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CNN NEWSROOM

Ben Carson pointing his finger at the media; 6-year-old boy, Jeremy Mardis, shot in the front seat of his father's car, allegedly by two police officers; University of Missouri, calls for the university system president to step down; Donald Trump host "Saturday Night Live". Aired 5-6p ET

Aired November 8, 2015 - 17:00   ET

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


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[17:00:00] OREN LIEBERMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For the Israeli- Palestinian conflict a big issue for Kerry, top White House adviser says there probably won't be any real peace negotiations before the end of Obama's time in office.

Oren Lieberman, CNN, Jerusalem.

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FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN HOST: All right. Thanks for being with me today. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. Poppy Harlow's up next.

[17:00:24] POPPY HARLOW, CNN HOST: Top of the hour, 5:00 here in the east. I'm Poppy Harlow, live for you in New York. NEWSROOM begins right now.

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HARLOW: Ben Carson pointing his finger at the media.

BEN CARSON (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Obviously political thing was a hit job.

HARLOW: Over scrutiny regarding childhood events, face-to-face with Sunlen Serfaty in Puerto Rico.

CARSON: I simply cannot sit still and watch.

HARLOW: Breaking this evening, the presidential candidate, hitting back in a fresh attack.

CARSON: It's just stoop.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He had his wings on earth and now soaring in heaven.

HARLOW: Louisiana tragedy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When something like this happens you love your kids. HARLOW: New details on the killing of a 6-year-old boy, Jeremy

Mardis, shot in the front seat of his father's car, allegedly by two police officers. Our Nick Valencia on the ground tonight.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is established for white men only!

HARLOW: University of Missouri, calls for the university system president to step down. Dozens of football players refusing to take the field until Tim Wolfe is gone, has racism poisoned this college campus?

You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

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HARLOW: And we begin tonight with new attacks from Republican front- runner Ben Carson. He is calling the media quote "sick and stupid." He believes he is receiving what he deems unfair quote "special scrutiny" because in his words, a lot of people are threatened by his candidacy. The retired neurosurgeon made a fresh round of appearances on different Sunday talk shows this morning. He was also on CNN and he slammed journalists and defended himself against claims that he possibly exaggerated critical parts of his life story, like getting an offer to attend West Point military academy or trying to stab someone when he was younger.

Our Sunlen Serfaty spoke one-on-one with Carson earlier today in Puerto Rico.

SUNLEN SERFATY, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well Poppy, Ben Carson is disputing the notion that all of the intense media scrutiny is getting under his skin. This is despite fierce pushback, aggressive pushback on his part this weekend, something that he kept up today here in Puerto Rico, really launching, again, into an angry and at times mocking critique of the media. I asked him during that press availability why he would not then produce much of the evidence that the media's asking for to back up many anecdotes in the stories and here's how he responded.

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CARSON: The burden of proof is not going to be on me to corroborate everything that I've ever talked about in my life because once I start down that road, every single day from now until the election, you're going to be spending your time doing that and we have much more important things to do.

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SERFATY: And Carson said that he believed heat being held to a higher level of scrutiny because he's doing so well in the polls. Here what happens he told CBS earlier this morning.

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CARSON: There's no question I'm getting special scrutiny because, you know, a lot of people who are very threatened and then you know they seen the recent head-to-head polling against Hillary and how well I do. And you know, they're worried. There's no question about it. And you know, every single day, or every other day, or every week, you know, they're going to come out, well you said this when you were 13 and you did this and -- and the whole point is to distract, distract the populous, distract me.

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SERFATY: Certainly sets an interesting backdrop up for Tuesday's debate in Wisconsin. And I asked Ben Carson what his mind-set is given this week's media attention going into that debate. He said he is focusing on the issues, specifically economic policy and foreign policy, and no, he says he's not holding any mock debates - Poppy.

HARLOW: Sunlen in Puerto Rico for us today, thank you very much.

Let's bring in political commentators Ben Ferguson and Marc Lamont Hill.

Ben, I want to begin with you because you think Carson's right. You think he is being treated unfairly by the media. But shouldn't someone near the top of the polls be open to any and all scrutiny especially when it's about stories they themselves put out in a narrative they are running on?

BEN FERGUSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: There's a difference between scrutiny and going after someone and fabricating something, as I think "Politico" did with this whole idea that there was some controversy over him getting into West Point.

Look at facts. He was sitting there, in charge of the ROTC, 17 years old, Detroit, a leading student that got into Harvard. Is it plausible that West Point would want a student in that rank in the ROTC that was going to Harvard? Yes. Did he say to them, I'm going to Harvard because I want to be a doctor? Yes. Does that mean he didn't get offered a scholarship? No. And anybody, if you asked the average student that goes to school, if you get to go to school for free, if someone comes after you and says come here, would you call the scholarship? They would say, yes. So, it's not about looking into the story. It's about not letting story go and looking at the fact that he is smart. He went to Harvard. He didn't lie about West Point. He didn't lie about -- Yale.

[17:05:29] HARLOW: I think he went to Yale.

FERGUSON: Excuse me, sorry.

HARLOW: Not a huge difference.

FERGUSON: He went to Yale. No, there's a difference for a few that went to Harvard or Yale, so I apologize. He went to Yale. My point is he went to a place where he obviously was brilliant to get in there. West Point was not out of his reach. And as head of ROTC.

HARLOW: OK. So Ben, I'm going to jump in there. Here's why I'm jumping. Because look even "Politico" changed the headline saying, after they said originally that the campaign had been fabricating this. So I'm not sure "Politico" is the best example. What about the CNN reporting (INAUDIBLE)? CNN reporting or our reporters went back to Detroit, looked for these people that he had talked about trying to stab one, and many of these other stories of anger and aggression and violence and couldn't find one of them, all of the friends of Carson from his childhood that they did find said this did not resemble the man they knew at all, what about that?

MARC LAMONT HILL, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes. That's what is curious to me. I mean, I think we all accept that "Politico" story was poorly handled. I mean, there are still some question marks about that. But let's hold that at arm's length for a moment and go to the story you mentioned here, Poppy.

I mean, CNN reporters and investigators have gone back to find childhood friends, acquaintances, classmates, nothing seems to corroborate this narrative of Ben Carson that Ben Carson has articulated. It's not merely an issue of not finding one person to say they were there in the room. There's no one who seems to even recognize the kind of person that Ben Carson is describing. That's what's troublesome.

I do find weird irony that we're saying this guy isn't qualified to be president because he didn't stab anybody. That's sort of weird. But the ultimate question becomes, is he trust worthy or does he have a penchant for overstating things, whether the childhood stuff, whether it is what happened in the store where someone had him at gun point he said -- I think maybe you should - I think you meant to get that guy other there. I mean, all these stories sound implausible. And they don't stand up to scrutiny.

HARLOW: So I want you both - I want to get some time in here for you both to weigh in on something I read in our team all talked about is really fascinating. It is from a column, an opinion column in "the Washington Post" this morning by Janelle Ross. She writes in part, Carson and his team have to protect and vigorously defend once violent and poor, now-delivered and rich story -- hard. Carson is up from nothing saved by Jesus and personal effort only story works primarily for white Republican voters. For some, it appears the conscious or unconscious connections (stereotypes) they draw between blackness poverty and violence. For others, it demonstrates that Jesus saves and for others still, it's a narrative that says other potentially costly social solutions to poverty and violence are not necessary.

That struck me. Ben, your thoughts?

FERGUSON: Look, I think f/for different people, they're going to like Ben Carson for different reasons. And I think his story is one that's uplifting because he is an individual that fought hard and came out ahead and turned his life around from a young age. So it depends on your perspective or where you're coming from.

But the reason why I think they're fighting back so hard is because they feel like this has gone beyond the norm. I mean when I was young, his age, when we're talking about this, there might have been three or four people that in the neighborhood that would have known me well to know what I'm really like. You don't have a big friends circle when you can't drive and when you're 11, 12, 13, 14 years old. Especially when we had neighborhoods 50 years ago which were very different makeup than they are today. So to me, it is not -- this seems more of I want to nail Ben Carson to the wall for saying something untrue and I'm going to figure out a way to make him look bad than it is about actually looking at his story and saying is he a good guy?

HARLOW: Marc, is this key to what she says in this column, white Republican voters.

HILL: Absolutely. Absolutely. I mean Ben Carson, the greatest lie in American history is the myth of the self-made person. Nobody makes themselves. We're all -- we're all shaped by our communities, by people who struggled and sacrificed for us, governments that offer safety nets and what Ben Carson is able to do essentially is reject all of that stuff, and say that I was --

FERGUSON: The government didn't take either, Marc.

HILL: Let me finish my point. I didn't interrupt you. Ben Carson's able to say, talking about Ben Carson, Ben Carson's able to say, I was saved by Jesus and hard work. That allows him to reject a safety net. That allows him to push back against the expansion of a welfare state. That allows him to resist tax cuts for the middle class and the poor and tax hikes for the wealthy. It allows him to create entire narrative. And when people say, hey, wait a minute. Why you doing this? Ben Carson can say, hey, because I did it myself. And it makes white voters feel comfortable to say that look this black guy himself --

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[17:10:12] HARLOW: To be clear here, guys. I have to wrap it up. But to be clear here, no disputing he grew up poor, in Detroit, and struggled, and made an incredible accomplishment becoming neurosurgeon that he is. Have to leave it there. You will be back for more. Thank you both very much.

FERGUSON: Thanks, Poppy.

HARLOW: Of course. Still to come, mystery and heartbreak in Louisiana. A community coming to grips with the death of a 6-year-old boy. Two police officers now behind bars, accused of killing this little one. Our Nick Valencia spoke with the man who knows both of them.

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RICHI AWADLY, GAS STATION MANAGER: I know Derrick and Norris like my brothers.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tell me - tell us about them because we don't know anything about them.

AWADLY: They are good people, man. They're nothing bad, sir.

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HARLOW: Also -- a strike on campus. Dozens of Mizzou football players furious over what they see as racism at their university. They are demanding the university system president step down.

And later this hour --

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HARLOW: What was that last night in the sky streaking across California? The truth is out there and it's straight ahead.

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[17:14:33] HARLOW: 6-year-old boy shot to death in the front seat of his father's car. Now two Louisiana police officers are charged with the boy's murder. It is a puzzling story made even more bizarre because the motive of the shooting is still a mystery. Investigators trying to piece together why these two officers chased the father down a dead end street in (INAUDIBLE) and started firing when the father was not armed.

CNN's Nick Valencia in Marksville, Louisiana.

Nick, are we getting any answers today?

[17:15:03] NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are. We are learning a lot of bizarre, new details. In fact, I just spoke to a source with knowledge of the investigation who tells me, Poppy, that the acting Marshall, Norris Greenhouse Jr., one of those that was charged with murder of the 6-year-old, actually knew that 6-year-old's father prior to the shooting. Investigators tell me they are looking into the extent of the relationship.

Meanwhile we should mention that that father was found to be unarmed at the time of the shooting. Meanwhile in this community, this tight- knit community, about 5,000 people, well, everyone's talking about this 6-year-old little boy.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He was just like an innocent little boy.

VALENCIA (voice-over): Nearly a week since the death of Jeremy Mardis.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ha always was an angel.

VALENCIA: There are still two big questions. Why would law enforcement chase the boy's father down a dead end road and why use lethal force? The boy was buckled into the passenger seat of his father's car, when police opened fire. He was hit five times, in the chest and head. His father, Chris Few, was also hit and wounded. COL. MICHAEL EDMONSON, LOUISIANA STATE POLICE: Jeremy Mardis, 6-

years-old, he didn't deserve to die like that. And that's what's unfortunate.

VALENCIA: Days after the shooting, the head of Louisiana state police announce two marshals face second-degree murder and attempted murder charges. 32-year-old Derrick Stafford and 23-year-old Norris Greenhouse Junior taken into custody, and placed on administrative leave. The incident was captured on police body cameras.

EDMONSON: I'm not going to talk about it but I'm going to tell you this. It is the most disturbing thing I've seen. Lie leave it at that.

VALENCIA: Two other marshals were also present during the shooting. Stafford and Greenhouse, so far, only two arrested.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He had his wings on earth and now he's soaring in heaven.

VALENCIA: Roxanne (INAUDIBLE) was Jeremy's special needs teacher. The child was nonverbal autistic. He was one of her favorite students. She especially loved the way his eyes lit up when he smiled.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He loved clasp and I sent all of the pictures that we have to family members. And so, they have all of those mementos. He loved the dress-up centers, doing alphabet puzzles. He was an awesome boy.

VALENCIA: At a nearby convenient store, Rudy Awadly (ph) he heard gunshots on his way home from work. He says he knows the officers well.

AWADLY: I know Derek and Norris, they're like ply brothers, two of them.

VALENCIA: Tell us about them because we don't know anything about them.

AWADLY: They cool people, man. They isn't bad for nothing, sir. They never did nothing bad.

VALENCIA: In fact, neither Marshall has been convicted of a crime. But according to local news reports in 2011, Stafford was indicted on two counts of aggravated rape, the case was eventually dismissed. Both Marshalls are expected to make their first court appearance Monday.

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VALENCIA: And both those Marshalls remain in police custody here at the detention center behind me. We should mention that 6-year-old boy, he had a viewing in Hattiesburg, Mississippi earlier today, Poppy. And tomorrow, that funeral is expected to happen -- Poppy.

HARLOW: Absolute innocence. I hope they get answers.

Nick, thank you very much.

Coming up next, switching gears, did you watch? Was Donald Trump's "SNL" performance a hit or a miss? We will show you the highlights, if you went to bed early like me, next.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER (voice-over): Barbara Massad has a way in the kitchen. So after a visit to a Syrian refugee camp in Lebanon, the cookbook author and photographer knew there was a special recipe she needed to whip up.

BARBARA MASSAD, COOKBOOK AUTHOR/PHOTOGRAPHER: I just had to do something. I didn't know what, but I just wanted to get closer to this problem.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: Lebanon has been overwhelmed with more than 1 million Syrian refugees, many live in the refugee camp, and struggle to provide for families.

MASSAD: This whole adventure started when I went up there, not knowing I was going to do cook booking I started taking photographs of the refugees. I have a friend of mine. Her name is Tina. And she called me one day. She said I want to cook soup for the refugees, you know, like in America they have soup kitchens and that's what we did.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: Massad began collecting recipes from chefs, foodies and friends to create a cookbook called soup for Syria. All proceeds go to the U.N. refugee agency to help Syrian refugees. Massad says her work must continue to support children like this 6- year-old who has been at the camp for two years.

MASSAD: I became attached to them. This has been my drive and my motivation to continue the project.

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[17:23:13] HARLOW: He cracked jokes, he danced, he even played the laser harp. Who knew what that was before last night? Donald Trump gave "Saturday Night Live" its biggest ratings in nearly four years handily beating the season's premiere featuring Hillary Clinton. That is despite headlines like this, "the Washington Post" this morning declaring Trump's sorry night on "SNL" overhyped bummer for us all.

A lot of that hype had to do with the controversy over asking Trump to host. But as you are about to see, Trump wasted no time in making that exact controversy part of the show.

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DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: They've done so much to ridicule me over the years, the show has been a disaster for me. Look at this guy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Great, great, great, great. Fantastic.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You think you're this terrific person. You think you're this. You think you're that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Trump's a racist!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. President, the president of Mexico is here to see you.

TRUMP: Great. Send him in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Donald.

TRUMP: Enrique.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I brought you the check for the wall.

TRUMP: So wonderful.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is he ripping us apart?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. He definitely does.

[17:25:04] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What -- what do you think he tweeted? Man. Probably something with like Keenan and Kenyan, right.

TRUMP: Used to call me on the cell phone. Call me on the cell phone.

I'm Donald Trump and I in no way, shape, or form approve of this message. Didn't you used to be a brunette?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

TRUMP: That's what I thought.

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HARLOW: Here to talk about all things Trump, Kate Bohner. She co- authored the book "Trump, the art of the comeback" with Donald Trump. She knows him well. And there's the book.

Talk to me about last night. The protest outside and then they just decide, I think sort of brilliantly to bring him in, not ignore them.

KATE BOHNER, CO-AUTHOR, TRUMP, THE ART OF THE COMEBACK: I thought that was brilliant, too. One of the things I want to say, I grew up with "Saturday Night Live." You know, I moved here a couple of decades ago and I was disappointed there wasn't separation between comedy and politics. Like separation between church and state.

HARLOW: You don't think there should have been --

BOHNER: No. You know, I don't want to go down as the person who is against protests and demonstrations on the twitter-sphere. No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm just saying "Saturday Night Live" is for me, this main theme of New York and politics and just growing up here in culture and it spawned all of these wonderful comedians around the world. And I was just disappointed that those protests were outside "Saturday Night Live." But certainly got the, you know, the controversy it deserved.

HARLOW: It did.

So it's interesting because some of this gets worth, some of them didn't as much. For example, the laser harp thing I was sort of confused. And we know that Trump turned down. He told FOX News, he turned down the more risky skits because he just didn't want to alienate some voters. Did he play it too safe?