedure that you just talked about was a procedure that I endured.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: California Democratic Congresswoman Jackie Speier joins me now. She gave that courageous speech. Congresswoman, you shared on Twitter yesterday these words, "my abortion saved my life." So, I have to ask you what was your reaction when you heard the news that Roe was overturned?
SPEIER: I'm still carrying this pit in my stomach, Jim, because I realize that the luxury, frankly, that I had, the ability to have that abortion is being taken away from women today across this country. Half of the women in this country, 30 million women of childbearing age, are going to lose the right to have an abortion in their state.
We've never had this kind of a Supreme Court decision that took away the rights of people. And it is confounding so many of us that they could be so extreme as members of the Supreme Court. We will not let this stand. We are going to do whatever is necessary to retain the ability for women to access abortion services.
Women of color and poor women are the ones those hard hit because they don't have the resources to get child care and take airline flights to those states that provide it, but we're going to find a way. I'm absolutely convinced of it. And medication abortion is something that every woman should be knowledgeable about.
Fifty-four percent of women who have abortions today have them with medication abortion. It's a pill. It's a two-pill scenario and it's something that can be taken in the privacy of your home. We've got to make sure that's readily available to women everywhere.
ACOSTA: And, congresswoman, this new CBS poll shows 59 percent of Americans and 67 percent of women do not approve of the Supreme Court's decision. I guess this is not all that surprising, but it's clear this ruling does not reflect the majority of the country.
Democrats are looking for someone -- some way to fight this, but President Biden is saying he doesn't want to expand the Supreme Court. He doesn't want to get rid of the filibuster. What is your message to women right now who want to do something about this?
SPEIER: Well, we have to pick up two seats in the Senate and then we've got to implore Susan Collins to join with the Democrats in doing what's called the nuclear option. That means getting rid of the filibuster for purposes of abortion services.
And I think a strong case can be made to Susan Collins, the senator, that she was lied to by Justice Kavanaugh and by Justice Gorsuch and that she relied on their statements in which they said I'm not the kind of judge that's going to rock the boat. It's settled law.
And because she relied on those statements that were false, that she now feels compelled to join with the Democrats in getting rid of the filibuster rules, which would require 60 and then it would only need 51 votes in order to pass what is the codification of Roe versus Wade.
ACOSTA: And one of your colleagues, New York Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez said today that Supreme Court justices who lied under oath about Roe versus Wade during their nomination should face consequences for that. Let's take a listen to that. Let me get your reaction.
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REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEX, (D-NY): If we allow Supreme Court nominees to lie under oath and secure lifetime appointments to the highest court of the land and then issue without basis, if you read these opinions, issue without basis, rulings that deeply undermine the human and civil rights of the majority of Americans, we must see that through. There must be consequences for such a deeply destabilizing action and hostile takeover of our democratic institutions.
(END VIDEO CLIP))
ACOSTA: Congresswoman, I have to ask, I mean, do you believe, I guess, two-part question, did they lie and should they face consequences?
SPEIER: There's no question they lied and they did that under oath. So, there should be consequences. I agree with Congresswoman Ocasio- Cortez. And I think we need to look at ways of making them pay.
[17:09:59]
I don't know exactly what that could be except its impeachment and, of course, that takes a two-thirds vote in both Houses. The most important thing right now though is making sure that women are going to be able to access these services and that the states that have these draconian laws, I mean, they're almost Taliban-esque when you think about it.
They are third world like pronouncements that had been made and laws that have been passed. And we have -- we've got to find a way of protecting women who need these services. And I might also add, Jim, there has been nothing said about the fact that a woman doesn't get pregnant with immaculate conception.
There's an impregnator and there's not a word that's been said about the responsibility of the impregnator. So, for all those states that are now saying a woman can't get an abortion, I would suggest to their legislature that they require the impregnator to put up a $350,000 bond so that this mother can take care of that child. ACOSTA: And, you know, I was speaking with a Congresswoman Debbie
Dingell yesterday. She floated the idea of term limits for justices. Do you think there should be term limits for Supreme Court justices?
SPEIER: You know, there has been a bill by Congressman Ro Khanna that's been introduced. I think we should actually look at that. I think that we have gone past the time in our country when judges were truly judicial. They are now individuals that are selective, particularly on the Republican side, by what's called the federalist society and they have been screened around this particular issue and that of guns.
And we've seen two decisions come down in two days that overturn on the one hand, states' ability to put conditions on concealed weapons, and on the other hand, take away the rights in Roe and say now we're shifting it to the states.
They also said that if you're going to use the 14th Amendment, this right to privacy, this due process argument, you have to go into history and look at the roots of history and tradition in making these decisions. Well, if that's the case, you know, maybe we should go back to using muskets in this country.
I mean, they can't have it both ways. On the one side they want to say free to carry, on the other side they're saying forced to carry. And I find it absolutely repulsive.
ACOSTA: Alright, Congresswoman Jackie Speier. Thank you very much for joining us. We appreciate it.
SPEIER: Thank you, Jim.
ACOSTA: Alright. Live pictures now of the abortion rights protests happening right now at the Supreme Court and in Los Angeles. Now there is concern about what could happen next. Justice Clarence Thomas using his opinion on Roe versus Wade to target other rights including same sex marriage. We'll get reaction from the lead plaintiff in the case that made marriage equality the law of the land. It's coming up.
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ACOSTA: There is growing alarm in the LGBTQ community after conservative Justice Clarence Thomas used his opinion on Roe versus Wade to target other constitutional rights previously decided by the court. Clarence Thomas wrote this, "In future cases, we should reconsider all of this Court's substantive due process precedents including Griswold, Lawrence & Obergefell."
Those are cases that have to do with contraception, same sex intimacy, and marriage equality. On that last issue, it was seven years ago on this very day that my next guest, the plaintiff in Obergefell versus Hodges received a celebratory phone call from then President Barrack Obama after the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIM OBERGEFELL, PLAINTIFF IN OBERGEFELL V. HODGES: Yes, it is, Mr. President.
BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITEDS STATES OF AMERICA (via telephone): (Inaudible). I just wanted to say congratulations.
OBERGEFELL: Thank you so much, sir. I think it was your wishes.
OBAMA: You know, your leadership on this, you know, changes the country.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: And that's Jim Obergefell right there. He was next to my colleague, Pam Brown, there during that moment. He joins us now. And we should note he's also a candidate for Ohio state house. Jim, thanks so much for being with us. We appreciate it.
OBERGEFELL: Thank you, Jim. I'm glad to be here. I wish it were under better circumstances.
ACOSTA: Yes. Let's talk about that. Hard to believe that was seven years ago today. How have the last couple of days been for you since reading what Justice Thomas wrote? I mean, here you have this very controversial ruling to come down in the Dobbs case, overturning Roe versus Wade. And then Clarence Thomas, you know, kind of throws this other thing in there that, I mean, obviously is very unsettling to people in the LGBTQ+ community.
OBERGEFELL: Right. It's been a terrible several days for our nation. You know, half of our country lost the right to control their own body and that should terrify everyone in this nation who believes in our ability to make decisions for ourselves. And then to have Justice Thomas in his concurring opinion, put a target on the back of the right to conception -- I'm sorry, the right to --
ACOSTA: Contraception.
OBERGEFELL: Contraception, and the right -- thank you -- the right to contraception, the right to intimacy with the person you love and the right to marry the person you love, that should terrify everyone in this nation. This is a terrible decision from this court and this flies in the face of we, the people, and making this nation a more perfect union.
This takes us backward in time and everyone in this nation should want us to move forward as we learn more about the world, about humanity. We should be moving forward not backwards and this court is taking us backwards, this extreme court is taking us backwards.
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ACOSTA: And you said it was telling that Clarence Thomas went after the cases that he did, but he left out the case that legalized interracial marriage. Thomas, of course, is married to Ginni Thomas, who is white.
OBERGEFELL: Right. You know, to me it's a clear indication that if it's a case that impacts him directly, it's safe. But if it's a case that protects other people, other people who are unlike him, then we're not very safe.
And, again, this is just such an overstep by the government, by the court, to say the government has the right to step into that room where a woman is having a conversation with her physician or with her loved ones, overstepping the right to privacy, you know, we lose -- we stand to lose the ability to have intimate relations in the privacy of our home and not have them be criminalized.
This decision is just appalling and Clarence Thomas, you say that there were errors in judgment made in those cases. I really suggest, Clarence Thomas, that you look in the mirror because that is the error in judgment. You are taking away rights. You are threatening rights that we deserve as human beings and as citizens of this nation.
ACOSTA: And here is how President Joe Biden reacted to what Justice Thomas wrote.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PREIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Roe recognized the fundamental right to privacy that has served as a basis for so many more rights that have come to take -- we've come to take for granted that are ingrained in the fabric of this country. The right to make the best decisions for your health, the right to use birth control. A married couple in the privacy of their bedroom, for god's sake. The right to marry the person you love.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: Jim, you know, the question becomes, I suppose, and we should note, Joe Biden was a pioneer in this area even ahead of Barack Obama, as you know, Jim, back in the Obama administration days. How do you fight this and what would you like to see the president do at this point?
OBERGEFELL: Well, you know, at this point the only way we can fight this is by speaking up, by using our voice, by contacting our elected officials at every level of government, whether that's your city council, your state legislature, your congress members.
You need to use your voice. You need to speak up, protest, march, do whatever it is you can do to make your values clear, to demand of your elected officials that they respect and protect your values. Keep in mind that this decision, throughout this decision, they talk about history and tradition and fundamental rights have to have a long history and tradition in our nation.
Going back to Justice Thomas, I'd just like to remind him that the right to interracial marriage is only six years older than a woman's right to abortion. That is not a long history or tradition. And in fact, our nation has a much longer history of denying interracial marriage.
And do we really want to go back to the late 18th century? These originalists who is say we can only interpret the constitution as of the time it was written. Is that really the type of nation we want? When that constitution was written, we, the people, did not include blacks. It did not include indigenous people. It did not include women. It did not include queer people. That is not the nation that constitution promises. That is not a more perfect union.
ACOSTA: And, Jim, when I was talking to our Elie Honig, one of our legal analysts about this yesterday, he said that just by virtue of Clarence Thomas mentioning these cases in that concurring opinion that it opens the floodgates to challenges in various states. Is that what you are concerned about right now, that this -- that Clarence Thomas has essentially started something that could have some very serious consequences?
OBERGEFELL: Absolutely, Jim. Honestly, if not before this, I feel pretty confident there were people out there starting to draw up lawsuits after this decision was leaked earlier. And now that the decision has come out, it's official, and with Justice Thomas' language, I guarantee you there are people out there who are starting to work on lawsuits to attack our right to marry.
And I would like to ask those people, how has our marriage, how has my marriage, how has any same-sex marriage harmed a single person in this country? What you are doing is harming people. What you are doing is harmful, it is hateful and it is un-American, and it is appalling.
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ACOSTA: Alright, Jim Obergefell, thank you very much. I have a sense that your fight is not over yet on this issue, but please come back anytime. Thanks for your time.
OBERGEFELL: Thank you.
ACOSTA: Appreciate it. Coming up, what happened when "The Daily Show's" Jordan Klepper tried to quiz Trump supporters about the January 6 attack.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JORDAN KLEPPER, CONTRIBUTOR, THE DAILY SHOW WITH TREVOR NOAH: What about what happened on January 6th? What do you think happened there?
UNKNOWN: I don't really know what happened on January 6th.
KLEPPER: January 6th, the --
UNKNOWN: The Election Day?
KLEPPER: No, Election Day was back in November. Do you --
UNKNOWN: I don't even know what happened.
KLEPPER: Do you know about January 6th?
UNKNOWN: No.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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ACOSTA: We've now seen five congressional hearings about the January 6 attack, but are Donald Trump's most loyal supporters even tuning in? "The Daily Show's" Jordan Klepper went to a MAGA rally in Mississippi to find out. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KLEPPER: Are you watching it?
UNKNOWN: No, sir.
KLEPPER: No? Why not?
UNKNOWN: Well, (inaudible) time.
KLEPPER: You don't have time to watch a two-hour hearing?
UNKNOWN: Yes, no.
KLEPPER: How long are you here today?
UNKNOWN: Until 5:00.
KLEPPER: Until 5:00, which is you got here at?
UNKNOWN: I got here at 7:00.
KLEPPER: Seven, which makes it 10 hours.
UNKNOWN: Right.
KLEPPER: What about what happened on January 6th? What do you think what happened there?
UNKNOWN: I don't really know what happened on January 6th.
KLEPPER: January 6th, the --
UNKNOWN: The Election Day?
KLEPPER: No, Election Day was back in November. Do you --
UNKNOWN: I don't even know what --
KLEPPER: Do you know about January 6th?
UNKNONW: No. KLEPPER: So, when I say January 6th, that means --
UNKNOWN: Nothing. I don't know.
KLEPPER: That's just a day to you?
UNKNOWN: Yes.
KLEPPER: Did you hear about the insurrection attempt at the capitol?
UNKNONW: No.
UNKNOWN: Nancy Pelosi, she is very responsible for what went on then. She planned it.
KLEPPER: She planned what happened?
UNKNOWN: I believe so.
KLEPPER: Why did she plan to get attacked by a mob of Trump supporters?
UNKNOWN: Because she wanted to be able to blame it on the Trump supporters and have something bad to say about them.
KLEPPER: Shouldn't we investigate that?
UNKNOWN: Yes.
KELPPER: So, you must be watching the January 6 committee?
UNKNOWN: No.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: My brain already hurts and I have not even introduced Jordan Klepper yet, the great Jordan Klepper, contributor for "The Daily Show" joins me now. Jordan, we can all use a good laugh over this past week, after this past week, but, my goodness, I'm not sure if I should be laughing or crying.
KLEPPER: That tends to be the compliment I get most --
ACOSTA: Yes.
KLEPPER: -- is it would be funny if I wasn't horrified.
ACOSTA: Yes.
KLEPPER: So, you're welcome. I don't know.
ACOSTA: Right.
KLEPPER: It's been a strange couple of years. I think we are both laughing and crying at the same time. So, enjoy everybody. It's America. You're welcome. ACOSTA: I mean, what were you hearing by and large the most when you
talk to folks about this, just blatant, just denialism, just denying that, you know, that this took place? I suppose there was a range of conspiracy theories to explain what had occurred, like the Nancy Pelosi conspiracy theory. What did you hear?
KLEPPER: Yes. I think when we went out there to see people paying attention at all to the hearings and for the most part, people were not but they were getting little bits of information here and there and so we would bring up some of the revelations in the hearing.
It ran the gamut. It was Nancy Pelosi's fault. It didn't happen. Obama was pulling the strings. Things have been edited. I saw the recent "Top Gun" movie and this is not official, but I know when they are trying to evade a missile that's being shot at them at their Tomcat, they will deploy a decoy flare.
And it's just a bunch of different flares that don't add up to anything. They just hopefully catch a missile. That's what it feels like talking to folks more often than not. It's not a cohesive argument as to what happened on January 6th or whether or not there should be a hearing. There are just flares trying to distract. Above all, I'm definitely Maverick in this, in this comparison.
ACOSTA: You are our Maverick, no question about it. And, Jordan, you did this really extraordinary thing where you actually brought the hearings to the Trump supporters. You showed them some of the key clips of the testimony and you're breaking brains. Let's just put it that way. Let's watch.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAM BARR, FORMER ATTORNEY GENERAL: I told him that the stuff that his people were shoveling out to the public was bullshit.
UNKNOWN: Like I said, you just can't be up 300,000 votes and then lose.
KLEPPER: Yes, but that's Trump's attorney general. Does that sway you at all?
UNKNOWN: He's turned on him. He's been paid by somebody to shut his mouth.
UNKNOWN: Everybody knows the election was fraud --
KLEPPER: No, no, he's saying the opposite.
UNKNOWN: He's saying the opposite?
KLEPPER: Yes, he's saying there wasn't fraud. That that's bullshit.
UNKNOWN: Wow. Why?
KLEPPER: Does it make you kind of change your perspective and your assumptions? UNKNOWN: It does.
KELPPER: Yes. So, you're not going to go in there right now?
UNKNOWN: It is alright.
KLEPPER: You are going in there right now to see Donald Trump speak.
UNKNOWN: Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
KLEPPER: Okay, cool. Well, good productive chat.
IVANKA TRUMP, FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE ADVISOR: I respect Attorney General Barr. So, I accepted what he was saying.
UNKNOWN: I don't know if that's not edited in any way.
KLEPPER: You don't believe she actually said that.
UNKNOWN: Did she say it on Twitter?
UNKNOWN: I don't know. It doesn't even look like her.
KLEPPER: You don't think that --
UNKNOWN: It could not be. It might be one of those where they got clones out there these days.
KLEPPER: You think that -- you think that was --
UNKNOWN: That might be a clone, yes.
KLEPPER: It might be an Ivanka clone.
UNKNOWN: Yes.
KLEPPER: Hot take, my friend.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: An Ivanka clone. Wow. I've heard a lot of them, Jordan. I've not heard of the Ivanka clone one.
[17:35:00]
KLEPPER: Well, as somewhat of a historian of this type of thinking, there was a Hillary clone thesis years ago.
ACOSTA: True.
KLEPPER: So, this was at least throwing me back into that mindset. I will give people credit, though. I was surprised by how many people engaged with this and the gentleman in the clip you showed, he took his time to think about it.
ACOSTA: He did. KLEPPER: And I think for a lot of the folks I talk about, like, they
haven't seen this information. And for some people it did feel like it was melting their brains and you could see him go through the motions of this can't be right, I don't understand this, it's confusing. And then, I think, going back into the position of, if it seems confusing or if it seems uncomfortable, it must not be true. That is my safe space.
And I think that is what became frustrating and infuriating, but it was surprising and revealing to see those moments and for some of these people to take it seriously.
ACOSTA: No, absolutely. And, you know, you have to, you know, offer some praises some of these folks are stopping and being willing to listen to what you have to say. But I do think when you have these discussions with folks, and I have as well, you know, it almost becomes a game of how big can the conspiracy get?
So, now Bill Barr is part of the conspiracy. Now, there's an Ivanka Trump clone that's part of the conspiracy. So, how big does it have to get for your world view to continue to hold? I mean, that to me is part of the exercise here.
You know, instead of watching the hearings, a lot of people you talked to brought up this film called "2,000 Mules." For those that don't know about this, explain what that's about. I know this is one of those conspiracy theory movies that are out there that, you know, and they don't hold any water, but tell us about that.
KLEPPER: Well, that's a Dinesh D'Souza film that came out and it was a talking point for a lot of the folks that we were talking to. And I think Trump has brought this film up recently. Bill Barr laughed at this film during the hearings. And we were curious if this would be sort of a defense tactic people would go to. And it definitely was, in fact, more so than we thought.
Almost everybody we talked to when they felt pressured or in a corner they would say "2,000 Mules." And I think it's not necessarily the information that came out of "2,000 Mules," but every time we go out there, it's what's the next piece of information that I can throw out there, again, to get me past this uncomfortable part of the conversation.
And "2,000 Mules" has been debunked. It's been laughed at by Bill Barr himself, and yet it's another part of this churn here that allows folks to not have to grapple with, looking at Ivanka Trump saying now I trust Bill Barr, I think we should go with that.
ACOSTA: And CPAC held this event in Hungary this past year where you had all these Republicans praising the country's far-right leader Viktor Orban who has, you know, we've explained on this program as anti-LGBTQ, he's anti-immigrant, he's ant-free press. You also got a chance to visit the country to glimpse -- to get a glimpse of what the future of American conservatism could be like. What did you find?
KLEPPER: I mean, it's scary. I think we -- the fact that they were having CPAC in Hungary caught our attention and so we went over there and, frankly, we kept hearing tales about what can happen when you see a slide from democracy towards authoritarianism.
And so, the initial joke we had when we're going over there is we're going to go look at America three years from now and we came back and I was like is this Florida in December? You see this as they would say it's the frog that's boiling in the kettle of water.
Like these little infringements on their rights, the culture around them, they're controlling the news sources. And suddenly, by the end of it, you have wide swaths of people who are being discriminated against, who are losing their privileges and they have no power or recourse to remove the people in power.
And so, I think it's -- I think Hungary is a fascinating country for Americans to look at when we talk about what can happen when you slowly start losing rights and I think what we started to see happen even in this last week. It's important for us to understand the global perspective and how this can happen elsewhere, which means it can happen here.
ACOSTA: Right. And key figures on the far right are not holding up Hungary as the shining example of what conservatism could be because, you know, they like to visit the country. It's because this is where they want to take the United States. Jordan Klepper, great work as always. Always appreciate what you do. Thanks for coming on. We appreciate it.
KLEPPER: Thanks for having me, Jim.
ACOSTA: Alright. Take care. Coming up, as abortion rights protests continue nationwide, some are turning violent. We'll have a live report on that next. You're live in the "CNN Newsroom."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[17:40:00]
ACOSTA: The Supreme Court's decision to end a woman's constitutional right to an abortion sparking protests nationwide this weekend by those who are angry and in disbelief. CNN's Nadia Romero joins us live from Jackson Mississippi. And Nadia, some of these protests have turned violent this weekend. What are you seeing and hearing?
NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes. Well, Jim, thankfully here in Jackson, Mississippi things have quieted down quite a bit. The state's last abortion clinic not open today so those anti-abortion protesters who were out yesterday not out today. But across the country we saw those protests sometimes turn violent with plenty of arrests.
(BEIGN VIDEOTAPE)
UNKNOWN: Abortion bans are illegitimate. Forced motherhood is illegitimate. ROMERO (voice-over): From Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles and in between, abortion rights protesters continue to voice their anguish following the ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court to eliminate the constitutional right to an abortion.
[17:45:00]
LAINE PEHTA, PROTESETER: I'm angry. I'm fired up. The fight is not over. People did this fight 50 years ago. I guess it's our turn to take the fight up again. It may take us 50 years, but we'll get back.
ROMERO (voice-over): Smaller gatherings of people celebrating the ruling are also taking place.
UNKNOWN: Millions of lives will be saved by this decision.
ROMERO (voice-over): In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, a pedestrian was injured by a truck while trying to legally cross the street in front of the federal courthouse during Friday evening's protest in the city according to Cedar Rapids Police.
ALEXIS RUSSELL, WITNESSED TRUCK INCIDENT: I look over, I see people trying to push the truck back, and I just instantly got mad and ran over and tried to stop the truck.
ROMERO (voice-over): Video of the incident shows a truck appearing to push through a group of protesters with one person falling to the ground after making contact with the vehicle.
In Providence, Rhode Island, state Democratic Senate candidate Jennifer Rourke was punched in the face by an off-duty police officer and GOP opponent at an abortion rights rally at the state house on Friday night. Rourke told CNN in a statement.
The incident, which was caught on video, shows what appears to be Rourke stepping into an altercation at the protest and almost immediately afterwards getting punched in the face by Jeanne Lugo. Lugo turned himself to the Rhode Island State Police on Saturday. Eric Yinyar, lieutenant for the Rhode Island State Police told CNN.
CNN reached out to the Providence Fraternal Order of Police to inquire about the possible legal representation for Lugo, but did not hear back Saturday night.
In Phoenix, law enforcement used tear gas late Friday to disperse a crowd of abortion rights supporters, after they repeatedly pounded on the glass doors of the state senate building. Arizona Department of Public Safety spokesperson, Bart Graves, told CNN.
In Eugene, Oregon, 10 people were arrested on Friday night during the demonstration dubbed a night of rage in response to the ruling according to a release from Eugene police.
Greenville, South Carolina, at least six people were arrested Saturday at a protest that was attended by hundreds of people in downtown, according to a news release by the Greenville Police Department. Video taken by Emily Porter shows the moment police detained several demonstrators in downtown Greenville at the rally.
A video shared with CNN shows police detaining several people and forcing a man to the ground. And officers also seen yelling at protesters to get back although another officer tells protesters who are jeering the police, we are not on either side.
In Washington, D.C., U.S. Capitol Police arrested two people on Saturday afternoon for the destruction of property after they were accused of quote, "throwing paint over the fence by the U.S. Supreme Court," USCP tweeted.
Large protests have also been held in Philadelphia and Los Angeles. And in New York City, many demonstrators gathered in Washington Square Park to protest the ruling even though New York State law will remain in place to protect abortion rights.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMERO (on camera): And here in Mississippi, all eyes will be on the buildings behind me. That's when state leaders will come back into the office on Monday. The thought is that the attorney general here will work to certify that law, but there's still that 10-day period. So, the abortion clinic here, Jim, says that they will continue to perform abortions up until the very last minute and they do expect those anti- abortion protesters to be outside as well. Jim?
ACOSTA: Alright, Nadia Romero, thank you very much for that report.
On Wall Street, scorching hot inflation is driving recession fear. Here is Alison Kosik with your "Before the Bell" report.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Jim. This week wraps up the first half of the trading year and it was a rough one. The S&P 500 is on track for the worst first half since 1970. The biggest investor concerns, red-hot inflation and a recession.
We get a fresh check on inflation this week with May's PCE index. The Fed's favored inflation measure cooled in April, but prices remain uncomfortably high. The fear is the Fed's response, aggressive rate hikes will spark a recession, something Fed Chairman J. Powell conceded last week.
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JEROME POWELL, FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIRMAN: We're not - we're not trying to provoke and I don't think that we will need to provoke a recession, but we do think it's absolutely essential that we restore price stability really for the benefit of the labor market as much as anything else.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KOSIK: Even so, Powell also noted higher rates could mean job losses lifting the unemployment rate from a historically low level. In New York, I'm Alison Kosik.
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[17:50:00]
ACOSTA: This just in to CNN, at least four people are dead and dozens have suffered serious injuries after a stadium collapse during a bullfight in Colombia. Take a look at this terrifying video shows the moment right there, just unbelievable.
A stand full of spectators completely crumbles to the ground. Here it is again from a different angle. You're seeing it right there. Just a stunning, absolutely stunning scene there. The mayor in that region is urging people to evacuate in that area as emergency crews and hospitals are overwhelmed at the moment. Authorities are investigating what caused that collapse.
And you may know Arthur Ashe as a legendary tennis champion, but his legacy goes far beyond the court. Here's a preview of the CNN Film "Citizen Ashe."
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UNKNOWN: Arthur was quite an unusual type. He was very, so skinny and gangly and he had a big serve. Most people serve stationary. But Arthur kind of jumped into the court.
[17:55:01]
He had a tremendous serve. I mean, whip-like, like his backhand, he could hit about seven different ways. He was a shot-maker and he would always go for broke. He didn't really want to have 10 hits and a long rally. He would hit four or five times and then he'd really try to win the point.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ACOSTA: "Citizen Ashe" premieres tonight at 9:00 right here on CNN. That's the news. Reporting from Washington, I'm Jim Acosta. I'll see you back here next Saturday. Pamela Brown takes over the "CNN Newsroom" live after a quick break. Have a good week.
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[17:59:59]
