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Rioter Speaks about Insurrection; Actress Urges Families to get Vaccines; Lori Lightfoot is Interviewed about Chicago's COVID Restrictions. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired June 11, 2021 - 08:30   ET

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

[08:30:00]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: And while this was going on -- this is body cam footage. And I'm not sure if you've seen this before -- but you've recalled that as this was happening you saw death in his eyes. What do you mean by that?

ANTHONY ANTONIO, ACCUSED CAPITOL RIOTER, WITNESSED ASSAULT ON DC OFFICER MICHAEL FANONE: I saw a man who needed to be helped. I saw a man that just wanted to go home. The -- the look in his eye. And I don't -- you know, I can't recall what he saw or what he was going through physically and live that day, but I locked eyes with him. And in that moment I felt a calling to help this man. This isn't right. Help this man. And if he sees this, I just want to apologize that I -- I didn't help you when I know I should have and I just stand -- I just stood there.

BERMAN: Yes. He has kids, right?

ANTONIO: I don't know. Do I have kids?

BERMAN: No, Michael Fanone has kids. I mean this is --

ANTONIO: Oh.

BERMAN: This is a man suffering, going through a lot.

Look, your apology, I think, does mean something. It's not easy to apologize. It's not easy to admit that you could have done more and wish you had done more to stop it. But based on that memory, again, based on what you saw and based on what we're still hearing today, do you think that Republicans should stop trying to downplay this?

ANTONIO: I think we need to all accept actions for what we did, right? I was always taught, when you do wrong, acknowledge, hey, I did wrong. This is what I did. I'm answering for what I've done. Consequences come. And then you learn from it and move on, right?

What I'm saying is, as a country, what we need to do is we need to unify together, come together, learn from what happened and do better.

BERMAN: So learn --

ANTONIO: I'm not going to try to sit here and say we need to move on and not -- and all this.

BERMAN: OK.

ANTONIO: But as a country, we need to unify together, show love to one another. Both sides, right? Both sides of the spectrum need to say, look, we may not agree all the time. Obviously, what happened that day, nobody agreed what was going on.

BERMAN: So -- so you say you want to learn from it.

ANTONIO: And --

BERMAN: Hang on one second here. You say you want to learn from it. Let's talk about -- you say everyone should learn from it. The person who was president of the United States at the time, who I think inspired you to be there, is still telling people he won the election.

So, in your mind, has he learned from it?

ANTONIO: You know, I'm -- I'm not him, right? I'm not going to put words in his mouth. I'm not going to assume anything by him. If it was me, I would not -- I mean I would accept the fact, right, that I lost the election. But, again, I'm not him. But, I mean, obviously, Joe Biden's president.

BERMAN: But is he lying to you?

ANTONIO: He won the election.

BERMAN: Is the president, former president, lying to you?

ANTONIO: If he lost the election, then, yes, he lied to us.

BERMAN: He did lose.

Counselor Joseph, what do you make of the fact that the former president is still out there saying this kind of thing?

: I have one question for clarification, John, do you prefer the Joe look or the Anderson look?

BERMAN: You're an attractive man however you look.

: (INAUDIBLE).

BERMAN: You're an attractive man.

: Well, thank you.

BERMAN: But you're here for your -- your legal role in this.

: OK.

BERMAN: So, again, let me ask you about that. The former president continues to be out there questioning the results of the past election. What impact does that have? JOSEPH HURLEY, ATTORNEY FOR ANTHONY ANTONIO, SAYS HIS CLIENT DEVELOPED

FOXITIS : I have read a lot about this, and I am extremely passionate and I am biased and I've -- interestingly, I am in a studio where I will call it Trumpland. I look to my right, you see I'm really looking to the left or the opposite -- it's the opposite. Everything's the opposite. That's his world. He's grown up like that. That's who he is. It's all about me.

Is it a lie to him? It doesn't matter. He doesn't think that way. There are four people now on the history of the 20th century that all belong in the same group, and history will look at them all, Mussolini, Hitler, Stalin, Putin and Trump. And that answers all questions.

[08:35:00]

And that's where he would go if he can. And that's where he will go because I saw a frightening look into the future by reading, as part of my research, by reading about the past. And it's the same pattern over and over, destroy the free media, destroy the institutions. They look to el capo (ph), el leito (ph), whatever it is, el trumpo (ph). He is the man and he does everything and says everything. That's all that son of a -- lives for.

BERMAN: Look, did his continuous statements make your job harder in defending your client?

HURLEY: They don't make it harder, they make it easier because you see he won't say anything bad about anybody. I mean you see him grasp with that. I mean deep inside I'm sure if he let loose what he thinks, but he's not made that way.

I am made that way. It is a continuing thorn. And the disgusting part, he is what he is, a piece of whatever. It's the ones that follow him, the politicians in Washington, that take the money, that get the votes, that smile and all that and they go down there and they implicitly are in the effect of cracks of the foundation of democracy in America, all for number one.

BERMAN: Let me -- Anthony, let me ask you this. Do you think there should be an independent, bipartisan commission to investigate what happened?

ANTONIO: So I don't know enough to give you an educated answer about that. I don't know what that would entail. I don't know what that would involve. And all -- all of that kind of stuff. So, respectfully, I'm going to say, I don't know because I don't know what that would all entail.

BERMAN: How did you end up there? And by that, Anthony, I mean, you have taken ownership for your own decisions, which is a respectable thing to do. But who were you influenced by? Was it the former president and his statements? Was it what you were watching on TV? Your lawyer, your attorney has said you had Foxitis, you were influenced by what you were watching on Fox News.

So -- so what was it? How were you influenced by those sources?

ANTONIO: So I've never been to a Trump rally. I've never been to any political rally that (INAUDIBLE). I've never -- I've never really watched the news before all of this, right? So what got me to D.C. on January 6th is, so -- whether it be on social media, whether it be on mainstream media, all over, January 6th, the president of the United States called us to Washington, D.C. And I said, well, the president of the United States, who at the time he was still the president of the United States, calls all of us to D.C., let's go check it out. Let's go see why he's calling us to D.C. Let's say, OK, let's go because he told us to.

And from what -- my understanding before it was going to be a super organized thing. My plans going there, when I was first leading there, was to hear the president speak and then go to -- straight to Freedom Plaza because there was another stage at Freedom Plaza where more organized events were going to be going on. And so that's what led me there. I mean whether it be social media, mainstream media, I mean, the -- it was all -- I mean it was all over the news, the president called you to D.C. on January 6th as like -- I mean and it was published as a scheduled event.

BERMAN: You went because he asked you to?

ANTONIO: I went because he asked everybody to. Because the president of the United States stood up there and said, come to D.C. And then every media source that I could possibly see credited it and said, yes, this is what the president said. The -- I mean they even put up a map showing like this is where the stage is going to be, this is where you stand. I mean it -- everything about it looked official.

BERMAN: When did you realize that he wasn't being straight with you?

ANTONIO: I would have to say I realized that maybe, as you said, he wasn't being straight with me or that everything was wrong about the situation when the violence erupted, when you could see noticeable violence, when you -- when I was in the middle of people getting beaten, people getting hurt, officers just get -- I mean officers just fighting with American people, right, clashing back and forth.

[08:40:09]

It's not supposed to happen. And when I saw that, I was like, something's not right. This should not be happening.

BERMAN: So, again, if you were there because, as you say, he asked you to be there, for reasons that you now say were not right, to what extent should Donald Trump be held accountable?

ANTONIO: I'm not a man of law. I'm not an attorney. So I can't say --

BERMAN: But in your own mind. In your own mind. In your own -- as a person, forget the law for a second here, in your own mind, how responsible is he for what happened?

ANTONIO: He called people to Washington, D.C. that day. He said march down to the Capitol. I personally would not have marched down Pennsylvania Avenue and walked to the Capitol on the grass of the Capitol. I told you where I was supposed to go. I was supposed to go to Freedom Plaza. That was my plan from the get-go. And if he didn't say go down to the Capitol, I wouldn't have went down to the Capitol.

So if that answers your question. Again, like Mr. Hurley said, I'm not going to talk bad about anybody. Everybody has their own day in court. Everybody has their own day in front of the maker.

BERMAN: Well, you have your day in court. At --

ANTONIO: I'm not the guy to say that.

BERMAN: Hang on. Hang on. As of now -- as of now, you have your day in court. He doesn't, right?

ANTONIO: Yes.

BERMAN: Is that fair? Is that fair that you are being judged for answering his call, in your mind, but he isn't being held to account for his role?

ANTONIO: I answer it like -- like I've answered everything. I take full responsibility for my actions. And I will have my day in court.

HURLEY: Anthony, answer, yes or no.

ANTONIO: I have my day in court and do I think he's held responsible for this? I think he should be held responsible. We're all responsible for our own actions, and I do think he should be held responsible. You know, however, a court of law or however, you know, people higher than me feel fit, then I trust them.

BERMAN: All right, counselor --

ANTONIO: The same way that I trusted my president -- the same way I trusted my president, I trust our legal system to do what they see fit when it comes to his actions that day.

BERMAN: Joseph, Counselor, what do you think of that? Again, should the former president be held to account for what happened?

HURLEY: Are you asking me?

BERMAN: Yes, I am, Counselor.

HURLEY: Oh. There ain't no doubt about it. And I'm sitting here just with Anthony, why won't you just say yes or no. He is such a person that doesn't hurt people that he's trying -- he can't come out of himself to criticize. And that's the only reason I represented him because the rest of them are criminals and they are where they should be and will be more joining them. So absolutely, 100 percent.

But as all cowards do, we've got our bone spurs. Stay down in Mar-a- Lago, play a couple of rounds of golf. Let everyone else take the hit. And the dummies take the hit. That's what's totally inexplicable. They take the hit and keep following along until they get chopped down one by one, there's none left. Thank God whenever that ends.

BERMAN: All right, Anthony Antonio, we do appreciate your time. And, again, we will make sure that Michael Fanone gets your message, your apology, for not doing more to help him when you had the opportunity. Thank you for being with us.

Joseph Hurley, our thanks to you as well.

HURLEY: Certainly. Thank you.

ANTONIO: Thank you.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: That was unbelievable. To hear someone who was in the middle of it and basically describes why they didn't intervene, feels sorry for it, which is what we haven't heard from so many people who have been associated with this riot, and taking responsibility for his own actions while also saying, I would not have gone there if it weren't for the president telling me, telling us to go.

BERMAN: And just think of all the Republicans who say it didn't happen. He says it wasn't like a tourist thing. I watched a cop getting beat up for which he is deeply regretful.

Chicago lifts nearly all of its COVID restrictions today, but gun violence a big concern there. The mayor, Lori Lightfoot, joins us next.

KEILAR: And why Gabrielle Union is speaking out on vaccines, all of them, doctors and your kids.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:49:07]

KEILAR: The pandemic forced Americans indoors and canceled plans, including a lot of doctors' appointments for kiddos, right? The CDC is reporting that routine vaccinations for children and adolescents dropped in the early months of the pandemic and never fully recovered, potentially exposing young people to preventable diseases.

My next guests are working to change that with a new public health campaign called Don't Skip the Vaccines.

And joining me now is actress, activist and author Gabrielle Union Wade, along with Amy Pisani, who's the executive director of the nonprofit Vaccinate Your Family.

Thank you so much to both of you for being with us this morning on this incredibly important topic.

Gabrielle, tell us about this new campaign and how you got involved in it.

GABRIELLE UNION WADE, ACTRESS, ACTIVIST, AUTHOR: I got involved when Merck and Vaccinate -- the nonprofit group Vaccinate Your Family reached out. And we -- our values are aligned. We all care about the health and wellness of our families and just wanting to remind people to not skip your well -- your children's well visits and your doctor- recommended vaccines.

[08:50:10]

So it's of great importance to us. And we just wanted to remind families, make contact with your doctors. School is going to be back in person in the fall. Summer travel. Camp. There's an easy way to protect your families. And that's -- the first step is just getting in contact with you and your children's doctors and scheduling those well visits. Seeing if you missed any vaccinations in the last year and just getting back on track so everyone's on the same page.

And if you have any other questions, there's -- you can go to dontskipvaccines.com for any of your -- any other questions or concerns.

KEILAR: I think, Amy, this has been just a reality of parents who were worried about taking their kids into the doctor's office. It definitely became a little more difficult, I realized, during the pandemic being the parent of two small children. I will admit, I was remiss on a dentist appointment, right? I was remiss on some things. I know a lot of people were.

You want Americans vaccinated and not just against the coronavirus. What happens when -- when Americans are not staying up to date on their vaccines with their kids?

AMY PISANI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, VACCINATE YOUR FAMILY: Well, absolutely. I mean people had reason to be concerned. But pediatricians and doctors, they really -- they really made major concessions to make sure their offices were safe.

So, I mean, it happened to me. My child fell ill and I had to bring him in. And I did feel comfortable. I had, you know, limited waiting room space and they really did make an effort.

Now that the pandemic is partially behind us, we do want kids to get back in. And why? Because, sadly, people do come to vaccinate your family and they tell us about these sad -- like complete tragedy of losing loved ones to vaccine-preventable diseases. And, sadly, diseases, really, they don't have any boundaries, whether it's a child, an infant or an adult, they take any opportunity.

And so when we're missing millions of vaccines this year, it's really an -- it's really an opportunity for tragedy to enter our homes again.

KEILAR: Certainly. And, Gabrielle, your whole family, I should mention, is part of this effort, including your husband, who some people might know, Dwyane Wade, NBA legend. There's a slew of athletes, including NFL players who have come out, as you know. And you're watching this. They're saying that they're hesitant about getting the COVID-19 vaccine. LeBron James, for instance, has declined to say whether or not he's gotten the shot, although there is a question of perhaps he did. What role do athletes have in educating and motivating the public

here?

UNION WADE: I think athletes, as well as on-air personalities, as well as anyone with a platform should really encourage everyone to talk to and listen to actual scientists and their own health care professional. Talk to your own doctor who has your health records, your health history, on hand so they can give the best recommendations for your family.

Yes, I think recently, you know, in the last, I don't know, five years, facts have been called into question, which is a little bizarre. But if you -- if there's any concerns, lean into science. Lean into doctor-recommended vaccinations. And other than that, I just hope everyone's being responsible with their platforms, whether you're an athlete or an actress or just a YouTuber with a large platform. When you're speaking, make sure that you -- what you're saying is rooted in fact and in science and lean into that and go along with the facts.

KEILAR: Well, Gabrielle, thank you so much for using your platform to try to keep families and kids safe here, and to you as well, Amy Pisani. Thank you so much for being with us this morning.

PISANI: Thank you so much.

UNION WADE: Thank you for having us.

PISANI: Remember, dontskipvaccines.com.

KEILAR: Certainly. Thank you.

BERMAN: All right, a surge in gun violence is troubling police chiefs in big cities. In Chicago, murder and shooting violence are up over the last four years. It comes as the city removes most of its coronavirus restrictions today.

Joining us now is Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot.

Mayor, thanks so much for being with us.

Let's start with the good news. The coronavirus restrictions being lifted today. What does that mean for you and your city?

MAYOR LORI LIGHTFOOT (D), CHICAGO: Well, I think it means everything. With today's announcement, we will be the largest big city in the country to be fully open. And that's a big deal. And we've got the lowest unemployment rate. We're -- our consumer spending tops every other city in the top 20. So we're moving forward and our economy is really poised to come roaring back.

BERMAN: Now as that's happening, there is a concern in Chicago, as there is in many cities around the country, about crime and rising crime.

[08:55:00] If you look over the last four years, since 2017, murders up 2 percent, shooting violence up 10 percent. Why?

LIGHTFOOT: Well, I think there's a number of factors, but one of the biggest is because we don't have common sense gun laws in this country. I'm situated near Indiana, some suburban areas, where, literally, if you've got the money, you can buy military grade weapons at any quantity and they end up back on the streets of Chicago.

Already this year our police department has taken over 5,000 crime guns off the street. We'll be poised to take 12,000 at this pace. And it's because there are too many illegal guns.

We have to have a federal common sense gun restrictions to make sure that people who are law-abiding residents can get guns but the bad guys cannot. And we've got to have a federal strategy to deal with gun trafficking.

Our local police departments are doing everything that they can, literally risking life and limb. But as the supply keeps coming, and unchecked, that's a problem for local police departments and, obviously, for our communities who just want peace and safety.

BERMAN: Guns are one part of it. And you just addressed that right there. But there's clearly more as well, particularly as -- we've seen as COVID restrictions have been lifted in some places. We have seen incidents of shootings go up.

So how can you, in the short term, while we're waiting for the federal government and local governments to take action on guns, what can you do to reduce the amount of violence?

LIGHTFOOT: Well, listen, obviously, we're not sitting idly by and hoping on a prayer that the federal government is finally going to act. What we're doing at the local level is using both hard power and soft power. Obviously, we still have to hold those people who are the most violent accountable. And our police department's homicide clearance rate is up to historic levels, 60 percent, which is very, very good. When you think about just three, four years ago, we were in the teens. So we're making progress there. And when you make that kind of progress, it says that you're breaking through to the community because they are trusting the police more and more.

The other things that we're doing this summer is concentrating on the 15 most violent areas and flooding those areas with a lot of city services. We're focused using data. Who are the people on the ground in this -- in those areas? Are they children? Are they adults? What are their specific needs? So we're taking a whole of government approach to these areas. And so far we're actually seeing progress.

I don't want to jinx it. And we're certainly not doing a victory lap. But, for example, over Memorial Day weekend, we saw an 80 percent drop in homicides, in shootings because of this very targeted, data-driven approach and more to come.

BERMAN: I want to ask you about a lawsuit that you are the target of and acknowledge that you are talking to me this morning and I, by all accounts, am a white guy and we're doing this interview together.

On one day on the anniversary of your inauguration, you gave interviews to only reporters of color. And you're being now sued for that on the basis of discrimination.

Your reaction?

LIGHTFOOT: Well, the lawsuit is completely frivolous. I'd use a more colorful term if we weren't on TV.

But here's the thing. I'm the mayor of the third largest city in the country. I'm an African-American woman, to state the obvious. Every day when I look out across my podium, I don't see people who look like me. But more to the point, I don't see people who reflect the richness and diversity of this city.

So, yes, I started a long overdue conversation about diversity in newsrooms, in coverage. You all are the mirrors on society. You reflect with a critical and important lens the news of the day. You hold public officials like me accountable. You must be diverse. It can't be that -- in a city like Chicago, with all the talent that we have, that we can't find diverse journalists of color. Of course we can.

What they need is opportunity. And I hope my conversation has pricked the consciousness of the people who do the hiring decisions in media rooms all across this city and hopefully across the country. We've got to do better.

BERMAN: Mayor Lori Lightfoot, thank you so much for joining us this morning. I do appreciate it.

LIGHTFOOT: My pleasure.

KEILAR: And here's what else to watch today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ON SCREEN TEXT: Soon, G7 leaders gather for photo.

2:00 p.m. ET, AG Garland speaks on voting rights.

Later, President Biden meets with Prince Charles.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[09:00:03]

BERMAN: President Biden on his way to the G7 right now.