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January 6 Committee: Goal For Next Hearing Is September 28; Pillow Salesman And Trump Ally Lindell: FBI Took My Phone At Hardee's; House Oversight Committee Asks Archives If Trump Still Has Government Records; Possible Link Between Multivitamin Use And Cognition In Older Adults; Defense Suddenly Rest In Nikolas Cruz Penalty Trial. Aired 3:30-4p ET
Aired September 14, 2022 - 15:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:30:10]
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: The Department of Homeland Security inspector general has claimed that those Secret Service messages were erased as part of a device replacement program. Joining us is CNN justice correspondent Jessica Schneider. So, Jessica, what significant information did they get this week?
JESSICA SCHNEIDER, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, they're still looking through all those documents. So, we did get confirmation, Alisyn and Victor, from the Secret Service that they have resumed this handing over of documents to the committee. That actually restarted about two weeks ago. And they've already handed over, they say, thousands more documents.
And you know, this is all part of the committee probing why texts from that crucial period around January 6th seem to be missing, what texts might have existed in the first place. The Secret Service of course saying that they weren't retained during that routine phone replacement.
In other news though with the committee, members are now saying that they're looking at resuming public hearings the final week of September. One of the members, Congressman Jamie Raskin really said they want to complete the story of what they've already told in numerous hearings and focus on what they perceive as ongoing threats to democracy.
You know, plus, guys, the committee here saying that they're still weighing whether they'll actually make a criminal referral to the Justice Department. Though really at this point DOJ has numerous, ongoing criminal probes in all areas sort of circling around the former president and his allies -- Victor and Alisyn.
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: So, a Trump ally and My Pillows CEO Mike Lindell says that the Department of Justice has subpoenaed his phone. What do you know about that?
SCHNEIDER: Yes, so we've learned now this is all actually part of an investigation into an election security breach that allegedly happened in Colorado during the 2020 election. So, Mike Lindell, he's been talking a lot about this. He even shared companies of the subpoena he received from the FBI. And he told our team that what agents asked him, they approached him with questions about Tina Peter. She's actually the Mesa County, Colorado clerk.
She's facing state charges for a scheme where she allegedly allowed an unauthorized person to access voting machines. She has pleaded not guilty. And Lindell talked about this whole encounter. He said it happened yesterday afternoon when he was in Minnesota at a drive- through at the fast food spot Hardee's. Here he is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE LINDELL, CEO, MY PILLOW: Cars pulled up to the front of us, to the side of us and behind us. And I said, those are either bad guys or the FBI. Well, it turns out they were the FBI.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCHNEIDER: And Lindell said he actually thought initially that the agents were approaching him related to the January 6th investigation. But of course, Victor and Alisyn, we know that it's in relation to this ongoing Colorado probe into this possible election security issue with voting machines being breached in Mesa County -- Guys.
BLACKWELL: Jessica Schneider, thank you.
CAMEROTA: OK, let's talk more about these investigations. David Aronberg is the state attorney for Palm Beach County, Florida. Dave great to have you here in studio. Is Mike Lindell in trouble?
DAVID ARONBERG, STATE ATTORNEY FOR PALM BEACH COUNTY, FLORIDA: A lot of trouble. I mean, this further shows the danger of eating fast food. But you know, to get a search warrant for someone's phone, you've got to have probable cause that a crime occurred and that evidence of that crime would be found on his phone. So, yes, he's in a lot of trouble.
CAMEROTA: And so, they must think that he's connected to this Mesa County election breach of voting machines.
ARONBERG: Oh, he is. I mean, he knows all the players involved. He kept one of the players in one of his safe houses for a while. It's so bizarre. You know, one of the main perpetrators here, allegedly, is this surfer turned QAnon conspiracy theorist who lied and pretended he was a tech guy and stole the voting machine. And so, he is going to be charged. And I think Mike Lindell eventually will be charged.
CAMEROTA: OK, so about all of those classified and top secret documents that the FBI had to go and retrieve from Mar-a-Lago, the Department of Justice says that the delay, as you know, the judge has sort of frozen this while they worry about a special master or try to agree on a special master. The Department of Justice says that they are doing irreparable damage, basically, by delaying this basically to national security. Because who knows what top secrets have been spilled or been breached somehow.
What the judge said was, well, go right ahead with your national security investigation, just stop the criminal probe. And the Department of Justice is saying we can't, they're inextricably linked. Why? Why can't you separate it out?
ARONBERG: You can't because the CIA is not a domestic law enforcement agency. And so, when you do this review of the damage caused by keeping these documents at Mar-a-Lago and Palm Beach, you can't do it without the FBI's help. The FBI has been involved up to this point. And so, to say that the FBI cannot be involved any longer means that they can't do the review, it means the human sources are put at risk. We're talking about lives at stake.
[15:35:00]
CAMEROTA: By the way, we still don't know if all the classified documents are back in safe keeping, if the top secret documents are back. Because, as you'll remember, there were dozens of empty folders that said classified documents. Where are the contents of those? And also, who knows what Donald Trump did with boxes of classified documents that were so sloppily mishandled.
So, the House oversight committee has great concerns about this. They've sent a letter about all of this, and they say -- let me read you a portion of this -- this was the letter to the national archives.
The committee is concerned that, given this pattern of conduct Mr. Trump may continue to retain presidential records at non-secure locations. The National Archive's staff recently informed the Committee that the agency is not certain whether all presidential records are in its custody.
Now what?
ARONBERG: Well, I think that means they may go ahead and start searching other Trump properties like Bedminster. Why stop at Mar-a- Lago? If you believe that he still has some of these very important documents. I mean, you're talking about human resources -- human individuals, spies, who could be put at risk.
And the way that they know and believe that he has those documents, they've got someone on the inside, whether a secret service agent or other people really close to Donald Trump. And let me tell you, that must drive him crazy. Because Trump demands complete loyalty even if the loyalty is a one-way street.
CAMEROTA: So, in other words, you think there could be another search we could see at Bedminster or something like that, like the kind we saw at Mar-a-Lago?
ARONBERG: Yes, and the only reason we know about the search about Mar- a-Lago is because Trump disclosed it. The DOJ is really good at keeping secrets. Trump is not. So, this could be very far along. They could be in the process of trying to plan a search of other properties as we speak. One thing we know about Merrick Garland, he is good at keeping a secret.
CAMEROTA: Congressman Carolyn Malone who sent that letter to the National Archives is looking for a personal certification from Donald Trump that he surrendered all the classified documents and all the thousands of pages that don't belong to him. I mean, given his less- than-stellar track record of telling the truth, why would she want a personal certification from him?
ARONBERG: She wants him on the hook, because if he lies then it's an obstruction charge Section 1519 against him. Right now, he can throw his lawyers under the bus, Christina Bobb who signed that certification saying we gave everything back. It's a bad idea when you signed a letter written by a different lawyer who refuses to put his name on the letter. So now she's in the DOJ's crosshairs. So, the Congressman wants Donald Trump's name to be on the line.
CAMEROTA: David Aronberg, thank you for explaining all of this. Great to see you.
ARONBERG: Thanks for having me.
BLACKWELL: A new study suggests taking a multivitamin could help older people stay sharp, have higher brain function, why researchers were shocked by the results next.
[15:40:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: A new study says older adults who take a daily multivitamin may benefit from improved cognition.
CAMEROTA: Researchers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and Brigham and Women's Hospital add that the benefit appears to be greater for those with a history of cardiovascular disease. CNN medical correspondent Dr. Tara Narula has more on the study. So, Tara, researchers say they were shocked by these findings. What was so shocking?
DR. TARA NARULA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, this is an interesting study. They took about 2,000 older Americans, over 65, and wanted to see if giving them either a cocoa supplement -- cocoa extract -- or a multivitamin might help protect their cognitive function. And they had anticipated they might see benefit in the cocoa group because it has a compound in it called flavonoids which we know tends to be associated basal dilatation or dilatation of the blood vessels and possibly better cardiovascular health.
But in fact, they got no significant benefit in that group. And instead, they did see a potential benefit in the group that got the multivitamin, about a 60 percent decrease in cognitive aging or 1.8 years. And as you mentioned, this was enhanced in those with underlying cardiovascular disease it seems. The effect was more profound.
BLACKWELL: Actor Ryan Reynolds recently let cameras in for his colonoscopy, inside the medical suite, inside the room. Let's take a look. To clarify that. Sorry, Ryan. Let's take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN REYNOLDS, ACTOR: I'm going to eat a graham cracker.
JONATHAN LAPOOK, CBS CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: You did such a good prep that I was able to find an extremely subtle polyp that was on the right side of your colon. This was potentially lifesaving for you. I'm not being overly dramatic. I mean, this is exactly why you do this. OK. You had no symptoms.
REYNOLDS: Yes.
LAPOOK: All right, man.
REYNOLDS: I'm OK.
LAPOOK: I'm thrilled for you.
REYNOLDS: Thank you so much for this, seriously. Thank you for pushing me to do this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BLACKWELL: And literally had a conversation about when to start colonoscopies this morning. So, when should people start to get colonoscopies.
NARULA: Yes, well, I had mine and I'm really happy that Jon LaPook, who I worked with at CBS for many years, did this piece with Ryan Reynolds so we can decrease sigma and raise awareness. So, it's important that if you're between 45 and 76 you began to get your colonoscopy screenings. Between 75 or 76 and 86, as a time when you're going to you make an individualized decision with your doctor. I mean over 86 it's no longer recommended for screening.
CAMEROTA: Yes, and I think Ryan Reynolds is 45. But it's a great message again because he's an actor. He so popular and to see him just sort woozy and eating his graham cracker there. But you know, they found something.
NARULA: Exactly, and that's what screening is all about. It's finding things early. And particularly with colon cancer we know that it usually takes years for these polyps to turn into cancerous legions.
[15:45:00]
So, if you find it early and treat it, you're really potentially saving someone's life as he mentioned in that piece.
CAMEROTA: Dr. Narula thanks so much for being here. Great to see you.
BLACKWELL: Thank you.
The defense team just rested in the death penalty trial For Parkland School shooter Nicholas Cruz, more on that. Why the judge called Cruz's attorney unprofessional, next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BLACKWELL: Attorneys for the confessed killer in the Parkland School shooting rested their case unexpectedly early today. Now this is the sentencing phase of the death penalty trial for Nikolas Cruz. He pleaded guilty to killing 14 students and three staff members at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. It was Valentine's Day 2018.
[15:50:00]
Now the announcement surprised the judge and the prosecution. They expected at least 40 more witnesses to be called. The judge, Elizabeth Scherer, she scolded the defense for wasting the court's time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUDGE ELIZABETH SCHERER, BROWARD COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT: There is the most uncalled for, unprofessional way to try the case. You -- you all knew about this, even if you didn't make your decision until this morning, to have 22 people plus all of the staff and every attorney march into court, be waiting as if it's some kind of game, now at the center the state's not ready, they're not going to have another witness ready. We have another day wasted. I just -- honestly, I have never experienced a level of unprofessionalism in my career.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAMEROTA: CNN's Carlos Suarez joins us live from Broward County now. Carlos, that -- that was quite a tongue lashing from the judge.
CARLOS SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly right, Alisyn and Victor. The judge has had issues with both sides throughout this case. Just a few weeks ago she accused both sides of treating her courtroom like a, quote, classroom. This morning she was upset that the decision had been made to cut -- that the defense, rather, had made the decision to cut their case pretty short.
This morning's heated exchange did play out before the jury was brought in. The defense was expected to call two witnesses today, and they gave no indication that they were going to cut their case short. Everyone was expecting several more weeks of testimony from dozens of more witnesses including Nikolas Cruz's own brother Zachary. Now when the defense attorney tried to explain her decision, well, the judge, she cut her off.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MELISA MCNEILL, PUBLIC DEFENDER: Judge, you're insulting me on the record in front of my client and I believe I should be able to --
SCHERER: OK, you can make that later. You can make your workability. But you've been insulting me the entire trial. So blatantly, taking your headphones off, arguing with me, storming out, coming late intentionally if you don't like my rulings. So quite frankly, this has been long overdue.
(END VIDEO CLIP) SUAREZ: All right, so Nikolas Cruz was asked if he was comfortable with the decision that his attorneys had made, and he told the judge that he was. The state is expected to begin their rebuttal at the end of the month, and then the jury could get the case as early as the first week of -- rather the second week of October, come the 10th, in Florida, a decision on death does have to be unanimous. And one final note, Alisyn and Victor, none of the family members commented about what happened as they left the courtroom this morning.
BLACKWELL: All right, Carlos Suarez for us there. Thank you so much.
CAMEROTA: OK, so right now the White House is trying to broker a deal between railroad and union workers in order to avert a rail strike that could affect all of us. We have the latest on negotiations straight ahead.
[15:55:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
CAMEROTA: OK, guys, with the death of the Queen, King Charles has been now thrust into the limelight. He's having to take on all sorts of new responsibilities. And apparently learn new inventions like pens. Late Night host Jimmy Fallon had some fun at the expense of King Charles III and his pen issues.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY FALLON, LATE NIGHT HOST: By the way, this is real. This is a clip from today.
KING CHARLES III, GREAT BRITAIN: I just have to put ... is it September the 12th?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 13th, sir.
KING CHARLES: Oh, god, I put the wrong date down. 13th.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, sir?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You signed the 12th earlier.
KING CHARLES: Where did I put the 12th? Oh god, I hate this pen.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh look, it's going everywhere, hand on.
KING CHARLES: I can't bear this blood thing! What they do, every stinking time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)\
CAMEROTA: People scurrying up to give him a new pen to wipe off the ink.
BLACKWELL: You know what I was focused on in that clip. What was on Jimmy Fallon's face? Is this beard new? Maybe I haven't been staying up late enough. The pen. The pen, yeah.
CAMEROTA: I agree that was also shocking the Jimmy Fallon facial hair. But the life of a pampered royal. I mean, there are bigger problems in the world than a leak pen. But King Charles doesn't know that. He's not aware of those.
BLACKWELL: He'll get used to the pen eventually.
All right, so Disney released the first trail for its upcoming live action film "The Little Mermaid" which stars Halle Bailey as Ariel.
CAMEROTA: Parents are sharing videos of their daughters' heartwarming reactions when they see the black Disney princess.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A new Ariel.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CHILD: That is Ariel? Brown ariel is cute.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CAMEROTA: Oh, my gosh.
BLACKWELL: That's amazing. I mean, to see the little girl say, "brown Ariel, brown Ariel is cute."
[16:00:00]
And for these girls to see themselves -- little black girls didn't have a Disney princess before Tiana and "Princess and the Frog." And "Snow White" came out in the '30s, right. And now to see Halle Bailey do this, it is remarkable. I think we can't overestimate how much it means to girls that age to see themselves in that role.
CAMEROTA: It's so touching. And there was that one little girl who almost couldn't believe it. She went ah, ah, and looked back. That was beautiful. It hits theaters next May.
"THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts now.
