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Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) Reveals Abortion After She Was Raped At Age 17; Justice Sotomayor: There's Going To Be A Lot Of Disappointment In The Law; Agent Shot While Protecting Reagan Reacts To Hinckley Release. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired September 30, 2021 - 07:30   ET

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


[07:30:00]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: It's -- you know, you would hope that she would be treated differently. We know a lot more now about power dynamics.

KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR AND CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Yes.

KEILAR: But it's so upsetting, I think, to look back and see, really, the pressure she was under and the fact that she had no one around her except -- God bless her -- her mother, right? She talks a lot about that. She had no one really -- no one was looking out for Monica Lewinsky.

HUNT: No one was looking out for her. And I can't -- I was still in school when this was all unfolding. I was a young woman kind of watching this happen and I can't imagine how alone she must have felt.

And I think this is still -- can be a problem, especially in politics when the values get tied up in how people are acting.

I mean, look at what happened with Andrew Cuomo and the time's up organization, and revelations that there were women who were fighting on behalf of women who were advising a powerful man on how to continue to stay in office despite really damaging reports of misconduct.

I mean, people still -- I mean, this is still something I think that we are -- we are grappling with today because people, especially politicians -- now they fight like hell to keep their hold on power. And sometimes they do that, still, at the expense of other people in their way. And too often, it's young women who are not in positions of power who find themselves in these situations. So I think we've got to -- we've got to continue to stay vigilant and make sure it doesn't happen again.

KEILAR: We still have a long way to go but thank goodness for voices like Monica Lewinsky's. And I think that is something that if you said to someone in the late 90s, they never would have predicted that would be said in 2021.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, CO-ANCHOR, "STATE OF THE UNION": How important it is for her to continue to speak out so that people understand. KEILAR: She's an essential voice on this.

Kacie, Dana, thank you to both of you.

BASH: Thank you.

KEILAR: Coming up, a deeply personal revelation from Democrat Cori Bush as she makes the case to protect reproductive rights.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: And with days to go before the new term on the Supreme Court, Justice Sonia Sotomayor with deeply revealing comments on the history that's about to happen.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:36:18]

BERMAN: A deeply personal revelation this morning from Democratic Congresswoman Cori Bush of Missouri, telling "Vanity Fair" that she underwent an abortion at the age of 17 after being raped. Bush is set to tell her story publicly today at a congressional hearing on reproductive rights.

Joining me now, Abigail Tracy, national political reporter for "Vanity Fair." Thanks so much for being with us.

Talk to me about Cori Bush -- why she chose to tell this story.

ABIGAIL TRACY, NATIONAL POLITICAL REPORTER, VANITY FAIR (via Webex by Cisco): Yes. I think, you know -- thank you so much for having me, to begin with.

But I spoke with Cori Bush on Monday, and prior to sitting down with me for the interview she had actually never publicly or privately, even, told her story in its entirety. And I spoke with her at length as to why now. Why is she making this decision today? As you said, she was 17 at the time.

And she has, really, a guiding ethos I think along her trajectory to Congress has been the idea that the personal is political. This is a member of Congress who has regularly shared personal anecdotes, including other counts of sexual assault, with the public in speeches, et cetera.

And one of the things that really stood with me is it was on the eve of a rally just a couple of weeks back in St. Louis. And we have this slew of legislation around abortions, including a bill in Missouri that would ban abortion after eight weeks and not have exceptions for incest or rape. And on the eve of this rally in St. Louis, Bush said she made the decision to share her story publicly for the first time -- the notion that she did have an abortion. And the way she phrased it was if there is a moment, this is the moment.

And speaking with her on Monday it was very obvious that this was an incredibly, incredibly story for her to share, but she also had a real determination to share her story in the hopes that it might foment change.

BERMAN: Her abortion was at nine weeks. You just mentioned Missouri. They're discussing a law that would ban abortions after eight weeks with no exceptions.

TRACY: Exactly.

BERMAN: And then in Texas, there is the law which all but bans abortion after six weeks with no exceptions at all.

So how much did all that play into it?

TRACY: It played a lot into it. I think what she really saw is she went through this really difficult period in her life. This decision was incredibly difficult for her. And again, as you mentioned, she got pregnant as a result of sexual assault.

But the bill in her home state of Missouri, as you said, would have been at eight weeks, as you mentioned, too. Her abortion was at nine weeks so she already would have missed that window. But also, even still, she wouldn't have had an exemption despite the fact that her pregnancy came as a result of sexual assault.

So I think all of those factors really came together and she sees this as a moment to share her story, as painful as it is. Even in our interview, she said I'm not sure how many times I want to tell this story, but she is today. So --

BERMAN: I was just going to ask how hard is this for her?

TRACY: Very difficult. It was a very difficult interview when we sat down on Monday. I spent well over an hour with her discussing it and it was very clear that it's still painful for her to recount everything that happened between the assaults, and also the procedure.

And speaking with her, that emotion is palpable. But discomfort even in, sort of, being vulnerable around this issue -- around this story is incredibly obvious when you speak with her. But there was -- there has been, as I said, a real determination I think in her now to share this story now that she made a decision on the eve of that rally.

BERMAN: Courageous to come forward like this.

Abby Tracy, thank you so much for your reporting -- appreciate it.

TRACY: Thank you.

[07:40:00]

KEILAR: Some blunt comments from Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor just days ahead of the start of what could be a very consequential term -- speaking at an event hosted by the American Bar Association, telling lawyers, quote, "There is going to be a lot of disappointment in the law -- a huge amount."

Her comments coming on the heels of a scathing dissent that she wrote earlier this month criticizing her fellow justices who refused to block a Texas law that bans abortions after six weeks of pregnancy -- that law that John was just talking about there.

CNN's Ariane de Vogue joining us now to talk about this. Ooh-wee, Ariane.

ARIANE DE VOGUE, CNN SUPREME COURT REPORTER: Yes, and the timing here is interesting, right? On Monday, this new term starts. It includes a direct challenge to Roe v. Wade -- a big Second Amendment case. And it comes on the heels of the court dividing bitterly and allowing that Texas law to go into effect. And, of course, she wrote a big dissent.

And she was talking to a group of law students yesterday and she basically wanted to warn them. Here's what she said.

She said, "There's going to be a lot of disappointment in the law -- a huge amount. As you study cases and look at outcomes out disagree with, it can get frustrating. Look at me. Look at my dissents. So, you know, I can't change Texas' law but you can and everyone else who may or may not like it can go out there and be lobbying forces in changing laws that you don't like."

What's interesting there is she did something that justices usually don't do, which is refer to a case that's before the court, right? She brings up that Texas law and the justices are still considering that. But I have to say, I don't think she gets in any trouble there because what she said yesterday pales in comparison to her actual dissent, right?

KEILAR: Yes.

DE VOGUE: Listen to what she said. Listen to what she said about that law in that dissent.

She said, "The Court's order here is stunning. Presented with an application to enjoin a flagrantly unconstitutional law engineered to prohibit women from exercising their constitutional rights and evade judicial scrutiny, a majority of justices have opted to bury their heads in the sand."

What's interesting is she is writing for the future, and that's not like the other liberals on the court -- Kagan and Breyer. They're trying to limit the damage, but not Sotomayor. She's out there. She's writing her dissents because she hopes one day that they're going to be majority opinions.

And, of course, this term that's coming up, Brianna -- there's going to be a lot of dissents on her part, no question about it.

KEILAR: Yes. Them's fighting words that she put on paper there.

DE VOGUE: Yes.

KEILAR: Ariane de Vogue, thank you so much.

DE VOGUE: Thank you. KEILAR: Coming up, the urgent manhunt for Brian Laundrie nearly one month after he showed up back in -- back home in Florida without his fiance Gabby Petito. Why the FBI is now zeroing in on a phone.

BERMAN: The courts about to lift all restrictions on the man who tried to assassinate Ronald Reagan. What does that feel like for the former Secret Service agent who took a bullet to protect the president? We'll ask him, ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:47:10]

BERMAN: A federal judge ruled to lift all restrictions on John Hinckley Jr., the man who tried to assassinate President Reagan.

This morning, I'm joined by Tim McCarthy. He's the Secret Service agent who took a bullet while protecting Reagan during that assassination attempt 40 years ago.

Thank you so much for being with us this morning, Tim. I really appreciate it. And obviously, the entire country appreciates the work that you did then and for your entire life.

What was your reaction when you heard that Hinckley has been granted his complete release as of this coming June?

TIM MCCARTHY, FORMER U.S. SECRET SERVICE SPECIAL AGENT, SHOT BY JOHN HINCKLEY JR. WHILE PROTECTING PRESIDENT RONALD REAGAN (via Webex by Cisco): Well, I was slightly surprised and a bit disappointed that the Department of Justice didn't consult with -- didn't - I shouldn't say consult -- at least didn't advise me of what -- that they weren't going to object to it.

So forgive me if I don't have a lot of good Christian thoughts about someone who shot me and almost made my wife a widow and my three children fatherless. But at the same time, I don't seek revenge either, as a Christian. This is -- this is behind me.

But let's keep in mind the context of this. This was a mass shooting by law enforcement definition.

One man was killed. Jim Brady was murdered. In fact, from the time he was shot, his family was ruined. I mean, his recovery -- there never was much recovery from this. Tom Delahanty, shot in the back of the neck and his career was destroyed after that.

But most importantly and the most important context is that it's the President of the United States. And when a president is elected, he should only be removed from the ballot -- removed from the office at the ballot box or impeachment.

And President Reagan, like most presidents, was very consequential in the things he did and the agenda he had, and what he did during his eight years, and that would have changed. Now, some people may have preferred it did but that's beyond -- that's not the point. When a president is elected, he should serve out his term.

So we've released Sara Jane Moore. We've released Squeaky Fromme, Sirhan Sirhan. It sounds as if he may be released over the objections of some of the -- many of the Kennedy family. And I hope it will minimize the role of the President of the United States -- the leader of the free world -- that it's not an easy target, but holding people accountable.

And I -- you know, I'm not going to second-guess the judge because I don't know what he knows. I mean, I don't know what the psychiatrists have said. I know what they've said -- he's no longer a danger to themselves and others -- but they better be right. They better be right because we can't have our presidents, and even presidential candidates, being the object of assaults and murders simply because they don't like their politics.

[07:50:00]

BERMAN: Tim, I want to read you something that Reagan's daughter, Patti Davis, wrote when she got the news -- the same news that you got and were surprised by -- that he's getting his unconditional release -- Hinckley.

She says, "Now, Hinckley's last restrictions have been lifted. He can now, if he wants, contact me, my siblings, and the actress Jodie Foster, whom, as is well known, he was trying to impress by carrying out his ambush."

One of the restrictions that goes away is, you know, he could knock on your door. How do you feel about that?

MCCARTHY: Well, first of all, I don't fear for my safety or my family's safety. And it would be -- be a very bad idea for him to show on my front porch. I assure you with that. It would not be welcomed.

But I understand what they're thinking -- that their father was almost killed. It put their family through a lot of trauma.

But -- and as much as I appreciate what they have to say, the bigger picture in my view is that we can't allow or give any people any idea that taking a shot at the president is anything less than the most severe -- should get the most severe punishment. Not necessarily just because they're no longer a danger to themself or others, but can we take that risk constantly? Look how many presidents we've had attempted assassinations on or assassinations. Can we continue to take that risk and send a message that maybe OK, you can do it and maybe you do 25 or 30 years and you're out?

So I worry about what it says in the greater context about Presidents of the United States. We go through -- our elections are something to behold, as you know. They're contentious and they're thorough. And we go through all this to elect a president and then we discount the fact that it's the President of the United States -- the leader of the free world. The person who has the nuclear arms under their control.

So it's the bigger context that I see. And I hope they're right about Hinckley. He should not come to my front door, as you mentioned. That wouldn't be a good idea.

But I don't know everything that the judge knows because no one contacted me about it to even give me an idea. I heard about -- I knew the hearing was going to take place but I heard about the release, actually, from the media who gave me a call. I would have heard it on the news at some point, but I received a call from the media letting me know.

BERMAN: Tim McCarthy, again, thank you for everything you've done. Thank you for your service. And thank you for sharing your feelings this morning, all of which I have to say are completely understandable. We appreciate you.

MCCARTHY: Yes, thank you very much.

BERMAN: South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem facing questions about a possible conflict of interest. Questions about whether she pressured a state official to get her daughter's real estate license.

KEILAR: Plus, don't try this at home. I mean, don't try this anywhere. This guy did, though. We're going to show you what happened.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:57:39]

KEILAR: Today is the last day of September, but hurricane season is really not showing any signs of slowing down. So let's check in now with Chad Myers. Ooh, what's going on here.

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, in May we started out with Ana and yesterday we picked up Victor. Victor out in the Atlantic -- not going to hit anything. But we only have one name left -- that's Wanda.

So in years past when we ran out of names, we went to the Greek alphabet. No longer the case. We actually have a supplemental list from the Hurricane Center and from the hurricane people out in Europe as well, making these names. So we will not be going to Alpha, Beta, Gamma.

This weather brought to you by Servpro, making fire and water damage like it never even happened.

Some storms in the middle part of the country right now, across parts of Omaha, back into Kansas City.

But we're looking out here toward the east. Sam still a category three, almost four hurricane here, still in the Atlantic. Going to brush Bermuda with some waves.

And there is Victor, way out in the African coast, and that will not hit anything when it comes to land. It will be called a fish storm out there in the middle.

Now we get back here to the waves that will be in Bermuda. It could be 30 to 40 feet. And even this weekend in the northeast or all along the east coast, waves could be five to 10 feet. You're going to have to be very careful with the kids and yourself this weekend because the rip currents will be very, very high -- Brianna.

KEILAR: I am looking at those names -- Ana, and then you said Victor. So it's where -- it's like our afternoon anchor lineup, right --

MYERS: That's right.

KEILAR: Chad? But not going to hit anything. Not going to do any damage.

MYERS: That's right.

KEILAR: They are lovely -- they are lovely people we work with. Chad Myers, thank you so much.

MYERS: You're welcome.

BERMAN: Our afternoon anchor lineup not going to do any damage. Thank you for clarifying that, Brianna Keilar.

So, Florida man Eugene Bozzi has just achieved legend status. The Army veteran utilized his basic training and used a trash can to capture a six-foot alligator who has loitering in his neighbor's front yard.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EUGENE BOZZI, COAXED ALLIGATOR INTO TRASH CAN: Baby, watch out! Watch out!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Use the (INAUDIBLE) right there.

BOZZI: Let me know when the head's going inside.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

BOZZI: Let me know.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All right.

BOZZI: Somebody let me know when the head goes inside.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I got you. The head's in! The head's in!