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Democrats Hold Sit-In To Push Gun Control; A Moment Of Silence; Nancy Pelosi To Hold News Conference; John Lewis Leads Sit-In; Demands That Republicans Address Issue Of Gun Violence; Trump Delivers Searing Attack on Clinton. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired June 22, 2016 - 13:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer. It's 1:00 p.m. here in Washington. Wherever you're watching from around the world, thanks very much for joining us.

We begin with breaking news. A showdown over gun control playing out right now in the United States House of Representatives. Take a look at this. These are live pictures coming in.

The House Democratic leader, Nancy Pelosi, expected to hold a news conference on this sit-in that's happening right now on the House floor. Congressman John Lewis, leading the sit-in on the floor of the House. Lewis and other Democratic lawmakers are demanding that Republicans address the sensitive issue of gun control and gun violence.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REP. JOHN LEWIS (D), GEORGIA: We have to occupy the floor of the House until there's action.

REP. JOHN LARSON (D), CONNECTICUT: Rise up, Democrats. Rise up, Americans. This cannot stand. We will occupy this floor. We will no longer be denied a right to vote. I yield to our majority whip and leader.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We sit down --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The gentleman's time expired. (INAUDIBLE) of Rule One. Chair to close the House for recess until the hour of 12 noon.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BLITZER: Just moments ago, the White House press secretary, Josh Earnest, responded to this very dramatic sit-in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOSH EARNEST, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: They are showing the kind of frustration and even anger that people around the country have about the inability of the Republican-led Congress to take common sense steps that would protect the American people.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: CNN's Manu Raju is up on Capitol Hill. Manu, talk a little bit about what the lawmakers are demanding because this is a pretty extraordinary move.

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, it's something you don't see very often, civil (ph) disobedience on the floor of the House of Representatives.

What Democrats are pushing for are votes in the House on to expand universal background checks, expanded background checks on gun purchases. And also deny folks who are on a terrorist watch list the ability to buy firearms.

Now, on that latter issue about the denying of people who would be considered terrorist, the ability to purchase firearms, Republicans agree with that. But there's a disagreement between Republicans and Democrats about how to identify who should be on that watch list and who should be denied a gun. That's one reason why things are bogged down in the Senate right now.

Now, the House has not taken up anything on this issue right now which is why House Democrats are launching this pretty dramatic protest.

Now, the House is -- we're not seeing any pictures or any video from inside the House because the House is actually on recess right now. One reason -- the big reason why is that because the House is considered out of order. Speaker Paul Ryan, as press secretary, put out a statement saying that the House cannot operate without members following the rules of the institution, so the House has recessed subject to the call of the chair.

Now, what's happening in there right now is about 30 or 40 House members sitting on the House floor. Democrats giving speech, chanting, demanding action for votes on gun control. Sitting on the aisle and the well around that -- on the House floor, chanting things like, no bill, no break. I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired and we shall not be moved.

So, we'll see how long this lasts and we'll see if Republicans try to stop this. But some support from the Hillary Clinton campaign. Bill Clinton tweeting support for John Lewis of Georgia, the Congressman who's leading this effort. He said this is leadership. So, clearly, Democrats sense an advantage on continuing this fight -- Wolf.

BLITZER: Do we know, Manu, the last time there was this extraordinary move, a sit-in on the floor of the House of Representatives?

RAJU: It's been some time. But Republicans actually mounted a similar type of offensive during House speaker minority leader Nancy Pelosi speakership when she was House speaker. And Democrats didn't have any recourse then. But what they did do was turn off the lights. So, we'll see if that's what Republicans decide to do if, ultimately, Democrats don't relent -- Wolf.

BLITZER: All right, Manu, stand by. We're going to get back to you.

Congressman Dan Kildee, he's a Democrat from Michigan. He's one of the lawmakers taking part in this sit-in along with Congressman John Lewis. Congressman Kildee is joining us on the phone. Congressman, I want to talk to you but I want to listen in briefly because we're hearing this from the House floor. Listen to this.

MALE: -- children, another one on the way, when she kissed her husband good-bye one morning. To work. He never came home that night. What words are there to console a newly single mom trying to care for --

[13:05:14] BLITZER: All right, you get a flavor how these Democrats are speaking there. Congressman Kildee, what are you trying to accomplish here?

REP. DAN KILDEE (D), MICHIGAN (via telephone): Well, we're trying to get the House of Representatives to take up a bill that the majority, 80 percent plus, of the American people's support that would be a very simple, very straightforward, common sense way to make the country safer by banning people who are on the terror watch list not allowing them to purchase weapons.

In the wake of Orlando, with all these shootings, the Democratic members are just exhausted by one more by moment of silence followed by days and weeks and months of inaction. And we've just had enough. The American people are sick of this and we are too.

And we're following the lead of John Lewis our -- you know, our sort of the spiritual leader of the Democratic caucus. And we're just not going to let this happen. We're going to sit down until we get a vote.

BLITZER: The spokesperson for the House speaker, Paul Ryan, issued a statement. I'll read it to you, Congressman. The House cannot operate without members following the rules of the institution, so the House has recessed subject to the call of the chair. Why are you violating the rules of the House of Representatives?

KILDEE: Well, we're just getting in the way. You know, the interesting thing is when the Republicans see the rules being followed, and they don't like the outcome, they change the rules. Speaker Ryan just changed the rules when it relates -- as it relates to appropriations bills. This so-called regular order that they talk about is a -- is an order that they change at their whim.

And our view is this. The American people want us to take action. The rule of the House should be we act on the big questions that the American people face. Not that we hide behind the rules in order to not act. And Democrats are just tired of that.

So, we're -- we are going to force the Republicans to deal with the fact that they have created this dysfunction and they need to stand up and be responsible.

Now, they don't have to vote for the bill, but they ought to let the American people and their members of Congress vote on a piece of legislation that the vast majority of Americans represent. And that's all we're asking for.

BLITZER: But you know, Congressman, the criticism that you'll face is the U.S. Constitution says there that there should be a majority in the House of Representatives. If the majority -- in this particular case, it's a pretty impressive Republican majority. If they want to change the rules, they can change the rules.

When the Democrats were in the majority, they could do the same thing. These are the rules of the House of Representatives and you're violating those rules right now.

KILDEE: We are. And, you know, the -- of course, the rule is when the House is not in order, it adjourns. And so, they did adjourn. And we're on the floor now with the House standing in recess.

But, you know, it's a little difficult for us to be bound by these traditions when people are being killed in the streets of the United States and the Republican leadership in Congress wants the hold 60 seconds of silence and then move on and forget about it.

So, I understand people feeling like maybe this is stretching our authority. But my god, if there's ever a time for us to push past what the norm would be and to do something that's extraordinary, it's now.

And we're just -- we're fed up with a Congress -- a leadership in Congress that won't just allow us a vote. If they want to stand with the NRA, let them stand with the NRA and then go home and defend it. But they ought not have the privilege of being able to ignore the will of the American people and hide behind the rules that they continually change in order to do so.

BLITZER: How long, Congressman, are you prepared to continue this sit-in?

KILDEE: Well, I -- you know, we're going to do this as long as it takes to get action. And, you know, I heard one of the previous commentators mentioned that there are maybe some different points of view or there's some different perspective. We've heard this many, many times. When they put a bill on the floor, we'll be satisfied. And, you know, we don't have any plans to stop.

BLITZER: Was this Congressman John Lewis' idea or did someone else come up with this idea? Because all of us remember his leading role back in the 1960s in the civil rights movement here in the United States where there were a lot of sit-ins.

KILDEE: Well, I think we were all fed up and we were all looking -- we were talking this morning, looking for way to try to force this issue. And we were inspired by John Lewis' words when he went to the floor of the House this morning. And in that way, it was somewhat spontaneous. But it wasn't spontaneous in the sense that we are -- we are all enormously frustrated in looking for a way --

[13:10:07] BLITZER: All right.

KILDEE: -- to somehow express ourselves.

BLITZER: Congressman Dan Kildee, I want to thank you very much for joining us.

Nancy Pelosi, the minority leader in the House of Representatives, the Democrat leader, is there on the floor. I want to see what she's saying.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D), MINORITY LEADER: Hold hands with each other and let your energy pass from to the another. A moment of silence, a moment of need, a moment of truth.

So many names to remember. So much action to be (INAUDIBLE.)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No vote.

CROWD: No break.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No vote.

CROWD: No break.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No bill.

CROWD: No break.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No vote.

CROWD: No break.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No bill.

CROWD: No break.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No vote.

CROWD: No break.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No vote.

CROWD: No break.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No vote

CROWD: No break.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No vote

CROWD: No break.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No vote

CROWD: No break.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No vote. No.

BLITZER: All right. You see Nancy Pelosi there with John Lewis. They were holding hands during that moment of silence. They're continuing the sit-in right now. They want a vote on the floor of the House of Representatives to expand gun control here in the United States. The speaker has decided that, for now, that is not going to happen.

We'll continue to watch what's going on on the floor of the House of Representatives. You heard some of the activity there. This video we're getting courtesy of periscope, the official video that you normally see from the floor of the House of Representatives. Not available because the House, right now, technically is in recess.

Let's take a quick break. We'll be right back.

[13:12:04]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:15:52] BLITZER: Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader in the House of Representatives, the minority leader, has left the House floor. She's now outside explaining why Democrats are staging this protest, this sit-in, violating rules of the House of Representatives, to try to get a vote on gun control. I want to listen in to hear what else she's saying.

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), MINORITY LEADER: Over 150 people have died from gun violence in the streets of our country and we want to address that issue, as well as to deeply pray for those who lost their lives and their family members in Orlando and all of the mass shootings before that. But also remembering those who lose their lives to gun violence every single day.

With that I'm pleased to yield to distinguished assistant to the leader, Mr. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina.

REP. JIM CLYBURN (D-SC), ASSISTANT DEMOCRATIC LEADER: Thank you. Thank you very much, Madame Leader. Thank you.

Last Friday, all of us paused around the country to commemorate the first anniversary of the death of nine of my constituents. Three people survived that night, two by playing dead and one because the killer walked up to her and said, I'm going to spare you because I want you to carry the message.

Now that young man made it very clear that he was not about any foreign issue or any kind of international terrorism. He said that he was doing what he was doing in order to start a race war.

Now, the interesting thing about this is that that young man was not eligible to own a gun. In fact, the background check had been undertaken (ph). But as the leader said, we want reasonable, effective background checks. We have a big loophole in this law that because of this incident is now called the Charleston Loophole. And that loophole is simply this, if within the three-day period the background check is not completed, the gun sale can be consummated. Well, because wrong information was keyed in, either purposefully or by mistake, the fact of the matter is that the expiration of the three days, the background check had not been completed and it was some two days after that. But by this time, this young man was in possession of the firearm and went to Emmanuel AME Church to carry out his threat.

We want effective background checks. We want the list, the no-fly list, to be honored in such a way that potential, dangerous, demented people will not be able to so casually purchase firearms.

And so I thank all those who are gathered with us today for being so effective in their pursuit of reasonable constraints on a constitutional right, the Second Amendment, just as we have reasonable constraints on the First Amendment and all others.

And with that, I'd like to yield to Dan Gross (ph) to speak in whatever manner he wish.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you so much. Thank you, Representative Clyburn, for all your leadership. And, as always, Leader Pelosi --

BLITZER: All right, so we're going to break away from this part. You clearly see there's a demonstration on the floor of the House of Representatives. Democrats are staging a protest, a sit-in, to try to get a vote in favor of gun control legislation. The speaker of the House has made it clear that that is not forthcoming, at least not now. He says these Democrats are in clear violation of the rules of the House of Representatives. He's put the House in recess until they can figure out how to go forward. But the protest is continuing, at least for now. We'll stay on top of this breaking news.

[13:20:14] There's other news we're following as well, including Donald Trump. A major speech he delivered today claiming Hillary Clinton's deepest, darkest secrets may be in the hands of U.S. enemies. We're going to discuss that. We'll update you on that part of the story. A lot more right after this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:25:03] BLITZER: Donald Trump on the attack right now. He unleashes a withering barrage of criticism against Hillary Clinton, calling her, and I'm quoting him now, "a world class liar." In a speech just a little while ago, Trump took direct aim at Hillary Clinton's positions on the economy, trade and foreign policy. The presumptive Republican nominee also blasted Clinton over the e-mail controversy and the dealings of the Clinton Foundation. He accused Hillary Clinton of being in the pocket of special interest groups.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: They totally own her. And that will never, ever change, including if she ever became president, God help us. This choice in this election is a choice between taking our government

back from the special interests or surrendering, really, the last scrap of independence to the total and complete control of people like the Clintons. Those are the stakes. Hillary Clinton wants to be president, but she doesn't have the temperament, or as Bernie Sanders said very strongly, the judgment to be president. She does not have the judgment.

She believes -- she believes she's entitled to the office. Her campaign slogan is, I'm with her. You know what my response is to that? I'm with you, the American people.

Hillary Clinton's message is old and tired. Her message is that things can't change. My message is that things have to change, and that this is our one chance and maybe our only chance to do that change and to -- if we don't do it now, folks, I don't know that we'll ever, ever have another chance. We have to have change, but real change, not Obama change.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Clinton's campaign pouncing on the speech even before Trump delivered it. The campaign put out a statement that accused Trump of, quote, "rehashing and recycling more tired and old nonsense." The campaign says, instead of defending his own record, Trump resorts to, quote, "peddling yet more discredited attacks from his look over there campaign playbook."

We just heard some of Donald Trump's searing attack on Hillary Clinton, leveling several very, very serious charges against her. So how accurate are his claims? Our resident reality check expert Tom Foreman is joining us now to take a closer look.

Tom, what are you finding out?

TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Wolf, he hit her on a lot of broad fronts, but he also hit her on some very specific things. For example, her plan to bring in more Syrian refugees. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Under her plan, we would admit hundreds of thousands of refugees from the most dangerous countries on earth with no way to screen who they are, what they are, what they believe, where they come from.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOREMAN: He seemed to be talking purely about Syria during this area -- or mostly about Syria. And let's look at the reality here. President Obama has a goal of bringing in 10,000 Syrian refugees by the end of September this year. She has indeed said she wants a huge increase, 65,000, in the near term is what she's aiming for. However, she has also said that none of them should come in without the most stringent scrutiny and background checks. Now, it's worth noting that there are security analysts out there,

including the head of the FBI, who says it can be very hard to do these checks on some of these people, particularly from Syria, where a civil war has created so much chaos on the ground. In the end, though, when you consider all of that, you have to say that Trump's claim, the idea that she wants hundreds of thousands in, which is not true, and that there are no checks, that's simply false.

One of the other areas he went after her, though, was the idea that she used the office of secretary of state to enrich herself personally and to draw money into the Clinton Foundation. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Hillary Clinton accepted $58,000 in jewelry from the government of Brunei when she was secretary of state, plus millions more for her foundation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOREMAN: It is true that she did get a gift from the government of Brunei, this elaborate jewelry, gold and sapphire and diamonds. It was worth a lot. And she did exactly what the law requires. She immediately declared it as a diplomatic gift, which means it was a gift from the government of Brunei that immediately became a possession of the government of the United States of America. She did not keep it. She was simply the officer who oversaw that transfer of a gift between governments.

[13:30:02] Now, beyond that, what troubles a lot of people a lot more is that the government of Brunei did, in fact, give $1 million to $5 million to the Clinton Foundation. That does worry a lot of people out there.