Return to Transcripts main page

CNN This Morning

Evacuation Orders Issued as Huge Fire Burns at Indiana Recycling Plant; Body Cam Video Shows Officers Confronting Louisville Bank Gunman; Manhattan D.A. Bragg Sues GOP's Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) in Case Over Trump's Indictment. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired April 12, 2023 - 07:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:00:00]

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: LeBron James and the Lakers rallied in dramatic fashion to win in overtime against the Timberwolves and locked up a spot in the post-season. The Lakers were actually down by ten points in the fourth quarter, and when the game tied and the time clock winding down, LeBron drove it and found Dennis Schroder, who knocked down the three. The Lakers celebrate like they won, but there was still one second actually left on the clock. It went to overtime. Lakers won 108-102 to claim the seventh seed in the west and a date with the Grizzlies.

The Hawks, meanwhile, putting a beat down on the Heat last night. The Hawks would prevail winning 116-105. They now move on to face the Celtics. I can't wait for that and for our next hour.

CNN This Morning continues right now.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's probably the largest fire have seen in my career.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: An Indiana town under evacuation orders after a giant fire broke out at a recycling plant.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's a host of different chemicals, plastics give off when they're on fire. And so it's concerning, and, honestly, this fire is going to burn for a few days.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: What you're about to see his body camera footage from Louisville Metro Police Officer Cory Galloway's camera.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The shooter has an angle on that officer. We need to get out there. I don't know where he's at. The glass is blocking him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: For people to react by staying there, staying in the fire, keeping themselves in danger, that's superhuman.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The district attorney who indicted Donald Trump now filing a lawsuit against the top Republican.

REP. JIM JORDAN (R-OH): Alvin Bragg used federal funds to indict a former president for no crime. And then when we want to investigate, he takes us to court.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bragg accuses Jordan of what he calls, quote, a transparent campaign to intimidate an attack.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's striking back here, and he's saying, essentially, you in the United States Congress have no jurisdiction here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Senator Scott is going to announce in his launching an exploratory committee. He has been teasing a White House bid for months and is expected to make that announcement today in Iowa.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He is one of the most well-liked and beloved Republicans in the country. He will be probably the most optimistic person in the race.

COLLINS: The Biden administration for the first time proposing water cuts to save the Colorado River.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That could devastate major western cities, like Las Vegas, as well as Los Angeles and Phoenix.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You need to wake up and people need to start conserving water now before it's too late.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LEMON: You know, it is a Wednesday, but my gosh, what a busy news day today, as there's a lot going on. Good morning, everyone. We're so glad that you could join us this morning.

So, we're going to begin with this. We're paying close attention to this story. It's out of Indiana. It's where about 2,000 people are being forced from their homes. Take a look at this. These are the flames that are in the smoke prompting officials to issue evacuation orders for about 2,000 people, unknown plastics burning at that plant, sending a giant pillar of black smoke over Richmond.

Officials are now waiting on -- they're waiting on air monitoring test results to help decide the duration of the evacuation orders. And firefighters say when they responded to the scene, they discovered a semitrailer engulfed in flames.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF TIM BROWN, RICHMOND, INDIANA FIRE DEPARTMENT: It was fully loaded with unknown type of plastics. Fire spread from the semitrailer to other piles of plastics that were around the trailer. We only have one access into where the fire was. All the other access roads were blocked by piles of plastic and other semitrailers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So, we do have a crew on the way to that scene, and they're going to bring you live a report from there soon. But officials say that the cause of the fire likely won't be known until it is extinguished. But they say the fire could burn for days. And we're going to be live on the ground in Richmond just a little bit later on, on CNN This Morning.

COLLINS: And while we wait for new developments on that, we're also tracking new body cam video that came out of Louisville overnight, Louisville Police officers, as they rushed in to stop the mass shooter at the bank. This video comes from the body cameras of the first two officers to arrive on the scene. The rookie cop who was shot in the head, Officer Nicholas Wilt, he's still in the hospital actually recovering, and his training officer, who was the one who ultimately killed the gunman.

I do want to warn you that what you're about to see is the moment that the shooter opened fire as the officers were approaching the entrance of this bank.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're making entry from the from the east side pressing the main.

[07:05:04]

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Police say the gunman was waiting in the lobby to ambush police after killing five of his co-workers. An eyewitness cell phone video shows a different angle. You can see the training officer run and take cover as bullets fly. He struggles to see the gunman to the glass as the rookie officer lays outside the entrance, severely wounded. He finally gets a clear shot about three minutes later. We're about to play the body camera video again. The wounded officer is blurred and you'll see the gunman's body on the floor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: God, I don't have an angle. I think I got him down. I think he's down.

Suspect down. Get the officer. No, he's down. Get the officer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: We warned you, it is very disturbing to watch that the gunman is there on the ground surrounded by shattered glass. We're going to talk more about this newly released by the cam video and the police response.

I want to bring in CNN Senior -- excuse me, Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst, Mr. John Miller. John, good morning to you. It's -- you know, we have to remember that someone was shot there, still recovering, the police officer. Just your overall response to that video and the police response?

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Well, this is something police are practicing all the time. You know, it's no secret to the law enforcement community as it is into us. We live in the active shooter world now. That's a reality we've discussed on this show, more active shooters than there have been days of the year. So, this has been a developing focus in training.

It was a year ago today that I was standing in front of those microphones in Brooklyn for the active shooter on the subway who shot ten people in New York City. And, you know, we worked on this to make sure that everyone of 36,000 police officers in New York was trained in these tactics.

And what you see here, you know, C.J. Galloway, the police officer, fires that shot that takes the gunman down, and his partner, you know they're approaching with these tactics in mind. They go to the far left, they're hugging that wall and they find out the hard way, the wall they're using for cover is the wrong angle. You know, nick goes down, C.J. cuts to the left and finds, you know, different cover. You just saw him on that video switching sides trying to get that beat on the gunman.

Deputy Chief Humphrey said yesterday it wasn't perfect but it was pretty good, you know, in the circumstances, and I would go through a door with either one of these officers. And what does not perfect mean when you're under fire? It means in a perfect world, you would have waited for two more units, formed a four person contact team, split two directions so that the subject field of fire would be split into and so on. But perfect doesn't exist in these situations. You go with the cards you're dealt and they did, and they both acted very heroically, and aside from the courage, very tactically proficient.

COLLINS: Yes. And you can hear their concerns on the audio for the other officer, Officer Nicholas Wilt, who's still recovering, who has been shot. Can we talk about what we're hearing from the mayor, though? And one thing that I was so struck by that he said yesterday is he was talking about what the rules are in Louisville and the laws and essentially saying that the gun that that should have used because of the law that they have there will eventually one day, unless something changes, be auctioned off.

MILLER: So, they're not the only place that does that. A sensible law is that you don't confiscate guns from criminals and then put them back out into a marketplace where they're going to return to the street possibly to other criminals. But that is one of those states where the gun laws are minimalist to the point of being nonexistent, meaning, if you pass the federal background check that shows in their records, the NICS check, they call it, you're not a convicted felon or wanted -- currently wanted criminal, you're able to buy that weapon.

HARLOW: You also, to Kaitlan's point, in Kentucky, you do not need a permit to carry a concealed weapon, including a -- this is a legally purchased AR-15-style rifle. MILLER: That's right. And, I mean, Poppy just to extend the bizarre situation there, you have to be a resident of most states to buy a gun in that state.

[07:10:01]

In Kentucky, you can be a resident of any state as long as you are entitled to have a weapon in the state you're from, which means you can (INAUDIBLE) rules concealed weapon no matter where you're from.

LEMON: I want you to continue on. But just so people can see, just to bring home what you're saying, a person over 21 who can legally purchase a firearm can carry it concealed in public, no universal background checks, no red flag laws, no waiting period between the purchase of a firearm to physical transfer to a buyer enacted a Second Amendment sanctuary bill prohibiting local authorities from enacting federal gun regulations. Sorry to interrupt, but I just wanted to (INAUDIBLE) what you're saying.

MILLER: That's what we're talking about, Don. And, I mean, there are other states like that. In the NRA databases and all that, when you look it up state by state, one of the rules here, they call that a free state.

COLLINS: Yes. So many questions for it, and you're hearing it from city officials themselves. John Miller, thanks for breaking down that and also the body cam footage with us.

MILLER: Thanks.

LEMON: Thank you, John. Coming at 9:00 P.M. on CNN Tonight, John is going to -- Kaitlan is going to be traveling to Kentucky to speak with Governor Andy Beshear about this.

HARLOW: Just one week after former President Trump was arraigned and pleaded not guilty to 34 felony criminal charges in the hush money probe, the Manhattan district attorney who brought those charges is now suing the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Jim Jordan. He's accusing the Trump ally of trying to interfere with his office's criminal case. The committee is investigating Bragg's handling of the case, demanding more documents and testimony.

So, let's bring in Senior Legal Analyst and former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District Elie Honig. Elie, obviously, we should note, we've known it before that you were former colleague of D.A. Bragg, that team prosecuting Trump. It's rare, right, to see this sort of back and forth in this way between, you know, leading member of Congress at the judiciary committee and the D.A. prosecuting the former president.

ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: It's very rare, Poppy. This is what happens when the law meets politics. And now we are in this really unique scenario that we have not seen anything quite like before.

Now, all of this swirls around last week's indictment by the Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg of Donald Trump over the documentation around hush money payments made by Donald Trump before the 2016 election to Stormy Daniels. Of course, this was the first ever indictment of a president or a former president.

Now, people started to take sides pretty early here. For example, Representative Jim Jordan, the new House judiciary chairman, wrote a letter to Alvin Bragg in which he said, quote, this is an unprecedented abuse of prosecutorial authority and he demanded information from Bragg around the case.

I want you to pay attention to the date of that letter from Jim Jordan, March 20th. That is before the indictment was unsealed. That is before the indictment was even voted on.

HARLOW: Before we knew what the charges were, before the grand jury has even indictment.

HONIG: The indictment, excuse me, did not exist.

Now, Alvin Bragg responded to Jim Jordan and said, no thanks, Congress, this is not for you. Jim Jordan did not take well to that response. And so what Jim Jordan has now done is request information and testimony from Alvin Bragg, the D.A., from Matthew Colangelo, one of the ADAs who's on the team prosecuting Trump, and then Jim Jordan served a subpoena from the House Judiciary Committee on Mark Pomerantz, a former ADA who was working on this case but resigned about a year ago.

And now what Alvin Bragg has done with this lawsuit is he's gone into federal court and he's asked the judge to do two things. One, quash, as we say, meaning block the subpoena to Mark Pomerantz, and, two, if they should subpoena Alvin Bragg or anyone else, Bragg says, I want a ruling right now that that kind of subpoena is invalid and will not be enforced.

HARLOW: Well, what kind of judge is going to make this decision and on what legal grounds do they make the decision on?

HONIG: So, this is this is the judge. She is a federal judge. Her name is Mary Kay Vyskocil. She was appointed to the bench by Donald Trump in 2019. I never appeared in front of her. She came onto the bench after I left that district. But I asked around, she is not known as a partisan or an ideologue. She was basically a corporate big firm lawyer for about 30 years.

Now, Alvin Bragg has taken this case to federal court. He's a state prosecutor, but he's essentially walked this case across the street because it deals with Congress, which has federal jurisdiction. So, we are in the district court, which is the trial level court. There will be a hearing next week. The loser of that hearing can appeal to the second circuit and then perhaps up to the U.S. Supreme Court

HARLOW: But this could also go up to the --

HONIG: Potentially, the Supreme Court decides what it wants to hear.

HARLOW: How fast does this move?

HONIG: Well, the hearing is set for next week. That's on a pretty quick timeframe. So, I expect this to move within weeks. I don't think we're going to have this dragged out.

HARLOW: What do you think? Do you think Jim Jordan is going to get what he wants? I mean, asking for grand jury information is highly unusual.

HONIG: So, you've hit on Alvin Bragg's first argument that he makes in his brief. He says, this is grand jury information. It is secret. It is not to be out there in the public realm. Alvin Bragg also argues in his brief, he says, you're Congress, you have no jurisdiction over me as a local county D.A. prosecutor.

[07:15:04]

And he makes a constitutional argument. He says the Tenth Amendment says that what we call the plenary police power, meaning the power to regulate local safety, that is not for you, the federal Congress, that is for me as a local official. Alvin Bragg also writes in his brief, quote, this is a campaign of intimidation, retaliation and obstruction.

Now, Jim Jordan is not going to go without a fight. He has not yet filed his legal brief, but he's arguing this is an attempt to interfere in the 2024 election. He argues Bragg has received -- his office has received some federal funding and he's argued what we're really doing here is looking at potential legislation.

HARLOW: of which I think Kara said they used $5,000.

HONIG: $5,000 on this case. And, by the way, the fact that some federal funds were used here doesn't mean Congress gets to ask whatever they want with no limitations.

HARLOW: Okay. Elie, thank you, that helped so much. I appreciate it.

This morning, Donald Trump could get another Republican challenger in the presidential primary race. Senator Tim Scott formally announcing he is launching an exploratory committee.

LEMON: And guess where we're going? We're going back to Ireland for President Biden's historic visit. Donie O'Sullivan is standing by and speaking to fans, relatives too of President Trump.

COLLINS: And family.

LEMON: President Biden, sorry.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:20:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, THE LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT: The trip is part diplomacy and part homecoming because Biden's ancestors came to the U.S. from Ireland in the mid 1800s when Biden was just ten.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: President Biden making a historic visit today to Northern Ireland to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Peace Accords. He started the day by sitting down with the new British prime minister, Rishi Sunak, and next hour, he is set to speak at a university there. You can see him here during his arrival in Belfast.

The president's goal is to ensure that the peace plan that was brokered by the United States in 1998 remains in place. It is something he has talked about often since taking office. You can see his special envoy, former Congressman Joe Kennedy there.

Later this morning, the president is going to head south, though, to Dublin, and on the way the place where his great, great, great grandfather grew up.

CNN's Donie O'Sullivan is live in Carlingford, Ireland, for us. Donie, I mean, we can get a sense of just how excited people are. I saw in your teas, there was a cake with an American flag on it behind you. And you know he's known as the Irish president since JFK.

DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely JFK started this tradition as 60 years ago this year of U.S. presidents coming to Ireland to find their Irish roots. And a lot of people already showing up here in Carlingford. The president is not expected here for hours, but they've already closed down the streets.

And I want to introduce you to a very popular man in the town. His name is Peter McGuigan (ph). Peter?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're very welcome, Donie. You're very welcome.

O'SULLIVAN: Peter, could you tell us a little bit about why -- what does this mean to the community? Why does it matter?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, Donie, it means everything. It means everything not only to Calingford here but to the whole peninsula. You know, we are competing here in this peninsula with Alexi Killarney (ph) and with Galway (ph). But today, Joe Biden will change that for us and we will be the tops.

O'SULLIVAN: and you were telling me earlier a summary to Biden's ancestors left here around the time of the family. You also have a lot of family that immigrated to America.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's nobody in this peninsula cannot go back to their origin, says somebody belong to them, didn't emigrate to the USA, everybody did. And we were grateful for the attention and grateful for what we received and the welcome we received when we went to America as immigrants. And we'll extend that welcome today President Biden to come here and join us. O'SULLIVAN: And that special relationship between Ireland and the United States, I mean, it even goes up to this present day, the role that Bill Clinton had in the Good Friday Agreement and Senator George Mitchell, and now, of course, Biden is in Belfast today trying to encourage leaders in Northern Ireland to get the government back together there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's time to put our leg onto the table that fell down. But without the President Clinton, the Good Friday Agreement would never have happened. He was it was exclusively down to him and Hillary Clinton were to get that up and rolling. And, hopefully, it will be back up again and the unions will come back in and sit at the table I will enjoy and a great Ireland. And we'll have a party, a big party.

O'SULLIVAN: So, Biden is going to be probably walking along the street later, at least you hope.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we hope he walked down here (INAUDIBLE) security people.

O'SULLIVAN: Tell me tell me about this flag. What's going on with this?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is called the Irish-American historical flag.

O'SULLIVAN: Okay.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was originally belonged to an American Marine.

O'SULLIVAN: Right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But it found its way by auction into Ireland many years ago, and it's here 25 years. It belonged to a friend of mine and Warrenpoint.

O'SULLIVAN: And it's signed by the --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's signed by the last 14 presidents.

O'SULLIVAN: And you're hoping that --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're hoping -- we've left a little -- see that (INAUDIBLE), for President Biden to sign that today.

O'SULLIVAN: I quickly want to bring in Donna, whose Peter's daughter. Donna, Kaitlan, you mentioned the cakes, and Donna baked these cakes. You have this fantastic tea room here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All I've done has been baking all night long. We've had our cakes, we have our cupcakes, apple tarts made, homemade brown bread. We're waiting on, Joe.

O'SULLIVAN: You're hoping he takes away --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're waiting on Joe. If he doesn't come. We can come to him, okay?

O'SULLIVAN: Guys, back to you in New York. It's a fun time here. We got the whole --

LEMON: Why back to us? I mean, this is so much fun. We can just hang out with you guys all day. We need a couple of pints here.

O'SULLIVAN: Yes come on over. Come on over. They're admiring the cakes.

COLLINS: Donie, are we sure they're not there for you? I feel like you're getting just as big of a reception?

O'SULLIVAN: No, I don't think so. No, I'm not too popular in these parts. We're footballing rivals, we're sports rivals from where Peter is from.

COLLINS: Epic.

[07:25:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We won the (INAUDIBLE) in 1957. We never --

O'SULLIVAN: You haven't won one since.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We won in a row, (INAUDIBLE) calls it.

O'SULLIVAN: Alabama football, I'm sure you're a big fan.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, yes.

COLLINS: Yes, yes. Show him Nick Simmons' picture. Tell him I said, roll Tide.

O'SULLIVAN: (INAUDIBLE) craziness now, Peter.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's right?

O'SULLIVAN: Yes.

COLLINS: Thank you, Donie.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We will welcome Donie anytime, welcome to come back anytime.

LEMON: All right. We'll let Donie continue his conversation, having a good time from Ireland.

Now, we're going to go to South Carolina. This is where Republican Senator Tim Scott is launching a presidential exploratory committee. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. TIM SCOTT (R-SC): I will never back down and defense of the conservative values that make America exceptional. And that's why I'm announcing my exploratory committee for president of the United States.

I will defend the Judeo-Christian foundation our nation is built on and protect our religious liberty. I will stand up to communist China and restore opportunities for hardworking Americans to thrive and prosper. I will fight to give every parent a choice in education so their children have a better chance in life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: So, that is the new video there. Senator Scott has been testing the waters for months and is scheduled to hold events today in New Hampshire. If Scott officially throws his hat in the ring for the GOP nomination, he would, of course , be challenging former President Trump, his fellow South Carolinian, former Governor Nikki Haley, former Governor of Arkansas Asa Hutchinson and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, the former Vice President Mike Pence, the Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, other potential candidates who could join the race in a crowded field.

HARLOW: It is for sure. Live pictures now out of New Jersey, where a 2,500-acre forest fire is burning right now. This is happening in Manchester Township. It's about 15 minutes outside of Philadelphia. Officials say the fire is just 10 percent contained and residents there have been evacuated. Roads around the fire had been closed. No injuries have been reported. It's not clear what started the fire, but that is rare to see in this part of the area.

Meantime, President Joe Biden speaks of the family have Evan Gershkovich, The Wall Street Journal reporter being wrongfully detained in Russia. We will be joined next by the man at the State Department tasked with securing his release.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:30:00]