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Georgia Voters Speak Out On Next Week's Senate Run; USA Men's Star Pulisic On Track To Play Tomorrow In Knockout Round; 2 Police Officers Rescue Child And Woman From Icy Pond. Aired 7:30-8a ET
Aired December 02, 2022 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[07:30:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERT SCHOFER, ACCOUNTANT, SEN. WARNOCK SUPPORTER: Just well-spoken there. I'd like to just go a little bit further in there to integrity, honesty.
Speak when are for a subject. Let's go into the abortion. Talk the talk. Don't be anti-abortion and then have abortions that you paid for.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Yes. Well, that's interesting because let me -- I want to go to Lynn -- all right, Lynn? You are pro-life.
LYNN WHITTENBURG, RETIRED SCHOOL TEACHER, SEN. WARNOCK AND GOV. KEMP SUPPORTER: Yes.
LEMON: You voted for Brian --
WHITTENBURG: I am pro.
LEMON: Yes. You voted for Brian Kemp for governor -- Republican governor. You appeared in an ad for Sen. Warnock about your decision to split your ballot in November -- voting for Warnock, a Democrat --
WHITTENBURG: Yes.
LEMON: -- Kemp, a Republican.
Brian Kemp has campaigned for Herschel Walker. What do you think about that?
WHITTENBURG: Well, I pretty much voted Republican my whole life until the last six years. And I would say the biggest disqualifier for my voting for Herschel Walker that he was Trump-endorsed, and that had a big factor there.
I was able to meet Rev. Warnock and I am very impressed with him. I feel like he will do a lot for the poor and he will do a lot for the low-income families, which might even encourage more women to be able to keep their babies because they're getting more help from the government. And I've been disappointed that the Republicans, who are pro-life, don't want to -- don't want to help that.
So, I've kind of come to see my faith more in the light of not Republican or Democrat, but kind of looking at each issue, each election, and so forth, and weighing many factors.
LEMON: Yes. Well, it's interesting. You said because of -- because of Donald Trump -- of supporting Donald Trump. That is a big factor now. A lot of people are saying that it's time for the party to move on past Trump. Did that play into your decision?
WHITTENBURG: Yes. I felt like we've got to stomp that out -- I really did -- I feel like, especially after January 6. I had just had my knee replaced and I was sitting in front of the television all day and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. And most of my friends who still support Trump have been totally silent on that and haven't spoken out about that, and it really bothered me.
LEMON: Lisa, I want to follow up with you because one of the previous folks talked about abortion. I know that you are a conservative. You have met Herschel Walker at campaign events. Are you at all troubled by the allegations against Herschel Walker that he paid for an abortion?
LISA KINNEMORE, EDUCATOR, HERSCHEL WALKER SUPPORTER: As far as a woman's right to choose, I support the life of the child from conception until natural death. The choice was made when the child was conceived.
And as far as religion and Christianity, the Bible is clear about a child being formed in the wound, even from the beginning. And the life of the child is valuable.
If a woman's life is in danger, that may be something different --
LEMON: Yes.
KINNEMORE: -- or -- you know, inside of incest or rape. But that is allowed in the law.
LEMON: So the allegations against the women, you have no issue with it?
KINNEMORE: It's an allegation.
LEMON: OK.
KINNEMORE: It has not been proven. And the attorney who brought forth -- brought it forth, she did the same thing to Herman Cain and others --
LEMON: OK.
KINNEMORE: -- Kavanaugh. So she is not valid --
LEMON: OK.
KINNEMORE: -- as far as I'm concerned.
LEMON: All right. Marcelo, you look -- are you having an issue with that?
MARCELO SALVATIERRA, RETIRED SOFTWARE SALES EXECUTIVE, SEN. WARNOCK AND GOV. KEMP SUPPORTER: Well, yes. I guess if we go back to the very basic comparison between the two character -- between the two candidates, to me, the contrast is significant and easy to see.
One, Warnock -- Sen. Warnock seems to me to be a very good individual -- honest. Christian, as somebody mentioned earlier. And I have some serious concerns with Herschel Walker's character -- like, his honesty. His approach to family life.
So, clearly, from my perspective, I view Walker as a flawed candidate. And unfortunately, the Republican Party has done a disservice to the people of Georgia by putting forth that kind of a candidate.
I voted for Kemp. I was more than willing to listen and see if they had put forth a viable, credible candidate on the -- for senator -- but they did not.
So, ultimately, for me, the decision was easy. And clearly, it was based on character. Character matters, qualifications matter, and I don't see Walker as having any of those.
JENINE MILUM, SOFTWARE ENGINEER, HERSCHEL WALKER SUPPORTER: I want to say that I don't know about you, but I don't want to be judged on something I may or may not have done 20 years ago. And the issues against Warnock -- and there are a lot of them that you are simply not bringing up in this call -- are recent.
[07:35:07]
But the thing is I'm not voting -- I think they're disingenuous if they're talking about voting on character.
We've got a choice right now. We have got a split Senate. I'm going to vote on which candidate is going to bring balance to the Senate.
Because we know how Raphael Warnock is going to vote. He is going to vote with Biden almost all the time on very far-left-wing positions. Where the same thing will be true with Walker. He's going to vote with the GOP almost all the time as well.
The thing is that we need balance. I don't think we need any extremes from the left or from the right. I think it needs to bring balance. And the best way to bring balance to this is to choose how somebody is going to vote when they're in the Senate, not what they may or may not have done 20 years ago.
LEMON: Robert, you're raising your hand.
SCHOFER: Yes, I would like to opine on the far-left comment. Our president is not a far-left, he's a centrist, and he's not an extremist. Let's just go with a centrist. And to have somebody who doesn't even live in Georgia trying to run for a position in the state of Georgia, I find that appalling in itself. He's a resident of Texas. What's he running in Georgia for?
LEMON: Yes.
Scottie, you have been awfully quiet, so I want to hear what you have to say about this. What do you say? They say he's a resident and not of Georgia. You're a supporter. What do you think?
SCOTTIE DENNIS JR., LANDSCAPER, HERSCHEL WALKER SUPPORTER: Well, I am not 100 percent aware that Herschel Walker is still a Texas resident. I know that he lived there prior to living in Georgia. But I believe that Herschel Walker meets the qualifications to run here.
But I'm definitely voting for Walker because unlike Sen. Warnock, Walker has been very clear on his positions regarding the issues. If you watched the debate between Walker and Warnock, Warnock would not answer any questions directly. He just kind of danced around them like a typical politician. And for him to only be in the Senate for one year that's pretty remarkable that he's able to do that.
And I just don't think that we need to have six more years of Raphael Warnock in the U.S. Senate, especially as a pastor who openly supports things that are contradictory to the Bible that you're supposed to be preaching every Sunday.
LEMON: Charles, I want to hear more from you because you're an undecided voter. How are you going to pick in just these last few days here?
CHARLES SCOTT, BUSINESS OWNER, UNDECIDED IN Senate RUNOFF: I'm a business owner. I am kind of worried about my business and how it thrives. And then on the flip side, I'm also a minority. That actually, some of the -- some of the things that happens to minorities, I feel kind of strong that those things need to be taken care of, too. So it's kind of a catch-22.
So I just kind of want to do -- I feel like maybe I needed to do a little bit more research on Walker and Warnock to see what are they going to do for the people instead of just for their side.
LEMON: Are you leaning a certain way?
SCOTT: I'm not for sure.
LEMON: You're not for sure?
SCOTT: I'm not for sure.
LEMON: Not for sure. Are you just being coy with us because you don't want us to know? I mean, you've had a lot of time to make up your mind.
SCOTT: Yes, sort of -- sort of. I mean, like I said, originally, I did vote for -- I voted for Warnock. But like I said, Herschel Walker has some points that benefit me, too.
LEMON: OK.
SCOTT: So that's the catch-22.
LEMON: How many of you believe your candidate is going to win?
(All hands raised except Scott and Schofer)
That's -- you don't believe Warnock's going to win, Robert? Were you not raising your hand and I just didn't see it?
SCHOFER: I -- no, I am very pessimistic. I think it's -- we keep saying we're a blue state and the numbers are showing that we're not a blue state.
LEMON: OK.
Listen, this was all fascinating. I'm so glad -- I wish we had more time. I'm sorry we don't. But I appreciate you. I love everyone giving their perspectives.
And best of luck to all of you. I really, really do appreciate that you joined us. Thank you so much.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[07:40:03]
POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: I loved that.
LEMON: Yes. You did? Why?
HARLOW: I loved that. I told you -- I said sometimes it's hard on tape -- you know, like -- I wanted more from them.
LEMON: Yes.
HARLOW: I loved it because you know what? They -- one woman said to you -- well, you know, I think she's pro-life and she essentially said but I'm voting for Warnock because I believe that he supports giving sort of more resources to people that maybe they will choose to have the child. I think she saw some nuance to it and she reflected what we often ask lawmakers about. Really interesting.
LEMON: It's -- as you know, you covered these issues there.
HARLOW: She was just there.
LEMON: These issues are more nuanced than many times people --
HARLOW: Yes.
LEMON: -- especially people who are so entrenched in politics and many times as portrayed in the media. It's very nuanced and people are not always so far left and so far right. They have some issues -- they have some values and things that are important to them that are conservative, and some that are maybe more liberal.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.
LEMON: And it's not -- they're just not so polarized.
COLLINS: That's why it's always so great to hear from them directly.
HARLOW: Yes.
COLLINS: Because these things that we talk about and these big views when we talk to lawmakers, listen to them there -- they just -- voters can so simply just distill, like, their thinking on something.
LEMON: Yes.
COLLINS: And no I can't. This is how I feel.
LEMON: Yes. And just so you --
COLLINS: It's not complicated.
LEMON: And just so you know, by the way, we had to cut it down for time for television, right, so I'm -- you know, I'm just -- and I'm just really happy that they were able to share --
HARLOW: Yes.
COLLINS: Yes.
LEMON: -- their views because we wanted a lot -- to hear a lot more from them.
HARLOW: Yes.
COLLINS: Yes.
LEMON: And they spoke to us for quite some time.
COLLINS: Yes.
And obviously, don't forget to join us for the Georgia runoff between Raphael Warnock, the senator, and Herschel Walker, his Republican challenger. That's on Tuesday and our coverage will start on Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. eastern.
LEMON: That's going to be interesting.
COLLINS: Yes.
LEMON: I really actually -- I'm looking forward to this one. Usually, I'm like oh my gosh. This one, I'm looking forward to. It's going to be --
COLLINS: Yes, it will be fascinating.
LEMON: Yes. COLLINS: Also this morning, Harrison Ford heading back to the silver screen in his iconic role as Indiana Jones. But we're going to tell you what they did to maybe disguise his age a little bit.
HARLOW: Plus, star soccer player Christian Pulisic speaking to the media for the first time since his game-winning goal sent Team USA to the knockout round.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: What did it feel to you now that you have that forever moment.
CHRISTIAN PULISIC, U.S. MEN'S NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM STAR: I'm hoping I haven't had that moment yet, to be honest. I'm hoping it's in front of me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL)
[07:46:34]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
Clip from "Raiders of the Lost Ark."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: It's not just the years, honey, it's the miles. Well, it's been many years since Harrison Ford said those words as Indiana Jones in "Raiders of the Lost Ark" -- more than 40. And thank goodness, now the fifth installment of the franchise "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny" is heading to theaters next summer. And we just got our first look at the teaser trailer. Here is it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
Clip from "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: All right. So, what do we know -- which I'm trying to explain this graphic here. The new installment mostly takes place -- OK, it takes place in 1969. The first "Raiders of the Lost Ark" was set in 1936 but the film opens in 1944.
COLLINS: OK.
LEMON: All right. They used the aging technology to have Indy fighting Nazis in a castle.
HARLOW: Sorry.
COLLINS: You got that?
HARLOW: Wait, wait, wait. Indy?
LEMON: Yes.
HARLOW: Is that what they call him?
LEMON: Indy -- Indiana Jones, I guess -- yes.
So -- oh, they make him younger. We're -- I was wondering this morning when we discussed this on our editorial calls, can they do that for us? Is there a de-aging setting --
COLLINS: Us?
HARLOW: Well --
LEMON: -- in the control room?
HARLOW: You well know how young you look.
LEMON: (Laughing).
HARLOW: You do not need that filter.
LEMON: They take the tape off afterwards. No -- I -- no, you don't need it either.
HARLOW: OK.
LEMON: Of course, Kaitlan doesn't --
HARLOW: Thanks.
LEMON: -- need it at all.
COLLINS: That makes me think of that --
LEMON: Indy.
COLLINS: -- quote that we had last week when he was with Walter Mondale on the debate stage --
HARLOW: Oh --
LEMON: What'd he say?
COLLINS: -- and they were asking if he was too old. And he was like I'm not going to take advantage of my opponent's youth.
LEMON: Of your youth and inexperience.
HARLOW: That's so true.
COLLINS: All right. Speaking of youth, Team USA's soccer coach, Gregg Berhalter, is now saying that Christian Pulisic is on track to play in the team's match against the Netherlands. This is crucial. His return was in jeopardy after he suffered a pelvic contusion. Remember, he scored the game-winning goal, putting his body on the line against Iran this week.
And now, for the first time since he was injured, Pulisic took questions from the media about how he's doing.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REPORTER: What did it feel to you now that you have that forever moment.
PULISIC: It feels great to score in a World Cup. Timmy knows what that's like. I think -- I'm hoping I haven't had that moment yet, to be honest. I'm hoping it's in front of me. So it feels great to be where we're at right now, but there's still more to come.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Still more to come.
So joining us now is two-time World Cup champion, Julie Foudy. Julie, thank you so much for -- Foudy, excuse me -- for being here with us this morning.
A question for you about Christian Pulisic and him joining and what that means for the team if he is on track to play when they play the Netherlands tomorrow.
JULIE FOUDY, TWO-TIME FIFA WOMEN'S WORLD CUP CHAMPION IN 1991 AND 1999 (via Skype): Oh, it's enormous. Having him healthy and able to go is going to be huge for the United States.
As we know, one of the biggest challenges for this young team has been knocking in goals, and he's had a hand in the two goals they scored in the group stage. Obviously, the one against Iran, and then he assisted in the Tim Weigel in the very first game.
[07:50:05]
And so, a lot of -- a lot of fans are very eagerly when he spoke last night about being able to play and thinking he'd be able to play. Everyone is with bated breath thinking OK, how is this going to go because the United States really revolves around his runs, his presence, and his ability to lift the team.
LEMON: Yes.
HARLOW: Can you talk about yesterday's Germany-Costa Rica game with a big milestone not in terms of the players but in terms of the ref -- an all-female referee crew? I just wonder what it was like for you to see that.
FOUDY: Oh, a long time coming, Poppy -- yes. A little bit overdue for sure. But the fact that you had three women reffing that game.
Stephanie Frappart, who is one of the legendary female refs, took the lead officiating position. She's done World Cup qualifiers before. She's done Champions League before. But she had never -- no female has ever reffed a men's World Cup game and she was the first. She has a lot of firsts in her career.
And the fact that it was in Qatar, which, as we know, their issues with women's rights and their suppression of women's rights is front and center at this World Cup. It was a big step I think for a lot of men and women to see.
LEMON: Have you -- you've been paying -- you mentioned women's rights. A lot has been paid this time to just rights in general for these games.
Is it -- is it taking a bigger -- is it a bigger priority, you think, this time than any time, or is it always an issue in these games?
FOUDY: Don, you cut out a little bit there. What was the -- what was the first part of it you said?
LEMON: I said that rights have really taken a priority role -- a big role --
FOUDY: Yes.
LEMON: -- in the games this time. And is it always this way because it seems like there -- it's playing out more and I'm not sure if it has to do with the venue or just the times --
FOUDY: Yes.
LEMON: -- that we're in, or maybe it's a combination.
FOUDY: I think World Cups are always a microcosm of what's happening in life. But the fact that it's taking place in Qatar with all the controversy around the bid, around the setting, having to switch to the wintertime from the summer because of the heat, the fact that it's shown that obviously, there were some nefarious things that were happening behind the scenes with this bid. And obviously, their human rights issues with migrant worker abuse, and all of the things we've been talking about.
You've also seen -- I mean, there's been so much drama on the field, as we know, which has been crazy. It's hard to be a productive human with all this World Cup going on.
But you also know that there's been drama happening off the field as well. People coming into stadiums not able to wear shirts, for example, that have rainbow flags on them, or as we've seen with the players unable to wear the armbands with the rainbow insignia.
So, yes, this is -- this is one that I think actually has been talked about more because of the fact that it's in Qatar.
COLLINS: Absolutely.
You talked about it interfering with the work schedule. At least tomorrow's game is going to be on a Saturday -- HARLOW: I don't know why (PH).
COLLINS: -- when we will be watching it at 10:00 a.m.
Julie, thank you so much for joining us.
FOUDY: No worries. Thank you.
LEMON: Thank you. Thank you.
HARLOW: Two-time FIFA Women's World champ.
COLLINS: And gold -- Olympic gold medalist.
HARLOW: Yes, just that. Quite a career.
COLLINS: No big deal.
HARLOW: Julie, thank you.
All right, so big thing overnight -- strike averted. The Senate passed legislation to keep rail workers on the job. Ahead we're going to be joined by a railroad way mechanic who says the Biden administration sold him out.
LEMON: And a dramatic rescue of a little boy who fell through an icy pond. How two police officers went beyond the call of duty to save his life.
(COMMERCIAL)
[07:58:07]
HARLOW: Welcome back to CNN THIS MORNING.
Two Aurora police officers are being hailed as heroes for going beyond the call of duty by jumping into a frozen pond to rescue a 9-year-old little boy who had fallen through the ice trying to retrieve his football.
Our Adrienne Broaddus has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DISPATCHER: 9-1-1. What's the address of your emergency?
CALLER: We have a person drowning.
DISPATCHER: Drowning? Where?
ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It was the day before Thanksgiving.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Water rescue, we have a 9-year-old that's fallen in the water and they're not able to get out.
BROADDUS (voice-over): Tyshaun (PH) is the 9-year-old who fell through the ice.
MARY WILKINS, MOTHER: I think about my --
BROADDUS (voice-over): Tyshaun's mom, Mary Wilkins, was at work.
WILKINS: I was so scared. And then when I got that call from them saying he was not responding and stuff, my mind was gone.
BROADDUS (voice-over): Aurora police responding with water rescue kits.
POLICE OFFICER: Give that to him.
BROADDUS (voice-over): Officers Andrew Soderlund and Alex Lopez --
POLICE OFFICER: Right there.
BROADDUS (voice-over): -- didn't think twice about entering the water.
POLICE OFFICER: Pull, pull.
POLICE OFFICER: Come on, let's go.
BROADDUS (voice-over): The child and an adult who tried to rescue him exhausted.
OFFICER ANDREW SODERLUND, AURORA POLICE DEPARTMENT: The winter coats that they were wearing -- you know, that became very heavy for everybody.
BROADDUS (voice-over): Then, finally --
POLICE OFFICER: Yes, we got him out of the water.
BROADDUS (voice-over): Tyshaun and the officers a little bruised.
POLICE OFFICER: Take his clothes off him.
OFFICER ALEX LOPEZ: He has bumps, bruises -- a lot of kind of scrapes and stuff from breaking the ice. I lost my wedding ring in the pond as well.
WILKINS: And I thought my baby was not going to be here. And I'm thankful for him.
BROADDUS (voice-over): Thankful to spend another holiday with her son and grateful for the officers who didn't hesitate.
WILKINS: I'm very excited and nervous. I can't wait to meet these people.
BROADDUS (voice-over): And when expressing gratitude --
WILKINS: My name is Mary.
LOPEZ: Hello.
WILKINS: Thank you so much for saving him.
LOPEZ: Of course, of course.
BROADDUS (voice-over): -- sometimes a hug --
WILKINS: Thank you.
BROADDUS (voice-over): -- says it best.
SONDERLUND: Of course. How are you?
TYSHAUN: All right.
WILKINS: Thank you so much.
LOPEZ: Of course, of course.
SONDERLUND: Thank you so much.
BROADDUS (voice-over): Adrienne Broaddus, CNN, Chicago.
SONDERLUND: I'm glad everything turned out OK.
WILKINS: Yes.
SONDERLUND: For the best, right?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
