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Officials Within Justice Department And FBI Reportedly Clash Over Handling Of Jeffrey Epstein File; President Trump Criticizes Reporter For Asking Question Related To Families Of Deceased Flood Victims In Texas Who Say Flood Warnings Came Too Late; Jury Selection Underway In Trial Of Dentist Accused Of Poisoning His Wife; Florida Lawmakers And Members Of Congress Tour Immigration Detention Center In Florida Amid Humanitarian Concerns Over Site; Some Compare Florida Immigration Detention Center To Japanese Internment Camps During World War II; Iga Swiatek Defeats Amanda Anisimova In Wimbledon Final without Losing Single Game. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired July 12, 2025 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: Just as said, it really did change the way stars, I guess, carry out or handle their concerts.
DAVID HEPWORTH, MUSIC JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR, "HOPE I GET OLD BEFORE I DIE": Oh, absolutely, definitely. And, you know, I think certainly in the U.K., you know, where we've got very few TV channels. And so it was a big thing, and the weather was good. So everybody watched it, and everybody watched Queen doing the greatest hits and so forth. And they all thought, you know, I fancy some of that. And so in future, next time there is a major tour like this, I'll go and see it.
You know, I always had the feeling before Live Aid, the people who went to live shows were long haired people who were into that kind of thing. Post Live Aid the people who go to big shows are your neighbors. You know, they're absolutely everybody you know. And so Live Aid was definitely hugely important in selling that idea of the great communal sharing experience of live rock and roll in the open air. And, you know, it's enormously successful and popular to this day.
WHITFIELD: So wonderful. And isn't it a great thing that there were no cellphones? Because otherwise those iconic pictures, you'd see these like, you know, phones blocking their faces. This way you get to see people and see their enjoyment of the shows. And we're going to all relive it again with this special.
David, thank you so much. So great to walk down memory lane with you. Of course, you really were, you know, walking down memory lane. I was just a listener, but thank you.
Be sure to tune in, "Live Aid, When Rock N Roll Took On the World" premieres tomorrow, 9:00 p.m., only on CNN.
Hello again, everyone. Thank you so much for joining me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. And we begin this hour with a major blame game happening within the Department of Justice over the Jeffrey Epstein investigation. Multiple sources tell CNN the FBI's deputy director, Dan Bongino, is considering resigning following a tense confrontation with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi over the handling of the Epstein case. CNN's Evan Perez is here with the latest.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino didn't show up to work on Friday, and he's told people he is considering resigning, an indication of the internal discord that has been brewing among top officials at the Justice Department and the FBI over the handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.
Bongino and Attorney General Pam Bondi got into a heated confrontation in recent days over news media leaks that showed FBI officials disagreed with Bondi's handling of the issue. Bongino denied that he was behind the leaks. On Monday, the Justice Department released an unsigned memo that confirmed that Epstein was not murdered in prison in 2019 where he was awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges. The memo also said that there was no so-called client list, and that the department would not release more documents.
The reaction from Trump supporters has been angry, even though Trump himself has said he thinks the matter is closed. Prominent pro-Trump media figures, including Laura Loomer, have called for Bondi to be fired. And on Friday, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche pushed back on Loomer, saying that the FBI and Justice officials worked together on that Monday memo and that there's no daylight among the officials on this issue.
Blanche is right that Bongino and FBI Director Kash Patel all agreed on Monday's memo. But behind the scenes, we are told by sources that FBI and Justice officials have been at odds for months about the handling of the Epstein files review.
Now, the White House is standing by Bondi, and officials are hoping that Bongino cools off over the weekend and comes back to work on Monday.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
WHITFIELD: Evan Perez, thank you so much, Evan Perez.
All right, I'm joined now by CNN legal analyst Michael Moore. He is a former U.S. attorney. Great to see you. Glad you could be here. All right, so my colleague Erin Burnett spoke with former Trump White House lawyer Ty Cobb about what Bongino's path looks like going forward. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TY COBB, FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE LAWYER: Bongino either has to come back from the weekend, you know, and say, you know, he's sorry, he had a bad day, and, you know, looks forward to working with, you know, his esteemed colleagues and moving forward. Or he's gone, because Bondi is not going and Patel is not going.
(END VIDEO CLIP) WHITFIELD: So President Trump is getting a whole lot of rare backlash, in fact, from his base, and it's aimed squarely at Pam Bondi. Do you see that potentially she were to step down, or that he were to fire her?
MICHAEL MOORE, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY, MIDDLE DISTRICT OF GEORGIA: I think that's really unlikely. And I'm glad to be with you.
[14:05:01]
I think it's completely unlikely that she does anything. I think there are too many sacrificial lambs around her, and she's sort of a favorite right now. And she puts on the praise at the cabinet meeting and everything else. And I think that probably secures her position, at least in the meantime.
Bongino has made no secret he's not happy in the job. And so this sort of loss of credibility and loss of face with his former listeners, I think, may be enough to push him over the edge.
WHITFIELD: And Evan Perez's sources saying that he didn't expect that this job would be this complicated. I mean, this is, you know, deputy director for the FBI, that's a tough and heavy load.
MOORE: These folks have not been like at the trough of public service for years. These are really just Trump loyalists that and party people that Trump has sort of slid into position. So, you know, it's folks who clearly, we've seen it in other positions here. They're just not up to the task. We see it in some of the other positions that Trump has filled. And so this may be one of those that sort of caught this guy off guard, and he's gone from sort of a mouth on a podcast now to having to actually do something about the problems that the country faces and the issues in the FBI. And he just, he may say it's just not for me.
WHITFIELD: Outside looking in, there are a lot of people who are commenting, including former FBI deputy director Andy McCabe. He talked to CNN about this. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDREW MCCABE, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: If you're an agent in the FBI right now or a leader in the FBI, or anyone in the FBI, you're watching this circus take place at the absolute highest levels of the organization, and you're asking yourself, like, these are our leaders? Like, we are supposed to protect America and uphold the Constitution, and the deputy director himself might resign over some manufactured conflict about people who are angry about a conspiracy theory that didn't work out the way they liked? I mean, this thing is, it's absurd.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: So he's now looking outside, but he's been on the inside, so he really understands and knows the dynamics here. So how problematic might it be that this feud, you know, presents something really terrible between the FBI as well as the attorney general's office? Whose credibility is taking the biggest hit here?
MOORE: I mean, these really are just two folks wrestling in a mud puddle of their own making right now. They've created this problem, and they've got to deal with it. I mean, so, I mean, typically you count on the FBI to really be in lockstep with the attorney general and the Department of Justice as they're under the Department of Justice. You're just not seeing that now.
The problem is, what they've done is so outside the norm for the for DOJ and for the FBI to make these kinds of statements, to start talking about. You remember when they came out of the meeting and they're waving around a notebook that talks about the Epstein files as if somehow this is a big you know, they've got it here. And Pam Bondi says it's on my desk. And now none of that's backed up. And so you've got people like Bongino saying, and I'm no, not a champion for him.
I'm simply saying he's looking at it thinking, well, you know, I had a job before. I was probably making decent money. I may not have those same listeners come back to me now because it's clear that somebody is not telling the truth somewhere, and I'm going to be the one who they're saying is not telling the truth. And so it's a problem. But it's -- but Andy's right. I mean, it's a problem for the morale inside the organization when you've got --
WHITFIELD: Especially for those career public servants.
MOORE: Sure, sure. I mean, look at what -- look at who ha been appointed to lead them. I mean, you know, that was sort of a circus through the confirmation process anyway. So they sort of have dealt with that. And now it's all coming back to roost. And we're seeing that these bad choices for leadership are playing out in how the FBI and the DOJ function on a day-to day basis together.
WHITFIELD: All right, Michael Moore, we're going to have you back, talk about something else. But maybe, too, lesson learned here is sometimes everything doesn't need to be public, especially preemptive to, you know, when all the stuff is there.
MOORE: Well, don't campaign on conspiracies. That's really the --
WHITFIELD: There you go. That too.
All right, we'll be right back.
All right, now to this new threat facing central Texas this weekend. Heavy rain could bring flash flooding to some areas. Just one week after those deadly floods, and as the search continues for the 150 people still missing, officials are facing questions about the emergency response, including President Trump. After he toured the destruction on Friday, a reporter asked him to respond to the criticism.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Several families we've heard from are obviously upset because they say that those warnings, those alerts didn't go out in time. And they also say that people could have been saved. What do you say to those families?
DONALD TRUMP, (R) U.S. PRESIDENT: Well, I think everyone did an incredible job under the circumstances. This was, I guess, Christie said, a one in 500, one in 1,000 years. And I just have admiration for the job that everybody did. There was just admiration.
[14:10:00]
Only bad person would ask a question like that, to be honest with you. I don't know who you are, but only a very evil person would ask a question like that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: "Bloomberg" White House correspondent Stephanie Lai is joining us right now. Stephanie, I mean, the president there, you know, trying to quash criticism of the flood response. We heard that same kind of tenor and tone coming from the Texas governor when he was also making parallels to, you know, a football game or the winning or losing end of the stick. So how was this received?
STEPHANIE LAI, WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT, "BLOOMBERG NEWS": Yes, I mean, that's a great question. I mean, I think since the incident happened, the administration has been doubling down that nothing out of the ordinary occurred, that the National Weather Service had responded in an adequate time.
And in a lot of ways, they've been pushing this narrative to counter some of the criticisms that they've been receiving from families on the ground, from Democrats who are saying that, you know, the way that the administration has cut the government so significantly has played a major impact in how state and local officials can react to natural disasters and incidents like this.
I think what's notable is that despite, you know, the administration having issued their guidance earlier this summer that eventually ended up cutting some of FEMA's officials, the Trump administration and Trump himself continue to say that, you know, regardless of what's happening, most of the response on the ground should be centered on the state and local officials, and that the federal government is really just there to assist.
Now, I think the trip itself was a way for Trump to show face and to provide a sense that the federal government is in place to provide help. But I think to your point and to the reporter's question, there is a lot of uncertainty as to how much the federal government is able to provide in moments like this just given what they've already put forth in their policy.
WHITFIELD: "The New York Times" is reporting that thousands of calls from Texas flood victims went unanswered by FEMA call centers after Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem failed to renew contracts that expired as the flooding hit Texas. That's more bad news for the White House concerning its penchant for funding cuts. Do you see Trump backing off? LAI: It's a little too soon to say, but I think this is definitely a
wakeup call for the administration. Now this is the second disaster that they've dealt with since he took office in this term. You know, earlier this year, he visited Asheville, which had happened during the transition, and then later the California wildfires. And so as these things continue to progress, we'll likely see how the administration reacts.
But it seems like, based off of Trump's comments yesterday and how he's been reacting in the days since that, that they're still doubling down on their sentiment, that national disasters should be handled by state and local officials, and that the federal government can provide aid when necessary. But it's not the role of FEMA, he doesn't really see a huge role for FEMA, in these circumstances.
WHITFIELD: OK. And then let's shift gears and talk about tariffs now, because Trump started sending out letters notifying countries of tariffs that he plans to impose. Today, he announced plans to impose 30 percent tariffs on Mexico and the European Union. So what's with this strategy now? And on the weekend, obviously, to not rattle the markets, but what's he doing?
LAI: Right. Well, it's very clear that the president's patience on these trade deals have thinned. What we had last heard from Secretary Bessent was that they hoped to wrap up all these trade conversations by Labor Day. Now this is a later deadline than when Peter Navarro had originally said 90 deals in 90 days.
It's quite clear that the administration is recognizing that these trade negotiations take more time than what was perhaps expected, and the president himself had said that he would rather just set rates and not deal with this back and forth, and then, you know, give these trading partners a little bit more time to negotiate with the U.S. should they decide to.
But in a lot of ways, this is just him and his administration trying to follow through with the campaign promises that they made in a very quick way. You know, with the passing of the one Big Beautiful Bill, most of his campaign promises have been codified into law. And so I think the fact that he is sort of rushing through with these letters isn't necessarily surprising in any way.
WHITFIELD: All right, Stephanie Lai, thank you so much.
All right, and now, one week after the deadly flooding in Texas, we're hearing from survivors who are trying to cope with the horrifying memories of that day. CNN's Gustavo Valdez takes us to a local Kerrville bar where people discussed what they witnessed as flood waters raged along the Guadalupe River.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GUSTAVO VALDES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Howdy's bar in chill in Kerrville, Texas. It's a place to dine and unwind after a long day.
BOB CANALES, HOWDY'S OWNER: It's sort of one of the last Texas honky- tonks in this part of the country.
[14:15:00]
VALDES: Bob Canales is the owner who says he reopened the bar to offer a gathering spot to residents after the tragic floods.
CANALES: It's real important to us to have our friends showing up and enjoying some normal times. A lot of the older folks, they don't use Facebook. This is their social media.
VALDES: Here hugs replace smiley faces. The bar sits in front of the Guadalupe River where canales and his wife also run an RV park that was devastated by the rushing water. Many campers could not escape the fury of the current. Canales says he almost died trying to rescue a father carrying two children to safety.
CANALES: So I stepped off the sidewalk and was swept away about 30 yards down the other end of the park where we have a retaining wall. And fortunately, at the water level, I was able to get back up on that wall.
VALDES: In time to see the man and his children disappear under the rumbling water. From his regular spot he tries to make sense of the events of that night.
CANALES: The constant sounds of the people screaming for help and knowing you really couldn't help them, but you still had to try. So that that sort of has worked on me the last few days.
VALDES: The tragedy also hit closer to home. One of his part time employees died when he cut an artery on a broken window as he was getting his family out of their house.
LARRY STEWART, KERRVILLE RESIDENT: We're in here today because we want to help them get back on their feet.
VALDES: Larry Stewart is one of the bar's regulars. He says supporting local businesses is his way to help the community.
STEWART: And at my age, 76, it's kind of tough for me to be a volunteer out there over this rough terrain.
I mean, it's looking like cleanup-wise it's looking better.
VALDES: Heather Harding has worked at Howdy's for only three months. She knows a good bartender, is also a good listener.
HEATHER HARDIN, HOWDY'S WAITRESS: I'm trying to keep the vibe going in here and keep their spirits up. And for me, after shift, yes, it's gotten to me a little bit. But then I just think of all the people who are helping.
VALDES: Like Scott Sneider who came from Austin.
SCOTT SNEIDER, RECOVERY WORKER: And it's really how I was raised, is just lending a helping hand to your fellow person as much as you can. And if you're of willing mind and able body, why not.
VALDES: The cracking sound of the pool balls, country music in the jukebox, and the laughter of friends old and new help drown the sorrows the locals know well stay with them for a while.
STEWART: We're going to have some heartache and tears along the way, but we'll get through it.
CANALES: Like they always say, courage is being scared to death, but you saddle up anyway. And that's a famous John Wayne phrase. And that's sort of a mantra that we use around here. So I think we'll be here Fourth of July next year, and then many after.
VALDES: Gustavo Valdes, CNN, Kerrville, Texas.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
WHITFIELD: And Florida lawmakers head deep into the Everglades today for a firsthand look at the state's new controversial ICE detention center.
And allegations of protein shakes poisoned with cyanide and a plot from behind jail bars. Did a Colorado dentist murder his wife and try to silence investigators?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:22:59]
WHITFIELD: All right, more than two years after a Colorado man was accused of fatally poisoning his wife, jury selection is now underway in the James Craig murder trial. Craig, a former dentist, has pleaded not guilty to first degree murder. He faces life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted. CNN's Jean Casarez has more my name is doctor.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
JAMES CRAIG: My name is Dr. Jim Craig, and I practice at Summerbrook Dental Group.
JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Craig and his wife, Angela, had all the appearances of a storybook life. The couple lived outside of Denver where they were busy raising their six children. Craig ran a seemingly successful dental practice. But prosecutors will soon paint a very different picture of what was going on behind the scenes.
On March 6th, 2023, Craig made Angela's daily protein shake. But after drinking it, she didn't feel well. She texted her husband, "Have you eaten anything?" "I had my protein shake and magnesium makes me weird. This is not hungry." "Are you nauseous?" "No, I feel drugged."
Over the next 10 days, she went to the hospital three times, but they couldn't figure out what was wrong. On March 10th, she texted her husband, "Everything was negative or normal. They just did an ultrasound of my heart." Investigators believe she continued to drink protein shakes at home.
As his wife was fighting for her life, investigators say Craig had a girlfriend come visit. She spoke out to ABC News after his arrest.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think that James Craig allegedly poisoned his wife to clear the deck so he could be with you?
KARIN CAIN, DATED MURDER SUSPECT: There's no way I'm motive. There's been no planning a future.
CASAREZ (voice-over): News of her poisoning and the arrest of Craig rocked this small community.
MICHAEL LUCERO, FRIENDS OF ANGELA AND JAMES CRAIG: It just makes me sick.
KAREN LUCERO, FRIENDS OF ANGELA AND JAMES CRAIG: It didn't seem real.
M. LUCERO: Yes.
K. LUCERO: It didn't seem like something that he could ever do to her.
CASAREZ (voice-over): But prosecutors will point to computer searches allegedly made by Craig weeks before the murder on February 27, 2023, the day he ordered arsenic metal, and days later, potassium cyanide. "How many grams of pure arsenic will kill a human?" "Top five undetectable poisons that show no signs of foul play."
Craig has pleaded not guilty to first degree murder as well as other charges. His defense? He claims his wife was depressed and had been suicidal for some time. Court documents say James believed that Angela was intentionally overdosing on opioids and another unknown substance, and he was sure Angela's toxicology would come back positive. Her autopsy report showed she had lethal concentrations of cyanide and arsenic poisoning in her system.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
WHITFIELD: All right, Jean Casarez, thank you so much.
Let's talk more about this, boy, and what the jurors are now considering. Back with us, CNN legal analyst Michael Moore. OK, that is some pretty incriminating evidence. So given that, how is his defense team preparing for, you know, combating that?
MICHAEL MOORE, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY, MIDDLE DISTRICT OF GEORGIA: Probably not very well. I mean, I remember right now everything is an allegation. He's got a right to a trial, so he'll do that. But this is a case where the prosecution has not only direct evidence, but they've got circumstantial evidence. And so when you have those things and you can pair them together, that's a gift to a prosecution. I mean, they've got him ordering the poison, having it delivered to his dental office, searching on how to kill somebody with this poison.
WHITFIELD: And these are not supplies that he would need for his dental practice. MOORE: No, no, this is ridiculous. This has nothing to do with it,
right. And you've got you've got the other relationship going on. You know, she's talking about it. You've got him saying in a message, I didn't poison you. Don't worry, I didn't poison you. I mean, this is nuts.
And then he takes it and he goes a step further and he tries to cover up stuff while he's in jail. He's asking people to make statements to get to certain folks to try to influence testimony and witnesses. This is a guy who, if the act itself doesn't convince the jury, certainly the coverup would, because the question is if you didn't do anything wrong, what are you trying to hide?
WHITFIELD: Right.
MOORE: And so this is this -- he's not long.
WHITFIELD: So is this has also been a highly publicized case, particularly for that area. And jurors will have read, have become privy of some of these details. This is usually the kind of thing where defense attorneys are going to ask for a change of venue.
MOORE: Right.
WHITFIELD: Are they past that point on this.
MOORE: They may be past the point, or the judge may have said no. But I mean, I expect you'll see probably a lengthy jury selection process. And I'm sure given the amount of money and he's been changing out defense lawyers, they certainly are going to have a jury consultant helping --
WHITFIELD: Will it be hard to seat an impartial jury in this case?
MOORE: It may be more difficult just because of the notoriety. But, you know, you'll find that a lot of jurors say, despite notoriety -- and you see it in celebrity cases, right? I mean, despite something, somebody being famous or a case being out there a lot, they'll still say, look, I can set that aside and listen to the evidence. And they're pretty limited questions. The judge will say, look, if you think you can hear the evidence and you're telling me you're not going to be biased and that's enough to at least get them to the next step.
WHITFIELD: In a case like this, you know, prosecutors might be looking for or at least the defense attorneys might be looking for ways in which perhaps the evidence wasn't handled properly, perhaps prosecutors may have bungled something in their retrieval of evidence. Is that a potential opening for the defense attorneys?
MOORE: I mean, it's something that they'll do, and I think they'll probably leave no stone unturned as they're going. The problem is, is that their client can't keep his mouth shut. And even while he's in jail, he's carrying on trying to cover up things. And his own dental partner apparently called the police, or had somebody, or noted, in fact, look, we've got this stuff coming to the dental office. We don't have a use for it. And while his wife is in the hospital. So
this -- there's just too much there. I mean, I really think, you know, maybe he can get a job filling teeth and filling cavities in the state prison system. But I think his days of being a dentist are over. He's just going to be filling a cell for a while.
WHITFIELD: It's a tough case. All right, thanks so much, Michael Moore. Great to see you. Thank you. Double duty today.
MOORE: It was great, yes. Thanks for having me.
WHITFIELD: All right, very good, thank you.
We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:33:30]
WHITFIELD: Today, Florida lawmakers and some members of Congress toured a controversial new immigration detention center in Florida amid humanitarian concerns over the site. The Trump administration has dubbed the facility Alligator Alcatraz since it's located deep in the marshy wetlands of the Everglades, surrounded by dangerous wildlife.
CNN's Rafael Romo is joining us right now. What more can you tell us about the tour? Did it happen? Are they getting access? And then what are they seeing?
RAFAEL ROMO, CNN SENIOR LATIN AMERICAN AFFAIRS EDITOR: Well, they got in, that much we know. And they're slowly coming out and making their statements. But this is something that happened because after being denied access to the immigrant detention facility, several Florida state lawmakers sued Governor Ron DeSantis and his director of the Florida Department of Emergency Management, Kevin Guthrie, who runs the site.
In the lawsuit, the legislators say they have the legal right to have unannounced access to all the facilities recently built at the Dade- Collier training and transition airport, dubbed the Alligator Alcatraz detention center, adding that both DeSantis and Guthrie, quote, have exercised the governor's emergency powers beyond their authority.
The Florida Division of Emergency Management agreed to host a tour of the facility today between 11:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. eastern time, but only for Florida's state legislators and members of Congress. Lawmakers like Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Democrat, say they have heard from relatives of those detained, as well as immigrant rights groups, that the detainees are enduring things like bugs in their food, an infestation of mosquitoes, sleeping with the lights on, and not getting access to an attorney.
[14:35:10]
This is what Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz had to say before trying to get access to the site earlier today. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ, (D-FL): The conditions that we saw inside this internment camp, which it is nothing less than that description, were really appalling. These detainees are living in cages.
I, the pictures that you've seen don't do it justice. They are essentially packed into cages, wall to wall Humans, 32 detainees per cage.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMO: Again, this happening just a few moments ago after all these lawmakers came out.
Then earlier this week, Fred, I spoke with the Guatemalan woman whose husband is detained at Alligator Alcatraz. Among other things, she told me her husband is enduring mosquitoes, unbearable heat and humidity, insufficient washing facilities, hard beds, and bad food. She also told me her husband was only able to take one shower in a six-day period, and that he has not had access to an attorney so far. On Thursday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said people need to remember, he said, that Alligator Alcatraz is not a hotel. Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. RON DESANTIS, (R-FL): It is a center to process illegal aliens and then to provide a pad to deport them from the runway that's right there. We did not create the Four Seasons. That's not the intent of this. All the standards are a lot higher than what was even required.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ROMO: And Fred, in addition to the current heat and humidity inside the tents and the abundance of mosquitoes, immigrant rights groups also worry about the opening of a migrant detention center in the middle of a hurricane season. We were talking about it a couple of hours ago. One of the lawmakers said that's precisely the question he has, whats' going to happen if there's a hurricane, if there's a powerful storm.
WHITFIELD: Right, because it's very early on. And usually that route is usually two-lane in most places, you know, in order to get to that location around the Everglades. And so it would be a difficult way to get out quickly.
ROMO: Especially for 3,000 people, yes.
WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much, Rafael, appreciate it.
All right, the opening of this controversial detention center in the Florida Everglades is bringing up painful reminders of detention camps from the past for some Americans, specifically Japanese American internment camps, which the U.S. government set up during World War II when the government forcibly relocated and incarcerated more than 100,000 people of Japanese descent.
I'm joined now by Jon Osaki. He is the executive director of the Japanese community youth center in San Francisco. John, good to see you.
JON OSAKI, FILMMAKER: Thanks for having me.
WHITFIELD: So you're not alone in seeing these deep parallels between the so-called Alligator Alcatraz and the targeting of Japanese Americans during World War II who were rounded up, incarcerated. You heard Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz just a moment ago, who is touring the facility there in the Everglades. So talk to me about the parallels you're seeing and how this is really, you know, turning up some very disturbing emotions.
OSAKI: Well, in 1942 Japanese Americans were criminalized based solely on their race. And it is extremely disturbing for many in our community to see immigrants being criminalized. It has nothing to do with whether or not they have actually committed a crime.
And there are many painful memories that are coming up for many in our community -- the lack of due process, the fact that folks are being rounded up indiscriminately. And, you know, our community has worked for decades to try to ensure that this shameful chapter in American history did not repeat itself. And so it is horrifying for many of us to see that that is exactly what is happening.
WHITFIELD: And then tell me, too, how in many Japanese American households, I mean, these scars are deep. I mean, the trauma is still felt from World War II. And to only hear about what is happening now just seems to stir up some of those same feelings.
OSAKI: Well, my mother and father were both incarcerated during World War II, and they had never been to Japan. They had no connection to the Japanese imperial military. And they were -- their only crime was being Japanese at that time. And I think what is so disturbing to so many of us in our community is the fact that there are no charges being leveled other than people being immigrants in this case.
[14:40:08]
There is no due process for them. That's what happened to many of the individuals in our community who had no trials, they had no charges at the time. And in fact, you know, it came out later that the government actually lied about why it was necessary to incarcerate Japanese Americans in the first place. And the rationale put in place at that time to incarcerate our entire community were really based on false narratives. And ultimately it was about a political agenda. And I think that is very much what we are seeing playing out today.
WHITFIELD: And Jon, a moment ago, we just saw black and white picture of a young man. That, I'm told, was your dad. How old was your dad at that time?
OSAKI: He was 17 years old when he was forced into incarceration, became, obviously became an adult while he was incarcerated for four full years. And those scars ran very deep. I don't think anybody who went through that experience ever fully recovered about it. Many in his generation never spoke about it to their family members.
And, you know, that trauma, it's been well-documented, has multi- generational impacts, and certainly has driven a lot of the work that I've done to ensure that this country is educated about what took place, about the fact that this government has acknowledged that that shameful chapter in American history was based on racism and a failure of political leadership, and the fact that, frankly, in 1942, it was politically popular to round up Japanese Americans and incarcerate them.
And it is extremely distressing to see that that is exactly where our country is right now. It has nothing to do with these immigrants, and whether or not they have committed crimes. We see that with many who are trying to follow the lawful procedures of this country by seeking asylum. They are being ripped out of courtrooms. So it has nothing to do with whether or not immigrants are trying to lawfully be in this country. There is an all-out assault on immigrants. And, you know, frankly, it is a very dark time in this country once again.
WHITFIELD: Jon Osaki, thank you so much for being with us. Thank you for helping to put things in perspective as well as bring context to the parallels of what happened during World War II and now today. Appreciate you. We'll be right back.
OSAKI: Thank you.
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[10:47:38]
WHITFIELD: All right, Iga Swiatek defeated American player Amanda Anisimova in the Wimbledon Final. I mean, it was painful to watch. It was an unprecedented six-zero, six-zero victory. This marks the first time in the Open era that a women's player has won the final game without giving up a game, and the first time overall since 1911.
CNN's Don Riddell is joining me right now. I mean, I say painful, depending on who you're rooting for, but of course, victorious, depending on who you're rooting for. It was one heck of a match, 57 minutes. Ouch.
DON RIDDELL, CNN HOST, WORLD SPORT: I don't think it was one heck of a match. It was one heck of a performance from Iga Swiatek. She was absolutely brilliant.
WHITFIELD: She was.
RIDDELL: And she does have this ability to just completely. Destroy her opponents in big matches. They talk about Iga's bakery in tennis. If you beat somebody to love, that's a bagel. If you only give up one game or one, that's a baguette or a breadstick. And Swiatek has this habit of just doing this to her opponents. She was playing in her sixth major final. She's never lost one, so she's now a six time major champion at the age of 24. Anisimova, who has had an absolutely incredible season and a brilliant
run to the final, she just didn't get a word in edgeways. I think she was a little bit overawed by the occasion. It was her first time in any major final, as I say, and Swiatek just completely destroyed her. And as I say, this is the heaviest defeat in a Wimbledon final since 1911. That's before we'd even heard of the Titanic. And I think it was almost a little bit awkward for Swiatek because it was -- it wasn't an easy win, but it was such a big win.
WHITFIELD: Right, right.
RIDDELL: And it was kind of humbling and humiliating. Anyway, this is what --
WHITFIELD: Because there were a lot of unforced errors for Amanda. I mean, that's why you kind of sometimes want to listen to the, you know, oh, I think were going to hear her.
RIDDELL: Yes, yes.
WHITFIELD: Sorry about that. OK. Let's listen to her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IGA SWIATEK, SIX-TIME MAJOR CHAMPION: Honestly, I didn't even Dream because For me, it was just, like, way too far. I never really expected this one. So I want to thank my team because I feel like they believed in me more than I did. And I want to thank my coach who joined this year. And obviously with ups and downs right now, we showed everybody that it's working. So also to the team that has been with me for many years. I would be nowhere without you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[10:50:03]
RIDDELL: So that's four French open titles, a U.S. Open, and a Wimbledon now for Iga Swiatek. She's been world number one for 125 weeks. Not number one at the moment, but I mean she's now --
WHITFIELD: She dominates on the court.
RIDDELL: She now seems to have mastered what had been her weakest surface, grass. Full credit, though, to Anisimova, who's had a brilliant run. Remember she beat Aryna Sabalenka in the semifinal, the world number one.
WHITFIELD: She should be celebrated. It was an incredible --
RIDDELL: She should be very proud.
WHITFIELD: Absolutely. Don Riddell thank you so much.
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[14:55:11] WHITFIELD: Welcome back. The gravesite for former President Jimmy Carter and former first lady Rosalynn Carter, is now officially open to the public for the first time. Hundreds gathered in Plains, Georgia, at the Jimmy Carter Historic Park yesterday to pay their respects and honor the couples legacy of public service.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I met the carters in 2010 at the peanut festival here in Plains, and in 14 I started helping her with her book signing. And we became close. And that today is this honor just to show that I'm here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WHITFIELD: The memorial garden at the couple's final resting place was designed by the former first lady.
And did a cockpit mistake doom the Air India plane that crashed last month, killing 260 people? A new crash report says fuel to the engines was cut off. We'll take a closer look in just a moment.
And 40 years ago this summer, rock stars Bob Geldof, Bono, Sting, and more performed at a landmark music event to raise money for famine relief in Africa. See how the legendary concert came together and how the movement continued in the new CNN original series "Live Aid, When Rock N Roll Took On the World." Watch the premiere Sunday, 9:00 p.m. right here on CNN.
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