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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees
A Day Of Mourning In United Kingdom As Queen Is Laid To Rest; Hurricane Fiona Wipes Out Power Grid In Puerto Rico; Florida Governor DeSantis Gets Standing Ovation From Kansas GOP Voters After Flying Migrants To Martha's Vineyard. Aired 9-10p ET
Aired September 19, 2022 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[21:00:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: And welcome back. It is 2 AM, here, at Windsor Castle. The lights have long since gone out. In a few hours, the sun will come up.
And, for the first time, in 10 days, people, in the country, will truly enter a new era, after seven decades, with Elizabeth the Second as their monarch. She was laid to rest, here, tonight, at the end of the day that saw a 9-year-old Prince George, take part, in his first royal funeral, and a 73-year-old King Charles, shed tears, for his mom.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In the name of the Holy Spirit who strengtheneth thee. In communion with the blessed saints, and aided by Angels and Archangels, and all the armies of the heavenly host, may thy portion this day be in peace.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let us humbly beseech Almighty God to bless with a long life, health and honor, and all worldly happiness the Most High, Most Mighty and Most Excellent Monarch, our Sovereign Lord, Charles the Third.
(VIDEO - PEOPLE SINGING NATIONAL ANTHEM)
Long live our noble King, God save The King! Send him victorious, Happy and glorious, Long to reign over us; God save The King!
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: At King Charles' side, during much of today's farewell, his sister Anne, Princess Royal. She wasn't even 2-years-old, when her mother ascended to the throne. Today, she marched alongside the carriage that took Her Majesty's casket, throughout London.
Tonight, Randi Kaye looks at the strong ties, between Princess Anne, and the Queen, through the years.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT & ANCHOR (voice-over): This is one of the first glimpses, the world got, of Princess Anne, swaddled in a blanket, in her mother's arms. Anne is the second child, and only daughter, of Queen Elizabeth the Second, and Prince Philip. Her official title is the Princess Royal.
From a young age, the Princess Royal bonded with her mother, the Queen. Both loved horses. Once, while competing in the European Equestrian Championships, in 1973, she fell, from her horse, named Goodwill, during a jump, and had to withdraw from the competition. Still, Anne was the first British royal, to become an Olympian, competing in the 1976 Olympic Games, as an equestrian.
At 72, she still rides, most days, to keep mentally and physically fit, though much of her time, is devoted to charity work. And perhaps, taking a cue from her mother, the Princess Royal has no plans, to slow down, as she hinted, in this 2010 interview, with the BBC.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PRINCESS ANNE, UNITED KINGDOM: Look around at the members of my family, who are considerably older than me, and tell me whether you think that's - they have set an example, which suggests that I might - unlikely.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KAYE (voice-over): The Princess Royal is involved with hundreds of charities, including several horse-related groups.
PRINCESS ANNE: To emergencies in Africa and elsewhere.
KAYE (voice-over): She also served as President of Save the Children, from 1970 to 2017.
At a charity event, around Anne's 50th birthday, her mother, the Queen, offered a toast, and her daughter responded, with gratitude.
QUEEN ELIZABETH II, FORMER QUEEN OF THE UNITED KINGDOM: To celebrate the Princess Royal.
(AUDIENCE RESPONDS WITH "PRINCESS ROYAL")
PRINCESS ANNE: I seriously owe one very important thank you, which is to my mother and father.
(AUDIENCE LAUGHTER)
PRINCESS ANNE: And more than just the accident of birth, because really thanks to their example, their advice, and their health that you're all here tonight.
KAYE (voice-over): During COVID, Anne, who had a close relationship, with the Queen, was quick to assist her, as she joined this Zoom call.
PRINCESS ANNE: Good morning at Windsor.
QUEEN ELIZABETH II: Good morning. I'm very glad to have been able to join you.
PRINCESS ANNE: Can you see everybody? You should have six people on your screen.
QUEEN ELIZABETH II: Yes, well I can see four anyway.
PRINCESS ANNE: OK, right on. Actually, you don't need me. You know what I look like!
[21:05:00]
KAYE (voice-over): Anne is the picture of strength. In 1974, during a failed kidnapping attempt, when a man blocked her Rolls Royce, and shot at her bodyguard, chauffeur, and a journalist, nearby, she refused to get out of her car, telling the man, quote, "Not bloody likely."
PRINCESS ANNE: We had a fairly low key discussion about the fact that I wasn't going to go anywhere and wouldn't it be much better if he just went away and we'd all forget about it.
(AUDIENCE LAUGHTER)
KAYE (voice-over): Anne, who has graced the cover of British Vogue, several times, has been married twice.
She has two children, Peter, and Zara, with her first husband. Their parents chose not to give them Royal titles.
And second husband, Timothy Laurence, had served as a personal assistant to the Queen. They married in 1992.
When her mother, the Queen, died, Anne became the first woman, ever, to stand guard, at what's called the Vigil of the Princes.
Earlier, she had been at Balmoral Castle, for her mother's final hours, then accompanied her coffin, through the streets of Edinburgh. And in an act of reverence, offered a single curtsy, to Her Majesty, her mother.
Randi Kaye, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: With us now is Bonnie Greer. She's an author, a playwright, and former Deputy Chair of the Royal Museum.
Also joining us, CNN's Richard Quest.
You were tweeting, about Princess Anne, today. I've heard people, someone earlier today, was saying, she's sort of the unsung hero, of this entire week, the way she has held herself, the role she has played.
BONNIE GREER, AUTHOR AND PLAYWRIGHT, FORMER DEPUTY CHAIR, BRITISH MUSEUM: She's - first of all, I'm the British Museum.
COOPER: What did I say?
GREER: Royal Museum, because you're thinking of the Princess Royal.
COOPER: Yes.
GREER: And who's been to the British Museum, by the way.
COOPER: Yes.
GREER: As has the Queen, and everybody, all right.
COOPER: Oh, really?
GREER: She's the breakout star of this whole thing. She - her stamina, 72-years-old.
COOPER: Wow!
GREER: She did the Vigil of the Princes, which is the first time a woman has ever done that.
COOPER: Right.
GREER: Stood there. She's walked behind her brother. And that walk down the mount is long. It's sort of like this. And she walked it with him. You can look at her, and see she's holding him up. There is no question about that.
And the deep curtsy that she did when she - when her mother's coffin came on, I mean, you don't have to be a ballerina to do that. So, she is stunning.
COOPER: And she, you think, is going to be having a larger role, than she has had, in the past?
GREER: No question. I can't imagine that she's not going to be his adviser. He did give his son, William, of course, Prince of Wales, so he's going to be behind him. There's no way, he's going to discard Anne. He'd be crazy to do that.
COOPER: Richard, I mean, we've obviously never seen anything like this, and may never again.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN ANCHOR & CORRESPONDENT: Yes.
COOPER: Witnessing today's events, what stood out to you?
QUEST: Charles' face, as we heard in that report, the wretched look of grief, weight of responsibility and history, time and again, having to grieve in public. I can only imagine that tonight, when they were finally - they finally laid Her Majesty to rest, in the Memorial Chapel, at Windsor, the final private personal service that that was all able to be released.
You talk about Princess Anne, the Princess Royal. But Prince Charles, he's getting a bit short, on members of the Royal Family, to take up the slack of royal duties. You've now lost the Queen. You'd lost Prince Harry. You've lost the Duke of York. The Kents and the Gloucesters are all getting a little aged.
He's going to need Edward. He's going to need Anne, William. And I think they're going to start bringing others in, as well, slimmed down, but the sheer number of patronages, and duties, and responsibilities, mean they're getting a bit short on numbers.
COOPER: Bonnie, what do you think? Do you think they're going to try to slim things down, now?
GREER: Charles has to slim down the Royal Family. I think it's a prerogative that hasn't been stated yet by the culture itself. So, he's going to have to do it.
COOPER: He has to do it, for popular--
GREER: He's going to have to do it for the population, yes.
COOPER: For the population, right.
GREER: He's going to slim it down. And I agree with Richard, he's going to have to bring more people in.
But what he showed today, which I thought was amazing, is he showed to the world, "We're not an old family," because he brought in the number two now, George, and the number three, Charlotte.
She's the most powerful Princess born, in the British - in Britain, because she is allowed to be, in line of succession, without having to wait for her brother, Louis, who was behind because Louis would have jumped, because he's male. She's in a powerful position. George is in a powerful position. William's in a powerful position. And he's got Kate - Catherine.
COOPER: You don't think it was an accident that there's two children--
GREER: No, absolutely. Because what they wanted to show is "We're not old. These two people are with us. And then there's William."
COOPER: Richard, do you agree with that? I mean, that they - that a message was being sent?
QUEST: Well?
COOPER: And if it was being sent to Britain, if it - was it also being sent to Prince Harry?
[21:10:00]
QUEST: It was being - that there was - I'm not going there, Anderson. But there was a - in terms of the message being sent to, yes, to Harry, and to all of people, is that these youngsters are the future, and they've got to start learning how to do royal duties.
Now, this was done in an incredibly-controlled way. The parents were there. You could see, it was limited, to the marching down, or procession down, the Abbey. But it was very significant.
William is no longer in line for the throne. William is now heir to the throne. George moves up. Charlotte moves up. They've got to learn this. And how do you teach? Well, you don't teach like they did it with Charles in the 1950s.
GREER: Yes (ph).
QUEST: You do it in a much more modern way. And that's what we saw.
COOPER: Bonnie, you've met Prince Charles, a number of times. He actually presented you, with a medal, in 2010, on behalf of the Queen. Can you just talk a little bit about that?
GREER: Yes, I was awarded. I got a letter, in the post. It said, "On Her Majesty's Service." I thought I might being auditioned for Bond or what?
COOPER: It would be--
(CROSSTALK)
GREER: And I opened it. Right.
COOPER: Yes.
GREER: And I opened it. And it was, "Would you like to accept the OBE?" And--
COOPER: Order of the British Empire?
GREER: The Order of the British Empire. I had to think about it for a minute, because it said "British Empire."
But then, I thought of our father, the late Ben Greer, who was here, as a young soldier, in the segregated United States Army. He fought for the freedom of this country, in that segregated army. And he went all the way, to the Battle of the Bulge.
COOPER: Wow!
GREER: He went all the way. I think he was at a concentration camp, as well as The Liberator. And he was in a segregated army. And I thought about it. And I weighed it up against this Empire medal. And I thought nobody's ever giving my - our dad, anything, for his service. So, I took the medal, on behalf of my father. I was proud to do that. And then, I put it on my mother's - on our mother's corpse, at her wake.
COOPER: Oh my Gosh!
GREER: So, it's in the ground. So, my brother, and my sisters, on behalf of them, I took that medal, for my dad. COOPER: Oh, that's such a really - that's amazing. Putting it on your mom is such a beautiful--
(CROSSTALK)
GREER: Well, and also she's always chic, you know? So, she had the dress that matched the ribbon.
COOPER: Ah!
GREER: She's beautiful. So, it's with her.
COOPER: Yes. Well, I'm sure she deserved an OBE as well.
(CROSSTALK)
GREER: Absolutely. I'm sure they're fighting over it, right now, to tell you the truth!
COOPER: Richard, the BBC's Royal Correspondent described the last week and a half as "For 10 rather bewildering days, we have spoken of the Queen and the new king as if they could somehow both be with us. Today that long week of transition comes to an end."
What happens, tomorrow? I mean, how does the country, I don't know, if moving on is right? There's a lot of issues going on, in the country now.
QUEST: To give you an idea, on Friday, or this week, we're going to have what's known as a fiscal event, in Britain, which is basically some mini budget that's going to either lower tax, it was going to lower taxes, and do all sorts of things, because the economic situation is so bad.
Charles wakes up, tomorrow morning, and he now has to start to pull the strands towards him. He's got the title. He's got the power.
But now, he has to bond even further, with the people, in this country, who are going to go through some exceptionally difficult economic times. As indeed, is going to happen in the United States, we've got interest rate decisions. I mean, all these things will be happening. And Charles and William--
COOPER: Yes.
QUEST: --now have to make the Monarchy, in their own fashion.
COOPER: Yes.
GREER: Anderson, can I say quickly that--
COOPER: Yes.
GREER: --my own hesitation, in taking a medal that said "British Empire," is one of the dilemmas that the new king has got to face. There's populations here, they're not going to take those titles anymore. They don't even think the Royal Family's welded (ph) anymore. He's going to have to actually explain and enhance his own existence--
COOPER: That's fascinating.
GREER: --in order, to handle this.
COOPER: Bonnie Greer, always great to have you. Thank you.
GREER: Thank you. Thank you.
COOPER: Richard Quest, as well, thank you.
Next, Puerto Rico's governor, on recovery efforts, in the wake of Hurricane Fiona, a terrible reminder it is, of Hurricane Maria, which was five years ago, almost to the day.
And later, Ukraine, and the hardship, people in one newly-liberated area, are still facing, now that the Russians have been driven away.
[21:15:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Hundreds more FEMA workers, are in Puerto Rico, tonight, where at least two people, have now died, in the wake of Hurricane Fiona. That's on top of the 700, on the island, helping people, still recovering from Hurricane Maria, five years ago. As with Maria, power and water are the main problems, this time. The grid was totally out, earlier today, taking electric water pumps down with it.
Earlier tonight, about an hour or so ago, I spoke with Puerto Rico's Governor, Pedro Pierluisi.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Governor, what is the state, of the recovery efforts, on the island, tonight? And where are you seeing the most damage?
GOV. PEDRO PIERLUISI, (D) PUERTO RICO: The damage that we have suffered, because of this hurricane, is rain-related, mostly. It's going to - by the time, the tail leaves Puerto Rico, we will have gotten roughly 35 inches of rain. That's a huge amount of rain.
So, the damage relates to flooding, all over the island. I'm talking about primarily the mountain region of Puerto Rico, but urban areas in the north are being impacted as well, because the rivers are discharging towards the north, and that's causing flooding.
[21:20:00]
We got a total blackout when the hurricane hit us, and we still only have roughly 115,000 customers, of our power authority, with power. And bear in mind that there are 1.4 million customers. So, the percentage is quite low.
The water and aquatic (ph) system is also not providing the service, we need. Only about 35 percent of our customers are getting water service. And a lot of it has to do with the river flooding. The water filtration plants were heavily impacted by this excess rain. So, it is quite tough, what we're going through.
COOPER: When do you expect power to be fully restored?
PIERLUISI: I hope that it's going to be a matter of days, to get the service back, to most of our customers. I say this, because we could fly helicopters, because of weather conditions, until earlier this day.
And even the helicopters, who are the ones, who would be inspecting the transmission lines, of our grid, couldn't really inspect most of the lines. They only - could only inspect the lines, in the San Juan metro area.
Hopefully, there's not going to be that much damage, in those lines, and we'll be able to get them back, working. And we have no generation issue, except that we cannot energize our plants, or activate our plants, until the lines are working.
COOPER: And what kind of help or supplies do you need the most? Are you getting enough help, from the federal government?
PIERLUISI: This is very - we are much better-prepared now than Puerto Rico was, five years ago, when we got hit by the Hurricane Maria. Just to give you an example, FEMA now has four warehouses, located throughout Puerto Rico, as opposed to one, and they - so that we have enough supplies, just coming from FEMA.
But one thing to keep in mind is that our grid is quite fragile, still. It got fixed, after Maria, but not really improved, since Maria. We're in the process of rebuilding our grid, so that it is more reliable, and more resilient. But that's under way. It hasn't been accomplished by any means yet.
COOPER: Yes. Well, governor, we wish you the best. And we'll continue to follow it, until everybody, in Puerto Rico, hopefully get power restored, as soon as possible. Thank you so much.
PIERLUISI: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: Coming up, a look at the hunger, and cold, now facing civilians, in a recently-liberated area, of northeastern Ukraine. Our Ben Wedeman was there, saw how people read the news, to keep up with the war, and then burned the papers that they read, to keep warm.
[21:25:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Ukrainian officials said that a Russian missile, struck dangerously close, to a nuclear power plant, in southern Ukraine, earlier today. This is video, from a security camera that recorded the attack. The attack itself shut down part of a nearby hydroelectric power station.
The strike on civil infrastructure comes, as Ukrainians say they have so far exhumed 146 bodies, from a mass burial site, in Izium, a recently-liberated city, in the northeast. Most are civilians including two children.
Ben Wedeman, tonight, has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Help arrives, in Izium, bags of barley meal, tins of food.
Waiting her turn, Inessa shrugs off the tribulations of late. She's seen worse.
INESSA, IZIUM RESIDENT: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
WEDEMAN (voice-over): "We survived World War II, when I was little," she tells me.
Surgeon Oksana Karapetian hands out medicine. Sedatives are in high demand.
SURGEON OKSANA KARAPETIAN, KYIV RESIDENT: They've got half of a year, six months, without any help. You can understand what do they would - just imagine what - what do they feel.
WEDEMAN (voice-over): Liberation from Russia isn't the end of Izium's troubles. Much of the city was severely bombarded, before falling, in spring, to the Russians.
There's no running water, no electricity, no heat. Crowds gather, to charge cell phones, off an army generator, and make calls, 10 minutes per person, using internet, provided by a satellite connection.
Lubov (ph), and her daughter, Anzhela, are calling relatives. They want to leave. Winter is coming.
ANZHELA, IZIUM RESIDENT: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
WEDEMAN (voice-over): "People will freeze," Anzhela warns, "Older people won't survive." They also fear the Russians could return.
Nearby, the signs of their hasty retreat, helmets strewn outside a house, Russian soldiers commandeered, bread crumbs still on the table, insects make a meal of fruit, half-eaten.
On the edge of town, the remains of Russia's once-vaunted army, before a monument, harking back to a different time, which now seems like the distant past.
Natasha shows me a newspaper, distributed, during the occupation.
WEDEMAN (on camera): What does she think of him?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
NATASHA, IZIUM RESIDENT: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
WEDEMAN (voice-over): "I haven't thought anything good about him since 2000," she says. "He destroyed everything in Russia."
NATASHA: (FOREIGN LANGUAGE).
WEDEMAN (voice-over): The paper does, however, come in handy.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: And Ben Wedeman, joins us now, from Kharkiv.
Ben, in your piece, some residents have about leaving. Do you have a sense of how many might stay there, despite the conditions?
WEDEMAN: Well, it depends. We've heard President Zelenskyy say that they're going to do as much as possible, to restore basic services. But if that takes time, certainly many people say they want to leave. In fact, this is an area that's - entry is restricted except, for instance, journalists.
So, many of them have relatives, who are ready to drive in, and take them away, because living in a town like that, without any basic services, let alone a functioning economy, not many people are going to want to stay.
Anderson?
[21:30:00]
COOPER: And are there still concerns, about Russian missiles, there?
WEDEMAN: Well, in fact, the evening before we went to Izium, it was hit by missiles. And it's very much within the range of Russian artillery, and missiles. In fact, while we were there, you can hear, in the distance, fairly constant fire.
And the worry is that - Ukraine, of course, within two weeks, captured a huge amount of territory. But nobody is living under the illusion that the Russians perhaps might not counterattack, that they do still have plenty of weaponry, some very heavy weaponry, some of which hasn't even been used, in this conflict, yet.
And so, there's a real deep sense of insecurity, among the people there that perhaps the Russians will come back, Anderson.
COOPER: Yes. Ben Wedeman, appreciate it. Thank you.
Coming up next, the former President appears to be tying himself, even more publicly now, to the QAnon conspiracy theory. CNN's Sara Sidner joins us, with details, on that, what his team is saying about it all, just ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) COOPER: Last hour, we discussed comments, by President Biden, suggesting he's not made a firm decision, to run.
[21:35:00]
The former President, on the other hand, seems all but declared. But, in advance of any potential campaign, he appears to be tying his image, closer to QAnon, the bizarre wide-ranging group, of conspiracy theories that has gone from the fringes of the internet, to the mainstream.
In addition to an image rife with Q imagery that he recently reposted, on his social media website, during a rally, in Ohio, for a Republican Senate candidate, this weekend, his campaign played a song, nearly identical, to one, known among QAnon followers.
CNN's Sara Sidner joins us now, with details.
What have we seen or heard that shows Trump linking himself with the QAnon crowd? Because I mean, this is a - I mean, this is a conspiracy theory, built on anti-Semitic, anti-Catholic tropes that have been around for centuries.
SARA SIDNER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They have. And some really wild conspiracies are all intertwined.
This weekend, Trump made a very ominous and dark speech about the decline of America. And while doing so, music began playing.
I want you to listen in. And you can hear, it's a classical style music, playing softly, as Trump was speaking in Ohio.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(MUSIC)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And perhaps, most importantly, we are a nation that is no longer respected or listened to around the world. We are a nation that in many ways has become a joke.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SIDNER: Very low music, playing under the latter parts of his Ohio rally speech. But it sounded exactly like a song, called WWG1WGA, an acronym for "Where We Go One We Go All." It is a slogan that has been co-opted by QAnon conspiracy theorists, and inextricably linked, to their conspiracy theories.
For some, in the QAnon world that song was yet another symbol, a wink and a nod, to them that Donald Trump is a believer, in their outlandish conspiracies.
But, as you just mentioned Anderson? That pales in comparison to something much more overt that Trump did that indicated a synergy with QAnon. Last Tuesday, Trump used his Truth Social website, to repost, this image of himself, wearing a QAnon Q lapel pin, with the words, "The Storm is coming," emblazoned below it. And if you look just below that, it says--
COOPER: Wow!
SIDNER: --"Where We Go One We Go All," the WWG1WGA (ph), you see it there. That's a direct reference to the QAnon conspiracy that Donald Trump is going to return to power, get rid of his opponents, by jailing or executing them, in public.
Some Q followers believe that Trump's Democratic opponents are evil, and drink the blood of children, and are a shadowy cabal of pedophiles. That is some of what QAnon believers put out there, which of course is all outrageous conspiratorial lies.
But the belief has created a large enough following of people, who are motivated enough, Anderson, to make waves, politically. And it appears that Donald Trump wants to engage them.
COOPER: I mean, it's really incredible. Mike Flynn, I think, has been selling QAnon paraphernalia. He was seen posting a pledge--
SIDNER: Yes.
COOPER: --the "Where We Go One We Go All." Has there been any comment, from the former President's office, on this?
SIDNER: Yes.
COOPER: Because, if the former President is really embracing QAnon? That's just sick!
SIDNER: Yes, I mean, it's really disturbing, because of what some of the QAnon conspirators think, and put out on social media, and talk about, and believe.
We did speak, with a Trump spokesperson, who responded to questions, just about the song, saying that the song was not a QAnon song at all that it was a song called "Mirrors" that was publicly available and free.
And this is what they said exactly that "The fake news, in a pathetic attempt to create controversy and divide America, is brewing up another conspiracy about a royalty free song from a popular audio library platform."
However, Anderson, this is certainly not the first time. They still have not talked anything, about why Donald Trump reposted that picture of himself wearing a Q lapel pin, with the Q logo underneath it.
COOPER: And can you just remind people what law enforcement officials have said about QAnon?
SIDNER: Yes. In June? And we've heard, from them, before. But, in June, CNN reported that the FBI warned lawmakers that online QAnon conspiracy theorists, may carry out more acts of violence, as they move from serving as quote, "Digital soldiers," something that they call themselves, to taking action, in the real world.
The report suggests the failure of QAnon predictions, by the way, to materialize, has not led followers to abandon their conspiracies. Instead, there is a belief that individuals need to take greater control, of the direction, of the movement than ever before. And that control may mean more violence--
COOPER: Yes.
SIDNER: --according to authorities.
[21:40:00]
COOPER: Yes. I mean, it's funny if it hadn't already ended up with some people dead. But I mean, they - all the things that the Q followers have been saying, is going to happen, none of it has happened.
SIDNER: No.
COOPER: I mean, they said there was going to be that Donald Trump is still in power that Joe Biden is a puppet. I mean, the whole thing that the Pope has been arrested, that the U.S. Army has taken over the Vatican? I mean, it's nuts! It's absolutely nuts!
Sara Sidner, appreciate it. Thank you.
SIDNER: Sure.
COOPER: Ahead, Florida's governor, takes a victory lap, after shipping migrants, from Texas, to Martha's Vineyard. Did he cross a line, legally? A new claim by a Texas Sheriff, ahead.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Tonight, some new controversy, after Florida's governor had Venezuelan migrants, in Texas, flown, to Martha's Vineyard, in Massachusetts.
The Sheriff, at Bexar County, Texas, says he believes laws were broken, not only locally, but on the federal level. The Sheriff, who's a Democrat, did not mention the Republican governor, by name. But he claims, the migrants were, in his view, quote, "Exploited and hoodwinked," into making the trip.
Meanwhile, lawyers, for the nearly 50 migrants, say that they're looking into this brochure, which they say was given to their clients. It reads, "Massachusetts welcomes you." The lawyers claim that misled migrants, about supposed surfaces, waiting for them, which they are not actually eligible for.
DeSantis, however, is boasting about his move, and found strong support, at a Kansas event, Sunday.
[21:45:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): This is a crisis now getting a little bit more attention. This is a crisis--
(STANDING OVATION FROM KANSAS GOP VOTERS)
DESANTIS: It is a crisis.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COOPER: With me now, is former Democratic congressman, Joe Kennedy, of Massachusetts.
Congressman, appreciate you joining us.
What's your reaction, to this news that a Texas Sheriff, seems to be talking about, at least investigating, what Governor DeSantis did, in sending those migrants, to Martha's Vineyard.
JOE KENNEDY, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, (D) FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE - MASSACHUSETTS: There absolutely should be investigation.
I mean, look, you heard what the Sheriff has said that these individuals were hoodwinked that there was, in fact reports anyway, that an individual was being paid, I think, the quote was a "Bird dog fee," finding, essentially signing up individuals, to move, or be transported, out of Texas, to another location. That certainly deserves investigation.
Anderson, that pamphlet you showed, right? It's a piece of trash, right? It's clearly for anybody that has any sort of background knowledge of Massachusetts, right? The photograph is a picture of a sign coming into the state. The state flag isn't correct. Obviously, migrants, seeking asylum, wouldn't know that.
But, from my conversations, with lawyers, representing those individuals, and other authorities, on the ground, again, they've used words like "Kidnapped." They were completely - false pretenses that were guaranteed, or services that were supposed to be guaranteed there, just didn't exist.
And obviously, as you've reported, and so many else have - so many others have, they didn't call to tell folks that they were on their way, right? This was just gross exploitation, at its worst. And the fact that folks are laughing about it, that he's taking a victory lap? It's disgusting.
COOPER: What did you think of the response, by members, by community members, in Martha's Vineyard, welcoming the arrival of migrants?
KENNEDY: Look, it's been nothing short of heroic, right, which is for anybody that knows the community, in Martha's Vineyard, is not so surprising. But it has been inspiring, right?
This is a community that doesn't have the facility set up, to welcome 50 people that walked off a plane, not knowing why they were there, where they were supposed to go, or many of them didn't speak English.
And so you had a community came back around, or came around together, found space, in the basement of a church, found all the resources that they could muster, in order to make sure that they had met the immediate needs, have now helped relocate those individuals, to a facility that has the ability, to meet some of those needs, while they are now looking to find them, housing, more permanent placements, even job opportunities.
So, the response here, from folks, on the Vineyard, and across Massachusetts, has been heroic. And, I think, Cass what (ph) and these governors have done, in the appropriate light of saying, look, these are folks that didn't break any law. They came here seeking asylum, which they are allowed to do. And when they came here, they ended up being exploited, for the worst elements, of base politics, without anyone actually trying to solve the problem.
But if there's one thing we know about governors DeSantis and Abbott, it's that they're not actually trying to solve a problem. They're trying to exploit divisions, in our country, for their own personal gain. It's disgusting. It's gross. I'm glad they got a laugh out of it. But it certainly isn't going to make us a stronger country.
COOPER: Yes. What their supporters are saying, it's, look, this at least put this issue on, the problem, at - in Border States, or border communities, they say, it put it in the forefront. That's one of the things that DeSantis was saying to that crowd.
KENNEDY: Anderson, how many years have you been reporting about immigration challenges in this country, because Republicans in office have refused to actually solve this problem.
I served in Congress for eight years, right? We had this come up for votes, or attempts, to come up for votes, multiple times. We had Republican leadership tell their members they would provide a vote, and then didn't.
This is a complete - this is a manufactured crisis. A crisis it might be. But it's a crisis because Republicans in office refuse to actually try to solve it, continue to exploit it, and exploit human suffering, for their own political benefit. It's disgusting. But perhaps, for a certain crowd, it works.
I got to say, though, as a Catholic, as a Christian, this goes against every teaching from the Bible that I have ever been taught, ever read, and ever understood. And the fact that they're trying to clothe themselves, in that cloth, is just revolting.
COOPER: Yes. Congressman Joe Kennedy, appreciate it. Thank you.
KENNEDY: Thank you.
COOPER: Another key issue, for voters, abortion could decide, if the Republican governor of Georgia, keeps his job. Brian Kemp, is in a rematch, with his former rival, Democrat, Stacey Abrams.
Our Eva McKend looks at how Abrams is trying to use Kemp's own action, on the issue, against him.
[21:50:00]
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stacey, we're big fan. Could we get a selfie real quick?
STACEY ABRAMS, (D) GEORGIA GOVERNOR NOMINEE: Hi, of course.
EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER (voice-over): Here, in Georgia, the future of abortion rights, has become central, to Democratic nominee for governor, Stacey Abrams' strategy, to win, in November.
MCKEND (on camera): How much of an emphasis, do you plan, on putting on abortion rights, in the closing weeks, of your campaign?
ABRAMS: This is going to be front and center, in the conversation. Women deserve full citizenship, in the United States and, certainly, in the State of Georgia. And they are being denied that because of Brian Kemp's draconian six-week ban.
MCKEND (voice-over): In 2019, Georgia's incumbent Republican governor, Brian Kemp, signed a bill into law that bans most abortions, when early cardiac activity is detected, usually, at around six weeks of pregnancy. The law was blocked, until Roe was overturned.
Emphasizing abortion rights has proved to be successful, recently, for Democratic House candidates, in Republican-leaning Alaska, and a battleground New York district, signaling the issue, has likely energized Democratic voters, in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision.
DR. POORVI CHORDIA, GEORGIA VOTER: I definitely think this is something that people should consider while they're voting.
ROSA THURNHER, GEORGIA VOTER: I think it could be the difference in our state.
MCKEND (voice-over): A recent Quinnipiac poll, about the midterms, in Georgia, showed 57 percent of likely voters, say it's very important a candidate shares their views, on abortion. Within that group, 63 percent back Abrams, and 36 percent support Kemp.
ABRAMS: We can get this done. We can do this work.
(AUDIENCE CHEERS)
MCKEND (voice-over): The daughter of Methodist pastors, Abrams was not always a fierce advocate, for abortion rights. On the trail, she talks about her personal evolution, on abortion, amplifying the issue, last month, at a roundtable for women, who have suffered pregnancy loss.
ABRAMS: What gives me the greatest hope is that you all are speaking up. MCKEND (voice-over): Meanwhile, Governor Kemp is principally focused on economic issues, such as inflation, which likely Georgia voters rank as the most urgent issue, facing the state, according to the same poll.
GOV. BRIAN KEMP (R-GA): Everything has gone up.
MCKEND (voice-over): In a statement to CNN, Kemp's campaign says the governor "has consistently affirmed his position on abortion and will continue to focus on bringing hardworking Georgians relief from 40- year high inflation." That message resonating with Kemp supporters.
DR. BARRY ZISHOLTZ, KEMP SUPPORTER: People want to make it just about one issue. But I think people need to be concerned about paying for their groceries and for gasoline too.
KEMP: We also protected the sanctity of God's greatest gift, life.
MCKEND (voice-over): Speaking before a conservative anti-abortion policy group, this month, Kemp spent little time, talking about abortion.
KEMP: You know, we passed a heartbeat bill here, but we've also done adoption reform.
(AUDIENCE APPLAUSE)
KEMP: We have done--
(AUDIENCE APPLAUSE)
KEMP: We have done foster care reform.
MCKEND (voice-over): Historically, Kemp has supported a full ban, with the only exception being for the life of the pregnant person, but praised the Supreme Court, returning the issue, to the states.
While Abrams doesn't support any government restrictions on abortion, arguing it's a medical issue that should not be bound by arbitrary timelines.
Kemp has adopted a less strident tone, as the conversation about reproductive care, has become so pivotal, in the closing months of the campaign.
KEMP: I understand people may disagree on when an abortion should be legal or when it shouldn't be.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
MCKEND: Abrams additionally argues that this conversation, about abortion, cannot be divorced, from the economy, alluding to studies that show if a pregnant person is forced, to carry out an unwanted pregnancy, they are more likely to end up in poverty.
Now, throughout the weekend, as we were following her, on the campaign trail, one of her signature issues, is also Medicaid expansion. And she has long argued that Medicaid expansion, is a mechanism, in part, to create thousands of new jobs, in this state.
Anderson?
COOPER: Eva McKend, appreciate it. Thank you.
Some final thoughts, from here, in England, 10 days, unlike any in the modern era. We'll be right back.
[21:55:00]
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: 10 days of mourning, grieving, and remembering Queen Elizabeth, now come to a formal end. Few, if any of us, will ever see, one person, with such a long-lasting impact, on the world, again.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(VIDEO - THE FINAL FAREWELL FOR QUEEN ELIZABETH II)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think she's a symbol, really, a symbol of the strength and power of the country, and the unity that she brings together, with that family spirit.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I felt I needed to come, and say goodbye, from myself, and from my family, and say thank you. And that's what I felt coming.
DAVID BECKHAM, ENGLISH FORMER FOOTBALL PLAYER: Everybody wants to be here, to be part of this experience, and celebrate what Her Majesty, has done for us.
(VIDEO - THE FINAL FAREWELL FOR QUEEN ELIZABETH II)
(PEOPLE SINGING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Her Majesty famously declared on her 21st birthday broadcast, that her whole life would be dedicated to serving the nation and Commonwealth. Rarely has such a promise been so well-kept.
(MUSIC)
(PEOPLE SINGING)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our Sovereign Lord, Charles the Third, now, by the grace of God, of the United Kingdom, of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and of his other realms and territories, King.
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COOPER: I think, for all of us, watching this, around the world, and for many people, here, in Britain, this week has been a reminder that grieving.
And loss is something that we all go through. It is a bond that we all share. It's certainly something that I've experienced, and begun to explore, in a very personal way, in a new podcast.
It's called "All There Is." To listen, you can just point your cell phone, right now, at the QR code, on your TV screen, for a link to it, or you can find your podcasts, on Apple podcasts, or wherever you may listen to podcasts.
Next episode is coming out, this Wednesday. I guess it'll be Stephen Colbert, whose dad, and two of his brothers, were killed in a plane crash, when Stephen was just 10-years-old. I hope you'll give it a listen.
The news continues. Want to hand it over now, to Don, and "DON LEMON TONIGHT."
Don?
