Return to Transcripts main page

New Day

Black Lives Matter On Police Killings; Sen. Joni Ernst To Speak Tonight At GOP Convention; Clinton: "No Justification" For Attacks Against Police; Cleveland Police Bracing For Convention Protests; Police Union Calls For Suspending Open Carry Laws. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired July 18, 2016 - 07:30   ET

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

[07:30:00] CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: So there's acknowledgment out there but the dialogue should continue, and it should do peacefully. And I know you believe that, as well. Deray, thank you for being on the show.

What's happening here in Baton Rouge, you're going to hear about it all week long, not just because of our reporting but you're going to hear it from your politicians at the Republican National Convention. How they do it, how the emphasize it, that's what the coverage will be. Alisyn is there in Cleveland.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: So, Chris, Iowa senator, Joni Ernst, is set to speak tonight. She is sort of headlining the first night of this RNC and her focus will be national security. So what will she say and how does it align with Donald Trump's vision? We'll ask her all of that. She joins us here live, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:32:55] CAMEROTA: Donald Trump calling himself the law and order candidate in the wake, of course, of those two police shootings. "Make America Safe Again" is today's theme at the Republican National Convention and we have Sen. Joni Ernst here. She'll be speaking tonight. She represents Iowa, of course, and she is on the Senate Armed Services Committee. Great to have you here, Senator.

SEN. JONI ERNST (R), IOWA: It is great to be here. Thanks, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: This is your first Republican National Convention?

ERNST: This is -- it is my first National Convention, so I'm excited to be here.

CAMEROTA: Your very first one and you're speaking at it.

ERNST: Yes.

CAMEROTA: Wow, you know, you make a splash.

ERNST: Yes.

CAMEROTA: So, what will you be talking about in terms of how to make America safe? ERNST: Well, we will be talking about that theme, of course. We've got a lot going on, of course, in the homeland but also abroad, so my focus really will be about the global scene and what we have going on. And the fact that we have an administration that's not leading but, rather, following from behind.

CAMEROTA: In terms of what's happening in the homeland, let's start there because there is so much tension this week given the tragedies that we've seen in Baton Rouge and Dallas. What do you think the answer is for the rift, and the divide, and the distrust that some in the local black communities feel from the police and sometimes, vice versa?

ERNST: Right, and what we see right now, too, is a lot of Americans that are talking about the things that divide us, and what we need to start doing is talk about what will unify us. And that unifying message -- not only does it need to come from the very top, it needs to come from the folks in the federal government.

But it really needs to come from folks at the local level, those that live in the communities that know their communities inside and out -- our church leaders, our community leaders. They need to start working on finding ways to unify these groups out there.

I can't speak for a black movement. I can't speak for certain demographics. They know what's going on in their communities and we need to find ways to unify and support them.

CAMEROTA: Haven't they been doing that? I mean, aren't church leaders always talking about unity?

[07:35:00] ERNST: Well, there is a lot of talk -- there is a lot of talk. What we need to see now is that action. What are we actually doing on the ground? Are we reaching out? Are we holding those discussions? And then following through with a plan of action. That's what our leaders need to do. So, a lot of talk out there.

But we need folks that will actually get on the ground and start working with -- whether they're in rural Iowa or whether they're in Baton Rouge, whether they're in the inner city, we need to have those discussions. But follow-up plans of action -- actually follow those plans.

CAMEROTA: I mean, Donald Trump has described it as a divide in a national crime scene. Do you see it? Do you see where we are in this country in as stark terms as he does?

ERNST: Well, I think we are divided, but I think we need to go beyond that because we have wonderful people in every community across the United States. There are people that really do care about this. They care about the issues in black communities. They care about the issues in poverty and rural America. We just need to take those people that care and put them into action. We need to enable that.

CAMEROTA: Do the police need to do anything differently? ERNST: You know, I think the police have a lot on their shoulders and I think that many of them are very caring about what's going on. They do care. They wouldn't be in a uniform if they didn't care. They are there to protect and serve, but I think that some folks are right. We do ask a lot of our law enforcement officials.

We need to rely more upon parents. We need to rely more upon community leaders. We need to rely more upon our churches. So, everybody has a piece in this solution and everybody needs to contribute.

CAMEROTA: Meaning that the police are doing too much, sort of, maintenance against mischief.

ERNST: I think so. I think they not only have the responsibility of making sure that laws are enforced, but they're also asked to do a lot of other activities, which is fine. And many of them step up to that challenge and we are so glad that they do, but there's a lot of other folks we need contributing in our communities. And it's not -- like I said, it's not in one area or another, it's all across the United States.

CAMEROTA: And do you think Donald Trump is the right voice to talk about what needs to happen in churches and at the community level?

ERNST: I think so. I think he really does care about this issue. I had the opportunity to sit down with him one-on-one not long ago and he has a real passion for inner-city youth. He has a real passion about our education system, and those are things that you may not hear him talking about out on the trail, but he spoke about those topics and wants to find solutions in those areas. And so, I think that is an opportunity for us, as Americans, to find a way forward.

CAMEROTA: Does it make you nervous at all to be having such a high- profile event here in Cleveland with all sorts of dignitaries and high-profile people set against the backdrop of this violence against police?

ERNST: Well, we have to separate the issues. Of course, always be vigilant. But the fact that we have people that are doing bad things out across the United States, it shouldn't stop us from moving on with our daily lives. We cannot live in fear. We know that our law enforcement officials are going to do the right thing. We have many of them here protecting us and I thank them for that. I really do thank them for that. But, we have to drive on and we can't live our lives in fear.

CAMEROTA: What are you looking forward to most this week?

ERNST: Oh my goodness, I think we've got a lot of really wonderful people that will be giving speeches and hope for America, and communicating that out to everyday Americans, everyday Iowans, as they're out and about doing their daily jobs and living their daily lives. And we've got a lot of hardworking Americans out there and I know that they are anxious to hear that little bit of inspiration coming from the speakers here this week. CAMEROTA: Well, you're going to be setting the tone tonight so best of luck in your speech and thanks so much for taking time to be on NEW DAY.

ERNST: Thanks, Alisyn, so much. Thank you.

CAMEROTA: NEW DAY will be live, we should let you know, starting at 5:00 a.m. Eastern tomorrow and all week for the Republican National Convention here in Cleveland, so set your alarm clocks an extra hour early because we will be here.

Meanwhile, the deadly attacks on law enforcement, of course, is testing the leadership, as we've discussed, of the presidential candidates. So next, a top Hillary Clinton adviser offers her take on the police killings. What she believes should be done and what she thinks of Trump's tough talk.

[07:39:35] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:43:05] CUOMO: How do we identify the problem when it comes to the violence against police, when it comes to the violence against black communities? Who understands the problem best? Who knows how to fix it? Those are the questions that are surrounding part of the presidential election right now.

Donald Trump, this morning, tied what happened here in Baton Rouge to Islamic terror, calling for people to turn in terrorist types. How does Hillary Clinton see the situation and what will she do to make it better? Let's discuss with one of her top advisers, Karen Finney, joining us this morning.

Karen Finney, are you going to question my intro and say that I have to identify you as coming from a specific part of the Clinton organization?

KAREN FINNEY, SENIOR ADVISER FOR COMMUNICATIONS, HILLARY FOR AMERICA: Absolutely not, Chris. I would never do that to you.

CUOMO: All right, good. I want to get the title right. So we're coming out of a very bleak situation --

FINNEY: Yes.

CUOMO: -- and you have Donald Trump who is saying we know what it is and our leaders helped create this problem -- President Obama, Hillary Clinton. Things have gotten worse under their tenure and the divide is greater than ever. Do you believe that Hillary Clinton should have ownership of what we're seeing here in Baton Rouge?

FINNEY: No, but I think as a leader she wants to try to do something to sort of heal this breach that we're seeing in our community. I mean, she spoke out very forcefully yesterday and last week after the shootings in Dallas. You know, this madness has to stop and violence doesn't make anyone safer.

But I think we have to understand we have to stand by our law enforcement, no question, and she's made that very clear. But we also have to be willing to address some of the underlying issues that you were talking about earlier even this morning with some of the folks in Baton Rouge.

And I think trying -- sort of -- what I hear Donald Trump doing, unfortunately, is sort of denying that there are these underlying issues that we need to come together and have a conversation about and figure out solutions to. Look at where these things are working and how do we solve these problems rather than creating more divisiveness.

[07:45:00] CUOMO: And Trump's suggestion is that it's more clear-cut than that. And, as you know, there are many who share his opinion that the police should be supported, period, and that they are exposed to great risks because of the communities they police. Among the number is poor, black communities where there's a disproportionate amount of crime and that is how this situation should be viewed. Not as if every time police go into a community there's something sinister afoot and that Clinton is somehow equivocating on that absolute support of police.

FINNEY: Yes, you know, I have to tell you, when I hear Donald Trump say things like that I find it not only divisive but I think, again, it speaks to a lack of leadership ability and a lack of temperament to be president. I think, you know -- President Obama, yesterday, was very eloquent on this and, again, I think Sec. Clinton was. She's going to be actually speaking to the NAACP later today and she'll be talking about some of these issues.

And, again, I think the Facebook post from one of the officers who was killed yesterday in Baton Rouge who happens to be black --

CUOMO: Montrell Jackson.

FINNEY: He, I think, laid it out as beautifully and as eloquently as anyone in terms of talking about the need to restore trust on both sides. And I think we have to understand what police are going through when they're in communities, when they get out of a car and they don't know what they're about to face. But we also have to understand that there's a lot of fear, in the black community, of police and we need to do better. We need to restore that trust to make our communities safe.

CUOMO: How? The criticism, from your campaign, of Trump is that he just talks about that he's going to make things great. He doesn't say how.

FINNEY: Right, right.

CUOMO: What will Hillary Clinton do, and how will she do it, that will make violence against police and excessive use of force less likely?

FINNEY: Well, she's laid out a pretty comprehensive plan on this. I mean, number one, when we talk about criminal justice reform she's been talking about this for a year. Things like body cameras, things like let's invest more in training so that officers have better training on deescalating when we see violence happening or when you confront a situation.

Let's also do more to rebuild community policing and the ability for police officers to participate in the communities that they're serving so that people know each other, like it sort of used to be. So there are a whole host of things. Also, we need to say she believes a national standard when it comes to use of force.

We also need to do certain things to make sure that when there are officer-involved shootings where there are, sort of -- like what we saw in Baton Rouge where there are suspicious circumstances, that perhaps that is something the Department of Justice ought to be able to look at in terms of the pattern and practice investigations.

But I think what she talks about a lot is how do we rebuild trust on both sides? How do we make sure that police officers have the skills and the training that they need to do their jobs and still keep people safe because, obviously, that is the key part of their job? But then, what do we do to help them understand the communities that they're serving a little bit better and help the communities that they're serving feel safe with the police officers who are in their communities.

CUOMO: Karen Finney, senior adviser and spokesperson for "Hillary for America", thank you for being on NEW DAY today.

FINNEY: It's great to be with you.

CUOMO: We are here in Baton Rouge. What happened here resonating around the country certainly is going to be a topic among the politicians and those who would be your president. Let's get to Alisyn. She's in Cleveland for the Republican National Convention. This will be a topic, to be sure.

CAMEROTA: It sure is. I mean, the security is extremely tight here, Chris. We had to go through so many different checkpoints with different I.D. just to get to this location here in the heart of downtown, so what police in Cleveland are asking for now and why the governor says they will not be getting their wish, that's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:53:10] CAMEROTA: Welcome back to NEW DAY. The Republican National Convention gets underway in just a few hours here in Cleveland. This, of course, as the country deals with two back-to- back incidents of the murder of police officers. So what does this mean for security here and around the country?

Joining us now is the president of the Cleveland NAACP, Michael Nelson, and CNN law enforcement analyst and former sheriff of Cuyahoga County, Bob Reid. Gentlemen, thanks so much for being here.

Sheriff, I want to start with you. Can you talk about the added concerns for police officers and sheriff's deputies this week as they try to deal with this very high-profile event against the backdrop of the violence against police that we've seen in Baton Rouge and Dallas? BOB REID, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Sure, the police profession deals with stress every day, but is it ramped up, sure. I think it's certainly higher right now. Do they have the manpower to take care of every situation? I believe they do. The problem here is that where they were going to put two and three officers, now they're looking at putting maybe four or five.

CAMEROTA: How do they do that?

REID: Yes.

CAMEROTA: How do they have that extra manpower?

REID: Well, Secret Service has done a nice job to recruit officers from all over the nation. We have over 3,000 officers here for a 1.7- mile venue and I think that they're going to be able to do it. The issues of open carry is another situation that takes resources away from the police department.

CAMEROTA: I'm glad you brought that up. How nervous are you about the idea that this is an open carry state and that that means that people with firearms can be walking around the perimeter of this nucleus here where all of the dignitaries are gathered?

REID: Well, we're real nervous about it. Every police officer looks at somebody that's carrying -- open carry in a hostile environment. Look, especially after what's happened over the last 10 days. And the resources that officers -- for example, yesterday, on the public square an individual was carrying a rifle. Four or five officers were assigned to watch him.

[07:55:00] Now, what happens if there's an accidental discharge or the individual or individuals bring their weapon down to a certain point where now officers are threatened and a firefight starts.

CAMEROTA: Mr. Reid (sic), how nervous are you about this? Should the governor have suspended the open carry law for this week?

MICHAEL NELSON, PRESIDENT, CLEVELAND NAACP: If he could have, he should have. The question is why do we enact such an insane law? I mean, it is predictable. This was predictable. Open carry in a state where we're going to have a political convention with the tension that surrounds a political convention -- just the normal tension that surrounds a political convention and you allow people to open carry guns -- you encourage people. So, it's insanity in our legislature that permitted this to take place.

CAMEROTA: Mr. Reid (sic), let's talk about that tension. So, there's tension often between protesters and police, but now there seems to be this added tension between the black community and police, and both feel as though they're under attack. What's the answer to this?

NELSON: Well, you know, Cleveland is under a federal consent decree because our police force is engaged in a pattern of practice of excessive use of force against citizens, so we're under a federal consent decree to correct that. This tension between police and community is something that has to be resolved at the leadership level where we get community policing again. That's one of the solutions. So that police officers know the citizens they're patrolling -- communities they're patrolling.

CAMEROTA: So they're not doing that, you think?

NELSON: No community policing in Cleveland.

CAMEROTA: Why?

NELSON: Well, they -- one of the prior mayors decided that it was budget-responsible to eliminate community policing and it's created this -- it's fed into this climate of us against them and created this extreme tension between the police department and the community it's supposed to serve.

CAMEROTA: Is that how you see it, Sheriff?

REID: Yes, there's been budget cuts and community policing has been almost eliminated.

CAMEROTA: Why is community policing expensive? Isn't it just police going into the community and walking around and introducing themselves, getting to know the kids and getting to know the grandmas? Why is that expensive?

REID: Well, it's because of manpower. We have calls backed up and the Cleveland Police Department has calls backed up every day. They don't have the manpower to respond to calls, let alone look at a community policing environment.

Now, what's happening not only in Cleveland but in America over the last 10 days is police departments are going to start doubling up officers where they had single-man cars and they're now going to have double-man cars -- double-officer cars. And that taxes the budget of police departments and reduces response time. So, community policing is important, as Michael has said, but at the end of the day all police departments are really looking at these issues in a budgetary way.

CAMEROTA: I mean, you know, you can look at it in a budgetary way, that's a practical way to look at it. But everybody says that community policing is the answer. It seems like we should be able to all speak in one voice on that. Thank you, both, gentlemen. We really appreciate being here in your city.

REID: Thank you very much.

CAMEROTA: Thanks a lot for being here on NEW DAY. We're following a lot of news this morning including, of course, the police killings in Baton Rouge where Chris is, so let's get right to it.

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

CUOMO: Welcome to our viewers in the United States and around the world. This is NEW DAY. It is Monday, July 18th. It is just 7:00 or so here local time in the morning, 8:00 or so in Cleveland. That's where Alisyn Camerota is. We're going to be talking about what happened here in Baton Rouge and how it's going to play out in the Republican National Convention starting today.

But, of course, what brings us here is tragedy of the worst kind. Police officers murdered in the line of duty, literally drawn into what the police are calling an ambush situation by a man armed with a long rifle, a semi-automatic, and with military training.

A 911 call started all of this. It ended in six officers being hit, three of them dying. I want to show you their faces right now so that you remember these men, throughout the morning, and their families. Montrell Jackson -- you're going to hear more about him because of something he wrote on Facebook about what had happened in Dallas and how it affected him as an officer and as a black man. He also had just had a son recently.

Matthew Gerald, 41 years old, a family man, wife and children, and a long-time veteran. And Brad Garafola, 45, new to the Baton Rouge police but was there on the scene trying to protect the community when he lost his life. There are also three other officers who were hit. One had non-life-threatening injuries, one is still fighting for his life, and the third is said to be in fair condition. Their names are on your screen, as well.

There's a lot to this investigation. The murderer here has a very complex picture to his background but, ultimately, it ended in a very simple and horrible result. He was looking to kill as many police as possible.

Let's start our coverage with Boris this morning, who is on scene right nearby, just a mile or so down the road from where this happened.