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Nation Unites to Mourn Orlando Attack Victims; Patrons: Terrorist Familiar Face at Gay Nightclub; Trump Suggesting President Has Ulterior Motives on Terror? Aired 6-6:30a ET

Aired June 14, 2016 - 06:00   ET

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

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

[05:58:15] CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: We want to welcome our viewers in the United States and around the world. You are watching NEW DAY. We're live from Orlando once again. Over our shoulder, of course, the scene of the deadliest shooting in American history.

But the story this morning is, divided no more. Thousands gathering here in downtown Orlando last night to pay tribute to the victims. Thousands more on the streets of New York. In Los Angeles a candlelight vigil to remember the 49 murdered in Sunday's terror attack. Communities across the country, around the world, uniting to remember the young lives cut short at the gay nightclub right behind us.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Those are beautiful pictures to see them with all the candlelight vigils. Throughout the show, we will pay tribute to the victims and we will share their loved ones' stories about them. Each of them individual.

Also, we have new stories of survival and heroism inside that club.

We're also learning more about the terrorist's history at that particular nightclub and where he was in the hours before the massacre. This, of course, as the political rhetoric about the attack heats up.

So we have it all covered for you. Let's begin with CNN's Boris Sanchez.

Good morning, Boris.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Alisyn. Good morning.

As we learn more about the individuals, the sons and daughters and family members that were lost during this horrible, horrible attack, we're also watching the people of the world come together to stand in solitude with the victims and the families of victims here in Orlando as the city begins a very difficult and long process of healing.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ (voice-over): Thousands gathering in Orlando to mourn the 49 lives cut short in Sunday's terror attack at a gay nightclub. A bell tolling 49 times for each of the victims.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Be at peace, my friends.

SANCHEZ: A community known as one of the happiest places on earth because of its world-famous theme parks, now a city grappling with being the site of the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.

The Latino and gay community hard-hit by this senseless attack.

Across the nation, thousands more coming together in solidarity to remember the victims outside New York City's Stonewall Inn, the LGBT community gathering at the historic site where violence became the catalyst for the gay rights movement.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hold up your lights. Show the world we are standing together in New York City, and we are sending a message that we will not accept hate anymore.

SANCHEZ: In Los Angeles, pop star Lady Gaga read the names of all 49 victims at a candlelight vigil.

LADY GAGA, SINGER/SONGWRITER: Orlando, we are united with you.

SANCHEZ: This, as we're learning more stories of heroism from survivors.

RAY RIVERA, ORLANDO SHOOTING SURVIVOR: I just heard the shots getting closer and closer, and at that point, I was like, all right. It's time to go.

SANCHEZ: Ducking behind his deejay booth, Ray Rivera survived, saving a woman's life in the process.

RIVERA: The girl was down there panicking, so I kind of, you know, told her she needed to be quiet. And as soon as there was a break in the shots, then I kind of just pushed her and said, "Come on. Let's go."

SANCHEZ: Twenty-five-year-old Norman Casiano was shot twice in the melee, taking cover inside a bathroom. To escape he climbed over the bodies of his friends that couldn't make it out alive.

NORMAN CASIANO, ORLANDO SHOOTING SURVIVOR: Someone starts screaming, like, "Please, please, please, don't shoot us. Don't shoot us." And he does the first round through the door.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of the stall where you were?

CASIANO: Of the stall that I was in. And he put his hand over the stall and just -- free shot.

SANCHEZ: These heart-wrenching stories having an affect around the world, landmarks from Paris to Sydney lighting up in rainbow colors to symbolically show that love wins.

British singer Adele opening up her concert in Belgium with this emotional tribute.

ADELE, SINGER/SONGWRITER: I would like to start tonight by dedicating this entire show to everybody at Orlando and at Pulse nightclub last night. The LGBTQ community, they're like soulmates since I was very young, so I'm very moved by it.

SANCHEZ: And on the streets of London's Soho district, a Mecca for the city's LGBT community, cheers as 49 balloons were released in honor of the victims.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SANCHEZ: It is inspiring to see these showings of support in the face of such horror, whether it's through donations being made online or the giant crowds of people that are outside blood centers. donating blood to those who need it most.

One more note. We can expect more of these types of vigils as we get closer to Thursday when President Obama is set to visit Orlando and offer personal condolences to the families of victims -- Chris.

CUOMO: OK. Thank you very much, Boris. We'll check back with you in a little bit.

Now, as for the murderer who terrorized this club, as you know, we don't say his name on the show, and he's no longer going to be shown on NEW DAY.

Patrons of the nightclub are trying to fill in the holes with the investigation. They're saying the killer was a familiar face at the gay club where this attack was carried out. We're also learning about what this man was doing in the hours before carrying out the massacre and the question of whether or not there may be other people charged.

CNN national security correspondent Jim Sciutto joining us with more on the investigation. What do we know, Jimmy?

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Investigators, from looking at cell tower information found in the hours before he was here, he was at a Disney property downtown, Disney Springs. It's part of the Disney World resort. And this in addition to a previous visit to Disney World in April of this year with this family. The question for investigators: was he scoping out other possible targets? They haven't determined that yet.

This as investigators are piecing together more details of the horror that took place inside the Pulse nightclub.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS CALLEN, REGULAR PULSE NIGHTCLUB CUSTOMER (via phone): We said hello and everything, and he was very friendly.

SCIUTTO (voice-over): Club goers recalling their interactions with the terrorist they say frequented the popular gay nightclub before carrying out the massacre. CALLEN: I would, maybe twice a month, see him on Tuesday nights.

SCIUTTO: Several regular customers telling the "The Orlando Sentinel" that they've seen the 29-year-old terrorist on and off for several years.

CALLEN: He seemed like a very nice, comfortable -- he was -- he loved where he was at. He was drinking with another guy at one time. A lot of it don't make sense, and we're never going to know.

SCIUTTO: Another regular, Kevin West, telling "The Los Angeles Times" that the terrorist had messaged him on a gay dating app several times in the last year.

MOLLY HENNESSY-FISKE, REPORTER, "L.A. TIMES": He said the man had contacted him, looking for clubs to go out to.

SCIUTTO: This, as we're getting our first look at the chaos inside the Pulse nightclub as gunshots rang out. Twenty-five-year-old Amanda Alvear eventually hiding out in the club's bathroom, where the terrorist continued his carnage.

Investigators working to piece together clues to trace the terrorist's moves in the hours before the attack. Using cell phone tower data, investigators now say the terrorist spent several hours at Disney Springs, a popular shopping and entertainment center at Walt Disney resort. He was believed to be alone at the time, his exact motives, unclear.

What is becoming more clear is that he appears to have been self- radicalized and expressed support for conflicting Islamic groups.

JAMES COMEY, FBI DIRECTOR: He said he was doing this for the leader of ISIL, but he also appeared to claim solidarity with the perpetrators of the Boston Marathon bombing and solidarity with a Florida man who died as a suicide bomber in Syria for al Nusra Front, a group in conflict with the so-called Islamic State.

SCIUTTO: Investigators also say his electronic devices show searches for ISIS beheading videos and videos of Anwar al-Awlaki, the American imam who joined al Qaeda in Yemen.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: What investigators have found on those electronic devices, a key line of inquiry here, trying to piece together exactly what his motivations were. Chris, Alisyn, as they look at this they see, really, a conflicting mix of motivations. Right? Because many of those groups, even al Awlaki, al Qaeda, that's a group diametrically opposed to ISIS, the group that he express support for the night of the shooting. It's a confusing mix of things, in addition to his personal motivations. They're still determining exactly why he went into that club and killed so many people.

CUOMO: He identified himself with Hezbollah, as well, which of course is an antithetical group to the other side. It's a mixed picture. Stay with us. Let's discuss more on the investigation. We also want

to bring in Val Demings. Now, she's the former Orlando police chief and now a Democratic candidate for office here, Congress in Florida.

Val, thank you for joining us.

VAL DEMINGS, FORMER ORLANDO POLICE CHIEF: Good morning.

CUOMO: So one of the things that may still happen here, that we're hearing about is they're trying to piece together this picture whether this guy had any outside help, whether this was all about madness in his own head, but was he completely alone in his intentions? What are you hearing, Jim, in terms of, well, maybe somebody else knew something? Well, maybe we're going to have to charge somebody else?

SCIUTTO: Well, in terms of an international terror group directing or having contact with him, to this point, no information. No evidence of contact with a group such as ISIS or no evidence of direction or coordination from abroad. So that's on that front.

Investigators are still looking into whether he had any sort of support network here. They haven't hardened that up yet, and I'm sure you know, as well, that this is something they do after these attacks. They did the same in Paris; they did it in Belgium. And remember, in those kinds of attacks, it took them weeks to determine exactly how big the network was. At this point, from the investigators' perspective, it looks like a lone wolf.

CAMEROTA: Chief, tell us about the investigation here locally and if police are equipped for something this widespread?

DEMINGS: Well, you know, the police, we train for these type of incidents. Very highly skilled, very highly trained. But it's training that they hope that they never have to use.

What makes this investigation very difficult, though, is that this very well could be an individual who was working alone. When they're not involved with any other groups, or gangs or people that are already being surveilled or tracked, it does make it very, very difficult for law enforcement.

But between the FBI, the state and the local law enforcement, they'll piece this puzzle back together and come up with some answers that we all so desperately need.

CUOMO: One of the dynamics that we took a measure of comfort in during the Bataclan attack in Paris was that, in the U.S., our police do it differently. They don't wait for SWAT. If there's a threat inside, you go right in.

Here, there was a big wait period and potential layers of negotiation with this madman inside. Were you surprised that the cops didn't get in there as soon as they came?

DEMINGS: Well, actually, in 1999 with the Taliban shooting, police responses change. Historically, police officers would arrive at the scene, those initial patrol officers. They would secure the perimeter and then wait for the crisis negotiators or the hostage negotiations team.

At Pulse the other night, there was an off-duty officer who was there, who initially engaged the suspect. He immediately called for backup. Some other patrol officer responded, and they engaged the suspect in gunfire and at the same time were helping persons evacuate the club. Those that had already been injured, helping them to get out of that nightclub.

The gunman barricaded himself in a different location, and it's at that point when those officers secured the scene, SWAT team and the crisis negotiation arrived.

CUOMO: So the notion that they waited for SWAT is wrong. This guy shot his way into the club, and then there was a second phase to the attack.

DEMING: That's absolutely correct.

CUOMO: Jim, let's talk about this guy's paradoxical background and maybe his motivation. So we had heard from his friends and his ex- wife that he said homophobic things and anti-gay things.

Then yesterday it came out that he had been at the Pulse more than once, and, in fact, he had been sort of trolling around looking for gay nightclubs and maybe on a gay dating app? What do we know?

[06:10:02] SCIUTTO: He might have been gay. This is the thing that you -- it's -- it would be -- it's easier for us to imagine that there's one simple answer as to why someone does this. You know? But here you have overlapping things. Multiple groups that were diametrically opposed to each other, make no sense together. Hezbollah and ISIS and al Qaeda, they're fighting each other in a war in Syria right now. So that makes no sense.

CUOMO: Or it makes sense if it's this emerging picture that you're detailing right now, which is that he's not legit.

CAMEROTA: Right.

CUOMO: He's not like this guy in France, you know, who just, you know, butchered a policeman on Facebook live in the advance of the ideology.

SCIUTTO: You sure have, and there is precedent for people attaching themselves to this ideology without any real substance to it. Right? Troubled people with their other anger, their resentment against the gay community.

CAMEROTA: Right.

SCIUTTO: Whichever -- whatever his personal and family background is, they find this cause, which gives them cause and an identity, even if no real basis.

CAMEROTA: Yes. Anger looking for a cause; anger looking for a purpose.

CUOMO: But also, Val, you're marrying the two worlds right now. You come from the police world. Now you're getting into the political world, and they're very different motivations. It is satisfying to say he's a terrorist. It's simple. It's clean. He killed a large number of people. He targeted what we're about by going after gays and targeting our freedom. That's it. It's over. Don't bother me with subtlety.

But in terms of how to understand the threat, you do have to know what kind of animal this guy was?

DEMINGS: You do. And obviously, over the last 48 hours, there's a lot about this case that has come to our attention, and still information is coming to our attention.

I believe this was an individual that was dealing with an array of different issues. I think he had his own personal struggles. Obviously, we know that this was not his first, second or even third time visiting this particular establishment. So I believe he had his own personal issue.

But we also know that he killed 49 people, wounded 53 people, and he had access to an AR-15, and two other handguns. And so the whole conversation about the prevalence of guns -- of guns in our society is a major part of this space, too.

SCIUTTO: And he bought those guns after a long-term FBI investigation.

DEMINGS: That's absolutely correct.

CAMEROTA: We know that his ex-wife has come forward. She's spoken out. She said that he -- she always thought that he was mentally ill. He was violent with her.

He was also married. This is new information. Do we know anything about this current family?

SCIUTTO: His second wife, we know investigators have said that she's cooperating in the investigation. She's helped provide insight. She's been the source of information about other places he visited, for instance this trip to Disney World in April.

So that -- you know, that's certainly a line of inquiry. And also the question what was she aware of during that time? That's something that investigators are looking into.

CAMEROTA: Thank you both for your expertise.

DEMINGS: Thank you.

CAMEROTA: Nice to have you on NEW DAY.

Up next, we will be talking about the politics of terrorism. Donald Trump has certainly been speaking about it, as has Hillary Clinton. They're taking very different approaches, though. Trump banning Muslims, Clinton taking on assault weapons. So we look at both, and which plan makes us safer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:17:06] CAMEROTA: In the aftermath of this nightclub attack, the politics of terror are as divisive as ever. Donald Trump questioning whether President Obama may have had some ulterior interests in this terror attack. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE (via phone): He doesn't get it, or he gets it better than anybody understands. It's one or the other, and either one is unacceptable.

We're led by a man that either is -- is -- is not tough, not smart, or he's got something else in mind, and the something else in mind, you know, people can't believe it. People cannot -- they cannot believe that President Obama is acting the way he acts and can't even mention the words "radical Islamic terrorism." There's something going on. It's inconceivable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: We want to talk about this now with our CNN political commentators, Ben Ferguson and Bakari Sellers. Ben is the host of "The Ben Ferguson Show." Bakari is a Hillary Clinton supporter.

Gentlemen, thanks so much for being here.

Ben, let me start with you. What was Donald Trump referencing there?

BEN FERGUSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think his point that he was referencing is pretty clear. He believes that the president is doing everything he can to not actually call this what it is and to be politically correct. This is radical Islamic terrorists. They are in this country, obviously, and being radicalized over the Internet and maybe by their own means.

But the fact is, this is a war that we are with, with these terrorists. And he seems to do everything he can to be blunt and bold about the gun that was used and be very clear about how much he hates that gun and wants to ban it. But he holds back on the other issue, and that is the radical Islamic terrorists who are doing this. Some of them are homegrown.

CAMEROTA: OK.

FERGUSON: Some of them are in our country.

CAMEROTA: So Bakari, is that how you heard it?

BAKARI SELLERS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: No.

CAMEROTA: This is him just referencing the president being politically correct, not being a sympathizer of some kind?

SELLERS: No, no. No. And Ben understands that's not the case, as well. I mean, first let me just say...

FERGUSON: No, I don't.

SELLERS: ... my heart goes out to Orlando and all of the victims in Orland.

But Donald Trump and his dog-whistle politics have just gone too far. I think that we all understand, Donald Trump and the fascism, the America first, you know, pre-World War II type of ideology that he has, it's just gone too far. And at a time when we've been struck by so much tragedy, for him to insert this type of demagoguery, for him to insert this type of dog-whistle politics, we know what he's saying. This is the person that led the birther movement.

And yes, we do have a gun problem in this country. And regardless of what you call it, regardless of what the word is -- if you want to say radical Islam, radical jihadists -- whatever you want to call the word, there was no reason for him to be able to get the tool he used to kill those individuals.

So we can bicker back and forth about the verbiage that's used, and if that's the battle that Donald Trump wants to wage, so be it.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

SELLERS: But he has to rise above this dog-whistle politics which isn't good for the country.

[06:20:00] FERGUSON: I think one of the reasons why there's so many people that are ...

CAMEROTA: Ben, when Donald Trump -- hold on, Ben.

FERGUSON: Sure.

CAMEROTA: Hold on, Ben, one second. I know it's hard with the feed delay here via satellite. But when Donald Trump says, "Oh, he gets it better than anyone understands," that's more than political correctness that he's referring to.

FERGUSON: I think what he's referring to is the fact that Barack Obama should understand this issue more than anybody else, because he's the one that's being briefed daily on terrorism threats. Yet, he is still not blunt and really bold on attacking the true, hard issue here. And that is the issue of Muslim extremists who are wanting to do harm to this country and pledge allegiance to ISIS.

I think Donald Trump, if anything, has been pretty clear on being blunt on this issue. And he's saying, if you want to want to be politically correct, and you want to blame everything else but what this actually is. You want to go on this attack on guns.

I just wish the president -- I think Donald Trump's point is this -- would be as passionate about going after radical Islam and calling it what it is as he has been against the AR-15.

There is a problem here with this individual. There's a problem with radicalization, and there's a problem with terrorism.

SELLERS: But...

FERGUSON: And every time we see this happen, they seem to be so cautious and so concerned about not offending people instead of calling it what it is.

These people died because of a radical. He was radicalized on the Internet, or however it was done, when he went to the Middle East; I don't really care. But let's not be politically correct on this. Let's be clear about what the threat is to these people and everyone else.

CAMEROTA: Yes. Bakari?

SELLERS: I mean, I just think that that's -- I mean, I think that's absurd. I think, first and foremost, the reason that Donald Trump is saying what he's saying is...

FERGUSON: Why?

SELLERS: ... because he wants -- he wants people to believe that Barack Obama is a Muslim. That's a fact. That's what he wants people to believe, and that's not the case. That is why he's using dog- whistle politics. That's why believes that the president of the United States somehow sympathizes or empathizes with this murderer, and that's not the case.

But if we want to talk about terror in this country...

CAMEROTA: OK.

SELLER: ... let's have a real discussion. Let's talk about Robert Lewis Dear. Let's talk about Dylann Roof. Let's talk about all these people who have utilized these weapons to go out and massacre many individuals, and Congress's inability to act.

This United States Congress that's led by the Republican Party in both the House and Senate have failed to act, and their failure to act is an act in itself. And so we all have blood on our hands, and we're all complicit in this. And until we do something about our gun culture in this country -- and I have a CWP -- we're going to have a problem.

FERGUSON: Bakari -- Bakari, I agree with you on one issue here.

CAMEROTA: Ben, hold on.

FERGUSON: Sure.

CAMEROTA: Well, I -- let me hear how you guys agree, and then I need to get to "The Washington Post." But how do you agree, Ben? FERGUSON: Sure. We agree on one issue. There does have to be a way

that we look at these tragedies and realize that there are some common denominators. I believe that we do have to do a better job and fix whatever gray areas there are within the FBI. The fact that this individual was under a surveillance and had been investigated multiple times by the FBI the same people that would clear your background check to get this gun.

I believe that, if you're on a terrorist watch list, I believe if you've been interviewed with connection with terrorism, there should at least be a knock on your door after you purchase a weapon if you are linked to terror groups. There is obviously some sort of connection or lack of connection with the FBI. We do need to fix that in Congress.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

FERGUSON: I think that's an important issue. And we should look at it in a single-handed way. And I think there's common ground on that.

CAMEROTA: Yes. There is common ground on that. You're right.

OK, Bakari, let's get to "The Washington Post." After Donald Trump didn't like "The Washington Post" headline about this moment of what he was saying with President Obama and they suggested that he was saying something sinister, he said that he was going to revoke their press credentials.

This isn't the first time that he has expressed displeasure with how journalists have covered his campaign, but he goes further in saying that he will sort of blacklist them. Is there something larger about journalism to be made here? A point about, say, the free press?

SELLERS: Yes. I mean, there's a much larger point here and I don't -- I mean, I kind of hesitate when I thought about saying it, but I mean, this is fascism at its best. I mean, you know, we've gone down the path of whether or not, you know, Donald Trump has said things that are racist or not racist. I mean, we've gone down the path of whether or not he said things that are offensive or not offensive, but this is fascism at its worst, to be completely honest with you.

I mean, banning "The Washington Post." I mean that is -- that's absurd. I mean, just thinking about the fact that press, and professing your love for freedom but not your love for the freedom of the press.

That's what happens when you get needled, and you get thin-skinned. I mean, Donald Trump even blocked me on Twitter. This is somebody who is running for president of the United States.

And I just think that we need someone in this country who's built to lead, and the last thing Donald Trump is built for is leadership.

FERGUSON: Bakari, I'll say this.

CAMEROTA: Go ahead, Ben. Very quickly. FERGUSON: Donald Trump has not said that you should not be able to write what you want to write. What he said is, "If you're going to be unfair and you're going to run absurd and ridiculous headlines attacking me don't expect to guess VIP access to my campaign."

[06:25:08] He has the right on his campaign to do what he feels is best for his campaign. He feels like he's been taken advantage of by a newspaper that's been incredibly biased against Donald Trump and majorly in favor of Hillary Clinton, your candidate. And what he's saying is: "I'm going to be tough with you. I'm not going to sit here, roll out the red carpet and allow you to say ridiculous things in headlines about me, and expect you to come right back and us treat you with all this kindness and happiness, and 'Please, come on our bus; please, get on our plane'."

I think this is being tough, and I think that's a smart decision by Donald Trump.

CAMEROTA: OK. Ben, Bakari, thank you for this debate and the common ground. Great to talk to both of you.

SELLERS: Thank you.

CAMEROTA: All right. A police officer and his partner murdered in France in the name of ISIS. What we know about those killings, and the man behind them. That's ahead on NEW DAY.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: There's a clearer picture emerging of the 49 people who lost their lives in the terror attack at the Pulse nightclub behind us there. Who they were, who they loved, what made them special.