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Sources: Court Appearance Soon For Ryan Wesley Routh; Biden: Secret Service Needs More Help; Two Years Since Death Of Mahsa Amini In Iran; El Salvador: From Murder Capital To Safe Place. Aired 10-11a ET
Aired September 16, 2024 - 10:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:01:12]
ERICA HILL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The man, arrest in connection with the apparent second assassination attempt on Donald Trump is due to appear
in federal court in Florida within the next few hours. That's according to sources familiar with the matter.
Ryan Wesley Routh was detained Sunday on a Florida highway. It's unclear at this time exactly what charges he may face. The Secret Service, as a
witness saw Routh fleeing Trump's golf course after an agent spotted a gun barrel in the bushes and fired.
This was all happening just a few 100 meters from where Donald Trump was playing around of golf.
As for Ryan Wesley Routh, he has criticized Donald Trump on social media. We also know he spent time in Ukraine, hoping to fight there, and also
recently wrote about other global hot spots, including Afghanistan and Taiwan in a book that he self-published.
The acting U.S. secret service director is in Florida and will be staying there indefinitely, we're told, as investigators reach out, including
across the globe, to find out more about Routh and his possible motives.
CNN chief law enforcement and intelligence analyst John Miller, is back with us this hour.
And John, we're just learning too, confirming that, in fact, the director of the secret service will be meeting with the former president later
today.
There have been so many questions, certainly, since the first assassination attempt just two months ago in Butler, Pennsylvania, involving the former
president.
Given where things stand now, is it likely -- you and I talked about the issue of personnel, and the issue of protecting the former president, is it
likely, based on your sources and who you have spoken with that they will be increasing the protection here?
JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Well, I mean, the Trump protection detail exceeds what would be given to a
presidential candidate. It exceeds what's given to a former president. But it does so on a logical basis. Meaning, they actually have credible threat
information, A. B, they have actually had an assassination attempt. C, they have had another assassination attempt.
So, even before what happened yesterday, happened, the people in that detail were pretty much up to the standard they would use for the vice
president of the United States. They are going to have to look at in this environment, adding to that again, because if there was any doubt about
whether this threat picture was a one off yesterday, seems to dispel that.
What they have done, and this is remarkable, Erica, is they have borrowed people from the presidential protection detail, from Biden's own detail,
and they have pushed them towards the Trump detail on the idea that Biden isn't traveling as much now that he is not the candidate, spending more
time in the White House, which gives them some access to personnel, and that those people are already trained on how to protect a president or
candidate on the road.
HILL: It is pretty remarkable, as you point that out. We also just to keep our viewers up to date on everything that's happening. I've just been told
that Routh is, in fact, in court at this moment. Was brought in, shackled. So, we'll be -- we'll be waiting and listening, of course, for any
developments there. We'll bring them to everyone as they happen.
You made such an interesting point when we -- when we spoke last hour, John, talking about one of the things that we may learn with Routh in Court
this morning is -- the potential charges he may be facing.
But you talked about the gun laws in Florida and how that could, in fact, complicate charges. Walk us through that, if you would.
MILLER: So, the gun laws in Florida are, anybody can legally possess a rifle. That makes it like the gun laws in many states, you can carry a
concealed handgun in Florida without a license. So, if the suspect here was on the property with a rifle that was not illegal and didn't fire at the
secret service, the charges are going to have to be based on something other than the firearm.
Now, here is the caveat.
[10:05:02]
If he was a convicted felon, he has eight arrests, including for possession of a machine gun, allegedly in North Carolina back in 2002. If he is a
convicted felon, that takes care of the charging dilemma, because convicted felon in possession of a firearm is a federal crime.
It's a five-year count. Ironically, it's the very reason Donald Trump can no longer possess his firearms, because he's a convicted felon in New York.
So, that could be the answer to their problem. Otherwise, they are going to have to build a case based on what they found about what he was planning
and how they can document that.
HILL: And as waiting for more details coming out of this courtroom, what are you watching for in terms of what we may learn, in terms of what we may
get out of this? Because we know there was going to be requests for a mental health evaluation. How does that come into play?
MILLER: So, that comes into play because we don't know what his conversations were with them yesterday. Whether he had conversations,
whether he was forthcoming, whether those were rational or otherwise, but getting a mental health evaluation is going to be, at this point, it was
brought up by the state yesterday. It will definitely be a request by the defense, because it is a way towards the defense.
But today, what we're looking for out of this court appearance is, will they provide the magistrate with an information or a complaint, a document
that says, these are the things that we found in our investigation in just under the last 24 hours. These are the things that amount to our probable
cause to charge this man with whatever they may be charging him with, and these are the things about him that we consider make him too dangerous to
be released, and we want a detention order.
So, it's going to be our first chance to get details beyond what Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, the Secret Service and the FBI were able to tell us
yesterday.
HILL: Yes. And everybody waiting for those details.
I also want to bring in now former Miami-Dade County Court judge, Jeff Schwartz, joining us from Tampa this hour.
Nice to -- Nice to see you again. When we look at where things stand --
(CROSSTALK)
JEFF SCHWARTZ, FORMER COURT JUDGE, MIAMI-DADE COUNTY: Nice to see you too.
HILL: Thank you. And what John just laid out, right? Much of which we hope to learn in these coming moments, frankly, out of that courtroom, as we're
waiting for those --
(CROSSTALK)
SCHWARTZ: Yes.
HILL: -- for those developments. It's interesting too, how this could impact potential charges, including the fact that he, as far as we know,
did not fire a shot. The Secret Service did.
SCHWARTZ: Yes. It appears that he never fired a shot. The question -- there is a lot of questions here. Number one, the easiest charge is the unlawful
possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. That will be enough to hold him, at this point, until they can finish their investigation and determine
whether they have enough for an attempted murder of a former president, which is a life felony in federal court.
And what -- the basis of that has to be, what's known as the dangerous proximity test.
That is the test that he was very, very close to completing the crime that he wanted to commit, and all the preparation that went towards committing
that crime may or may not be enough for it to be an attempt. So, they are going to have to take a look at that.
They are also going to try to take a look at whether this was can be considered a threat towards the former president, and that is a separate
and distinct charge, which carries a 20-year maximum penalty.
So, I think they need to take a look at the sequence of events. They need to take a look at what evidence they have, how close he came to being able
to complete the crime, and whether, in fact, his -- he went beyond mere preparation towards committing the crime, and actual acts, what we call
overt acts, towards completing the crime, and setting himself up with a scope at a fence, and all the preparation he did, may be enough to take him
to the point of attempted murder.
HILL: Always good to have you. Appreciate the insight. Thank you. And John, thank you to you as well.
As I mentioned earlier, Ryan Westley Routh had expressed support for Ukraine. He did that in dozens of posts on X, he traveled to the country.
And in a newly surfaced video from 2022, he went so far as saying he was willing to die in the war there. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN WESTLEY ROUTH, MAN DETAINED IN APPARENT ASSASINATION ATTEMPT ON TRUMP: Putin is a terrorist, and he needs to be ended. So, we need everybody from
around the globe to stop what they are doing and come here now and support the Ukrainians to end this war.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Last October, Routh began trying to enlist Afghan conscripts to fight in the war, using social media, presenting himself as an off-the-books
liaison for the Ukrainian government.
Newsweek Romanian journalist Remus Cernea met the man who had been detained in connection with his apparent assassination attempt in Ukraine. Actually,
met him on several occasions, stayed in touch with him, and told CNN he was surprised by Ryan Routh's alleged involvement in this incident.
[10:10:06]
Saying, "For me, it's a surprise, because I viewed him as an idealistic, innocent, genuine person, without any murderous instinct." And that
journalist joining me now via Skype from Bucharest.
I think we were all -- we were all struck by that observation. Walk us through a little bit more the person who you met, and then, ultimately
stayed in touch with. What was your impression?
REMUS CERNEA, WAR CORRESPONDENT, NEWSWEEK ROMANIA: I met him in my first day in Kyiv in June 2022. I've been there for 15 times since. He seemed to
me to be an idealistic person, a genuine person who wanted to support Ukraine, and this is a good cause, of course.
But, you know, sometimes, we can see this in history, and in many other cases, sometimes an idealistic person can become a fanatic, open to do
horrible things for his cause. And it's important to understand that it's not enough to have a good cause. It's also important to serve -- to serve
this cause with Democratic tools, let's say.
And violence, it's forbidden. It's prohibited in democracy. We have elections. Honestly, I don't like Trump, and if I would be American, I
would vote against him, but I want him to be defeated in elections, in -- using democratic procedures, not the violence, or attempting these kind of
attempts of -- on his life.
HILL: Speaking --
(CROSSTALK)
CERNEA: So, Ryan, Ryan seemed to me to be an idealistic and maybe he pushed too far his ideas somehow.
HILL: So, in terms of that, when it came to his ideas, you mentioned -- they mentioned the former president. Did Ryan Routh ever bring up with you
his feelings about Donald Trump?
CERNEA: No. No, as I remember, but he was a bit disappointed by the fact that Ukraine was supported by Western countries enough to resist to the
Russian invasion, but not enough to win the war.
And, of course, this feeling is a widespread in Eastern Europe or in Ukraine. Of course, Ukrainians are thankful for all those who support
Ukraine. And I support also this cause. I think that Ukraine should win this war, should expel the Russians from all of the Ukrainian territories.
And this is a good cause, it's an important cause, and we need a strong United States and a strong democracy in United States, because if United
States is weak, everything bad can happen in the world.
So, this attempt -- supposedly, attempt, of Ryan, is weakening United States' democracy. So, that's why it's a very bad things that he did. And
yes, I hope that the support for Ukraine will increase in the next few months and years in order to help Ukraine to win this war.
HILL: You mentioned that someone like Ryan Routh, who you described as an idealist, you noted that sometimes an idealist can become a fanatic.
CERNEA: Yes.
HILL: In staying in touch with him and speaking with him over the last couple of years, did you sense that he was becoming a fanatic?
CERNEA: No. No, that's why. I was very surprised when I saw in the news what happened. But I saw that he was open to do some, let's say, not so
legal things. You mentioned a few minutes ago, his attempts to -- he is trying to get some people from other countries to join to the foreign
legion in Ukraine. But in doing so, he was open to do some illegal things.
He asked me also to do some not so legal things. And, of course, I didn't accept such kind of things. So, he was open to do -- for a good cause -- to
do bad things for a good cause. So --
(CROSSTALK)
HILL: Can you elaborate on that beyond trying to bring in, you know, other foreigners to fight for Ukraine?
(CROSSTALK)
CERNEA: Yes, he --
HILL: What else was he suggesting and even suggesting that you do?
CERNEA: Yes, he suggested something that, anyway, I couldn't do, and I am not able to do, and I don't want to do, to help some people get the transit
visa through Romania to Ukraine.
But, of course, I rejected this without question, without any other word.
[10:15:06]
HILL: Was otherwise there anything that he was suggesting that was of a violent nature?
CERNEA: No, no. No, that's why he said that he would die -- he would die for Ukraine, or he would sacrifice himself for Ukraine. And it's, it's true
that there is a risk in Ukraine. Every day is a risk in Ukraine.
There is a saying that -- he states that you never know if your name is written on the next missile or drone there in Ukraine.
But he has no military training. He has no military training. That's why, I wonder how he thought that he can shoot someone -- I understood that he had
a gun, because he has no military training. So, that's why he wouldn't -- he wasn't able to join to the international legion.
HILL: Was he -- when he wasn't allowed to join, did he talk to you about that? About how -- I mean, was he disappointed? Was he upset? How would you
describe him?
CERNEA: In that interview that I did with him in June 2022, he told me that he is unable to join international legion because he has no military
experience, no military skills. So, it's in that interview.
So, I wonder how he thought that he can do something with a weapon. So, I don't know details, I don't know how skillful is he, but I suppose he is
not so well skilled in this -- in using a weapon.
HILL: Remus, sir, we really appreciate your insight today. Thanks for taking the time to join us.
CERNEA: Thank you very much.
HILL: Well, President Biden says he's relieved Donald Trump was unharmed on statement on Sunday, excuse me.
Noting in his statement, "As I have said many times, there is no place for political violence or any violence ever in our country, and I have directed
my team to continue to ensure Secret Service has every resource capability and protective measure necessary to ensure the former president's continued
safety."
The vice president, who is, of course, also the Democratic presidential nominee, also weighing in, saying she was deeply disturbed by the possible
assassination attempt of former President Trump today going on today.
Going on to say, "As we gather the facts, I will be clear. I condemn political violence. We must all do our part to ensure this incident does
not lead to more violence."
CNN's Kevin Liptak, joining me now, from Washington -- from the White House there. We did hear just a short time -- about an hour ago, from the
president, as he was leaving the White House. And he was specifically asked about the Secret Service, Kevin, and you followed up with him.
KEVIN LIPTAK, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, and it was interesting, because his message this morning was pretty specific. Of course, he had
also said that he was thankful that Trump was unharmed. He said that there is no place for political violence. But he also seemed intent on telling us
about resourcing for the Secret Service itself in what, in his view, could potentially be not enough resources for that agency.
Listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Thank God the president is OK.
The one thing I want to make clear is the Service needs more help, and I think the Congress should respond to their needs if they need more service
people. So that's what we're going to be talking about.
I think we need some more personnel.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LIPTAK: Yes. So, when I asked the president what more help meant, whether it meant money, whether it meant personnel, he was pretty specific that he
thinks the agency needs more personnel.
And it has been true that the Secret Service has suffered from staffing shortages over the last several years, agents and officers talking about
feeling burnt out because there aren't enough people to cover all of their shifts, and it has created quite a high-level of turnover within the
agency.
When the then-director Kim Cheatle was testifying before Congress earlier this summer, she said that the agency currently employs about 8,000 people.
Their goal is to employ 9,500 people. So, they are still relatively short of where they want to be. And, of course, remains an open question of
whether there were more Secret Service officers and agents surrounding the Trump International Golf Club in Palm Beach, whether this individual would
have been able to park his car on the side of the road and crawl through the bushes to essentially get to the green where Trump was heading.
That doesn't seem to be a clear answer at this point. But certainly, President Biden making clear his view that the agency does need more help.
And of course, this is the agency that protects him as well. And so, he has obviously a stake in this as well.
But President Biden also making clear that in the political sphere that violence has no place. And I think that is the main message, I think he
wants to convey today.
HILL: Kevin, appreciate it. Thank you.
Just ahead here, two years after the death of Mahsa Amini, we revisit the Woman, Life, Freedom protest that swept across Iran and the world.
[10:20:00]
Plus, strong words from Israel's prime minister for Yemen's Iran-backed revels. The rare attack raising tensions even higher.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Several hundred people marching in Paris on Sunday to support Iranian civil society, marking two years since the death of Mahsa Amini, the 22-
year-old woman, died in the custody of Iran's morality police after being arrested for allegedly not wearing her mandatory head scarf properly.
That, of course, went into mass protests, which erupted across the country in the wake of her death -- a months-long protests, which were covered
extensively by CNN.
Doing so, though, was challenging. It's not easy for foreign journalists to gain access to Iran, so we relied on a number of brave Iranian men and
women who shared their stories and their videos with us, doing so at great risk to their own lives.
CNN's Jomana Karadsheh was at the forefront of this coverage. Here is a clip from some of her reporting.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOMANA KARADSHEH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): For some in Iran, cutting off hair is an age-old morning, right?
But it's also become a poignant form of protest for those rising up for their rights, united in their anger and their battle for change.
And from every corner of the world, women are sending them messages of solidarity. In Syria's Kurdish one region, a woman chops off her hair to
the chant --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE).
KARADSHEH (voice over): Women, life, freedom, one of the slogans of Iran's protests.
In Istanbul, as fans cheered, Turkish singer Melek Mosso cut her hair live on stage. To the women of Iran, she said, you were not alone.
Far from the streets of their homeland, Iranian women abroad have joined in the protests. For Mahsa Amini, this woman tweeted. Faezeh Afshan says, only
her dad could tame, braid, and cut her thick curly hair. She hadn't cut it since he died in March. She was one of the first to post her hair cutting
video online.
FAEZEH AFSHAN, PROTESTER: It was more than a gesture for me. It was like saying goodbye to all those beautiful memories of him, cutting my hair with
love, because this time I can cut it with anger. I needed to do something to take part in what my beautiful, brave people are doing.
KARADSHEH (voice over): What's happening in Iran is a women's uprising. Not only are they on the streets, leading protests, braving the bullets, the
threat of jail or flogging, they are now challenging the Islamic Republic, and its so-called morality enforcers walking the streets in broad daylight,
no headscarves, no fear. The barrier of that fear now broken.
These two unveiled women sat for breakfast at a traditional tea house, a space typically for men.
[10:25:01]
We don't know when this video was taken, but many Iranian women are revolting to reclaim freedoms lost, their right to choose.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HILL: And our thanks, again, to Jomana Karadsheh for reporting.
Iran's president is denying giving missiles to Yemen's Houthi rebels. This, after Israel's prime minister promises that this will exact a heavy price
after firing a missile at Israel over the weekend.
That missile landing in an open area, it appears no one was injured, but the attack understandably, once again ratcheting up tensions in the region,
as well as fears that Israel's war against Hamas will spread.
Israelis, meantime, turning out again over the weekend to demand that Mr. Netanyahu signed a deal to free the hostages held by Hamas. This comes as
his Israeli military now says three hostages whose bodies were recovered, recovered rather in December, were most likely killed by an Israeli air
strike.
CNN's Nic Robertson is following all these latest developments for us from Tel Aviv.
Nic, a lot in there. Walk us through where we stand.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Yes, that was a real shock, I think, to most people in central Israel, when the sirens went off
early yesterday morning, and it was a Houthi missile that had fired across a distance, according to the Houthis of 2,040 kilometers, around about
1,270 miles or so.
So, a very long distance that it had got so far into central Israel before it was knocked out of the sky, intercepted. It didn't explode in the sky,
but it's disintegrated and came down and lit fires in farmlands that burned for hours after, as we were on the side of one of them. It was literally
ripping through the undergrowth on the woodland there.
But the prime minister really quickly, essentially, saying that there would be a reaction that when Israel, Israelis are targeted for harm by groups,
as Hamas has learned, Israel will strike back. And there was an echo of that in the phone conversation today between Yoav Gallant, the defense
minister here, and Secretary of -- U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin.
When the Israeli defense minister told him, again, as he said before, that the Houthis represent a regional threat and that Israel has shown how it
responds to when people try -- when terror groups try to harm Israelis.
So, it's very clear, it appears that Israel is positioning itself, is letting its friends and allies know that it will be striking back at the
Houthis. Of course, the U.S. has been taking down Houthi drones, Houthi missiles as they try to intercept shipping in the Red Sea, along with a
coalition of partners. But it's not often that Israel has got involved striking directly into Yemen, but that appears to be the case now.
And when we talk about those three hostages whose bodies were recovered on the 14th of December last year, the explanation that their families have
now finally received from the IDF is that when the IDF targeted a senior Hamas commander, the northern Gaza battalion commander, on the 10th of
November, he was in a tunnel, what the IDF didn't realized was, when they killed that commander, that in the tunnel, the three hostages were there.
In fact, they say they weren't aware of any hostages in those tunnels, and thought the three were located somewhere else.
But this is a rare admission by the IDF that their airstrikes, because this is a hugely contentious issue, that their airstrikes are causing the death
of hostages, and that's, of course, partly at the core of what worries hostage families so much right now about the ongoing war and the risks
their loved ones' face.
HILL: Yes, and understandably. Nic, appreciated. Thank you.
I also just to note, about two hours to now, we are expecting a statement from Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid after he meets with the U.S.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington. We're going to follow that closely, and of course, we'll bring you those updates in the coming hours.
Still ahead this hour, with just 50 days to go now until election day in the United States, how another apparent assassination attempt on Donald
Trump's life could impact this race moving forward?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:31:39]
HILL: Welcome back to CONNECT THE WORLD. I'm Erica Hill.
Our breaking news at this hour, the man arrested in a second apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump is at this moment in
a courtroom in Florida.
Ryan Wesley Routh, who you see here, was detained on Sunday.
The Secret Service, says a witness saw Routh flee Trump's golf course after an agent spotted a gun barrel in the bushes and fired.
This all happening just a few 100 meters from where Donald Trump was playing a round of golf.
Palm Beach County sheriff also speaking about why Donald Trump's Secret Service was, quote, limited in terms of the protection it could provide in
that environment. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RIC BRADSHAW, SHERIFF, PALM BEACH COUNTY: The golf course is surrounded by shrubbery. So, when somebody gets into the shrubbery, they are pretty much
out of sight. All right?
And at this level that he is at right now, he is not the sitting president. If he was, we would have this entire golf course surrounded. Well, because
he is not, his security is limited to the areas that the Secret Service deems possible.
So, I would imagine the next time he comes at a golf course, there will probably be a little bit more people around the perimeter, but the Secret
Service did exactly what they should have done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: You are hearing there, the Secret Service did exactly what they should have done. The former president thanking them as well. But there are
still a lot of questions, including from Democratic Congressman Jared Moskowitz of Florida.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. JARED MOSKOWITZ (D-FL): Though I'm deeply concerned about what's going on right now, I'm deeply concerned, quite frankly, for the former
president's safety. You know, the Secret Service has a lot to explain how an individual was able to get again this close to the former president.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: CNN's Carlos Suarez has been following these developments. He is in West Palm Beach.
So, bring us up to speed. We know that Routh is in Court at this moment. We've also learned a little bit more overnight more about him.
CARLOS SUAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's exactly right. So, we are outside the federal courthouse here in West Palm Beach, where the 58-year-old Ryan
Routh is expected to make his first appearance in federal court at any minute now.
We are being told that there is a brief recess, but that once things get back in order in the courtroom, we expect that the 58-year-old will be
going before a judge where we expect that the charges may be laid out against him.
So far, prosecutors have not said what charges they are going to seek against Routh. As for where this investigation stands at this hour, earlier
this morning, the Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, he was on Fox News and provided a little bit additional information on the series of
events that played out at Trump's golf course yesterday.
The sheriff said that Routh did not fire off any shots at the former president at all. There was some confusion yesterday about whether there
had been an exchange of gunfire between the Secret Service and the 58-year- old.
But again, this morning, the sheriff saying that Routh did not fire off a single shot because, in his words, the Secret Service acted so quickly as
for where things stand elsewhere in this investigation.
Erica, the acting director of the Secret Service, is already in the ground here in Florida. We are told that he is expected to meet with law
enforcement officials and investigators to get a sense of where things stand at this moment.
[10:35:08]
And then, we are told he is also expected to meet with former President Trump later this afternoon, and that, at some point today, the acting
director is going to get a tour of the golf course where all of this happened. Of course, there are plenty, plenty of unanswered questions
surrounding this attempted assassination of the former president, specifically, just how this 58-year-old knew that the former president was
going to be at this golf course. We know that it was not on his public schedule because the former president decided to play a round of golf late
in the -- made the decision, rather at the late hour, right? Late in the day before he went out there.
And so, one of the questions that they've got to figure out is exactly how Routh knew that the former president was going to be taking in a round of
golf at this specific location. Erica?
HILL: A really important question there. Carlos, appreciated. Thank you.
Well, as El Salvador's president continues his crackdown against gang violence, he is sparking an outcry from rights groups over his
authoritarian tactics. The country, though, has also become safer, more prosperous, leading to a drop in the number of Salvadorans migrating to the
United States.
CNN's David Culver has more now in the second part of his series, reporting on the transformation of El Salvador.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID CULVER, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): On the U.S. southern border, we have seen the desperation and determination of folks
trying to get into the U.S., often fleeing the unimaginable.
DIEGO MORALES, IMMIGRANT: Sometimes, you go to sleep and you never know is you going to -- you're going to wake up.
CULVER (voice over): Diego Morales dreamed of a better life, escaping the horrors of El Salvador's brutal civil war.
MORALES: I like United States. I've been here for almost 30 years. So, I can say, you know, also this is my country.
HIRO (PH): I'm Hiro (PH).
CULVER: Hi, Hiro (PH). I'm David. Nice to meet you.
CULVER (voice over): He's made Houston, Texas home, starting a business and a family here. But Diego now noticing fewer Salvadorans following his path.
MORALES: Now, it's safe, you know, so people staying over there.
CULVER (voice over): Less than a decade ago, El Salvador was labeled the murder capital of the world. Gangs were essentially in charge.
CULVER: But in the past three to four years, this country has seen a radical transformation. Locals tell us that they finally feel safe enough
to be outside.
CULVER (voice over): Which may explain the sharp drop in migrants from El Salvador attempting to enter the U.S.
CBP data shows a 36 percent decrease in Salvadorans crossing the southern border from 2022 to last year, with numbers expected to fall even further
this year. But the data only tells part of the story.
BLANCA FLORES, IMMIGRANT: (INAUDIBLE)
CULVER (voice over): We meet Blanca Flores and Victor Bolanos. They fled El Salvador in 2003, leaving their three college age sons behind.
CULVER: From all the people you worked with.
VICTOR BOLANOS, IMMIGRANT: Yes.
CULVER (voice-over): Planning to eventually bring them to Colorado. At least that was the plan.
CULVER: They were able to get their kids through schooling and everything through. their work in the U.S.
CULVER (voice over): And after 15 years, the couple lost their asylum claim and was forced to accept a so-called voluntary departure back to El
Salvador.
CULVER: It's a lot of work.
BOLANOS: Yes. 15 years.
CULVER (voice-over): Returning just ahead of the country's pivotal 2019 presidential elections.
NAYIB BUKELE, PRESIDENT OF EL SALVADOR: (INAUDIBLE)
CULVER (voice over): A 37-year-old Nayib Bukele won. And in 2022, declared a controversial state of emergency that is still in effect.
Arresting more than 81,000 people and counting. He's consolidated power, tightened his grip of control and essentially eliminated any political
opposition.
FLORES: (INAUDIBLE).
CULVER (voice over): And yet, Blanca sees Bukele more like a concerned father.
FLORES: (INAUDIBLE).
CULVER (voice over): Two years ago, the Bukele administration introduced financial incentives for citizens looking to return to El Salvador. The
government reports nearly 19,000 Salvadorans have moved back under this program.
CULVER: And you think the economy will get better because security is better?
BOLANOS: Yes. Yes, I think the immigration can stop if we have our job.
CULVER (voice over): Human rights groups, though, question Bukele's tactics in cracking down on gangs, alleging widespread abuse and claiming that many
innocent people have been swept up in the mass arrests.
But the government stands by its actions, as does nearly everyone we meet here.
HAMILTON FRANCO, RESIDENT AND BUSINESS OWNER, SAN SALVADOR: You can imagine how afraid I was that one of my sons was going to be recruited for the gang
member or killed.
CULVER: And you think President Bukele saved them from that?
FRANCO: That's right.
CULVER (voice over): In some places, the millennial leader and his social media posts are seemingly revered and good for marketing, attracting locals
and folks visiting.
JESSICA: I was like, this can't be the same country. There is no way.
CULVER: Is this your family? Is this your mom?
JESSICA: This is my aunt.
CULVER (voice over): Jessica left as a child with her parents during the Civil War. This is her first time back.
JESSICA: And now, I'm like, kind of sad that I've lost so many years and not have seen my family for like 30 something years.
[10:40:02]
CULVER (voice over): Investors also seeing the potential here. We meet up with one of them, a familiar face.
CULVER: Diego, how are you?
MORALES: Doing good.
CULVER: What a place you have.
CULVER (voice over): Diego Morales in town with his family, checking in on his boutique hotel, which opened a year ago on the land his parents once
worked but could never afford to buy. Now, he is the owner.
MORALES: They're here. They can stay here alone. Everything is safe, you know.
CULVER (voice over): While some locals make it clear their land is not for sale, the surging prices along the coast are too good for others to pass
up.
CULVER: This used to be gang lookout, basically. They would have scouts who would keep their eyes on people.
(CROSSTALK)
MORALES: Yes, they call a post, you know. I mean, people were here over there, you know.
CULVER: But now, it's potentially the site of luxury and relaxation.
(CROSSTALK)
MORALES: No.
Yes. It's totally different now.
CULVER: During a period of time, the noise that we would hear would be -- say, gunfire.
MORALES: Gunfire.
CULVER: But now, it's construction noise.
MORALES: Of course.
CULVER (voice over): New roads, luxury homes and resorts all coming soon. Diego is not the only one in his family who sees the possibilities here.
CULVER: And you could see building a future here.
HIRO (PH): Exactly.
CULVER (voice over): His son, Hiro (PH), born and raised in the U.S. An American now looking south for his Salvadoran dream.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
CULVER (on camera): For a lot of the folks we met in El Salvador, including those who have returned recently from the United States, they are grateful
that, security wise, things have seemingly stabilized. But for them to sustain a life there, they say that the economy has to get better next, and
it's something Bukele himself has acknowledged.
David Culver, CNN.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Still to come here, an unprecedented election cycle. How this apparent second assassination attempt on Donald Trump may impact the race
for the White House?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HILL: You are looking at live pictures here outside the federal courthouse. We know the suspect is there. The suspect in the second apparent
assassination attempt on Donald Trump.
Ryan Wesley Routh was brought in a short time ago in shackles, as we are told, still waiting though to see the judge, we'll keep you updated on that
as we wait to learn more about not only the evidence, what has been found, but also any potential charges.
So, stay with us. Again, we'll update you on all of that as we do continue our coverage here of this apparent second assassination attempt on the
former president. It is raising questions, understandably, about the impact it could have on this race. There are now just 50 days to go until Election
Day, and as we know, some early voting underway.
Joining me now for a closer look is Julian Zelizer, CNN political analyst. Julian, always good to talk to you.
It is remarkable that almost two months to the day after that initial attempt on Donald Trump's life, we are here again discussing what was
potentially, an apparent assassination attempt.
[10:45:03]
It's important to note, the Secret Service fired. We are told that the person in custody did not -- did not fire.
Can you put this in context? Have we ever been at a moment like this, where there have -- has been, one, potentially two attempts on a candidate's
life?
JULIAN ZELIZER, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, you had the 1960s where there was a lot of violence against different candidates, including the
assassination of Robert Kennedy.
And secondly, in 1975, there were two attempts to assassinate President Gerald Ford within, I think, 17 days in September.
So, that's probably the closest, neither of course, was successful, thankfully. But that's we we're at right now. This is a period where
violence certainly feels to have risen to the top, and this is another dramatic turn in an already dramatic election.
HILL: What do you anticipate will be the rhetoric moving forward? We are hearing, of course, as one would expect, and one would hope, expressions
from the current president, and vice president, that they are glad, that he's okay, that there is no place for violence. But moving forward, we saw
how quickly, in fact, the rhetoric sort of reverted back to what it was, is that what you anticipate?
ZELIZER: Yes. I mean, I don't think the Democrats will move away from the basic issues that they're talking about, and they shouldn't. They are
trying to raise questions that are on the ballot and make an argument about why their party is better suited to hold power, and I don't anticipate that
the former president's rhetoric will change. I think that was another important element of what happened after the first attempt. He did not
really shift.
And so, if we're just looking at the recent past, the prediction would be that within a few days, we will be right back to where we were, and
hopefully, the Secret Service continues to reform itself and upgrade everything that it needs to do in the coming weeks to make sure that both
candidates are fully protected.
HILL: We even heard the president earlier today, when asked, he said that the Secret Service needs, in his words, more help. Press on that, by my
colleague, Kevin Liptak, over whether that was personnel or money. He said, look, they need more personnel, but there are hurdles to that. There are
hurdles to the funding that comes with getting more personnel.
Is it your sense that this is at least starting to ignite a little bit of a fire? I mean, we are seeing this bipartisan investigation in terms of the
first assassination attempt. Do you think that, that will, in fact, result in some changes and perhaps even more funding?
ZELIZER: Let's hope so. I mean, the issue isn't new. It's been around now for several years. There is been an uptick in threats against members --
not just candidates or even the president, but members of Congress. We are in a more dangerous period right now for many reasons.
So, the best hope is that something to come out of an event like this, as horrendous as it is, is more attention to making sure it doesn't happen
again, which means funding. It comes down to money, and there needs to be an increase in Secret Service. We need to protect our elected officials.
It's important that if you want to be part of a public service infrastructure, you don't have to fear for your life.
And so, we will see if there's any movement. But the funding, as we see on Capitol Hill, is not easy to obtain.
HILL: No, it certainly isn't, nor is a consensus when it comes to funding. But this may be one of the few areas where that could happen. Julian
Zelizer, always get to talk to you. Thank you.
ZELIZER: Thank you.
HILL: Just ahead here, the Emmys. Did your favorite T.V. show win at last night's big event? We have a closer look at the big winners after a quick
break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[10:50:39]
HILL: Oh, a record setting night in the 76th Emmy Awards, where Hollywood honored the best in television achievement.
The historical drama, "Shogun," taking home awards for Outstanding Drama, lead actor and lead actress in a drama, as well as directing for drama
series, along with its creative art, Emmy wins.
"Shogun" has now 18 awards in total. That is a new record for most wins in a single season.
The Max series "Hacks," taking a surprise win for Outstanding Comedy, one of its two wins on Sunday. Max and CNN, of course, are part of the same
parent company. CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister, joining me now live from Los Angeles.
I'm not sure you've had a chance to have any sleep, but you look like you did. So, kudos to for that. This keeps you busy, up late all night, but a
lot of fun. Walk us through the highs, the lows, the big winners.
ELIZABETH WAGMEISTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: Not a lot of sleep, but you are right. Erica, a lot of fun, and a lot of excitement in the room
last night. As you said, "Hacks" was the big surprise to end the night.
The night was pretty much going as expected, and when this final award came for Hacks, I'm telling you, Erica, there was an audible gasp in the room.
Everybody was so excited, and the winner was expected to be the bear for Best Comedy.
Now, don't feel too bad for the bear, because the bear set all sorts of records, winning 11 Emmy Awards, and this becomes a record for the most win
for any comedy series. So, you see the three winners there in the acting categories last night.
Now, in the limited and anthology categories, "Baby Reindeer" was the big winner, winning all of the major awards in that category. Now, some other
highlights from the night. Jon Stewart, winning for "The Daily Show", of course, for his return to that series.
Also, Jodie Foster winning her first Emmy ever. Hard to believe that in her entire career, she had not yet won an Emmy, but she won last night for
"True Detective".
And Erica, It wasn't just the winners and the snubs and surprises, there were also some political statements last night. Stars got up on stage, and
there were a few childless cat lady jokes, of course, referencing J.D. Vance.
Selena Gomez said childless cat ladies on the stage, and Candice Bergen, who was a presenter, she spoke about her iconic television role on "Murphy
Brown". And drew some comparisons from the time in the early 90s when she was on that show, and what the vice president then said about her character
and how it relates to what's happening today. So, that was another big moment last night that got a lot of attention from the audience.
HILL: Yes, absolutely. And, of course, there were -- look, the fashion is always a big thing to watch too. I love watching for that. So, that was
always a fun one too.
Elizabeth, great to see. Thank you.
WAGMEISTER: Thanks, Erica.
HILL: Traditional sports of Central Asia on display last week in Kazakhstan at the Nomad Games, which were created to celebrate the region's heritage.
Here is a closer look from Kayla Smith.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KAYLA SMITH, STUDENT REPORTER (PH): Horse archery, strongman competitions, falconry. These were a few of the sports happening last week at the World
Nomad Games held in Astana, Kazakhstan. This was the fifth installment of the games, with the first being held in Kyrgyzstan in 2014.
The competition has taken place every two years since then, except during the start of the covid pandemic. It takes place during September, as this
was the historical shift made by nomadic tribes from summer into winter camp.
As well as the sporting events, a cultural program also took place, celebrating nomadic traditions from the region.
At the end of the six-day games, the host country, Kazakhstan, came out on top with 112 medals, 43 of which were gold.
Kayla Smith, CNN.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HILL: Finally, this hour, we bid farewell to singer and songwriter Tito Jackson, who has. Passed, according to his family.
[10:55:01]
Jackson was best known as one-fifth of the Jackson Five. The pop group made up of Tito and his brothers, including the late Michael Jackson. The Rock
and Roll Hall of Famer did not pursue a solo career until 2016, with the release of his first album, Tito Time.
His sons, TJ, Taj, and Taryll, posting on social media. "We are shocked, saddened, and heartbroken. Our father was an incredible man who cared about
everyone and their well-being."
No cause of death has been revealed so far. Tito Jackson was 70 years old.
That does it for CONNECT THE WORLD on this Monday. I'm Erica Hill.
Be sure to stay with CNN. "NEWSROOM" is up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
END
