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Colorado Shooting Highlights Heated Rhetoric on Planned Parenthood in Campaigns; Bill Gates Talks Climate, Investment; Trump Campaign Backpedals on Black Pastors Meeting. Aired 13:30-2p ET

Aired November 30, 2015 - 13:30   ET

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


[13:30:00] WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: In response to that and recent tragic events in other campuses around the United States, the officials decided to err on the side of caution, and they have canceled all classes today, and all campus activities as well. They have increased the police presence in the area, and no word yet on whether the classes will be canceled tomorrow as well. Very disturbing development in Chicago at the university there.

Coming up, the suspected gunmen in the shooting of a Colorado Planned Parenthood appears in court in a couple of hours. We will have the latest on the possible motive and why some are saying that political rhetoric may have contributed to this attack.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:35:00] BLITZER: The suspect in the deadly shooting at a Planned Parenthood in Colorado is due in court in hours. Robert Lewis Dear is accused of killing three people, and injuring nine other. One of the dead is Police Officer Garrett Swasey, and one of the two civilians is an Iraq war veteran and father of two, and also Jennifer Markovsky, a stay-at-home mom. And police have not determined the motive of the shooting yet, but a law enforcement official says that the suspect did make remarks about so-called baby parts after he surrendered to authorities.

The deadly shooting is going to be highlighting the heated rhetoric of Planned Parenthood, the issue of abortion here in the United States. And Republican political candidates condemn the attacks but they say they blame the gunman and not the anti abortion movement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARLY FIORINA, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & FORMER CEO, HEWLETT PACKARD: What I would say to anyone who links this tragedy to anyone who opposes abortion or opposes the sale of body parts, this is typical left wing tactics.

MIKE HUCKABEE, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & FORMER ARKANSAS GOVERNOR: What he did is domestic terrorism, and what he did is absolutely abominable, and especially to those of us in the pro life movement, because it is nothing about any of us that would condone or any way look the other way at something like this. DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & CEO, TRUMP

ORGANIZATION (voice-over): This is an extremist, and a man who obviously, and they said prior to this that he was mentally disturbed, and so he is a mentally disturbed person, and no question about it.

DR. BEN CARSON, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & RETIRED NEUROSURGEON: Let's get away from the rhetoric, and talk about the real problem. The real problem is that we have become coarse and hateful toward each other.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Our chief political analyst, Gloria Borger, is with us.

You heard Dr. Ben Carson say tone down the rhetoric. But what about, is this about the issue of guns in Colorado and the issue of guns, the issue of abortion in this area, how is that likely to play out politically during this presidential season?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, perhaps they will tone down the rhetoric in the wake of the shooting be one thing that is pointed out, and you have pointed out in the intro ooh that police have been careful not to assign a motive yet to the shooting. We know that he the man clearly has mental health issues, and we also know that he has not been an anti-abortion activist throughout his life. I believe his ex-wife spoke about that, and at some point over the weekend. So we can't really assign motive to this. But what we can say in terms of the political debate, and Carson is right, it ought to be toned down. I think that the problem is that the Planned Parenthood, itself, has become a lightning rod in this debate over abortion, and that has become a problem.

BLITZER: It is certainly an issue presumably and will continue to be an issue in the Republican presidential campaign. Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, the Democratic candidates, also spoke out about what happened in Colorado.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: We should be supporting Planned Parenthood and not attacking it.

(APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: Here in New Hampshire, Republicans on your executive council cut off funding to Planned Parenthood.

(BOOING)

CLINTON: And in Congress and on the campaign trail, Republicans who claim they just hate big government are only too happy to have government step in when it comes to women's bodies and health.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BLITZER: And Bernie Sanders obviously condemned what is going

on. And Martin O'Malley, the other Democratic presidential candidate, called it domestic terrorism, if you will. And Democrats have been -- a little bit different tone than the Republicans.

BORGER: Well, look, the Democrats support Planned Parenthood. And by the way, if you look at the polling in the country, 65 percent of Americans support federal funding for Planned Parenthood. The controversy all occurred after the undercover videos were revealed, and I think that what you will see Democrats doing is to play to the base. And that is what the Republicans are doing here as well. The Democrats understand that, to win this election, they have to win the women, and the younger voter, and both of those demographics, you will see a huge amount of support for Planned Parenthood, and obviously, an issue that is near and Dear to Hillary Clinton's heart, because she has been talking about it for years, and she is not going to stop now, and try to use it to her advantage -- Wolf?

BLITZER: And she is spending the day here in Washington talking about the women's issues, which is very critical to her base.

BORGER: And it is critical to her base, and it is very critical to the Democratic base overall. Republicans do better with the older, more suburban women, but they have to try to get the younger women voters who are supporting Planned Parenthood in large numbers.

[13:40:02] BLITZER: Thank you, Gloria. We will see how this plays out politically.

Coming up, investigators are finding out that the Paris attackers had far-reaching goals with other attacks ready to go in Jewish neighborhoods, transport networks, and schools. New information is coming in. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:44:43] BLITZER: Welcome back to our viewers in the United States and around the world. I'm Wolf Blitzer, reporting from Washington.

This is just coming into CNN, an update on the war against ISIS. The White House has announced it is taking a new step in the anti- terror campaign. President Obama gets a new senior adviser who is going to be focusing solely on the fight against ISIS. Robert Mali (ph) was previous senior director of the Council for the Middle East. And this is going to be following the announcement that the visa waiver program is beefing up against tourists coming in from Syria, including tourists as well.

And now, recapping the top story, the French intelligence services are operating under the theory that the key suspect at large, Salah Abdeslam, has escaped to Syria. And also, sources tell CNN that he bought 10 detonators and batter batteries from a fireworks shop outside of Paris in October.

Also, in addition to Paris attacks, other attacks were ready to go include IN the Jewish areas, and transport network networks and schools, and that is according to a source close to the investigation.

All of this is happening as 150 world leaders are gathering in Paris for pivotal climate talks. The focus is to agree on a legally binding reduction of in green house gas emissions. Among the voices calling for action, the Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist, Bill Gates. Gates is going to be launching a $1 billion initiative to aim at research and investment to cut carbon emissions and reduce global warming.

Earlier, he spoke to CNN's Christiane Amanpour and Chris Cuomo.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: And Mr. Gates, fellow Philanthropist and owner of CNN, Ted Turner, said if he had any advice for young people, he would say to go out the find renewable energy, and you are putting $1 billion of your own money into green innovation, and what does it take more than 28 to spending on the R&D, and doing the things that you are doing is a great investment for their the own pockets as well as for humanity?

BILL GATES, CO-FOUNDER, MICROSOFT & PHILANTHROPIST: Well, the returns will come partly through the benefits to society. And so, energy investing is risky enough, and takes long enough that it helps to have people who believe in the cause, and so they are really getting two Benefits out of this. I'm optimistic because of the gigantic commitment from governments here today in these partners that we will solve the problem that we can get that premium down so that the idea of a clean energy generation doesn't require the poorer countries to slow down their development. They can go full speed ahead.

CHRIS CUOMO, CO-ANCHOR, NEW DAY: And tell us to dream a little bit here. You have used five years as a horizon, and 10 years as a horizon, and when you look into the future, what do you see happening that we could not imagine today?

GATES: Well, I see the price of energy actually being lower than today the, and that is for clean reliable energy. And I see huge benefits to everyone particularly the poor.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: And Pope Francis is wrapping up the final leg of his African tour with a mosque in a Muslim neighborhood in the Central African Republic. And the area has been a flashpoint for violent clashes with Christian militias in recent years. And the pope continued to deliver his message of religious tolerance "360" and the first time in modern era that a pope has stepped foot in an active conflict zone.

Right now, Donald Trump is meeting with a coalition of black pastors. Last week, his campaign said that the group would endorse him, but today many members refused to show up. We will discuss and get the latest information right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:52:55] BLITZER: Let's get to some presidential politics here in the United States. Donald Trump is meeting this hour with black clergy and religious leaders, but the Trump campaign is back pedaling over the reason for the meeting. Several of the leaders are denying reports that they had planned to endorse Donald Trump.

Let's bring in our political panel. Joining us, our CNN contributor, Bakari Sellers, a former member of the South Carolina House of Representatives; and also joining us is political commentators, S.E. Cupp; and Jeffrey Lord, a CNN political commentator, a former Reagan White House political director.

Jeffrey, you're a Donald Trump supporter. Was supposed to be an open meeting, but some will endorse him. Did the campaign get misinformation?

JEFFREY LORD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I've been around the block and this kind of thing happens all the time with group A, B or C and confusion over what they are going to do and say and there's disagreement frequently among the groups. The notable thing is that he's meeting with them to begin with. This is the kind of thing that Ronald Reagan used to do. They wound up with an endorsement from the number two. This is also the kind of thing that Jack advocated. Good for Donald Trump and we'll see what happens.

BLITZER: We'll see what happens, what these clergy ask other black religious leaders say they emerge.

What's your analysis, Bakari, of what's going on over here? Because some of these black clergy members were upset in a Facebook post he was called an insult and embarrassment. You think he has a chance of making some end roads with African-American clergy?

BAKARI SELLERS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Absolutely not. And just to my friend Mr. Lord, I have never heard Donald Trump compared to Jack Kemp let alone Ronald Reagan. What you have in Donald Trump is using language at best. So when these African-American ministers when it was made out they were going to meet with Mr. Trump, people appreciated the outreach, but when it was made to be an endorsement, they said, wait a minute, this is not the language of someone who represents the ideals and values of this country and let alone the plight of African-Americans struggling day by day. I'm glad that this was put on pause. But what Donald Trump is showing is this is just not just a Trump issue but a larger Republican Party issue. And if they are going to expand their base as Donald Trump, if the front runner, it's going o to be harder.

[13:55:27] BLITZER: S.E., talk about the bigger problem for Republicans attracting minority African-American Hispanic report.

S.E. CUPP, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I don't know how Bakari gets from A to B. Republicans have had problems demographically in years past, but almost to a number they have condemned the kinds of rhetoric that Donald Trump has use e use used against any majority. He doesn't leave anyone out when talking divisively about large swaths o of Americans and non-Americans. So I think what actually Donald Trump has done is give other Republican candidates an opportunity to separate themselves whether you are Jeb Bush or Carly Fiorina or Marco Rubio from the kinds of attacks that Donald Trump has levied. And a lot more serious than they could have if not for someone like Donald Trump and I'll put Ben Carson in that same category as well.

BLITZER: Why do you believe Donald Trump is not only doubling down but tripling down about the assertion that he saw thousands and thousands of Muslims in New Jersey dancing, celebrating the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

LORD: Wolf, I don't know about the thousands, but I can tell you I have a college friend who was not a supporter of Donald Trump and she called me out of the blue to tell me that she herself is from New Jersey and she remembers seeing the same thing that Donald Trump did in the day. So all I'm suggesting is he saw something. There are other people who saw something. It's interesting to have that "Washington Post" story alluded to that and they are saying we couldn't corroborate anything. Then why print the story? Clearly there was something of it. He saw it and others did. We'll find out at some point, I guess.

CUPP: This is the problem. The lack of discipline on the Trump campaign, which is evidenced whether you're talking about a meeting with black pastors that he categorizes as an endorsement or describing thousands upon thousands of Muslims cheering when maybe the numbers were there, but certainly not in the thousands is really dangerous. And I think what more and more people are starting to see is that the things that Trump says should matter and we should hold him to his words and he doesn't get to backtrack and say I saw something. That's not the same as saying thousands and thousands of Muslims were cheering.

(CROSSTALK)

BLITZER: Let me let Bakari weigh in.

We did see video of people celebrating what was happening on 9/11 in the Middle East, whether in the West Bank or Gaza or other places. But go ahead and weigh in on this controversy. Because Donald Trump when he's pressed, he continues to insist it was in Jersey City or some place in New Jersey. He's not confusing what e he saw on television from the Middle East as opposed to what he saw in New Jersey.

SELLERS: Donald Trump conflates everything. Recently as early as Sunday morning stated that although he saw this, there may not be pictures or proof. Donald Trump can say he rode in New Jersey on a unicorn and saw people chanting and screaming and the 35 percent of the Republican Party who believe him today will believe him tomorrow. That's the biggest problem. S.E. said, how do I get from point A to point B in talking about Donald Trump being a GOP problem? The reason he's a problem is because he is the front runner. He is the standard barer and the person controlling the conversation. With that being said, it's going to be hard for a Republican to be number 45 talking like Donald Trump. BLITZER: Quickly, S.E., you think his numbers will go down as a

result of this controversy?

CUPP: Gosh, it's impossible to prognosticate the numbers. It's really hard to predict if this is going to be the final thing that wakens up his supporters. I doubt it.

BLITZER: He said this morning -- I heard him say this morning, in a 2001 video, cameras were not as prevalent as they are today and that's why we're not seeing video of what he said he saw.

Thanks very much for joining us.

That's it for me. I'll be back at 5:00 p.m. eastern in "The Situation Room."

For our international viewers, "Amanpour" is next.

For our viewers in North America, NEWSROOM with Poppy Harlow starts right now.

[14:00:13] POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Poppy Harlow --