Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe Shot and Killed During Campaign Speech; Trump White House Counsel Meeting with January 6th Committee Behind Closed Doors; Interview with Labor Secretary Marty Walsh about June Jobs Numbers. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired July 08, 2022 - 10:00   ET

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

[10:00:33]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Very good Friday morning to you. I'm Jim Sciutto.

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Erica Hill. We are following several major stories this hour.

First, a stunning assassination in Japan. Former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe is dead after being shot during a campaign speech outside of Osaka. That moment actually caught on video.

I do want to warn you, what you're about to see is disturbing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking foreign language)

(GUNSHOT)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: Police tackled the gunman now described by police as a 41-year- old unemployed man. Police say this man has admitted to the shooting. State broadcaster NHK is quoting police who said that he used a homemade gun. We'll take you live to Tokyo for further updates in just a moment.

SCIUTTO: What a shock for that country, for the world. Plus, right now here at home, former White House counsel Pat Cipollone is on Capitol Hill for closed-door testimony today, speaking to the January 6th Select Committee. We are watching that very closely.

But first, our top story. Japan's former prime minister Shinzo Abe, the longest serving prime minister, assassinated during a campaign speech.

CNN senior international correspondent Will Ripley joins us now from Taipei, Taiwan.

The circumstances of this particularly in a country with so few instances of gun violence just shocking. What more do we know about the shooter and the circumstances? WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jim. You're

talking about a country with half the population of the United States that had all of one gun death, one gun-related fatality in 2021. Guns don't exist for regular people in Japan. There's not a gun culture. And so to -- for police to find a number of homemade pistol-like items in a raid of the home of the suspect, a 41-year-old unemployed man who apparently holds hatred toward some sort of group that he thought that Abe was a part of, not even clear what that group was or what -- if any of this is even based in reality. But this is what we know right now about this suspect.

They have 90 police investigators trying to get to the bottom of this. And it does really hit you to the core, as someone who lived and worked in Japan and thinking of all my friends in Japan. That feeling of safety that you have when you walk through the streets of Japan. You know, at any hour of the day or night, in any large city or small town, you never feel that you're going to be at risk.

You know, if you leave your cell phone or your wallet in a taxi, the taxi driver comes back and returns it to you. That's the culture in Japan. And politicians for decades now, they haven't had a political assassination in Japan since 1960. They are up close and personal with members of the public. Even though Shinzo Abe was retired in terms of being the prime minister, he was still the leader of a very powerful faction in the ruling liberal Democratic Party.

He had the ear of his two successors, the two men who've served as prime minister since he stepped down at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. And not only was he a powerful voice domestically, but he also was arguably the most recognizable Japanese politician on a global stage, trying to repair relationships with China. He was the first world leader to congratulate then President- elect Trump and developed a very warm relationship with the former president.

Even taking him out for a hamburger in Tokyo, playing golf with him in Japan and Florida. And in the process, cajoling and coaxing out of him policies that were beneficial for Japan. Shinzo Abe was a true global elder statesman. Somebody who was working up until the very last moment, out campaigning for members of his own party, when he was shot shockingly in the streets of Nara, Japan.

HILL: Will Ripley with the latest for us. Will, we appreciate it. Thank you.

Joining us now is Tomohiko Taniguchi. He was a special adviser to former prime minister Shinzo Abe from 2013 through 2014. His duties included writing foreign policy speeches for the former prime minister.

Mr. Taniguchi, it's good to have you with us this morning, and our condolences. We're hearing so much about the shock for the nation but also for someone who knew and worked with him personally. Can you share some of your memories -- just share for us what Shinzo Abe represents to you.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

TOMOHIKO TANIGUCHI, SPECIAL ADVISER TO JAPAN'S FORMER PRIME MINISTER SHINZO ABE: He and Mrs. Abe didn't have their own child, and he wanted to bring Japan to the younger generations as a country that is prosperous and future oriented.

[10:05:08]

And he was a very much kind person. Recently one of the leaders that he knew very closely in the business community passed away, and he appeared the side of the bed of the -- of the person not only once but three times during this hectic season of political campaign. So that's what Shinzo Abe was like. Once you are befriended with him, you get a lifelong friend. And I'm doing this to you both only as my last piece of service for him.

SCIUTTO: He was a transformational figure for Japan. Certainly his time served as prime minister, but also a more robust foreign policy, a more robust position for Japan on the world stage, taking away some of the limits, for instance, on Japan's military activities abroad, standing up to China.

How significant were these changes for Japan, and I wonder in your view are they lasting?

TANIGUCHI: I would very much like to see his legacy lasting because there are very few options available for Japan. It's a maritime nation, and it's sitting on the periphery of a huge land mass which is being dominated by three nuclear power nations -- Russia, North Korea, China -- none of which is democratic.

So Japan badly needs alliance partners like the United States, Australia, India, which Shinzo Abe tried very much hard to do. And also at the same time, he wanted to leave a broadened identity for the future Japanese by forging mega FTAs with Europe and the Pacific nations and so forth.

HILL: Can you talk to us about how -- how the Japanese people are dealing with this right now? There was, you know, a lot of talk here, is this the equivalent of when JFK was assassinated in the United States? This is such a major cultural moment for Japan, and devastating.

TANIGUCHI: Well, I think it's going to be an equivalent of JFK's assassination day. People would be talking years ahead what you were doing on that momentous day. Well, it's been a day of sadness, grief, disbelief, and for me tremendous anger. People are finding it very much hard to digest the reality. I think it's very much an isolated event conducted by very much an isolated person. Nonetheless, that isolated incident killed one of the most transformative leaders of the Japanese history.

SCIUTTO: His relationship with the U.S., with U.S. presidents through multiple presidents, Bush, Obama, Trump, different parties, very different American presidents in that role, but maintaining a strong alliance and arguably an increasingly important alliance given his view of the threat, the challenges from China and America's view of that threat.

Where does the U.S.-Japan relationship go following his loss, and do those that follow him share his view of that alliance?

TANIGUCHI: I think if you look at the body language of Japanese community, business community, it's very much vocal because the Japanese businesses have invested much, much more in the United States, not in China. So Japan has become probably the second biggest employer, second only to the United Kingdom, in the United States. So Shinzo Abe's legacy is going to remain as such.

The United States and Japan have overcome many difficulties ranging from negative memories of the war and tremendous trade frictions. But in this age between Bush-Abe, between Obama-Abe, between Trump-Abe, and between now Biden-Abe, I think the U.S. and Japan have become truly an alliance partner that is future oriented and that is determined to bring about something good to the region and to the international community. So it's a tremendous loss.

[10:10:10]

SCIUTTO: Well, Tomohiko Taniguchi, you had a personal relationship with him. We know that this is a personal loss for you, as well. We do wish you and your family the best in this very sad moment. And thank you for joining us.

TANIGUCHI: It's kind of you to say so. Thank you.

HILL: Right now the January 6th Committee is hearing some of its most critical testimony yet as former White House counsel Pat Cipollone testifies behind closed doors. The panel hoping he'll provide some insider details about what went on in the Trump White House on January 6th.

SCIUTTO: It's quite a moment in these investigations. CNN Capitol Hill reporter Melanie Zanona joins now live.

Melanie, Cipollone, key witness here, had testified before, brought back in effect following Cassidy Hutchinson's testimony. What is the goal in today's questioning?

MELANIE ZANONA, CNN CAPITOL HILL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, you're absolutely right. This is a highly anticipated moment for the committee. They had worked months to secure this testimony from Pat Cipollone. And that's because he is considered a key fact witness to a number of pivotal episodes both leading up to and on January 6th. In fact, sources tell CNN that he was in and out of the dining room with Donald Trump during those critical 187 minutes when Trump was refusing to act as rioters were storming the Capitol building.

That period of time is expected to be a major focus of an upcoming hearing for the select committee. So Pat Cipollone can really help fill in the gaps, especially since there are long gaps in the White House records from that day. Now, Pat Cipollone can also help corroborate the explosive testimony from Cassidy Hutchinson. Remember she testified that Pat Cipollone was expressing grave concerns about Trump's behavior on January 6th among other things. And so the select committee I'm sure will be asking about all of that.

Now we also know that Pat Cipollone does have some concerns about executive privilege as it pertains to his conversations with Donald Trump, so it could limit his cooperation to an extent. It's unclear how the committee plans to navigate that. But we could know soon because this testimony will be videotaped, and so it is almost certain that this is going to be popping up in future hearings -- Jim, Erica.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

HILL: Yes. We would imagine we'll be seeing some snippets of that perhaps on Tuesday when we know the next hearing is scheduled.

Melanie, appreciate it. Thank you.

SCIUTTO: Well, just ahead, I'll speak to the Labor Secretary Marty Walsh to ask what is behind today's better-than-expected jobs report, if we can expect the same next month, what does it mean for the broader challenges to the economy.

Plus, why the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he will not hand over any territory in exchange for peace with Russia.

HILL: And later this hour, how the friends and family of those killed in the Uvalde, Texas, massacre are now dealing with the failures of law enforcement. Who should be held accountable for this tragedy and for the deaths of their loved ones?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:17:22]

SCIUTTO: Right now President Biden touting what he describes as, quote, "The historic strength of the American job market." This as new Labor Department data shows the U.S. added some 372,000 new jobs in June, ahead of expectations. Biden doubling down on his claim that the U.S. is better positioned than any other country in the world right now to combat inflation, while warning that job gains will soon begin to slow as the economy moves toward what he describes as stable growth.

Joining me now to discuss all this, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh.

Mr. Secretary, thanks for joining us.

MARTY WALSH, LABOR SECRETARY: Thanks for having me today.

SCIUTTO: So it's a big figure, it's ahead of expectations. However, we know that the Fed does want to see the job market cool somewhat in order to help get inflation under control, down below its, or to its 2 percent target. Does this robust jobs market make it harder to tame inflation?

WALSH: I don't think so. You know, the one thing that we got to keep in perspective here that we are back to -- on the private sector, back to where we were pre-pandemic levels. So we're actually just kind of level where we were pre-pandemic. We're seeing the same in manufacturing jobs. We're pre-pandemic level. There's some growth in certain markets, but we're seeing the levels of employment where we need to see them.

One area we're seeing increase in childcare, working in childcare. That's a good sign because we have roughly 5 million, 5.6 million people that aren't in the work force for various reasons. But one of those reasons is definitely childcare. So I think any time that we can add jobs to the economy and see companies grow is a good thing.

Now I know there's a lot of economists will talk differently about that. But I personally think getting people to work and having people look for work is a good sign.

SCIUTTO: I certainly don't want to color this negatively. It's good that there are more jobs out there. But I'm looking at what are the cascading effects from this. And I know of course the White House does not control and nor does it want to interfere with the Fed's operations, but from the White House view, does this make it more likely that the Fed has to raise rates -- continue to raise rates I should say aggressively?

WALSH: I'm not sure what the Fed will do here. Obviously they're independent. But I think that when you think about where we are right now, these last two years, people have gone through an awful lot with the pandemic, losing their jobs, worrying about their future. And I think -- and then the president laid out a plan a year and a half ago to get people back to work. I think nearly nine million Americans have gone back to work since the president has taken office.

And he laid out a plan to work on inflation. Inflation is tricky because it's global. And there's a lot of other outside factors. What's happening in Ukraine, with the cost of oil and wheat and other things. What's happening with the pandemic, we have supply chain issues, China was shut down for six months, or not six months.

[10:20:04]

China was shut down a few months ago because the rates of COVID were up there. So, you know, it's really hard to predict. But I think as we continue to move forward here and continue to get our economy back and running, over time we'll see those inflationary costs come down. I mean, it's a challenge. I mean, there's no question about it.

SCIUTTO: It's an odd economy, let's say a contradictory one to some degree. You still have a very robust job market. But fact is in the first quarter, negative growth. Goldman Sachs has just downgraded its forecast for the second quarter. You have some who believe there might be a second quarter of negative growth which, of course, as you know, would mean by definition a recession.

Is it the White House view that the U.S. economy is headed toward a recession, even a brief one?

WALSH: I don't think we've ever -- that hasn't come up in a conversation I've been in, what we're doing is just continuing to move our economy forward. What's interesting -- I've been in this job as secretary of labor now for almost a year and a half, and I've gone back and looked at the records of recessions. I've looked back in 2008 and 2001, and going all the way back. And as you mentioned, we're living in a very different difficult time, very challenging time.

I don't think it's very difficult to predict what a recession will look like, if we are in recession. I know that we're seeing wage growth. Now obviously it's not keeping up with inflation, but if we bring inflation down, the wage growth is good. We have to continue to move forward. We're seeing companies open, we're seeing independent people creating their own businesses. You still see -- I go around the country, all over the place, you see cranes happening everywhere.

The economic development, building still happening, houses still being sold. So I think what we have to do -- I'm not, this is what I'm saying, the president is not taking a wait-and-see approach. But I think literally this is a kind of month-by-month approach to see how we're moving forward. So I don't want to say we're going to be in a recession because we're doing everything we can to get our economy and bring inflationary costs down.

SCIUTTO: I get you don't want it, but are you concerned that the Fed is hitting the brakes too hard?

WALSH: No. You know, I view this -- I look to the lens of being my former job and quite honestly, you know, I don't know what a recession will look like in pandemic times. But I -- I'm still looking at these investments that are being made around the country with development, economic development. People going back to work, people shopping. You know, in Washington, D.C., all the tourism is back, the hotels are full.

People are coming back to work in Boston, other places. You know, we're seeing people spending money. We just need to continue just to monitor this as we move forward. The Fed will make the decisions that they feel are necessary. But I know the president and his team and our team will make the right decisions to bring the costs down for the people at the table.

SCIUTTO: Final question, Democrats are still working on a pared down reconciliation package focused largely on drug prices. But as you know, the Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, has threatened to block a bipartisan competitiveness bill if Democrats continue down that path.

Is the administration willing to give up that competitiveness bill to get something passed from the -- from the Build Back Better agenda?

WALSH: Yes, I just want to be clear here. The president wants to bring prescription costs down for people. Prescription costs that people are paying out of their pocket. The pharmaceutical companies are getting rich, people are getting poor by paying out of pocket. Number one.

On the Bipartisan Innovation Act we're talking about bringing manufacturing of chips back to the United States of America. Factories built in the United States, chips created in the United States, in cities and towns all across this country. That argument that leaders might make is a ridiculous one because it's about creating opportunities.

We are in a global -- we are dealing with inflation today because we're not -- we don't build enough product in the United States of America, and we have an opportunity to make computer chips in the United States of America not be reliant on foreign imports for those chips. And Congress is playing games with two pieces of legislation, one that impacts people's pocketbooks from the streets, and the other one would create tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of jobs?

I mean, this is about putting party politics aside and putting the American people first. Both of these bills are very important for the future of this -- of people in this country.

SCIUTTO: Secretary Marty Walsh, thanks for coming back on the program.

WALSH: Thank you.

HILL: Former White House counsel Pat Cipollone on Capitol Hill right now where he's testifying before the January 6th Committee. How long until we, the public, learn about what was shared behind closed doors? We'll discuss next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:29:05]

SCIUTTO: Right now, big moment on the Hill. The House Select Committee is hearing key witness testimony from the former White House counsel Pat Cipollone as they hope he sheds light into the Trump White House on January 6th. What did the president do and not do?

This comes as some GOP operatives connected to the former president's alternate electors plan are set to turn information in to the DOJ today.

HILL: Well, let's dig into what may be happening there with CNN politics reporter and editor-at-large Chris Cillizza, plus CNN political commentator and columnist for "New York" magazine, Errol Louis.

Gentlemen, good to see you both this morning. Cillizza, you are on deck first, my friend.

CHRIS CILLIZZA, CNN POLITICS REPORTER AND EDITOR-AT-LARGE: OK.

HILL: So when we look at -- I know you're prepared. When we look at what is expected to come out of this interview today, I have to say what's most intriguing to me is whether little bits will be fed to us, or whether this is going to be held for next week's hearings. What are you hearing there in Washington?

CILLIZZA: So, first of all, I think it's important to sort of establish Pat Cipollone in the broader context, right? He's -- I keep thinking of this, maybe because I recently saw the movie --