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Erin Burnett Outfront

U.S.: "A Number Of Russian Forces" Crossing Back Into Russia After Stunning & Effective Ukrainian Counteroffensive; Mar-A-Lago Affidavit With Fewer Redactions Reveals Documents Trump Turned Over Had Markings Associated With Human Spies; Crowds Gather as the Queen's Coffin Arrives At Buckingham Palace; Trump's PAC Faces Scrutiny In Grand Jury Probe Of January 6 Attack. Aired 7-8p ET

Aired September 13, 2022 - 19:00   ET

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

[19:00:27]

ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next, forcing the Russians out. Ukraine's counteroffensive has now put Putin's forces running back home over the border. And dissent in Russia growing tonight with a warning from the Kremlin.

Plus, a federal judge unsealing more of the affidavit that investigators used to obtain a search warrant for Mar-a-Lago. We now know tonight the Trump had documents with markings referring to human spies.

And Queen Elizabeth's lifelong love of horses. What was behind that special bond? I'm going to speak to a legendary horse trainer who had a decade-long relationship with the Queen.

Let's go OUTFRONT.

Good evening. I'm Erin Burnett.

OUTFRONT tonight, Russia running home. The Pentagon saying tonight that Russian forces are heading back over to Russia, over the border completely after a stunningly effective counterattack offensive by the Ukrainians. The Pentagon press secretary saying the Russians were caught off guard and some are in full retreat.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIG. GEN. PATRICK RYDER, PENTAGON PRESS SECRETARY: We've seen a number of Russian forces, especially in the northeast, in the Kharkiv region, cross over the border back into Russia.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BURNETT: Full on rout there.

And CNN's exclusive video from a town that was just liberated clearly shows how desperate Russian troops were to get out.

Our Sam Kiley reporting from the key recaptured city of Izyum, and you can just see they left crates of equipment. They left weapons. They left Ukrainian tank, you can see being taken away -- a Ukrainian tank is taking away a Russian howitzer. I mean, all of this, leaving so much equipment behind and it's crucial equipment that will now be used by Ukrainians against Russian. But it shows the desperate nature of the rout.

These scenes of Putin's soldiers abandoning their equipment are coming as there's evidence of more defense -- dissent in Russia. Nearly 50 municipal deputies have now signed a petition demanding Putin's resignation.

Now, I want to note, when I say nearly 50, when I mention this petition last night, we are now at almost double the number of officials, making what is a very public and very dangerous call. So they've doubled in just 24 hours.

But already, some of them are paying the price for this. According to one official who signed the documents, several colleagues who were calling for Putin to resign or be charged with treason were recently sent into the police, or will soon have some sort of a trial, to even use that word.

It also comes tonight is there is another suspicious headline out of Russia, a top Russian energy executives who met with Putin just a few weeks ago is that two of drowned in the sea of Japan, that's according to Russian state media.

Ivan Pechorin is latest to powerful Russian boss to die under bizarre and mysterious circumstances, suddenly. We mentioned, he met with Putin just a few weeks. In fact, according to CNN's count, at least nine Russian businessmen have died since the start of the war in Ukraine.

Just 12 days, ago, the chairman of Russian oil and gas giant Lukoil, a hugely important company that traded on the New York Stock Exchange, died. The reason? Falling from the sixth floor hospital window, they said it was an accident, suicide, from the hospital window.

A few months earlier, another top Lukoil manager was found dead near Moscow. Russian state TV said he died from heart failure.

Lukoil is the same company that came out publicly against Putin's war. The board of the company releasing a statement calling for, quote, the soonest termination of armed conflict in Ukraine.

As for the Kremlin today, Putin spokesman warning criticism must, quote, remain within the framework of the law. Quickly adding, there is a fine line and one must be very careful here.

Melissa Bell begins our coverage tonight OUTFRONT live in Kharkiv, Ukraine.

Melissa, what is the latest there tonight?

MELISSA BELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The latest is to the south, around the town of Lyman, the counteroffensive appears to have slowed up against the Russians fighting back. Erin, it is here in the Kharkiv region that strewn military equipment

that you showed that is the primary concern. Ukrainian authorities saying that they fear that also the Russian soldiers who didn't make it back across the border may still be in the region. And they are worried about what attacks there may be here.

It is, of course, about taking control of this kind of region, 6,000 square kilometers that have been taken much of that here in the Kharkiv region, and then keeping control of it.

Also, Erin, trying to get help to those parts of the country that have been liberated and remember, that there is fear, there are concerns amongst Ukrainians about who may have collaborated and who simply try to survive.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BELL (voice-over): Larissa Kharkivsky (ph) is ashamed of what little she has, food, given by the Russians.

[19:05:03]

Mainly, rice, flour and sugar. For six months, she says she and her 35 daughter were virtually prisoners of their apartment, too scared to go out.

The medical help Svetlana needs after an accident 15 years ago, impossible to get.

Most people, says Larissa, left Chevtrokve (ph) through Russia, only the poorest left behind living on what they can grow, apples and watermelon mostly.

Larissa's empty fridge now her primary concern.

She's embarrassed, she says, we'll show the world how empty it is.

But tries nonetheless to offer of some of the watermelon preserve she just made, before showing us around the time liberated on Friday after several days of fighting. The shops now closed where for six months, only affordable for Russian soldiers, she says.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): They marked people. Sometimes they killed. There were so many of them. And they were so young.

BELL: The arrival of Ukrainian soldiers, a relief for Larissa and her friend, Maria, but almost too much to digest.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (through translator): There's psychological abuse and there is violence. For me, psychological abuse is worse. We were sitting in a basement for two days, and then our husbands came and said our soldiers are here. It was just tears of happiness.

BELL: Happiness at the change of hands, but uncertainty, still, about how to survive and what the immediate future holds. (END VIDEOTAPE)

BELL (on camera): Now, bear in mind, Erin, that those in parts of the country are still under the subject of a media blackout. And we had to be very careful and what we can show.

There was a police station right next door, for instance, where people were having their phone checks to see whether they collaborated or not. Remember, this is a regime, a political regime that was in place for six months. And so, what Ukrainians are having to deal with is not only the fear of Russian from without, but a newfound suspicion from within -- Erin.

BURNETT: Yeah, absolutely. It's 10 days, trying to sweep the collaborators and the questions of what happens. And now, these people are treated and it's the beginning of something in so many ways, not the end.

Melissa, thank you.

I want to go now to former U.S. defense secretary, Chuck Hagel.

And, Secretary, I so much appreciate your taking the time. I wanted to start by getting your perspective on where we stand. People here this blitzkrieg of a counteroffensive and, you know, have hope for Ukraine.

And let me just show a map for everyone of where we are. The area is in solid yellow are the areas that Ukraine says it's reclaimed from Russia, right? So, it's a very significant amount of territory, but obviously relative to the entire front, it's more than 1,000-mile front. It's a small portion. But the area is in Kharkiv in the east.

And, Secretary, what I want to ask you is, Russia says it was outmanned in the counteroffensive by Ukraine 8 to 1. A senior Russian official says. That that's hugely significant because obviously, overall, coming into the world, Ukraine had fewer than 200,000 active duty forces. Russia had nearly one million.

So, to outnumber Russia eight to one, Ukraine had to have moved a lot of forces from somewhere else into this region. And they can't sustain this indefinitely.

So with that perspective, what do you think? Will Ukraine be able to hold these gains and sort of continue this counteroffensive elsewhere?

CHUCK HAGEL, FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY: Well, thanks, Erin.

We don't know. There are two big dynamics here among many dynamics that will play out and answer your question. One is, how the Russians will respond to this. What has just happened to them?

I mean, Putin started this war. Putin can't afford to lose this war. And you mentioned some of the reasons why, internal problems in Russia. Other reasons, more significant than that.

The second part of this is your question about the Ukrainians move troops into this area so that they had the ability for the blitzkrieg. I suspect they did. They had to move some troops. Where they took those troops from, I don't know.

But this would have been a strategic issue and calculation that they made that it was whatever they had to do, it was worth it. They also would've had good intelligence to show that the Russians were weak in this area.

[19:10:01]

Logistics have always been a problem for the Russians here in the last seven months.

BURNETT: Yeah.

HAGEL: And they continue to be a problem.

BURNETT: So, you are serving as defense secretary when Russia invaded and annexed Crimea in 2014. And now, you know, General Zaluzhnyi, the commander of Ukrainian forces, has taken credit for the missile attack that took out the Russian air force, the Russian planes there. He said there's going to be a lot where that came from, you know, saying that that's -- the ambition is to go that far to retake Crimea.

Do you think Ukraine can pull off a full victory as defined by Crimea is back in Ukraine?

HAGEL: Well, I think, again, this is an unanswered question. I think what the Ukrainians are doing, and from what I have seen, and maybe I have a little better educated understanding of all this than many, I don't have the specifics of the intelligence. I haven't seen it.

But what they are doing with what they've got and what we've been able to provide them, and the sophistication of our weaponry has gotten better that we've given them. Plus, our intelligence is much better that we're working with them on. And the Ukrainian troops have gotten much, much better.

All of those things say to me that there's some -- a lot of possibilities here. When 2014 came and Russia, actually, they didn't go into Crimea. They were in Crimea. They had a long term contract with Ukrainian government. So, they had troops there.

But the Ukrainian military just wasn't very capable. Our special forces started training them in 2014 as well as other NATO country forces. So, that's made a huge difference in their ability, their leadership, they're -- their capability as we continue to provide better arms, more sophisticated arms and intelligence. That's helped them.

So, I have to give them a lot of credit for their strategies, how they're doing this. And they're being led well. They're learning. Their training is good. And it gets better.

So I think there are a lot of possibilities here. BURNETT: So, you have met Putin, Secretary. What do you -- what do

you make of his actions at this point? You know, obviously, in the context of some of these headlines we're getting out of Russia, some of it dissent, but obviously -- and Russian troops going back over the border.

Where do you think he is right now?

HAGEL: Well, he's a ruthless despot. He always has been. He's smart, he's clever.

But I think if you want to know about Putin, and I psychologically don't have a great profile on him, I don't know him that well. But all you need to know is how he was framed and shaped in his mentality and how he sees the world.

And he was shaped and framed as a young KGB officer. And everything he sees, everything he touches is within that framework of how the KGB sees the world. And you've got a police state, for example in Russia. That's not by accident. He's clever.

But he's got liabilities. Any despot, any dictator does have liabilities. What we've seen last few days, which you've reported on, which we've seen other news outlets report on, the turning in Russia a little bit. Why are we in this war? We're losing this war. Let's get out of this war.

I don't think that will stop suddenly. And then all the other strange happenings -- Lukoil officials, the strange, unexplained deaths.

BURNETT: Yeah.

HAGEL: All of that is real. And I think we want to also understand this is a close society. We only know publicly what the Kremlin tells us, we want to know and should know. But that's very dangerous, too, especially in a world that is so unstable. That means unstable in Russia, not just the world, but unstable in Russia.

So, there's -- I think there's -- anything is possible here.

BURNETT: All right. Well, Secretary Hagel, I appreciate your time. Thank you very much.

HAGEL: Thanks, Erin.

BURNETT: And next, a federal judge on stealing new information about the investigation of sensitive material at Mar-a-Lago. Why did Trump's have documents with markings referring to human spies?

Plus, meet the legendary American horse trainer who bonded with Queen Elizabeth over horse. What he wants you to know about his friend and their shared love of horseback riding.

And a federal grand jury is taking a closer look at Trump's super PAC amid allegations that it's been using election lies to defraud donors out of millions of dollars. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:18:34]

BURNETT: Tonight, a federal judge releasing a last redacted version of that affidavit -- the one used to get a search warrant for Mar-a-Lago. And we're learning that some classified files, they found their contain markings for HCS, SI and FISA. HCS s refers to spies that often work with the CIA. SI is signals intelligence, and, of course, FISA.

Evan Perez is OUTFRONT.

And, Evan, what more are you learning from these unredacted portions of the affidavit?

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, a lot of these affidavit matches some of the information that we learned previously in the litigation over the special master, Erin. But we do have a few things that we've learned from the newly unredacted portions of this.

For instance, you know, we learned that this subpoena that was served on the Trump Organization, back in June went back all the way to January for video from those hallways, from the areas where some of these rooms, near some of the rooms were, of course, some of these documents were retrieved during the august search. Over 100 document, a lot of them, again, marked HCS, SI, other very, highly sensitive pieces of information that were guarded by the CIA, the NSA, and other organizations.

Again, this is a document that is dated, obviously. This is something that was given to the judge before the approved search warrant back in August.

[19:20:00]

BURNETT: And you're also, Evan, learning more tonight about the subpoenas. The DOJ subpoenas, specifically. These are the ones that were sent to more than 30 people connected to Trump that you are reporting on just over a few days, right? This flurry of 30 -- more than 30 subpoenas.

What can you tell us now?

PEREZ: Well, one of the things we're learning, Erin, from looking at the subpoenas, the language in these subpoenas. It's clear that what prosecutors are trying to do is, they're connecting the dots between everything from the violence that occurred after those rallies, the fundraising that went into the rallies, and connecting it to the larger effort of Donald Trump and some of his allies to try to use fake electors for him to remain in office, even though, obviously, he had lost the election.

Some of the key people that we had previously reported on include, you know, people who were campaigning, some of his lawyers, Boris Epshteyn who is a close -- who was a close aide in the White House and then later, on obviously is still working with the former president.

He had FBI agents show up at his home. They gave him a subpoena and they also imaged his phone. They really copied everything on his phone. This gives you a sense of the extent to which the prosecutor trying to connect everything but leads back to January 6th.

BURNETT: All right. All right. Thank you very much, Evan.

I want to go now to Ryan Goodman. He's the co-editor in chief of Just Security, of course, also the former special counsel to the Defense Department, along with Stephanie Grisham, former Trump White House secretary.

So, Ryan, we learned today that Trump has had documents in this portion of the affidavit that they are now an redacting that has specific information about human spies, signals intelligence -- which is how intelligence is gathered, right, sources and methods, as well as FISA. What do you take away from what we learned today?

RYAN GOODMAN, CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, JUST SECURITY: So, I think it's important to understand, those were the government's most sensitive intelligence programs.

BURNETT: Right.

GOODMAN: And what I take away from it is, it gave the government no choice. They had to go through the search to then appear at Mar-a-Lago and get the rest of it. If they knew that kind of information was out in the wild, it's just so highly compromise and it means it doesn't just compromise those individuals' lives, or the human sources, and spies, and surveillance programs. But it may have chilling effect on other spies and confidential sources.

So, I think it is -- it has cross cutting implications. It also just shows the enormous national security risk and the assessment that must be conducted by the FBI and the office of director of national intelligence now has been stymied by Judge Cannon's order.

BURNETT: So, Stephanie, what stands out to you from the newly unsealed parts of the affidavit tonight?

STEPHANIE GRISHAM, FORMER TRUMP WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: I think it's interesting with the video, of course, with the surveillance video. I think that that's a great move. It will be interesting to hopefully, if we ever do find out who was going into what door at certainly on certain dates, perhaps if the DOJ had been asking for something and then suddenly people were moving and being able to see who the players were there.

BURNETT: And, Ryan, she mentions the video. And that was part of this. The nearly unsealed affidavit does really reveal that the DOJ asked for footage from security cameras in Mar-a-Lago near the storage room. And they asked for that footage going back to his early as January 10th of this year. So, that's more than six months of footage. And, of course, it would include the timeframe where they supposedly handed everything over. And that supposedly signed -- they did sign an affidavit saying that they handed everything over.

How significant is that they now have this footage? And that they asked for that specific date frame?

GOODMAN: Yeah, I think the difference really important. So, they gave the exact quote that in the subpoena. It says January 10th, 2022, which is eight days before the National Archives shows up in Mar-a- Lago to retrieve the first 15 boxes. That could be very damaging if -- you can see who's handling this in who was maybe sorting out things they were going to head over to the National Archives.

And the fact that we do know from "The New York Times" reporting there was something on a surveillance video that alarmed the Justice Department and that is what partly inspired them to do the search on August 8th.

BURNETT: Right.

GOODMAN: So, I think that's very important. We don't know how much of the video they actually got back. But we do know what they're looking for.

BURNETT: And that's important, Stephanie. Obviously, you know Mar-a- Lago. You know the former president. You know, there is a certain part of me that has a, wow, you really had a security camera right outside the door where you're going to be moving document that you said you didn't have.

I mean, there's something a little odd about the whole thing. But obviously, you have specific perspective on this knowing him, knowing the location. What stands out to you when you hear January 10th and you hear about this footage?

GRISHAM: Well, I agree that I think it will be very important to see, you know, who was handling it. I too am a little skeptical. I don't recall seeing security cameras around that area that they're saying. And then, of course, we saw those photos of a lot of the documents that were found in his office.

So that's going to be another interesting -- you know, are there security cameras, where those security cameras around his office where there were many documents found.

So, I guess we will wait to see. But I do think no matter, one it'll be very important to see who exactly was handling these items.

BURNETT: Yeah. All right. Thank you both very much, with those developments tonight.

[19:25:00]

And next, take a look at the live pictures of Buckingham Palace. That is where the Queen's coffin is tonight, and it is raining. It's been raining pretty much throughout the day there. But so many still camping out overnight just to get a glimpse of tomorrow's silent procession. And the Queen's love of horse racing. It defined her in so many ways.

She bred and owned winners of major race on British soil, except for one. And tonight, that community honors their queen.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BURNETT: Tonight, hundreds of thousands expected to pay their respects in person to Queen Elizabeth. In a matter of hours, her coffin arrived at Buckingham Palace earlier today, and she will make a final journey across London to Westminster Hall tomorrow where she will remain until her state funeral on Monday.

Matthew Chance is OUTFRONT near Buckingham palace tonight.

And, Matthew, I know the weather today has been rain, rain, rain. And, people are still out camping overnight just to get a glimpse of her coffin. What are they telling you?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I mean, Erin, it has been absolutely bucketing it down for the whole of the day.

But, you know, that has not deterred people. You can see there are people sitting by the side of the road, the Mall, the Red Avenue that leads right over here to Buckingham palace. And, of course, down this street that tomorrow, in about 13 to 14 hours from now, that the Queen's funeral cortege with a slow procession towards palace of Westminster, where her casket, her coffin will be, you know, laid in state for hundreds of thousands of people to say.

Look at all these people that are deciding to brave the weather, and actually camped out by the side of the road. There are people here who want to pay their respects. Of course, everyone wants to pay their respects to the Queen. But people who I met earlier today see this as a historical moment. They want to be part of and witness directly.

But there are other people as well who are absolutely, I supposed committed to the idea of seeing the last journey of Queen Elizabeth to her final resting place.

I call somebody here I met earlier.

John, can you hear me? Can we -- can we have a quick chat with you?

Okay, I spoke to John earlier. Hey, how are you? How are you, John?

You are knackered, I bet you are.

(INAUDIBLE)

CHANCE: How long have you been here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Six nights, this is my fifth night. I came on Thursday the day when you heard (INAUDIBLE) she passed peacefully.

CHANCE: So, you came down here the day you heard the Queen die. You have been camping here ever since. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I have. And we've had the torrential rain and

I'm soaking wet, I'm soaking wet. I've to say the word, I'm absolutely knackered.

CHANCE: I bet you are.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm here for the Queen. So, I'm here to support her and give her a good sendoff. We want to have the best sendoff she's ever had, and how we felt about our queen, what she's done for the people. That's why we're here to pay our respects.

CHANCE: So, you're here to pay respects. I mean, tell us about why you feel you need to camp out all night in order to pay your respects. What did the Queen mean to you?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Queen meant a lot to me. Not just to me, to the whole world. She's a mother to the nation, a mother to the world. She did her duty. She's here for the commonwealth.

CHANCE: Yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She was there for everybody. She went to America as well.

CHANCE: Yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course I'm here today for when she comes to Buckingham Palace on a carriage --

CHANCE: Yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- gun carriage, with her coffin there and then --

CHANCE: Yeah. John, thank you very much, and good luck and well done for the stopping out all night.

There you have it, Erin. You can see, again, you know, it's a historic day. It's an important day. There are going to be hundreds of thousands of people over the course of the next five or six days who are going to be turning out here to pay their last respects to the Queen.

BURNETT: Absolutely incredible, an absolutely incredible moment right there. Just bringing it all alive to us what's happening there and what you're seeing.

Matthew Chance, thank you so much, live from London. And you see the dedication, six nights he's been waiting for this in the pouring rain.

I want to go to now to Christopher Andersen, the author of several books on the royals, including "Brothers and Wives: Inside the Private Lives of William, Kate, Harry, and Meghan".

But, Christopher, you know, I just have to say, okay, that was a moment that just happened there. Matthew Chance is on the street. It's pouring rain. People -- and guy comes out of his tent and he's got his sweatshirt on

with the flag, and he's talking about being there for six nights waiting for this moment.

CHRISTOPHER ANDERSEN, AUTHOR, "BROTHERS AND WIVES": Right, right.

BURNETT: And a lot of people at the U.S. are thinking, okay, what did I just see?

But that moment right there says so much, doesn't it?

ANDERSEN: Well, she was a member of their family, you know? And it's so British, isn't it? It's so wonderful.

BURNETT: Yes.

ANDERSEN: But I think that's the difference between (AUDIO GAP) and everyone else.

Somebody asked me -- well, what I'm thinking of now, of course, is the similarity between Diana's funeral 25 years ago with these enormous oceans of flowers around palaces and people mourning. But it's so very different, you know, because this is, as they say, a life well-lived. It's more celebratory. And people are paying their respects.

And as you know, there's going to be this walk, this 38-minute walk behind the Queen's coffin tomorrow as it makes its way from Buckingham Palace to lie in state in Windsor -- I mean, Westminster Hall.

And once again, Harry and William and Charles, if you remember at all, did that behind Diana's coffin.

BURNETT: Yes.

ANDERSEN: Again, the difference is stark.

Harry and William were calling that moment said that they didn't know why people who never knew their mother were so upset and sobbing in the streets.

But now, I think everyone understands it's very different. It's respectful but it's also celebration of a life. It's not a tragedy. She was 96 and she --

(CROSSTALK)

BURNETT: Right, right. No, no. But the sense of loss, it's palpable, and the fact that people would do that and camp out, and have those -- I mean, it -- it makes a tangible.

[19:35:07]

And, Christopher, you know, in a sense, I'll say this, you know, I sit here as an American sharing a fascination with many with the royal family. But yet in some ways, this is foreign to many Americans.

ANDERSEN: Yeah.

BURNETT: And what we're going to see, the thousands and thousands, hundreds of thousands of people converging to pay their respects. Is there anything you can compare this to?

ANDERSEN: Well, you know, when I was in high school -- I was in high school when John F. Kennedy was assassinated and I do remember in terms of pageantry. And that moment when everything stopped and, you know, Jackie Kennedy had arranged the funeral of JFK, and all the world leaders gathered there.

And -- but, of course, everyone was stunned because it was in the wake of an assassination for a very young president. But in terms of pomp and circumstance, the history -- I mean, there is a similarity there between that event, I think, and this.

BURNETT: All right. Well, Christopher, thank you so much. Appreciate your time.

ANDERSEN: Thank you.

BURNETT: And next, Queen Elizabeth as a lifelong equestrian. It was part of what defined her. She even went riding famously with Ronald Reagan. So, what was behind this lifelong love? We're going to talk to a legendary American horse trainer who had many decades-long on friendship with the Queen.

And Trump's PAC facing scrutiny on whether election lies to defraud donors for millions.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[19:40:13]

BURNETT: Tonight, Princess Anne calling in an honor and privilege to accompany her mother, Queen Elizabeth, on her final journey. The Queen's only daughter, the only one of her children to accompany her coffin on its flight from Balmoral back to London.

And that is as we learn more about one of the Queen's lifelong passions, which is a passion she shared with her daughter, Princess Anne.

Anna Stewart is OUTFRONT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER (voice-over): A moment of silence at Doncaster race course as jockeys and staff paused to honor the memory of one of the most beloved patrons of horse racing, Queen Elizabeth II.

The Queen rode her first horse at the age of three, the beginning of a lifelong obsession. The first horse she owned, Peggy, a Shetland pony, was a gift for her fourth birthday from her grandfather, King George V. From then on, riding and racing became as an ingrained in her DNA as

her royal bloodline.

One famous American that shared her love of horses, U.S. President Ronald Reagan. He was said to have asked to go riding with the Queen during his 1982 visit to Windsor, leading to these iconic images shared the world over.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Queen's entries right up with the leaders.

STEWART: More than half 1 million people were on hand to witness the Queen's first ever runner in the Epsom Derby in 1953, just four days after her coronation. Her horse, Aureole, placed second that day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's the ultimate dream, winning the races.

STEWART: With the exception of the Epsom Derby, she bred and owned winners of every major race on British oil, more than 1,000.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Many times I watched up in the box and she's cheering like mad. She just got that passion about it. She just loves it.

And you can see that. That's not a put on. That's not put on. That's from here.

STEWART: Her love of racing even took her to the Kentucky Derby in 2007 where she and Prince Philip were the guests of honor.

The marquee horse racing event in the U.S., usually a place for people who want to be seen, to show off in style. Instead, saw throngs of adoring fans lining the streets the catch a glimpse of her motorcade.

The Queen never lost a love of riding, up until 1986, she rode on horseback during the annual Trooping the Colour ceremony and continued to go riding for pleasure well into her 90s.

In this video, she was shown a visit her stud at Sandringham earlier this year, inspecting a new fold, and showing a deep knowledge of her horses.

QUEEN ELIZABETH II, UNITED KINGDOM: Behaved like she's always been there. Extraordinary girl, aren't you? Yes.

STEWART: She ignited that passion for riding in her children and her grandchildren as well.

A young prince Charles fell in love with the sport of polo. And her daughter Princess Anne became the first royal to compete in the Olympics, riding in the equestrian event at the 1976 Montreal Games. Anne's daughter, Zara Tindall, followed in her mother's footsteps, competing in the 2012 London Olympics, winning a silver medal for Great Britain, a feat that delighted her grandmother, the Queen.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Found out she'd won the silver medal win, and I remember the Queen just grab me and we were dancing around in circles. Last week, just a few days after the Queen died, horse bred by the

Queen won the Pimlico racetrack in Baltimore, West Newton, a complete outsider as well. That was coming in sixth and then it won. That was sort of picture that her majesty would've loved. She was one of the great friends of the sport both as a competitor and a spectator.

It'll be interesting to see who in the royal family really takes the reins and the Queens horses, and the stud at Sandringham. According to British media report, it could actually fall to Queen Camilla because she's also a big fan of horse racing -- Erin.

BURNETT: All right. Anna, thank you very much, from London tonight.

OUTFRONT now, Monty Roberts. He's a legendary horse trainer who had a decades-long friendship with the Queen.

And, Monty, thanks so much for talking and sharing your stories of her. I know she was a lifelong equestrian in her private and public life. I mean, there was famous riding with President Reagan when he visited Windsor Castle in 1982. We've all seen those images.

How passionate was she about horses and horseback riding?

MONTY ROBERTS, LEGENDARY HORSE TRAINER: Well, Ronald Reagan had horses and training with me and I knew about him riding with the Queen. I never had an idea in my head that the Queen was ever going to call and want me to come over there. But it happened.

And it is a very sad time for me to lose her, but by the same token, I am absolutely ecstatic about having the opportunity to know her for 35 years, close connection for 35 years before I was gone.

[19:45:14]

I'm 87 now and I've been blessed with that relationship.

BURNETT: And your -- you talk about 35 years. It's been an enduring friendship, a relationship in your life since she first invited you to Windsor Castle.

Your friendship, though, I know is about much more than horses over so many decades, Monty. What else did you bond over?

ROBERTS: Well, the -- the work that I've done in universities to get two doctorates in behavioral sciences moved to the post-traumatic stress area. And I discovered that the horses helped me help people with post-traumatic stress.

And when her majesty saw that and we sat at her (ph) castle and watch a clinic of it, and she was overwhelmed by the good that horses did for people that had a problem in their minds with post-traumatic stress.

BURNETT: Monty, Queen Consort Camilla is also an avid equestrian. I've got a photo of you and Camilla, with the Queen, the three of you together. "London Times" is reporting that Camilla will be the one taking care of Queen Elizabeth's horses.

Now, you know them both and, of course, after being friends with the Queen for 35 years, how significant is it that she had this wish, that she would want Camilla to take care of the horses?

ROBERTS: Isn't -- isn't it amazing that I knew Camilla when Windsor Castle burned. You go back to that time, '92 or something like that, and Camilla Parker Bowles at that time. And now, sadly, the Queen has been encouraging me to pull Camilla closer to the whole thing and I haven't had a chance to do that much.

But now, I have to get a hold of Camilla and, you know, tell her how the Queen has asked that she pick up the baton and continue this work. And that when I'm gone, we need people to continue with because country after country is coming forward with a need for help, not only with horses, but for people that are bothered with post-traumatic stress.

BURNETT: And may I ask, what was it do you believe, Monty, that made the Queen care so much about PTSD?

ROBERTS: Well, being born in 1926, the Queen was quite aware of what the Second World War was. And she had a lot of people coming back to England when she was a young lady that had post-traumatic stress hugely.

And remember that it's not a disorder. Disorders don't heal. It's an injury and it will heal.

And when she discovered that horses could help it heal, you could imagine the celebration that she had with herself. It was absolutely incredible.

And, you know, to show you how close we were, it's about 200 phone calls that I made in the 35 years. And not one time did she ever fail to come online at the other end.

Now, that's just ridiculous because of all the things that she had to do, and I can tell you stories that are just off the charts.

God is up there working to bring us together more closely, and it worked.

BURNETT: Monty, thanks so much for sharing with me and with everyone watching your special story, your experience with the Queen. Thank you.

ROBERTS: Thank you for having me on.

BURNETT: And next, Trump's PAC accused of using election lies to rake in millions of dollars now under scrutiny for possibly defrauding donors. That story is next.

And then Ken Starr who led the Whitewater investigation into Bill Clinton, tonight, he has died.

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[19:53:14]

BURNETT: Tonight Donald Trump getting ready to turn to the campaign trail to support an election denier. Trump will headline a rally for Senate candidate J.D. Vance in Ohio this weekend.

And it comes as Trump super PAC is facing scrutiny for possibly using lies about the election to defraud donors out of millions of dollars.

Tom Foreman is OUTFRONT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT: You don't concede when there's thief involved.

They cheated in many ways.

The simple fact is, the presidential election was rigged and stolen.

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): After the long storm of lives about the lost election, now comes a flood of subpoenas in Trump land, with more than 30 recipients including a former campaign manager, former campaign chief financial officer and former deputy chief of staff.

None had responded to CNN's request for comment, but the move underscores the way a federal grand jury is honing in on Trump aides, advisers and campaign officials.

Recently, that probe has also appeared focus on groups tied to Trump, including the Save America Leadership PAC which raised more than $100 million on the back of those falsehoods.

SHAN WU, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: This is really serious because it is a huge amount of money that has been raised. And common sense tells us it has been raised off a blatant lie. That's where it becomes dangerous. Under the federal sentencing guidelines, there's such a large amount of money involved here. That could cause people to face serious jail time.

FOREMAN: The probe grew out of the Justice Department investigation into the January 6th attack. And based on sources familiar with subpoenas for former and current Trump insiders, it appears focused on three key questions.

One, did team Trump knowingly make false claims about the loss election?

[19:55:00]

BILL BARR, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: Repeatedly told the president in no certain terms that I did not see evidence of fraud.

FOREMAN: The January 6th Select Committee had produced numerous top level Trump advisors who say he had every chance to know the truth, yet steadily pushed a false tale.

TRUMP: You know, we won Georgia just so you understand.

FOREMAN: Two, did the Save America PAC fraudulently mislead donors?

Team Trump made a lot of noise about funding legal challenges to the election results. Again, the January 6 Committee.

REP. ZOE LOFGREN (D-CA): We found evidence that the Trump campaign and its surrogates misled donors as to where their funds would go and what they would be used for. So, not only was there a big lie, there was the big rip-off.

FOREMAN: And three, where did the money go? The senior investigative counsel for the committee says that for all of the dollars raised, millions were given to pro-Trump organizations, Trump properties and now the infamous January 6th rally.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: President Trump and his allies raised $250 million. Most of the money went to this newly-created PAC, not to election-related litigation.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FOREMAN: Again, we reach out to a lot of these folks, no comment. And to be clear, nobody has been charged with any crime in any of this. But these are very serious investigations, Erin. You can add them to the list of things that cause serious problems for the former president and some of his friends.

BERMAN: Tom Foreman thank you very much.

FOREMAN: You're welcome.

BERMAN: And next, Ken Starr best known for his investigation into Bill Clinton has died.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: Finally, tonight, Ken Starr, who led a sprawling investigation of then President Bill Clinton, has died. According to a statement from Starr's family, he died from complications related to surgery.

Now, Starr had a long career in law, it wasn't until 1994, though, that he became a household name. His investigation into the Clinton's Whitewater real estate deal eventually uncovered Clinton's relationship with Monica Lewinsky. Most recently, Starr was one of Trump's impeachment lawyers in 2020.

Ken Starr was 76 years old.

Thanks so much for joining us.

"AC360" begins now.