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Charles III Officially Crowned As King Of Britain; Police Released 911 Calls From Deadly Medical Office Shooting; Trump Discusses Accusations In Depositions Video Made Public; Judge Gives Trump Until End Of Weekend To Decide If He Wants To Testify; E. Jean Carroll And Trump Rest Their Cases In Battery And Defamation Trial; Trump Defends "Access Hollywood" Comments In Video Deposition. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired May 06, 2023 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So I was leaving Sloan Kettering, and then this is it healing up. And then chemotherapy. I mean, you get (inaudible) of my diagnosis, right? And you don't understand how would I have asbestos? Everywhere that I've gone I've always had some Johnson and Johnson baby powder. I just never imagined that something that you would use on babies was unsafe.
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PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: Well, Johnson and Johnson is now in bankruptcy court attempting to resolve these cases with an $8.9 billion proposal. The bankruptcy court has yet to decide if J&J can move forward with this plan. So, this story and the legal drama surrounding it continues to unfold and aside from baby powder, we also take a look at how cosmetics are regulated compared to other consumer products.
Bottom line, it's still up to companies to say a product is safe before it hits the shelves. Fred?
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: All Right, Pamela Brown, thank you so much. Don't miss Pamela's exclusive reporting, a new episode of The Whole Truth with Anderson Cooper airs tomorrow night at 8pm right here on CNN.
All right, hello again, everyone. Hello again. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. A historic moment on full display in London. Britain officially has a new monarch. King Charles III was crowned today during a coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: God save the king.
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WHITFIELD: It was a day of rituals, traditions and celebrations across the United Kingdom. And for many this is the first coronation witnessed in their lifetime and one that won't be forgotten. CNN's Scott McLean is in London for us. So, Scott, earlier you were mentioning people keep coming and its many hours after the coronation. Did they continue to arrive there at Buckingham Palace?
SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, we're more than five hours now, Fredricka when all of this wrapped up. And well, you tell me, they're still here. And I just want to point out something interesting. If you look at the top of Buckingham Palace here you will see the Union Jack is flying there. What you will not see is the Royal Standard which means that the monarch is not in the building.
We actually saw his motorcade and his son Prince William's motorcade leaving earlier and yet people here are just trying to soak up the atmosphere. In fact, this roundabout here in front of the palace, is where the procession, the parade, the monarch came by earlier today up the mall where it was lined with people, and some of them camped out literally for days.
And I've been shocked by this, especially since the weather has been so, so miserable, raining on and off. And earlier I met after it was all done a 77-year-old woman who camped out for two days. Listen.
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MCLEAN: Did you wait all day?
CAROL RENDER, WATCHED ROYAL PROCESSION: Oh, (inaudible). Oh. Two days?
MCLEAN: You waited for two days?
RENDER: Yes, it's great.
MCLEAN: Outside?
RENDER: Yes.
MCLEAN: You can't.
RENDER: Well, I sat in this chair. Yes. Fabulous.
MCLEAN: Was it worth it?
RENDER: Absolutely every second.
MCLEAN: Why?
RENDER: Because he's such an important part of history. And the atmosphere and the pageantry, and the goodwill of the crowd can't be seen anywhere else in the world.
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MCLEAN: Again, that woman is 77 years old Fredricka. A couple of things, as I mentioned, obviously, the ceremony went off without a hitch. But even though things were timed right down to the second, there were still a few minor hiccups. One of them was that the king actually arrived at Westminster Abbey in his carriage just slightly ahead of time and Prince William and his family arrived a little bit late, it seemed.
And so, he sort of sat in the carriage for a few moments before deciding ultimately to go inside of the abbey ahead of his son. Also, there was the balcony moment -- the balcony is just right over here. This area was filled with people as the royal family came out to wave. The King and Queen came out and did a curtain call afterwards.
But in the initial photo missing there was Prince Harry and people have all kinds of mixed feelings about you know, his absence from the scene. A lot of people thought it was the right thing to do. But everyone seems to agree of just how difficult a decision it was for the King to actually make that decision. seemed like there was really no good answer as to how to treat that.
WHITFIELD: Yes. Hey, I'm still hanging on the words of the 77-year-old woman that you talked to. I mean, she probably was in attendance or remembers the last coronation given that she's 77 of Queen Elizabeth, right? And that's probably why she was willing to camp out for two days. She -- She is one strong cookie.
MCLEAN: Yes, she would have been very young for the last care -- the last coronation, but as she points out, you know, this may well be the last one that she sees in her lifetime assuming that Prince Charles you know lives into his 90s like -- like his mother did.
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MCLEAN: And so, I think people are coming here with that kind of spirit that for a lot of people, this might be the one and only one that they see. Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: Pretty amazing. All right, Scott McLean. Thanks so much. All right let's bring in CNN Royal Historian Kate Williams and Michelle Tauber as she's the Editorial Director at People Magazine. Good to see you both ladies. Wow, what a day. I mean, Kate, you first. And what do we think the royal family is doing right now?
Because Scott just said the flag is not up, which means they're not really there, meaning King Charles III. So, what are they doing about now?
KATE WILLIAMS, CNN ROYAL HISTORIAN: What a day. I mean, all this iconic history, the first coronation for over 70 years, and it's one that Charles has been waiting for his whole life. He was crowned in a way once before, invested as Prince of Wales in 1969. But this has been a long wait. And this -- he's been, I think we could say was overshadowed by his mother, then Princess Diana, then to a degree, his children, William and Harry, but today was all about him.
It was a Charles spectacle. And what are they doing now? Well, they had a reception last night. They've had quite a busy day. They've been out meeting the crowds. And I do think that Charles and Camilla have moved to Clara's House, the came -- the Princess -- and Prince and Princess of Wales have probably headed back home. So, things have all gone very quiet. And Harry is on that plane back to Los Angeles. So, there was no big coronation banquet, no family gathering. This really was after the balcony wave. I think it was thanks and goodbye.
WHITFIELD: Yes, I mean, Michelle, there were a lot of high points. There were so many memorable moments. But bottom line, this was King Charles III's day, he was the center of attention. And we've learned so much about now Queen Camilla, we got get used to saying that Queen Camilla, that she really is all about service, and she doesn't mind at all, you know that he is the center of attention.
How do you see her embracing her role as Queen?
MICHELLE TAUBER, EDITORIAL DIRECTOR, PEOPLE MAGAZINE: You know, I don't think we're going to see very much change with Camilla now that she's Queen. As you say, Frederika, she's very content to be the supporting player to -- to her husband, Charles, I think you know, what we always hear is that she relaxes him, she gives him this sort of, you know, the exact sort of support that he needs.
And I think we even saw that today. During the coronation, there were a few moments, particularly when she, you know, curtsied knelt before him. And I felt like you saw this sort of, even though he doesn't, you know, he's not the most expressive and certainly during the solemn ceremony, he wasn't, I felt in his face, you saw a bit of a relief to have her in front of him in that way. And I think you're just going to continue to see that in the years to come.
WHITFIELD: Well, let's talk about the statements made by way of the wardrobe or the jewels, you know, while Queen Camilla apparently is, you know, a little bit more understated, and we understand that even her crown, some of the jewels were removed, so that it would be a little bit more understated.
However, she was wearing the same necklace, as you know, Queen Elizabeth wore at her coronation, 1953 which was amazing and fabulous. I wonder, Kate, is that also sort of a nod to the relationship that she had with the Queen? Or is it simply deference to, you know, her husband's mother, the Queen?
WILLIAMS: Good question, Fred. Because we haven't seen a Queen crowned with the King since 1937. Since the Queen's parents. I mean, this idea of crowning your queen goes right back to William the Conqueror, the first coronation in 1066 that we know happened in Westminster Abbey. So, it is a custom, but we're not used to it because there's no role for the husband of a female monarch in the British monarchy. It's one of the anomalies.
And Camilla very much was Queen Consort. She was wearing the Queen consort's crown, but also she was wearing Queen Elizabeth's actual coronation robes. So, she was wearing the robes of a Queen, in fact she was wearing the necklace of Queen Elizabeth and these are all Charles's possessions now.
And I think it was very much both a representation of the relationship between them, but also very much Charles was saying, you know, for a long time we had thought Prince -- that Camilla was going to be Princess Consort. Up until even as late as 2020, the palace was saying she won't be Princess Consort, not Queen, i.e., not crowned.
I think Charles has always intended that and this was today when he said this is Camilla, she is my queen and she is wearing the robes of one of the greatest queens in history Elizabeth II.
WHITFIELD: Similarly, there was a beautiful nod I suppose you know of a Princess Kate wearing the earrings of the late you know, Princess Diana, Michelle. And -- and then cute little you know Princess Charlotte I mean she stole the show too because she was wearing a kind of mini me version of the Alexander McQueen dress that her mom Princess Kate was -- was wearing.
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I mean just you know fab -- fabulous and ravishing. Also, in that little floral crown. What strikes you is meaningful about the pairing of the dresses and even the flower -- should I call it a crown? It's not really a crown, I guess the headpiece.
TAUBER: Floral headpiece. Yes. No, it's fun. It's funny, because, you know, we were everyone was anticipating whether or not Kate would wear a tiara, something, you know, we had heard maybe flowers in her hair, which sounded very, very unlikely. But in fact, it was a sort of combination of all of those things.
It was not technically a tiara, and it was certainly, it was not fresh flowers in her hair, which would have been something else entirely. But it was this gorgeous, stunning piece. And I know we keep saying it was King Charles's day, and certainly that's true. But yes, both Kate and Princess Charlotte certainly did you know have all eyes on them.
And I think just as we haven't had Queen Consort in a very long time. We haven't had a little princess in a very long time. And it's been such a joy I think to see that, to see Charlotte growing up and sort of emulating her mom, the twinning moment it was really, I think it really added a lot of extra sparkle to today.
WHITFIELD: Yes, it was a nice little touch so that headpiece Oh, it was also made by the -- the British milliner, Jess Collett, who's known for, you know, amazing, I headpieces and Kate I know you're super familiar with her, but so apparently it was made of a silver and a crystal and a silver thread of work. And that's what made it so spectacular.
At the same time, rather understated, but it was still vavavoom. I mean, it all caught everybody's attention. It was a lot of fun to watch, and it's been great hearing you all's narration throughout the day as well. Thank you so much. Kate Williams, Michelle Tauber. We'll leave it there for now. Thank you.
TAUBER: Thanks.
WHITFIELD: And of course, we'll have much more on the coronation of King Charles from London coming up and take a look at this. The view from inside the cockpit of one of the planes from that Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team known as the Red Arrows, spreading red, white and blue through the skies over London as the royal family watched from the balcony. What a view it was. We're back in a moment.
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WHITFIELD: All right, we're getting new details in that horrific mass shooting in Atlanta, where one person was killed and four others injured. The suspected gunman 24-year-old Deion Patterson waived his first court appearance. CNN Isabel Rosales joining us now with more on this. So, police released a 911 tape from the shootings as well. Right?
ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Correct and they're still going through that. They're reviewing the tapes, they plan to release a few more. But even with this one tape what we're getting here, Fred is a real sense of the scary situation that the staff and patients went through in this hospital.
A hospital, place meant to be for healing, a place that you should consider safe. Right? But instead that erupted into chaos and violence. Take a listen to that 911 call.
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CALLER: We hear gunshots in the hall. One of the doctors says he sees -- he thinks he see someone on the floor by the elevators on the eleventh floor. But it's definitely loud.
911 Dispatcher: Are they still shooting?
CALLER: We don't -- they're not shooting at this moment. But there were several shots that we heard.
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ROSALES: Right and we did hear from a source at Atlanta police department that says that his mother, the suspect's mother Deion Patterson told investigators that her son was seeking care there at the hospital because he was dissatisfied with the care that he was receiving from the VA. And then he got angry at some point when doctors refused to give him anti-anxiety drugs.
What ensued here after that shooting was an eight-hour manhunt that really paralyzed the city of Atlanta. From a combination of technology -- police technology from people calling into 911 and even barking dogs. This is what led to his capture. Cameras, a system of cameras captured the suspect stealing a truck and they managed to track that truck via a license plate reader system to Cobb County, 15 miles away from the attack.
Officers rushed to the scene there. But really it was the barking dogs. This is an interesting tidbit here that sealed the deal. There was a resident at a condo complex that heard a bunch of dogs barking, she worried that maybe the suspect was hiding in the pool area inside of a gazebo. So, she alerted police officers that were already there at the location following a 911 call that likely was linked to this shooter.
They confronted him and arrested him without incident. The victims here, four women that have been injured. One of them killed. That person killed is Amy St. Pierre, 38 years old. She worked for the CDC. A family statement says that she was a loving wife and a mother to two children. Survivors, two of them critical -- in critical care at last check on Friday. One of them was transferred to the ICU -- from the ICU to the surgical floor. And one of them at last checked was released on Friday.
I want you to now listen to Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens who condemned this act of violence and says more needs to be done about guns.
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MAYOR ANDRE DICKENS (D-ATLANTA): This cannot be the new normal. This tragedy has come to our city this week. But as we've known it was in Nashville, it was in Louisville, and there's almost 200 mass shootings in this country and we're only in May. We need to make sure that we look at how mental health and gun access are tied together that are now leading to mass shootings across our country.
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ROSALES: And the mother of the suspect did release a statement to our CNN affiliate WANF, saying this mental illness is real and when we say it's real from the medical standpoint, it is real. She also apologized to the families of the victims, survivors and those who were slain.
WHITFIELD: Yes, I know. It's frustrating and heartbreaking for her because as a mother she was trying to get some assistance for her son and, and then to also be witness to all that. Very sad. All right, thanks so much. Isabel Rosales, appreciate it.
All right, the 24-year-old Marine veteran that placed a homeless man in a chokehold has been identified by his attorneys as Daniel Penny. 30-year-old Jordan Neely was allegedly shouting at passengers on a New York subway train when Penny placed him in a chokehold nearly eventually died.
CNN's Jason Carroll has details and I should warn you that what you're about to see is disturbing.
JASON CARROLL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: More calls for justice as Manhattan's District Attorney Alvin Bragg continues his investigation into the death of 30-year-old Jordan Neely, the man who died after being placed in a chokehold by another passenger on a New York City Subway.
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JUMAANE WILLIAMS, NEW YORK CITY PUBLIC ADVOCATE: There was a homeless man that was talking about his needs. He was choked to death.
JILLIAN SNIDER, CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND CIVIL LIBERTIES POLICY DIR, R. STEET INST.: I don't want to call it vigilantism. I want to say it was an attempt to subdue someone who yes, was mentally ill.
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CARROLL: The 24-year-old former Marine who placed nearly in the chokehold, was interviewed by police after the incident and released according to a law enforcement source. He has hired criminal defense attorney Thomas Kennett to represent him.
Kennett who lost the race to become New York's District Attorney to Bragg confirmed the former Marine is his client but had no further comment.
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GOV. KATHY HOCHUL (D-NY): I do want to acknowledge how horrific it was to view a video of Jordan Neely being killed for being a passenger on our subway trains. His family deserves justice.
CARROLL: The passenger who recorded this disturbing video says nearly had been acting erratically before the incident and that he shouted I don't care if I die. I don't care if I go to jail. I don't have any food. But he says he did not see Neely try to attack anyone on the train.
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JUAN ALBERTO VASQUEZ, SUBWAY PASSENGER WHO SHOT VIDEO: We arrive at the station, the doors open, all the people run away and the guy stay in this position about eight or seven-eight minutes.
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CARROLL: CNN has not been able to independently confirm what happened leading up to the incident nor how long Neely was restrained. The law firm representing Neely's family released a statement saying we have people being killed for ringing the wrong doorbell, pulling in the wrong driveway and screaming out in desperation on the subway.
We cannot let that stand. Neely had been a dancer and a Michael Jackson impersonator in Times Square and New York subways. He had struggled with mental illness and had a history of prior arrest. Family and friends say Neely was deeply impacted by his mother's murder in 2007.
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MOSES HARPER, FRIEND OF JORDAN NEELY: He never got over that. There was a lot of pain inside that was unresolved.
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CARROLL: In a city still struggling with subway crimes and strapped mental health facilities, the circumstances surrounding Neely's death has generated debate among those still trying to understand what happened.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There is definitely a blurry line of what is too excessive, what is not.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't think you go around putting people in chokeholds.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm afraid there's no answers.
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CARROLL: And we've seen a number of protests like this pop up throughout the city. You can see a number of people have gathered here are calling for Justice for Jordan Neely. New York city's mayor has weighed in on this asking all those who have taken an interest in the case to wait for the investigative process to play itself out. Jason Carroll, CNN, New York.
WHITFIELD: All right, coming up Donald Trump's video deposition at his civil battery and defamation trial made public. You'll hear how he responded to the accusations that he raped a woman in a New York -- New York department store in the 1990s, next.
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WHITFIELD: Welcome back. Attorneys for E. Jean Carroll and Donald Trump have rested their cases in the batter and defamation trial of the former president. But the judge has given Trump the weekend to decide if he wants to testify.
On Friday, Trump's video deposition was made public showing him for the first time reacting to the accusations. With me now to discuss Jennifer Rodgers. She is a CNN Legal Analyst and a former federal prosecutor. Jennifer, great to see you.
So on Thursday, Trump suggested that he would make an appearance at his trial before it ended. The judge has given his legal team until 5pm tomorrow to make a decision. Do you see any chances that he would want to testify? Or does--
JENNIFER RODGERS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: I don't think so.
WHITFIELD: Yes.
RODGERS: I don't think so. Fred, he's -- he's a terrible witness. And we saw that play out in the deposition that was released on Friday. That's why E. Jean Carroll's lawyers played almost an hour of it, because instead of taking the tack that you would expect someone in that situation to take which is to say, this is a terrible thing, a terrible allegation. Rape is horrible. I don't condone it, but I didn't do it.
He instead was arrogant. He was insensitive, he was insulting He insulted E. Jean Carroll and her lawyer numerous times. And he didn't do himself any favors on the actual substantive parts where he tried to defend against the Access Hollywood tape and double down on the she's not my type defense too.
So, he was a horrible witness in the deposition, he would be even worse on the stand where they could bring in all sorts of impeachment testimony, as well as anything suggesting that he might be untruthful.
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So, there is no way he is going to appear voluntarily as a witness, in my view.
WHITFIELD: So, perhaps this exemplifies why you believe he is a terrible witness. Just listen to him in this section, denying that he raped E. Jean Carroll, and also insulting the attorney saying, they're just not his type.
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DONALD TRUMP, 45TH U.S. PRESIDENT: Well, historically, that's true with stars.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's true with stars that they are thinking grab women by the (BEEP).
TRUMP: Well, that's what -- that's -- if you look over the last million years, I guess that's been largely true, not always but largely true, unfortunately or fortunately.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And you consider yourself to be a star?
TRUMP: I think you can say that. Yes.
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WHITFIELD: So, perhaps that better exemplifies what you described as his arrogance, and I guess a lack of empathy, knowing the gravity of the accusations and the event that he is being accused of, being a participant. And how might those remarks, his demeanor be interpreted by the jury?
RODGERS: Well, I think in the way that you just suggested, Fred, but also, this was really, really an unforced error here, because at the time the Access Hollywood tape came out, the party line from his campaign was, it's just locker room talk. He doesn't mean it. He is just talking to one of the guys. He doesn't really believe that. So, he could have just gone with that. He could have said, listen,
that's not me. I really don't believe that. I was just talking to Billy Bush, no big deal. But, that's not what I really feel inside. Instead, he doubles down. He says, yes, it's true. Sure, you can grab women, wherever, if you're a star, and, hey, I'm a star. And he also said something about that's been true throughout history, unfortunately or fortunately.
WHITFIELD: Yes, fortunately. Yes. Oh boy.
RODGERS: So, he didn't even have to do that. So, it's just like, he just takes every opportunity to be insulting and insensitive. And I just don't think that plays well with any jury.
WHITFIELD: Like, he can't help himself. That's what it sounds like you're describing. All right. So, let me switch gears real quick to another Trump legal investigation. A new court filing shows that at least eight of the fake electors in Georgia have accepted immunity deals in the ongoing criminal investigation to efforts by Donald Trump and his allies to try to overturn the 2020 election. What is the significance of those immunity deals? What does this mean potentially for the case?
RODGERS: Well, I think we now know why nothing has been charged. And there haven't been any announcements since January, when Fani Willis said that a decision was imminent. When people come in and want to cooperate, sign an immunity deal, it takes time to do all of that paperwork and to fully vet them. But, what it means, the significance is, you don't give anyone an immunity deal unless you plan to charge someone.
So, the fact that they now have eight, maybe more witnesses who will now have to testify because they've been given immunity for it. It means that they're charging someone. We don't know who and we don't know, for sure, with what, but I think there will, for sure, be charges coming. And apparently, the time period is between mid-July and September 1. So, expect charges in that timeframe.
WHITFIELD: All right. A lot at once. Jennifer Rodgers, thanks so much.
Rodgers: Thanks, Fred.
WHITFIELD: All right. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says he thinks his handpicked board will win its fight with Disney. DeSantis has appointed the board to oversee the company's special tax district. Disney and DeSantis have been feuding since the company criticized the state's controversial LGBTQ legislation. And now, coming off the legislative session where DeSantis got just about everything he wanted, the governor may be ready to make his presidential campaign official. Here is CNN's Brian Todd.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: With the end of Florida's legislative session on Friday,--
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GOV. RON DESANTIS (R), FLORIDA: We've been able to go on a historic run that has never been seen before in this state's history.
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TODD: The window Ron DeSantis was looking for is now wide open for him to run for the Republican nomination for President, and he addressed the white hot anticipation of a White House bid.
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DESANTIS: We'll get on that relatively soon. I mean, there is just -- you either got up put up or shut up on that as well. So, we'll see.
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TODD: On Friday, DeSantis also made another key chess move in his high stakes battle with Disney, signing a land use bill that could void Disney's unique agreement with the State of Florida that allows Disney to have its own special taxing district in the area around Disney World in Orlando.
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DESANTIS: No corporation should have their own government. No one should be exempt from laws that everyone else has to follow.
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TODD: DeSantis has been fighting with Disney since last year when he backed a new Florida law limiting instruction of sexual orientation and gender identity in schools. Disney spoke out against the bill. Why would DeSantis take on a monolith in the entertainment world that's one of the biggest employers in his state?
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MARC CAPUTO, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, THE MESSENGER: If you talk to Republicans, a lot of the base doesn't like Disney. It doesn't like these, this is their phrase, these so-called woke corporations. So, to that degree, it's beneficial to Ron DeSantis.
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TODD: His battle with Disney punctuates a hot streak where DeSantis has been able to get the Republican-controlled Florida legislature to do his bidding, including just in this legislative session alone, a near total ban on abortions after six weeks, a law allowing Floridians to carry concealed guns in public without permits, a measure eliminating unanimous jury decisions to send someone to death row, and a bill making child rapists eligible for the death penalty.
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TOLUSE OLORUNNIPA, THE WASHINGTON POST: DeSantis has spent a lot of time focusing on the culture war issues. He has built his brand around that.
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TODD: But, it comes with political risk. CNN's Steve Contorno reports, some top Republican donors are openly worried about DeSantis's culture war's agenda, and DeSantis's rivals for the GOP nomination have him square in their sights. Former President Donald Trump using a nickname to attack the governor.
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TRUMP: DeSantis is very low and crashing. He is crashing and burning. He is failing again because now he is getting a chance to campaign without Trump, to put it mildly.
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TODD: The GOP candidate Nikki Haley has now openly invited Disney to move to her home state of South Carolina, tweeting, "SC's not woke, but we're not sanctimonious about it either."
How seriously are Donald Trump and his allies taking Ron DeSantis? Just one political action committee that supports Trump has spent about $8.6 million going after DeSantis. Most Republican primary polls show Trump leading DeSantis by healthy margins. Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.
WHITFIELD: And a suspect is in custody after a series of stabbings near the campus of UC Davis. A former student is now accused of going on the deadly stabbing spree, what police were saying about a possible motive, next.
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WHITFIELD: A former third year student at the University of California, Davis, has pleaded not guilty in connection with three stabbings near campus. Police say 21-year-old Carlos Dominguez was arrested on two counts of homicide and one count of attempted murder. The three stabbings spanned five days, claiming the lives of two men and leaving one woman severely wounded. It also left the nearby campus on edge. CNN National Correspondent Camila Bernal joining me now with more on this. So, what can you tell us about the charges and where the investigation goes from here?
CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fred. Look, these are very serious charges, and Carlos Dominguez told the judge that, yes, he understood his charges, during the arraignment, when he was very quiet, just looking straight ahead, and again, only answering "yes" to the judge for a couple of questions there. What's interesting in this case, though, it is that the community was the one that led police to Dominguez. We know that on Wednesday, about 15 different people called police saying, look, we see someone who looks or may be the suspect in this case. One of those callers even followed him to the exact spot where police were able to arrest him. Initially, they went through his backpack and they found a large knife. So, that's what he was arrested for, and police took him in for questioning. They say they spent hours trying to interview him, trying to figure out exactly what happened here. Unfortunately, police saying that they do not have a motive at the moment.
But, they do believe that all of these stabbings were connected. They believe that Dominguez is the person responsible for them. And while they don't have a motive, they do say they have evidence of that links Dominguez to the crimes, and evidence that shows that a lot of these victims actually fought back. This has been very difficult for the community, but they're rallying around that one survivor, a woman who was able to essentially survive and be taken to the hospital. She is speaking out from her hospital bed, and here is what she is saying.
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KIMBERLEE GUILLORY, STABBING SURVIVOR: I was so scared. When he started punching me, I thought that's what he was doing. He was punching me. I didn't realize he was stabbing me until afterwards. I'm glad that they got him fast. I was praying for that that nobody else will have to go through this.
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BERNAL: And she wasn't the only one that was praying and hoping that Dominguez would be arrested and arrested quickly. This was a community that was terrified. And keep in mind, just weeks before the stabbings, just days before, really, he was still a student at UC Davis. The university is saying he was separated for academic reasons. They did not explain what those academic reasons were. But, it's just so interesting to note here that he was a student right before all of these stabbings happened. And of course, this community just glad that this is coming to an end. Fred.
WHITFIELD: Yes. What could possibly be going on in his life before allegedly carrying these acts out? All right. Alright. Camila Bernal, thank you so much.
BERNAL: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: All right. Coming up, attorneys for an IRS whistleblower, who alleges political interference at the Justice Department in the Hunter Biden investigation, meet with congressional investigators. We'll have the details right after this.
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[15:45:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: All right. Welcome back. Attorneys for an IRS whistleblower, who alleges there is political interference at the Justice Department in the Hunter Biden criminal investigation, met with congressional investigators on Friday. And according to sources, the attorneys want to lay the groundwork for what their client hopes to share with Congress. For more on these developments, let's bring in Alayna Treene. Alayna, what happens next?
ALAYNA TREENE, CNN REPORTER: Well, Fredricka, the whistleblower's identity is unknown to the public, but we do know that they are an IRS agent that has worked on Hunter Biden's case, and our latest reporting shows that attorneys for this agent met privately with key congressional investigators on Friday and began giving them a glimpse of what their client could share in a potential interview, and I'm told that that interview will likely take place in the near future.
Now, one of the key claims that this whistleblower has made is they say that they have information that directly contradicts what Attorney General Merrick Garland told Congress earlier this year, when he testified, that he had previously pledged not to interfere in the Hunter Biden investigation that he has followed through on that pledge. Now, Garland was asked about this by CNN earlier this week, and he said he stands by his testimony.
[15:50:00]
But, that has not deterred these congressional committees from wanting to hear what this whistleblower has to say and meet with them in person. And really, Fredricka, these latest claims have thrust the Hunter Biden criminal investigation back into the spotlight. Federal prosecutors have been investigating the President's son for years now, and have weighed bringing charges against him for alleged tax crimes and making a false statement. But, so far, Hunter Biden denies any wrongdoing and no files -- no charges have been filed. We also heard from President Biden on this last night during an interview with MSNBC, where he continues to support his son and says that he stands by him. Let's take a listen.
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STEPHANIE RUHLE, MSNBC HOST: Sir, there is something personal that's affecting you. Your son, while there is no ties to you, could be charged by your Department of Justice. How will that impact your presidency?
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: First of all, my son has done nothing wrong. I trust him. I have faith in him. It impacts my presidency by making me feel proud of him.
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TREENE Well, Fredricka, those comments are pretty typical and standard of what we've heard from the President as it relates to his son. So far, he says that he supports him and that he is proud of him and that he believes he is innocent. He also said that he does not think that it will affect his presidency nor his 2024 re-election campaign. WHITFIELD: All right. Alayna Treene, we'll leave it there. Thanks so much.
TREENE: Thank you.
WHITFIELD: All right. CNN's new original series, the 2010s, explores a decade that welcomed many of the greatest shows in television history, and is known as the second golden age of television. Here is a preview.
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JENNIFER KEISHIN ARMSTRONG, AUTHOR, "WHEN WOMEN INVENTED TELEVISION": I just remember this still being a really big deal at the beginning of this decade. Claire Danes, movie actress, has deigned to come to television to play this complicated character.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If I have a chance to work with material of this caliber, I will, in any medium. Cable has created this whole new environment that is incredibly fertile.
ALAN SEPINWALL, CHIEF TV CRITIX, ROLLING STONE: What started in the 2000s was the gradual elimination of a mid-budget movie. And so, you have this great class of character actors looking for satisfying material and they're not finding it in movies. So, they started to come to Showtime in places on cable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: All right. Get ready to relive the decade of social media, social movements, peak TV and major political events. The new CNN original series "The 2010s" premieres tomorrow night at nine right here on CNN.
All right. Some call it the most exciting two minutes in sports. We're just hours away from the running of the Kentucky Derby, and a heavy favorite has been scratched from the race. All you need to know about the big event, straight ahead.
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[15:55:00]
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WHITFIELD: All right. We're just hours away now from the 149th running of the Kentucky Derby. But, just as the race is about to begin, yet another horse has died at Churchill Downs. CNN's Sports Anchor Patrick Snell joining me now with more on this. This is a very sad, like, spate of events there.
PATRICK SNELL, CNN ANCHOR, WORLD SPORT: Yes. Fred, it's really, really concerning. And really, the whole buildup to it all has been overshadowed. The Run for the Rose is always one of the biggest days on the U.S. sporting calendar, all the glamour and glitz of the occasion, of course, this, remember, the first leg of the coveted Triple Crown, which remind our viewers internationally, also includes the Preakness and the Belmont Stakes.
But, the buildup, as I say, to this year's Kentucky Derby, overshadowed. Let's recap. Let's go back to earlier in the week. We had track officials. We have actually four horses dying earlier in the week. Now, with literally within the last few minutes, Fred, track officials saying another horse Chloe's Dream has died in the second race of the day.
PETA, that's People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, putting out a tweet about Chloe's Dream's death saying. "We urge the track to shut down so stronger safety protocols could be put in place. They should have listened." Two of the horses that died earlier in the week were trained by Saffie Joseph Jr. He was suspended, and the horse he was training for the Derby, Lord Miles, being pulled from the race, Saffie saying he has been made out to be a scapegoat and did nothing at all wrong.
Now, five horses have also had to drop out of the derby, the first time we've seen that many pull out since, well, you have to get back to 1936, the latest one being Forte, who was riding high on a five race winning streak and was a three to one favorite as well in the race. But, during training on Thursday, he injured his right front foot. He went out to try and work it out again this morning. But, well, after that, the horse's trainer, one of the co-owners, in fact, meeting with the state's head veterinarian, and they decided he wasn't fit enough to run. The field will be cut to just 80 for this evening's race. Angel of Empire and Tapit Trice are now considered the betting favorites.
But, despite all of this happened, Fred, tens of thousands of fans are getting ready for the horse racing's biggest race, the Kentucky Derby. Post time is set for 6:57 p.m. Eastern. Don't be late. It is, they say, the most exciting two minutes in sport. But, as I said, this one has been overshadowed by--
WHITFIELD: yes.
SNELL: --what we've been seeing, and we saw last year as well with the 80 to one underdog Rich Strike winning. Anything can happen. So, we're watching it very closely indeed.
WHITFIELD: That's true. Oh, it's a horrible, like, convergence of -- it can be exciting, but this is just so awful.
SNELL: Yes.
WHITFIELD: All right. Thank you so much, Patrick Snell. Good to see you. Appreciate it. All right. Thank you, everybody for joining me today. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. The CNN Newsroom continues right now with Paula Reid. And we leave you with some live images. Oh, it's striking, isn't it, of London, the Knight King Charles III was officially crowned king.
