Return to Transcripts main page

New Day

Alaskan Teenager Stuns Field at Olympics; Phil Valentine Regrets Vaccine Criticism; Death Threats in Haitian Assassination Probe. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired July 27, 2021 - 06:30   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:31:43]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: The screams of joy from Alaska reverberating all across the nation. A gold medal performance from a swimmer there.

Coy Wire in Tokyo with this morning's "Bleacher Report."

It was something, Coy.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Awesome, John. Seventeen-year-old girl living the Olympic dream. And born on leap day 2004, Lydia Jacoby is technically only four years old. The first Olympic swimmer ever from Alaska has now won a gold medal in the 100 meter breaststroke, the daughter of two Alaskan tour boat captains. She learned to swim, John, so that she could stay safe. There is only one 50 meter Olympic- size pool in the entire state of Alaska, so she's had to train on 25 meter pools at times.

During the yearlong pandemic delay, her family moved more than two hours away to Anchorage to find an open pool that she could swim in. John, she says that she doesn't think she would have been ready had the games gone on, on time. She really grew in that extra year. And the people back home who were there growing with her, look at this, look at this, one of the best videos of the Olympics so far, a watch party turned to a whole new level. Lydia making her home state and her home nation proud.

Now, just days after lighting the caldron at the opening ceremony, Naomi Osaka's Olympics are over. The four time major champ eliminated in straight sets by Marketa Vondrousova from the Czech Republic. This was in the third round. And this was Osaka's first tournament since withdrawing from the French Open citing her mental health. She said afterwards, quote, I don't really know how to cope with that pressure, so that's the best I could have done in this situation. How disappointed am I? I mean, I'm disappointing in every loss, but I feel like this one sucks more than the others, unquote.

And just minutes from now, one of the crown jewels of the summer games, the women's gymnastics team final. Simone Biles and the U.S. looking for a three-peat as champs, but maybe not a slam dunk as many thought before the games. The Americans were more than a point behind the Russian Olympic athletes in qualifying, but all those scores are erased now, so Biles and her squad are looking to bounce back and take gold.

Finally, America's Carissa Moore bringing home the first ever gold medal in women's surfing. The four-time world champ from Hawaii started surfing on Waikiki Beach with her dad when she was five years old. And fun fact, John, she has something in common with former President Barack Obama. She went to the same school that he attended growing up an Oahu.

What a day. I mean how about Lydia Jacoby, 17 years old, Olympic champ from Alaska, and her team's shining example now of the youth movement in these games. She's one of eleven teenagers swimming for Team USA. Ten of them are women.

BERMAN: The reaction from Alaska was one of the coolest things. We were just sitting here watching it. That's one of the coolest things I've seen.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: It's one of those things where I kind of tear up a little because I'm so happy as my face scrunches up just watching them. It's amazing.

BERMAN: And then when Lydia Jacoby, you know, she finishes the race, and those -- those hundred meter races are quick. You know, she gets to the end, she looks up and realizes she's won and she's like, what, me. It was really cool.

WIRE: Yes. Yes, she -- she defeated one of the -- the racers she defeated, Lily King of the U.S., took bronze, the world record holder. So it was a huge upset, a huge moment for her and her family and, as you can see, all of Alaska.

BERMAN: All right.

KEILAR: So (INAUDIBLE).

BERMAN: Coy, great to see you. Thanks so much.

WIRE: You too. Thanks.

[06:35:01]

BERMAN: All right, a conservative radio host changing his tune on the coronavirus vaccine as he fights for his life after getting the virus. His brother joins us next.

KEILAR: Plus, police chiefs in America are going off on the crime surge in big cities as we learn former Senator Barbara Boxer was attacked in the street.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: Conservative radio host Phil Valentine had been a skeptic on the coronavirus vaccine for months but now he feels differently. Why? He got COVID bad. He's now hospitalized himself. The family put out a statement saying, quote, Phil contracted the COVID virus a little over a week ago and has since been hospitalized and is in very serious condition, suffering from COVID pneumonia and the attendant side effects. Phil regrets not being more vehemently pro-vaccine and looks forward to being able to more vigorously advocate that position as soon as he is back on the air, which we all hope will be soon.

[06:40:13]

Phil's brother Mark Valentine joins me now.

Mark, thank you so much for being with us.

I understand your brother is feeling at least a little better over the last day or so. Give me a quick update.

MARK VALENTINE, BROTHER PHIL VALENTINE IN HOSPITAL BATTLING COVID-19: Well, the update is, is that he is better than he was. I have not gotten the report this morning but I expect to have it anytime now.

He is alert when he's not sleeping, which they encourage. When he's not sleeping, he's, you know, communicative and talkative, as you might imagine. And, you know, a day or two -- a day or two ago he was, you know, sitting up on his computer, you know, and told Susan, he said, you know, I don't know what the doctors are telling you, but I'm telling you I'm getting better.

BERMAN: Well, good.

VALENTINE: So we hope that that trajectory continues. It has been described to me as a non-linear recovery, which I think the layperson's translation is roller coaster.

BERMAN: So how bad did it get and how scared was he and, frankly, were you and the rest of the family?

VALENTINE: We were terrified and petrified. It was as bad as it gets. I mean there were very, very serious questions about whether or not he would survive. It could not have been any worse as far as I can tell. And, you know, it certainly changed my position on this whole thing, as it did his.

BERMAN: Well, talk to me about that. It basically scared you straight, right? You went out and got the vaccine, why?

VALENTINE: I went directly to the Walmart and got the vaccine and said, you know, you pick the arm, I don't care, just do it. And it occurred to me that -- and it has occurred to him that, you know, my purpose for being on here this morning is to try to encourage people to take the politics out of this whole equation and go get the vaccine and, you know, quit worrying about the politics and the conspiracies and all that sort of stuff. And, you know, if Phil were able to tell you that, that's what he would tell you. And when he gets, you know, back to the microphone, that's exactly what his position's going to be.

The very short assessment of this is, he got it wrong and he wants to do everything he can to -- to make sure that as many people get vaccinated as can. And I'm happy to report this morning that we're getting dozens of people that are writing in saying, you know, as a result of this, we went and got the vaccine. I was reading something right before we came on the air where a fellow says, you know, I was down getting the vaccine and the guy beside me said, do you listen to Phil Valentine? And he said, yes. And he said that's why I'm here too.

So we want as many people as can hear my voice this morning to put the politics aside and go get the vaccine.

BERMAN: That's great. Listen, last question, why do you think you and Phil got it wrong?

VALENTINE: I think that there is a crisis of confidence in the country that this thing has been politicized and it shouldn't be. I think people are having a very difficult time trying to decipher who's telling them the truth. Everybody seems to have an agenda. And it is something that we need to look at as a society and try to figure out a way to separate public health issues from the political arena.

And that's what I'm trying to do this morning. This is not the time for politics. I'd be happy to come back on sometimes and talk about the politics of this. But my purpose this morning is to try to tell everybody to just get quit questioning everything and get the vaccination.

BERMAN: Listen, Mark, thank you so much for delivering that message. We're glad Phil, your brother, will be delivering that message. Please give our best to him. I'm glad to hear he's doing well. Thank you for the work that you are now doing.

VALENTINE: Well, I appreciate the opportunity. And hopefully we can have him on where I'm sitting very soon.

BERMAN: Let's do it. It's a date.

VALENTINE: Let's do it. All right, you bet.

BERMAN: Thanks, Mark.

Coming up, exclusive details about the probe into the assassination of Haiti's president. Some investigators are now receiving death threats.

KEILAR: Plus, former Senator Barbara Boxer attacked and mugged in the street. We have some new information on how she is doing.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:48:56]

KEILAR: We have exclusive CNN reporting this morning about attempts to block investigators from learning who killed Haiti's president, including death threats to multiple Haitian officials.

CNN's Matt Rivers recently returned from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and he's joining us live now from Mexico City with this story. What is happening here, Matt?

MATT RIVERS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That is a good question, Brianna. It's been nearly three weeks since the president of Haiti was killed. And who killed him and why has essentially become an all-consuming question on the island. But it appears that for at least some of the people investigating who took the president's life, they are risking their own lives to do so.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RIVERS (voice over): CNN has obtained a copy of a previously unseen formal complaint filed with Haiti's national police in which several Haitian court clerks, key figures in criminal investigations, detail the death threats they've received in the past few weeks. Hey, clerk, you can wait for a bullet in your head. They gave you an order and you keep on doing (EXPLETIVE DELETED), read one text message.

The threat comes from someone anonymous, angry that the clerk has not followed certain instructions about whom and what to investigate.

[06:50:04]

RIVERS (on camera): The threats appear to be just one startling example of what appear to be consistent patterns of intimidation and a failure to follow procedure throughout the investigation into the president's death. CNN has spoken to multiple sources close to the investigation who detailed what they believe are clear attempts to block investigators and therefore the public from finding out more about who killed the president and why.

RIVERS (voice over): Starting just a few hours after the assassination, around 7:00 a.m. outside the presidential residence. Sources tell CNN multiple court clerks were kept outside a police perimeter for more than three hours after arriving, even while other law enforcement was inside. Normally, experts on Haiti's legal system say, clerks enter a crime scene right away to officially document any evidence and to take statements from key witnesses, per Haitian law.

RIVERS (on camera): It's unclear why in this case they were delayed. But when they eventually did make it into the presidential residence, just down the street behind me, sources tell us that not one of the roughly two dozen or so guards present at the time of the assassination were still there, meaning, no witness statements were immediately taken.

RIVERS (voice over): Later on that day, there was a fierce gunfight between Haitian security forces and some of the alleged assassins at this building. Multiple suspects were killed, all of whom were Colombian. Sources close to the investigation tell us court clerks were not immediately allowed into the shootout scene, which would have been filled with evidence, including, we're told, the bodies of the dead Colombians.

In an official document filed with Haiti's top prosecutor, clerks describe examining the bodies, not here at the shootout site, but here outside of an office building just down the road. That suggests the bodies had been removed from the crime scene before being processed. No official explanation of why that happened was given.

CHRISTIAN EMMANUEL SANON: Where is the leadership of Haiti?

RIVERS: A few days later, authorities start to zero in on this man, Christian Emmanuel Sanon, as someone who allegedly recruited and helped organize some of these men seen here, the large group of Colombians and several Americans Haitian officials allege carried out this crime.

We haven't heard from them publicly. A source close to the investigation previously told CNN, Sanon told investigators he is innocent.

It was around this time that the anonymous phone calls started. According to the official complaint filed by police obtained by CNN, clerks received multiple threatening phone calls telling them to stop investigating two suspects in the case and remove them from their reports. According to the complaint, the calls were followed by this text message, quote, they told you to stop going around searching people's houses in the president assassination case and you refused. You've been told to take out two names, and you refused. We're watching you.

Sources close to the investigation tell us the clerks were also told to add unrelated names to their reports, people who had no clear connection to the crime. It's unclear who made any of the calls or sent the text messages.

And then there's what happened with the FBI. Special agents from the bureau, invited in by Haiti's government, went to the presidential residence about two weeks ago to collect evidence. Sources tell us the agents managed to find a lot, including the megaphone used here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: DEA operation (ph). Everybody back up. Stand down.

RIVERS: This is from the night of the assassination where one of the suspects is keeping people away from the scene by claiming it was all a DEA operation, something the agency and Haitian officials repeatedly denied that it was. Sources tell CNN, FBI agents were a little surprised to find so much evidence still at the crime scene and left wondering why Haitian authorities hadn't already collected it. Those sources added they do expect the FBI will have continued access to evidence that they requested.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

RIVERS: Now, CNN reached out to multiple government agencies for comment on this story and we only heard back from one person, Haiti's top prosecutor, who said that he would try and get investigators more protection moving forward. Overall, not a very reassuring response from Haitian government officials.

KEILAR: No, that is certain.

Matt Rivers, thank you so much.

BERMAN: So Florida now the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, but the governor defiant about any new restrictions.

KEILAR: Plus, former President Trump snubbing another member of the Bush family. Should he have seen this coming?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:58:18]

KEILAR: Police in Oakland, California, are launching an investigation after former U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer was assaulted and robbed on the street on Monday. The 80-year-old Boxer tells CNN affiliate KPIX that she wasn't physically hurt. She was just shaken up. And police say the male suspect pushed her, forcefully took her cell phone and then fled in a waiting car. Boxer says that he was very young, likely didn't know who she was, and Oakland Police are offering a reward now of up to $2,000 for information that leads to an arrest in this case.

BERMAN: This is -- OK, obviously, an example of what's going on around the country right now. Obviously we have seen crime, violent crime, rising in cities. And, you know, we're starting to hear from police chiefs who are fed up about what they've been seeing around the country. We do or do we not have the sound of this. OK. Later in the show we'll play you some sound from police chiefs who are awfully upset about what they're seeing, and they're saying the justice system is letting citizens down at this point.

KEILAR: Yes, I think they feel like their hands are kind of tied behind their backs, right? They're having a difficult time, obviously, confronting this issue. They're the ones facing the pressure for it. And clearly they feel that they should not be the only ones bearing this burden. So we'll be talking about that.

NEW DAY continues right now.

BERMAN: I'm John Berman, alongside Brianna Keilar, on this NEW DAY.

A stark new warning about coronavirus from a former head of the CDC as staff at a Florida hospital say their unvaccinated patients are now begging for shots.

KEILAR: And then these bipartisan infrastructure talks, they're actually reaching a critical moment here in Washington. So is this bill going to make it to the president's desk?

[07:00:02]

BERMAN: The humiliation of George P. Bush.