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CNN This Morning

American Musician Detained In Russia On Drug Charges; Trump Attacks DOJ, Special Counsel Jack Smith In Wake Of Indictment; Trump Faces 37 Criminal Counts In Detained Indictment; "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski Dies At 81; Pope Holds Angelus Prayer In Private At Hospital; NATO Prepares For Largest Air Drill In Its History; Widow Demands Answers, Says Police Did Not Respond To Her 911 Call Until After Her Husband Was Found Dead; Biden Hails Extraordinary Courage of LGBTQ Community; Lionel Messi Set To Join MLS Club Inter Miami. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired June 11, 2023 - 07:00   ET

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

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[07:00:21]

AMARA WALKER, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. Welcome to CNN THIS MORNING. It is Sunday, June 11th. I'm Amara Walker.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Victor Blackwell. It is so good to be with you on this part of your morning.

WALKER: Talking to me or to the viewers?

BLACKWELL: To you. I mean you too.

WALKER: Just making sure.

BLACKWELL: You too. And I learned this color is fuchsia.

WALKER: It is fuchsia.

BLACKWELL: OK.

WALKER: Wait, wait, what did you think it was?

BLACKWELL: I just said bright pink.

WALKER: OK. Well, close enough.

BLACKWELL: OK.

WALKER: Close enough.

BLACKWELL: All right.

Here's what we're focusing on for you this morning. Russia says it has detained an American citizen on drug charges. What we know about him and the charges he's facing. WALKER: Former President Trump is back on the campaign trail on taking direct aim at the Department of Justice and the special counsel. What he's saying about Jack Smith, the indictment, and his plan, even if he's convicted.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm scared for us. I'm scared that we're going to lose our rights.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: June is pride month, but some, many LGBTQ communities say that more than celebrating, this is a time for vigilance as anti-gay laws and threats surge.

WALKER: And Messi Mania is coming to the U.S. How Miami landed the soccer superstar and what his signing will mean for soccer in the U.S.

We are following developing news out of Russia this morning. Another U.S. citizen has been detained by authorities there. Accord in Moscow confirms that Travis Leake has been arrested on drug charges earlier this week.

BLACKWELL: Video of Leake's arrest and mugshot were published by Russian tabloid outlets on Thursday. The court has described him as a former paratrooper and musician. CNN's State Department Reporter Jennifer Hansler is with us now. Jennifer, the State Department has said that they are looking into this report. How much do they know? How much do we know?

JENNIFER HANSLER, CNN STATE DEPARTMENT REPORTER: Well, good morning, Victor and Amara. At this point, we know from that court in Russia that they are accusing Travis Leake of drug dealing. Specifically, they said he, quote, is engaging in the narcotics business through attracting young people. Leake's reportedly told the police he did not know what he was being accused of and he did not understand why he was being detained.

The Moscow Court has said he will remain detained until at least early August. And, of course, this comes at a time when tensions are incredibly high between the United States and Russia. There are a number of American citizens who have been detained there. Two of those Americans, Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan have been declared wrongfully detained by the U.S. State Department.

You'll remember Brittney Griner, the WNBA star was -- who was freed last year in a prisoner swap. She was also arrested on drug charges last year. The State Department, as you mentioned, is looking into this case. They have not named Travis by name. There are privacy laws that govern when they can name specific people's names.

However, they said they are aware of a U.S. citizen who has been arrested in Moscow. They said that as they do in every situation where an American is detained abroad, they are working to provide consular access as soon as possible and they will work to provide all appropriate consular assistance. I'm sure as we are.

They are looking for more information on this case, and we will continue to follow the facts on this case of another American who has been detained there in Russia. Victor, Amara?

BLACKWELL: Jennifer Hansler, thanks so much.

Well, he is back on the campaign trail and on the attack. Donald Trump, slammed the federal indictment against him during campaign rallies in Georgia and North Carolina. He calls it a political hit job.

WALKER: Trump faces 37 counts stemming from the classified documents investigation. He is due in court in Miami on Tuesday. Trump tells Politico that he does not anticipate taking a plea deal and he vows to stay in the race even if he's convicted. He took aim at Special Counsel Jack Smith once again calling him deranged and calling the indictment a joke.

CNN Nationalist Correspondent Kristen Holmes has more on the indictment and Trump's response.

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Victor and Amara, former President Trump using a bulk of his speech to talk about that federal indictment when he was speaking to the GOP Georgia Convention, calling it a joke, saying it was terrible for the country going after Jack Smith. So we have seen him put out on Truth Social, but most of it being the first time we actually heard it. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The ridiculous and baseless indictment of me by the Biden administration's weaponized Department of Injustice will go down as among the most horrific abuses of power in the history of our country.

Jack Smith, what do you think his name used to be? I don't know. Does anybody ever -- Jack Smith. Sounds so innocent. He's deranged. This is a political hit job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: And that was just a small snippet of what he said. He also gave reasons why he couldn't have been doing something bad. He went after Joe Biden. I said it was unfair that he, Trump, was being prosecuted and not Biden.

[07:05:08]

And it was very clear that these legal issues were hanging over him. He spent a majority of his speech talking about them, not just the federal indictment, but the multiple legal battles that he faces. And while he may be somewhat consumed by them, the people here in the audience did not seem to care. They cheered him on.

I spoke to voters who said that they were happy that he was running in 2024, that they planned on voting for him, that none of this made a difference. Now, obviously, this is just a sect of the Republican Party. I have spoken to a number of Republicans who are deeply concerned about that federal indictment.

But here in Georgia, it was not that reaction. Now, I also want to point out just some video of Trump after he spoke him at a Waffle House meeting with locals and someone in that video, in particular, Walt Nauta, his body man, his aid, who was charged alongside Trump in that conspiracy case.

We had had some questions about what exactly Nauta would do. What would happen after he was charged? As of now, looks as though he is staying by Trump's side. Victor and Amara?

WALKER: All right, Kristen Holmes, thank you.

More now on Trump's indictment as CNN Political Analyst, Julian Zelizer. Good morning to you, Julian. So this was Trump's first --

JULIAN ZELIZER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Good morning.

WALKER: -- campaign speech after being the first former president to be federally indicted. What did you make of not only Trump's attacks but also of his very devoted supporters who, you know, once again gave him a hero's welcome?

ZELIZER: Well, in terms of his attacks, they were somewhat predictable. It's a familiar playbook. When investigated or in trouble, he attacks the investigators and he argues the system is against him and the system is against his supporters. And his supporters support and enthusiasm is also somewhat to be expected. These are not the kinds of situations that deter their fervor for the former president. And I think they will enjoy and appreciate the kinds of attacks he's now leveling against everyone who's involved in this indictment.

WALKER: Yes, it doesn't deter their fervor. You're right. I mean, the more legal troubles Trump faces, the more his loyalists just dig in. How do you explain this phenomenon because it really is exceptional?

ZELIZER: Some of it is not about Trump. It's about where much of the Republican Party has moved extremely polarized and willing to support whatever candidate will achieve power and be able to deliver on issues like federal judges. Part of it is a anti-establishment ethos where there's a lot of distrust for institutions, and so Trump's words resonate with that kind of argument.

And part of it is this is Trump's brand attacking the establishment, attacking the people who are causing him trouble has been part and parcel of who he's been about since 2015. So this indictment doesn't change that for a lot of his supporters and for a lot of the Republican Party.

WALKER: Yes. But, of course, his legal troubles don't change what he's facing, right? I mean, Trump will be on trial in March after he was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury over those hush money payments to Stormy Daniels. That's happening right in the middle of primary season.

And, of course, we can't forget that there are those two ongoing investigations over his role in January 6th, and of course, election interference in Fulton County. And we don't know if his classified documents case will be resolved before the 2024 election.

But as you heard, Julian, Trump vowed yesterday. I will never leave. Do you see his legal problems hampering his run at all?

ZELIZER: Well, they could. I mean, these are serious legal problems and it's different than the political response to them including this case. We haven't had a situation like this with federal indictments against the former president by the Department of Justice of the administration running against them.

I think where this could become problematic, including a potential indictment from Georgia is if enough Republicans in primary season start to think that he is too risky, meaning, he threatens partisan power. Right now, he's still seen as an asset.

But if it reaches a point where these legal problems become too much of a risk for the Republican Party, I think that's when you might see more concentrated departures and defects from within the tent. But at this point, we're not there yet.

WALKER: What do you think in terms of Trump's perspective? I mean, do you think he's using his potential candidacy as a shield, you know, running for his survival basically?

ZELIZER: He has -- you know, from the moment he announced, he understood that if he was running, that changes the narrative. Meaning, you have an existing president and the Department of Justice going after the top candidate in the Republican Party, and that becomes the story as opposed to the substance of the indictments.

[07:10:18]

So I think Trump is very aware that his running is actually legally, in his mind, his best protection, his best firewall. So he doesn't want to step out of this race. And not only because he wants to win, but because that is the heart of his argument, that this is about politics, not about law.

And Biden will continue to probably be quiet, but the Department of Justice has to make clear this is not a political witch hunt. This is about obstruction of justice and keeping these kinds of documents from the government as they were being requested.

WALKER: Well, it can't be clearer than, though, the indictments words, right? Julian Zelizer, good to see you. Thank you.

BLACKWELL: The man commonly known as the unabomber has died. Federal authorities have confirmed that Ted Kaczynski died at a federal prison in North Carolina. He was serving eight life sentences from 1978 to 1995. Kaczynski waged a bombing campaign that killed three, wounded 23, and terrorizes the country. CNN's Polo Sandoval has more.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Known infamously as the unabomber. Ted Kaczynski was serving eight live sentences for his 17- year deadly reign of terror when he died Saturday. Prison officials tell CNN the ailing 81-year-old was found unresponsive in a cell overnight. His cause of death not yet released.

In December 2021, Kaczynski was transferred to a federal medical facility in Butner, North Carolina, used to house and mates with health conditions.

ANDREW MCCABE, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: I think it's very important for transparency reasons to fully understand the circumstances around the death, but I would caution speculation at this point. We don't really have any reason to believe anything untoward happened here just yet.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): Andrew McCabe is a former FBI deputy director who was with the bureau as agents closed the unabomber case. It was in 1978 when Kaczynski started his campaign of violence by leaving a mail bomb in a parking lot at a Chicago University.

He would go on to plant explosives on an airplane, university buildings, and by computer stores. He also mailed powerful bombs to university professors and business executives. By the time he was arrested in 1996, his 16 devices killed three innocent people and injured 23 others.

His own words published in a manifesto where what eventually led FBI agents to his off the grid, primitive cabin in the woods of Montana, tipped off by Kaczynski's own brother.

MCCABE: He pursued this bombing campaign as a way of striking back against technological advancement which he believed was damaging the environment in ways that needed to be stopped.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): Before becoming prolific bomber, Kaczynski was a high school honor student in Illinois who enrolled at Harvard at just 16. It was during his college years that Kaczynski took a dark turn, recalled his brother.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ted was withdrawing. There wasn't the desire to come home and enjoy the family.

SANDOVAL (voice-over): As part of a deal with prosecutors to dodge the death penalty, Kaczynski admitted to the bombings and was sent to Colorado's supermax prison where he remained until his medical transfer.

At the time of Kaczynski's 1998 sentencing, the widow of victim, Jill Murray (ph), wrote, he will never, ever kill again.

(END VIDEOTAPE) SANDOVAL: And as we hope to learn more about the circumstances surrounding Kaczynski's death, the Federal Bureau of Prisons confirming that they located him in his cell unresponsive. Staff there quickly initiated what they described as lifesaving measures. EMS then transported him to the hospital, Victor and Amara, and that is where the convicted bomber was pronounced dead.

BLACKWELL: Polo, thank you.

NATO is preparing for the largest air drill in its history. We'll have the latest on how the alliance is gearing up for those exercises.

WALKER: Plus, a Colorado woman is demanding answers over the slow police response to an alleged hostage situation that she says resulted in her husband's death.

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[07:18:17]

WALKER: Just a short time ago, Pope Francis held the Angelus prayer privately in his hospital room.

BLACKWELL: It's normally held in St. Peter Square, but the pontiff is still recovering from abdominal surgery for a hernia. CNN's Ben Wedeman is with us now from Rome. Ben, tell us more about the Pope's condition. What do we know?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, we just got a statement from Matteo Bruni, who's the head of the Holy See Press Office who said that he is recovering normally after this three-hour operation last Sunday. In the statement, he said -- they said that he did conduct the Angelus prayer, but in private it was not, for instance, broadcast over the internet as it was during the COVID period.

So this is probably the first time when he should have conducted the Angelus prayer. But didn't, in one form or another, private or rather neither broadcast nor in person, as is often the case in the -- from the apostolic apartment overlooking St. Peter's Square. Now, according to the statement this morning, the Pope conducted what is called respiratory physiotherapy that he did watch the Sunday mass on television.

Then he received the Eucharist. He conducted the Angelus prayers in private. We understand that just below his window, a small group of people also conducted the prayers at the same time, the Angelus prayers. And afterwards, according to the statement from the Vatican Press Office, he launched with various workers in the hospital as is often the case. He likes to dine with ordinary people rather than heads of state. So that's what he has done so far.

[07:20:07]

Now the expectation is he's going to be in this hospital, Gemelli Hospital here in Rome for at least another week as doctors watch his recuperation. Now, this was an operation that he decided to have at this point, because later in the summer, he has a busy schedule first in Portugal in the beginning of August.

Then at the end of August, he flies all the way to Mongolia. So he wants this 86-year-old Pope wants to be in the best shape possible before he embarks on those journeys. Amara, Victor?

BLACKWELL: All right, Ben Wedeman for us there outside the hospital in Rome. Thank you.

Tomorrow, NATO will start its largest air drill in the military alliance's history. Germany will host the exercises. Now these will simulate a response to an attack on a member country.

WALKER: 10,000 participants from 25 countries, including the U.S. will take part in these drills. CNN's Nic Robertson has more.

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NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR (voice-over): German Air Force Tornado fighter jet screamed on a runway at an Air Force base in Northern Germany. Minutes later, Turkish Air Force F- 16s, the same type of fast yet Ukrainian Air Force pilots are training on race after them in the shadow of Ukraine's war, the skies over Europe roaring as NATO's largest military air exercise ever. Air Defender 2023 ramps up.

(on-camera): 190 fighter jets scrambled here. In less than a week, more than 250 aircraft total involved from 25 nations, 10,000 air service personnel, including a 100 aircraft from the U.S. Air National Guard.

(voice-over): An exercise in interoperability.

INGO GERHARTZ, GERMAN AIR DEFENSE CHIEF, COMMANDER AIR DEFENDER 2023: We are proving it to us, to the alliance.

ROBERTSON (on-camera): And what about to Putin?

GERHARTZ: No, it's to prove in the alliance and to prove to our people to public. We are fast, we are quick. We are first responder and we are able to defend this alliance and NATO territory is the work line and we are willing to defend every inch of it.

ROBERTSON (on-camera): Officially kicking off Monday, scheduled to run until late June, the aim is to get pilots of NATO's different nations ready. Should they need to fight together? Wingtip to wingtip.

CODY SABOT VAN BEEK, 1ST LT. USAF AIR NATIONAL GUARD: I'm a young lieutenant, so I have not experienced any large scale thing like this. I actually got to fly with Euro fighters two days ago. And just being on the wing of an -- a partner is awesome.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Even Turkey, NATO's most mercurial member is sending F-16s, albeit just three out of the hundreds they own. COL. ERSIN OZMEN, TURKISH AIRFORCE COMMANDER OF 151ST SQUADRON: As an active and powerful member of NATO, we are here today to share our experience and develop our readiness.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): While commanders insist, their defender 2023 is not a message to Putin. Lessons learned from how Russian forces attack Ukraine with drone and cruise missiles are incorporated into the training.

GERHARTZ: In the Ukraine, you can see how important it is to have what we call air purity. So that's why it is really important to have a good ground-based air defense and fighter aircraft which can work together.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): Regardless of NATO's military intent, the exercises diplomatic message is unambiguous.

AMY GUTMANN, U.S. AMBASSADOR TO GERMANY: I would be pretty surprised if any world leaders was not taking note of what this shows in terms of the spirit of this alliance, which means the strength of this alliance, and that includes Mr. Putin.

ROBERTSON (voice-over): If the good weather holds as expected, training and messaging will have plenty of time to align.

Nic Robinson, CNN, Daegu Air Force Base, Germany.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLACKWELL: Well, with former President Trump now facing the federal indictment, officials are working to make sure his Tuesday Court appearance in Miami is safe and secure. The security concerns next.

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[07:28:31]

BLACKWELL: Security preparations have begun in Miami ahead of former President Trump's federal court appearance Tuesday. There will be a coordinated effort to keep court security extremely tight. Also there's a big concern for law enforcement outside of the courthouse.

Jonathan Wackrow is a former Secret Service agent. He was part of the detail for President Obama. He is also now a CNN Law Enforcement Analyst, and he is with us. Thank you very much, Jonathan. So, I want to know how this will compare to what we saw in April for the Trump appearance for the hush money case.

New York, they mobilized tens of thousands of officers, 30,000 plus all in uniform. The Miami Police Department is not that big. So what will we see in Miami as compared to what we saw a couple of months ago?

JONATHAN WACKROW, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, good morning, Victor. And listen, the former president's arrest in New York City, and specifically the coordination between different law enforcement agencies really sets the model for what's going to be applied this week down in Miami.

And to your point, the Miami Police Department is not the same as the New York Police Department. They can't mobilize as many officers. However, within the region, if you take all of the law enforcement entities that are down there, Miami-Dade Sheriff's Department, other law enforcement entities that can apply mutual aid, you are going to see a strong uniform presence really to deter any type of criminal activity.

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[07:30:04]

Or nefarious actions by individuals who may seek this as a moment of opportunity to, you know, highlight, you know, a specific cause.

And to that, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other law enforcement entities, intelligence units are actually scanning the threat environment to see what type of conversations are being had in advance of the president's arrest, really to understand how though need to apply specific control measures or bolster security in certain regions, again all with the aim of, you know, mitigating any type of, you know, action that's unwarranted.

BLACKWELL: So, the Secret Service did not request any specific accommodations for the court appearance on Tuesday. Initially, when I heard that, I thought, well, what would they have been? So, what are these common special accommodations, and would you have expected a request?

WACKROW: Well, you know, Victor, I think, you know, just to put it into context, I think when the Secret Service is saying they're not making any special requests, it's because their role is different than what we typically see the Secret Service take when it comes to, you know, former presidents, presidents or engagement in large-scale event planning.

Here, the Secret Service is not a lead coordinator in terms of the security plan, the overarching plan, not only for the courthouse, but for the region. We see that happen often with the Secret Service. Here, they are focused primarily on just the security of the former president.

So, those special accommodations that would be requested would be, you know, large-scale like clearing out the public, clearing out the courthouse, you know, there's a whole bunch of, you know, accommodations that typically, you know, if a president was to go to a certain location, the part of the security plan by the Secret Service would be applied. That is not the case here. The Secret Service is focused on really just getting the president from point A to the courthouse safely and then depart without incident. They are just focused on that individual and all of the planning around that -- the former president's security.

Other law enforcement entities, specifically the U.S. Marshals Service and the Miami Police Department, they have more responsibility in terms of the physical protection of the courthouse, the Ferguson Courthouse, which sits right in the heart of Downtown Miami, as well as the entire region. So, the Secret Service is going to play that different role. We saw that applied in New York City.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

WACKROW: And again, not making any special accommodations is because they also don't want to show any type of favoritism. They want this to be seen as very independent and just focused on protection.

BLACKWELL: There are some high-profile supporters of the former president who are making some incendiary statements since the unsealing, certainly, of the indictment. Congressman Andy Biggs tweeted, eye for an eye, we now have reached a war phase. Kimberly Guilfoyle posted a picture of Trump on Instagram with the words, retribution is coming. Former failed gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake said in Georgia, if you want to get to President Trump, you're going to have to go through me and you are going to have to go through 75 million Americans just like me. And I am going to tell you, most of us are card-carrying members of the NRA. That's not a threat. That's a public service announcement.

Your reaction in this environment to what you're hearing from sneeze supporters of the former president?

WACKROW: The language, Victor, is just dangerous. It is dangerous. And it's, you know, rhetoric that we've heard time and time again. And the challenge with that for law enforcement is that we don't have to, you know, guess whether or not that rhetoric can transcend into physical violence, we know it can. And that's the danger that the public faces, you know, on an event like this on the president's arrest is that someone will receive that message, will -- you know, will basically take that as a call to action to do something nefarious, you know, whether it's on Tuesday or towards the FBI or towards, you know, court officials, that is the danger here.

That rhetoric transcending into direct physical violence we know can happen. And that's why you are going to see this, you know, overwhelming show of force by law enforcement, you know, throughout, you know, the Miami Metro area upon, you know, President Trump's arrival is because they want to show that you cannot do that, right? Like it's not an eye for an eye, you're going through a person. That is just absolutely ridiculous language and it's dangerous and law enforcement knows that. So, they are going to overprepare for every time of eventuality.

BLACKWELL: Yes. And beyond the Miami Metro area, of course, we saw back at the time of the search of Mar-a-Lago there was a standoff at the FBI office in Cincinnati so far from Florida.

WACKROW: Yes.

BLACKWELL: So, I am sure that law enforcement across the country will be on higher alert. Jonathan Wackrow, always good to have the expertise. Thank you so much. WALKER: Still ahead, a Colorado widow is now demanding answers over what she calls a slow police response to an alleged hostage situation that led to her husband's death. That's next.

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[07:35:00]

WALKER: A Colorado woman says police did not respond quickly enough when she told them her husband was being held hostage.

BLACKWELL: She says she even told them where her husband was. But tragically, she says she arrived before the police, and by that time her husband was dead. Here's CNN's Camila Bernal.

[07:40:00]

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Police not saying much about this case, saying they did receive a 911 call, but not going into details because they say this an ongoing investigation. Now, a lot of the information that we are getting is from Campbell herself. This is a widow that is heartbroken and planning her husband's funeral.

But she says that this all happened on June 2nd. And she says she got these text messages from her husband, not just with the photo, but also with a location of where exactly her husband was at the time. She says she was able to call 911 and tell them exactly where her husband was, give them a description of the man in the photo, and tell them that her husband needed help. She says she didn't sense urgency from the dispatch operator at the time, so she decided to drive to where her husband was.

Now, she was about an hour away, and by the time that she got to that location she says there were no officers. So, she says she saw her husband's car and saw her husband slumped over the driver's side of the car, and as soon as she saw that she says she fell to her knees crying, but also felt she had to do more. Here's what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TALIJA CAMPBELL, WIDOW OF MAN KILLED: I wanted to check to see if he had a pulse. I opened the door and I put my fingers on his neck, I couldn't feel anything. I put my fingers on his wrist, I still couldn't feel anything. So, my uncle was the only one that was big enough to help pull him out of the car in a pool of blood. It was me that had to try to perform CPR on my husband in a pool of blood.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERNAL: And she was extremely emotional as she stepped away from that podium. She also said she shouldn't have been the one to have to do that. So, she is demanding answers through her attorney and asking why it took police so long to get there, what other calls were they receiving at the time or what other incidents took priority over her husband's incident. Now, the police, again, not saying much about this case, but releasing this statement that reads in part, we are aware there is information circulating about this case and we understand the concerns and questions that that arise as a result. We will continue to gather all relevant details about Mr. Campbell's death and ensure the accuracy of our findings.

Now, the police says this was a murder/suicide, but again, not a lot of details given about this case. So, we will have to wait to see what they say as she continues to ask for these answers and demands accountability from the police department. Victor, Amara.

BLACKWELL: Thank you so much, Camila, for that story.

President Biden and the first lady welcomed members of the LGBTQ community to the White House yesterday to commemorate Pride Month. He praised what he called the extraordinary courage of the LGBTQ community across the country.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: We know, we know real change, real challenges still remain. When a person can be married in the morning and thrown out of a restaurant for being gay in the afternoon, something is still very wrong in America. I want to send a message to the entire community, especially to transgender children, you are loved, you are heard, you are understood and you belong.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WALKER: The event comes as Pride celebrations are in full swing across the country. But some in the gay community say they feel targeted by new laws that are being rolled out in conservative states and arise in threats of violence. Chris Nguyen has more on how the community is staying strong as their fight for equality continues.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC PLAYING)

CHRIS NGUYEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (VOICE OVER): With Pride Month underway across America, members and allies. LGBTQ plus community are coming together to celebrate. Yet, for some, a feeling of anxiety permeates the air.

JUDITH KLAVINS, WASHINGTON, D.C. RESIDENT: I'm scared for us. I'm scared that we're going to lose our right.

Reporter: Judith Klavins and her wife are attending it this Pride kickoff event in Phillips Collection Art Museum in Washington as she worries about what mounting political tension around LGBTQ issues means for the future.

KLAVINS: Cut it out with the prejudice. Cut it out with the changing laws. We are just people. NGUYEN (voiceover): The American Civil Liberties Union is tracking more than 400 anti-LBGTQ bills, like those restricting gender- affirming care, drag performances and pronoun usage.

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL) AND U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Florida has also taken a strong stand against the imposition of gender ideology in our schools.

NGUYEN (voiceover): While not all of the bills are expected to become law, advocates are fearful. In a historic move Tuesday, the Human Rights Campaign declared a national state of emergency for LGBTQ plus Americans amid the onslaught of such legislation and threats to the community.

[07:45:00]

KELLEY ROBINSON, PRESIDENT, HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN: One in five of all hate crimes are motivated by anti-LBGTQ Plus bias.

NGUYEN (voiceover): HRC president, Kelley Robinson, says there's much more work to be done.

ROBINSON: This is not just a moment just to put up rainbow flags and come out and march, this is a moment to make clear where all of us stand, because the majority of Americans do not support these extremist attacks on our lives.

NGUYEN (voiceover): Tens of thousands are expected to attend the Annual Pride Parade and Festival in the nation's capital this weekend, including protesters from far-right groups. For event organizers, safety is a top concern.

RYAN BOS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, CAPITAL PRIDE ALLIANCE: It feels like we're going back in time. We need to be willing to create these spaces for all people, to feel a value. And that is what Pride is about.

NGUYEN (voiceover): Spaces like the Phillips where all are welcome.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

NGUYEN (voiceover): And celebrated.

VAGENESIS, DRAG QUEEN/PERFORMER: We are not letting any of the hatred or the bigotry stop us from doing what we're doing and being who we are.

NGUYEN (voiceover): Finding comfort in culture and community.

Chris Nguyen, CNN, Washington.

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WALKER: Still ahead, Argentine superstar Lionel Messi says he is heading to Miami. So, what would a move to Major League Soccer look like? We'll discuss.

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[07:50:00]

WALKER: Messi mania is coming to Miami. Last Wednesday, Argentina superstar Lionel Messi announced that he is going to join the Major League Soccer Club Inter Miami. The 35-year-old is considered one of the greatest soccer players of all time. He led Argentina to World Cup glory just this past December and was awarded the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player.

The decision, it comes after reports he turned down a lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia. He join -- joining me now to discuss all of this is Jasmine Garsd, an NPR correspondent and host of "The Last Cup" podcast. Jasmine, good morning. Thank you for joining us.

So, Lionel Messi turned down reported a very lucrative offer from Saudi Arabia, but it doesn't mean he didn't get a great deal with Miami, but they had to get pretty creative.

JASMINE GARSD, NPR CORRESPONDENT AND HOST OF "THE LAST CUP": Yes. I mean, look, he's not living a love of austerity in Miami. He -- this definitely was like a historic sports deal. I mean, it's reportedly around $53 million annually, which, again, compared to what he was going to get for Saudi, that was reportedly $400 million a year. But it's $53 million a year annually, and he's also getting a percentage of Apple MLS's season pass and he's also getting a percentage of the Adidas kind of shirts and gear. So, he came off OK.

WALKER: Yes. I'm sure he's pretty happy about the deal. What will this mean for soccer in Miami and also in America? Because, you know, I lived in Miami for seven, eight years of my life and I know that this is a town that really appreciates soccer.

GARSD: I think it's huge. I mean, first of all, for Miami, when you think about Miami it's such a sports town. But it's also a town where their soccer team has not been doing great, especially this year. But when you think of Miami, and you think of the Heat, you think of the Dolphins, I think this is just going to elevate soccer in Miami.

I also think it's a really big deal for soccer in the U.S. I mean, Messi -- people have his jersey everywhere in the world. I think people are going to flock to go see him. It's a really big step in bringing soccer to new audiences. I do, however, think that in order for soccer to become super popular in the U.S., MLS is going to have to also be investing in the up-and-coming Messis and not just be somewhere where superstars of soccer retire.

WALKER: Yes. And it also goes to show that Saudi Arabia, these deep pockets, don't always win, right? They were able to woo some really big stars like Cristiano Ronaldo to play in the league there in Saudi Arabia. Lastly, I know that Messi, Jasmine, he wanted to return to Barcelona, right? So, what happened there, because that was his first choice but he ended up, sadly, in Miami?

GARSD: Well, I don't know about sadly. I mean, it's good for us.

WALKER: I'm being facetious, yes.

GARSD: But, yes. I mean, his dream -- Barcelona is the team that made him. I mean, they really made Messi who he is and it was his heart's desire to go back to Barcelona. But Barcelona is having some really troubling financial times right now. And according to them, they just couldn't afford Messi.

WALKER: I'm sure he's going to have fun trying to find a beautiful palatial place on the water somewhere in Miami. Jasmine Garsd, thank you very much.

BLACKWELL: The Saudis offered $400 million a year?

WALKER: Yes. Do you know the report that they offered Tiger Woods to get him to play in LIV Golf Tour was close to a billion? Those were the reports, but Tiger turned it down because obviously he doesn't need -- deep pockets.

BLACKWELL: I mean, yes, he's not going to be a cup of noodles in Miami, but $400 million a year.

WALKER: I know. It's a lot of money.

BLACKWELL: All right. I just need a moment. A look back on the pivotal social movements that shaped the last decade in a new episode of the CNN original series "The 2010s." Here is a look.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As long as government subsidies and programs went to help Republican voters, they were fine with it. They just didn't like that they thought it was going to people who doesn't deserve it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You're taking money from us to give everybody a health insurance when that's not a right that's given by the federal government.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And as John Ruskin said, there ain't no free lunch.

[07:55:00]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Economically, they are catching hell, but their angle of vision was not to confront the most powerful, but the scapegoat, the most vulnerable.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need to get the illegal aliens out of our country and back into their country. So, we're not having to support them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: A new episode of "The 2010s" airs tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

We'll be back.

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