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Erin Burnett Outfront
World Bids Farewell to Queen Elizabeth as a New Era Begins; "Catastrophic" 1,000 Rescued, 1+ Million Still Without Power As Deadly Hurricane Fiona Cripples Puerto Rico With Flooding; Ukraine: Russia Has Committed 34,000+ War Crimes, Russia: "A Lie"; Trump Team, DOJ File Requests With Special Master In Docs Case; The Queen's Great- Grandchildren Say Goodbye As A New Era Begins. Aired 7-8p ET
Aired September 19, 2022 - 19:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[19:00:28]
ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: OUTFRONT next: a final farewell. Tens of thousands lining up here in London as the world pays its final respects to Queen Elizabeth. And now a new era begins with King Charles III.
Plus, catastrophic damage. Hurricane Fiona tearing through Puerto Rico leaving large parts of the island damaged and completely in the dark. Now, the category 2 storm is closing in on Turks and Caicos.
And a close call. A Russian missile comes dangerously close to a nuclear power plant in Ukraine as a popular Russian figure turns on Putin tonight.
Let's go OUTFRONT.
And good evening. I'm Erin Burnett in London tonight.
OUTFRONT tonight, a new era begins. King Charles III is at Windsor Castle tonight after leading his nation and the world in an emotional farewell to his mother Queen Elizabeth. Nearly half the world watched this crucial funeral as the transition of power was symbolized with the imperial state crown, the orb and the sceptre. They were atop of the Queen's coffin and they are now on the high altar. They will be given to King Charles at his coronation.
We spent the day here in London witnessing history as the royal family united for its final farewell to the Queen. Never before had anyone in the world seen a state funeral like this broadcast live. This was the first time, and the stillness and the quiet of the city were palpable.
From where we sat overlooking Westminster Abbey, you could -- you could feel everything stop and the moments of silence. That was a solemn hour-long service that we all witnessed.
The Queen's casket passed just behind where I'm sitting tonight. We could see it. It was draped in the royal standard, adorned in a wreath of flowers as she departed London for the last time. Now, the British people look to the next generation of the royal
family to chart what the path will be as King Charles puts a lifetime of preparation of this job to the test.
Bianca Nobilo is OUTFRONT live near Windsor Castle. And, Bianca, obviously, we had a funeral, we had a committal service.
But tonight the royal family held a private burial close to where you are. What can you tells us about that?
BIANCA NOBILO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Erin. A day that began with a grand state funeral with the world's eyes upon it, ended with a private burial ceremony in the early hours of the evening, just the closest members of the royal family and no cameras, a private, personal service for a family that's been sharing its mourning with the world.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NOBILO (voice-over): It was the day a nation said good-bye. After more than a week of remembrance, Queen Elizabeth II, the UK's longest- reigning monarch, was finally laid to rest. Thousands made their way to watch the funeral, with the national newspapers dedicating their front pages to her.
As the casket made its way into Westminster Abbey, her children King Charles III, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew Prince Edward all followed behind. Also in line, Princes William and Harry and two of the Queen's great grandchildren, Prince George and Princess Charlotte.
On the coffin, a note from her son King Charles, in loving and devoted memory. Around 2,000 people attended the funeral with politicians and leaders from home and abroad coming to pay their respects.
MOST REV. JUSTIN WELBY, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY: Her late majesty famously declared on a 21st birthday broadcast that her whole life would be dedicated to serving the nation and commonwealth. Rarely has such a promise been so well kept.
NOBILO: A short call announced two-minute silence -- where the nation fell silent.
A short trumpet call announced two-minute silence, which hushed the nation, broken only by the national anthem.
From there, the pageantry and mourning continued as the Queen's coffin was led by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police -- escorted by the royal family and flanked by thousands of guards and onlookers.
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Canons fired as her coffin passed by, ready for her final journey to Windsor. As a final smaller service with a symbolic handover. The Queen's coffin was lowered into the royal vault as the sovereign piper played a personal request of the Queen herself, according to Buckingham Palace. On the eve of her funeral, Buckingham Palace released an unseen
picture of the Queen taken earlier this year ahead of her platinum jubilee, a fitting tribute for 70 years of service.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
NOBILO (on camera): In that private burial ceremony, the Queen was laid to rest in the George VI memorial chapel, Erin, a small, simple intimate space just 3 meters by 4.25 meters laid to rest alongside her late husband, Prince Philip, the duke of Edinburg, her father, King George VI, the Queen mother and her sister Princess Margaret. And this evening the royal family account on Twitter posted a poignant black and white photo of those members of the family, finally reunited, Erin, tonight.
BURNETT: So poignant and lovely. Thank you very much, Bianca.
And now, Patrick Jephson is with me, former chief of staff and private secretary to Princess Diana. He worked for now King Charles as well.
Emily Nash, royal editor for "Hello Magazine." She was there today inside the Queen's funeral at Westminster Abbey.
And, Richard Quest, of course, former royal correspondent as well, and also anchor of "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS."
Richard, let me start with you.
After all the pomp and circumstance we saw today, the Queen's final moment, the burial itself, the actual burial happened in a private ceremony with just her family. It has been an incredibly long day for them.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN HOST, "QUEST MEANS BUSINESS": It has. And, for me, the abiding moment of the day is Charles' face, again and again, just the grief, the anguish, the pain. And I can't help feeling, Erin, that this private burial, which was the same as with Prince Philip, this private burial might just be the one time of the day they can break down in tears and actually publicly -- Charles came very close several times. And we saw the eyes well up.
But they were grieving in public all day. Tonight is their time, a moment of the family.
BURNETT: And, let me ask you about that, Patrick, let me show you that moment from the funeral. There was the breaking of the staff or the head of the household or the ceremonial you break the staff over the coffin as a symbol that there is now a new monarch, that there is now a new king.
And at that moment you can see the emotion on Charles' face. Eyes sort of appeared to well with tears or emotion of some sort. You know him. What do you see in this moment?
PATRICK JEPHSON, FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF & PRIVATTE SECRETARY OF PRINCESS DIANA: Well, Erin, he has, as we all know, spent his whole life preparing for this moment. And, yet, at another level, he must've spent his whole life dreading this moment because he becomes king because of the death of his mother. And any of us who have lost a mother will understand what sort of emotions he's going through.
And, in a way, too, this emotion has been felt by the whole country. It's been as if we have all lost our mothers or our grandmothers again. It's not just the end of one life, it's the end of an era. This is somebody, the Queen who connected us with the greatest generation, the World War II generation.
We will not see anything like this again. And, Charles, I'm sure, realize that the weight of history is on his shoulders.
BURNETT: Yes. We talked today about the bridge. I went to the war rooms of Churchill yesterday to think that when she returned to this country finding out she was the Queen, that he was the prime minister who greeted her. It seems like such distant history to us. But she was the one who brought that into the present.
And, Emily, we saw a parade of dignitaries today, another thing that we may never see again. President of the U.S., prime minister of Canada, France, Australia, kings and Queens. In fact, we have not seen this many foreign leaders and dignitaries together since World War II.
EMILY NASH, ROYAL EDITOR, HELLO! MAGAZINE: I think it just speaks volumes about how highly she was regarded around the world and how many lives she touched. She really spanned generations.
As Patrick said, she was a sort of mother and grandmother figure to so many, but also to these world leaders. If you look back to the G7 summit in Cornwall, they were sort of falling over themselves to sit next to her, to be photographed with her. She just brought people together in a way that I think no one else has been able to.
BURNETT: And you were there in the room as those dignitaries, as they entered, as the family, the coffin.
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What was it like?
NASH: It was spine-tingling. I think that's the best way of describing it. I think the whole attack on the senses, if you like, if that's not too strong an expression, the sound of the choir, the sound of the drums approaching as the procession approached from outside. It was just very emotional. And seeing their faces and seeing the pallbearers and the strain and the grimaces on their faces as they carried.
It was an extraordinary duty. Something I'll never forget.
BURNETT: An extraordinary duty that they, for miles, carrying that. I mean, truly an incredible part of this.
Richard, you've met both King Charles and Queen Elizabeth multiple times. We've got you interviewing the king not very long ago when he was in his final months as prince. And the Queen, she came to open a CNN bureau in London. You were there. So you interacted with her. We have that as well.
Tell us about that, about her and that moment, as a personal moment with you and the Queen.
QUEST: Yeah. The thing with the queen, she had that ability to make you feel you were just the person she was hoping to meet. And, so, she'd walk up to me and she immediately engaged. And all this nonsense you've been told about don't shake hands with her. She doesn't care about that.
And she was fascinated by this, the earpiece that we all wear, television presenters.
BURNETT: Yes.
QUEST: And she was just amazed of this idea that you could talk and listen at the same time. And then we were all terribly concerned about what the Queen going up a set of little stairs to get to the studio. And the secretary just simply looked at us as if we were mad and said the Queen will make her own mind, the Queen will easily work out what to do here.
BURNETT: She can figure out --
(CROSSTALK)
QUEST: And that was it. People spent a lot of time protecting her from things. But she did have this extraordinary ability to make you just feel comfortable.
BURNETT: Which is -- look, as we said, an incredible thing for any human being. But to make you feel like you were just the person she wanted to see, that was a gift.
QUEST: OK, she said to another colleague, because her equerry was talking to one of our presenters, Becky Anderson.
BURNETT: Yes.
QUEST: And the Queen turned to us all and said, I think my equerry is chatting up your presenter.
BURNETT: Oh, she was calling out a flirtation?
QUEST: Yes.
BURNETT: I love these moments, though, her humor and her wit and her intuition about people.
Patrick, you know, today, it is all of that, that is why we saw what we saw, the massive crowds. Everyone there by choice. People flying in from many of the 56 -- probably all of the 56 countries in the commonwealth. Massive crowds all the way to Windsor, where you were outside the palace today. QUEST: Yes.
BURNETT: You know, as you said, we've never seen a mourning event like this. We may never again. What was it like to be there at that spot?
JEPHSON: I've never been in a crowd like it, Erin. It is the definition of a friendly crowd. People were behaving -- I mean, Richard, I'd be interested to see what you think about this. In a very un-British way, strangers were talking to strangers.
People arrived from, as you said, all over the commonwealth. I was speaking to a lady who had flown in especially from Australia. People arrived to mourn and left with new friends. And they brought their children, their pets.
I even saw a family with a kitten in a basket. They brought the kitten to the funeral. It was that sense of a national family and a sense of unity that is very unusual and will probably evaporate in the coming couple of days. But while was there, it was very special.
BURNETT: You know, we look at the children and I did -- I was amazed at the pets, the dogs, the cats that were there. I was also amazed at the children under 5 who were camping out. Their parents wanted them to be a part of this moment.
Among the children I was amazed at were Prince George and Princess Charlotte. They were there of course along with their parents. All of them have now a new life.
One they knew was coming. But for the children they really, you know, they're young, 9 and 7. They don't know what is ahead fully. How will their lives change?
NASH: Well, George is now second in line to the throne. And he is witnessing, you know, what happens to monarchs certainly when they become monarchs, when they pass on. The reaction of society to them is a lot for him to get his head around.
I think it was very important, though, that they were present today, not just as members of the family but also as a symbol of continuity. King Charles is obviously much older than his mother was when she came to the throne. We have the new Prince of Wales who's in his 40s.
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It's important to have a younger generation coming through as well. And I think that shores up the family in the public's eyes.
BURNETT: Thank you all so much. We're going to have much more actually on Prince George, Princess Charlotte, that next generation now in the public eye. Thank you all so very much, and amazing to share this day as an American with all of you.
And, next, blackouts and destruction across Puerto Rico, getting pummeled by yet another hurricane, and the damage there really unbelievable.
And another famous Russian who was once seen smiling next to Putin, now coming out publicly against the war. Will more follow her lead and more on the historical funeral on Queen Elizabeth. Prince George and Princess Charlotte capturing hearts of people around the world as we saw them today.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Tonight, Hurricane Fiona setting its sights on Turks and Caicos as a category 2 storm after hitting the Dominican Republic. And there are warnings that Fiona will become a dangerous category 3 or 4 within days. So, the storm, of course, looming and lurking and building.
And it comes as the death toll is rising in Puerto Rico battered now in the dark because of this storm.
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At this hour more than 1 million people are still without power, and 30-plus inches of rain are possible by tomorrow, 30 plus inches of rain.
Officials warning there is a catastrophic set of damage after worse flooding than Hurricane Maria back in 2017. Like this temporary bridge that floated away after being torn away from its foundation.
Leyla Santiago is OUTFRONT at a power sub-station in San Juan.
And, Leyla, you are here now. You were there during hurricane Maria. You know what it is there. Tell me what is happening on the ground tonight.
LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It is still raining, Erin. It just won't let up. And that is the concern as I have spoken to people here, the question is when will this stop. Because the mayors I spoke to today said they need help, but help cannot safely get in, in some areas because of the flooding, because of the mudslides. And, as you mentioned, we are here at a substation, a power station in San Juan, the northeast part of the island not even as hard hit as the southern parts of the island where much of that powerful video that you showed is coming from.
And, yet, many -- most of the island is still without power. We are starting to see some areas, particularly the big cities that are starting to get some power. But there is concern and fear that it is not consistent by any means because that's what the people of Puerto Rico have been dealing with for days, weeks, quite frankly, years now. So there was a lot of concern over what is to come given that there are fears of the instability. And I do want to note to you, Erin, that just in the last hour or so, we have confirmed, CNN has confirmed through the governor's spokesperson that there were two deaths related to the hurricane.
One man who was swept away by a river, and another man who was working with the generator. So trying to get some sort of power back on at his house and he died using a generator. Many of the fears that people have here because of Hurricane Maria, because of the earthquakes of 2020 are starting to become a reality, and still a lot of questions as to how quickly crews will be able to respond and get power back up and running.
BURNETT: Well, you've been there before. You were there during Hurricane Maria in 2017. I've already said the flooding, as we understand it now, is already worse than that. You were there for a month covering Hurricane Maria. It took the island years to recover. I think it's safe to say they never fully did.
So, how was it again to see this happening?
SANTIAGO: Well, I noted, as I was talking to people today, you see some of the same faces, right, this look that people have when they look out at the water, the fear that is in their face, the anxiety.
I went into Salinas today, the southern part of the island. And when I went into the shelter, there were children, there were elderly people. One elderly woman said to me, this is worse than Maria as her daughter stood next to her shaking from the anxiety because they had to be evacuated from their homes by the National Guard that came in at 1:00 a.m. in Salinas to get them out because of those floods.
And I want to let you listen into an exchange I had with one of the residents there, and a business owner in Salinas today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUAN MIGUEL GONZALEZ, SALINAS RESIDENT AND BUSINESS OWNER: It's been rough. We've been just working to get back this neighborhood getting back from marina where everything was destroyed. Restaurants, houses, everything was destroyed. And we just, we're not all the way back, but now we're back. A lot of people more than Maria lost their houses now, we lost everything on the house because they're floating.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SANTIAGO: And I should mention when you lose power on this island, that means you lose a lot of water for folks. It's more than 60 percent of customers without water as well. So, no power, no water.
And the timing, Erin, we talked about my time here during Hurricane Maria, tomorrow is the five-year anniversary, so almost five years to the date, these folks are dealing with that trauma and anxiety and instability that comes with it, Erin.
BURNETT: All right, thank you very much, Leyla.
Let's go now to Robert Little, he is the federal coordinating officer for FEMA joining me from the Emergency Management Bureau in San Juan.
So, Robert, how would you describe what you're seeing on the ground right now? ROBERT LITTLE, FEMA FEDERAL COORDINATING OFFICER: Well, it is, as all
reports have indicated, it has been catastrophic rain that just won't stop. We've seen that last tail of the storm linger over the island and continue to dump excessive amounts of rain. And that's why the president acted very swiftly to issue an emergency declaration for the island of Puerto Rico.
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We've been -- the FEMA team has been leaning forward ever since we got the call to get down here. And we have been in close contact with the governor's staff in order to meet the needs of the request for federal assistance as they come in.
BURNETT: What is the biggest challenge you're facing right now with 30 inches of rain possibly coming in the next day, power out for much of the island?
LITTLE: Honestly, the continuation of the rain is the biggest challenge right now. The first responders, the local responders, the responders of the government of Puerto Rico are not able to get out and help those that need it or assess the damage like they would like to do. We -- FEMA has brought in hundreds of staff to help with the response to Fiona. And that's on top of the over 700 staff that we have on the island permanently since Hurricane Maria.
Like I said, we continue to ensure that we are here to meet the need when the requests come in for the federal assistance that the president has declared and offer.
BURNETT: All right, Robert, thank you very much. I wish you success. It's obviously horrible what everyone there is enduring and continuing over these next days, and then the long recovery, if there even is one. Thank you so much.
And, next, we're live in Ukraine where a Russian missile strike came dangerously close to a nuclear plant.
Plus, he's not a head of state, not a member of the queen's staff. And yet he got a surprise invitation to the funeral. He was there, and he's my guest tonight.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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BURNETT: Tonight, a Russian missile strike coming dangerously close to the south Ukraine nuclear power plant. That is according to Ukrainian officials and it was a powerful explosion. It happened just under a thousand feet from the facility's nuclear reactors and actually damaged buildings inside the plant. It's pretty terrifying.
It comes as Ukraine says Russia has committed more than 34,000 war crimes since the invasion begin, something the Kremlin dismisses as a, quote, lie.
Well, we have reporters there on the front lines.
And Nick Paton Walsh is OUTFRONT with a first-hand account from a victim of Russia's war crimes.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL SECURITY: There's no respite and victory. An artillery battle still shaking the liberated city of Kopiansk. This occupation's slogan, "We are one people with Russia," seems comic. Now, the Ukrainians have chased the Russians across the bridge and further south.
A shell has landed under 100 meters from us. Another swiftly follows. It's unlikely Moscow can retake places lost in the past weeks. So, this is about vengeance and spite.
This prisoner has claimed to be local, but they think he's a Russian soldier deserting or left behind.
What else Moscow left behind is far uglier. These tiny rooms were their detention center where as many as 400 prisoners were held at one time, we are told, eight or nine prisoners per cell. Booby traps now in their place, a warning written next to this room.
So he's writing "grenade" on the wall. As they move through these cells, they're finding booby traps left it seems by occupying forces. That one in there, a grenade left under a tray of half-eaten food. And it just shows you the hazards that ordinary people are going to find coming back, a place like this used as a key detention center by the Russians.
But across this town, the damage is extraordinary but also too is the risk of unexploded ordnance and potentially booby traps.
They're discovering two other scars from torture. This former prisoner is introduced to us by the Ukrainian security service. He says he was imprisoned about a month ago as he was once a cook in the army.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (translated): This is the room where I was interrogated. They put me on this chair. There the investigator sat and there was the guy with the telephone and another one who helped.
WALSH: The telephone was an old wind-up model used to send electric shocks into him. He thinks his interrogator was experienced from the Russian security services.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (translated): They told me: "you think you are tough", "let's find out how tough". I was also shot with some kind of pistol. Here and in the leg.
WALSH: They asked him who he was in touch with from the army. The Russians burned their interrogation records hurriedly.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (translated): The main thing is to survive and to withstand. It took me a week and a half to recover when I got out. They promised I'd only see the sun and sky again if they forced me into a minefield.
WALSH: Elsewhere, signs of the mindset fueling the Russian invasion. They found time to paint this mural, a Russian soldier, see the "Z" on his arm next to his arm next to a pensioner and a flag of the former Soviet Empire, burnished in flames.
Pause a moment here, and the bloodshed and ruin, and consider how truly odd this is. They were only here a matter of months, yet so speedily tattooed this building with their machinery of pain. So much here clearly beyond use, so few locals huddle in its empty husk. Winning does not heal the wounds, just gives them enough time to feel them.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
[19:35:08]
WALSH (on camera): Now, Erin, over the weekend, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy talked about ten torture rooms being found in the areas around Kharkiv, possibly including the one you just saw there. Part of a body of evidence they are presenting globally about Russian war crimes including two today, statements from Ukrainian officials with 140 bodies exhumed so far from a mass burial side they found outside of Izyum. They have found children too.
Ukraine continuing to advance here, also not far from where I'm standing today saying they've taken a town. Where is the next focus of their counteroffensive, Erin? And does Russia have the ability to remotely hold them back. Erin?
BURNETT: Nick, thank you very much on the front lines there in Ukraine.
And I want to bring in Matthew Chance now, our senior international correspondent who has covered the war, as you know, so extensively inside Ukraine and from Moscow.
And, Matthew, the Kremlin tries to dismiss these war crime allegations as a lie. They just say they're a lie. Meanwhile, of course, mass graves are found with children in them in Izyum and other places. And this is just the beginning, they're just liberating places. We're seeing more and more evidence of war crimes.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I mean, it's astonishing. First of all, it's astonishing to get this kind of picture of the viciousness of this Russian invasion. It's hard to see how, you know, despite its denials, Russia is going to be able to be rehabilitated on the international stage after committing, apparently, such awful atrocities that have been well-documented not just here on the outskirts of Kharkiv and this latest territory that's been recaptured from them.
Also outside of Kyiv and Bucha back in may we saw similar scenes. Bodies in pits with their hands tied behind their backs. They're obviously been executed. We're seeing it everywhere the Russians go, it's appalling. BURNETT: And now, we're something, and you obviously spent so much time in Russia in Moscow.
You know Alla Pugacheva. We have a picture of her with Vladimir Putin back in 2014. A very well known singer, pop legend over a long, long time in Russia, criticizing the invasion over the weekend. She said Russian soldiers are, quote, dying for the illusory claims that make our country a pariah.
Now, she's the latest prominent Russian to oppose the war. You got the 70 local and municipal leaders, of course, who signed that. You've done such extensive reporting on that.
But, you know, she is a legend in the music world. Are we going to see more of this?
CHANCE: It's incredible. You can't overstate how big a star Alla Pugacheva is in Russia. She's had a career of 50 years. She's like the Dolly Parton of Russia, you know? She's a well-loved figure to the point that, you know, young and old people listen to her music. She's got a whole catalog of, like, pop anthems that people dance and sing in karaoke bars.
BURNETT: So she knows this will be heard?
CHANCE: Well, she knows it will be heard, and, of course, she's got a massive following. And, of course, it's Putin's generation as well. It's people like Putin who follow her. I expect he's a big fan himself.
And so the criticism that she has made will sting very deeply the Kremlin. And that goes along with all the other criticisms that have been leveled at the Putin as well.
BURNETT: Well, it's an interesting one to watch. And so important you can put the context around who she is and why it matters so much.
Matthew Chance, thank you so very much.
And, next, just in, Trump's legal team and the Justice Department have just filed a request with the special master. That is who will be reviewing the classified documents which were found at Mar-a-Lago. What Trump's team is doing tonight to avoid disclosing to the special master ahead of the crucial hearing tomorrow?
And the witness to history. He was just one of 2,000 people invited to attend Queen Elizabeth's funeral inside Westminster Abbey. In fact, one of only 200. He wasn't a foreign dignitary. What was it like for him to be there?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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BURNETT: Just into CNN: Team Trump and the Justice Department both submitting key filings as part of the investigation into classified documents found at Mar-a-Lago. Trump's lawyers raising objections to a proposal that he make certain disclosures about declassification related to those documents.
Meanwhile, the DOJ is telling Judge Raymond Dearie, the special master, who is in charge of reviewing what we understand to be 11,000 documents, that the DOJ wants him to hold weekly conferences with both sides about the review process. And this comes just hours before Judge Dearie holds his first hearing, both the team Trump and the DOJ will be present there.
Elie Honig is OUTFRONT with me now. He's our senior legal analyst.
So, Elie, let's just start with the latest information that we have. What do you think when you hear that Team Trump is saying it doesn't want to disclose certain, quote, unquote, declassification related to the Mar-a-Lago documents. Whatever does this mean?
ELIE HONIG, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Donald Trump's lawyers are being very, very careful in this debrief, which I just read through. And I think it's notable that while Donald Trump has said publicly and others around him that he declassified the documents, the lawyers are steadfastly avoiding committing to that in their papers. Lawyers have to be careful about not making any misrepresentations to a court.
So, now, the question going forward. DOJ has really sort of called Donald Trump's bluff on this because DOJ said going forward, we need Donald Trump to identify document by document which documents he objects to. And that would include declassification.
Trump's team said, well, it's not quite time for that. We may challenge this search later under something called Rule 41. That will be time for we're not ready to commit on declassification just yet.
BURNETT: And, so, Elie, tomorrow will be the first time that Judge Dearie is going to meet with both team Trump and the Justice Department about -- he's the one in charge, the special master in charge of reviewing the documents.
So what do you expect to happen tomorrow?
HONIG: So, tomorrow is all about timing, it's all about getting this thing on track. Erin, the search of Mar-a-Lago happened six weeks ago today, and yet the special master has not even begun to do his work. He has not reviewed a single document.
Now, in the brief that just came in within the last hour or so, DOJ is pushing. They're saying let's get through 500 documents a day did. There are about 11,000 documents total. That'll allow us to guess through this in three weeks or so. Donald Trump's team is saying we need to take more time. They're trying to stretch this out until the end of November.
BURNETT: All right. Elie, thank you very much.
HONIG: Thanks, Erin.
BURNETT: And November, of course -- November 30th is the deadline that was given by Judge Cannon to the special master for the review.
Next, he's not the head of state or royalty. He's the founder of an LGBTQ choir network. So how did he end up at today's royal funeral? He's going to tell you, and tell you what he haw.
And Prince George and Princess Charlotte capturing the world's attention at Queen Elizabeth's funeral.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BURNETT: Tonight, a surprise invitation to the Queen's funeral. My next guest is not a head of state, not a celebrity, not someone who worked for the Queen's household. But the honor of his presence was requested today because of the work that he does. And its importance to the Queen and the issues she cared about.
OUTFRONT now, Hsien Chew, the founder of Proud Voices, two networks of LGBTQ choirs in the UK, Ireland and Asia.
And, Hsien, you were one of only 2,000 people there in Westminster Abbey behind us, and only one of a couple of hundred who were not foreign dignitaries or members of the royal family. You were one of 200 people on this planet when maybe half the planet watched this.
You were actually there.
[19:50:01]
What was your reaction when you first received the invitation? How much warning did you even get?
HSIEN CHEW, FOUNDER, PROUD VOICES; ATTENDED QUEEN'S FUNERAL: I had no warning at all. I mean, as you said, I don't know the Queen at all. I'm like everyone else. I've only ever seen her on TV.
So it was quite a shock to receive a phone call. I was actually on holiday with my husband in the Peak District. And we were just pulling into a car park, a very mundane thing, and the very mundane thing.
And the phone rang and it was a number withheld. You never answer those calls.
BURNETT: No, you think it's some kind of a junk thing.
CHEW: It rang three times. Got through and it was the covenant office saying we'd like you to come to this, to the funeral.
BURNETT: What was the reason? Why did this matter? Your work that you do matters so much that they, you know, to her, they felt this was important?
CHEW: So, I was on the Queen's birthday honors list this year, to get an MBE, which is a member of the British Empire.
BURNETT: Yes. CHEW: And it is for the work that I've been doing in creating a network of LGBTQ choirs across the UK and Ireland and organizing festivals and creating fora for communication.
The Queen clearly thought this was worth while and I think that in the grander scheme of things, the U.K. has seen so much change in the last, over the Queen's reign.
BURNETT: Yes.
CHEW: And diversity is really important I think now, important to celebrate. And I think the Queen recognized that.
BURNETT: And she did and, you know, you have a love for music. There were so many beautiful hymns that we heard today, psalms that we heard and just those beautiful voices of those children. One moment stood out to you.
CHEW: Oh, I have to say, the one moment which made me cry was listening to the hymn that was performed by the choir which was written by Ralph Vaughan Williams for the Queen's coronation. The reason for that is when I first came in I didn't know what music was going to be played and so I was listening or singing along and then we sang "The Lord is My Shepherd" which is the hymn that was sung at her wedding. And then we heard this song from the coronation.
It was then that I realized that every piece had a significance, and I loved the idea of story telling through music.
BURNETT: That was when you cried.
CHEW: It does -- it really moved me.
BURNETT: For those of us watching, the emotion was palpable, the moments of silence. You could feel it. And, yet, of course you were there.
CHEW: Yes.
BURNETT: What was that like?
CHEW: It was really awe inspiring. I have to say. I wasn't expecting to be moved as much as I was. There were so many moments of grandeur but also so many moments of complete contemplation and eternal reflection and I think that was a lovely balance.
BURNETT: Well, it's astounding they were able to achieve that.
CHEW: Yes.
BURNETT: To achieve that those moments of personal reflection with people from -- with all of these people. Dignitaries, you know, more dignitaries together since World War II.
CHEW: Yes. BURNETT: And then people like yourself were there but to think that all of these people who are not close to each other in any way, never met each other before, could share that is truly something.
CHEW: Absolutely, absolutely.
BURNETT: Well, Hsien, I really appreciate your time. Thank you.
CHEW: Thank you.
BURNETT: Aren't you so glad you'll answer those calls forever more?
(LAUGHTER)
CHEW: Absolutely.
BURNETT: All right. Thank you so much.
And next, how the youngest generation of the royal family captured the world's attention and hearts today.
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[19:52:33]
BURNETT: Tonight, succession. The spotlight now on the next generation of royals as Queen Elizabeth is laid to rest and a new era begins. Prince George and Princess Charlotte second and third in line to the throne both had very special roles at services today for their great grandmother the Queen.
Anna Stewart is OUTFRONT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANNA STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The youngest generation of the royal family joined in the solemn ceremonies to say one last good-bye to their great grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.
Prince George and Princess Charlotte both in attendance for the church services mourning the beloved matriarch. The pair remain close to their mother, Catherine, the princess of Wales, throughout the day.
The two participated in the procession as the coffin was escorted from Westminster hall to Westminster Abbey.
And after they attended a more intimate ceremony held at Windsor Castle.
JUSTIN WELBY, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY: We pray today especially for all her family grieving as every family at a funeral. But in this family's case, doing so in the brightest spotlight.
STEWART: The Queen's death comes at a time of change for the children. Her death was announced on the same day the children started at a new school after the family relocated from London to Windsor in the summer.
The children often spent holidays with the Queen and attended her platinum jubilee celebration earlier this year.
Both Princess Charlotte and her mother paid tribute to her majesty by wearing symbolic items of jewelry. The princess of Wales honored the Queen with her pearl necklace and earrings, the same set she wore to Prince Philip's funeral.
Princess Charlotte wore a diamond brooch, a gift from the Queen and in the shape of a horseshoe, signifying her love for horses.
That passion was underscored as the procession passed Windsor Castle where the Queen's beloved horse and corgis awaited. The day holds particular weight for the young family. With the passing of the Queen Prince William is now heir to the throne, making Prince George and Princess Charlotte second and third in line.
Now the youngest members of the family begin to bear responsibility, representing the future of the British monarchy.
Anna Stewart, CNN, London.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BURNETT: Our thanks to Anna. It was amazing to see that. Their poise and grace and they are now realizing what lies ahead for them.
Thanks so much for watching. I want to hand it off to Anderson Cooper who tonight is at Windsor Castle.
