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Harris Denounces Hateful Rhetoric Coming From Trump; Sean "Diddy" Combs To Be Back In Court For Appeal Hearing After Night Behind Bars; FBI Agents Raid Suspect's Home In Hawaii. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired September 18, 2024 - 07:30   ET

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

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[07:32:15]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Today Vice President Harris speak before a conference of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus a day after her first public remarks since the apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump.

With all the talk about heated campaign rhetoric and accusations from the likes of J.D. Vance that Democrats should tone it down, she pointed to Donald Trump's history of charged words.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: When you have these positions -- when you have that kind of microphone in front of you, you really ought to understand at a very deep level how much your words have meaning. I learned at a very young stage in my career that the meaning of my words could impact whether somebody was free or in prison.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: CNN's Priscilla Alvarez is with us this morning. So what's in store for today, Priscilla?

PRISCILLA ALVAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, the vice president is going to be speaking a Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute conference -- a bit of a mouthful there. But this is an opportunity for her to speak with Hispanic lawmakers and make her appeal -- an extension of her appeal for Latino voters.

But before getting to that I do think it is important to take note of one of the vice president's answers yesterday, and that was on what is happening in Springfield, Ohio. Recall that during the debate, the former president raised that multiple times and each time the vice president would pivot to another issue or, in one notable moment, to his rallies.

But yesterday she took on the issue head-on, particularly the amplifying of baseless claims about Haitian migrants by the former president and his vice presidential nominee J.D. Vance, calling that rhetoric harmful and hateful, and also saying it's a crying shame. But she also made the point -- and this was notable -- that these tropes are not new. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: This is not new in terms of these tropes. This is not new in terms of where it's coming from. And, you know, whether it is refusing to rent to people -- rent to Black families, whether it is taking out a full-page ad in The New York Times against five innocent Black and Latino teenagers -- the Central Park Five -- calling for their execution, whether it is referring to the first Black President of the United States with a lie -- birther lies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[07:35:00]

ALVAREZ: Now this, of course, was a telling response in the way that she is navigating race during this election cycle. Of course, the vice president's racial identity has also been questioned by former President Donald Trump. And similarly, she called it the same old tired playbook. So that is the approach that she is taking when faced with these questions.

Now, the vice president also noting yesterday that she did speak with former President Donald Trump on the phone to check in on him after that second assassination attempt. And also, a White House official calling that a brief and cordial conversation, one of very few that they've had together.

BERMAN: Priscilla Alvarez, thanks so much.

And Sara.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Hello, John.

Joining us now, former Obama campaign manager, Jim Messina. And CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings. Thank you, gentlemen, for being here.

So let's first talk about this. Donald Trump says only consequential presidents get shot at. His campaign is fundraising off the second assassination attempt. And he's blaming Democrats for the assassination attempt. While at the same time, Republicans and Democrats are saying hey, we've got to tone down this rhetoric.

Here's how J.D. Vance kind of responded to that call.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH), U.S. VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You have to ask yourself what is the point of these criticisms, right? When you are criticizing somebody's rhetoric, when you're criticizing what somebody said, are you trying to tone down the violence or are you trying to silence them? And I think that was is so consistent about the attacks on Donald

Trump, not just over the last campaign but the last 10 years, is there is an explicit effort to try to shut him up -- to silence him. And ultimately, now two people have tried to take that silencing to its logical endpoint.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: Are you trying to tone down the violence or are you trying to silence him? Your thoughts on his response to people saying hey, look, this rhetoric needs to be brought down.

SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, FORMER SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH: First of all, I agree the rhetoric does need to be brought down. I also agree with him that there are great many people who have tried to and openly desired to silence Donald Trump. There are people who wanted to take away his social media accounts. People who wanted to take away his ability speak. So that's absolutely true.

Now, whether you could draw a line between rhetoric and what happened in Pennsylvania, I don't know that we know that yet because it's still very unclear what that shooter was doing. The guy in Florida, a little different story.

But the truth is Republicans today feel like that a lot of things are allowed to be said about Trump and when something bad happens everybody wants to be hands-off about it. And he has to be made to answer for his own rhetoric, which I think also, at times, needs to be dialed back as well.

So look, he's been nearly assassinated twice. I do think it's a moment of reflection about the -- you know, what is said about him and the impact it might have in a highly charged political environment.

SIDNER: Jim, your thoughts on this because obviously, the rhetoric goes both ways, and he has said a lot of things.

JIM MESSINA, FORMER OBAMA CAMPAIGN MANAGER: Yeah, look, a couple of things.

One, I agree with Scott that lots of people would like to shut Donald Trump up, including his own campaign. They'd like him to stop talking some of this crazy stuff. J.D. Vance talking about this is a little rich after he admitted that the Springfield, Ohio thing is made up. And yet, they had to cancel school three days in a row because of bomb threats.

I these kinds of threats the rhetoric really does matter here, and we need to be very careful about. It's a little gaslighting to say it's only on one side, as J.D. Vance is trying to say. As you say, Trump has said lots of, really, things that I think his campaign would like him not to say. And in 48 days from now voters are going to make a decision on whose rhetoric they're comfortable with.

SIDNER: That is a good point. We're so close to this election and we're really drilling down. I hope we do not have an October surprise because I think we've had enough surprises --

MESSINA: Yeah.

JENNINGS: Yeah.

SIDNER: -- so far this season --

JENNINGS: No kidding.

SIDNER: But you never know if there will be one --

MESSINA: Campaigns, yes.

SIDNER: -- right?

Um, I do want to talk about -- you brought up Ohio. Here is the mayor in Ohio after all of those rumors went around and then they were picked up by Donald Trump and picked up by J.D. Vance.

Here is what the mayor has said has happened to his town.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR ROB RUE, SPRINGFIELD, OHIO: We did not have threats seven days ago. We did not have these concerns seven days ago. We did not have these hundreds and hundreds of thousands of dollars spent in Springfield and from the state of Ohio in support seven days ago. We do today.

We'd like those on the national stage that can bring peace, that could tamper their words and speak truth -- that's what Springfield is asking. We need peace.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIDNER: Scott, how do you talk about rhetoric without recognizing what rhetoric has really impacted people who don't have a security detail?

JENNINGS: Yeah. This Springfield case is interesting because the initial reaction to it was to blame Trump. I mean, that's the thing. When he and Vance do something there is an immediate line drawn between what they do and something bad. But when something happens --

SIDNER: But in this case, there is an immediate line drawn.

JENNINGS: When something happens to Trump, everybody wants to say whoa, whoa, whoa -- we don't know that yet.

But in Springfield, what I think is really vital information, you saw Mike DeWine, the governor, standing over his shoulder. These threats are coming from foreign actors. A lot of these bomb threats were coming from overseas. People who want to scramble us, as Americans, and get in the middle of our political debates are calling in these threats. The initial attack was Trump and Vance caused their MAGA supporters to

call in bomb threats in Springfield. That's apparently not what happened according to the governor. It's foreign actors.

[07:40:00]

And I just think when we talk about what's going on there that's vital information to me because it's coming from the governor who I think has been a really good actor in all this --

SIDNER: Yeah.

JENNINGS: -- and he wants the best for his state. It's important to know.

SIDNER: I think the question though here is foreign actors wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't put on the stage. Let's be clear. If it wasn't put squarely on the stage. He's been asked over and over and over again and he basically said he made it up to our Dana Bash. And now this community is dealing with this.

JENNINGS: What's not made up is that there is a real debate about immigration policy and its impacts on towns on the border --

SIDNER: But that is not what he said.

JENNINGS: -- Springfield, and New York.

SIDNER: He said that their cats and dogs were being eaten, and that is the issue that has sparked all of this, right? I mean, look at social media. That's the issue, right?

JENNINGS: Yeah. He thinks he was responding to scattered -- whatever -- reports from his constituents, and I don't know if it's true or not. What is true is the debate over immigration, its impacts on Springfield, the border, New York, and towns all over the United States. And that's a debate we have to have.

So I think the cat thing is, truthfully, a diversion from the actual issue that these two campaigns need to be debating, which is what is the status of our immigration system and is it being handled appropriately? I think that's where actually the Trump campaign is going to score the most points.

SIDNER: Immigration is a big deal --

MESSINA: Um-hum.

SIDNER: -- but this has taken it to another level in a different way with false information.

What do you make of what's happened there in Springfield, and what you're hearing from the candidates about this, who have not come down off of this?

MESSINA: No, they're not, and that's the problem. This is just gaslighting 101 trying to make a situation worse to get to talk about immigration. And in the middle of this you have kids trying to go to school. You have people in a community who just want to live. You have the Republican governor of the state of Ohio saying this is all garbage -- none if it's true.

And what is Donald Trump doing? He's not denying it. He's not backing it up. In fact, he's talking about going there and making the situation worse because he wants to get -- move the debate to immigration and off of the economy and off of abortion, and off of the issues that voters care about.

Trump could easily back this up. J.D. Vance, today, could say hey, we went too far. Let's step back. Neither one of them, to your point, are doing that. What they're doing is making it worse in an attempt to be really politically gaslighting and trying to wrestle the issues back to immigration.

SIDNER: Jim Messina, Scott Jennings, always a pleasure. Thank you for the discussion -- Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Today, music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs will be back in a New York federal courtroom, this time trying to appeal the judge's decision yesterday to deny him bail and keep him behind bars.

The charges against Combs were revealed in a sweeping indictment. Combs now accused of leading a criminal enterprise for decades to engage in, how it's described, sex trafficking, forced labor, kidnapping, arson, bribery, and obstruction of justice.

The indictment specifically cites video obtained exclusively by CNN that shows Combs dragging and kicking his then-girlfriend Cassie Ventura in a Los Angeles -- this is the beginning of the video -- in a Los Angeles hotel in 2016. The video is very disturbing.

Combs' attorney says he's innocent.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARC AGNIFILO, ATTORNEY FOR SEAN "DIDDY" COMBS: It's a bad video for Mr. Combs and he said so himself when he gave his apology. This is eight years ago.

And the prosecutors are talking about him bribing a hotel security worker. There was no criminal investigation. This was just a matter of personal embarrassment because he and the person in the video were in the midst of a 10-year relationship that was difficult at times, that was toxic at times. But it was mutually so.

And this whole notion that Mr. Combs is forcing drugs on someone is just nonsensical and it's going to prove to not be true.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: And joining me right now is defense attorney and former prosecutor Randy Zelin. And CEO of TurnAround, Inc., an organization that works to combat human trafficking, Amanda Rodriguez. Thank you both for being here.

Amanda, you also worked for the state of Maryland for years to fight human trafficking. What do you see in this indictment?

AMANDA RODRIGUEZ, CEO, TURNAROUND, INC., ADVOCATE FOR SURVIVORS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING (via Webex by Cisco): I would assume based on the indictment that there are probably additional charges that are eventually going to come. I think the reality is racketeering is a significant charge. It involves a lot of evidence that obviously has been collected already.

I also noticed that, like, there is one victim at this point that's been included in the entirety of the indictment. Based on that racketeering charge I would anticipate that there's probably something else coming.

BOLDUAN: I mean, from your experience, how challenging is it to prosecute trafficking cases like this, especially when you add in the layer, Amanda, of it involving someone powerful, and influential, and well-known?

RODRIGUEZ: You know, we've actually seen this recently in Baltimore. And I think the real thing to remember with survivors that come forward in instances when there is someone that is famous is that they are going to be in the public media and scrutinized. And that's something that all survivors of sexual violence experience when their cases move forward. And so, the reality is that this is going to be a really difficult journey for that survivor as well.

[07:45:00]

In terms of difficulty in prosecution, as long as the prosecution in the investigation is offender-focused and not on the back, essentially, of the victim, the cases have plenty of evidence to support, generally speaking, the indictments that are brought and the prosecutions that are brought.

I think that sometimes there is this difficulty in understanding that reliance on the victim is not always going to be the thing that wins the day because those turn in easily to he said-she said. But there is plenty of evidence -- there's plenty of witnesses that witnessed this activity. There's plenty of things that they've recovered undoubtedly that show that this instance or these instances potentially happened -- you know, enough to bring an indictment.

So the cases are difficult if we don't properly plan for not relying completely on a victim's statement when that victim has experienced extreme trauma.

BOLDUAN: Hmm.

And Randy, today, as I mentioned earlier, Combs and his team -- they are back in court asking to actually get bail now -- appealing the decision from yesterday to keep him behind bars.

Do you think that he will be or should be successful in this? RANDY ZELIN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY, FORMER PROSECUTOR: Well, should be and will be, two very different things.

BOLDUAN: Very true.

ZELIN: Should be -- what we're talking about when a judge in a federal case looks at bail, the judge says OK, Mr. Combs, is there any condition -- are there any combination of conditions that will ensure that you will come to court when you're supposed to and you're not a danger to anyone?

What's interesting is that when you have this kind of a hearing to determine whether you should stay in or get out, first of all, we have a presumption of release. He's presumed innocent, except in the sex trafficking case. Now there's a presumption that you should stay in, but that presumption is rebuttable.

Mr. Agnifilo has come forth with a robust bail package, $50 million. So should he be? He came to New York voluntarily. He's been here. The allegations go back to 2008. If he was going to split, he would have done so already.

However, look at Ms. Maxwell. No bail. Look at Jeffrey Epstein, no bail. So will he be as opposed to should he be? That's a tough call.

BOLDUAN: That's very interesting, Randy, as you put it.

And Amanda, the indictment alleges that Combs hosted -- the way -- what he called "freak offs." These were elaborate sex performances that could go on for days. He drugged and coerced victims into these sex acts with male sex workers. And also, Combs would watch and record it, according to the indictment.

And also this, that he -- here's the wording from the indictment -- "...used the sensitive, embarrassing, and incriminating recordings that he made during Freak Offs as collateral to ensure the continue obedience and silence of the victims."

I read that and I was thinking so, when someone tries to blame the victim here and question why they didn't run, why they didn't go tell the police, what does your experience tell you?

RODRIGUEZ: You know, that's like the age old question of why did she stay that we kind of frame some of these, but whether it's gender- based violence based on intimate partner violence or trafficking. And the reality is they have created -- the manipulator, the trafficker creates a situation in which a victim simply cannot get out, whether it's based on shame that they piled on top of this victim or whether it's violence.

I think that the real unfortunate thing with cases like these when we start talking about that shame element is that's something that again we can inherently change as a society to make sure that victims are not shamed in instances like this.

But what is real is that traffickers are master manipulators. They exploit vulnerabilities in victims. And so they can identify what those vulnerabilities are, often connected to you're a sex worker so you don't deserve justice, or you are a foster kid and you don't deserve family. They do that to ensure that a victim continues to be manipulated just like in a situation of intimate partner violence where we isolate victims. It's a very, very common tactic.

BOLDUAN: Randy, can you give me a final thought on kind of the road ahead, how challenging it is, and what his defense is going to be?

ZELIN: So as far as what his defense is going to be, I think that's way too early to tell and I wouldn't be so irresponsible. What I will say -- what jumps out at me is, again, this wide net that we see in this speaking indictment going back to 2008. Where the hell have you been for the past 16 years that you allowed all of this to go on?

I've actually tried cases like this and it may be difficult to get over the crossing of the state lines, but the violence part -- there, there may be a road to hope.

BOLDUAN: Also hearing -- I mean, one thing that always sticks out is that the U.S. attorney for the Southern District said he's not ruling out -- the investigation is ongoing -- not ruling out more charges or arrests could be coming. And so we've got much more to follow and a long road ahead.

ZELIN: Lots of cooperators.

BOLDUAN: Yeah.

Randy, thank you. Amanda, thank you very much for coming in -- John.

BERMAN: All right. This morning, new details on what investigators found when they searched the home of the man accused of this assassination attempt on Donald Trump.

[07:50:05]

(COMMERCIAL)

SIDNER: All right. A mainstay in American kitchens just filed for bankruptcy. Tupperware's CEO says the chapter 11 filing will help the 78-year-old brand transform into a technology-led company. Tupperware started ringing the alarm bells more than a year ago when it disclosed in a regulatory filing that it could run out of cash despite a multimillion-dollar lifeline. Sales have continued to decline and this year it shuttered its only plant here in the United States.

The Miami Dolphins' star quarterback Tua Tagovailoa has been placed on injured reserve following his latest concussion on the field. He was forced off the field after taking a hit from Bills' safety Damar Hamlin during the Dolphins 31-10 loss against the Buffalo Bills.

Placing Tagovailoa on injured reserve should allow him time to work with neurologists and focus on his recovery. Per NFL rules, the earliest he can return to the field is for Miami's home game against the Cardinals on October 27. And he has said that he does not want to retire, John, after all of those concussions. It's scary.

[07:55:08]

BERMAN: It's his decision to make but I would think really hard --

SIDNER: Yeah.

BERMAN: -- about it after all he's been through.

SIDNER: Yeah.

BERMAN: This morning the FBI continues to investigate the apparent assassination attempt against former President Trump. Agents raided the Hawaii home of the 58-year-old suspect Ryan Routh.

CNN crime and justice reporter Katelyn Polantz here with the latest. Katelyn, what are you learning this morning?

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Well, John, this is a man with quite a rap sheet -- someone who has faced a lengthy criminal record in the past -- burglary, larceny, arson. Multiple charges of driving without a license.

But all of this is going to be important in coming together for prosecutors as the work to build a case against Ryan Routh in the aftermath of this attempted assassination of Donald Trump at his golf course in Mar-a-Lago.

Ryan Routh -- what our team of reporters scouring his criminal past -- his criminal record are finding is that he was arrested in April of 2002 in North Carolina. And according to county records he was in possession of an explosive device with a 10-inch detonation cord and a blasting cap. So a couple of more details than we knew before.

This was something that the people investigating this case already took to a judge and used trying to keep him behind bars as we await the next hearing, which is going to be set for Monday. Right now he's charged in a criminal complaint with possession of a firearm -- two counts of possession of a firearm because of this attempted assassination. But it's very possible that more charges could be on the way -- John.

BERMAN: And Katelyn, you've got new details about the incident itself?

POLANTZ: Yes. There is quite a few people out there who are speaking about it. First and foremost, Steve Witkoff, the real estate investor who was golfing with Donald Trump on -- over the weekend whenever this incident took place. He described to our Kaitlan Collins last night exactly what his experience was like standing very close to Donald Trump at the time of the shots being fired.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEVE WITKOFF, WITH DONALD TRUMP DURING APPARENT ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT: We got to the fifth hole. We're on the green and I heard the first shot. I'm a gun carrier, so I shoot. So it was apparent that that's what it was. They were on top of him probably after the first shot. Then you -- then I heard another three. And they were getting him out of there in what seemed to be like 15 or 20 seconds.

He, of course, is the protectee and that's the job, and they did it as professionally as I could imagine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POLANTZ: Now remember the agent -- the U.S. Secret Service agent here was the person firing the weapon and Routh was fleeing.

Here are a little bit more from the arresting officers who were part of this traffic stop to arrest Routh on I-95 in Florida.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEPUTY GEDEON BRENOVIL, MARTIN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: Since we didn't know who was in the vehicle, I was trying to back him up as fast as I could.

DEPUTY NICHOLAS SHAW, MARTIN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE: Honestly, I thought I might have had the wrong vehicle at some point just because of his demeanor. He was so calm, cool, and collected.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POLANTZ: They did take him into custody. He's being bars.

And, of course, John, we will be likely learning a lot more about his incident and Routh himself next Monday.

BERMAN: All right, keep us posted, Katelyn Polantz. Thank you very much -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: So connected to all of this here's a question for you. Underfunded or mismanaged? That appears now the question and choice before Congress about the Secret Service after Sunday's assassination -- apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump -- the second attempt in less than 60 days.

This morning we are also learning that the White House made an appeal to Congress last month to help boost resources for the agency. There's a lot of talk about what this means for the agency now.

CNN's Arlette Saenz is at the White House tracking all of this for us. Arlette, what did the White House ask for? What are you hearing about this?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kate, the White House submitted a special request to Congress to ensure that the Secret Service had more funding in the weeks leading into and after the election in November. The Office of Management and Budget submitted this request in August as they prepared for the possibility that Congress would need to pass a stopgap funding measure in order to fund the government. Now, they did not detail an exact dollar amount but instead, the language used asked to give the Department of Homeland Security more flexibility to provide resources and funding to the Secret Service if there -- if needed for their operations. The OMB warning in this request that if it was not granted the agency would have insufficient resources to carry out its operations in the coming weeks.

Now that issue of resources is at the center of the debate on Capitol Hill as lawmakers are trying to determine whether this is a funding issue for the agency or simply mismanagement.

Take a listen to a sampling of those conversations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): There's no question that the Secret Service may well need more resources, but the use of those resources has to be more effective and efficient, and that's a management issue.

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): They don't have enough resources to cover the threats that exist. And I'm sure the threats against Vice President Harris are going up. So what I worry about is that we don't have enough personnel to deal with the threat levels that exist in this election and beyond.

(END VIDEO CLIP)