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Opening Statements Underway In Alec Baldwin Trial; George Clooney Calls For President Biden To Step Aside; Alec Baldwin's Defense Giving Opening Statement. Aired 11:30a-12p ET

Aired July 10, 2024 - 11:30   ET

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

[11:30:00]

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JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: All right, we're going to shift gears right now. Opening statements are underway in Alec Baldwin's manslaughter trial down in New Mexico. Let's listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ERLINDA OCAMPO JOHNSON, PROSECUTOR: The evidence will show that the morning of October 21 started out a couple of hours behind. They filmed some scenes at this church on the Bonanza Creek Ranch. And you will see that one of those scenes required the defendant to pull out his gun.

This was in the morning. Pull out his gun. And you'll hear the director tell him pull it out and hold it.

And the first time, you'll see evidence the defendant does what the director tells him. But your -- you will hear the director tell you that many times the defendant would do his own thing. So, then the director in the morning asked him OK, do it again, just like you did now.

The defendant pulls out the gun, but this time he cocks the hammer. The evidence will show they then broke for lunch. And around 1:30 or so, they came back to this church to do what's called a blocking.

The evidence will show that Miss Hutchins wanted to do a blocking for an insert. And you will learn what a blocking is just working out the details of the moves of the actor. It wasn't even a rehearsal. You will hear from one of the witnesses who walked into the church and saw the defendant kind of playing with his gun. And then you will see evidence or hear evidence that Miss Hutchins and Mr. Souza were talking to the defendant about doing the insert.

[11:35:09]

And the insert was just supposed to be from here to here. And it was supposed to be of the defendant just slowly taking his gun out of this holster -- out of his holster and just holding it at an angle. The evidence will show that someone asked the armorer to bring the defendant's gun to him. And she did. She brought it into the church. Showed it to David Halls, who you will learn is -- was the first assistant director. The gun was empty.

Miss Gutierrez then handed the gun to the defendant. But then you will hear that Miss Gutierrez was given the gun back and she took it and loaded it with dummy rounds. And what you will learn is that dummy rounds are inert rounds.

They look like real rounds, but they are very easy to tell that they are not because they'll rattle. Miss Gutierrez then went back to the church, showed the revolver to the first assistant director very fast. They only checked about three rounds very quick.

And they missed one round. You will learn that one of the rounds in that revolver was a real round. And the evidence will show that Miss Gutierrez then handed the gun to the defendant.

And what you will learn is that once again, the defendant failed to do a gun check or safety check with this armorer. So, he takes the firearm, puts it in his holster, then Miss Hutchins and Mr. Souza were doing this blocking. And the evidence will show, ladies and gentlemen, that the defendant again did his own thing.

You will hear from an individual by the name of Kent Jorgensen. Mr. Jorgensen will tell you that he's been involved in drafting and revising movie set safety rules. You will learn that these movie sets safety rules require actors like the defendant to treat every firearm as though it's loaded, to never point of firearm at another person, and to never put your finger on the trigger unless you're prepared to shoot or to destroy whatever it's in front of you.

The evidence will show that on October 21, 2021, after that lunch break, the defendant once again violated those set safety rules. And during this blocking, the director had instructed him to just slowly take out that gun and just hold it at an angle. But you will see that the defendant takes it out quickly the first time points it.

And you will hear witness testimony who will tell you the first time he does it, his finger is on or around the trigger. He does it again. Takes it out very fast, points it, and once again, you will hear testimony that his finger was on or around the trigger.

And the evidence will show that that third and fatal time he takes it out once again fast. Hammers cocked -- he cocks the hammer. Points it straight at Miss Hutchins and fires that gun.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: All right, you've been listening in to some moments there from the opening statements in the Alec Baldwin trial scene. And Entertainment Correspondent Elizabeth Wagmeister joins me now.

Elizabeth, it sounds like -- I can see it on screen right now, one of Baldwin's brothers is in the courtroom. Looks like other family members are there. What's your sense of things right now as this trial is getting going? ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. That is his brother Stephen Baldwin behind him and his wife Hilaria Baldwin. So, family support there in the courtroom.

As we just heard from the prosecution's opening statement, they are really going in hard with evidence of this gun. You may recall that earlier this week, Jim, in a pre-trial hearing that there was a big legal victory for Baldwin. And that the judge ruled that his role as a producer couldn't come up. Now, why that is significant is that the prosecution had intended to tell the jury that as a producer that Baldwin carried more weight and had more responsibility for safety on set than if he were just an actor.

[11:40:08]

So, now we are seeing them pivot to really going in on the guns since they can't talk about Alec Baldwin's role as the boss, so to speak as a producer. We heard that the prosecutor said that it's not possible that this gun didn't go off if the trigger wasn't pulled. And we know from an interview at CNN and also a big interview at ABC that was widely seen that Alec Baldwin had said, I did not pull the trigger. That is what he has repeatedly stated. So, that'll be interesting.

We also heard them bring up the armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, who was sentenced and convicted on the same charge that Baldwin is facing. They said that it was very clear that she was inexperienced, and that Baldwin should have known that. But they claim that he acted with complete disregard for Halyna Hutchins' safety.

ACOSTA: And do you think Alec Baldwin might testify?

WAGMEISTER: We don't know yet. I have inquired. And I hear that that decision has not been made yet.

Obviously, that would be very interesting to see what Alec Baldwin would say on the stand. I think that we all know from his decades in the limelight that he is someone who speaks his mind. He doesn't hold much back.

You know, there could be a lot of risk involved with that as well. This is a jury who I would imagine every single person on there knows a lot about Alec Baldwin. So, it may be better not to let him speak.

But perhaps you know, he wants to speak his mind. So, all eyes will certainly be on that. This is expected to run for about eight days.

So, the trial should be wrapping up at the end of next week. So, we'll see pretty soon if Baldwin will take the stand.

ACOSTA: And how do you see the defense playing out?

WAGMEISTER: You know, the defense has said that this was not Baldwin's fault that he places blame on the armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed. Of course, she was convicted and sentenced. So, will that help his case? We don't know. That'll be up to the jury to decide. But they are placing the blame on her. They are saying that this is an accident. But of course, as the prosecution has said, just because it's an accident, that doesn't mean that he does not hold criminal liability.

ACOSTA: All right, we'll be watching. Elizabeth Wagmeister, thanks very much. Really appreciate it. We'll be right back.

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[11:46:44]

ACOSTA: Back to our breaking news this hour. The actor George Clooney is now calling for President Biden to step aside in an op-ed in the New York Times. The actor and Democratic activist writes, it's devastating to say it but the Joe Biden I was with three weeks ago at the fundraiser was not the Joe big effing deal Biden of 2010. He wasn't even the Joe Biden of 2020. He was the same man we all witnessed at the debate.

He has also called on key Democrats naming the Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, the House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and the former Speaker Nancy Pelosi to ask Biden to voluntarily step aside. Clooney appeared alongside Biden, former President Barack Obama, and actress Julia Roberts at a star-studded fundraiser last month in Los Angeles. As that story develops, we'll bring that to you.

In the meantime, for the first time since the Boeing Starliner was launched into space, we're hearing from the crew about their extended stay up there. Veteran astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are still waiting to come home. They were supposed to be in space for a few days, it's now been more than a month. The trip has been delayed several times due to helium leaks and thruster outages. But the crew says they're confident the spacecraft will get them home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SUNI WILLIAMS, ASTRONAUT, BOEING STARLINER CREW MEMBER: We've practiced a lot so I have a feeling -- I have a real good feeling in my heart that this spacecraft will bring -- will bring us home no problem. But like Butch said, we're learning now to make to optimize our specific situation and make sure that we know everything about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Next hour, leaders from NASA and Boeing will give an update on this long-overdue mission. We're joined now by retired NASA astronaut Leroy Chiao. Great to see you as always, Commander.

I want to ask you. What do you think they're going through right now? And what are your expectations in terms of what we're going to see ahead?

LEROY CHIAO, RETIRED NASA ASTRONAUT: Sure. You know, Butch and Suni are consummate professional astronauts. They're doing what they're being asked to do, which is to participate in day-to-day operations for the ISS, while NASA and Boeing continue to look at the data coming from the spacecraft doing as much as they can. Being ultra- conservative, which is fine.

But the problem is, the reason they're not bringing them home sooner is because the part that has all the problems, the service module, the thrusters, and the helium leaks. That part detaches when they come home and burns up in the atmosphere. So, they're not going to get it back. So, this is their chance to gather as much data as possible.

Now, they've also emphasized there's no danger in the event. And it's necessary, Butch and Suni can get in the vehicle and come back. It's cleared to come back.

The helium leaks are very minor. NASA has stated repeatedly they can tolerate over one hundred times the leak rate that they're seeing. The thrusters four out of the five have been re-enabled. They should be fine for entry. And even if they're permanently disabled, the other ones can pick up the slack.

So, just being extra conservative. And Butch and Suni, I'm sure they're -- you know, astronauts like being in space, so they don't mind spending a little extra time up there. But they're -- they'll be ready to come home when things are cleared up.

ACOSTA: Yes. And NASA officials and astronauts are -- they're doing their thing. They're trying to stay positive. We get that in the press. But the -- they're saying that these astronauts are not "stuck."

[11:50:02]

Is that a little PR going on there? What would you call it? I mean it sounds like a screw-up. I mean that if I could use a layman's term. But what do you think?

CHIAO: Sure. Well, this spacecraft has had its share of problems, to be sure. Certainly, a lot of issues during development, during previous flight tests. Even during this mission, obviously, things are not going the way that Boeing would have liked.

Ironically, Boeing was chosen as the "backup." NASA is saying, well back you know, years ago, we kind of like what SpaceX is doing, but we're not sure they can do it. Well, let's give Boeing the same contract, but with twice as much money. And we know they can do it.

Well, SpaceX has been delivering astronauts to and from ISS for almost three years now. And now, you know, Boeing is about somewhere between one and one and a half billion dollars in the red out of their own pocket on this fixed price contract. So, they're not enjoying this, either.

But, yes, a lot of issues with the spacecraft. But I wouldn't say that Butch and Suni are stuck. I mean, they -- if there's an emergency on board and they need to come down, they can get that vehicle come down, you know. But you know, there's no -- there's no rush to get them down, I guess, is the issue. And so, if they're stuck, you know, per se, then that's because NASA is just being a little extra conservative.

ACOSTA: And the ISS is equipped to the extent that even though they're staying longer than expected, there are enough supplies, enough to take care of them, they're fine. I mean, that part of it we can be sure about.

CHIAO: They should be fine, you know --

ACOSTA: Yes.

CHIAO: During my own expedition way back when we experienced the food shortage, through no fault of our own, but that kind of, you know, highlights what you're bringing up. Are there enough supplies up there for them?

ACOSTA: Yes.

CHIAO: Certainly, it was not planned for them to be up there this extra time. So, they are going to be digging into the supplies. But as far as I know that they've got plenty of food and water and oxygen on board, so it should be no problem.

But that might be one of the factors that start weighing as to, you know when they bring the Starliner back down. Hey, you know, we kind of need to -- you know, get these guys off the -- off the vehicle. But it shouldn't be a problem because we have regular resupply vessels that bring up cargo and supplies up to the station. So, I think they're probably in good shape.

ACOSTA: And NASA and Boeing are going to give an update. What are you hoping to hear?

CHIAO: I think they're going to give an update on some of the testing that they're doing and maybe set a date for return. I would like to see NASA do that. I think kind of you know, leaving it hanging out there, kind of generates more questions than answers.

And so, you know, if there's problems -- and I believe the problems are minor, then let's go ahead and set a date and kind of, you know, figure it out. The traffic model is what it is. It should be easy to define. And so, I'm hopeful that's what they'll announce.

ACOSTA: All right. Commander Leroy Chiao, thanks so much for joining us. Always appreciate it.

And right now, the opening statements as we said, they are continuing in the Alec Baldwin manslaughter trial. His defense attorney is now speaking. Apparently, they were playing some 911 recordings a few moments ago. Let's listen back in.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEX SPIRO, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Next. MAMIE MITCHELL, SCRIPT SUPERVISOR: (INAUDIBLE) His responsible for -- (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How many?

MITCHELL: No, no, no. I'm a script supervisor.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How many people are injured?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Two. I would -- that I know of. I was sitting -- we were rehearsing and then went off. And I ran out.

SPIRO: Accidentally shot on a movie set with a prop gun. The fucking AD, it was his responsibility. Not a word about Alec Baldwin.

While they're en route, police EMS, the cast and the crew are outside trying to figure out what happened. Frantic. Talking to those responsible for the profit and safety. The armorer is yelling sorry. Halls, the first assistant director is panicked. The prop master Sarah Zachary, I don't know exactly where she is at that point.

But they checked the gun previously. They take the ammo out of the gun. They look at it what the heck happened.

They go back to the prop cart that houses the ammo. They're touching the gun and manipulating the gun. Emptying it. They go and move some stuff off the prop cart trying to figure it out.

Sarah Zachary the head of props will tell you she threw some stuff out. And eventually, of course, EMS and police arrived pretty soon thereafter. And Halyna Hutchins and Joel Souza, the director are transported to the hospital where Halyna tragically passes away.

And I'm not going to be asking questions about her condition after she was wounded or the medical interventions that followed. Her injuries, the efforts to revive her are not in dispute in this case. The evidence will be there.

The prosecutor may present some of these emotionally charged images. But we're not going to be asking questions about that. And it's not an issue in dispute in this case. And you jurors are allowed to ask yourselves whether or not that should be the focus, or the focus should be the evidence.

[11:55:04]

So, police enter the scene. They have lapel cameras. Thank God they have lapel cameras.

Do you want to see what happens? The evidence will show you. You can play the videotape.

Want to see if they take the right gun? Play the videotape. Want to make sure what the people said or did they remembering correctly? Play the videotape. And so, they immediately recover the prop gun, and they secure it. That's off to the side. And the reason that you preserve things in the moment is so that you know what existed in the moment. The evidence in the moment. The people that had witnessed --

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: All right. You've been listening to some of the opening statements in the Alec Baldwin trial down in New Mexico. We're going to continue to monitor that.

But in the meantime, thank you very much for joining me in the CNN NEWSROOM. A busy morning for us. I'm Jim Acosta.

Stay with CNN. "INSIDE POLITICS" with Dana Bash starts next.

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