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CNN This Morning
Nashville Officers Speak Out; Trump Faces 35 Felony Counts; Michael Bamberger is Interviewed about Tiger Woods. Aired 6:30-7a ET
Aired April 05, 2023 - 06:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[06:32:10]
POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: All right, so, for the first time we're now hearing from the police officers, the very brave officers who stopped that school shooter at Nashville's Covenant School. Last week's attack at the private Christian school left six people dead, three of them nine-year-old students, three of them adults, and investigators have also seized new evidence from inside of the shooter's home, including a suicide note and even more guns.
Our Isabel Rosales reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COMMANDER DAYTON WHEELER, MIDTOWN HILLS PRECINCT: March. 27th is a day that I will never forget.
ISABEL ROSALES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Fourteen minutes of terror inside the Covenant School coming to an end -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's go!
ROSALES: At the hands of metropolitan Nashville police officers.
OFFICER REX ENGELBERT, RESPONDED TO DEADLY SHOOTING AT THE COVENANT SCHOOL: I really had no business being where I was.
ROSALES: Officer Rex Engelbert says it was by chance he was near the school, outside his precinct, when the first 911 call came in.
ENGELBERT: You can call it fate or God or whatever you want, but, there - I can't count on both my hands the irregularities that put me in that position.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Metro police!
ROSALES: Blaring alarms and chaos. Engelbert's body camera capturing the moments a group of five officers raced down hallways decorated with children's artwork.
WHEELER: We began to receive gunfire from a second floor window as officers were inside searching for that individual. ROSALES: Door to door -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Door. Door. With me.
ROSALES: This is their desperate search for a shooter, armed with three guns and showing no signs of stopping. Along the way, grim discoveries.
SGT. JEFF MATHES, RESPONDED TO DEADLY SHOOING AT THE COVENANT SCHOOL: All of us stepped over a victim. I, to this day, don't know how I did that morally. But training is what kicked in.
ROSALES: They followed their senses. An acrid odor.
MATHES: The smell of gunpowder was in the air.
ROSALES: Then, a chilling sound.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We heard another shot and that's what told us that the shooter was to our right.
MATHES: Once we got near the shooter, and the shooter was neutralized.
ROSALES: Investigators say Audrey Hale fired 152 rounds from start to finish, killing three innocent children and three school employees. The violence horrifying a nation and following these officers home.
MATHES: There's obviously been loss of sleep, children hugged more than normal.
ROSALES: Just over a week since the shooting, officers seizing from the home of the shooter, a suicide note, weapons, ammo, several journals and yearbooks from the Covenant School. As investigators continue to determine a motive for the attack, described as calculated and planned, the young survivors of this mass shooting are leaning on their faith.
[06:35:04]
CHIEF JOHN DRAKE, METROPOLITAN NASHVILLE POLICE: They believe that their classmate it's going to heaven. That they're in a better place and they're not hurting. The ones that was hurting the most was us.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROSALES: And the city of Nashville has actually been receiving letters of condolence from sister cities all across the world. So far they've received them from Iraq, northern Ireland and Magdeburg, Germany. One of these letters right here reads, among the victims are children whose lives still so young were cruelly ended in what was for them a happy place of learning. The citizens of Magdeburg are deeply shocked. Our thoughts are with the families. We wish you and all Nashvillians much strength and fortitude.
Guys --
HARLOW: Wow, really outpouring, Isabel, from around the world.
Thank you for that and bringing us the words of those incredibly brave officers.
DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: He was silent as he entered and left a plea and left a New York City courtroom, I should say, but he had a lot to say what he got back to Mar-a-Lago in West Palm Beach, Florida. Reactions to former president's primetime speech and how his legal troubles could shape the 2024 race. That's straight ahead.
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LEMON: Lots to discuss this morning when it - as it relates to the former president, Donald Trump, vowing to fight the criminal charges against him.
[06:40:01]
He delivered a defiant primetime speech from his Mar-a-Lago resort, filled with insults against the prosecutor and the judge in the case. He also argued that prosecutors are now interfering in an election.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: Incredibly, we are now a failing nation. We are a nation in decline. And now these radical left lunatics want to interfere with our elections by using law enforcement. We can't let that happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: So, joining us now, CNN anchor and correspondent Audie Cornish. She's also the host of the CNN podcast "The Assignment with Audie Cornish." And she joins us now.
Good morning.
So, there's lots of discuss here. You know, there's a consternation about running the former president's speech or comments live because you know he has -- often has trouble with the truth. But then just his performance in general.
What did you think overall of the speech last night, how he handled it?
AUDIE CORNISH, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: It's - you can't talk about the speech without talking about the morning, and that those images coming out of the court. There was some conversation that he might talk to the cameras during the arraignment. That did not happen. We've not known him ever to walk away from a camera. So, I think he needed -- he needed to have a corrective moment. He could not end the day on the images that came out and so I think that rally was always going to happen, or some version of it, where he literally could go to a warmer climate politically, literally, figuratively, and have an image at the end of the day that doesn't look like defeat because in those morning kind of court visuals, he -- it was a sobering moment. It was a sobering moment for the country, but clearly for the former president.
LEMON: Just one more question, as you said, he needed that moment. Those -- that moment last night, does that supersede the images that you are - that -- not in the long -
CORNISH: I understand your question. I mean if -- Trump has always been a kind of skilled manipulator of some of the basic rules of journalism, which is like, hey, the leader of the free world speaks or this person in power speaks and therefore we must show and air it. That's like our responsibility. And what he can do with those moments is used them for his own ends, right? So, he didn't have a conversation about the issue at hand, and it -- he had kind of a second campaign kickoff. And, you know, we were hearing like the stump speech that incorporated all of his fears about the investigation and his pitch, which will be his picture to the country in 2024, which is, I represent you. An attack on me is an attack on you, and you should spend all of your time focused on me in that endeavor. I mean it's - it's certainly a message.
KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: It's also a historic moment. For him to - to have the first ever ex-president respond to now being a criminal defendant, I think it's worth hearing what he has to say about it and to see his response, especially the attacks on the judge, after the judge, six hours earlier, had just said, don't be attacking and signaling this out.
CORNISH: Don't do that. Yes. Of course, to your point, he didn't actually react to it, right? He didn't actually say those things. And I think one of the things we're going to have to think about going forward, the media in general, OK, not just the network, is, some of these things that we could fact check, we know he's going to say. You know, we know he's going to make certain comments about the election that he knows are not true. We know he's going to say things about, for instance, this prosecutor that are easily in fact checked. The talking points are consistent and persistent, and I think part of the question will be, if you now have a defendant as a candidate, then there's going to be lots of these opportunities for them to speak in a way that I think might not be so responsible, but it is not their prerogative, right? It's not his job to be responsible. What he's saying publicly, it's his job to defend his innocence. And I think the media is going to have to really think about like how -- how we cover it and there -- there were sort of varying approaches over the last 24 hours.
HARLOW: I think the point -- Sara Matthews, who worked for Trump, her point to Kaitlan last hour was really interesting when Kaitlan said is this a, you know, good, strong platform to run on for 2024? And she said she doesn't think it is because this is about him as much as -- as you pointed out, Kaitlan, he said last night, you know, the word "us." This run, and if this is the strategy, look at these attacks on me. This could happen to you. Like, no. Like, most Americans don't engage in hush money payments, as you were saying, et cetera. It's just -- it's so much about him this time and not as much about us and who he said he was representing in 2016.
CORNISH: Yes, which I think creates a tough path for any of his potential rivals. If you are hoping to be the GOP nominee, and you're spending all your time carefully not insulting him or trying to be a version of him without the litigation, he's out there making the argument stronger than you ever could.
[06:45:03]
And so what's the incentive for that base voter to peel off because that's -- that is the conundrum for the party going into the primary, that core base voter, which is -- it's a low percentage but a strong percentage. And, meanwhile, independence clearly are turned off. Even if they don't think Trump should be convicted for something, it's pretty clear that there is like some fatigue going on in the electorate. And this isn't going to help it.
LEMON: When I said that -- what does the press conference -- does that supersede or whatever -- I forget how exactly I said it, I didn't mean that as a media whether (INAUDIBLE) -
CORNISH: Yes.
LEMON: I mean that, does it wipe out all of those images of him in court and, you know, the pictures of him sitting there in court and the video of him walking.
CORNISH: No. I mean nothing will obliterate the image of a former president under investigation in the United States.
LEMON: That was - that was my -
CORNISH: It has happened in so many other countries and now we are here. And I think we would have gotten here no matter what given how many investigations are ongoing into this president.
COLLINS: I also think it's important to think about how they're viewing this politically. I was told yesterday he had actually expressed some interest in having his mug shot taken because they realized how they could benefit from that, but notice -
LEMON: They put out a fake one, Kaitlan, right?
COLLINS: They put out a fake one, yes, but no real one. They want - they had expressed interest in that. And as he was speaking last night notice that it says text 88022 Trump to that on the podium in front of him, the lectern in front of him as he's speaking.
CORNISH: Yes.
COLLINS: I mean they are using this to their advantage just by -
CORNISH: I mean they've always raised money for his legal troubles.
COLLINS: Yes.
CORNISH: This time it actually has to go to them.
COLLINS: Well, he has a lot of attorneys, but to speak to just his anxiety and his actual anger behind this.
Audie, thank you.
CORNISH: It's great talking to you guys.
LEMON: Good to see you. Good to see you.
Don't forget, "The Assignment."
COLLINS: Audie is wearing a green jacket. I just want to know, Masters are teeing off tomorrow. I don't know if that's a coincident or not.
LEMON: Ah, hello.
CORNISH: Sports reference.
LEMON: We called each other.
CORNISH: You didn't get my text? You're supposed to. That was the plan.
COLLINS: All right, the question, though, about the Masters is, could it be the last one for five time champion Tiger Woods? He actually just weighed in on that. We'll tell you what he said.
HARLOW: Thank you, Audie.
LEMON: That was - yes, my question wasn't about whether we should -
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[06:50:54]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you're playing this course, does it ever cross your mind, this could be the last time?
TIGER WOODS, FIVE-TIME MASTERS CHAMPION: Yes, it has. I didn't know -- I mean last year was kind of a - I didn't know if I was going to play again at that time. For some reason, everything kind of came together. I kind of pushed a little bit and I was able to make the cut, which was nice. And, yes, I don't know how many more I have in me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COLLINS: Tiger Woods hinting that this year's Master may be one of his last.
Joining us now to discuss all of this is the sports writer and author of "The Ball in the Air: A Golfing Adventure," Michael Bamberger.
Michael, thank you for being here.
I mean this is like a -
MICHAEL BAMBERGER, AUTHOR, "THE BALL IN THE AIR: A GOLFING ADVENTURE": Good morning. COLLINS: If you're a Tiger Woods fan, and you watched that press conference, did - are you racing to buy your Masters tickets because, you know, the fear that this might be the last time you see Tiger Woods in Augusta?
BAMBERGER: Well, good luck buying your Masters tickets last minute because unless you're on Washington Row (ph) with cash money, that's not going to happen.
(LAUGHTER)
But, yes, a lot of people -- the Masters tournament, many would know, but some would not, is a four day event. A lot of people want to make sure they're going to be there on Thursday because they're guaranteed that Tiger will play on Thursday. There are people who plot their whole year around the chance to actually glimpse Tiger Woods, the Michael Jordan of golf, play golf. And to -- he'll never play again at the highest level that he played at 20 years ago. But just to see -- to see Tiger Woods in person is an impressive thing. So, I can understand the emotion completely.
LEMON: I'm glad you said that, right, because you don't -- you can still see him in person. You won't get to see him play the great game, which is sad.
But, I mean, Michael, you can understand that, as I know I can as a man of a certain age that it doesn't mean that you don't have the passion about what you love, right, about your career and about -- your priorities just change. And perhaps Tiger's at a point in his life where his priorities are just changing.
BAMBERGER: Right, Don, his priorities have changed and, of course, they've - the changes have been imposed on him as well. His body has betrayed him. There's been --there's been a lot of psychological warfare going on in his life. He's had a life -- you know, people want to compare them, and I just did, to Michael Jordan. But the American life he probably most resembles in a completely different ways is probably not Michael Jordan, but Michael Jackson, because this guy, Tiger Woods, has had his whole life unfold under the scrutiny of a camera. And as everybody in public life knows, the camera can do a lot for you, but it can -- it comes with a lot of costs as well. So, it has not been an easy life and it shows up in various ways.
LEMON: Right.
HARLOW: You think this is his last?
BAMBERGER: No, it won't be his last. And this particular tournament has a special thing where if you're a former winner, and Tiger Woods has won this tournament five times, you can play basically forever. And Gary Player and Jack Nicholas and others played well into their 70s, if not older.
HARLOW: Yes.
BAMBERGER: So they come back. But they're sort of more - and this is a term of the art, ceremonial players. They're sort of -- it's like -- it's like old timers day at Yankee Stadium. But it was only 2019 where miraculously he won.
HARLOW: Yes.
BAMBERGER: And that might prove to be his last gasp. And if it was, it was a great way to go out.
LEMON: Yes. And, right, Tiger Woods will always be Tiger Woods. I mean, and just -- you know what I mean?
COLLINS: Yes. There you go.
LEMON: Yes.
HARLOW: Thanks, Michael.
LEMON: Michael, good to see you.
COLLINS: Michael.
BAMBERGER: Thank you. Thank you for having me here.
LEMON: What did you want to say? Complete your thought, quickly. We don't want to leave you hanging.
BAMBERGER: No, just like, he's an iconic figure in American life.
HARLOW: Right.
BAMBERGER: And he deserves our consideration I guess is what I'm trying to say.
COLLINS: Yes.
LEMON: Thank you, Michael. Be well.
COLLINS: He said there's a lot of hardware in his leg. He was talking about all the injuries that he's had.
HARLOW: Yes.
COLLINS: And his car crash and a lot that he's been through.
LEMON: Yes. Yes. And the point that he made about cameras, right, living in front of the cameras, it can be very difficult.
COLLINS: Yes.
LEMON: So, thank you, Michael.
Now our coverage of the former president's indictment continues. We're going to be joined by one of the journalists whose award-winning reporting helped trigger the hush money investigation.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [06:58:33]
HARLOW: We're not -
LEMON: Oh, this is - we're on TV, guys. We're just chatting.
HARLOW: We are on TV and this is happening and Kaitlan and I forgot our hot pink pantsuits.
Warner Brothers releasing the second trailer for Greta Gerwig's "Barbie" movie, which stars Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling.
LEMON: (INAUDIBLE).
HARLOW: But, get this, they're not the only Barbie in -
LEMON: Ah, ah, ah yeah.
COLLINS: Anyway.
HARLOW: Movie.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN GOSLING, ACTOR: Hi, Barbie.
MARGOT ROBBIE, ACTRESS: Hi, Ken.
ALEXANDRA SHIPP, ACTRESS: Hi, Barbie.
ROBBIE: Hi, Barbie.
EMMA MACKEY, ACTRESS: Hi, Barbie.
ISSA ARE, AC TRESS: Hi, Barbie.
ROBBIE: Hi, Barbie.
SIMU LIU, ACTOR: Hi, Barbie.
ROBBIE: Hi, Ken.
LIU: Hi, Ken.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LEMON: That song is going to be stuck in my head. I mean, now, come on Barbie, let's go party.
COLLINS: Barbie girl. Barbie girl.
LEMON: It's an ear - it's an earworm. Well -
HARLOW: Kaitlan really wanted to highlights this, this morning.
LEMON: "Barbie" this theaters July 21st. Warner Brothers Discovery is the parent company of CNN.
HARLOW: it's going to do incredibly well, by the way.
LEMON: Yes. Yes, it is.
HARLOW: Look, everyone is talking about this movie.
COLLINS: The set looks amazing, actually.
HARLOW: Yes, it does.
Want to - want to go together.
COLLINS: That's all I got.
LEMON: This is what I have to say, CNN THIS MORNING continues right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: No one has ever seen this before in the United States, a former president sitting at a defense table inside a criminal courtroom.
[07:00:04]
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: The only crime that I have committed is to fearlessly defend our nation from those who
