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Hala Gorani Tonight
Warning: No-Deal Brexit Will Plunge U.K. Into Recession; U.S. Concerns Grow Over FaceApp; Indonesian Woman Jailed For Recording Boss Harassing Her; At Least 33 Killed In Suspected Arson At Anime Studio; Searing Temperatures Over 40 Celsius Across U.S.; Live Coverage of President Trump's Press Conference; Iran Seizes Tanker in Strait of Hormuz; Protestors in Puerto Rico Call for Governor's Resignation. Aired 2-3p ET
Aired July 18, 2019 - 14:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:00:16] BIANCA NOBILO, CNN ANCHOR, HALA GORANI TONIGHT: Welcome to the show. We begin with some breaking news, as U.S. President Donald Trump is
speaking alongside the Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte. Let's listen in.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK RUTTE, PRIME MINISTER OF THE NETHERLANDS: You're (INAUDIBLE) a quarter of a million in The Netherlands --
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, we're working --
RUTTE: -- so we have to bring that level up too.
TRUMP: -- we'll work on that.
RUTTE: Absolutely.
TRUMP: So thank you very much for being here.
RUTTE: Absolutely.
TRUMP: Thank you, everybody. Thank you very much.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: Steve (ph)?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- sanctions on Turkey. Have you ruled out sanctions on Turkey --
CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: We're looking at it. Very, very difficult situation for a lot of reasons. Things could have been done better in the previous
administration. The previous administration made some very big mistakes with regard to Turkey. And it was too bad. So we're looking at it, we'll
see what we do. We haven't announced that yet.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President, could I just ask a follow-up question? What would your message be to your supporters who were making that chant
and would you...
TRUMP: Well, these are people that love our country. I want them to keep loving our country. And I think the congresswomen, by the way, should be
more positive than they are. The congresswomen have a lot of problems.
When you look at the statements they made that were so bad and so horrible to our country, you look at what they said, John (ph), what they said was
something that is -- it's hard to believe that they could make statements like that.
And I could go page over page over page, many, many statements, whether it's about us, whether it's about Israel, whether it's about the World
Trade Center and all of the different things that were said, it was a very terrible thing.
I'm not happy about -- when I hear a chant like that. And I've said that and I've said it very strongly. But I will tell you, the congressmen and
women also have a big obligation in this country and in every country, frankly. But they have a big obligation.
And the obligation is to -- to love your country. There's such hatred. They have such hatred. I've seen statements that they made with such
hatred toward our country. And I don't think that's a good thing. They should embrace our country. They should love our country. And things
would be a lot better.
Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you.
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: What?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With the Pentagon -- with the Pentagon's JEDI contract, is there any chance that you might intervene in that contract, in
that...
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: Which one is that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... it's the Pentagon's...
TRUMP: The Amazon?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Correct. Amazon and Microsoft...
(CROSSTALK)
TRUMP: So I'm getting tremendous complaints about the contract with the Pentagon and with Amazon. They're saying it wasn't competitively bid.
This is going on for a long time, I guess probably before this administration.
And we're looking at it every seriously. It's a very big contract, one of the biggest ever given, having to do with the cloud and having to do with a
lot of other things.
And we're getting tremendous -- really, complaints from other companies and from great companies, some of the greatest companies in the world are
complaining about it, having to do with Amazon and the Department of Defense.
And I will be asking them to look at it very closely to see what's going on because I have had very few things where there's been such complaining.
Not only complaining from the media -- or at least asking questions about it from the media -- but complaining from different companies like
Microsoft and Oracle and IBM. Great companies are complaining about it. So we're going to take a look at it. We'll take a very strong look at it.
Thank you very much, everybody.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: You've just been hearing, there, from the U.S. president, who was speaking to Mark Rutte in the White House.
Well, we want to take you back to last night. So to remind you, it began with a racist tweet. And it turned into a rallying cry. We begin with
outrage over a scene at a Trump rally that critics are calling ugly and dangerous. Some are even warning the soul of America could be at stake.
U.S. President Donald Trump spoke a short time ago at a White House event, distancing himself from what happened last night in North Carolina. He
says that he was, quote, "Not happy" that his supporters chanted, "Send her back," after he riled them up with attacks on a Somali-American
congresswoman.
Here's what he said when a reporter asked why he didn't silence the crowd.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I think I did. I started speaking very quickly. It really was a loud -- I disagreed with it, by the way. But it was quite a chant. And I
felt a little bit badly about it. But I will say this. I did -- and I started speaking very quickly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: Well, you can judge for yourself, whether or not he tried to stop the crowd or seemed unhappy with their outcry. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
[14:05:01] TRUMP: And obviously, and importantly, Omar has a history of launching vicious anti-Semitic screeds.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Send her back! Send her back! Send her back! Send her back! Send her back!
Send her back! Send her back! Send her back! Send her back!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Send her back! Send her back! Send her back! Send her back! Send her back!
Send her back! Send her back! Send her back! Send her back!
NOBILO: Our White House reporter, Stephen Collinson, calls it, "a moment of unrestrained demagoguery." He joins us now, live from Washington.
Stephen, you have covered at least five presidential campaigns, I think. I'd like to know your take on what you saw at that rally last night. What
did you gauge from the president's reaction? And how far does this depart from any other presidential rallies and performances that we've seen in the
past?
STEPHEN COLLINSON, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: I think it's stepped up a notch from the 2016 campaign. We saw, there, Donald Trump holding these
big rallies, engaging in demagogic behaviors, stoking up his crowds. And then stepping back while they, for instance, demanded that one of his
opponents, Hillary Clinton, be locked up.
This went a step further because it introduced the racial themes that the president has been pressing over the last four days, into that febrile
atmosphere of a crowd. And it was an ugly scene.
Now, you saw that tape. It's not credible for the president to claim that he was upset about this chant. He clearly waited more than 10 seconds, let
it ring out. We've seen him do that before in other rallies with other chants.
And for him to now come back and say, "Well, I disavow that," I mean, it's not credible. He's spent the last four days, saying that these
congresswomen and Ilhan Omar specifically, do not love their country and they should leave if they don't like it. The weekend, he tweeted, "They
should go back," in quotes, to where they come from, even though they're all Americans.
So the reason he's pulling back is because there was some backlash in the Republican Party. But the impact and the effect of that chant, the
political effect, he's got that and that's something that's going to reverberate through the rest of this campaign.
NOBILO: Thanks, Stephen.
And speaking of that response from some members of the Republican Party, some Republican lawmakers are criticizing the crowd's chant, while one who
recently left the party warns, quote, "This is how history's worst episodes begin."
But many Republicans are choosing to remain silent. Our Manu Raju tried to chase down some reaction from Senator Ted Cruz. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- you may faint with surprise. You know --
MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Senator Cruz? Senator Cruz? Senator Cruz, are you OK? Are you OK with the president, those
chants at the Trump rally last night, saying, "Send her back"?
SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): I'm not interested in giving running color commentary.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: Let's get some perspective, now, from our CNN political commentator, Van Jones. He's the host of "THE VAN JONES SHOW" here on CNN.
It's great to have you on the program. Thanks for being with us.
VAN JONES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. Glad to be here.
NOBILO: Let's get into the most tangible impact that hearing the president of the United States, being present and not outright condemning this kind
of chanting, might have, Van. What concerns you the most about the ripple effects and the immediate impact of this kind of scene being broadcast
everywhere?
JONES: One thing people may not understand is that already, Ilhan Omar is subject to almost daily death threats. There have already been, I believe,
two people who have been convicted for trying to -- for making threats on her life. She is one of the most vulnerable people in our country because
of the level of hatred that right-wing media has flipped (ph) up against her.
But to see a president of the United States stand -- the most powerful man in the world, standing, surrounding by tens of thousands of people, and for
them to unleash that chant against an individual American citizen and lawmaker, "Send her back, send her back." I mean, I felt like I was being
kicked in the stomach. I think people across the country were shocked and felt revulsion.
This is a very dangerous slope that we're headed down. The president of the United States actually has a record to run on that does not require him
to attack people of color, or to single out these women.
The economy is strong, you could talk about that. He's done stuff on criminal justice, on addiction and other stuff. He could run a positive
campaign. Instead, we are in danger, now, of the president of the United States either wittingly or unwittingly unleashing some kind of a white
nationalist, white nativist jihad inside of our country.
[14:10:00] And he's got to pull back. I was glad, today, that he began to pull back. But this, he is playing with the kind of fire that not only
have countries been hurt by, but, you know, almost every individual person who's a person of color in this country, victimized by a hate crime, one of
the things that is in their repertoire is, "You should go back to your country." That's right before the punch is thrown. Right before the shot
is -- rings out. And so this is very dangerous rhetoric and I'm glad he's pulling back from it.
NOBILO: And, Van, why is it that the president is tempted towards not outright condemning this kind of behavior quickly, or even indulging it for
one moment?
As you point out, there are positive aspects to his record, which he could be running on and emphasizing. What is it about his base, about how he
perceives his audience or about the current state of America, that incentivized the president of the United States to occupy this kind of
territory and this kind of rhetoric?
JONES: The Trump coalition is a complex coalition. It includes people who are, you know, completely honorable, decent people. Business owners,
corporate leaders, faith leaders. But they are -- they've allowed their coalition to be marbled through with some of the most disgusting,
despicable characters and ideas in the country.
And for whatever reason, this president has decided that that nasty core is key for him. He's got to keep feeding that thing, the red meat, keeping
them excited because I think he feels he can't win without them.
I honestly don't think that if you look at where the country is right now, economically and otherwise, he has to do that. I mean, I would be more
afraid as a Democrat if he just ran a straightforward campaign on his achievements and accomplishments.
And it's very hard to un-elect a president in this country, as you know. W was re-elected, Obama was re-elected, Clinton was re-elected. So they tend
to get re-elected. When you got an economy like this, why do you have to go and scrape the bottom of the barrel and come up with the splinters, and
put that at the center of your campaign? It is bewildering to anybody who's watching this, but it's very dangerous.
NOBILO: Van, I'm speaking to you from London where, next week, in all likelihood according to polls, Boris Johnson will become the next prime
minister.
He's been under fire for making comments that have been racist about Muslim women wearing burqas, looking like letterboxes, saying things which are
derogatory and racist about people from commonwealth countries. There's obviously Brexit, which was focused mainly around the arguments about
immigration from other countries into the United Kingdom.
How concerned are you that if the leader of the United States is taking this kind of tone, that it's having a ripple effect worldwide, upon other
countries, and normalizing this rhetoric or facilitating leaders occupying positions of power who ordinarily wouldn't be able to do that?
JONES: Well, I mean, it's not a fear, it's a fact. I mean, that's happening around the world. Throughout the West, you see these nativist,
populist parties rising up, leaders. And then even in the Philippines and other places, people kind of --
NOBILO: Yes.
JONES: -- mimicking the Donald Trump approach.
What's so amazing, though, is that even Boris said this was too far. Even he took a step back and said, "Hey, you can't do this kind of stuff." And
so -- but maybe if Trump keeps moving the goalposts, others will continue to follow.
But we -- listen, throughout the West, we have a crisis now. I think some of the demographic changes, the technological changes are putting stress
and pressure on our societies.
And the question is, are we going to turn to each other or on each other? Are we going to say, "Listen, yes, we're going to have, you know, more
babies from other countries possibly, we may have other people, you know, praying with -- in different ways. But, jeez, these people could be
amazing. They could bring great ideas and vitality. Let's figure out some way to all work together."
Or we could turn against each other. And that is the -- the choice every country, now, is going to be faced with. And we'll be faced with that
choice in 18 months in the United States of America.
NOBILO: Indeed. Van Jones, thank you very much for joining us on the program tonight.
JONES: Thank you.
NOBILO: Now, to escalating tensions in the Middle East. We're just getting new video purporting to show the seizure of an oil tanker by Iran
in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran is claiming that the seized tanker, which had 12 people on board, was carrying 1 million liters of smuggled fuel.
It's just the latest in a series of maritime episodes involving Iran, as the world closely watches these waterways. CNN's been granted incredibly
rare access to a U.S. patrol ship in the Persian Gulf, the USS Boxer.
We have our team covering this for you. Frederik Pleitgen is in Bonn, Germany. But we begin with Sam Kiley in Abu Dhabi, who's back from being
embedded on the USS Boxer.
[14:15:08] Before we get to all that, Sam, we're hearing that a U.S. sailor is missing after going overboard a U.S. carrier. What can you tell us
about that?
SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the carrier group has launched a search for this seaman who fell overboard from the Abraham
Lincoln. The Lincoln, of course, brought in earlier this year to augment the forces already in the gulf with regard to Iran.
But this is a human tragedy. The name is, of course, being withheld until his family have been informed, and they're -- the whole (ph) flotilla, a
number of ships, are now looking for the unfortunate sailor who went overboard in the Gulf of Oman.
I was just south of that location in the Arabian Sea with the USS Boxer, another major ship of the line in the arsenal of the United States, as it
was preparing to transit through the Straits of Hormuz, a transit that it has now completed. But it was a fascinating time and this is my report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KILEY (voice-over): It's all entirely routine, until it's not. A U.S. Marine expeditionary force at the ready, while world leaders wrestle with a
tangled (ph) question, what to do about Iran.
At the center of events, the USS Boxer, on its way to the already-tense Straits of Hormuz.
CAPTAIN RONALD DOWDELL, COMMANDING OFFICER, USS BOXER: Anything that's asked of us, that can make the situation, the geopolitical situation, more
stable, they're chomping at the bit to kind of get after it.
KILEY (voice-over): The U.S. has blamed Iran for alleged mine attacks on six oil tankers in this region, this year. Iran denies responsibility, but
is furious at the U.S. withdrawal from a deal to lift sanctions in return for suspending its nuclear program.
In June, President Trump called off air strikes in retaliation for the downing of a drone by Iran over the Straits of Hormuz.
KILEY: The USS Boxer is technically an amphibious assault ship. What that really means is that it's an aircraft carrier packed with U.S. Marines, a
means by which the United States can project real muscle, real power, sending an unmistakable signal in this region right now.
KILEY (voice-over): And a routine transit to protect shipping lanes through the straits, that brings a ship this size, carrying 1,500 Marines
within the sight of Iran's coast, will inevitably be seen as provocative in Tehran. A small error as the Boxer threads through the straits could spell
disaster.
KILEY: When these sorts of operations are going on, I mean, there is a potential for a strategic effect from a small error.
BRIGADIER GENERAL MATTHEW G. TROLLINGER, COMMANDER, TASK FORCE 51/5: : That's absolutely accurate. And all of the training that we do, all the
education that we do is the express purpose of getting after that.
KILEY (voice-over): Iran's leaders say they want to keep the nuclear deal alive, and the U.S. to end trade sanctions that are crippling its economy.
They see the U.S. presence here as potentially explosive.
MOHAMMAD JAVAD ZARIF, FOREIGN MINISTER OF IRAN: The United States is intervening in order to make these waters insecure for Iran. You cannot
make these waters insecure for one country and secure for others. You cannot simply disregard a possibility of a disaster. But we all need to
work in order to avoid one.
KILEY (voice-over): The Boxer's flotilla got through the straits without a hitch, its air squadron keeping watch overhead, has a nickname that,
coincidentally, reveals how Iran and the U.S. see each other: "Evil eyes."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KILEY: Now, Bianca, this region, though that passage went off peacefully, does remain incendiary. And every small development now seems to have
geopolitical consequences -- Bianca.
NOBILO: Thanks, Sam.
Fred, let's go to you. Last time I spoke to you, you were in Tehran. You obviously spent a lot of time there. Based on what Sam just said in his
embed with this huge amphibious assault vessel and its flotilla, how is the presence of something like that being received by Iran? And also to where
you are right now, how is Europe trying to --
FREDERIK PLEITGEN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: YES.
NOBILO: -- respond to these rising tensions?
PLEITGEN: Well, I would certainly say, Bianca, that the USS Boxer, going through the Strait of Hormuz and going there, into the Persian Gulf, will
be seen as a provocation by the Iranians, especially at this, of course, very tense period of time between the U.S. and Iran in that specific area.
[14:20:07] It's quite interesting, though, because over the past couple months, I've been speaking to a lot of members of the Revolutionary Guard
Corps, which is, of course, the unit that has the Navy that's first and foremost responsible for projecting Iranian power in that region.
And they've been telling me, quite frankly, look, they've had aircraft carriers pass through the Strait of Hormuz in the past before. It's not
something that is happening for the first time. So certainly, the Iranians do have a little bit of experience with all this.
But on the other hand, if you see some of the things that the Iranians have been doing over the past couple of years, some of the military maneuvers,
for instance, they've been conducting, where they've hit mock-up versions of American aircraft carriers with bombs and rockets, then certainly you
could see that this is something that the Iranians would see as a provocation.
At the same time, of course, you do have the international community that is trying to react to this very specific situation. Of course, we've been
talking about the fact, Bianca, that the Iranians now, apparently, have taken control of a tanker, there in their territorial waters.
Very interesting to see some of the things that the Iranians have been saying about that. Because they seem to be indicating that taking that
tanker ship has nothing to do with trying to sow instability in the Strait of Hormuz. They say that ship was smuggling fuel from Iran. They say it
was taking on fuel from Iranian dowels (ph), that they believe it was then trying to sell it somewhere else.
Now, the Americans have condemned the fact that this happened. They say the Iranians are making things more insecure there. But then -- and that's
where we get to Bonn, where I am right now. Because I did ask the Russian foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, and also the German foreign minister,
Heiko Maas, how they felt about this recent incident.
Neither of them wanted to comment about this incident in particular, but both said that they had had extensive talks about the situation in Iran,
and that they had extensive talks also specifically about the situation in the Strait of Hormuz and in the Persian Gulf.
And it's no secret that they don't necessarily see eye-to-eye on this. The Germans, a little more critical of the Iranians, saying they need to do
their part to make sure things are secure there as well.
The Russians, for their part, of course, full-on on the Iranian side, saying they believe that it is America that's sowing instability by, for
instance, some of the things that Sam has been witnessing there, with the USS Boxer going there, through the Strait of Hormuz and in to the Persian
Gulf -- Bianca.
NOBILO: Fred Pleitgen in Bonn and Sam Kiley in Abu Dhabi, thank you both for giving us the American, the European and Iranian perspectives.
Appreciate it.
Still to come tonight, stirring images of anger and defiance from Puerto Rico, all of it started by some leaked chat messages. A live report in
just a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NOBILO: That was the scene Wednesday night in Puerto Rico's capital. And we're likely to see more of this in the coming days. Labor leaders are
calling for protests on Friday as they seek to get the island's governor to step aside.
[14:25:08] The governor tweeted that he's aware of this anger, but will continue to work hard to do what's best for the people. That's unlikely to
stem the anger over leaked chat messages in which he makes homophobic and misogynistic comments.
CNN's Leyla Santiago is in San Juan for us today.
Leyla, how broad is the support for these protests? From what parts of society is that support coming from? And what is the ultimate objective of
the protestors?
LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The protestors are saying they will not stop until the governor resigns, rather. I spoke to the secretary of
public safety today, asked him how many people were here. He said, "At least 100,000."
Let me sort of walk you through where I am right now. This is Old San Juan. And you can see behind me, what neighbors have been spending their
time doing today. These sort of white blocs of paint. That is paint that has gone over the graffiti, the words of frustration and anger, put on by
protestors that are still calling for the resignation of the governor, Ricardo Rossello.
Now, I'm going to walk this way so you can see what has been sort of the front line of this. Down (inaudible), that is La Fortaleza -- please
forgive me, they're doing some testing right now so I hope I'm not being drowned out by the noise, but I'll continue to explain where I am.
That is La Fortaleza, the front lines of what has taken place here, and (ph) the protests have made it a very long night (ph).
SANTIAGO (voice-over): A tense standoff in Puerto Rico's capital, escalating to a clash between police in riot gear, firing tear gas into
crowds. Thousands of protestors, taking to the streets of San Juan late into the night, demanding the island's governor resign.
Marching for a fifth day, chanting, "Ricky, resign," a direct message to Governor Ricardo Rossello.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll be out here until he resigns.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're tired of the abuse of so many years of corruption.
SANTIAGO (voice-over): Rossello is under intense scrutiny after Puerto Rico's Center for Investigative Journalism uncovered nearly 900 pages of a
leaked private group chat between the governor and his inner circle.
They include violent and misogynistic messages about San Juan's mayor, and homophobic references to singer Ricky Martin, who joined protestors in
their march, along with other Puerto Rican stars, calling for people to come together.
Even under increasing pressure, and despite several members of Rossello's staff resigning amid controversy, still, the governor refuses to step down.
RICARDO ROSSELLO, GOVERNOR OF PUERTO RICO (through translator): My responsibility is to continue working and provide you with these results.
One will always face different challenges. This is a big challenge. But at the same time, we must fulfill our objectives.
SANTIAGO (voice-over): Calls for Rossello to leave office, reaching the mainland USA too as frustration grows for Puerto Ricans living in Florida
and New York City, where "Hamilton" creator Lin Manuel Miranda, also a subject of the leaked messages, marched alongside demonstrators.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm so numb from politics in America. But the people of Puerto Rico aren't numb, and they're (INAUDIBLE) us all off. Victor
(ph) Cucando (ph) and I'm here to have their backs.
SANTIAGO (voice-over): In San Juan, protestors say it's more than just the leaked messages. The governor's former education secretary and five others
were arrested and charged with steering federal aid money to unqualified politically connected contractors.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's more about the people who are -- who died in Maria. And everything that he said in his chat, also the fight against
women.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's about dignity. It's about people. It's about family. It's about everything.
SANTIAGO: You know, so many people have told me that they see themselves in the insults that were made in these chats, but this is more than the
chats. This is essentially the last straw of corruption that has been (INAUDIBLE) for years and they want to get rid of them (ph).
The governor has said that last night's protest did not go unnoticed, but he is not stepping down. So a lot of eyes on that (INAUDIBLE) the
legislature to see if they will begin impeachment -- Bianca.
NOBILO: Leyla, thank you very much for your reporting. Just to remind our viewers there, they were just testing some sound equipment, we think,
behind her there. But appreciate it, coming to us from the capital.
Still to come tonight, worrying times in the United Kingdom. A warning that the country faces a year-long recession if it crashed out of the
European Union without a deal. Will the next prime minister take notice?
[14:30:03] Plus, a savvy app or a Russian snooping tool? U.S. leaders raise concerns about an app that's sweeping through social media. Maybe
you've used it.
Stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NOBILO: Welcome back. This time, next week, the United Kingdom will have a new prime minister. And the front-runner for the job is Boris Johnson.
He signaled that he'll take the United Kingdom out of the European Union without a deal if no agreement is reached by the 31st of October deadline.
But that could come with serious consequences for Britain.
There's a stark warning out today from the U.K. budget office saying that leaving the E.U. without a deal would plunge the U.K. into a recession.
And the treasury chief, Philip Hammond, says the warning doesn't even reflect the most severe outcome.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHILIP HAMMOND, U.K. CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER: Well, I greatly fear the impact on our economy and our public finances of the kind of no-deal Brexit
that is realistically being discussed now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
NOBILO: Let's get into this now. Hadas Gold is here with me on set.
Hadas, first things first. We're talking about this leadership contest and the next prime minister like it's a foregone conclusion. That Boris
Johnson is obviously going to get this job. From the people that you've been speaking to, the polls you've been looking at, is that the case?
HADAS GOLD, CNN MEDIA AND BUSINESS REPORTER: Honestly, it is. I mean, when you look at some of the party polls, and I should keep in mind for
everybody, that it's about 0.2 percent of the population of the U.K. that actually will get to decide who will be the next prime minister because
only about 160 to 180,000 members of the conservative party.
But for them, those warnings that you were just reading out about the office of budget responsibility, they're OK with them. They're OK with the
hard no-deal Brexit and they're increasingly OK with Boris Johnson. I went to Lee-on-the-Solent, which is a seaside town in the Southern England, a
Tory stronghold to talk to some people there and hear what they think about Boris and Jeremy Hunt.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GOLD (voice-over): In the seaside town of Lee-on-the-Solent, at the court barn conservative club, the drinks and the debates flow.
GOLD (on-camera): Uh-oh. So, have you -- have you tried convincing them yet?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes, yes, full on. We've come from both sides.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, yes.
GOLD (voice-over): A conservative stronghold on the southern coast of England, it's a microcosm of the select group of 160,000 party members who
will elect the next prime minister of the United Kingdom.
We gathered six conservatives in the carefully tended garden of the club to talk who should lead the country in one of its most pivotal political eras.
GOLD (on-camera): Raise your hand if you are voting or have already voted for Boris Johnson.
[14:35:04] Graham, David, and Reverend Sean (ph) have already sent in their ballots for Johnson.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need someone who can communicate. And we need someone who can consolidate the party and get them back together.
GOLD: But Caroline, Piers and Allison aren't necessarily convinced.
PIERS BATEMAN, CONSERVATIVE PARTY MEMBER: Is it Boris the person who can persuade parliament through and pull him through with his charisma, or is
it Jeremy who has, he is a details man, he's a manager, he comes across as a decent man.
GOLD: One thing that does unite this group -- Brexit.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People are thoroughly tired of the word Brexit.
GOLD: How many people here are OK with a no-deal Brexit? Raise your hand.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Me? Absolutely. I didn't vote for a deal.
GOLD: All of you are OK for with a no-deal Brexit?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, we didn't vote for a deal.
GOLD: You don't care that there is a deal on the table?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, we just want out.
GOLD: Are you concerned about the effects a no-deal would have?
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: no.
GOLD: Johnson's heart stands that the U.K. will leave the E.U. by October 31st, do or die, lands well with this group.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We must have someone that voted leave. And that's a must.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, definitely.
GOLD: Whereas Hunt's more flexible position on the date and his original vote to remain leaves some here to question his Brexit bonafides.
The group like the Tory Party, in general, is not really representative of the entire country. This area is predominantly white and older, but they
do represent a major bloc of conservative voters who will elect the next prime minister, which increasingly seems to be leaning toward Johnson.
As our conversation goes on, the support for Hunt seems to wane even further.
CAROLINE HODKINSON, CONSERVATIVE PARTY MEMBER: He seems to be better suited in his current role as foreign secretary. So he has got some
diplomatic skills that are being put to good use, but I'm not sure that he's got my confidence to be prime minister.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So you have Boris. She's coming off --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well done.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're converting them.
GOLD: Despite concerns about his temperament and recent gaffes, Johnson is still winning over conservative members here and has the lead in party wide
polls.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
GOLD: So, Bianca, what actually struck me is I asked the people there, you know, there's all these reports about what the effects of a no-deal Brexit
would have on the economy. Aren't you worried about this? And they said that they are OK with accepting those negative effects and that they think
that the country would be better off in the long term. So they're OK with some short-term pain for what they believe will be a longer term gain of
just Brexit and getting it over with.
NOBILO: And on the issue of short or potentially medium longer term pain, the office of budget responsibility published this morning, this data which
suggests that Britain could potentially see a full-blown recession in the event of a no-deal.
But is the problem with this, as most Brexiteers would say that almost every time there's been an economic forecast, pre and after Brexit, the
reality has not been as bad as the forecast. So it's kind of a boy cried wolf scenario. But is it getting to that point where we're seeing actual
evidence that this is a reality?
GOLD: I think we're seeing actual evidence and, obviously, we can't tell what's going to happen until the actual no-deal Brexit happens if it does.
But the numbers are really stunning coming from the budget responsibility office today and Hammond was saying that they're not even as bad as they
actually could be.
I mean, the stocks fall five percent. The pound would fall 10 percent, and GDP would shrink two percent. We're already seeing the pound starting to
react a little bit to these warnings. It's already dropped to a two-year low, about a dollar 24, a pound.
And these forecasts say that it would be worse for the U.K. than the financial crisis. Now just imagine the ramifications of that. Not only
the immediate ramifications, what that would do to the economy but years on. We're still feeling the effects of the recession from years ago.
Imagine what a no-deal Brexit could potentially do the U.K. economy in further years.
But what we're seeing from the voters, from the 0.2 percent of people who will actually elect the next prime minister, they don't seem to really care
that much.
NOBILO: And part of the problem it seems that it's so difficult to disentangle the politics from the evidence. Because most people are
considered to be remainers or Brexiteers first and then they find the evidence to buttress, whatever their cause may be.
Boris Johnson is somebody who said that he's not -- he's not against a no- deal Brexit, that he thinks it's most important to respect the date that Britain will leave on the 31st of October, do or die, he said.
But realistically, Hadas, with this hung parliament, with evidence that M.P.s will try and fight against a no-deal Brexit in every way that they
can, is it even a possibility?
GOLD: He would have a very hard time, I think, getting a no-deal through. I mean, we just saw the vote today that M.P.s would try to block a no-deal
by pretty much not allowing suspension of parliament for about two months, I think. And there's also reports of people being willing to resign in
order to block a no-deal scenario. I do think there is a bit of politicking here that Boris Johnson is doing as a way to ensure that he
does get elected by not ruling out that sort of no-deal scenario, unlike Jeremy Hunt.
[14:40:00] But realistically, when he gets to power, whether that will happen and whether this grand, for example, trade deal would happen with
the U.S. right after a Brexit, it seems a little bit unlikely that that will happen.
NOBILO: Hadas Gold, thank you very much for giving us the latest. Five days and counting until we find out who the next prime minister is going to
be.
Now, who's really looking into the private data on your phone? That question is being raised in the United States about FaceApp, the most
downloaded free app in the Apple Store.
Celebrities have been all over the app, and it allows you to edit pictures on your phone and make people look younger, older, or happier than they
actually are.
But the app was developed in Russia. A major red flag for some U.S. politicians. So much so, one of them believes it may be snooping into
Americans' private data.
For more, we're joined by Donie O'Sullivan from Washington. Donie, are the term of service on this app, actually, that different from most other apps
that people would have on their phone?
DONIE O'SULLIVAN, CNN BUSINESS REPORTER: You know what, Bianca, I think that's the most important thing about this story. The fact is that the
terms of service, when you read them, in this app, they do sound quite scary. It says you're handing over your photos and, really, that this
company can do whatever they want with them and they can keep them forever.
Now, there are many other apps out there in the app store that have terms of service like this, but it's just not normal. We don't usually read that
fine print. So all the scrutiny that's on this app has, I guess, sort of reminded us all that we should take more time before we download these apps
and maybe sometimes even read the small prints.
NOBILO: Now, Donie, this Russia link, which I mentioned, the fact the app was developed there, the U.S. have concerns about whether or not there's a
nefarious motive here and that it could be used as a way to snoop on Americans' private data. Is there any legitimate cause for that concern?
O'SULLIVAN: Well, we should say that the company which is based in St. Petersburg, in Russia, says that everything is above board. They actually
said that no data is transferred to Russia and that they will delete most photos after two days.
But you're right. Here in the U.S., the Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Party, which, of course, was attacked by Russian hackers in
2016, sent out a warning yesterday to 2020 presidential campaigns to not -- do not download this app, and if you have downloaded this, delete it
immediately. That was followed by Senator Chuck Schumer here, a Democrat also, who called on the FBI and the FTC, federal agencies here in the U.S.,
to begin looking into what exactly this company is doing with people's photos.
So I guess, you know, you can probably understand it from the perspective of the Democratic Party having been targeted by Russia in 2016. But even
their chief of security, Bob Lord, said in his warning to campaigns that they don't know. They can't say for sure that this app is anything, at
all, necessarily nefarious, but he said that the benefits of not downloading the app outweighed downloading this.
NOBILO: And have you downloaded the app, Donie? Have you aged yourself?
O'SULLIVAN: I have. I was one of those people who downloaded the app before without reading the terms of service. So a valuable lesson for me
in that as well.
NOBILO: Well, I think you should post that for all of our viewers to enjoy.
Donie O'Sullivan, thanks for joining us.
Now to Indonesia where a woman recorded her boss sexually harassing her. Now, he didn't get in trouble with the law, but she did. And even ended up
in jail. Her case is prompting renewed scrutiny of what Indonesia is doing to prevent sexual harassment and violence.
Here's CNN's Anna Coren with the report.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In this humble village on the Indonesian island of Lombok, where the rhythm of life
revolves around family and religion.
Baiq Nuril calls her son for evening prayers. She's teaching him the ways of her faith. A source of strength for this mother of three whose world
was turned into a living hell seven years ago when a new principal arrived at the school where she worked.
COREN: She explains, "The principal would call me into his office and tell me how he performed sex and what he would do to me. When I remember that,
it disgusts me, I want to vomit."
Baiq Nuril was working as the school's bookkeeper. She would tell him to stop, but the sexual harassment continued.
"I was scared if I spoke out, he would fire me," she said. "He knew he had the power."
After a year, Baiq Nuril finally had enough. She recorded one of his explicit phone calls as evidence, played it to her colleague who forwarded
the conversation to school officials. She says when the principal found out, he fired her and sued her for defamation.
[14:45:01] After two months in jail, Baiq Nuril was acquitted during the trial. But prosecutors appealed and the case then went to the Supreme
Court which found her guilty of distributing indecent material sentencing her to six months jail and a $35,000 fine.
JOKO JUMADI, BAIQ NURIL'S LAWYER (through translator): This is an absolute injustice. Baiq Nuril is a victim and she was criminalized. The
perpetrator was free, he even got a promotion. The system is completely wrong.
COREN: Many times, Baiq Nuril just wanted to give up.
"I thought about suicide when I was riding my motorbike. What if I hit that bridge? All my problems would be gone. But then, I remembered my
children. What would happen to them?"
Her case made national headlines and when her final appeal was rejected earlier this month, the presidential palace took notice.
CNN asked President Joko Widodo if he would grant Baiq Nuril amnesty.
JOKO WIDODO, PRESIDENT OF INDONESIA (through translator): I respect the decision of the court, but when it's related to my authority, I will give
amnesty to Baiq Nuril.
COREN: So, you are going to give her amnesty?
WIDODO (through translator): Yes, if I have to do it, then I will do it. Why not as soon as possible?
COREN: We relayed this news to Baiq Nuril, a woman finally unburdened and completely overwhelmed.
BAIQ NURIL, JAILED FOR SEXUAL ALLEGATIONS: Can I hug you?
COREN: The sexual harassment that Baiq Nuril endured at the school for more than a year is, sadly, not uncommon here in Indonesia.
The National Commission on Violence Against Women found that 260,000 cases of sexual violence, including harassment were reported last year. But
believed unreported cases could be at least five times that number.
Baiq Nuril hopes that her story will inspire other victims to come forward and speak out.
COREN: "If we don't fight back and speak up then who will?" She asks. You have to be brave, don't be scared."
While Baiq Nuril's case may be a focal point for Indonesia's Me Too movement, this mother just wants to hold her children, never to be
separated again.
Anna Coren, CNN, Lombok, Indonesia.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NOBILO: Still to come tonight, staying in jail. A judge denies bail for a New York multimillionaire accused of sexually abusing dozens of underage
girls. Details coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
NOBILO: Welcome back. Police are waiting to question an arson suspect following a deadly fire in Japan. Police say he shouted die before
torching a popular animation studio in Kyoto. The blaze killed at least 33 people and left 35 others injured. The suspect was later arrested, but
police say he's seriously injured.
[14:50:10] Cyril Vanier has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CYRIL VANIER, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR (voice-over): Members of the public leave flowers at the scene of Thursday's suspected arson attack in the
Japanese city of Kyoto. It is one of the deadliest fires in Japan in recent years with around 48 fire engines needed to bring the blaze under
control.
The scene of the deadly blaze, Kyoto Animation is a celebrated anime studio founded by a husband and wife duo in 1981. Most of the company's
productions are recorded inside the building that was engulfed in flames. Police say a man poured what appears to be gasoline around the building and
set it on fire.
The 41-year-old suspect was arrested and is currently in hospital being treated for serious burns. Police are waiting to question him. The
incident is sending shockwaves through a country with a longstanding low crime rate. It also comes less than two months after a stabbing rampage
outside Tokyo when a man attacked 18 school girls, killing one girl and an adult.
Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe tweeted, the many deaths and injuries from this arson homicide in Kyoto are too appalling for words. And Apple's
Tim Cook called the attack devastating and said that the effects of the tragedy would be felt far beyond Japan.
Nicknamed KyoAni, the studio produces television shows and movies and also publishes comic books and novels. Some of Kyoto Animation's hits include
full metal panic. A story of a high school girl who was protected by a member of a private anti-terrorist organization. And Clannad, the story of
two disaffected teens who find solace in each other's company.
As one of the most popular of Japan's so-called soft exports, anime is a pillar of Japan's popular culture around the world. In the hours after the
fire, the #pray for KyoAni was the number one trending topic on Twitter.
Cyril Vanier, CNN, Atlanta.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NOBILO: A judge in New York has denied bail for Jeffrey Epstein. The multimillionaire accused of sexually abusing dozens of underage girls.
That means he'll remain in jail until his trial. Epstein had asked the judge to let him stay at his New York City mansion under armed guard. The
judge called that irretrievably inadequate and prosecutors argued there was overwhelming evidence that Epstein, because he owns a private jet and
multiple homes, and has an expired foreign passport under another name, would try to flee.
And also a bombshell twist in the indecent assault and battery case against actor Kevin Spacey. It's over. Prosecutors have dropped the criminal
charge against him. Spacey's accuser had said he was groped by the actor at a Nantucket bar. The defense maintained the accuser's cell phone
contained information that could show Spacey's innocence. That phone, however, went missing.
Testifying earlier this month, the accuser denied deleting anything from the phone. He then invoked his right not to incriminate himself, and his
testimony was stricken from the record. Spacey still faces separate allegations of misconduct in Britain.
More to come on the program tonight, including summer time is supposed to be hot, but not this hot. A searing heat wave is blanketing the United
States. A look at the impact of it when we come back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:55:09] NOBILO: Welcome back. Around 85 percent of the United States will have temperatures higher than 32 degrees Celsius this week. Some
places are expected to top 40 degrees. So what's causing it?
Let's bring in CNN meteorologist, Tom Sater. Tom, what is behind this, and is there a sign that climate choices and the climate crisis is driving this
extreme heat?
TOM SATER, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Well, we're closer to August than we are June, Bianca. Obviously, you had a really terrible heatwave at the end of
June. I don't think it's going to be quite that hot here, but it is going to be stifling, 40 to 45 degrees.
It's just that in this climate crisis we're in, we're going to see more of these over the next several years and decades. But high pressure is
building. It's going to compress the air and heats it up. Stagnant air mass and humidity is going to be unbelievable. And that's just -- that's
going to keep us from really recouping the body and refreshing the body.
But we've got a good 30 states right now with some sort of warning or watch or advisory. And pink are the warnings, and it's all sliding to the East.
Feels like 41 in Kansas City, St. Louis, Chicago is going to get up to 42, 43, but it's just starting. This is going to build over Friday and
Saturday and even into Sunday. Thirty temperature records, maybe more than that, will be broken for high temperatures.
But the overnight lows, we could have over 100 temperatures broken, because we're not going to see temperatures drop. Look at these low temperatures.
Look at New York, 27, 28 degrees. When it's that oppressive, you just can't recuperate. So again, it's not only stifling, potentially dangerous,
but may be deadly for those in the homeless, those that do not have air conditioning. When you see temperatures like this in Washington, D.C.,
from 43, 42, I mean, this is, really, it's going to grip the U.S.
Now, you've got one coming, too. This comes next week. However, it doesn't look like it's going to be quite as hot as the 45-degree
temperature we saw in France. But no doubt about it. It's coming your way. But say a prayer for us. We're going to need it this weekend.
NOBILO: Absolutely, Tom, thank you so much. Tom Sater for us.
Well, thank you for watching tonight. Stay with CNN. Richard Quest is in the building, and "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
