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Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), Nikki Haley Campaign Surrogate, Discusses Upcoming SC Primary & Haley Response To Alabama IVF Ruling; A U.S.-Made Lander Is On The Moon For First Time Since 1972; Trump Attys: Cell Phone Data Undercuts Fani Willis Claims About Timeline Of Controversial Relationship; Revealing Wendy Williams TV Docuseries Set To Air. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired February 23, 2024 - 13:30   ET

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

[13:30:00]

REP. RALPH NORMAN (R-SC), NIKKI HALEY CAMPAIGN SURROGATE: But again, let's leave it to the states.

And if you go Main Street USA and tell them to -- to name the top-10 troubling spots that country faces, I doubt embryos, that decision in Alabama, with the embryo situation or their views in Alabama would come to the top of the list. I'm sure maybe it was some.

But look, we've got so many other things, problems we've got to solve and none more greater than invasion at the border that is plaguing this administration and then putting This country AT risk.

So I think let the American people decide what the issues are and they will be debated and let to candidates comment as they will.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Democrats certainly feel that reproductive rights are an issue that is a winning one for them.

Nevertheless, Congressman, we have to leave the conversation there.

Ralph Norman, we look forward to having you on again soon.

NORMAN: My pleasure. Thank you.

SANCHEZ: So for the first time in more than 50 years, a U.S.-made lander has reached the moon. We have all the details as Odysseus starts sending back information about its very lonely, very cold new home.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:35:47]

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: All right, this is a touchdown that every American can share. The Odysseus lander reaching the moon last night. And right now, it's gathering some important data.

And this is a landmark here, the first time a U.S.-made craft has completed a lunar landing in more than 50 years, the closest that any mission has gotten to the lunar south pole. It's also the first landing completed by a private U.S. company.

(BEGIN AUDIO FEED)

STEPHEN ALTEMUS, CEO, INTUITIVE MACHINES: We can confirm, without a doubt, that our equipment is on the surface of the moon and we are transmitting.

So congratulations, team. We'll see how much more we can get from that.

(APPLAUSE)

ALTEMUS: What an outstanding effort. I know this was a nail-biter but we are on the -- on the surface and we are transmitting. And welcome to the moon.

(END AUDIO FEED)

KEILAR: Welcome to the moon.

CNN space and defense correspondent, Kristin Fisher, is with us here.

All right. Kristin, is this one of those "one giant leap for mankind?" Is it a schmedium leap?

(LAUGHTER)

KEILAR: I mean, what kind of leap would you say this is?

KRISTIN FISHER, CNN SPACE & DEFENSE CORRESPONDENT: It is -- I think it's safe to say it's a giant leap for the commercial space industry, which is now trying to build a lunar economy. And this is really the very early beginning phases of it.

Brianna, the company, Intuitive Machines, is now saying that the Odysseus spacecraft has successfully landed on the moon, that it is standing upright.

And we just got this latest update from the company. They say, "Odysseus is alive and well. Flight controllers are communicating and commanding the vehicle to download science data. The lander has good telemetry and so low charging."

So according to Intuitive Machines, everything is looking good.

But I think the big question now is, the south pole of the moon is a tough spot in terms of getting communication from earth to the moon. We knew that was going to be a challenge. But it seems to be taking a bit longer than even the company had anticipated.

KEILAR: Yes, we've been showing these animations on the surface. And I have to say, I actually just happen to go to the Air and Space Museum this week, and while amazing that lunar landing was, the resolution not so good.

So when are we going to get some great photos here, do you think so? FISHER: So there were -- there are two options for cameras. There is a

camera actually on the Odysseus lander itself. We think that that will be where the first images will come from.

But then there's something called the Eagle Cam. And this popped off the Odysseus lander shortly before landing. And it should be able to provide us with some really cool third person vantage point views of literally the moment that Odysseus touched down.

And that's the Eagle Cam right there. It was actually made by Embry- Riddle Aeronautical University.

But listen to how long it may take to get images from that. They put out a statement that says:

"Space Technologies Lab has confirmed that they are receiving telemetry data and are working through the next steps with Intuitive Machines' Mission Control. So we remain hopeful to have an image today or in a week. It's hard to say due to the number of other failures on board."

Now before you're going --

KEILAR: It's OK. I mean, before decking --

FISHER: I know. I know.

But think of it as you would get data on your iPhone if you are in an area with a bad signal and you see like some like a blank image coming up. That's what they're getting.

They're seeing data. They can see that the data is there, but it's just not downloading quite yet. And so that's what they're trying to work through right now.

KEILAR: All right. They're on the moon, let's give them a little pass on that. We're going to wait a week. We'll be just even more excited to see it.

FISHER: A week or today.

KEILAR: Or today, either one.

Kristin Fisher, thank you so much.

[13:39:30]

So next, just into CNN, Donald Trump's attorneys say they have cell phone data that undercuts Fulton County D.A. Fani Willis' timing of her romantic relationship with an attorney on her team.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: New evidence in the court battle to disqualify prosecutors in former President Trump's election interference case in Georgia. It was Trump's lawyers who actually want the judge to review some new

cell phone data that appears to undercut both D.A. Fani Willis and Lead Prosecutor Nathan Wade's claims about the timeline of their romantic relationship.

SANCHEZ: And the two attorneys are accused of engaging in an improper relationship prior to her selecting Wade to lead the 2020 election investigation into Donald Trump and his allies.

CNN's Zach Cohen is here with the details.

Zach, who collected this new evidence and just how damaging is it?

ZACHARY COHEN, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY REPORTER: It's coming from a private investigator who was working with Donald Trump's attorneys who are handling his case in Georgia.

And look, it's part of this broader effort to establish that Fani Willis benefited financially from her relationship with her top prosecutor, Nathan Wade.

[13:45:00]

And one of the questions leading up to that ultimate question is, when did their romantic relationships start? Now, Fani Willis, Nathan Wade both testified that it started in 2022 after he was hired on to the D.A.' team as part of the Trump case.

Trump's attorney, Steve Sadow, with this filing, saying, no, we have evidence that maybe it started before Nathan Wade was hired.

And they're pointing to the cell phone data and what -- cell tower pings, right, saying that we have located instances when Nathan Wade was in the area where Fani Willis was living at the time, both in September 2021 and November 2021.

So obviously, that would contradict what Nathan Wade and what Fani Willis have said under oath.

Now, this is -- these locations are not exact. This is circumstantial evidence.

But it is another drop in the bucket, another question about, why did Fani Willis and Nathan Wade testify what they testified to? And does this ultimately sway the mind of the judge who is the one who makes the call as to whether or not she should be disqualified.

KEILAR: So when will he hold his next hearing? And what is that burden of proof really here?

COHEN: The burden is on the defense attorneys in this case. on Trump's lawyers and the rest of the defendants that are alleging this improper relationship.

Look, March 1st, we just got an order down today from Judge McAfee, who says, "I want to have this hearing." And in this issue of, did Nathan Wade and Fani Willis potentially

perjure themselves, were they intentionally obtuse in their testimony, may come up in that hearing.

Take a listen to what Nathan Wade said, though, when they testified publicly last week about whether or not he ever spent the night at Fani Willis' house.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED DEFENSE ATTORNEY: So you have gone to a condo with Ms. Willis?

NATHAN WADE, LEADER PROSECUTOR IN TRUMP ELECTION INTERFERENCE CASE: I have.

UNIDENTIFIED DEFENSE ATTORNEY: And you spent the night there?

WADE: Never.

UNIDENTIFIED DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Never spent the night?

WADE: Never

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COHEN: So these cell phone pings and cell data do show that Nathan Wade left the area that Fani Willis was living at about 04:34 in the morning after having arrived there early evening.

Again, we'll have to see if the judge allows this evidence into the case, and if it gets brought up on March 1st when all these parties reconvene for the next hearing.

KEILAR: Yes. Really interesting,

Zach, thank you for that report.

SANCHEZ: So Wendy Williams' family is revealing the heartbreaking toll of her health issues in a new documentary. CNN spoke with her niece about the troubling signs that suggested all was not well with the former talk show host.

We have more straight ahead on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:51:59]

SANCHEZ: Fans of Wendy Williams were left stunned by yesterday's news that she's suffering from aphasia and frontotemporal dementia.

Her diagnosis comes just as Lifetime is about to air a revealing documentary about her life and health struggles since her talk show, "The Wendy Williams Show" was canceled two years ago.

The four-part docuseries, "Where is Wendy Williams," delves into her cognitive issues and her alcohol abuse.

CNN entertainment correspondent, Elizabeth Wagmeister, has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(CHEERING)

ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A daytime T.V. icon, with unfiltered commentary and off-the-cuff celebrity gossip.

Wendy Williams' talk show redefined daytime television and ran for 13 seasons with an audience who had a front row seat to her extreme candor and at times personal demons.

WENDY WILLIAMS, AMERICAN MEDIA PERSONALITY & WRITER: And you know I've had a struggle with cocaine.

WAGMEISTER: In 2019, she tearfully revealed that she was living in a sober house. Two years prior, she fainted live on air.

(SHOUTING)

WAGMEISTER: Williams' well-documented health concerns often resulted in hiatus after hiatus. In her absence, the series ultimately ended in early 2022.

The years after, however, have been somewhat mysterious for her fans and even family.

UNKNOWN FEMALE (voice-over): At the peak of her career, she was gone.

WAGMEISTER: A new docuseries on Lifetime explores the Williams saga. It's executive-produced by Williams herself. She pitched it as a behind-the-scenes look at her life with hopes of launching a podcast.

But producers soon realized that they were capturing something very different from a comeback.

ALEX FINNIE, NIECE OF WENDY WILLIAMS: You are bigger than this. You are better than this.

WAGMEISTER: Her niece, Alex Finnie, participates in the documentary. Producers say they finished shooting Wendy's portion last year.

WILLIAMS: Are we ready?

WAGMEISTER (on camera): Where is your aunt today?

FINNIE: Well, you know, she is away at some sort of facility, and she is healing.

You know, Elizabeth, part of what has been so complicated and challenging about this for myself -- and I'll speak for my family in this instance -- and that is we don't have an exact location in terms of where she is. We have no way to actually call her personally. WAGMEISTER (voice-over): A care team for Williams says the former host has been diagnosed with aphasia and dementia, which can impact communication, personality, and the ability to understand language.

Her niece also says the former host has been suffering from alcohol abuse.

UNKNOWN MALE (voice-over): Did you drink this whole thing today?

WAGMEISTER: Shortly after her talk show was canceled, a New York court appointed a legal guardian to oversee her finances and health. The case has been sealed, along with the identity of the guardian.

(on camera): Can you explain the process of this guardianship and how involved the family is, if at all?

FINNIE: To put it really simply, the family has been shut out. My aunt was placed under this guardianship in April of 2022. She went into court. It was closed, so we don't know the details.

And when she came out, she was under this court-appointed guardian. And here we are now in February of 2024 and that information is still really limited.

[13:55:04]

WAGMEISTER (voice-over): CNN has been unable to speak directly to Williams about the project or verify her family's account of their conversations. But we reached out to the care team and they declined comment.

As for Finnie, she says she speaks to Williams over the phone, and she's hopeful for her aunt's progress, but still has concerns.

FINNIE: Some stuff that people are going to see in this documentary is just not adding up. I think a lot of people are going to have questions in terms of where is the guardian? Where is the oversight?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WAGMEISTER: Now, this saga continues. Just this morning, we have learned from a source that Wendy Williams' legal guardian filed a lawsuit against Lifetime's parent company, A&E. Now that lawsuit is under seal, so we are not clear on what the contents are.

But just moments ago, Boris, I've received a statement in from a Lifetime spokesperson that says, quote, "Lifetime appeared in court today in the documentary, whereas Wendy Williams will air this weekend as planned."

So it seems that Lifetime has prevailed against whatever the guardianship was trying to fight against with the network.

Now, Boris, she was a frequent guest on "The Wendy Williams Show." I worked with her for years on her show. And in the final season, when Wendy was not coming to work because of health issues, which now we know the diagnosis, I was a fill-in host.

And the reason why they needed so many hosts to come in was because Wendy was not there. She was having health issues. And again, now we know what those health issues are.

But Wendy, as we all know, a true force. No one like her. And of course, we are wishing her the best with her recovery.

SANCHEZ: Yes, absolutely. She's a legend. And we're sad to hear this news. But as you said, we do wish her the best.

Elizabeth Wagmeister, thank you so much for the update.

Saturday could be the beginning of the Nikki Haley come back or the end of the road for her presidential campaign. We have more on the race still to come.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

discusses the upcoming South Carolina primary between Donald Trump and Nikki Haley, and Haley's response to the Alabama IVF ruling now a flashpoint in the race. The Odysseus lander reached the moon last night and is gathering important data, the first time a U.S.-made craft has completed a lunar landing in over 50 years, and also the first landing completed by a private U.S. company. Donald Trump's attorneys say they have cell phone data that undercuts Fulton County D.A. Fani Willis' and Lead Prosecutor Nathan Wade's timing of their romantic relationship. Wendy Williams is suffering from aphasia and frontotemporal dementia, and Lifetime is about to air a revealing documentary about her life and health struggles since her talk show, "The Wendy Williams Show," was cancelled.>