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Republican "Toxic Rhetoric" Responsible for Planned Parenthood Shooting; U.S.: Russian Jet Violated Turkish Air Space; U.S. Embassy Threatened, on High Alert; 1st Trial in Freddie Gray Death Case in Baltimore. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired November 30, 2015 - 14:30   ET

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


[14:30:00] CHARMAINE YOEST, AMERICANS UNITED FOR LIFE & FORMER ADVISOR TO RONALD REAGAN & MIKE HUCKABEE: It's really horrifying to me to seek the politicization, the rush to judgment we're facing when all of this heated rhetoric and pointing fingers is coming out before anyone actually knows what happened in this situation. And I think it's really down right slanderous. And I'm particularly appalled that Loretta Lynch would escalate the language around the situation so quickly and so egregiously.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Laura, does it concern you, given that we have not officially heard a motive at all from law enforcement, we know a law enforcement source telling us here at CNN that Dear said something about baby parts in the aftermath of this, but that's really all that we know at this point.

LAURA CHAPIN, ABORTIONS RIGHTS POLITICAL CONSULTANT: What we do know is that there are not protesters screaming at patients outside vasectomy clinics. Women's health care is a unique target of people who feel like they have a right to scream at people they don't know, to attack them and frankly, what politicians do is give license to the unhinged.

CHARMAINE: That's outrageous.

(CROSSTALK)

CHAPIN: It has a 12-foot high security fence, an armed guard. I have been chased going into that clinic for meetings. I had a friend who went there for a breast cancer screening. They threw fake doll parts on her car with fake blood on them.

(CROSSTALK)

HARLOW: One voice at a time please.

CHAPIN: Are threatened and screamed at.

HARLOW: Charmaine, your response.

YOEST: Abortion is a contentious issue in our society. In America we have a time honored tradition of engaging each other with civility and through the efforts of our elected representatives and the pro-life movement has been working hard to engage constructively through the rule of law. And what we're seeing here is a --

(CROSSTALK)

HARLOW: Laura, let Charmaine finish and then you can jump in. I want to let Charmaine finish and you'll have time to respond.

YOEST: It it's really important to emphasize here the rule of law. Law enforcement in Colorado is doing their job. And to see the politicalization of a tragedy, to broad sweepingly make an indictment of a whole class of Americans that disagree with you on a contentious issue, is really not right. You don't know for a fact that that's what this shooting was about. Frankly, it's anti democratic to say that people shouldn't be able to engage on an issue that is important to them. And what the pro life movement does is actively engage in the political process constructively and peacefully. And what's really, really tragic about this situation is our movement is characterized by valuing life. Our continual emphasis is that all life is precious. So it's an absolute slander to associate this deranged individual with an entire movement.

HARLOW: So, Laura, I want you to respond and you want to ask you this as well. There are millions and millions of Americans who are pro life. They oppose abortion. Some of them make it their sin single voting issue. It matters deeply to them just as it does on the other side. Those people don't go attack innocent people, take lives, attack clinics. Your response?

CHAPIN: The response is, again, there is no other aspect of the medical profession where patients and doctors are routinely threatened and harassed. And I find Ms. Yoest's arguments particularly disingenerous (sic).

The laws she helped pass in Texas have resulted in, according to a recent study, between 100 and 200,000 Texas women trying to self- induce abortion. If you want to reduce abortion, you do what we did here in Colorado, which is provide free birth control and good information to women. We actually cut the teen birth and abortion rate in Colorado, a pro choice state, by providing free reversible contraception. So if her organization is serious about trying to improve women's health care, I'd suggest she get behind those efforts rather than --

(CROSSTALK)

YOEST: That's not the issue.

HARLOW: But I think, Laura --

(CROSSTALK)

HARLOW: Ladies, hold on. This is a critical issue. Obviously, you two are never going to agree on abortion being pro life or pro choice. But what I am asking, Laura, is about the rhetoric here and the ties that some have made saying some of this rhetoric out of some Republicans is affecting this and had some r sort of impetus for this attack. Do you think that's fair, Laura?

CHAPIN: Absolutely. Of course, it is.

(CROSSTALK)

HARLOW: Why? Why isn't this just a deranged individual?

(CROSSTALK)

YOEST: Can I jump in, Poppy? Because this is exactly --

(CROSSTALK)

CHAPIN: I'm sorry --

(CROSSTALK)

HARLOW: I want Laura to answer that and then Charmaine, yes, you can.

[14:35:09] CHAPIN: Again, there are not protesters screaming outside of men's clinics. There are not doctors who practice any other form of the medical profession who have to change their routes going to work because of physical threats. There are not any doctors in this country who is an abortion provider that they are daily dealing with threats to their lives and their profession. This is not acceptable. I've talked to doctors who work at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado. Some of them have conceal-to-carry permits.

(CROSSTALK)

HARLOW: Charmaine, quick response.

(CROSSTALK)

YOEST: Poppy, my concern is she's articulating a lot of what we have been hearing over the last 24 hours. They are trying to politicize a tragedy to advance a political agenda and indict the entire legislative process. We have to keep in mind here that the American tradition is for legislators to respond to what their constituents want. We have seen pro life legislators passing laws because that's our system. That's a great system. It's a way of channeling differences of opinion. So for her to slander people who disagree with her in the wake of a tragedy is really outrageous. And her description of what's going on is completely inaccurate.

HARLOW: Ladies, a lot to be said, a lot to talk about. I'd like to have you both on again.

YOEST: Thanks, Poppy.

HARLOW: But in the midst of all this, let's remember three lives were taken, three innocent lives, nine more injured in this mass shooting.

Laura Chapin, Charmaine Yoest, thank you both so much.

YOEST: Thank you, Poppy. HARLOW: Next, the U.S. embassy on high alert. Officials warning

there are credible reports of an eminent attack within the next 48 hours. We'll tell you which embassy we're talking about. A live report when we come back.

Also breaking news out of the State Department, making a big revelation about that Russian jet that was shot down by Turkey. We'll give you the latest on that, ahead. Stay with me.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:41:24] HARLOW: Breaking news out of Washington. The State Department saying information they have indicates that the Russian fighter jet that was shot down did, in fact, violate Turkish air space. That's a huge development.

Let's bring in CNN chief national correspondent, Jim Sciutto.

This is very big. This is U.S. intelligence when Vladimir Putin was insisting that his jet was only over Syria.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: That's right. For the State Department to come out saying this publicly this might be information that they keep private. To say privately, it doesn't show they are taking sides, but when you put together this with public comments from the president last week making a point of saying that Turkey has a right to defend its air space, there's something of a message there. The U.S. certainly does not want to exacerbate this it situation, but it's part of a broader message that it's not comfortable with and doesn't think it's a positive to have Russian war planes flying there and Russian troops on the ground as they have been for a number of weeks makes a difficult, dangerous and complicated conflict even more so.

HARLOW: What does it do to the appliance against ISIS with Russia as a critical player?

On another note, this threat that we have learned about in Kabul, the U.S. embassy received credible reports of an eminent attack within the next 48 hours. They are putting Americans there on high alert. I think it's interesting that they would get so specific to say within 48 hours. What kind of intelligence would they have to have to lead to that?

SCIUTTO: Specific on timing, they say it's credible in the next 48 hours. They don't have a specificity to the target. For instance, we have been told they don't believe that the U.S. embassy a target of this, but an attack planned somewhere in the confines of the capital of Afghanistan and telling U.S. citizens to exercise, in the words of the statement, "extreme caution" when moving around the city. I will say this. You hear this from security sources on the ground as well. This kind of information sadly they get very frequently because the groups principally in the past have shown their ability to carry out attacks in the capital. We have seen a number of them with some frequency over recent months. So they have this kind of threat warning relatively frequently. The sad fact of Kabul today. But this one serious enough they wanted to share with American citizens. They have an obligation to share that with American citizens. It shows the consistent level of a terror threat on the ground there.

HARLOW: Absolutely.

Jim Sciutto, thank you for reporting on both of those breaking stories. Next, more than seven months after the death of Freddie Gray,

today the first of six Baltimore police officers goes on trial. We will take you live to the courthouse. Also ask our legal panel if it's possible for the officers in Baltimore to get a fair trial. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:48:57] HARLOW: One of the six Baltimore police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray is now on trial. Jury selection began today in the case against 26-year-old William Porter. He's charged with involuntary manslaughter, and also reckless endangerment in the death of Gray. You'll remember Gray died on April 19th in police custody after a ride in a police van. Prosecutors accuse Porter and the other officers and Porter specifically of ignoring his pleas for medical help.

Lawyers for Porter have asked for a change of venue. They deem he can't get a fair trial in Baltimore. A small crowd of protesters rallied outside the courtroom today as jury selection began.

CNN's Miguel Marquez is on the ground. He has more.

You have been following this case, Miguel, for the last seven months from the very beginning. Talk to me about the jury pool.

[14:50:00] MIGUEL MARQUEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I think one of the most surreal points of the morning is when the jurors -- 75 of them, mostly African-Americans, pretty equally split between male and female -- sat down and the first thing they heard were the protesters outside shouting "All night, all day, we're going to fight for Freddie Gray." It's a refrain. It's something we have heard for months now and that was the first thing that greeted them in the courthouse. The next was the judge telling them that he expected that the opening arguments, that is the trial would begin in the next day or two. That's tomorrow or Wednesday and all be wrapped up by the 17th. He went through a bunch of questions with the jurors. The one that caused the most concern was when the judge asked is there anybody that has been investigated, charged with a crime, pending charges, victim of the crime and about half of the people stood up. On another question is there anybody that couldn't attend the trial for health reasons or a preplanned trip. Many stood up for that. Now he's taking them one by one to a conference room to a side of the courtroom and questioning them more deeply. This judge seems intent on getting a jury here. He believes he can and seems that in the next several hours we'll probably know what sort of progress they are making -- Poppy?

HARLOW: Miguel Marquez for us there. He has been inside the courtroom all day. Miguel, thank you very much.

Joining me is CNN legal analyst, Sunny Hostin.

What do make of this, the fact that -- every single one of them have heard of Freddie Gray and the case. You were on the ground there. I was on the ground there throughout. But also the fact that they could hear the protests inside the courtroom. Symbolic or meaningful?

SUNNY HOSTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: I'm a little troubled by it. You want to choose can the impartial jury and be able to listen to the evidence and make a decision outside of all the media coverage, outside of what they think they know about the case. So I'm a little -- I'm comfortable by the fact they can still hear the protesters because it even raises the stakes higher for these jurors. They know that the world is watching and I'm troubled by that. But again, having tried cases, some high-profile, I think that jurors generally do the right thing. I think that jurors can, once they are in the process, put aside everything that it they knew about the case before that they think they knew about the case and take the facts as they get them and apply them to the law.

HARLOW: Why try Porter first? He doesn't face the stiffest charges of the six officers. What's the game plan here?

HOSTIN: There is one. The prosecutors have indicated they are trying Porter first because a material witness against some of the fellow officers. So he didn't take a plea. Generally you want Porter to take the plea.

HARLOW: You think they offered him one?

HOSTIN: I think so. And in return, some sort of leniency to testify against fellow officers. He didn't do, that but he's going to stand trial first and we'll see where the chips fall. He's facing manslaughter. I often tell people it's difficult, I think, to convict police officers because most people trust police officers. They believe police officers. They understand that most police officers are good.

HARLOW: But is this a different environment? Is the last year a different --

(CROSSTALK)

HOSTIN: That's what I was going to say. There's a different environment now. So any time for a police officer in prison is too much time. They usually have it the worst along with child predators and that sort of convicted defendant. So I think we're just in a different place now. Prosecutors often times are very concerned about trying to get convictions against police officers. This is a significant moment. Porter needs to be concerned.

HARLOW: But when it comes down to it, he should be judged on the facts of the case, not the surrounding environment. HOSTIN: That's right. That's the hope. My guess is that if

this kind of thing continues where you're hearing protests, and we know the jurors aren't se sequestered. If I'm a defense attorney, i'm going to move for a change of venue. I don't want it in Baltimore.

HARLOW: Sunny, thank you. Good to have your analysis, as always.

HOSTIN: Thanks.

HARLOW: Coming up next, minutes away, we're going to get a look at the suspect in the Planned Parenthood attack as he makes his first court appearance. We'll bring that to you live.

Also, it was a chilling threat of gun violence that forced the University of Chicago campus to completely shut down today. Moments ago, an arrest was made in the case. Who is behind it? We'll have a live report from Chicago on campus, next. Stay with me.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:58:57] HARLOW: It's time to start thinking about who you want to nominate for next year's "CNN Hero of the Year." For inspiration, here's a look at our special "All-Star Tribute" to this year's top-10 nominees.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(SINGING)

ANNOUNCER: Our heroes don't fly, they soar.

(SINGING)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don't see barriers. I see solutions.

(SINGING)

ANNOUNCER: Connecting with the communities along the way helped reestablish your faith in humanity.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Love you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Love you, too.

(SINGING)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Don't give up on yourself because you still worry.

ANNOUNCER: See the stars come out to celebrate the change makers.

KATHY GRIFFIN, COMEDIENNE & CNN HEROES ALL-STAR TRIBUTE HOST: We all love to pay tribute and this is a way we can.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People living the work they are doing every day.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's really, really, really, really inspiring.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST, CNN HEROES ALL-STAR TRIBUTE: Welcome to "CNN Heroes" --

(APPLAUSE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Please join me in honoring "CNN Hero" --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's no time to waste.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The top-10 "CNN Heroes" of 2015.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's an honor to be recognized.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is an amazing honor.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

(APPLAUSE)

ANNOUNCER: Join Anderson Cooper for "CNN Heroes, An All-Star Tribute," Sunday night at 8:00.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[15:00:10] HARLOW: It is a very special night. Again, it is Sunday, December 6th, this Sunday --