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Senate To Vote On Four Gun Amendments; NRA Splits With Trump Over Armed Clubgoers; Republican Critics Alarmed By Trump Rhetoric; Trump's "Emergency" Funding Email; England Mourns Murdered Lawmaker; Deadly Heatwave Hits Southwest; Cavs End Cleveland's 52-Year Championship Drought. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired June 20, 2016 - 05:00   ET

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


CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: -- three phone calls the gunman made to police describing his motives. Attorney General Loretta Lynch says now only limited transcripts will be released, quote, "to avoid re- victimizing those people that went through this horror."

The attorney general travels to Orlando tomorrow to meet victims and their families, first responders, federal prosecutors and others.

Eighteen victims are still hospitalized from the attack after one was released Sunday. Four of those victims remain in critical condition.

Last night, victims were remembered at a huge vigil organized virally on Facebook. Hundreds of people cheered and took pictures when this happened, a bright, beautiful rainbow suddenly appeared right over the event. CNN's Ed Lavandera has more.

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Christine and Ryan, when this event was organized a week ago, the organizer tells me that he expected maybe 100 people to show up. But on Sunday night here in downtown Orlando on the banks of the lake, some 50,000 people turned out for this memorial service and candlelight vigil for those who were killed and gunned down in the deadly shootout at the Pulse Nightclub a week ago.

An unbelievable sight of outpouring of grief and public emotion here at this vigil. Staggering to see the numbers of people who have come out here to show their support for the survivors and the victims and victims' relatives as well.

Monday will also be a day where we learn much more about what happened inside the Pulse Nightclub more than a week ago. Authorities plan on releasing partial transcripts of the conversations they had with the killer during the attack in the Pulse Nightclub. That is news that will emerge later today -- Christine and Ryan.

RYAN NOBLES, CNN GUEST ANCHOR: Ed, thank you.

In the wake of the Orlando tragedy, the Senate votes on four different gun control amendments today, two sponsored by Democrats, two by Republicans. The first two proposals are set for a vote and are aimed at tightening up gun purchase background checks.

The second to make it harder to buy a gun if you're on a federal terror watch list. None of the amendments is expected to pass. A fifth proposal will be unveiled this afternoon.

This is a compromise measure. It comes from moderate Republican Susan Collins. It would reduce the number of people who cannot buy a gun because they are on a terror watch list. Now unknown when or if that compromise will get a vote.

ROMANS: All right, so will there ultimately be a gun amendment compromise in the Senate? How does all this factor into the 2016 presidential race? Let's sort it all out this morning with CNN politics reporter, Eugene Scott, bright and early for us in our Washington bureau. Good morning.

I want to start with the gun issue here because you have this really interesting situation where Donald Trump was very quickly and whole heartedly endorsed by the gun lobby. Now seems to have kind of be on a different page than Wayne LaPierre of the NRA and the NRA on what should be done in the wake of Orlando. Listen to both of them this weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE (via telephone): If you had guns in that room, if you had a number of people having strapped to their ankle or waist, where bullets could have flown in the other direction at him, you would not have had the same kind of a tragedy.

WAYNE LAPIERRE, NRA: I don't think you should have firearms where people are drinking.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: That was Donald Trump speaking last week. That was Wayne Lapierre speaking Sunday saying, you know, I don't think you should have firearms where people are drinking. Is there a rift here between these two?

EUGENE SCOTT, CNN POLITICS REPORTER: Well, there definitely is a lack of common ground regarding the best way to have responded to the issue that happened last week. As you saw, Wayne LaPierre made it very clear that he does not encourage people to actually have guns where there is a lot of drinking.

As you recall, the shooting happened around last call. The time in the club where there actually is more alcohol consumption. I think what he wants to clarify is that you need to be safe and sober and you need to be alert when you operating guns.

That's doesn't appear to be the suggestion that Donald Trump put forth as far as the best way to have responded to this issue. I think LaPierre actually came on Twitter later after the interview and made it very clear.

He is not opposed to people having guns in restaurants, but he definitely does want people to be in their right mind as possible when they are handling these very serious weapons.

NOBLES: It shows that there is not a lot of common ground. Trump is all over the map on a lot of these issues. He is not often talking even ones that support him.

Speaking of people that support him, Eugene, Paul Ryan, the House speaker, kind of planted a little bit of a bomb over the weekend where he talked about the ability for delegates at the convention to vote their conscience. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPRESENTATIVE PAUL RYAN (R), HOUSE SPEAKER: I'm not going to tell the delegates how they should do their jobs because I'm chair of the convention. The last thing I would do is tell anybody to do something that's contrary to their conscience. Of course, I wouldn't do that.

Look, believe me, Chuck, I get that this is a very strange situation. This is a very unique nominee. But I feel as a responsibility institutionally as the speaker of the House that I should not be leading some chasm in the middle of the party.

[05:05:08]Because you know what that will do, that would definitely knock us out of the White House.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The party is already divided.

RYAN: Like as well, it's divided and I will not tell somebody to go against their conscience.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NOBLES: Eugene, is this an example of how Donald Trump still has a lot of problems within his own party?

SCOTT: Very much so. I mean, it is also an example of something we have never seen before. We would expect the leading Republican to be very vocal and saying, we want our team, our leaders to rally behind our presumptive nominee.

But I think he realizes that that has become increasingly difficult for some people and I don't think he wants to be in a position where he is telling people what to do.

Speaker Ryan has been very vocal throughout his time in Congress about trying to lead from principle. And so he is trying to put himself in a situation where he doesn't want to force anyone else to make a decision that they can't stand behind themselves.

ROMANS: So tell us about this conference call. This coup conference call essentially for the convention, 1,000 people on the call trying to figure out how they could stage some sort of a coup at the convention. What do we know about that? SCOTT: Well, yes, as we know, this was just last night. There are about 1,000 people estimated on this call. We think there could be maybe about 250 that were delegates. People are still trying to figure out a way to find out if they can bring another nominee before delegates at the convention that gives people an alternative to Donald Trump.

The likelihood of that actually happening and passing and getting the votes needed to obtain, the rule show that that's a real possibility are very low. RNC leaders are not supportive of this.

Donald Trump obviously is not supportive of this, but people are still trying to work hard to provide an alternative. There is a great fear that Donald Trump will continue to sink in polls.

By the time the convention happens, it will be just so difficult for people to get behind him and that Hillary Clinton will ultimately win the election.

ROMANS: Sean Spicer from the RNC did have a statement, tweet actually, about this whole effort. "Donald Trump bested 16 highly qualified candidates and received more primary votes than any candidate Republican Party history.

All of the discussion about the RNC Rules Committee acting to undermine the presumptive nominee is silly. There is no organized efforts, strategy or leader of this so-called movement. It is nothing more than a media creation and series of tweets."

NOBLES: A conference call with 1,000 people seems to be a little bit more than a media creation, right?

SCOTT: Very much so. It's really interesting because no one seems to know every single person who was actually on the call, which I find interesting in and of itself. But we will see what comes from it.

NOBLES: The person that's chair the Rules Committee meeting herself has talked about the opportunity for the rules to change over the course of the convention. So there certainly that possibility, right, Eugene. It's a long shot, but to say it is impossible is not accurate.

SCOTT: It's not accurate and conversations will continue. It's not a done deal and quite frankly, if it wasn't going to happen, if there was a 100 percent sure deal that it wasn't happen, there wouldn't be so much anxiety we are seeing from Trump and even the RNC.

ROMANS: All right, Eugene, nice to see you. We'll talk to you in a few minutes. We'll talk about Democrats next time. Nice to see you. Thank you.

Let's get an EARLY START on your money this morning. Is Donald Trump's campaign running low on funds? The campaign released its first emergency fundraising e-mail over the weekend asking for an immediate $100,000 to counter an ad blitz from Hillary Clinton's campaign.

Urgent fundraising, of course, is routine for most presidential campaigns, but this is notable since Trump frequently said during the primary season he was self-funding, which isn't exactly true.

According to the Federal Election Commission, one quarter of Trump's funds come from individual donations. That is roughly $14 million of nearly $60 million raised. The rest comes from loans from Trump himself.

He will probably need more donations as the election season goes on. History shows presidential campaigns can be very expensive. Both candidates spent more than $1 billion in the 2012 election.

NOBLES: A deadly heat wave stretching across the country leaving at least four dead and five wildfires raging. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:13:11]

NOBLES: Campaigning has resumed with just three days remaining before the big Brexit vote in the U.K. The historic referendum on whether Britain should stay in the European Union or exit, has been overshadowed in recent days by the stunning murder of Jo Cox.

Over the weekend, mourners remembered the 41-year-old lawmaker as a shining example of what politicians should be. She is the first sitting British lawmaker to be killed in 26 years.

Let's go live now to Birstall, England and bring international diplomatic editor, Nic Robertson. Nic, there is no doubt that Jo Cox's death is having a big impact on this vote.

NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: Absolutely. We talked to people over the weekend here about their opinion. Now Jo Cox has been killed. I asked a lot of people, you know, do you think it's going to change your mind. Some of them said no. They will stick with their original positions.

But there were quite a number of people, we were surprised how many, who actually said, I was going to vote no. I was going to leave the European Union. Now I'm changing my mind.

Others who said while I was sitting on the fence, but now I'm going to vote to remain, to stay inside the European Union. The reason that they cited is because her killing makes them more concerned about the future of this country.

The most divisive issue is over immigration. This area where Jo cox as an MP was really seen as somebody to bring the community together. It has awakened concerns here from the people that the whole issue of debating immigration. People can see how dangerous and divisive it is.

That's a concern for them. A lot of people are concerned about the economy going forward and they are really feeling Britain is better off staying inside the European Union.

This, of course, is having an effect on the value of the British pound against international currencies. The pound is up significantly.

[05:15:06]So that tide just seemed to be turning for the vote later this week. It is still too close to call, though -- Ryan.

NOBLES: Nic, have you noticed a change in tone at all by the "leave" campaign in the wake of Cox's death?

ROBERTSON: Absolutely. There was a pause in campaigning for several days. People we talked to this weekend said they wanted politicians to tone it down. They really feel that it had become acrimonious and toxic and very, very personal.

Some of the face to face debates that have been on broadcast primetime national television here had really become a slinging match almost between some of the politicians.

And the most emotive issue was the one over immigration posted by the "leave" campaign last week had a long line of immigrants coming up to a gate in southeastern Europe. The message was breaking point.

Meaning Britain cannot take anymore immigrants and that really turned some people off and really the message is now even inside the "leave" camp, we cannot campaign like that. We have to tone it down and be less divisive -- Ryan.

NOBLES: In fact, one of the debates right towards the end there canceled because of the death of Jo Cox. Nic Robertson in Birstall, England. Thank you, Nic.

ROMANS: All right, at least five deadly wildfires are burning across the desert southwest right now. This as the broiling heat kills at least four people over the weekend in Arizona. Two of those people died while hiking in triple digit temperatures. Those scalding temperatures will continue today. More on the threat now from meteorologist, Pedram Javaheri.

PEDRAM JAVAHERI, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Christine and Ryan, good morning to you both. Watching some incredible heat over the southwest here with some 30 million people underneath heat advisories and warnings.

When you consider temperatures up to 125 in a few spots, you know why this could be a big deal across the portions of the southwest. Look at this.

Weather fatalities, the number killer in the U.S. now is heat, 130 fatalities on average every single year. Of course, you spoke of the hikers and things like that put people in a lot of danger when the temperatures are this hot.

Look at this, 116 in Phoenix. That would break the record of 115. Vegas could break a record. Winslow, Arizona could break also record temperature. Los Angeles, get close, but we don't believe Los Angeles would break a record high today.

But when you talk about 116 in Phoenix, you are talking near the top five hottest temperatures ever observed in this region in this massive (inaudible) of high pressures just in place.

You are seeing here as the air begins to sink, it compresses, it warms up and we are talking about record temperatures continuing for much of your Monday across this region.

You see the numbers as far as how much land had been consumed from the wildfires that are in progress across the region. It equates to about 60 square miles of land. That is greater than the size of the city of San Francisco.

So again, an expansive area that is being consumed by wildfires over the past several days. We will leave you with the high temperatures across the country ranging from the 70s in San Francisco to the 90s out towards portions of Washington. Sent it back to you, guys.

NOBLES: Thanks, Pedram. A bizarre mystery unfolding in suburban Philadelphia, A 51-year-old man found living with 12 girls ranging from 6 months to 18 years old. And Bucks County, police say that Lee Caplan fathered two children with the oldest girl who was gifted to him by a couple living 100 miles away in Lancaster County.

Caplan faces statutory sex assault charges. The couple who gave him their daughter, Daniel and Sevilla (inaudible) charged with endangering the welfare of children.

ROMANS: All of those children, by the way, are now in protective custody. It did not look like any of them went to school. Neighbors said the 18-year-old appeared too young to be his wife and too old to be holding his hand. So that what was really drew a lot of concerns and questions there.

Police in Los Angeles investigating the freak accident that killed "Star Trek" actor, Anton Yelchin. The 27-year-old had stepped out of his car in his driveway around 1:00 a.m. Sunday.

The car somehow rolled backwards and crushed him against a brick pillar and a security fence. His body was later found by friends who became concerned when he did not show up for a rehearsal.

NOBLES: Well, they are dancing in the streets of Cleveland. The Cavaliers are NBA champions and they won the title by doing something no team in the league has ever done before. Andy Scholes with this morning's "Bleacher Report" up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:23:53]

NOBLES: There's a good chance if you are watching us in Cleveland this morning, you have yet to go to sleep because after 52 years, your city is finally celebrating a championship. ROMANS: Andy Scholes has more on the Cavaliers' NBA title in this morning's "Bleaching Report." He is in Cleveland. Hey, Andy.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, guys. What a night for the city of Cleveland, after 52 years of sports misery, the fans here can finally call themselves champions.

And I'll tell you what, watching these fans watch game seven, it was a treat. These fans just hoping and praying all night that this would finally be their year. We finally got a great game at the NBA finals after six straight blowouts.

Lebron coming through with the one most epic blocks you'll ever see in an NBA game with the game tied in the closing minutes. That opened the door for his running mate, Kyrie Irving to hit one of the greatest shots we have ever seen in the NBA finals.

That three gave the Cavs the lead for good. They would go on to win the game 93-89. Lebron James capping off an incredible performance in the NBA finals. He leads the Cavaliers back from a 3-1 deficit. First team to do that and bring a title home to the city of Cleveland.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[05:25:06]LEBRON JAMES, CLEVELAND CAVALIERS: Our fans, they ride or die. No matter what's been going on. No matter -- you know, the Browns, Indians, Cavs and other sports teams, they continue to support us. For us to be able to end this and end this drought, our fans deserve it. They deserve it. It was for them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: We were right in the thick of it watching it with the fans inside and outside of the arena in Cleveland. There were thousands inside. Thousands outside.

When the final buzzer sounded, everyone erupted with joy and ran around like crazy. We got mauled every time we tried to do some interviews. But hey, we did get some great ones. Here is what we heard from fans moments after that final buzzer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fifty two years of frustration. I have been to the drive and all the other stuff. This makes it. Wonderful.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Finally, we did it. My city, Cleveland, is finally champions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you look around at the city right now, this is what we have been longing for. This is what we wanted. We deserve it. We got the greatest fans. We got the greatest players on the planet.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my God, I can't even describe like Cleveland deserves this. We have been waiting so long. Cleveland needs nice things.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCHOLES: That was the theme, guys. People said they have waited their entire lives. The happiest they had ever been. The Cavs celebrated for a while in Oakland. Then they hopped on their plane and continued the party in Las Vegas last night.

They are going to return here to Cleveland later today. The city will completely shut down on Wednesday because they will have the championship parade through the city streets of Cleveland. Everyone will be off work for that one, I guarantee.

ROMANS: And they get a Republican convention. So lucky in Cleveland.

NOBLES: All those people on the streets and the game was on the other coast in Oakland.

SCHOLES: Absolutely. Guys, I feel privileged to have been in Cleveland as opposed to Oakland. The party here was incredible.

ROMANS: He has been up all night. Andy Scholes, sharp as a tack. Thank you.

New crucial information this morning about the Orlando terror attack. It will be released today as tens of thousands of people mourn the victims of that horrifying shooting.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)