Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis To Present Case To Grand Jury For Indicting Former President Trump On Charges Of Election Interference In 2020 Presidential Election; Former President Trump Campaigning At Iowa State Fair For 2024 Republican Presidential Nomination; Wildfires Cause Historic Damage In Maui; Maui Officials Having Difficulty Allowing Lahaina Residents To See Ruins Of Their Property; Computer Hackers At Conference In Las Vegas Attempt To Hack Artificial Intelligence Chat Programs; Red Cross Providing Services To Those In Need In Wake Of Wildfire Damage In Hawaii; Short Film Attempts To Lessen Stigma On Seeking Mental Health Care In Communities Of Color In U.S. Aired 2-3p ET.

Aired August 12, 2023 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:07]

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. From Washington D.C., I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

And first on CNN, we are following major new developments in what could soon be Donald Trump's fourth indictment. Just a short time ago I spoke with former Georgia Republican lieutenant governor Geoff Duncan, who told me that he will testify in the next 48 hours before a grand jury in Atlanta. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis has subpoenaed Duncan to testify about efforts by former President Donald J. Trump and his allies to overturn the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. Duncan is now a CNN political commentator.

And here is Duncan and what he to me earlier today about the subpoena and his plans to testify.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEOFF DUNCAN, FORMER LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, GEORGIA: I did just receive notification to appear on Tuesday morning at the Fulton County grand jury, and I certainly will be there to do my part in recounting the facts. I have no expectations as to the questions, and I'll certainly answer whatever question is put in front of me, and certainly don't want to go any deeper than that to jeopardize or compromise the investigation.

But look, for me, this is a story that is important for Republicans to hear, Americans to hear. Let's hear the whole truth and nothing but the truth about Donald Trump's actions and the surrounding cast of characters around him. We watched a series of events happen here that were tragic and untruthful, and he's got a chance to present these facts and say, hey, I didn't know what was going on, or I think what reality is going to be is they knew exactly what they were doing.

And I think the interesting part to this indictment, it's different than the others, is that there's heavy signaling that there's going to be 12-plus co-conspirators. And these folks don't have the same level of loyalty they had with Donald Trump when he was trying to change the election outcome in 2020. And so it's going to be interesting to see which way they go. And these are serious charges that are being signaled, racketeering, conspiracy, RICO. These are things really garnered for the mafia or the mob. So we'll certainly see this get ratcheted up in the next few days.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Joining me right now to talk about these developments is Ben Ginsberg, he is a Republican election attorney, as well as Marshall Cohen here in D.C. Marshall, first to you. Tell us about the significance of Duncan's announcement that he will testify before a grand jury this week.

MARSHALL COHEN, CNN REPORTER: Yes, Fredricka, his revelation on your show just a few hours ago means that we are almost at the critical moment of what we've been expecting and waiting for, frankly, for years, since this investigation began, which is the moment, likely starting on Monday, when the district attorney, Fani Willis, will walk into the courthouse, meet with the grand jurors, and begin that presentation. It could be a two-day presentation of the case. And she is expected in that presentation to bring in some key witnesses, and those witnesses have been told that they would be given a heads-up, 48 hours notification before they need to arrive, before they need to appear.

That's the news today, Fred, that Geoff Duncan, the former lieutenant governor, got that notification. It appears that all systems are go. Of course, this would be President Donald Trump's fourth indictment, and this would be -- he was already charged federally for his attempt across the country to subvert the 2020 election. This would be a state prosecution for specifically what he and many of his allies attempted but failed to do in Georgia, the peach state, which he lost to President Joe Biden by about 0.2 percent of the vote. Fred?

WHITFIELD: And election attorney Ben Ginsberg with me now. This news of the former lieutenant governor receiving this notification came, and just moments later we would see the former president just as business as usual, there appearing at the Iowa state fair. That was the video that you were seeing of him moments ago. So what do you make of Duncan's expected appearance before the grand jury, how, generally, will it go? He was among more than 70 who testified before the grand jury, and now possibly just a handful will be called again to testify by the D.A., Fani Willis. What would be different now about this testimony?

BEN GINSBERG, REPUBLICAN ELECTION LAWYER: This is the process that they go through at the tail end, is the actual charges are brought before the grand jury. It is an indictment comes next if the grand jury agrees with that, and grand juries generally do agree with prosecutors who bring charges like this and ask for indictments.

[14:05:01] The Georgia case is significant for two reasons. Number one, it is a state case, so that even if Donald Trump were being elected president, he can't pardon himself for a state prosecution. So in terms of the January 6th cases, Georgia stands alone.

Of course, the second part of Georgia and Fulton County is that they do have a policy of generally granting cameras in the courtroom. So that while the Jack Smith cases are unlikely, will not be televised, this one in Georgia stands to be. So it is the window into January 6th that the American people may really see the most vividly.

WHITFIELD: And it's quite possibly then that the defense attorneys for the former president would try to file a motion that no cameras be present, just as they did in previous cases. What would be the possible outcome?

GINSBERG: Well, that's an interesting question about whether they would want that or not. There is a theory, given Donald Trump's court schedule over the next six months, at least, if not the next year, that in fact his political campaign may be the courtroom, and making the point through his attorneys, through the proceedings, that he's a persecuted victim. So it isn't immediately clear to me that Trump will ask for cameras to be excluded from the courtroom. But the likely outcome of this is Fulton County does generally allow cameras in the courtroom, and so I think you go by legal precedent and probably assume it will be televised.

WHITFIELD: So, Ben, you made an interesting point about this would be the tail end of the investigation leading up to the possible indictment and that Mr. Duncan's testimony is part of that. Generally, how many other testimonies would be included in this final pitch to the grand jury before indictments are rendered?

GINSBERG: That very much depends on the individual case and how the prosecutor wants to or thinks he or she needs to present the case to the grand jury. There is no formula on that. It is giving the grand jury a complete picture of the case for the grand jury to base its decision on whether to indict or not.

WHITFIELD: And Marshall, you did a great job earlier just helping people understand the totality of this investigation. While it seemed like it began with the recorded conversation, plea, if you will, from the former president to the Georgia secretary of state, it blossomed into so much more. Can you once again kind of encapsulate all that this investigation has entailed?

COHEN: Sure, Fred. And there is a lot. And as Ben said, it's up to the D.A. to present the case how she wants to. And in this situation she kind of has made it clear she's going to need two days. That's not so common. So that phone call that you mentioned, the infamous phone call between President Trump and Brad Raffensperger, the secretary of state, where he begged and pleaded with the secretary of state to just find enough votes, one more than we need, so that I can win the state, that's what got this investigation started.

But over the past three years we have learned so much more about the rest of the plot to essentially -- there's no other way to put it -- steal the election from Joe Biden and hand it to Trump. There were so many other elements about the fake electors and the breach of an election system in Coffey County, Rudy Giuliani giving bogus claims of fraud to the state legislature. There is a lot here to chew on, Fred.

WHITFIELD: Indeed. Thank you so much. Marshall Cohen and Ben Ginsberg, thanks to both of you, appreciate it.

Still to come, more on our breaking news, new signs that a fourth indictment for Donald J. Trump could be coming soon in Fulton County, Georgia. The former president campaigning right now in Iowa. We're live in Des Moines next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:13:36]

WHITFIELD: Welcome back. Former President Donald Trump is at the Iowa state fair where he is luring in huge crowds of supporters there. And this comes after former lieutenant governor for Georgia and CNN contributor Geoff Duncan revealed to CNN today that he has been told to testify before a Fulton County grand jury about the former president's efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

Joining me right now is CNN political director David Chalian, who is at the state fair. And we saw there were a lot of people yelling questions to the former president. I don't know if you were able to hear and were privy to all of it, but was he ever asked about his reaction to Geoff Duncan now testifying or appearing before the grand jury on Tuesday?

DAVID CHALIAN, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: He wasn't asked, Fred, about the Georgia news that we are reporting at the moment. But he was asked about the protective order that was the subject of the hearing yesterday in Washington, D.C. He said he would take a look at that order. He then went on to use his usual comments of saying that he sees this as election interference on behalf of Biden and the Biden administration.

He then was asked if he intentionally attempted to overturn the 2020 election, he was asked that by a pool reporter going around the state fair with him. His answer to that question was, you know the answer to that.

[14:15:06]

That is what we heard from the former president as he was making his way around the Iowa state fairgrounds. He's still expected to address supporters in a third location here on the fairgrounds that he's going to shortly. But Fred, this gets at the intersection of the legal and the political. Here is Donald Trump wooing the support of Iowa caucus- goers, potential Iowa caucus-goers in the all critical Republican Iowa caucuses, and yet he's dealing with, yet again, the latest breaking news on his legal woes, this time the anticipation of that fourth indictment coming in Georgia. WHITFIELD: And David, that is part of the former president's strategy,

right, to say everything is just fine. We're just going to continue on about our business and our focus and not be distracted by anything like a legal proceeding.

However, it is a very difficult schedule now, because he does have to straddle both the legal obligations, and now his campaign obligations. He is going to be made available before a number of reporters a little bit later on today, right? I mean, what is going to be the structure of that moment?

CHALIAN: Yes, we'll see how that plays out. It's a little chaotic to bring a former president with Secret Service protection into the Iowa state fairgrounds. He's with a traveling press pool. And Fred, I do think it is worth noting, it's not even that he's trying to call this a distraction and stick to the business of campaigning. Donald Trump and his team are utilizing these indictments as sort of fuel for his campaign. They use it to raise grassroots donations. You heard him just recently say he expects after a fourth indictment his poll numbers will go up more. So he sees this as an opportunity to utilize his legal challenges as a way to fortify his base of support.

WHITFIELD: Do you have any idea what his schedule is while he's there at the Iowa state fair?

CHALIAN: Yes, so he started off, he was at the pork producers tent here in Iowa. We usually see -- that's sort of a traditional stop here. You see politicians flip some pork chops on the grill. I'm not sure we saw him do that, but he was mixing and mingling with some fairgoers there. Then he moved over to the animal learning center here on the fairgrounds. We saw him walk through there. That's where some questions were shouted at him.

And now he's over at a food and beer hall, basically, a place called Steer N' Stein, and that's where he's expected to address a large gathering of supporters. Right before I came over to the camera location to talk to you, I saw the line was going down the entire block of the state fairgrounds here of supporters trying to get in to that event to see the former president.

WHITFIELD: And then David, I wonder what, if anything, have his people expressed about their concerns about the Georgia case? It's on the state level. If he were reelected, he would not be able to pardon himself if there were convictions in the state cases. Are they expressing any particular concerns about the Fulton County district attorney's cases and possible upcoming indictments, unlike worries they may have about other cases, the other three?

CHALIAN: They aren't isolating it, Fred. They are actually doing what we've seen them do in other cases. We've seen the former president go after the prosecutor, Fani Willis, in this case, making this a political prosecution in his mind. And that is the frame that he and his team are going to continue to push against each one, Alvin Bragg in New York, Jack Smith in Washington. They want to make this seen as political as possible, because on the facts and the law, that's going to proceed apace and take care of itself in the justice system. So their political strategy is to discredit that and go after the prosecutors as on a bit of a political bent.

WHITFIELD: David Chalian there in Iowa, thank you so much. We'll check back with you. Appreciate it.

Still to come, amid the heartbreaking loss of life from Hawaii's wildfires, we're also hearing from residents struggling to see what's left of their homes. A live report from Maui next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:23:45]

WHITFIELD: Scenes of unimaginable destruction now revealed across Maui after the deadliest natural disaster in Hawaii's history. At least 80 people have died and many more are missing after wildfires raged across the island this week. The main road into hard-hit Lahaina abruptly shut down yesterday. The line of cars waiting there stretched for nearly a mile. Folks had to sleep in their cars overnight, waiting to see what, if anything, is left of their homes and businesses. More than a dozen federal agencies have been sent to assist with recovery efforts, including FEMA and the National Guard. The devastation there expected to cost at least $5.5 billion to rebuild. And all of this developing as we're seeing more videos of harrowing escapes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We've got to walk somewhere, over there by the beach. Oh -- run! No, no, no! Not like this! Not like this! Not like this! No!

(SCREAMING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[14:25:00]

WHITFIELD: To hear that family's agony. That family did eventually make it to an evacuation shelter after taking refuge near the water.

Let's go to CNN's Mike Valerio who is on Maui. And Mike, so much to update us with. What is happening with that road and people being turned around?

MIKE VALERIO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Fredricka, it's a sense of organized chaos here. We are on the main roadway that leads into the disaster zone, so as we push in, these are some of the lucky drivers. It's mostly people with supplies, utilities, who are going to first responders. They, for the most part, now are being let in. But it's a little more complicated than that, as we look at the line of cars, minivans, sedans, SUVs. This still goes back a mile.

And Fredricka, as we started to see about an hour ago, an hour plus last time that we were with you on Honoapi'ilani Highway, these families in some instances are being turned around because they're being told by Maui police that there's a traffic jam that started because too many people were being let into the disaster zone. So as we walk here, just to give you a sense of how many drivers, some of whom have been waiting for 12, 13, 14 hours, you have people, Fred, who left their homes Tuesday evening, not knowing if they were going to survive the inferno. And they've been seeing pictures on the news, unable to confirm if what they left behind is still there.

So zooming further in, you see emergency sirens, just people who are waiting in this line who are at their wit's end. They're so emotionally strained, you can only imagine. And they just wish that law enforcement, somehow, even though given the limited resources, all the back-to-back shifts the officers are working, would be able to tell them if they should go some other route, if they should turn around. To that end, we spoke with a driver, Giullietta, about the whiplash that she has gone through. Listen to what she told us a short time ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GIULLIETTA DAIKER, LAHAINA RESIDENT: You have to go around the north. But do you think all those people down there know that? We know that. Too bad I didn't have a bullhorn. I can tell everybody that.

VALERIO: Did they give you a reason why they're giving you a different route?

DAIKER: They said because there's traffic up there and that it's dangerous. But I'm like, it's traffic. It's not like driving around that other way, which will take hours.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

VALERIO: So it's changing all the time. And why this is so heartbreaking for many, adding on to what we've just described, this road was supposed to open yesterday. It was shut down because too many people were going into restricted areas. As we just sort of juggle what we have here, it's easier said than done letting people into the disaster areas, because first responders, the municipal agencies in Maui, are saying that if you're trying to get anywhere to the historic town, you need to walk around with this kind of mask, heavy duty P-100 or P-95 mask -- of course, this one is without it's filters for the moment -- because of the toxic air, toxic particles, that if they get into your lungs, they could potentially form a sort of acid.

So it's not as simple as solving a traffic jam. Of course, they have the layer of making sure that people are safe, and then potentially warding people away from areas where there may be human remains. It's just such a complicated logistical story we're witnessing here while people, Fred, are certainly at their wit's ends. I think that could be the understatement of the morning in Maui right here.

WHITFIELD: Yes, still so many layers of concerns. Mike Valerio, thank you so much.

And for more information on how you can help Hawaii wildfire victims, go to CNN.com/Impact or text "Hawaii" to 707070 to donate.

Still to come, hackers taking on artificial intelligence with support from the White House. We're live in Las Vegas with that story next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:33:26]

WHITFIELD: Right now, thousands of hackers from all over the U.S. are pushing their skills to limit -- to the limit, rather, in a competition to manipulate A.I. chatbots like ChatGPT to expose as many flaws as possible. The initiative is backed by companies like Meta, Google, and OpenAI, with the goal to encourage tech companies to employ artificial intelligence more responsibly. All this is happening at the DEF CON conference in Las Vegas. And that's where we find CNN's Donie O'Sullivan. OK, so Donie, what's up?

DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN REPORTER: He, Fred. We're doing our best not to get hacked ourselves here, so we're trying to be careful with that. This is one of the world's largest hacking conferences, and everybody who comes here is warned to turn off their wi-fi, their Bluetooth, to make sure -- do the best they can not to get hacked.

As we've seen the past year, especially since the launch of ChatGPT last year before the holidays, we've seen so much about how powerful these A.I. chat apps are. Google has them, Meta, many companies now have different A.I. chat apps, and we show they're getting more powerful and powerful all the time.

Now, they do have guardrails in place, right, where these chat apps are not supposed to push out misinformation or hate speech or give people instructions on how to commit crimes or to do things that could cause physical harm.

[14:34:58]

What the hackers are doing here in Vegas this weekend is they are trying to get the A.I. apps to do just that, to do things they're not supposed to do. Why? Well, they want to see how they can fix these systems. And the companies who are behind these systems are actually supportive of this. We spoke to a person from Google yesterday here at the conference. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

O'SULLIVAN: Heather, Google has signed up basically to be hacked here for the weekend. Tell me about that.

HEATHER ADKINS, VICE PRESIDENT, SECURITY ENGINEERING, GOOGLE: Well, look, any time you invent something new, you want people to test it. And there is no greater community on the planet than the hackers that come here together at DEF CON. And so we've brought them all together. We're giving them a sandbox to play in, and we hope they find lots of bugs so that we can fix them and tell the world how to make A.I. really safe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

O'SULLIVAN: So the whole idea is if these hackers can figure out ways to get the A.I. to do things that it really shouldn't, they will report them here at this conference to the various different companies, and the companies will then be able to try to fix those problems to make sure that the A.I. doesn't act up in the future. Fred?

WHITFIELD: And it's all so complicated and serious, yet everybody was smiling. So obviously they're really enjoying it, as were you.

(LAUGHTER)

O'SULLIVAN: Yes. Look, these people, they can hack you with a smile on their face. And what we have seen here the past few days is the sort of things that they have been able to make, the likes of ChatGPT do, we've seen them give instructions on -- one hacker we spoke to yesterday was able to get one of the chat apps to give instructions on essentially how to stalk someone. And so that is the kind of dangerous information that these apps shouldn't be putting out there.

We also over the past few weeks have been speaking to researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, one of their researchers is here taking part in this. They were able to get the chat apps to give instructions on how to hot-wire a car. They were also able to get the chat apps to spew misinformation, insults and various things that really this technology should not be doing.

It's not just as simple as getting these apps to say and do things that they shouldn't do. There's a much broader point of all of this is the technology that powers the things like ChatGPT, it's going to be the same types of systems, at some point the same types of data, that is going to be powering A.I. systems and all apps and emails and everything we use in our phones and computers in the years ahead. So they're trying to figure out how can this technology go wrong now so they can make it safer for all of us.

WHITFIELD: Wow, what a world. All right, Donie O'Sullivan, thank you so much.

Still ahead, the new film that's working to erase the stigma of mental health challenges, especially for communities of color. Filmmaker Issac Ingram and former NFL running back Warrick Dunn join us to talk about it next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Scenes of unimaginable destruction now being revealed across Maui after the deadliest natural disaster in Hawaii's history. At least 80 people have died and many more are missing after wildfires raged across the island this week. Let's talk about how the federal agencies are being mobilized in helping in the recovery efforts. Joining me right now from Honolulu is Evan Peterson, the regional communications manager for the American Red Cross of Georgia. Evan, great to see you. So Hawaii Congresswoman Jill Tokuda says she underestimated the quickness of the wildfires. Can you speak to what preparedness with wildfires would be?

EVAN PETERSON, REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, AMERICAN RED CROSS OF GEORGIA: Sure. So first and foremost, the devastation we're seeing out here is just an awful lot. We know that the residents and visitors of these islands have been through an awful lot, so our hearts just go out to them. But right now, we are focusing on making sure that people are safe and ready to bounce back from this once the all-clear has been given to return to these neighborhoods.

So you asked about preparedness. The Red Cross was here before these fires even started. We were talking with people. We were aware that there was a drought in the area and that we were getting some of those winds from hurricane Dora. But I think it's safe to say that no one expected the fire to move this quickly. But that's why we've been here since day one trying to get people to safety once, again, they were able to escape the fire.

WHITFIELD: What are the many ways in which you're helping people now in this aftermath?

PETERSON: So some of the things we're doing is first providing that sanctuary. A lot of people have been displaced as a result of this fire. Visitors had to leave their hotels and things like that. So we've opened up several shelters so far. Since the very first shelter opened up, we've had about 3,000 overnight stays, and that's not even counting the amount of people that use it during the daytime. So these people that are coming into our shelters, they're getting a bite to eat. They are talking with a counselor for spiritual or emotional support. They're charging their phones. One of the biggest issues we're still dealing with right now is connectivity. When this fire moved across this area, a lot of the major communications infrastructure was either damaged or destroyed.

[14:45:00]

So if people are able to get a call out somehow, we have a place where they can charge their phone so they can continue that conversation. And then, also, we're staying in constant communication with the first responders. Right now a big search and rescue operation is still underway, so we have not been allowed to move back into these harder- hit areas until they finish their investigations. Once they're done, we're going to go back out and make sure that people are in the best situation to recover once that is done.

WHITFIELD: This is going to be a long, long road. And nobody really knows how long it's going to take. So for people who have been displaced, they've lost everything, they're perhaps looking for loved ones, how are you helping them when there's so much uncertainty around the corner? Many don't know how they're going to be feeling five days from now, let alone in a couple of weeks. People are going to be looking for something, grasping something of their life that they've known before. How do you help them?

PETERSON: I think you hit the nail right on the head. There's so much uncertainty right now for people who have lost so much as a result of this. What we at the Red Cross are trying to do is provide that certainty. We have a safe place for you to stay. If you need to spend the night, whether it's you and your family, we are able to make that happen. Reconnecting families, friends, with their loved ones is very challenging right now. We have been setting up hotlines so people can call 1-800-Red-Cros, that's 1-800-733-2767, we are in the process of helping people who may come to the shelters get connected to those loved ones who are searching for them. We have a very safe and secure process to do that.

But again, right now the hard part is getting that connection. The connection is spotty, at best in some of these hard hit areas. We're going to be here for people, we're going to be here as long as we are needed. And again, we have offices that are permanently here. We're going to be here well after this as well.

WHITFIELD: There are a lot of viewers who want to help in any way they can. What are you suggesting?

PETERSON: People that want to help, that want to support those impacted by these wildfires, there's a couple different ways you can do that. One of the many reasons, or main ways to do that is making a gift to support the Red Cross in our mission right now. So you can go to RedCross.org and make a donation there to disaster relief, or you can call 1-800-red-cros and do that. Or if you want to text the word "Hawaii" to 90999, they'll automatically make a $10 donation to support those who have impacted by the wildfires.

WHITFIELD: Evan Peterson, all the best with the American Red Cross. Thank you so much, and thanks for what you're doing.

PETERSON: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: For many people, living in remote areas of Ghana in West Africa, accessing medical care can mean walking several hours to a hospital or struggling to afford payment. This week's CNN Hero saw his grandmother and aunt struggle and die from preventable diseases. And now Osei Boateng has dedicated his life to bringing health care to remote areas of Ghana.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

OSEI BOATENG, CNN HERO: We've been to communities where they haven't seen a doctor before. Literally, they haven't been to the hospital before. We've designed the van like a clinic. Depending on the person's condition, if the doctor needs additional labs, we have some point of care labs that we do in the van. We have medications. And so it's like a one-stop shop for people.

Up to date, we've served about 4,000 people, so imagine if you had two or three vans. Our vision is to really expand. Words cannot describe the feeling that you get providing care for someone who otherwise wouldn't be alive if your mobile health van wasn't there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: To see Osei's full story, go to CNNheroes.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:53:48] WHITFIELD: An award-winning short film wants to bring awareness to abandonment issues and to the struggle to end the stigma of mental health counseling in communities that don't have adequate services. And it's wrapped in a short story that includes time travel and addiction issues. Have a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm kind of nervous. Never been to a counselor before.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The journey of 1,000 yards starts with the first step. What's on your mind?

(MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After his father leaves the family.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He's not coming, baby.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A black kid grows up to build a time machine to save his mom.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know you want to save your mom, but this is crazy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When he ends up in the year 1860, the real insight begins.

(MUSIC)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get back inside. Get back inside.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[14:55:03]

WHITFIELD: Writer, Director Isaac Ingram and former NFL player and philanthropist Warwick Dunn are donating the film to youth mentoring programs. And of course, you saw Warwick in there playing the therapist. Both are joining me right now. So great to see you both.

ISAAC INGRAM, FOUNDER, TEAM FREEDOM OUTREACH: Thank you. Thank you.

WARWICK DUNN, FORMER NFL PLAYER, PHILANTHROPIST: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: And congratulations on the acclaim, the awards, the attention that this short film is getting. Issac, what provoked this, and why are you targeting this film to particularly at-risk kids and their mentors?

INGRAM: Well, I started my nonprofit Team Freedom Outreach back in 2011, and over the years what I found is that 85 percent of kids in detention centers do not have a man living in their household. Many of them suffer from abandonment issues that they don't talk about. And the biggest problem is that they don't talk about it. So what I wanted to do was do a short film that we could use with

mentoring programs so it would give them a sense that they could go and talk about it with their mentors, so that way they could begin to heal, if that makes sense.

WHITFIELD: Yes. No, it does make sense. I watched it. I can see how you're using this film as a tool to provoke a lot of conversations, and so you're using this, particularly if you're using this in front of a lot of kids, it gives them a lot of springboard moments to find some real similarities with their own lives in this time traveling kind of depiction.

And Warwick, you were in there, you were the therapist. But this is close to home for you, too. You are a part of this film because you, too, have a real connection to the difficulties that may arise when people want to address mental health. Why did this production speak to you?

DUNN: Well, it spoke to me because losing my mom when I was 18 years old, not going to counseling for 10 years and just holding everything on the inside, I can relate to it. And I connected with it and I just felt like it's important that we talk about mental health, try to get individuals involved in understanding that -- because I was a professional football player and athlete, that we all need assistance. And I just want to be able to help people help themselves.

I think, overall, we need to raise more awareness about opportunities for definitely minority communities to seek mental health. It's important that we all have a balance in life. And for myself, if I didn't listen to a teammate in the locker room in 2002 in Atlanta, I would have probably never went to counseling. But I learned over the years the impact that going to counseling helped me. It helped push me forward. But also having fluent individuals around me, knowing that they go to counseling. So to really just talk about the opportunities that everyone needs counseling, and we need to make sure that low- income communities have access to that.

WHITFIELD: I'm so glad one of your teammates said something to you. But then you must also, from time to time, reflect on how long you were burdened with those feelings and not feeling like there was a safe place to express yourself. And so, with that in mind, how do you see this as an empowering tool so that people who feel like they want to talk about something can do so early on, regardless of whether they're an NFL player or a kid in school, Warwick?

DUNN: I think, first of all, we need to have individuals like myself come out and talk about mental health, going to counseling. So we need to bring it to the forefront and help kids and parents in our communities understand that this is normal. We all need assistance. But I just think True Freedom Film, this film really talks about the importance of it. I think if we can get the film out to more individuals, to more people to actually see the opportunity that they have to help their lives.

We have kids today that deal with a lot of everyday trauma in their communities. How can we help assist them to keep them balanced long term? This is not about the short term. This is more the long term. And for myself, learning after 10 years, going to counseling, that I held so much on the inside and I was mute. I wasn't emotional, I wasn't -- I had a lot of things that I was -- that I just kept bogged in because I was dealing with trauma that I never brought to the forefront that I couldn't talk to anyone about. And if I didn't hear that story in the locker room, I don't know if I would have ever started going to counseling.