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New Diddy Accuser Speaks to CNN; Morgan Spurlock Dead at 53; Two Years Since Robb Elementary Shooting; Gun Violence in America; White House Sends Delegate to Uvalde. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired May 24, 2024 - 10:30   ET

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

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[10:30:00]

KATE BEDINGFIELD, FORMER BIDEN WHITE HOUSE COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: -- is to remind people that that's who Donald Trump is, and I think they're very focused on doing that.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, and the Biden campaign just came out with an ad today, and are trying to remind folks of what Trump has done in the past, going after that amnesia issue that you were talking about. I also wanted to ask you about Trump complimenting Nikki Haley last night. Let's listen to that.

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DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT AND REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, I think she's going to be on our team because we have a lot of the same ideas, the same thoughts. I appreciated what she said. You know, we had a nasty campaign. It was pretty nasty. But she's a very capable person and I'm sure she's going to be on our team in some form. Absolutely.

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ACOSTA: I mean, that is quite the reversal, I mean, for Nikki Haley. Do you think he could pick her as a running mate, Ana?

ANA NAVARRO, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: No, I don't. And look, I think that there is nothing more important for Donald Trump than loyalty. And Nikki Haley has shown great disloyalty. You could argue that Donald Trump made Nikki Haley in some aspects, right? She had no foreign policy experience until he appointed her U.N. ambassador.

And I think that both Nikki Haley and Donald Trump have something in common. They are transactional. They are not people of principle or conviction, they are all about what is best for their interests, their personal interests.

And so, right now, saying those things is best for Donald Trump's personal interests. But is Donald Trump going to forget that his appointee to the U.N. bit his -- the hand that fed her? His hand? Never. That's not what Donald Trump does. And frankly, if I was him, I wouldn't trust Nikki Haley either. She doesn't have much of a record of loyalty or conviction or principled positions. She's been on both sides of practically every issue. I like to call her the human windsock. She's like, one of those windsocks they put in front of the used car dealerships that will bend to whichever way the wind is blowing.

ACOSTA: And Kate, I do want to ask you, because one of the things -- I mean, one of the things that we've been talking about during this campaign is whether or not the president would have some kind of outreach to Nikki Haley -- so-called Nikki Haley supporters, which you could say, well, maybe they're Nikki Haley supporters, maybe they're just never Trump Republicans.

BEDINGFIELD: Yes.

ACOSTA: I don't mean to go back to you and say, should the president do this? But should he have made a, you know, more forceful outreach to those Nikki Haley supporters up until this point?

BEDINGFIELD: So, I think two things. I think his campaign has. You know, I think you've seen continually they've put out statements in the president's voice saying, you know, you are welcome in my campaign. There's a place for you if you're a Nikki Haley voter. So, I think they have been.

I also think it's important to recognize there's a difference between Nikki Haley saying she will vote for Donald Trump and the people who were supporting Nikki Haley voting for Donald Trump. I think a lot of those people we're never Trumpers, who can't stomach the idea of Donald Trump back in the White House. And I think they -- you know, I think the Biden campaign will continue to make -- to try to make inroads with some of those people who I think are gettable for them.

And I don't think that Nikki Haley herself making a calculation that is, you know, quite clearly about her own personal future. You know, I don't think that necessarily translates. I think a lot of her voters are looking for a non-Donald Trump option, and that option will be Joe Biden.

ACOSTA: Yes, that's -- it's certainly one of the X factors out there in this race. All right. Kate and Ana, thank you so much, ladies. Really appreciate it. Good to see both of you.

NAVARRO: Thank you.

BEDINGFIELD: Thank you.

ACOSTA: Have a great weekend. All right. Just into CNN, the accuser in the latest Diddy lawsuit is speaking out. What she just told us. That's next.

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[10:35:00] ACOSTA: Sean Diddy Combs is being accused for the seventh time of sexual assault in a complaint filed Thursday. April Lampros says Combs assaulted her four times between the mid-1990s and early 2000s. This follows the release of exclusive CNN video showing Combs attacking his then girlfriend Cassie Ventura in 2016. CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister joins us now.

I guess this is the eighth lawsuit against him, is that right? And what are the allegations this time around?

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: That is correct, Jim. So, this is the eighth lawsuit against Sean Diddy Combs. But as you said, the seventh that is accusing him of sexual assault. Now, these allegations in the lawsuit coming from a woman by the name of April Lampros are very similar to many of the allegations that we have seen in these lawsuits that started back in November of 2023.

April says that she met Sean Diddy Combs in 1994. She was a fashion student in New York City, and she alleges that Sean Diddy Combs promised that he would help be a mentor to her in the fashion industry, but that relationship soon turned coercive, as she says. She is accusing him of battery, assault, emotional distress, also drugging. Very, very graphic claims in this lawsuit, Jim.

Now, I reached out to April and I heard back from her. Here is what she told me. She said the reason why she came forward is because, "I'm confident that justice will prevail and the veil will be removed so no other woman will have to endure what I did."

Now, of course, this is continuing a pattern of alleged behavior. Very disturbing behavior from the rap mogul. And of course, as you said, this all comes after we released that exclusive video here at CNN, that was surveillance footage of Diddy violently beating his former girlfriend, Cassie. And I do want to note, lastly, we have not heard back from Diddy on this most recent lawsuit.

ACOSTA: All right. Elizabeth Wagmeister, stay on it. Thank you very much for that latest reporting. We appreciate it.

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We also want to tell you some very sad breaking news, documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock has died. He rose to fame with his documentary about McDonald's titled "Super Size Me." That film was nominated for an Academy Award. He also hosted the CNN series "Morgan Spurlock Inside Man."

Spurlock's family said he died from cancer complications. His brother said, "Morgan gave so much through his art, ideas, and generosity. The world has lost a true creative genius and a special man."

Morgan Spurlock, a very special and talented man was just 53 years old.

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ACOSTA: The City of Uvalde, Texas, marking two years since the massacre that took the lives of 19 children and two teachers at Robb Elementary School, families and the victims and the survivors have agreed to a $2 million settlement with the city, but they have also announced a new $500 million lawsuit against the school district and nearly 100 police officers over their botched response.

CNN Senior Crime and Justice Correspondent Shimon Prokupecz has been following this story diligently since it happened. He joins us now from Uvalde. Shimon, what can you tell us about these new efforts by the families? They're still, even two years, trying to get justice.

SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: They are still trying to get justice and most importantly accountability for the failures that happened here behind me.

We're at the school, Jim, two years later. You can see the memorial here set up. It's been the same for almost two years now. These crosses have been out here. People today are coming to lay flowers, to pay their respects to these children and two teachers who were killed here.

Outside here at this hour, two years ago, many of the parents were dropping their kids off. It was the last day of school. It was optional for many of them to even come to school. It was Awards Day. Many of the kids just wanted to come for the last day to be with their friends, and it would be the last time, for many of these family members, that they would see their children alive.

And as this scene unfolded that day, there were parents all around here trying desperately to get inside to save their kids as many of the officers, some almost three -- close to 400 officers stood outside as the gunman was inside that classroom.

And as you said, that lawsuit, they settled the one lawsuit. They are now suing each of the officers individually from the state who responded that day, really just seeking accountability that has been lacking here for nearly now two years. Jim,

ACOSTA: It's just incredible. And, Shimon, you spoke with survivors of the shooting. How are they coping now two years later?

PROKUPECZ: Yes, yes. I spoke with Arnulfo Reyes. He was one of the teachers that day who somehow, through a miracle survived. He was inside the classroom with the gunman. He'd been shot in his back, in his arm, and he was laying there in his blood as the gunman was taunting him. And two years later, he talked about how different he is and the difficulty he's facing, but also interestingly enough, the gift that he has been able to give to really the world by his survival. Take a listen.

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ARNULFO REYES, SURVIVED ROBB ELEMENTARY SHOOTING: It's always been about accountability, transparency. Just let us know what's going on. You know, they've hid everything from us. And so, yes.

PROKUPECZ: One of the gifts that you bring is sort of telling us, you know, what happened that day. And if it wasn't for people like you, I don't know that we would ever get --

REYES: Yes. Some part of the story that was -- that happened inside, yes. They probably would have told -- not told anybody anything. But we survived. And I think that's the reason that I keep going. I keep going and I keep on talking because it's for them. It's for the kids and for all 21, you know.

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PROKUPECZ: And, Jim, these are the 21 that he's talking about. These are the kids, the children and the two teachers who died inside the school. Today, there will be a candlelight vigil. Many of the family members will be gathering at the cemetery to celebrate their kids, to think that they would have to celebrate their kids in such a way, but this is what they hold on to.

ACOSTA: Yes.

PROKUPECZ: What they have at the cemetery. There will be other gatherings here, but it's going to definitely be a very tough day here in Uvalde, because so much of the pain -- not just because our kids have died and there's been these victims, but just because of the way this community has treated them, the way the state has treated them, the way law enforcement has treated them. So much healing still to do here in this community, Jim.

ACOSTA: Yes. They deserve much, much better than this. All right. Shimon Prokupecz, thank you so much for all the reporting you and your team do down there.

PROKUPECZ: Thank you, Jim.

ACOSTA: Thanks so much. As always, we appreciate it. At a vigil tonight, the White House deputy director of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention will join members of the community there as they honor the victims and survivors of that horrific attack at Robb Elementary. Robert Wilcox will share a message from President Biden to the grieving families and community, and it reads like this. It goes -- put it up on screen. "I know that even after the years that have passed, there are days it feels like you just got the news yesterday. While there are no words that will ease the pain you continue to feel, I pray you find comfort in reflecting on their memories and all that they mean."

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And I want to bring in Stefanie Feldman. She is the director of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Stefanie, thank you very much for joining us. It just breaks your heart every time you hear about what took place at Robb Elementary. Our Shimon Prokupecz has done such an incredible job down there with our colleagues uncovering everything that they've gone through. What do you make of the fact that the families there are still trying to get accountability as Shimon described it? It just seems so unfair.

STEFANIE FELDMAN, DIRECTOR, WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION: Yes, what happened to these families is outrageous. The president shares their outrage while they fight for accountability through the legal system. President Biden and Vice President Harris are doing everything they can to make sure that this doesn't happen to other families.

We take this day not only to honor the 21 lives lost, but also to make sure that this doesn't happen to other people and to use the inspiration of those families fighting for change to give us additional drive to call for additional action by Congress.

ACOSTA: And the Uvalde families are filing new lawsuits, including a federal lawsuit against the officers over that botched response to the shooting. Does the White House have a response to that? I mean, it just seems unbelievable that the families still don't have full accountability. They don't have all the information as to what happened. Why did this botched response unfold the way it did?

FELDMAN: Yes. So, we share the frustration of those families and want them to have accountability. I'd refer any specific questions to the Justice Department, which I know is engaged in some of this litigation. But here at the White House, what we are focused on is making sure that we help those families in Uvalde by helping them accomplish another thing that they're trying to accomplish, which is make sure that this doesn't happen to other families.

The Justice Department recently put out a report on what happened in Uvalde, which really laid out the facts of what went wrong in that community. And we are now working at the White House per the direction of President Biden and Vice President Harris to implement that report, to make sure we have a better law enforcement response, to make sure that our schools are structured in a safer way, and also to make sure that we are better supporting communities in both the hours and months after a mass shooting like this happens.

ACOSTA: And what's your office doing to try to prevent these tragedies from continuing to happen in this country? I know you can't stop every one of them because of the nature of the nation's gun laws. But what more can you do for the families out there who are wondering, you know, what's the White House doing? What can you do?

FELDMAN: So, one of the biggest differences between a year ago or two years ago and today is that we now have in the law the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which President Biden signed just a month and a day after the shooting in Uvalde. In part, he was able to do that because those families turned their pain into purpose and pushed Congress to act.

This law gives the Justice Department new tools to prosecute traffickers or firearms. It allows enhanced background checks for individuals under age 21. And then, it includes the most significant mental health investment in youth in history. But it doesn't do enough. That's why President Biden, just seven months ago, established the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. He asked us to squeeze every benefit out of that new law and also find additional action. We are working with states to drive legislation over the finish line. We are working to implement laws on the books. We're being creative in finding new actions, including actions to encourage safe storage of firearms.

But President Biden is going to continue to call on Congress to do what ultimately needs to be done, which is ban assault weapons.

ACOSTA: All right. Stefanie Feldman, thank you very much. Thank you for fighting over that lawnmower noise there at the White House. I remember that quite well myself. But, Stefanie, thanks for your time. We appreciate it.

And as we head to break, we want to remember the 19 students and two teachers killed at Robb Elementary School as that community comes together today, but also the lasting memorials in their honor. Just take a look at some of these beautiful murals of the children who were lost in Uvalde. We won't forget them. Stay with us.

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[10:55:00]

ACOSTA: You are live in the "CNN Newsroom." I'm Jim Acosta in Washington. We begin this hour with a groundbreaking agreement that could reshape college sports. A major settlement between the five power conferences and the NCAA paves the way for schools to pay student athletes. Students say it includes paying $2.7 billion in damages to past and current student athletes. The schools will also have up to $20 million per year that they could use to pay those athletes.

And with me now to talk about this is Donte Stallworth. He's a former NFL wide receiver and played --

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