Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Mass Shooting In New Zealand Kills Two And Wounds Six; Russia Steps Up Attacks On Southern Ukrainian Cities; Video Appears To Show Wagner Founder In Belarus; U.S. Investigating Why Soldier Bolted Into North Korea; Donald Trump Adds New Attorney To Legal Team Ahead Of Potential Indictment In Election Aftermath Probe. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired July 20, 2023 - 00:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:00:41]

JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Coming up here on CNN, a deadly shooting rocks Auckland, co-host city of the Women's World Cup, just hours before the opening match.

The Ukrainian port city of Odesa under a sustained air assault by Russian missiles and drones, apparently targeting grain terminals and other crucial infrastructure.

And the doom dash into North Korea, new details on how and possibly why U.S. Private Travis King went rogue.

Thanks for joining us here for CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause. We begin in Auckland, New Zealand, co-host of this year's Women's World Cup and a city left reeling after a deadly shooting early Thursday morning local time.

Two people were shot dead, six others were wounded when a lone gunman armed with a pump action shotgun opened fire near Auckland's ferry terminal downtown. The shooter was later found dead. Police say it appears he had no political motivation and did not pose a national security risk. And the New Zealand Norway opening match will continue as planned with kickoff three hours away.

CNN's Angus Watson joins us live this hour just across the Tasman in Sydney, Australia. So, Angus, what more do we know about the shooting? Why did it happen? And what about the security now that's running the actual event the World Cup?

ANGUS WATSON, CNN PRODUCER: John, a relatively ran mass shooting in New Zealand but one that has players and officials everyone involved with this World Cup concerned, we have players staying in the environmental round where this shooting occurred at a construction site in downtown Auckland.

Now, we believe that the shooter a 24-year-old man was on home detention allowed to go to his place of work at the construction site in order to work, that's where he allegedly carried out this mass shooting on Thursday morning just after 7:00 as you say two people killed, four injured and another policeman also injured in a firefight with that shooter.

Police were praised for their bravery rushing to the scene in order to neutralize that threat. The suspect was found with a bullet wound in an elevator shaft.

Now, the Prime Minister of New Zealand Chris Hipkins was quick to call the press conference to explain the situation to the public in New Zealand. But the eyes of the world of course on the country as well as it gears up to hold this important soccer tournament, John.

VAUSE: With regards to gun laws in New Zealand, it's pretty hard to get a gun there these days. So, do you know any details about how this man was armed?

WATSON: John, it is more difficult to get a gun in New Zealand. We have seen extremely tightened gun restrictions in New Zealand in the wake of that tragic incident in 2019, where we had a white supremacist terrorist attacked two mosques in the city of Christchurch, killing 50 people.

Now, the alleged suspect in Tuesday's attack did not have a firearm and was known to police for as I said, those family violence issues. So, this will of course, bring up the horrors of those past incidents and bring up the debate again about gun safety in New Zealand at this important time.

Of course, police and the authorities were beefing up security around the world cup venues in New Zealand but also here in Australia ahead of the tournament tonight, John.

VAUSE: Angus, thank you. Angus Watson with details there reporting in live from Sydney.

In southern Ukraine, Odesa has seen a third night of Russian airstrikes described by officials as one of the largest aerial bombardments of the port city since the war began.

With grain terminals, other export infrastructure apparently being targeted by Russian missiles and drones.

Nearby Ukrainian City Mykolaiv has also come under attack with deadly airstrikes setting a parking garage and an apartment building on fire.

Here's CNN's Alex Marquardt reporting in with the very latest from Odesa.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: This was a city that was already on edge after two nights of extraordinarily intense ferocious attacks by Russia, this city wondering whether it would happen for a third night in a row. That answer coming just before 2:00 a.m. with an attack that lasted around an hour and 45 minutes, arguably the most intense yet in terms of the weaponry that we saw on display tonight.

[00:05:18]

It did start the same way that the last two nights have with air raid sirens warning citizens of this city that an attack was coming. Then we started to see those red tracer rounds from the air defenses firing up into the sky lighting up the night sky looking for drones to take down.

There were spotlights that were searching for drones. We saw interceptor rockets taking off with -- and presumably hitting things because there were huge explosions in the sky that cast this huge glow all across this city that eventually went dark.

All of the lights being turned off presumably for security reasons, but the reason that this does appear to have been more intense tonight was because of the variety of cruise missiles, at least three different kinds of cruise missiles Russia used including the much feared Kinzhal missile, which has a warhead of one ton.

We know that Russia sent up at least eight long range supersonic strategic bombers to fire these cruise missiles. And then very notably, we know that in all of these attacks, drones were used but this was the first time that we heard these drones so close. They sound like huge mosquitoes flying very close to the buildings.

What the targets were, what the damage was, that we don't know. But I think it is fair to say that these last three nights have represented the most serious, most intense attacks on Odesa since this war began last year.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: For the first time since leading a short-lived rebellion against the Kremlin, Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin has made his first public appearance with a video message posted on social media.

At the same time, British spy chief Sir Richard Moore says the Russian President Vladimir Putin had no choice but to cut a deal with Prigozhin, in his words, to save his skin. Details from CNN's Nick Paton Walsh.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): It is grainy, dark and doesn't show us much of use. But it does claim to be Wagner rebellion leader Yevgeny Prigozhin finally in public and alive with his fighters in Belarus after 25 days of him vanishing from view.

It emerged to perhaps by coincidence, a few hours after this man, the secretive head of Britain's MI6 intelligence agency told CNN in a rare public appearance that he thought Prigozhin was "floating about", providing the first confirmation from the west that he's alive.

Britain's top spy seemed shocked at how a weak Putin was forced into accepting the Belarusian president humiliating deal that weekend.

RICHARD MOORE, U.K. MI6 CHIEF: He really didn't fight back against Prigozhin. He cut a deal to save his skin, using the good officers of the -- of the leader of Belarus. So, even I can't see inside Putin's head.

WALSH (voice over): It was a week of Putin's disappearance, then displays of grandeur after wildly flip flopping over Prigozhin. All of which the MI6 chief admitted left him struggling to read.

MOORE: If you look at Putin's behaviors on that day, Prigozhin started off I think as a traitor at breakfast. He had been pardoned by supper. And then a few days later, he was invited for tea.

So, there are some things and even the chief of MI6 finds that a little bit difficult to try and interpret in terms of who's in and who's out.

WALSH (voice over): But the head of MI6 used here Prague the last European capital before the invasion of Ukraine to see Russian tanks roll through it to launch a wider appeal. That's really a reflection of how weak they think Putin is right now.

He appealed to disaffected members of the Russian elites angry at the invasion of Ukraine to bring their secrets to MI6, effectively a rare public appeal for them to spy for the West.

MOORE: I invite them to do what others have already done this past 18 months and join hands with us. Our door is always open. We will handle their offers of help with the discretion and professionalism for which my service is famed. Their secrets will always be safe with us.

And together, we will work to bring the bloodshed to an end.

WALSH (voice over): Chaos so startling, its full impact is yet unknown.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Prague.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: U.S. officials have released new details about how an American soldier with a private tour group managed to cross into North Korea. U.S. Private Travis King was being sent to Fort Bliss, Texas to face further disciplinary action and was about to board his flight to the United States but then, he told airline staff his passport was missing. He was sent back to the departure area at Seoul's airport and from there, took off.

[00:10:18]

The next day, King joined a tour of the Joint Security Area of the demilitarized zone. And official says that's where he ran to a North Korean facility, was driven away in a van by North Koreans.

Now, U.S. authorities tried to piece together what might have motivated King to cross into one of the world's most hostile and reclusive nations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KARINE JEAN-PIERRE, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: The administration has and will continue to actively work -- actively work to ensure his safety and the return of Private King to us and to the fam -- to his family, obviously.

So, that includes what we're doing is outreach to the administration of Sweden, and also south -- to South Korea as well on this matter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Sweden often represents U.S. interests in North Korea since the United States and North Koreans have no diplomatic ties.

CNN's Kristie Lu Stout following all of this live for us this hour from Hong Kong.

So, when we come to this question of motive, there's a lot of information swirling around that he was in trouble. They had, you know, some kind of mental health issues. And mostly that, you know, he was heard laughing while cackling as he crossed into the border.

So, where does this stand at the moment as far as the investigation into why he did it?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, the investigation is underway. You as officials are scrambling to figure out why, why Army Private Travis King crossed into North Korea again willfully and without authorization.

On Wednesday, we heard from the White House that said it was still working to determine his whereabouts, his condition, and the U.S. military has been reaching out directly to North Korea to resolve the issue, but they have yet to receive a response.

King was not in uniform when he crossed into North Korea. He was on a tour of the Joint Security Area when he suddenly just dashed across the military demarcation line.

I want to show you this photo, it was taken on Tuesday before he broke away from the JSA tour group. And you can see Travis King there in the bottom left. He's the one wearing the black shirt, the black hat. The photo was taken by a fellow tourist and New Zealand tourist Sarah Leslie, she was on the JSA tour when King suddenly broke away and ran into North Korea. Take a listen to what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SARAH LESLIE, TOURIST: Someone ran close to me very fast. And I thought what is going on? He -- I didn't think anyone who was sane would want to go to North Korea. So, I assumed it was some kind of stunt to run to the North Korean border fence and have someone filmed that or something like that.

A couple of seconds after I saw him, that's when the soldiers shouted and started running after him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

STOUT: Leslie actually thought it was a TikTok stunt. She also said that there were no North Korean soldiers inside on the other side, but there were a number of South Korean and American soldiers on the South Korean side and she also said that American soldiers shouted get him as King ran across the border.

Again, King's motive why he did this not known. In South Korea, he spent 50 days in a detention facility doing hard labor for assault charges and King was released on July the 10th, that was early last week. He was set to board a flight back to the United States on July the 17th. He was escorted to the airport by military officials but he could not get through customs with them. And then Kim was checked into an American Airlines flight to Dallas, he did not board the plane, citing a missing passport.

And then days later, crossed into North Korea. Back to you.

VAUSE: Kristie, thank you. Kristie Lu Stout out there live in Hong Kong. Thank you.

STOUT: Thank you.

VAUSE: Back now to Russia's war in Ukraine and joining me from Denver, Colorado is Michael Moran, CEO and Chief Research Officer for transformative risk analysis and corporate strategy firm. He's also a lecturer in political risk at the Korbel School of International Affairs at the University of Denver. That's quite the C.V. and we're glad to have you with us.

MICHAEL MORAN, LECTURER IN POLITICAL RISK, KORBEL SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF DENVER: Yes, thank you very much. Good to be here.

VAUSE: OK, so here's part of what it's believed to be the first public comments from Prigozhin on videotape, since that attempted coup in Moscow, here's part of it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

YEVGENY PRIGOZHIN, FOUNDER, WAGNER PRIVATE MILITARY COMPANY (through translator): What's going on at the battlefronts now is a disgrace we should not take part in. We need to wait for the moment when we can truly show ourselves. That's why a decision was taken to be stationed here in Belarus for a while.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: It's interesting, you know, for a first sort of big public statement from the Wagner boss, which you know, given up until now, the overwhelming question has been, why is he still alive? Why hasn't he fallen out of a window or be poisoned? You know, why isn't Putin had him killed? Not only is he alive, but he's also defiant. He's refusing to go back and fight, he's calling it a disgrace. He's welcomed his troops to Belarus.

[00:15:06]

MORAN: Yes, I mean, it's an ominous thing if you're Ukrainian. The reason being that Putin has decided that this guy is much more useful alive.

And remember, it's not just Prigozhin, we can focus on personalities as much as we want. It's his group, which has proven to be the most violent and effective of all the Russian forces engaged in the war in Ukraine.

So, by moving this force to Belarus, we don't know that they have their heavy weapons with them yet, we don't know that they don't but it doesn't suggest that, we haven't seen satellite images of that.

But by moving it to within 25 miles of the Ukrainian capital in the North, you've done a classic thing, you've opened a second front. The Ukrainians now have to pull people from the offensive, which is already staggering a little bit and create a defensive barrier, because (AUDIO GAP).

VAUSE: Unfortunately, we've lost Michael there just for a moment, there's some technical problems there with further connection to Denver. But let's go back to him now, we've worked it out.

So, Michael, please finish your thought. It was interesting point you make because now there is this possible second front there, to the north with Belarus and Ukraine.

MORAN: Yes. And it requires the Ukrainians to pull men from the -- men and women from the frontline in Donbas and down near Kherson in the south. And that's not a good thing from a Ukrainian standpoint, manpower is at a premium. They've done better than the Russians, obviously. But they're still struggling with the enormous manpower resources that Russia can throw into this war.

VAUSE: I want you to listen a little more of what Prigozhin had to say, because he actually laid out some of his future plans. As far as you know, where he was going to take his mercenary fighters, here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRIGOZHIN (through translator): We should keep on preparing ourselves, we should keep on developing, we have a new road ahead of us to Africa, maybe we will return to special military operation at a time when we will be sure that we won't be made to cover ourselves and our legacy in shame.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: In some ways, he seems to be laying out conditions for you know, why he'll get or how, and you know, what he wants before he gets back into this fight with Ukraine. But he also calls out Africa. Is there any reason for that? MORAN: Yes, the Wagner group has been used as a kind of a mercenary

force to bolster Russian influence in Africa, particularly in the Central African Republic, and in other countries in that region. And so, -- and in Libya, as well.

So, ultimately, you know, this force will continue as Prigozhin says, to be an instrument of the Kremlin's foreign policy, but he's clearly aching to get back into the fight in Ukraine.

I mean, that's -- at the end of the day, his sponsor Putin, he never lifted a hand against Putin, remember, he wanted to get rid of the Russian military leadership.

So, his sponsor Putin is in peril if he loses the Ukraine war. And I think Prigozhin is aware that that his own fate, and the fate of his group is connected to that war, and he would like to be involved in essentially winning that war for Russia.

VAUSE: This is quite the corner, though, it seems that Putin has backed himself into because on the one hand, there's this attempted coup leader. It may be you know, technically a coup or an attempted overthrow of the defense officials, you know, the high ranking defense minister and the generals who is perceived wildly is an attempted overthrowing Putin and at least his authority.

He seems to be living la vida loca, laying out terms on how he will fight and where he will go, while Putin is purging generals and others who've done far less serious crimes like telling the truth about the dismal conditions on the front lines, much like Prigozhin did without the attempted coup.

So, how much trouble is Putin in whilst Prigozhin is out there sort of, you know, reminding everyone of the sort of the weakness that Putin has at this point in time.

MORAN: Yes, the real damage to Putin was the fact that no one came to his defense in that moment. And Prigozhin was very careful, again, not to direct his rhetoric against Putin, but rather against the military leadership.

Having said that, a very interesting thing happened today, the BRICS nations which Russia has a key component of China, Russia, you know, South Africa, Brazil, these countries are having a summit in South Africa this week, and Putin has decided not to go. And that is a pretty significant sign of weakness in an autocrat. You're afraid to leave the country because you may never get back in.

So, it's a very fraught situation for Putin. But I have to say, you know, he's played it well by getting Wagner into a position where they actually threaten Ukraine and cause more problems for NATO.

It could have been a lot worse. Let's face it for Putin. He's still in office. He's gotten the worst of the kind of unrest, supposedly under wraps, and he's a repressive leader and therefore, he will clamp down on anybody who raises a hand right now.

[00:20:15]

So, he's put himself in a position to continue this war and to possibly even reengage with the Wagner group.

VAUSE: I guess what you'll say he's played his weak hand well. Michael, it's great to have you with us, really appreciate your insights.

MORAN: Thank you. Pleasure to talk to you.

VAUSE: Now, Baghdad, hundreds of demonstrators stormed the gates of the Swedish Embassy set it on fire, apparently angered by the Swedish government's decision to allow protests outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm.

Later Thursday were organizers I believe to be planning to burn a Koran. CNN cannot confirm that information.

Now, according to the Agence France Press, Swedish authorities stress they only gave permission for a public gathering and not whatever activities that may include.

This explosion of anger in Iraq comes just weeks after a man set fire to a Koran outside Stockholm's main mosque, that triggered worldwide outrage within the Islamic world.

Meantime, the Iraqi government has launched an investigation into the attack on the Swedish Embassy, they call it a major security threat, a part of a worrying pattern of assaults on diplomatic missions.

Still to come on CNN, former U.S. President Donald Trump preparing possibly for the worst, beefing up his legal team, feeding the big back (PH) ahead of another potential indictment for a Special Counsel Jack Smith.

And later.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is very hot trying to find some shade. Drinking water.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Yes, it's hot. Really hot. The mercury on the rise across southern Europe and pretty much everywhere else it seems. The very latest forecast right here. You'll only see it on CNN NEWSROOM. Well, that's not true. You'll see it here when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE: Former U.S. President Donald Trump has added a new criminal defense attorney to his legal team. He'll need it as he faces a third possible indictment this time in the Special Counsel investigation into Trump's efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. The Trump legal team believes they have until midnight Thursday, less

than 24 hours from now to respond to an invitation from the Special Counsel's office to bring witnesses or evidence.

Multiple reports say Trump could be facing charges related to three different statutes.

CNN's Paula Reid has the very latest now reporting in from Washington.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Attorneys for former President Trump have been caught off guard by this target letter indicating that he will likely be indicted.

For nearly a year, the former president's attorneys have insisted that their client would not be charged in the investigation into January 6. But this letter indicates that the Special Counsel is contemplating a case that's much bigger than even Trump's lawyers could have imagined.

[00:25:05]

So, sources tells CNN they're now going around trying to figure out if the Special Counsel has additional witnesses or evidence that they are not aware of.

Now, Trump's legal team, they are pretty well connected in terms of this investigation, a Trump linked political action committee underwrites the cause for defense attorneys for several key witnesses. And that's one of the ways that Trump lawyers really stay in the know about what's going on, making it all the more significant that they were really caught off guard by this news.

If the former president is charged in Washington D.C., we can expect that the strategy will be to delay. I was in court in Florida Tuesday with the former president's lawyers even referenced the possibility of charges in the January 6 investigation as they laid out for the judge just how much work they're currently having to do to keep up with all these various legal cases.

Now, they were making that argument in an effort to try to delay any trial in Florida until after the 2024 election.

It's unclear if they will be successful, but we would expect that they would employ a similar strategy if the former president is charged in Washington D.C. in connection with January 6.

Paula Reid, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: CNN's Senior Political Analyst and senior editor for The Atlantic, Ron Brownstein joins us now from Los Angeles. Good to see you, Ron.

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: Hi, John. OK. VAUSE: OK, so yes, this is incredible. This is incredibly long list of

charges that Trump is already facing or will be facing. This is all happening in the context of a primary and then into an election season in which Trump has embraced these charges as proof that he's you know, the victim here, there's some big conspiracy theory.

On top of that, listen to his opponents talking about Trump's legal jeopardy, listen to the words they use.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): I hope he doesn't get charged. I don't think it'll be good for the country.

VIVEK RAMASWAMY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I do not want to see my opponents eliminated because of the actions of a corrupt federal administrative police state.

MIKE PENCE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: We're all involved in a primary. I trust the American people to judge that that day.

SEN. TIM SCOTT (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They use to try to find a way to weaponize its powers.

NIKKI HALEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The rest of this primary election is going to be in reference to Trump, it's going to be about lawsuits. We can't keep dealing with this drama.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Notably, we did not hear from Chris Christie in that group and there was a reason for that, which we'll get to in a moment. But none of those were heard from are willing to say Trump should be held accountable for what he did or did not do to the letter of the law by a criminal justice system.

So, if 2020 was a bruising, stress test for democratic institutions, what is this country facing in the coming months?

BROWNSTEIN: Great question. I mean, look, that was a purified, distilled version of what we have seen from Republican leadership since Donald Trump first emerged, the idea that his ability to mobilize a disaffected base primarily centered on non-college, older non-urban white voters is so critical to the fortunes of the Republican Party, that there is simply no behavior that can cause them, most of them to abandon him.

And now you see it taken to the extreme where even the people who are theoretically running against him will not use the most powerful argument that is available to them, either that he has rendered himself unfit to be president again, or even if you don't want to go that far, that these indictments diminish his chance of actually winning the presidency.

Again, they won't make that case. And I think in their silence and deference, you see the extension of the corner that Republicans have painted themselves into successively and relentlessly for eight years now.

VAUSE: And former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, he has been the one Republican candidate who has gone out there and said Trump is not above the law. Here he is speaking to Wolf Blitzer a few hours ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS CHRISTIE (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: For anybody to be carrying around their neck as a general election candidate for president of the United States, or as a primary candidate -- a general election campaign candidate. He has, effectively, sold the argument to a majority of the Republican electorate that these are trumped-up charges and, in effect, a way to -- they are going after him to silence them.

[00:30:16]

Two-thirds of Republicans said in a recent NBC poll that, you know, they think these are unfair charges.

But simultaneously, I think the evidence is very clear that, beyond the Republican bubble, the people who are not getting most of their news from FOX, you know, and its contemporary -- and its equivalents, are reacting to this the way you would expect, that they believe that these are serious charges, multiple serious charges, and that, if Trump is convicted of a crime, he should not be president.

I mean, the Republican problem, in a nutshell, John, a recent Marist poll, 63 percent of Republicans say they -- that they want to have a second term, even if he is convicted of a crime. Seventy-five percent of independents say he should not be president again if he is convicted of a crime.

And that is the dilemma. And -- but just to be clear, they've compounded the dilemma for themselves by not making the case to their own voters, that there are reasons to move beyond Trump that are contained in all of these multiple indictments, with potentially, not only the special counsel, but that Fulton County, Georgia follow, as well.

VAUSE: Yes, and possibly Arizona, as well, which is now wrapping up their own investigation, as well, similar to the one in Georgia, as you mentioned.

Now, Trump, once again, is hitting that sort of possibility of violence, should he be found guilty and sentenced to jail. Here he is speaking on Tuesday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think it's a very dangerous thing to even talk about.

SIMON CONWAY, RADIO HOST: OK.

TRUMP: Because we do have a tremendously passionate group of voters, much more passion than they had in 2020, and much more passion than they had in 2016. I think it would be very dangerous.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: So, this is the question. You know, is this troubles is Trumpism? I mean, do they go to bat for the president, or the former president, rather, because they see that he is being targeted, this is all unfair? Or, you know, is there a way these cases could be sort of overwhelming, that somehow it pierces the bubble and -- you know, magically, there's faith restored in the electoral system?

Or has it been so -- so amplified by Republicans on Capitol Hill that's -- is simply impossible at this stage?

BROWNSTEIN: Well, look, first, as I said before, there is virtually no one in that Republican voters trust who are telling them to take this seriously. Essentially, virtually, all the leadership in the party who will speak are saying that this is unfair, this is weaponizing the Justice Department, and all those allegations.

The most that Republicans who believe that there are serious issues here will do is remain silent and not echo those charges, other than Chris Christie and Asa Hutchinson.

Someone like Mitch McConnell, who certainly knows the magnitude of what is involved here, the most he will do is -- is remain silent.

And I think, you know, we can talk -- and we have -- about all the immediate electoral implications of this for each party. But this is an ominous moment for American democracy.

Because you do have Trump as the leader of a political movement that has shown that it is willing to ease the threat of violence, that it is willing to use anti-democratic means in order to advance its goal.

His argument to his voters has always been that, if I lose, the America you know will be irrevocably transformed and turn away from you and that, therefore, in essence, any means necessary is justified to prevent that.

That was the case he has made, really, from the outset. It's certainly the case he is making now in his defense against these charges. And it is a line of argument that, ultimately, leads to the kind of crisis in democracy that we saw on January 6th and, as you know, he is adjusting. He may bring forth again.

VAUSE: Yes. Ron, as always, so great to have you with us. Thank you so much. Good to see you.

BROWNSTEIN: Thanks for having me.

VAUSE: When we come back, the Women's World Cup, set to get underway in Auckland, New Zealand, despite a deadly mass shooting there earlier in the day in the city's center. We'll have the very latest, live from Sydney, Australia, in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [00:37:04]

VAUSE: Welcome back. I'm John Vause. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM.

Well, the opening match of the Women's World Cup football tournament will go ahead as planned, despite a mass shooting in co-host city Auckland hours earlier on Thursday morning, local time, when a gunman killed two people and wounded six at a construction site near the city's waterfront. The gunman was later found dead.

Norway's team reportedly was staying in a nearby hotel. Helicopters could be heard landing nearby. Everyone, though, is said to be safe. Norway is set to take the pitch in just a few hours against co-host New Zealand to kick off a month-long tournament.

CNN's Angus Watson joins us again live this hour from Sydney, Australia. So, clearly, this is a big game for -- for New Zealand. They are the host city. And very much the underdogs in this match.

ANGUS WATSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's true, John. Of course, something of a shadow cast over tonight's game by that tragic incident that you mentioned there in downtown Auckland, where several of the teams are staying.

Team USA is in New Zealand now. They were quick to release a statement regarding that mass shooting, saying, "U.S. Soccer extends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims who were killed in the shooting in downtown Auckland today. We are saddened by the inexcusable loss of life to gun violence, and our thoughts are with the people of Auckland/Tamaki Makaurau and Aotearoa, New Zealand."

Now, Team USA will be the red-hot favorite for this tournament. They have the chance to go three in a row. No team has ever done that before.

Of course, they'll have more competition this time. This is the first Women's World Cup where there will be 32 teams participating. And European giants like the European champions, England, France, Germany, Spain, Norway will be hot on the heels of Team USA, which is undergoing something of a reshuffle, a rebuild in its team.

Of course, Megan Rapinoe, that star player, saying that he will retire this year, but Sophia Smith and Trinity Rodman upfront, expected to dazzle for Team USA at these games. The entire tournament will be watching them.

And host Australia, household names, the Matildas here we are excitement is building, hugely, ahead at this tournament set to begin here tonight with the Matildas playing the republic of Ireland in Sydney right after that New Zealand-Norway clash in Auckland, John.

VAUSE: Angus, thank you. Angus Watson there with the very latest on the shooting and also on what we can expect in the hours ahead. Appreciate it. Appreciate a live update.

And with that, we'll take a short break. We're back in a moment. You're watching CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:41:41]

VAUSE: In Colombia, hundreds of retired soldiers and military reservists filled the streets of Bogota to speak out against President Gustavo Pedro.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(SINGING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Protestors carried signs calling for the president to step down. They were angered over budget cuts to veterans' services, who were hoping to increase government assistance after serving their country.

Others claimed Petro has security away from Colombians and taken power away from the military.

In Peru, protesters are calling for the resignation of their president, as well.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(HORNS BLOWING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Demonstrators don't just want President Dina Boluarte gone. They're also calling for early elections, as well as a whole new constitution.

The president is accused of illegally removing her predecessor from office last December. She's also being investigated for genocide and other violent acts committed during previous protest marches against her administration.

Thank you for watching CNN NEWSROOM. I'm John Vause, back with more news at the top of the hour. That's less than 18 minutes away. WORLD SPORT, though, is up after a short break. See you in a bit.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:45:31]

(WORLD SPORT)

[00:57:59]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)