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Terrorist Attack on Beach Front Resort in Tunisia; France Terror Attack on U.S.-Owned Factory; Two Key Victories for Obama; Greg Campbell's Struggling with Alzheimer's. Aired 8:30-9:00a ET

Aired June 26, 2015 - 08:30   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:31:52] ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, the breaking news this morning, we are following several terrorist attack this morning starting with terrorist murdered in an attack on a beach front resort in Tunisia. Reuters reports at least 27 people have been killed. Security forces right now exchanging fire with the attacker. CNN's Robyn Kriel following developments for us from Kenya this morning.

What do we know, Robyn?

ROBYN KRIEL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, yes, the number keeps rising. At first it was seven, then 19. Now Reuters news agency reporting that 27 what would indeed seem like holiday makers murdered on a beach in Susa (ph), which is a resort beach town in Tunisia. Tunisia is very close to Europe. It's a very popular place to travel, very cheap for Europeans toe visit. Beautiful beaches, white sands. And we're seeing a lot of photos on social media of people lying in pools of blood on the sand in their swim suits.

We're also hearing eyewitness reports coming from various news agencies saying that people were barricading themselves inside their bathrooms inside their hotel rooms, hearing rapid exchanges of gunfire. It is still a fluid, evolving situation. It would be an incredibly tenuous scene, really, for the police to try to contain because there would be so many civilians running around in absolute terror.

We do also understand that the ministry of interior, that would be over the police, is reporting one gunman was killed in this firefight since the firefight ensued with police and also that a number of civilians, 27 at the moment, but, of course, that could rise much, much higher given that it was the middle of the day, it is the middle of the day here on the African continent. So there would have been a number of people out on the beach at that time.

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: And, again, 27 dead. We know foreigners are among them, but we do not know the nationalities of those that among the victims.

Robyn Kriel, thank you so much. We also have breaking news from France. A U.S. factory - a U.S.-owned factory hit by a terror attack this morning in France, in the southeastern part. A head - a decapitated head with Arabic writing pinned to a gate outside the factory among the gruesome details we're learning. A suspect is in custody. French officials say he has been under surveillance before and had been in touch with a Muslim fundamentalist group. CNN's Jim Bittermann is tracking all of the latest developments for us live from Paris.

Jim.

JIM BITTERMANN, CNN SENIOR EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENT: Michaela, good morning.

In fact, the president has just arrived back here in Paris just a couple of minutes ago. He's going to sit down for a defense counsel meeting, which will bring together him and the defense minister and the interior minister, foreign minister, justice minister, all to talk about what needs to be done right now. The interesting thing about this attack in France is that - and you had the gruesome detail about the severed head on the fence, but the - but the interesting thing for the intelligence people here is that this young man who's been picked up - they say he's in his 30s - in fact, was known to police in the sense that he was under surveillance from 2006 to 2008 according to the interior minister and he was dropped from the surveillance rolls after there was no more sign of any kind of radicalization. It may be that they did that because they thought he was no longer a threat.

[08:35:14] But in any case, from 2008 to 2015, seven years he waited and then this morning he went into action. At least waited as far as the authorities were concerned. Perhaps he was taking steps that they just didn't - you know, didn't - kept on to. But in any case, they are investigating his background. They've got two accomplices who are - who have been picked up, they think they might be accomplices. They're at least friends of his. So they're - they're clearly going into this. But I think that they'll want to know exactly which group this guy was affiliated with and whether there was any connection with what's going on in Tunisia.

Michaela, John.

BERMAN: Bittermann for us - Jim Bittermann for us in Paris.

We have the attack in France. We have Tunisia. We also have something going on in Kuwait. ISIS claiming responsibility this morning for a deadly explosion at a Shia mosque in Kuwait City. There are multiple casualties there. A terrorist detonated a suicide belt inside the mosque killing several people and wounding dozens.

PEREIRA: All right, we're also stay on top of all these breaking stories, but we're also looking at President Obama. Two victories down, another could be on the horizon. The Supreme Court upholding his health care law on the same day Congress approves his trade agenda. Today he travels to South Carolina. We're going to talk about this week and what it means for his legacy with our political panel, ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:40:20] BERMAN: All right, welcome back to NEW DAY.

Smiles at the White House no doubt this morning after the White House scored sort of two key victories. Number one, the Supreme Court upheld Obamacare and Congress gave the president fast track powers that he will use to negotiate a pacific trade deal. That all happened in this week. So the question is, was this week one of the best for the presidency?

Let's turn to our CNN political commentators. Ana Navarro is a Republican strategist. She is a good friend of both Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush and countless others. Also joining us -

ANA NAVARRO, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Which means I'm schizophrenic.

BERMAN: Yes, exactly.

DONNA BRAZILE, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: No, you're blessed.

And a good friend to many as well, Donna Brazile is here as well, a Democratic strategist.

Thank you so much for being with us both.

Ana, you are a Republican, but you are also a keen observer of politics or - in addition to all of those things. This week the president scored a couple of victories here, fast track and Obamacare. And he also has an attitude which is a little different which he explained in a radio interview. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I know what I'm doing and I'm fearless.

MARC MARON: For real. You're not pretending to be fearless.

OBAMA: Right, you're not pretending to be fearless, right?

MARON: That's exactly - right.

OBAMA: And when you get to that point -

MARON: Freedom.

OBAMA: Then, you know - and also part of that fearlessness is because you've screwed up enough times -

MARON: Sure.

OBAMA: That, you know, that -

MARON: It's all happened.

OBAMA: It's - it's all happened. (END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: So a new attitude, new smiles at the White House. Ana, do you think this was the defining week for the presidency?

NAVARRO: I think it was a very good week for President Obama. There's no doubt about that. And I think in the presidency, you have highs and lows. And this is a high for him. I think he is sprinting to the finish line. He - and, you know, and I've noticed with President Obama that he - sometimes he is kind of like in a funk and sometimes he's just liberated and unplugged and feeling happy. So I think that this week is one of the latter.

I also think that it's important to note that one of those big victories, in fact you could say both of them, but one of the big victories was handed to him - the trade authority vote was handed to him really by Republicans and by Republican leadership that despite the big blow, what, 10 days ago when they lost the vote by a huge margin, got the votes and put it back on the agenda and got it passed. And I think both the White House and Republican leadership should be commended for getting something done and looking past the partisanship and actually achieving a result.

BERMAN: Yes, I know you were going to say the other victory handed to him by John Roberts, appointed by George W. Bush. That's what you were thinking. I could see it there.

NAVARRO: Who President Obama voted against, but, you know, that was then, this is now.

PEREIRA: Well, and the fact is, this week that he's had will culminate in South Carolina -

BRAZILE: Right.

PEREIRA: Where something very important and very somber is happening today. He's going to give, Donna, the eulogy for Reverend Clementa Pinckney. We know this is something that is going to, obviously, leave the president with a very heavy heart. But, obviously, you're going to be watching this a little closely as well. What are you hoping to hear from him today on such a somber occasion?

BRAZILE: Well, you know, I've heard the president deliver eulogies before. We've all heard him deliver eulogies in - not just Joe Biden's son, Beau Biden, God bless his soul, but also the president consoled us after Tuscan, after Newtown. This is a very personal eulogy, I think, in many ways that the president is going to dig someplace from within himself to talk about not just a man that he knew, but also the congregation, the church and its place in history. This is a day where the president, I think, is going to lift us up and remind us of that old scripture that weeping may endured for a night but joy cometh in the morning.

Whenever there's a death in the black church, it's always a celebration of the life of that individual. And I think the president, today, is tasked with something that is very, very important for all of us, and that is, he is going to help us find our ways to heal, for reconciliation and peace and forgiveness. And race is a difficult subject. The president called it a fault line. But today he's going to have to cross over that line and help bring us all together so that we can start healing.

BERMAN: You know, it's an important day for America, Donna, there's no other way to put that. And, Ana, I know you agree. I mean the Republican leadership will be there as well, the Republican governor, the Republican senators of that state.

PEREIRA: Yes.

BERMAN: I think everyone wants to be there together to move on together.

It's a tough transition back to electoral politics and, you know, first in the nation primary, but let me ask you, Donna, about what's going on in New Hampshire right now with the Democratic front runner or not so much of a front runner anymore, Hillary Clinton, because we have a new poll out with WMUR which shows Hillary Clinton, you know, within the margin of error with Bernie Sanders. Look at that, Bernie is eight points back. In May, I can't even do the math, he was 38 points back. That's kind of a, you know, Bernie-mentum here, if that's a word.

[08:45:12] BRAZILE: Well, you know, back when I ran a presidential campaign and Bill Bradley challenged my boss, Al Gore. And let me just tell you, there were days when Bill Bradley would lead in some of the polls. You know, this election is not over. We're 500 days from the, of course, the general election, but in the primary campaign it's about touching people, it's about reaching out to them. It's going to be a race on the Democratic side, a race to the finish line. And while there's a little momentum today, but, you know, tomorrow will be a different day. I have to tell you, Aretha Franklin came to mind when Ana was speaking earlier, you know, your love is like a seesaw, baby. Remember that song? You're going up, down, and all around.

Well, you know what? The polls are like a seesaw. They're going to go up, down, and all around.

PEREIRA: She's quoting musical. Final word, Ana, because we love the fact that she's got something, but I know you won't be beat.

NAVARRO: I don't even know what to do with Donna quoting scripture and songs. I'm, like, at a loss here, okay? I mean the most I can do right now is start reciting, I don't know, southern recipes.

BRAZILE: No, no. Let's leave those recipes alone for today.

PEREIRA: Let's leave the recipes behind for today, because we know you have a long road ahead of you, ladies. 500 days.

BRAZILE: Amen.

PEREIRA: In fact, today -

NAVARRO: Yes, but I'd much rather talk jambalaya than talk Donald Trump. I'm not -

(CROSSTALK)

PEREIRA: I'm with you, I'm with you, ladies.

Donna Brazile, Ana Navarro, always a pleasure.

BRAZILE: Thank you.

BERMAN: On the subject of Donald Trump, you have to watch this Saturday. Jake Tapper interviews the number two Republican candidate in America right now on "STATE OF THE UNION." That's 9:00 am Eastern and noon.

PEREIRA: Did you call him Jakey? Is that, like, your pet name for him?

BERMAN: Jakey, Jakey Tapper. No, Mr. Jake Tapper.

PEREIRA: Mr. Jake Tapper to you.

BERMAN: The anchor of not one, but two shows on CNN, has Donald Trump on on Sunday. Don't miss it.

PEREIRA: All right, we have something very special coming up ahead here. The rhinestone cowboy and his choice to make his personal struggle public. We're going to give you a preview next of the CNN film profiling Glen Campbell's life with Alzheimer's both on and off the stage.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:50:43] (BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Glen, last night, at the Rymic (ph), you sometimes forgot what key it was in, but you could always remember the melody. How is that?

GREG CAMPBELL, MUSICIAN: I couldn't answer until I can do it, and I can do it when I want to do it. It's amazing. Sometimes I don't want to do it.

(LAUGHTER)

CAMPBELL: No, it's just something that's in your system that's -- I really don't know what it is. I wish I knew.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

PEREIRA: Such a lovable, likable and charming man. That's a clip from the new CNN film. "GLEN CAMPBELL: I'LL BE ME." The documentary follows the Rhinestone

Cowboy's final tour after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2011. The film is funny, it's poignant and it's heartbreaking. And of course it is filled with Glen Campbell's amazing music.

Joining us now, Glenn Cambell's wife, Kim, and his daughter, Ashley Campbell. Two beautiful, brave ladies who are living out loud.

First of all, I commend you for being here to talk about this. I commend you both for the public battle you are fighting. How is he doing, Kim?

KIM CAMPBELL, WIFE OF GLEN CAMPBELL: Well, physically he's really healthy and strong.

PEREIRA: Isn't always the way (ph).

K. CAMPBELL: He's always been a great athlete and he's cheer full and content. He's just got such a good positive attitude. He has Aphasia, so he has difficulty communicating with language and he can't really understand anything people say to him. But he can still say short phrases, like I love you. And he will say we are so blessed. And he still sings. So, when he sings it's kind of a word soup, and it's not melodies that we recognize, but they're beautiful and they're definitely in tune.

PEREIRA: Well, what's really amazing when you watch the film, Ashley, is that during the course of this -- it's progressed, as we know. Any of us who have love ones -- I lost my grandmother to Alzheimer's and it's awful. And this brought it all back to us, to any of us who have touched it. Certain things remained intact. His musical capability remained intact. Ashley, you would play with your dad on the tour bus together, we see clips of that in the film. Did that surprise you when you saw that that is what stayed with him for a lot longer?

ASHLEY CAMPBELL, DAUGHTER OF GREG CAMPBELL: It didn't surprise me because that was just the most deepest part of him was his music.

PEREIRA: It made sense?

A. CAMPBELL: Yes. It was just - it comes from his soul, and so that's not the brain, you know, I guess. I mean, technically it is, but.

PEREIRA: Right.

A. CAMPEBLL: Yes, it was really beautiful to see that that part of him just kept shining through even though this disease is constantly attacking his brain. And how long it lasted, it was really amazing.

PEREIRA: But that make this stage even harder, doesn't it, Kim?

K. CAMPBELL: Yes. It's heartbreaking, but we just -- we try to find joy in every day. And he's so cheerful, he's still got his same personality, the same twinkle in his eye. And he's still an entertainer. He's trying to tell jokes.

PEREIRA: Bit of a rabble-rouser, isn't he? Always trying to --

K. CAMPBELL: Verbally they don't make any sense, but it cracks him up and he just laughs and laughs.

PEREIRA: And that joy is infections. K. CAMPBELL: Yes.

PEREIRA: The conversation that you had early on, to even want to document this, was that a struggle for you, or were you eager to share this battle that you all are living? It's not just him, it's all of the family, it's all of the support network.

K. CAMPBELL: It was really Glen's passion to do the film. He wanted people -

PEREIRA: Did you fight him on it?

K. CAMPBELL: No, not at all. No. It just made sense. He's always been really honest about the struggles he's had in his life. You know, he battled alcoholism at one time, and --

PEREIRA: He's had a life.

K. CAMPBELL: Yes, yes. And he just wanted to let people know keep living your life and surround yourself with people you love and keep a, you know, a cheerful heart and --

PEREIRA: Can I actually show you a clip from the film, because we want you to watch it, and we'll point you to that towards the end and tell you when it's going to air, but I want to show you this clip because Glen and you sat down with the doctors and had the doctor explain what exactly was going on.

I think this is an important and pivotal point in the film.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right in here is a structure called the hippocampus and that's vital for memory. And unfortunately, in Alzheimer's Disease it starts to shrink. And so we can see here on this M.R. scan that yours is smaller than it used to be. It used to occupy this whole space, but now it's considerably smaller. So, this is what we would call atrophy. This indicates that in all likelihood your difficulties are due to Alzheimer's Disease. This is - we're able to do that now, this is a fairly sophisticated new test now that tells us that that's the likely underlying cause.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

PEREIRA: That's a pivotal moment for a patient hearing a diagnosis as that. Did he struggle with it, learning what the reality was that was facing him?

[08:55:02] K. CAMPBELL: Well, we had already gotten a diagnosis, but the diagnosis was based on process of elimination. So, but this is the new Amyvid scan developed by Lily (ph) and it actually shows the tangles and the plaque. So, before then, you had to have an autopsy to get a positive diagnosis. Now we have the Amyvid scan. So, that was the latest. So, you know, I guess I still had held out hope that maybe it really wasn't Alzheimer's, but when we got that scan, we knew for sure it's classic Alzheimer's. It was hard. PEREIRA: There are countless families - it's impossible. There's

countless families, Ashley, that are going through exactly what your family is going through, younger people even. Your dad is, what, 79 now?

A. CAMPBELL: Yes, he is.

PEREIRA: What is it -- what's the message you want for them? What do you -- why make this film? I know you did this with purpose.

A. CAMPBELL: Yes. I - I really -- My goal with all this and everywhere we're traveling and promoting the documentary is to end Alzheimer's, because it's never gotten this much publicity and people are hearing about it in more ways than they ever would have. And so, people are going to start raising awareness and we're going to find a cure by, you know, funneling funds into research, and they're really making some head way these days.

PEREIRA: Kim, Ashley, you're so brave. We love you. We send out love. Give him a big hug and a pinch on the cheek from all of us and tell him thank you for all the music he shared with us.

K. CAMPBELL: Thank you.

A. CAMPBELL: Thank you.

PEREIRA: All right. Be well.

The Glen Campbell film, "I'LL BE ME." It airs this Sunday right here on CNN. Tune in 9:00 pm Eastern.

John?

BERMAN: I can't wait to see that.

All right, we have a lot of breaking news this morning here at CNN. Several terror attacks around the globe, Tunisia, Kuwait and France as well. "NEWSROOM" with Carol Costello picks up right after this.