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Russia's War on Ukraine; CIA Issues Black Sea Alert Regarding Russian False Flag Attack; Odessa Grain Facilities Attacked by Russia; Grain Storage Facilities in Odessa Attacked on the Fourth Night; WH: Ukraine is "Appropriately... Effectively" Utilizing Cluster Munitions Supplied by U.S.; Source: Alleged Gilgo Beach Murderer Suspected of Luring Victims into Own Home; Theoretically, Serial Killer Suspect Committed Murders Inside Own Home, According to Investigators; Police Seized Computers, Tablets, and Hard Drives on Man's Home Who Claims to Have Seen Tupac Killed; GOP'S Murkowski: I'd Vote Manchin In Biden- Trump Race; Former Maryland Governor On Push For Third-Party Run; DeSantis Threatens Lawsuit Over Bud Light's Transgender Influencer Promotion Backlash. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired July 21, 2023 - 08:00   ET

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

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[08:00:00]

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: All right. Good morning, everyone. It's Friday, July 21st. We got a lot of news. We're going to start with a number of different big stories, including this, we're going to take you live to Ukraine where Russia is relentlessly bombing the world's food supply, and there are dire new warnings from the director of the CIA about alleged plans to attack civilian ships.

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN ANCHOR AND SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: And also, this morning, we're learning new disturbing details in that Gilgo Beach serial killer investigation. A source tells CNN that investigators believe the suspect murdered his victims inside of his own home while his family was out of town.

MATTINGLY: And the "Barbenheimer" battle begins. America, I know this is the only thing you care about. Two of the summer's most anticipated movies are opening today, and they couldn't be any more different. Our own Sara Sidner interviewed the stars of "Barbie", Margot Robbie and America Ferrera. This hour of "CNN This Morning" starts right now.

And we're going to get started with news that just broke on CNN this morning, White House National Security Council Spokesman John Kirby echoing CIA Director Bill Burns and issuing a stark warning that Russia could be preparing for a false flag operation in the Black Sea and adding more details.

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JOHN KIRBY, WH. NATIONAL SECURITY SPOKESMAN: We have information that the Russians are potentially going to try to attack ships, civilian ships in the Black Sea that could be used for carrying grain out of Ukraine. and we -- the information that we have, Phil, is that they could use sea mines and they could also use more kinetic attacks with, say, unmanned surface vehicles to attack ships.

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MATTINGLY: While, overnight, Russia weaponizing hunger by launching attacks on grain warehouses in the Black Sea Port of Odessa. These facilities are crucial to keeping people fed in developing nations. Ukrainian military official says, two people were hurt and more than 100 tons of peas and barley were destroyed. Russia had already destroyed 60,000 tons of grain earlier this week. The U.N. says it could have fed more than 270,000 people.

PHILLIP: This was the fourth night of strikes on Ukraine's major port city and it coincides with Russia's decision to pull out of a critical deal that allowed for the safe export of Ukrainian grain. Now, Kyiv has been struggling to repel this wave of Russian attacks as air defenses really can't cope with the types of missiles that Moscow is now using.

CNN's Alex Marquardt is in the Ukrainian capital right now, for us now. Alex, you were in Odessa for so many of these attacks over the last several days. What can you tell us about now the fourth straight night of shelling in Odessa?

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Well, good morning, Abby and Phil. These were incredibly destructive. Now, these strikes were just outside of the city. We stayed up all night in Odessa waiting to see whether there would be a fourth barrage in a row. This set of strikes slightly different than the ones that we have seen, the three previous nights, these starting around dawn and going throughout the morning. Slightly less intense, as well, in terms of the number of missiles that was used, but still incredibly destructive.

What we know from Ukrainian officials, at least seven different types of cruise missiles hitting targets, civilian targets, civilian infrastructure, food infrastructure. This is exactly what President Zelenskyy and other officials have been talking about, calling it weaponizing hunger. We know that those Russian strikes hit grain warehouses, destroying hundred100 tons of peas, 20 tons of barley, and injuring at least two people.

Now, Ukraine says that this is Russia's response after pulling out of that grain deal earlier this week. That grain deal that was so important for Ukraine, for the world's food supply. Russia, however, has said that they are responding to that attack on the Kerch Bridge by Ukraine on Monday, that brazen attack by Ukraine using sea drones. But it is clear, at this point, that Russia, after the termination or at least the suspension of this grain deal, is very much going after Ukraine's food infrastructure with this fourth straight day of attacks. Guys.

MATTINGLY: Alex, this is all happening as a counteroffensive or attempted counteroffensive is still ongoing. U.S. intelligence says that Ukraine has now started using those controversial cluster munitions. You've done so much reporting on this on the ground over the course of the last week to or so. Do you think this is going to change the narrative surrounding that counteroffensive?

[08:05:00]

MARQUARDT: Well, certainly the narrative that the U.S. wants to push, the Biden administration arguing that simply there is a shortage of artillery rounds and this is what the U.S. has to give. It's not about the capability of the cluster munition. Ukraine needs artillery, here are artillery rounds. But there is no doubt that they do represent a significant escalation in what is capable.

Ukrainian officers and officials eager to get them because of how destructive they are. It's a question of how they are used. I've heard experts say that they can be most effective when used against, say, groupings of Russian soldiers or Russian equipment, less effective against in trench warfare.

But what is clear is right now Ukraine is struggling. This is very much an artillery fight between Russia and Ukraine. Ukraine needs these rounds and this is what can be offered at this time. How effective they will end up being, that we have to wait and see. Guys.

MATTINGLY: All right. Alex Marquardt, live for us in Kyiv. Thank you.

PHILLIP: And on another story, there are chilling new developments in that Gilgo Beach murders case. And a source -- the source tells CNN that investigators think that the suspect, Rex Heuermann, killed woman inside of his Long Island, New York, home. He is behind bars charged with three murders. And we've learned that some of those victims disappeared when his family was out of town, suggesting that he may have lured them to his home for dates.

With us now is CNN Chief Law Enforcement and Intelligence Analyst John Miller. John, this is a fascinating development here about how the investigators are trying to piece together the when and why of all of this. And it seems like Heuermann was living in a double -- a double life even more than investigators have already established based on the fact that they believe that he was responsible for at least three, potentially four murders.

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: That's right. And, you know, we have seen in the history of serial killer cases an innate ability to compartmentalize their normal lives, family lives, job lives and then they are usually extraordinarily complex lives where they operate in a hidden identity doing these things in a way to avoid detection. This case is like a lot of those.

MATTINGLY: But -- I guess that's why I was so surprised by committing -- potentially committing crimes in his own home. He has a family. He has a wife. It seems like they were out of town. But is that normal? That seems -- even strangest --

MILLER: That's -- normal doesn't come into this.

MATTINGLY: Right. Yes, that's a fact. MILLER: Has it happened before? Yes, we've seen --

MATTINGLY: Good.

MILLER: -- we've seen serial killers who have created operating environments in their home because it offers control and privacy. In this case, they don't know this. But why they suspect this is a strong possibility is two core reasons. Number one, tracking the victims' cellphones. They have three -- well, they have the four cases, he is a suspect and charged in three. But in three of those four cases, their cellphones seemed to track from where they started out right to the Massapequa Park area of his home and then they go dark.

The other thing is, in all four of those cases, those were times when his wife and children were out of town, away from the house. Why do something in your own house where you are going to be creating evidence? Because it's the one place you've got plenty of time to clean up that evidence. It's the place where what they call, the murder kit, the things you're going to need to tie somebody up or do the rest of the things that are alleged in this case are readily available to you.

It's where a victim screaming, unlike a hotel room at 1:30 in the morning where people are going to hear that can be muffled. And it's a place where, more important than all of that, you as the killer feel you are in control of the environment and the victim is not.

So, do they have a piece of physical evidence that ties any of these victims to his home yet? The answer is no. But they have removed a lot of things that they're going to be testing to see if they can tie either the victims' presence there or evidence of the victim at that location.

MATTINGLY: Yes.

PHILLIP: I want to get your expertise on another case we've been following. This has to do with Tupac Shakur's murder, decades old now. Last night, speaking to Sara Sidner, his brother spoke out about why this investigation -- he thinks it's odd. It's taken so long for them to get to this point to reopen this case. Listen.

MILLER: Well, this case has been in stages --

PHILLIP: We're -- let me just play the sound real quick so folks can hear what he said.

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MOPREME SHAKUR, TUPAC SHAKUR'S STEPBROTHER: It's been 27 years. So, it doesn't seem that there has been a lot of zeal or robust investigation of this case. This individual that this theory about his connection to the case has been floating around for years. He's been on --

SARA SIDNER, SENIOR NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: He even said he was a witness, right, to the shooting, but never -- SHAKUR: Yes.

SIDNER: -- said anything about who was the actual killer?

[08:10:00]

SHAKUR: Yes. And that's my point. Where were law enforcement been?

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PHILLIP: It's a good question. This has all been out there.

MILLER: So, he is talking about Keefe D, a South Side Crips gang member who claims he was in the car. And not just a gang member, a gang leader. When Tupac was shot the first time in New York City, I was deputy commissioner, I was on the scene of the shooting. We looked at it as a robbery, leaving that recording studio. The rap world looked at that as he was set up and it was the beginning of the East Coast-West Coast war.

This would be the next piece of that. But investigation boiled down to Keefe D, the gang leader, his nephew was beaten up that night in the lobby of the MGM Hotel because he had robbed a member of Suge Knight's crew, beaten up by Suge Knight and Tupac Shakur. And that Keefe D assembled a crew and went hunting for them that night.

Now, he had an immunity deal. He's been part of investigations. He's been recorded talking about the circumstances of this. But it's been an enormously complicated case. That was done by a federal task force. This is Las Vegas Metro P.D. where the murder happened, reopening the case, and going back to see if they can find clues to bring it home. It's been a long time --

MATTINGLY: 27 years.

MILLER: -- and, you know, a lot of people didn't want to talk.

MATTINGLY: Yes.

PHILLIP: A lot of twists and turns there.

MATTINGLY: Yes, no question about it. John Miller, thanks.

Well, China-based hackers breaching the e-mail account of the American ambassador in Beijing adding to the list of other U.S. officials who have been targeted. Details on that, ahead.

PHILLIP: And GOP Senator Lisa Murkowski says that if the 2024 race is a Biden/Trump matchup, she'll vote for Joe Manchin. Does that mean it's time for a third-party candidate? We will ask the Former Republican Governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan, next.

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[08:15:00]

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ABBY PHILLIP, CNN ANCHOR: Now, there's one thing Americans apparently don't want, it's a rematch. CNN polling shows that very few people are excited about either Joe Biden or Donald Trump in 2024. And that is leading some to consider the viability of a third party run for President. Republican Senator Lisa Murkowski thinks one of her Democratic colleagues might be up to the task.

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SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI (R-AK): If it's a matchup between Biden and Trump, I know exactly where I'd go. I would go with -- I would go with Joe Manchin. I am one who doesn't like to use my vote for the lesser of evils. I want to be proactive in who I think could do the job. I think Manchin could do the job. But will our system allow for that? That I don't know.

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PHILLIP: And joining us now is Republican Governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan, the former Governor, I should say. He's also an Honorary National Co-chair of the Center's Political Organization, No Labels, which is actively considering running a third-party candidate in 2024. Governor Hogan, thank you for joining us. As a former constituent in Maryland, I made you a permanent Governor there of that state. I do want to ask you, though, about --

LARRY HOGAN (R), FORMER MARYLAND GOVERNOR: Well, thank you. I appreciate it. Good morning.

PHILLIP: Good morning, I want to ask you about what Lisa Murkowski was saying there, because there was a new poll just out yesterday, asking basically this question asking voters. Would you consider a third- party candidate, there was a generic option, but there was also an option for them to choose Manchin, and Huntsman. A kind of unity ticket or a Republican and a Democrat. But when you look at the numbers here, 75 percent of those polled here say no, they wouldn't consider Manchin and Huntsman. I mean, does that undermine the real core case that no label is trying to make to the country?

HOGAN: I don't think so. Look, I'm not sure whether Joe Manchin or Huntsman have any real interest in running for President and Vice President. But when you look at the poll that you put up just a moment ago. If you have a choice, 70 percent of the people in America do not want Joe Biden or Donald Trump. And not only we have two very unpopular potential nominees, but both of them potentially facing very serious legal troubles.

Most overwhelming majority of Americans are looking for something else. And so, when given the choice between Donald Trump, Joe Biden or neither, most Americans pick neither. And it's, look, there are 49 percent of the people in America right now that are registered Independent.

And there are many 58 percent of the Democrats I think, do not want Joe Biden to be their nominee, about 50 percent of the Republicans do not want Donald Trump. If we're -- if we're faced with those two choices, look, it's very understandable, why so many people in America would like to have another choice.

PHILLIP: So, you've ruled out running for the Republican nomination. But over the last couple of days, your Twitter accounts been posting some videos that some folks have said, strike them as almost like soft campaign style videos. Are you still considering a third-party potential run for the presidency?

HOGAN: It's not something that I'm considering. But as I've said a number of times, look, we're in really unprecedented, uncharted waters where we've never been as a country. And we don't know what it's going to be like next spring. And so, you know, I left the door cracked open. But, you know, we were -- these were, they were campaign style videos that we put out quite a while ago when I was, you know, still Governor and while we were considering running in the Republican primaries.

So, we haven't done any, you know, overt steps to take any actions. But I am involved in no labels because I really believe in bipartisan common-sense solutions and the ability to reach across the aisle. And I think we may be at the point. We don't know at this point. But we -- it may be time for folks to have the courage to put the country first. And rather than just continue the status quo politics as usual, that we're all fed up with.

PHILLIP: I want to talk to you, you brought up former President Trump's legal troubles. As you know, he's now under the potential cloud of another indictment. I want to play for you what former Vice President Mike Pence said about that yesterday.

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MIKE PENCE (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: His reckless words on that day endanger my family and all of us at the Capitol. But I'm not convinced he was a criminal. And I hope that with the possibility of another indictment coming against the President and I hope it doesn't come to that.

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[08:20:02]

PHILLIP: If Trump's words and actions endangered Pence his life, threatened a peaceful transfer of power. Do you think that he should not be prosecuted as the former Vice President just said?

HOGAN: Look, I think the law is the final arbiter of men's actions and that no man is above the law. And these were serious things that were taking place on January 6, I was very involved in it. I actually had leaders of Congress calling me as the next-door Governor begging me for help because they were beat -- the Capitol Police were overwhelmed and under attack.

And I sent the Maryland State Police riot team, I called up the Maryland National Guard. And for hours, there was no action going on at the White House while we were taking action, direct action immediately, over and over again. And the fact that this riotous mob took over the Capitol, and people kind of say, well, it was bad, but we really shouldn't look into it.

It's crazy to me. I mean, I think those was one of the worst moments in American history. And the next day after I called up the National Guard, Maryland National Guard was the first to arrive outside of D.C. Maryland State Police were the first to arrive. We got the situation under control with some of the allies.

And, you know, the next day, I called on President Trump to resign and to let Mike Pence finish out the remainder of the term and conduct a peaceful transition. So, you know, I admire Mike Pence, I think he stood up and did the right thing on January 6, and upheld the Constitution. But I would disagree with them that, you know, we should excuse the President's behavior just because he happened to be President.

PHILLIP: I want to ask you now about, Ron DeSantis, who's running second in the Republican primary here, for that nomination. You had said recently that DeSantis his campaign was, quote, dropping like a rock and close to over. There's been a lot of talk about a potential reset there. Do you -- where do you think he stands now? Do you think he can turn things around?

HOGAN: Well, that's a great question. I mean, he obviously got the message. And I think I was correct that the campaign was in turmoil. And they were dropping, and now they've decided, they've got to kind of retool the entire campaign and rebuild it from the ground up. Because here's a guy who was getting all the attention, who had all the name recognition was wall to wall coverage on Fox News.

And it seemed to be with the Trump base, that maybe the guy that's the next Trump, and yet he has continued to falter. You know, I know he had some weaknesses, both personally as a candidate and within the campaign. And I'm glad that they're, you know, taking a look at trying to -- trying to retool. So, we'll see how effective that is. But obviously, you don't make drastic changes. And if things are going well.

PHILLIP: Do you think the message needs to change?

HOGAN: I think so. I mean, he's been trying to kind of out Trump and move to the right of him with the MAGA base. They took a look at him, and then they move back to Trump. And so, even with the indictments, Trump's numbers went up and DeSantis has went down. I think they're about 50 percent of the people in the Republican primary do not want Trump.

And I think you need to go appeal to those folks. We've got 12 candidates running. And so far, nobody is really standing out. And I'm hopeful that someone with a positive, hopeful vision for America will step up and be able to unify. All those folks that want to move like I am, that want to move in a different direction away from Donald Trump and back to a more traditional, more Reaganesque, bigger tent Republican Party. PHILLIP: All right. Larry Hogan, thank you very much for your time this morning.

HOGAN: Thank you.

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN ANCHOR: And coming up next. RFK Jr. Facing a barrage of criticism for contradictions and conspiracy theories that was coming under fire from his own family. John F. Kennedy's grandson blasts him, his cousin and backing Biden for President. That's next.

[08:25:00]

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PHILLIP: A new this morning, John F. Kennedy's grandson not mincing words when it comes to his cousin RFK Jr. is 2024 Ron.

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JACK SCHLOSSBERG, GRANDSON OF JOHN F. KENNEDY: He's trading in on Camelot, celebrity, conspiracy theories and conflict for personal gain and fame. I've listened to him. I know him. I have no idea why anyone thinks he should be President. What I do know is his candidacy is an embarrassment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIP: Jack Schlossberg, took to Instagram to blast Robert F. Kennedy's constant stream of misinformation and he endorsed Joe Biden in the process. Now, Congressional Democrats yesterday grilled RFK Jr. over his controversial statements spreading vaccine misinformation and his conspiracy theories claiming the people who are the most immune to COVID-19 are Ashkenazi Jews and the Chinese.

MATTINGLY: Well, also happening this morning. Federal authorities are investigating a series of email hacks targeting U.S. officials including Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns. Three U.S. officials tell CNN China based hackers breached Burns' account in a recent intelligence gathering campaign that targeted the emails of the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asia and Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.

Microsoft says the breaches began in mid-May when the hackers used a stolen signing key to burrow into the accounts. Beijing has accused Washington of conducting its own hacking operations.

PHILLIP: And after a little bit of lighter news, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has added a new accolade to her long resume. She is now officially a member of the Divine Nine. Yesterday she was inducted as an honorary member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated during its national convention in Indianapolis.

And in an exclusive statement to CNN, Justice Jackson said, "Because Delta Sigma Theta only extends honorary memberships to women who have made significant contributions to society while excelling in their chosen fields. It is a tremendous honor to have been so recognized. I'm thrilled and humbled to be among this year's extraordinary group of inductees."

Now, it may be unusual to see a sitting justice inducted into a sorority. But this sorority is one of a group of nine historically black sororities and fraternities that have long histories as centers of activism, social scholarship and service in the African American Community.

On Thursday also Vice President Kamala Harris, she spoke at the Delta Sigma Theta convention yesterday. Although, she is actually a member of a different Divine Nine Sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha. And I should also say Phil, I'm also a Delta. And so, she is now technically my sorority sister.

MATTINGLY: At least she's got, you know, famous and important friends that she can hang out with, you know.