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Manhunt Underway After Four Killed In Shooting Near Atlanta; Long Heat Wave Set To Intensify This Weekend Across U.S.; Interview With Rep. Lisa Blunt-Rochester (D-DE); GOP Rep. Refers To "Colored People" On House Floor; Biden, DNC Report $72 Million Raised Since April; Actors Join Picket Lines Against Film & TV Productions; Pennsylvania & New Mexico Secretaries Of State Interviewed In Special Counsel Investigation; Trump Asks Courts To Throw Out Evidence & Disqualify DA In GA Probe of 2020 Election Aftermath. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired July 15, 2023 - 17:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:00:53]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington.

We begin this hour with breaking news in suburban Atlanta. At least four people are dead in the city of Hampton and right now authorities say a shooter is on the lose.

CNN's Polo Sandoval is following this. What do we know right now?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: This is a very active situation that's unfolding right now about 30 miles or so south of the city of Atlanta. The most important thing to share with viewers right now is a photograph that was just shared by authorities on the ground a few moments ago hoping that anybody out there recognizes this individual.

Police in the last hour are saying that this man who's been identified by the local sheriff as Andrew Longmore, thought to be in his early 40s, opened fire at about 10:45 this morning, wounding and killing at least four individuals. All of them adult residents there in the city of Hampton. They are three men and one woman. At this point, it is too early to say exactly what the motive is according to investigators. However, the police chief there in Hampton was asked if they believe that the suspect in this case may have a direct link or related to the victims. And the chief said at this point they don't believe that that's the case. Though he certainly (INAUDIBLE) by saying that it's still preliminary.

Their massive focus right now is tracking down that individual that you see there on your screen. Again, this photograph shared by authorities in the suburb of Atlanta, a man identified as Andrew Longmore.

Finally Jim, investigators are saying that he was last seen driving a black GMC Acadia 2007. And the license plate on that vehicle, Georgia license plate DHF 756. I want you to hear for yourself exactly what the local sheriff said a few moments ago and a message directed at the suspect.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF REGINALD SCANDRETT, HENRY COUNTY, GEORGIA: This is an all hands on deck movement to make sure that we place Mr. Andrew Longmore in custody. The Henry County Sheriff's Office is also offering a $10,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and apprehension and prosecution of Mr. Longmore.

If you see Mr. Longmore, please call 911. Do not approach him because he is known to be armed and dangerous.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: So that's key here. Investigators want to make sure that people are certainly careful. This is a final look at their suspect right now as they continue to try to chase down leads. But again, that town, that city just south of Atlanta certainly in mourning.

Jim, the mayor of that city opening that press conference by holding a prayer with members of the community saying that it is certainly a tragic day for her community. Again, just south of Atlanta.

ACOSTA: All right. Polo Sandoval, we know you will stay on top of it. Please let us know if any new developments come in. Thanks so much

Now to the extreme life threatening heat as dozens of temperature records could be broken today and in the days ahead. Right now more than 85 million Americans are under heat alerts as a stubborn heat dome persists in the southwest. At least 45 U.S. locations are set to break record highs this weekend.

Cities accustomed to scorching temperatures like phoenix are roasting. It's seen at least 110 degrees some 16 days in a row now.

Meteorologists expect the weekend heat could reach a staggering 119 degrees in some parts of the southwest. You can see it on screen right now. It says 109 degrees right now in Phoenix. That is hot.

And as unpleasant as it sounds, tourists are braving the extreme weather in Death Valley where temperatures could top 130 degrees -- that's right you heard that correct -- 130 degrees tomorrow.

Want to bring in CNN's Mike Valerio who joins us from Valencia in southern California where temperatures could reach 110 degrees. Mike, I know we were talking to you in the last hour. You said it was 99 degrees. It looks like we have now hit 101 degrees where you are. How are folks coping with all this?

[17:04:57]

MIKE VALERIO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right. Well, you know, so we have crossed that triple digit threshold. The bad news Jim, is that we have this slight breeze, but it is coming from the east which is the hotter end of the land mass away from the steadying hand of the sea where it's much cooler. So thankfully we have this Lazy River to my right where people have

been plunging in since the water park Hurricane Harbor Six Flags Magic Mountain in the Santa Clarita Valley has been open since 10:30 this morning.

And people full well taking advantage of it. But you know, Jim, why we're here is because this is not an easy enterprise for a theme park like Six Flags to open on a day like today when it is now 101, potentially going up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit.

They have to employ two dozen life guards, about a dozen first responders and EMTs who are spread throughout not just the water park here in our backdrop but also the theme park section of Six Flags Magic Mountain, which is behind our camera. Also need to have an ambulance on staff.

But this weather, this treacherous atmosphere that we have right here and the treacherous conditions are certainly not detracting from the people we spoke with earlier today. They would not miss this summer experience for the world.

Listen to what the Daniels family told us earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STACEY DANIELS, LOS ANGELES COUNTY RESIDENT: So that's part of why we're here. It's hot, obviously. We're just enjoying the water park with our family.

KIMEYO DANIELS, LOS ANGELES COUNTY RESIDENT: No, I'm not undeterred at all. I love the weather. I'm a California native, so this is nothing. And you know, we got beaches all over the place.

What other state can you go skiing, surfing, dirt bike riding, horse back riding all in the same day? This is California right here, man.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALERIO: We could add that the Daniels were first in line. Also becoming a thing, Jim. Six Flags told us earlier today, they're having to construct because of climate change, hotter temperatures, more and more shaded areas so that God forbid if somebody succumbs to heat injuries they have places to recover.

So the new reality of our new climate here in southern California, Jim.

ACOSTA: All right. Mike Valerio, thank you very much.

I want to bring in Chris Gloninger. He's a senior scientist in climate and risk communication with the Woods Hole Group. He recently left his job as a chief meteorologist in Des Moines, Iowa after receiving death threats over his climate change coverage.

Chris, it is great to talk to you. Let's get right into this. We're seeing extreme record breaking heat across much of the country right now, massive flooding in the northeast.

In your view, what is climate change playing in terms of a part in pushing these weather events to the extreme? Of course, lots of years we have heat waves. Lots of years we have flooding like the kind we're seeing in Vermont.

But it feels different now. It feels like we're hitting a tipping point.

CHRIS GLONINGER, SENIOR SCIENTIST, WOODS HOLE GROUP: We're already seeing record heat, Jim, two to one. Record warmth outpacing record cold by two to one. That's pretty significant. And some of our forecast models or global climate models are showing that that could be 15 to 1 by mid-century. That is pretty wild to think that we're see that much less cold.

And what we're seeing across parts of the southwest, Death Valley has the potential of seeing the all-time highest temperature ever recorded on earth. And if you look at these climatological records, they have been around since the 1800s.

But we have a picture into the past that goes back over 100,000 years by ice cores and by ocean sediment. Scientists can look at that data and get a pretty accurate picture of what things were like back then.

A lot of people tell me that climate has always been changing and I often say in return the North and South Poles had palm trees but not when humans inhabited the earth. It was long before we're here. It is the dramatic warming that we're seeing.

And you mentioned the flooding. Every degree of warming that we're seeing in the atmosphere, it holds 7 percent more moisture and that manifest in these torrential downpours leading to flash flooding.

ACOSTA: And so, let me ask you about, because in reporting weather as a TV meteorologist, you started to report on this as a climate change issue. Why did you do that? And what did you encounter as you were beginning to relay to the people in Des Moines, Iowa, people in your viewing area that, listen, this is not just the weather we're talking about here. The climate is changing.

GLONINGER: I did it when I was in Boston. That's when I first started it. And this area, THE shellfish industry has changed, lobster has been going up to the Canadian Maritimes and it's really devastated the fishing and shellfish industry across the northeast while farmers in the Midwest are going to be seeing the same problem. So I was recruited out to Des Moines to be chief meteorologist to kind of break things up, to shake up the mold -- break the mold a little bit and shake things up in talking about climate change because they're at the mercy of Mother Nature. And it may not be as visual as King Tide flooding in Miami or Boston where roads are flooded on perfectly sunny days because of the rising sea level.

[17:09:59]

GLONINGER: But we're seeing these rapid swings, weather whiplash between drought and flooding. And that is not a climate for farmers.

There is also a big positive in Iowa, which I tried to focus on. And a lot of optimism behind renewable energy. And that's true energy independence.

65 percent of the grid is powered by wind. And we moved from Boston to Des Moines, a house double the size and our electric bill was a lot lower because of the wind power which is pretty remarkable.

But it's just been so politicized and polarized since 2016 people are that ticket to be -- they feel empowered and emboldened to just unleash hate even if it's not backed up by science or facts.

ACOSTA: Well, that's what I was going to ask you because you got death threats. That's what happened and it prompted you to leave your job.

GLONINGER: It did. AND That was an e-mail that has obviously stuck with me. It was more than just the e-mail, it was the obsessive harassing e-mails that followed for a couple weeks until police were able to make contact with the individual. He paid $105 fine for harassment. That's all it is in the state of Iowa. That's the penalty

And it was more than just that. It was just the common pushback that we received. On the flip side, you have 11 percent of the population that is dismissive of climate science, but they're the loudest.

And I'd like to break it down. If you are going on vacation and the airline canceled your flight, they lose your bags, chances are you are going to complain. Well, this 11 percent didn't like what I was doing, but there was an outpouring of support when I left, hundreds of e- mails and handwritten letters. People that do want to hear about climate science, but when it's happening, they're not inclined to write in.

But again, because it's been so polarized and at the state level, the government hasn't really changed since 2016, and you still have a lot of that extremist views. And that's why I kind of received that volume of visceral e-mails over the course of the two years that I was there.

ACOSTA: Yes. Well, and you don't have to tell me. This is happening to a lot of journalists all over the country, and it's really just outrageous that it's happening and happening to a meteorologist.

I can't imagine why that would take place. You are just trying to warn people about what's happening to our climate and our world.

Chris Gloninger, great talking to you. Please come back. Thanks so much for this insight and your expertise. We really appreciate it.

GLONINGER: Jim, have a great weekend. Thanks for having me.

ACOSTA: All right. You too. Thanks so much.

And the intense heat is affecting other parts of the globe and it's being blamed for sending Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the hospital. In a video posted earlier today, Netanyahu says he became dehydrated

after spending too much time in the sun. The 73-year-old also offered this word of advice.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We are going through a heat wave in the country so I ask you. Be less in the sun and drink more water and let us all have a good week.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: CNN's Hadas Gold is in Jerusalem with more.

HADAS GOLD, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: Jim, Saturday afternoon we got a statement from the prime minister's office that the prime minister was being taken to the hospital after feeling unwell to undergo checks. Later we learned that this was likely because he had spent Friday in the Sea of Galilee where there is now currently a heat advisory for this entire region. It's been very, very hot.

And the prime minister's office said that on Saturday he started to feel dizzy and unwell. And his personal doctor advised he go to the emergency room in the suburbs of Tel Aviv, east of Tel Aviv where he underwent additional checks and the medical team there believed that he's suffering from dehydration, but they were going to continue further checks.

Now, Benjamin Netanyahu released his own video statement from the hospital. Take a listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NETANYAHU: Yesterday I spent time with my wife in the Sea of Galilee in the sun, without a hat, without water. Not a good idea.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GOLD: Now, this is not the first time that the 73-year-old has been taken to the hospital in the past year. In October of last year on Yom Kippur holiday this is the holiday that observing Jews fast for. There were reports that he was feeling unwell at synagogue. He was taken to the emergency room here in Jerusalem where he underwent tests overnight but then was released.

Of course, it has been a very intense time in the region, especially in the last few weeks, in addition to the rising levels of violence across Israel and the occupied West Bank.

There has also been a lot of domestic political issues for Benjamin Netanyahu. His government has a renewed push to push through this massive judicial overhaul, the legislation for that -- parts of legislation for that have been renewed.

That's also caused the protests that have been ongoing for months to receive new vigor. The protesters were out last week in force, and they plan to continue to come out in even greater force this coming week.

So there's been a lot going on, but it seems like according to his office and according to Benjamin Netanyahu himself this was a case of dehydration during this heat wave, Jim.

[17:14:59]

ACOSTA: All right. Hadas, Gold, thank you so much.

Coming up, new fund-raising numbers are in for President Biden and his re-election effort. What they tell us about his strength in the 2024 race.

Plus, a defense spending bill passed the House with a series of GOP amendments targeting several culture war issues. We will ask a key member of Congress about the impact all this may be having on the military.

And later in the program, Hollywood on hold. Actors are vowing to strike as long as it takes until a deal is reached with streaming platforms and studios. The consequences for your favorite shows and movies. Say it isn't so. Might be happening.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: President Biden's campaign war chest just got a huge boost this week as campaign and the DNC said they raised more than $70 million since Biden launched his 2024 reelection bid back in April.

[17:19:53]

ACOSTA: Let's get some perspective from someone who has the president's ear. Joining us is Democratic Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester of Delaware. She serves as the national co-chair for Biden's reelection campaign.

Congresswoman, thanks so much for joining us. And I'll get to those fund-raising numbers in just a second. But I want to talk to you about this defense bill that House Republicans passed on Friday. The bill, and we're going to put this up on screen, included a slew of controversial amendments targeting abortion, transgender surgeries, diversity in the military.

I know you voted no on this, but what was your reaction to this -- this bill making its way over to the Senate?

REP. LISA BLUNT ROCHESTER (D-DE): Well, first of all, Jim, good to be with you.

I have to say that this is probably one of the biggest disappointments. It is the first time I voted against this bill, and it really was because it became so politicized. And instead of being focused on our national security, it was really focused on politics and culture wars. And so, for me, the fact that there are so many real needs for our security in the world, as well as providing support to our service members, this was a real big disappointment, a really big disappointment.

(CROSSTALK)

ROCHESTER: We're fortunate that the senate will do its job, but it is still a disappointment.

ACOSTA: And I was just going to ask you about that. The bill has been described as dead on arrival over in the Senate, which is likely to make some major changes of their own.

Is it possible that we will see negotiations over a final bill just reach an impasse, a log jam, and this bill -- I mean it's almost unheard of in Washington to think that a defense bill could be in dire straits like this, but that it could end up like a government spending bill where we see a government shutdown.

Might we see sort of a defense shutdown because you can't get a Defense Authorization Bill through the Congress?

ROCHESTER: I mean, you know, the reality is we can't afford to let that happen. It is similar to the last situation we had with the default, our potential defaulting on our economy.

You know, right now we have a Republican Party in the House that is so much focused on these culture wars that we're forgetting about the American people.

And as I said, you know, for Speaker McCarthy, this -- you know, I don't know if it's job security over national security, but it is really important that we get the work done of the American people.

And I think that that's why the fund-raising numbers that you have seen for the Biden-Harris campaign are what they are, is because people know that this is about caring about their families, not just about what happens in a party in, you know, a political party in congress or in Washington. So it's important that we get this done. And we will get it -- we must get it done.

But I'm also concerned about a government shutdown in the fall over appropriations. So, again, hopefully we will be able to see some real work and partnership with the Senate. But this bill -- this was a real debacle.

Even one of the members on the Republican side really going against diversity and inclusion initiatives and at the same time calling black folks "colored". It shows why we have a need still.

ACOSTA: Yes, I was going to ask you about that. That Republican Congressman Eli Crane of Arizona, used a racially-charged term on the House floor, as you said. Let's listen to it and we'll talk about it on the other side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. ELI CRANE (R-ARIZONA): My amendment has nothing to do with whether or not colored people or black people or anybody can serve, ok? It has nothing to do with --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Speaker.

CRANE: -- any of that stuff.

REP. JOYCE BEATTY (D-OH): I would like to be recognized to have the words "colored people" stricken from the record.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Congresswoman, the congressman says that he misspoke, but this came just a few days after the controversy over Republican Senator Tommy Tuberville defending the use of the term "white nationalism" before he reversed himself.

Are these kinds of attitudes more pervasive up on Capitol Hill than many Americans realize? Is this something that you encounter away from the cameras when the cameras aren't rolling? What's going on?

ROCHESTER: Well, you know, as someone that was actually trapped up in the Gallery on January 6th, I think that, you know, it awakened -- and President Trump has awakened this -- this spirit of things that, for some people, were always there.

And I think it, again, just points to the need for a president like Joe Biden, who is more focused on bringing people together and representing all of America than just some portions of America.

[17:24:52]

ACOSTA: And let's talk about the president's 2024 campaign. He posted some strong fund-raising numbers. But as you know, some Democrats are still anxious that his campaign might not have as much enthusiasm as it should with certain parts of the base. What is your sense of it?

With your party facing a strong likelihood of a rematch with Donald Trump, does that concern you? Or are you heartened by these fund- raising numbers? Do the numbers show that perhaps that enthusiasm gap isn't there. What are your thoughts?

(CROSSTALK)

ROCHESTER: Yes. Let me just say, first of all, I'm excited about these numbers. We are grateful for all of the grass roots support, you know. Behind these numbers are individuals and 97 percent of the dollars raised were actually from donors who gave under $200. $39 was the average.

And the number of teachers, nurses, retirees were predominant as these donors. So to me, the fact that people are giving at this level, historic level, this is historic the amount that we have been able to raise and that the president and the vice president have been able to raise is indicative to me of America number one, recognizing we have a president who is bringing us back to the world stage and expanding NATO, a president and a vice president who are focused on getting us through a pandemic but our economy, Bidenomics is actually working.

And you see it. People are feeling it, seeing it and it's reflected in these dollars that people have donated. 30 percent were new people that had never given before. So again, we are excited and we are grateful but we know that we're going to need this to win.

And the good thing is it's double what President Trump did, and it's triple what DeSantis did.

ACOSTA: And are you at all concerned about this small but somewhat sizable chunk of Democratic voters who were saying in some polls they support somebody like RFK Jr. Which may be really just more of a name identity issue than anything else.

But is that something that the president needs to be concerned about? Does he need to pay attention to him?

ROCHESTER: Yes. Well, you know, I mean we pay attention to everything. That's really important. And the president takes not one vote for granted.

But the reality is he has demonstrated that he can do the job, and what's special about this fund-raising hall as well is that it's also a part of the DNC's effort along with 50 state parties and the District of Columbia. That's the first time that's ever happened as well.

And I think that shows that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are our ticket. And we're ready for any race. We take every vote seriously. But I think Joe Biden and Kamala Harris are ready to finish the job.

ACOSTA: All right. Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester, thanks so much for your time. We appreciate it.

ROCHESTER: Thank you.

ACOSTA: All right. Thanks.

Coming up, Hollywood on hold amid the largest strike in decades. We'll talk with one actor and writer about his concerns and how long this work stoppage could last.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:32:19]

ACOSTA: A-list stars joining struggling actors and writers on the picket lines in a wage dispute that's basically shut down Hollywood productions.

Unions argue that rapid changes in the industry due to the rise of streaming services have made it impossible for many, if not most, to earn a living.

TV host and Writers Guild Member, Adam Conover, joins us now to talk about this.

Adam, great to see you.

We have seen you on the picket lines. As you know, the studios say their end game is basically to let all of you go broke before resuming talks in the fall.

I have to think this is just hitting Hollywood just right over the head right now. It's got to be tough all over.

Is everybody prepared for that in your profession? How do you break through that kind of, I don't know, heavy hammer that they're coming after you with?

ADAM CONOVER, WGAW BOARD & NEGOTIATING COMMITTEE MEMBER: First of all, it is offensive that the CEOs that we're negotiating against literally said to the press that their goal is to starve us out until we lose our apartments and homes. And I think anybody would be insulted by that.

But also, they're wrong because we are going -- we are the ones starving them out. We will be on the picket line as long as it takes.

The reason for that is that the companies, the streamers and studios have spent the last 20 years making our work pay less, making it less precarious, less stable, making it harder to build a career.

All of these writers and actors know, myself included, that if we do not win this fight, we will not have careers to go back to in five years. So we'll be on the picket line as long as it takes.

They're not starving us out. We're starving them out.

ACOSTA: Adam, that might reduce the content that's out there, I guess, for a lot of folks that we all enjoy, the work that you do.

Help us paint the picture as to why the folks at home should care about this. Obviously, we care about you guys. We want you to keep putting up stuff that is entertaining. But shy should folks at home care about this?

CONOVER: Well, here is what I want you to know. When you watch television, apart from the stars at the top of every show, right, everybody else on your TV screen is making at best a middle-class income.

They're just trying to pay their mortgage payment and put their kids through college. Same goes for the writers of those shows.

And over the past couple of years, it has become almost impossible to make a living doing that everyday work of being a working actor or a working writer in Hollywood. Peoples' incomes -- writer producer incomes have gone down by 22

percent over the last 10 years, even though show budgets are skyrocketing and the companies' profits are going higher than ever.

The fact is the companies are trying to take the money of the pockets of the people that do the work and keep it on their own, send it back to Wall Street, buy bigger yachts.

[17:35:05]

And that is the story happening to every worker in America. I mean, why is it that we have record low unemployment and yet people can't afford rent or medical care or childcare for their kids? It is because the people at the top have centralized all the wealth in their own pockets.

How do we fight back against that? With unions. That's what we're doing on the picket line right now.

ACOSTA: Adam, the studio producers are asking federal mediators to step into these negotiations with the actors but not with the writers. Is this a case of divide and conquer?

CONOVER: The federal mediators are a red herring because there are federal mediators assigned to every strike. They usually sit around and go, oh, we need to come together, yada, yada.

They don't do much. They don't address the fundamental issue, which is the lack of willingness of the studios to negotiate on any of our core issues.

We went in with our proposals, both the writers and the actors, about what we needed. We told them what we needed in clear terms.

On the most important proposals, they refused to negotiate whatsoever. They just said we reject your proposal. They don't make a counter of any kind. That's not negotiating.

So we're on the picket lines to remind the CEOs that they need us. They can't get away with reducing our pay anymore. They have to bargain with us.

Until they do, they will not get another single show or movie, which is, you know, the only product that their business actually sells.

So these are new CEOs we're dealing with --

(CROSSTALK)

CONOVER: Go ahead.

ACOSTA: No, no, I was just going to say, I was thinking about all the amazing films that are coming out right now. You know, we have "Mission Impossible," "Barbie," "Oppenheimer," just to name a few. There are these incredible shows on the streaming services, just cleaning up at the Emmys. It just seems like the industry is going through so much change and

turmoil, but at the same time, raking in a lot of money. I guess a lot of folks at home are probably wondering, why can't the folks in Hollywood sort this out?

CONOVER: That's what we want to know, too. You know, Hollywood's success, as an industry, producing the most valuable media property on earth, right? American film and television is what people around the world want to watch. We've been doing it for 100 years.

How have we done it? By paying the people that made the work fairly. That's what our strong unions made sure of. That's why the best writers and actors in the world moved to Hollywood.

But the companies have broken that compact. They've decided they don't want to do that anymore.

If you ask the people who write and perform in all those wonderful shows and movies that we all love so much, they will tell you they can't make a living anymore.

And they have said, we have all said, we are no longer willing to do this work without a fair share.

ACOSTA: Well, please stay strong throughout all of this.

Adam Conover, thanks so much for your time. We appreciate it. We appreciate what you do very much.

And we'll be right back.

CONOVER: Thank you so much, Jim.

ACOSTA: Thank you.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:42:03]

ACOSTA: CNN's exclusive new reporting on the special council investigation into 2020 election interference, including interviews of top election officials in key battleground states.

Special Counsel Jack Smith is focusing in on Donald Trump's actions in those states after Joe Biden's 2020 victory.

Meanwhile, as potential indictments loom in Georgia, Trump is seeking a new court order that, if granted, would throw out evidence collected by a special grand jury and disqualify the district attorney from presiding over that case.

Former federal prosecutor and host of the podcast, "It's Complicated," Renato Mariotti, joins me now.

Renato, a lot to discuss. What do you make of the federal prosecutor's latest interviews with the secretaries of state in Pennsylvania and New Mexico?

We were talking to the secretary of state out in Arizona in the previous hour. He was a little reluctant to get into some of the specifics, which I guess you can kind of understand where he might be coming from on that.

But what do you think is at the heart of this? Is it this attempt to gin up these fake and phony electors back in to 2020? Do you think that's what's going on here? What do you suspect?

RENATO MARIOTTI, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR & PODCAST HOST, "IT'S COMPLICATED": That's right, Jim. So I think what this suggests to me is there is going to be charges related to that fake elector scheme.

If anyone remembers, there were essentially false electors that were put forward in an attempt to try to overturn the result of the election and certify electors that had not been duly elected in those states.

There were essentially false forms filled out that suggests there were the valid electors for the states. Those were false documents that were going to be presented to the United States Senate.

In fact, there were very concerted efforts to get those before the United States Senate, ultimately, to have Mike Pence send that back to the states or delay.

So I think that is going to be either a conspiracy to defraud the United States or potentially some false -- you know, some charges related to false statements in a federal proceeding.

But either way, this really suggests to me that there is going to be charges related to that. Because otherwise, I don't see Jack Smith going down the road of talking to the individual secretaries of state.

ACOSTA: And in addition to that, Donald Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, his former aide, Hope Hicks, also testified before the grand jury investigating all of this, apparently. This is his inner circle. Is this a case that we could see charges in the case soon?

And I guess, you know, on the flip side of this, I mean, it does look as though, if he's talking to secretaries of state, if he's talking to people like Jared Kushner and Hope Hicks, I mean, that's still a pretty wide net that they're casting at this stage of the investigation.

Might that also suggest that we're not that close? I hate to ask both sides of the coin here.

(CROSSTALK)

ACOSTA: But couldn't it also suggest that they're not that close?

[17:45:00]

MARIOTTI: So I actually think that Hope Hicks and Jared Kushner interviews, Jim, those were the lock-out interviews were Trump. We saw at the January 6th committee there was some from Trump's inner circle that they told him he actually lost.

They told him there was no hope of overturning the election, there was no legal path forward, that sort of thing.

That's what I think those interviews were there for. So this way, essentially, Smith has them locked in, they can't take the stand and say something different.

They essentially lock out defenses for Trump. That's why I think they were interviewed.

And I will say, Jim, typically, when there is testimony coming out of a grand jury, that usually tells me there are weeks to go before an indictment.

However, Jack Smith proved me wrong in Mar-a-Lago when he had witnesses at the grand jury and returned an indictment literally a day later.

ACOSTA: Right.

MARIOTTI: So I, at this point, would be surprised with nothing. Jack Smith seems to be moving forward at a very fast pace.

ACOSTA: And let me ask you this. What should we be watching for in this hearing coming up on Tuesday?

MARIOTTI: So I think there is going to be -- there is a little bit of posturing here that happens in every criminal case, as we're talking about the hearing in Mar-a-Lago.

(CROSSTALK)

MARIOTTI: That is going to be -- yes. So just to be clear, what's going to be happening there is the defense is trying to suggest to the judge that there is so much for them to do that it's going to take a long time to get this case ready for trial.

They have to be concerned about the rights of their client, there are so many documents, there are so many motions, there are so many things to consider, there's additional discovery they need.

And Jack Smith is going to focus like a laser on pushing this case forward. He's not explicitly making the argument that this trial needs to happen before the election. But he's certainly doing whatever he can to speed it forward. And I think that's implicit in his argument.

My guess is the judge will set a trial date sometime next year and suggest that she's open to reconsidering that date as circumstances change.

ACOSTA: All right, Renato Mariotti, thanks so much. Really appreciate it. A lot to cover. Thanks for doing it for us.

We'll be right back.

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[17:51:38]

ACOSTA: CNN has learned Secretary of State Tony Blinken will press the Senate on Monday to quickly move forward with the dozens of State Department nominees that remain pending due to holds put in place by Republican Senators.

CNN's Jennifer Hansler is joining is following these developments for us, joining us not from the State Department, but here onset.

Thank you so much.

What's going on?

JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT REPORTER: Well, we know, Jim, that Tony Blinken will send a letter to the Senate on Monday urging them to move forward with the 61 pending nominations that are holding in the Senate. And 38 of those are for ambassador posts around the world.

The State Department says this is hurting U.S. national security and it is hurting our ability to compete with countries like China and Russia on the world stage where they have these confirmed ambassadors in place.

The key opponent to the nominations is Rand Paul, the Kentucky Republican Senator. He wants information related to Covid research, Covid origins.

He said the State Department and Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez are opposing his requests for that. And he said he won't lift his hold until he gets these records that he's demanding.

ACOSTA: It is not just the holds at the Pentagon --

HANSLER: Exactly.

ACOSTA: -- but at the State Department, too.

HANSLER: At the State Department, too.

ACOSTA: It has a major impact on --

HANSLER: Exactly.

ACOSTA: -- diplomatic relations around the world.

And what do we know about this hack of email accounts?

HANSLER: Well, it is still under investigation, Jim. But we know the Chinese hackers were able to access these federal agencies, including the State Department, and they were targeting specific accounts. We don't know if Tony Blinken's account was targeted. We know from two

U.S. officials that the U.S. government believes that China was able to get key insights into how the U.S. was thinking ahead of Blinken's trip to China last month.

It was around the time of that trip that they were able to get into the systems and that's when the State Department detected them.

We don't think they learned a lot because they didn't get into the classified servers. However, it is the timing that's significant. Because we've seen the significant tensions between China and the U.S. This trip was supposed to help mitigate those tensions.

And Blinken also met last week with a key Chinese official just last week, a follow-on to the conversation he had in Beijing and he did bring up this hack, we're told.

And this is what he said his message was.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE: As a general matter, we've consistently made clear to China as well as to other countries that any action that targets U.S. government or U.S. companies, American citizens is of deep concern to us, and we will take appropriate action and response.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HANSLER: I should note, he didn't say what that response would be. He noted that it is still under investigation. So we'll wait and see how the U.S. responds to this.

ACOSTA: This is always a concern when an American delegation goes to Beijing, the hacking question always looms over. I wonder what they're thinking at the Treasury Department after Janet Yellen was just over there.

All right, Jennifer Hansler, thank you very much.

Fitness -- we should note, in other news, fitness is essential for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This week's "CNN Hero" is a dad whose daughter has cerebral palsy and he's made it his mission to get people like her moving.

Meet John Watson.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN WATSON, CNN HERO: We want to lead people to a lifetime of fitness.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ew-wee.

WATSON: Safety is first but we want them to have fun. We want them to want to do it. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here you go.

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love it.

WATSON: When we connect with them at that level, they'll show up to exercise.

(CROSSTALK)

(APPLAUSE)

[17:54:58] WATSON: We do Pilates, yoga, dance.

(SHOUTING)

WATSON: We have a wide range of abilities.

UNIDENTIFIED BOY: Tree, tree, tree, tree.

WATSON: Somebody who may have limited movement, we specifically try to get them to move how they can.

(CHEERING)

WATSON: We all want to be part of something. They just don't get the opportunity that often.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right.

WATSON: We create a sense of pride, belonging and love.

(CHEERING)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right, all right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: All right, to see John's full story and to nominate your own "CNN Hero," go to CNN.com right now.

Coming up, at least four people are dead after a shooting near Atlanta and there is a manhunt underway right now for the gunman. An update on what we know, just minutes away. Stay with us for that.

And plus, a live look at Los Angeles, California. Big crowds trying to beat the heat out there. It is intensely hot in Los Angeles. We'll head out west next for an update on how hot it is expected to get this weekend. It's happening just about everywhere in the U.S. We'll talk about it next.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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