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Biden Envoy Told Netanyahu His Comments Claiming U.S. Withheld Weapons Were "Unproductive" And "Completely Untrue"; Senators, Victims' Families Call For Boeing Accountability; Trump Repeats Rhetoric That Led To The January 6 Insurrection. Aired 11:30a-12p ET

Aired June 19, 2024 - 11:30   ET

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

[11:30:00]

REP. JAKE AUCHINCLOSS (D-MA): To heed his call for support.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: So, I take that you'll be at the session -- the joint session of Congress with Netanyahu addressing the House and the Senate.

AUCHINCLOSS: I'll review my schedule the week before. I'll make my determination as the time goes near. I've attended every head of government addressed to Congress. I think it's a matter of respect, and I expect I will again. But, again, the -- I think the focus should not be on this RSVP game that Speaker Johnson wants us to play. The focus should be on the hypocrisy of Republicans standing with Israel not standing with Ukraine.

BLITZER: There's another potential conflict a very serious one developing right now. Israel is warning of what they're calling an all-out war after the militant group in Lebanon, Hezbollah, backed by Iran released a very sensitive video showing Israeli military and civilian locations in Haifa, and elsewhere in Northern Israel, warning that this whole situation there could escalate. Just how dangerous do you think this situation is?

AUCHINCLOSS: Certainly dangerous. This surveillance video was meant to be inflammatory and escalatory. Israel is rightfully not going to tolerate Hezbollah sending rockets into its population centers, and Israel has every right to respond by targeting senior Hezbollah commanders and demonstrating that there is going to be reciprocity when Hezbollah tries to kill Israelis.

At the same time, I think Israel's security officials understand that their hopes of repopulating Northern Israel, and that their hopes of maintaining a single-front conflict in Gaza. And that their ability to defend against precision-guided munitions from Hezbollah are all going to be strained if this escalates any further. It is not in Israel's interest to have a two-front war.

BLITZER: Certainly. All right. Congressman Jake Auchincloss of Massachusetts, thanks so much for joining us. We'll continue this conversation down the road.

And there's more news we're following here in the CNN NEWSROOM. The CEO of Boeing on the hot seat in a fiery Senate hearing, admitting the company retaliates against company whistleblowers. I'm talking to one of those whistleblowers.

That's coming up next. Stay with us. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:36:43]

BLITZER: Calls for accountability are growing more angry and louder after Boeing's chief faced a very combative grilling up on Capitol Hill. The CEO, Dave Calhoun, said he was there to take responsibility. Then testified he was proud of the company's safety record. Here's what the daughter of the victim of a Boeing Max -- 737 Max Eight crash told my colleague Jim Acosta last hour.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZIPPORAH KURIA, DAUGHTER OF ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES CRASH VICTIM: The more I hear more whistleblowers come out, and I hear Calhoun and the rest of Boeing saying that you know, safety has been our priority. It just makes me think because as part of the flying public, we ought to be terrified -- mortified to be jumping on these planes. And you know, the aviation industry is so elusive.

None of us really know what quite goes on in there. But we trust and hope that the people that say they're doing what they're doing are doing it. And then people die, and we find out hang on, it's not just an incident or an accident.

It's a continual lapse, not in judgment. We can't even call it a lapse in judgment when it's intentional corner-cutting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Joining us now Boeing whistleblower and Executive Director of the Foundation for Aviation Safety, Ed Pierson. Ed, thanks very much for joining us. Thanks for all you do. I want you to listen to what Calhoun, the CEO, said about whistleblowers at yesterday's hearing up on Capitol Hill.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVE CALHOUN, CEO, BOEING: I'm going to start by ensure -- assuring you that I listened to the whistleblowers that appeared at your hearing. Something went wrong.

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): How many of your employees have been fired for retaliating against whistleblowers?

CALHOUN: Senator, I don't have that number on the tip of my tongue, but I know what --

BLUMENTHAL: Have any --

CALHOUN: I know what happens. I know what happens. BLUMENTHAL: Have any been firing?

CALHOUN: I am happy to follow up and get you that number.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Ed, as a whistleblower -- a Boeing whistleblower yourself, how do you respond to what we just heard?

ED PIERSON, WHISTLEBLOWER, BOEING: Well, unfortunately, it's a reflection of the things we've been saying for a long time, which is this talk is cheap, you know. They have all the magic words, but the truth of the matter is a whistleblower wouldn't have to go public if they were listening inside the company. And that's the real fact is they're not listening, and the CEO is wildly out of touch with reality on the factory floors.

BLITZER: You testified, Ed, earlier in the year that some of the Boeing actions amounted to what you called a criminal cover-up. Who do you think should be prosecuted?

PIERSON: Well, I'm glad you asked that question, Wolf, because the Department of Justice as you know is considering pursuing -- continuing to pursue fraud charges and other criminal charges. And we absolutely encourage that. I mean, the truth of the matter is there's -- there were several individuals that made very conscious decisions.

They knew what they were doing. They knew they were taking risks. I provided a document to the Senate committee just recently that clearly shows that the company suspected that the second plane, the crash -- the Ethiopian plane had electrical defects in it.

That information was never -- has never been conveyed publicly. They've always said that there was no manufacturing problems. They've continued to lie.

You know, the company always says -- and I want the company to be successful. We all want the company to be successful. But the company always says you know, all our products meet or exceed all safety standards. That's not true.

[11:40:10]

I mean, we've seen engineering design requirements that are not met. I'm talking planes that you know, have gone through 10 years of development. I've had two fatal crashes, etcetera. Still not meeting designed requirements.

And we've also had removal of quality control inspections, which should shock any passenger that we're actually removing -- thousands of quality control inspections have been removed. And to our knowledge, that if -- that was removed without the FAA's even knowing about it, or the airlines knowing about it. So now you have you know rush production, all that and it's just a giant mess.

BLITZER: Ed, have you personally spoken with officials over at the Department of Justice?

PIERSON: Yes, I have. And I've communicated with them. I've provided documentation to them, and as well as the FBI.

You know, if I could just very quickly explain. The Ethiopian airplane that later crashed had an incident about 22 days after it was in service where it had an uncommanded roll. And they never explained what happened. And we just recently found out that there was communication between Ethiopian Airlines and Boeing Company.

And in this communication, Boeing analyzes the data that was sent to them. And it clearly shows that the plane they -- the Boeing's own words, that it suspects an intermittent electrical fault in the wiring.

And this information was never shared. I confirmed this with the international investigator in charge in Ethiopia. He never saw that information.

And now we have airplanes, unfortunately, that have lots of manufacturing issues. We built another thousand-plus planes. And many of these planes we're seeing you know, faults and issues that we should never see in any plane, much less a new plane. I mean, it's really concerning.

BLITZER: Was that Ethiopian plane -- Ed, was that Ethiopian plane, the 737, a Boeing 737 Max?

PIERSON: Yes, it was.

BLITZER: Because another --

PIERSON: It was the one that crashed on March 10, 2018.

BLITZER: You're right. I asked the question because another whistleblower recently came forward alleging that Boeing installed broken or what were described as out-of-specification parts in their 737 Max planes and tried to shield them from regulators. Does that surprise you?

PIERSON: Sadly, Wolf, it doesn't surprise me. We've had other individuals like Merle Meyers, who's come out and said the same thing you know, for other airplanes not just the 737. You have to understand. We're talking about employees that are rushed.

Their pressure to produce. Their every possible stress you can imagine is placed on them to get these airplanes built and produced. Out the line.

The FAA is completely not doing a good job. They're just -- they're -- they think that the steps that they've taken are aggressive, but they're laughable. I mean, I think they have 20 inspectors in the factory that's got thousands of employees.

The -- they've kept the production at 38 but the company can't even produce more than 32. You know, the fact that they're still delivering planes -- you know when the CEO yesterday said that you know the Alaska accident was essentially a one-off that they found other planes, even at Alaska and the United that didn't -- that had missing hardware. And we know of a lot of other things. And we've been trying to get people to understand that the FAA is not doing their job. Unfortunately, D.O.T. is also standing on the sidelines.

BLITZER: Very quickly --

PIERSON: And they're just allowing Boeing to do whatever they want.

BLITZER: Very quickly, Ed, before I let you go. Is it true you won't board a 737 Max any longer?

PIERSON: Yes. I did board a plane and I actually had to get off the plane when I found out I was a Max. And that's a terrible thing to have to say to somebody that worked for Boeing. And again, I think very highly of the employees. But I think you saw, you know example of what the leadership is like, and how evasive and frankly greedy they are.

BLITZER: Ed Pierson, thanks for your important work. We really appreciate you joining us today.

PIERSON: Thanks for having me, Wolf.

BLITZER: And we'll be right back with more news.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:48:22]

BLITZER: Days after reportedly calling Milwaukee a horrible city, the former president, Donald, Trump is doing some major cleanup in Wisconsin right now just ahead of the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee next month. CNN calculated by the way that his speech over at the Racine rally in Wisconsin contained 30 obvious falsehoods, including that he won Wisconsin back in 2020. But in fact, he lost the state by more than 20,000 votes. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Do you remember in 2016, we won? And then we did much better here in 2020 but they -- you know, lots of things happen. And then in the end, we won.

We never want what happened in 2020 to happen again. You have to vote and watch your vote -- watch you vote because they tend to disappear. We have all the votes we need.

We have to guard the vote. We have to stop the steal. If we stop the steal, we win. I don't have to campaign anymore. Just stop the steal.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: All right. Joining us now, the Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Brian Schimming. Brian, thanks so much for joining us. I know you were there at Trump's rally yesterday afternoon in Racine. Donald Trump, as you know, he continues to question the results of the last presidential election. First of all, do you acknowledge that Joe Biden won Wisconsin in 2020?

BRIAN SCHIMMING, CHAIRMAN, REPUBLICAN PARTY OF WISCONSIN: Yes, I've never really questioned the result of the election in Wisconsin four years ago. I was part of the recount team. So, I'm pretty -- and I have done statewide recounts before. So, I'm pretty familiar.

There were a lot of questions about that election, legitimate ones. And so -- but -- and we were in for a fair amount as you know here in Wisconsin. So, my focus really is not on the 2020 election, it's on 2024.

[11:50:08]

And the state Republican Party here, we've recruited over 5000 poll workers to help local clerks. We'll be recruiting poll watchers as well. So, look, we want to have a good relationship with all the local clerks. But we're also going to do what it takes to make sure that state law is followed. And that doesn't always happen.

BLITZER: Will you commit to abiding by the will of Wisconsin voters in November?

SCHIMMING: Wolf, I'm confident with the steps that we've taken to secure the vote, which is what we talked about. Securing the vote here in Wisconsin. That will be able to trust the results of the upcoming election regardless, of who is ultimately the winner. So, we're doing what it takes to make sure people will have confidence in this election. And I, as a native Wisconsinite, I want to make sure they have confidence.

BLITZER: The former president, as you know, now says he loves Milwaukee, days after he reportedly called it a horrible city. That according to Republicans who were inside a room with him for this closed-door meeting. They emerged for the meeting telling reporters he called it a horrible city. Why would he make disparaging comments about the city that's hosting the Republican National Convention?

SCHIMMING: Well, first of all, Wolf, the reporting I think was wrong. I think he -- whatever words he used, what he was talking about, was the election processes in Milwaukee and also the crime in Milwaukee. And as I say, I've -- (INAUDIBLE) in Milwaukee for years.

I can tell you as someone who has worked there, there are a lot of concerns about crime in Milwaukee. Not just by Donald Trump, but by people living in the city of Milwaukee and around there. So, if there's something that the president's concerned about, that's what he was talking about that day.

But I will tell you and I'm -- and I'm on the committee on arrangements for the convention, we wouldn't be having the convention in Milwaukee if Donald Trump thought it was a horrible city. So, I have no doubt that he's supportive of the convention in Milwaukee. I don't have a doubt in my mind. I talked to him yesterday. And everyone's looking forward to having -- to welcoming 50,000 people there.

BLITZER: We did some checking -- we did some checking, Brian. And take a look at this. Crime in Milwaukee is down nearly in all categories year to date.

If you take a look at the screen, I don't know if you can see it. 22 percent down in homicides. 90 percent down in rapes. One percent up -- just one percent in robbery. 12 percent down in aggravated assault.

So, in almost all categories, crime is way down in Milwaukee right now. So, why do you think he's making these allegations against your city of Milwaukee?

SCHIMMING: Because that's not what the people feel in the City of Milwaukee. I have worked all over. I travel and speak all over the city of Milwaukee. And the numbers -- and I have -- I haven't seen the numbers you put up on screen there. I can't them.

But I will tell you -- and I know thousands of people down there. And I can tell you, that's not what people feel in the City of Milwaukee. And it's going to take a lot more than one set of stats to make people feel safe in the city of Milwaukee. Look, my focus is on this convention, and making people -- making sure that people feel safe in Milwaukee. And I think they will.

BLITZER: So, when all of us show up in Milwaukee for the convention and I'll be going there as well, will all of us be safe? What do you think?

SCHIMMING: Well, we obviously have some security perimeters around the convention itself at the Pfizer forum where the Bucks play, and which is where the convention will be. As you know, Wolf, almost all of the delegates will be housed in Wisconsin for their convention rooms, but all over the state.

I feel good that the security situation will be good in Milwaukee. And look, it's to everybody's best interest. The left-wing groups who will come to Milwaukee, the professional left-wing groups who come to protest us in Milwaukee, want to disrupt the convention. But the bottom line is it's a top priority for the Republican Party of Wisconsin, for the R.N.C., and it should be for the City of Milwaukee in the area that people feel safe there. So, that's what we're focusing on.

BLITZER: And I'll just say I love Milwaukee. I've been there several times. I don't think it's a horrible city at all. I think it's a very nice city. And I look forward to coming to the convention.

Brian Schimming, thanks so much for joining us. Good luck with all the work that you're doing right now. We appreciate it very much. And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:59:04] BLITZER: Thanks very much for joining me here in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Wolf Blitzer in Washington. I'll be back later tonight 6:00 p.m. Eastern in "THE SITUATION ROOM."

"INSIDE POLITICS" with Dana Bash is up next. But first, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta shares tips to enjoy the summer sun safely.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: I'm Dr. Sanjay Gupta, host of CNN's "CHASING LIFE" podcast.

GUPTA (voiceover): Spending time outside. It's one of the best ways to reduce stress and also to get essential Vitamin D.

GUPTA: But don't forget about sun safety.

GUPTA (voiceover): This is important all seasons and all weather. Unprotected exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays can damage your eyes, your immune system. Can also increase your risk of skin cancer. It's estimated that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. And that makes it the most common cancer in the United States.

GUPTA: So, here are some ways to enjoy the sun safely.

[12:00:02]

GUPTA (voiceover): Use broad-spectrum sunscreens, an SPF of 15 or higher. Also, you want protection against both UVA and UVB rays. Those are two types of the sun's ultraviolet radiation.

Also, keep in mind, the higher the SPF, the more protection -- the longer protection. You also want to protect your eyes. Choose sunglasses with a hundred percent UV protection on the label. Finally, limit your time in the sun when it's most intense.

GUPTA: Look down. If your shadow is shorter than you are, it's a good idea to head inside.

GUPTA (voiceover): And you can hear more about how to optimize your health and chase life wherever you get your podcasts.

(END VIDEOTAPE)