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Special Coverage Of Dallas Police Ambush; Clinton Calls For National Police Use Of Force Guidelines; Clinton: Using Personal Email "Was A Mistake". Aired 11a-12p ET

Aired July 9, 2016 - 11:00   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:00:28] WOLF BLITZER, CNN HOST: Welcome to our special coverage of the Dallas police ambush. I'm Wolf Blitzer reporting. Just tuned to CNN, we're learning new disturbing details about the gunman Micah Johnson while serving in the US army in Afghanistan. Johnson was accused of sexual harassment by a fellow female soldier. He was honorably discharged back in 2015.

This information comes at the city mourns the death of five police officers who according to officials were singled out and murdered as payback for the recent shooting deaths of African-American men by police in two other states. Investigators found tactical manifestoes and bomb-making materials in the gunman's home. President Obama has announced he will travel to Dallas early next week cutting short his visit to Europe. He's also expected to address the nation. Next hour, we will bring you the president's statement and his response to questions from reporters live. That's coming up in the next hour.

But first, we have team coverage in all the developing angles of this critically important story. CNN's Polo Sandoval is in Atlanta with thousands of protesters block a major interstate ramp over night. CNN's Ed Lavandera is at the shooting scene in Dallas. CNN's Victor Blackwell is standing in front of a Makeshift Memorial in Dallas. Victor, the outpoint of support over the past 24 hours has been tremendous. Update our viewers.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It's been virtually non-stop here in front of Dallas police department headquarters, Wolf. And I'll just kind of step to the side a bit to give you a look at what's happening here. Families have been coming here. You see, two boys here bringing flowers and notes to the two cruisers here. We see that there are notes here that say back to blue because someone I call dad is on that force. And just a look here at the newspaper that came out this morning, the Dallas morning news with the photos of those four Dallas police department officers, that one DART officer and the two words from the chief. We're hurting, you know, just summarizing the pain that is felt across this area this morning. Wolf?

BLITZER: It's a moment that you've been there all morning. Does it seem to be escalating the angst there or is it receding a bit?

BLACKWELL: Well, it depends upon who you ask. I've had several conversations with people about what they're feeling here. And they have shared both a sympathy for the department and a sympathy for the two men who were killed earlier in the week. And the difficulty of having those two as we called them on our show this morning simultaneous conversations. But the first people out this morning were here at 6:00 a.m. local. The sun wasn't up yet bringing flowers and bringing those cards here, trying to show their solidarity with the department.

BLITZER: Mr. Blackwell on the scene for us, thank you.

Protesters are planning to march against police brutality in several cities across the country today. Police in Phoenix having to use paper spray and shoot bean bags to push back protesters trying to over run a free way. Police arrested three people for throwing rocks. Most rallies have been more peaceful from New York to San Francisco. People have marched to have their voices heard. In Atlanta, police blocked protesters from entering a major interstate and arrested two people. Polo Sandoval is joining from Atlanta right now. Polo you witnessed the protest there. Tell us more.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, we were through there from the very start when this initially started as a march with several thousand people, a wave of individuals making its way through downtown Atlanta. But then as you mentioned, the situation really came to a head when some of these demonstrators tried to gain access to the interstate there, downtown which is something that officials were fearing. So that's when we immediately witnessed many, many troopers essentially cut off this crowd keeping them from making their way into the interstate. That was a concern from people. And as we see these pictures, if we show some of the actual confrontation there, you'll actually see that there was some conversations that were happening though in the crowd. So it's important to add that context as we see these pictures. Yes, there were a large amount of people.

Yes, the situation did get fairly tensed during a certain point. But, the actual troopers that were involved were having these conversations about how to bridge the gap between these communities, between law enforcement and some communities in the United States, a bit of what was happening there. So, as we look ahead now, there is that -- or officials not only here in Atlanta but throughout the country are asking individuals to respect the law, but at the same time, to actually, as they make their way on to the streets to try avoid a situation like what we saw in Phoenix play out when authorities had to deploy pepper balls to try to keep this advancing crowd back. But back here in Atlanta, again, while the situation did appear confrontational or tensed at times, there was that dialogue that continues. And that's what officials want to see including here in Atlanta. Kasim Reed, the mayor even introducing several of these demonstrators to Ambassador Andy Young, a tremendous figure in the civil rights struggle.

[11:05:15] Mr. Young, they're telling protesters that when he marched with Martin Luther King down these streets, getting on the highways was simple out of the question. And that is the message that people or these officials here hope that the rest of the demonstrators get as another day of protest could potentially happen, Wolf?

BLITZER: Yeah, Andy Young speaking with a lot of credibility indeed, all right Polo thank you very much. The Dallas community still reeling just two days after the shooting and trying to move forward but Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton releasing a statement on the shooting saying, let me read it to you. "The loss of the five officers in Dallas in the line of duty is a somber reminder of the heroic sacrifices these brave men and women perform each day to keep us safe. Today, we must all come together to honor their selfless service and sacrifice." That's exactly what the community has done swarming the Dallas police headquarters with flags, candles, flowers and strong messages of support. I'm joined now live by the Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Attorney General, thank you very much for joining us and our deepest condolences to you and everyone in Texas right now for this horrific loss. Thank you so much for joining us.

KEN PAXTON, TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL: Absolutely. Yeah it's been a difficult 48 hours.

BLITZER: I'm sure it has been. Go ahead.

PAXTON: Having worked down here, it's very difficult to get a sense of what is -- you feel being down in an area you've worked in and never thinking that this would happen in your area.

BLITZER: I know that police have collected a lot of evidence from the shooter's home. Where does the investigation stand right now?

PAXTON: You know what, Dallas is investigating right now. They're doing a great job. One of the things that they're trying to accomplish is just to make sure that there's no other conspiracies involved in this, no other people involved in this transaction. So, I think you're going to see Dallas work through this. It's going to take some time. But I don't think that it's going to be resolved overnight. Wolf?

BLITXER: Do you have any reason to believe others they have been involved?

PAXTON: You know, I can't say that this time we don't know. But we just want to make sure that there were not others involved. We know that there was one shooter but we don't know if there was a conspiracy to help him accomplish his goal.

BLITZER: What about the three other individuals who were taken into detention Thursday night? Are they still being held? And what if any, connection did they have to the shooter?

PAXTON: Well you know, we don't know. I know that they're still being, that they interviewed these people. I know that this is an ongoing investigation. I can't really comment on that because right now the Dallas police Department is the one involved in this. We are here from the AG's office to support them in any way. But we're not the ones that are actually doing the investigation. So, we'll just have to wait to see as they go through their investigation.

BLITZER: We know Attorney General that they found a lot of very, very devastating equipment in the shooter's home according to the Dallas Police Department. They found not only fire arms but they found bomb- making materials, ballistic vests, rifles, ammunition and a personal journal of combat tactics. What can you tell us about the personal journal he wrote?

PAXTON: I actually have not had the opportunity to look at that personal journal. So I don't really have a comment on that. I do know that the Dallas Police Department is doing a great job. If you think about the amount of time that they've had to do this investigation, for less than 48 hours from the beginning of that investigation, and so, I think we just have to wait and see what they've come up with and what they're willing to share on a you know, I think a fairly short time basis.

BLITZER: As far as you know, did he have any specific political motivations?

PAXTON: Ask that question again?

BLITZER: As far as you know, did he have any specific political motivations in terms of -- we know the Police Chief David Brown said when he was negotiating with police, he said he wanted to kill white people, and especially he wanted to kill white police officers. What kind of idealistic or motivational determination did he bring to this massacre?

PAXTON: You know, that's a very difficult question to answer, especially since the shooter is deceased. All we can go off of this, what he actually told the police at the time they were negotiating. And obviously, he had some real bias. And his own words speak to that strongly.

BRITZER: So, where does the investigation stand right now? You're getting all the cooperation you need from federal authorities, for example the FBI, the ATF, the Department of Homeland and Security?

PAXTON: Yes, I think this is going extremely well. There's tremendous cooperation between the Dallas police department, state officials, federal officials. This is one of those investigations ht I think I is going extremely well and is being done the right way.

[11:10:16] BLITZER: Ken Paxton, that would be Texas Attorney General, Attorney General thanks very much for joining us.

PAXTON: Hey I appreciate you having me on. It's a sad day in Dallas. It's a sad -- it's going to be a sad couple of days, especially as I stand out here at this memorial reading some of the letters about some of our amazing police officers who sacrificed their lives.

BLITZER: Attorney General, before I let you go is there one message you want to send right now, not only to the people of Texas but the people of United States?

PAXTON: You know what I would say is please pray for these families. Remember them because, it's so easy to forget what they've done over time. They're going to be struggling for months, sometimes years. Remember them in your prayers. And then also, anything that you can do to support law enforcement, they come out here and risk their lives. They were out protecting the Free Speech Rights of these people. And they did it at the cost of their own lives. So I'd encourage people that you know or that you run into they're involved in law enforcement because they don't make a lot of money. They do it out of love, and they do it for serving the community. So I just encourage people to say nice words to people that you know in law enforcement.

BLITZER: All right, well said. All right, Attorney General thank you so much for joining us. Ken Paxton of Texas. So, we're also learning more about the five of police officers who lost their lives during the Texas police ambush. Here is what we know. Brent Thompson was a Dallas Area Rapid Transit Police officer and a newlywed. He was recently remarried to a fellow transit officer. Thompson also trained police officers in both Iraq and Afghanistan. Lorne Ahrens was a 14-year veteran in the Dallas Police Department. He had worked for the Los Angeles sheriff's department for ten years before that. Michael Smith was also a Dallas police officer. He served the force, with the force for 27 years. Michael Krol's lifelong dream was to be a police officer. His uncle says he worked hard to get his job in Dallas. And police officer Patrick Zamarripa was a navy veteran and a father of two. Our deepest condolences to their families and to their friends. We'll be right back.

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[11:16:31] BLITZER: We're getting new details just coming into CNN right now. We're learning that the Dallas gunman Micah Xavier Johnson was accused of sexual harassment while he was serving for the U.S Army in Afghanistan. See it as Ed Lavandera is digging deeper into the shooter's background. Running us now live from Dallas, Ed, what else are you finding out?

LAVANDERA: Well Wolf, it's important to point out that this was not a criminal matter for Micah Johnson, but it was an administrative complaint that was filed while he was serving in the U.S. Army. According to the lawyer that helped him on that case, the accuser had made two requests that Micah Johnson receive mental treatment and also that she receive a protective order.

So, it was some new details emerging from his career, his six-year career in the army during which time he spent about nine months serving in Afghanistan, but those are just some of the pieces that investigators here in Dallas continue to comb through to piece the story of Micah Johnson there, looking through social media postings as well as searching through his home, a journal of combat tactics that he kept in his home as another thing that detectives are taking a much closer look at as well as all of that continues here today in Dallas, Wolf?

BLITZER: And quickly, did he ever drive? Was he working at the time of this shooting?

LAVANDERA: We've heard there have been some reports of various things he was doing. He hadn't been out of the army terribly long, so those are some of the things we're still trying to nail down and confirm.

BLITZER: Because he have been, I think he was out of the army at least a year or so ago. I wonder if he ever got a job. If he didn't, maybe that have contributed to his anger or whatever. But we'll check in to that. Ed Lavandera, thanks very much for joining us.

Let's get some more details on the investigation. Joining us now, CNN law enforcement analyst Art Roderick and Tom Fuentes also retired LAPD Sargent Cheryl Dorsey. Tom, what do you make of this revelation of the gunman's past that he was accused of sexual harassment while serving with the U.S army in Afghanistan?

TOM FUENTES, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well it tells me Wolf that he may have had an increasing grievance against authority if he was under investigation and we don't know who was investigating him or the merits of the case. But some people just feel that they shouldn't be investigated or that it's unfair that they're being investigated. And it may have created or added to grievances he may have already felt against authority, against the military, against other people. And you know in our society unfortunately, for people that take on, you know, let's say a hatred for government officials or U.S policy or any of that, the tip of the spear of the U.S government any day of the week are uniformed police officers on the street. They're the most vulnerable and for someone like him, they're walking around with a bull's-eye painted on their back. And that's the unfortunate thing.

BLITZER: Art, we just heard from the Attorney General of Texas saying, you know what, they're still looking to see if any other people may have been involved, co-conspirators, people who may have helped him obtain weapons or whether, whatever. Take us behind the scenes. How did they find out that kind of information given the fact that the gunman himself is dead?

ART RODERICK, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well we, I mean, we've heard about his manifesto, so that's going to provide, obviously, a lot of information on his thoughts at this particular time looking at social media, going through his computer, going through his cell phone, going through his vehicle. They're going to obtain a lot of information that way. And unfortunately, as we know at this point in time, this is sort of the same standard operating procedure every time we have one of these shootings. They're going to go into social media. They're going to look at the individual's computer. They're going to look at any devise that he used to communicate, whether it was a Playstation or an Xbox. And they're going to try to figure out who he's been communicating with, if anyone at all. I mean we've heard he's been a recluse and a loner, but they might even have all that information right now at this point in time.

[11:20:30] BLITZER: Cheryl, Dallas Police Department did say they found in his home there in the Suburban Dallas some documents embracing a radical form of Afro-centrism. What does that mean? What does that suggest to you, a radical form of Afro-centrism? CHERYL DORSEY, RETIRED LAPD SERGEANT: Well, what it suggests to me is

that this young man was looking for something to lean to, something to identify with. And I thought all along that he had to have some issues and some angst about something other than what it appeared to be and that was the Black Lives Matter movement. I think he was an opportunist and I said that from the start. He used this gathering as a means to exact vengeance on officers who really had nothing to do with what was going on in his head or even with what happened to the days prior. BLITZER: Tom, we were told yesterday by the Dallas mayor and the Texas governor that the FBI is deeply involved in this. You're a former assistant director of the FBI, what is the role of the FBI in this Dallas massacre investigation?

FUENTES: Well, they would provide forensic assistance, having crime scene investigators, you know. They're going to have to be helping the police gather up every bullet casing up and down the sidewalks and in that garage to try to determine if they all came from his weapon and not a stray, you know, gun involved which might indicate that there could be somebody else besides him that did the shooting. And also, now hearing about these issues with the military, that means that leads are going to have to be covered probably on a global basis of people that might have been part of that investigation or with him in the military that could shed more light on who he is associated with and what he did during that time. And often with former military personnel that get involved in criminal activity, it does require global investigation, which the FBI can provide.

BLITZER: Because Cheryl, they did say that released the shooting -- this is an ongoing investigation, this is released from the Dallas Police Department. If anyone has information regarding the shootings, please call and then they put out the number 214-671-3584. I assume they're getting a lot of calls, Cheryl. Just -- I'm assuming that a lot of people may have run into this guy over the years and they're just calling in with information. Some of that information potentially, Cheryl could be useful.

DORSEY: Absolutely. And we understand that most people don't operate in a vacuum and, you know, he's a young man, he's on social media. And so there will probably be an inordinate amount of information and leads that the officers can glean from his comments and from his associates on social media that might hindsight being 20/20 give us the impression that this was coming.

BLITZER: All right guys, stand by. Because we have a lot more information to assess as well. We'll get back to you. Still ahead, my interview with Hillary Clinton, what she has to say about the police shootings, the healings, the effort to try to heal race relations in America.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESUMPTIVE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: We need more love and kindness. And I know that's not usually presidential candidates say but I believe it and I'm going to be speaking about it from now all the way into the White House and beyond.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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[11:28:03] BLITZER: As protests continue over police use of force, and many mourn the deaths of Dallas police officers, it's clear the next President of the United States will inherit the enormous challenge of trying to heal race relations in America. A new Pugh research center poll shows, 66 percent of voters right now think Hillary Clinton is better suited for that task compared to 26 percent for Donald Trump. I spoke with Hillary Clinton about the bloody ambush in Dallas and the recent deadly shootings by police.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Madam Secretary, thanks very much to you for joining us. Let me start with the deadly police ambush in Dallas overnight, deadliest day for police officers here in the United States since 9/11. What would you do as President of the United States to prevent this from happening again?

CLINTON: Well first, Wolf, I've expressed my deep condolences and concerns to officials in Dallas and in the region there, including the county judge, the mayor, the police chief, because this is an absolutely horrific event. I also want us to remember that just 24 hours before, we had a killing that the loss of life in Baton Rouge, in Minneapolis and right before talking with you, it appears we had an additional event in Tennessee. This is deeply troubling.

And it should worry every single American. We've got to do much more to listen to one another, respect each other. We've got to do everything possible to you know, support our police and support innocent Americans who have deadly encounters with the police. This is the kind of call to action and as president, I would implement the very comprehensive set of proposals that I've been making for more than a year, including we must do more to have national guidelines about the use of force by police, especially deadly force. We need to do more to look into implicit bias and we need to do more to respect and protect our police.

[11:39:13] Look at what happened in Dallas. Those police officers were protecting a peaceful protest, a protest of authority. That is a hallmark of America. When the shooting started and everyone else was fleeing, the police were moving toward danger.

So let's start understanding, putting ourselves in each other's shoes again, and really coming together as Americans to end this kind of terrible violence.

BLITZER: Madame Secretary, how would you bridge the divide between police officers who now feel targeted and African-Americans who also feel they are targets?

CLINTON: Well, I think that's the most important question, Wolf, because we've got to do a lot more to bring the police together with the communities that they protect and we have to have better lines of communication.

As I said we need national guidelines to really set out when force should be used and especially when deadly force should be used. Some police departments have really taken that to heart.

They've done an excellent job over the last years trying to figure out how to prevent any situation from escalating into the use of force. And at the same time, we need communities to feel that they can trust the police that the police are trying to protect them.

That's going to take a lot more communication, a lot more bridge- building. It's going to take a lot of training on the part of our police officers to get back into the communities, to understand what's happening in neighborhoods.

I thought we were on the right track, somehow we have veered off of it in recent years. I've met with so many family members of those who have been killed in encounters. I've certainly talked with police officers' families who also have been killed in encounters.

We just have to make up our minds that we're going to bring our country together. This is much deeper even than these terrible killings. We've got to start once again respecting and treating each other with the dignity that every person deserves.

BLITZER: Madam Secretary, the violence in Dallas, as you know, followed that fatal shooting by police a day earlier of a black man, Philando Castile, during a routine traffic stop in Minnesota. The governor there said that if the people in the car had been white that wouldn't have happened? Do you agree with them?

CLINTON: Well, I know the governor called for a Justice Department investigation and I absolutely support that. We've got to figure out what is happening when routine traffic stops, when routine arrests escalate into killings. And I don't think that we know all the answers for that, Wolf. Clearly there seems to be a terrible disconnect between many police departments and officers.

BLITZER: But do you agree with the governor, Madam Secretary? Do you agree with the governor when he said if those people had been white he would not have been shot?

CLINTON: We'll I think -- we have to find where the evidence leads us, but the facts are clear and the governor knows those facts, that too many African-Americans have been killed in encounters with police over matters that should not have led to that action being taken.

That's why, again, I reiterate a call for national guidelines. We have 18,000 police departments. Some of them are very small, some of them are not very well-trained. Some of them, you know, don't really have the resources that are necessary to keep training and retraining.

And, frankly, Wolf, to go after systemic racism which is a reality and go after implicit bias.

BLITZER: Here is the fundamental question critically important right now. Why do you believe you would be better suited at handling the racial divide in America than Donald Trump?

CLINTON: Well, I can only speak for myself. I have been involved in working to try to close the racial divide my entire adult life. I've worked on issues of criminal justice reform, incarceration, juvenile justice, for many decades.

And I'm heartbroken that we have to keep repeating and doing that work year after year, but I'm determined and I am persistent. And I will call for white people like myself to put ourselves in the shoes of those African-American families who fear every time their children go somewhere.

[11:35:06] Who have to have the talk about, you know, how to really protect themselves when they're the ones who should be expecting protection encounters with the police.

I'm going to be talking to white people, I think we're the ones who have to start listening to the legitimate cries that are coming from our African-American fellow citizens.

And we have so much more to be done and we've got to get about the business of doing it. We can't be engaging in hateful rhetoric or incitement of violence. We need to bring people together.

I've said on the campaign trail repeatedly we need more love and kindness. And I know that's not usually what presidential candidates say, but I believe it and I'm going to be speaking about it from now all the way into the White House and beyond.

BLITZER: Let me turn to the sensitive issue, the e-mail investigation, now that the threat of criminal prosecution is behind you. What have you learned from this entire episode about your e- mails?

CLINTON: Well, first, I greatly appreciate the work that the FBI, Department of Justice did and they handled it very professionally. I have said many times, and I repeat clearly today, it was a mistake for me to use personal e-mail, and I regret that.

I am certainly relieved and glad that the investigation has concluded, but I also know how important it is to make sure everybody understand that I would certainly not do that again. That is something at the time as even Director Comey said, seemed like a convenience, but it was the wrong choice.

BLITZER: He clearly said you did not break the law. But Comey, the FBI director, also said in announcing his findings this week that you acted in his words, extremely careless, in an extremely careless way in handling classified sensitive information. Do you acknowledge you were extremely careless?

CLINTON: I think that the director clarified that comment to some extent. Pointing out that some of what had been thought to be classified, apparently was not. The State Department also made that clear.

I think there are about 300 people in the government, mostly in the State Department, but in other high positions in the government with whom I e-mailed over the course of four years.

They, I believe, did not believe they were sending any material that was classified. They were pursuing their responsibilities, I do not think they were careless. And as I have said many times, I certainly did not believe that I received or sent any material that was classified.

And, indeed, any of the documents that have been referred to, I think were not marked or were marked inaccurately as has now been clarified.

BLITZER: The FBI director did say about 110 e-mails were classified. Various forms of classification, even if they had not been marked. He said someone in your position as secretary of state should have known better. Here's the question, should you have known better?

CLINTON: I just believe that the material that was being communicated by professionals, many with years of handling sensitive classified material, they did not believe that it was. I did not have a basis for second guessing their conclusion and these were not marked.

They were not marked and in retrospect, some have said, well, they should have been, but they were not at the time. And I have the highest regard for the people in the State Department who are doing the very hard work of diplomacy day in and day out.

Often under tremendous pressure from the field and under time pressures and questions from journalists and so much else. And I have no reason to believe that they were careless in their judgments in sending me the material that they did.

BLITZER: The State Department as you know has decided to reopen its own internal review of your use of that private e-mail server or servers now that the Justice Department, the FBI has completed its investigation. Will you cooperate with this new State Department investigation?

CLINTON: Well, I assume they will pursue whatever process they think is appropriate. And I also assume that they will pay very close attention to what the findings were of the Justice Department investigation.

[11:40:06]But, again, I will repeat, because I think this is important, over 300 people were on these e-mail exchanges. Some on many, some on a few. And these were experienced professionals who have had great years of dealing with classified material.

Whatever they sent me, they did not believe and had, in my view, no reason to believe at the time that it was classified. So I'm very proud of the work that we did during my four years. We dealt with two wars, financial collapse, the Arab Spring and so much else.

And I think that the professionals with whom I communicated were very careful about how they handled classified material. As I was over the course of those four years.

BLITZER: We're completely out of time. But very quickly, will you cooperate with this new State Department investigation? Because I know you didn't cooperate with the inspector general of the State Department in his investigation.

CLINTON: Well, there was a Justice Department investigation going on at the time. And, of course, I fully cooperated with that. BLITZER: Madam Secretary, thank you very much for sharing some thoughts with us on this day.

CLINTON: Thank you very much, Wolf.

BLITZER: So Donald Trump has his own views about what happened in Dallas. Our political panel will weigh in on that and a whole lot more right after this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Too many Americans are living in terrible poverty and violence. We need jobs and we're going to produce those jobs. Racial divisions have gotten worse, not better.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:46:00]

BLITZER: We're waiting on President Obama to speak in the next hour. He'll be cutting his European visit short to return to the United States and visit Dallas in the coming days.

Just a little while ago, you heard in my interview with Hillary Clinton, you heard her call for new guidelines for police use of force as well as a call for national unity and respect around the country.

I want to bring in Neal Boortz, a retired conservative radio talk show host and lawyer, and Maria Cardona, a CNN political commentator and Democratic strategist, supporter of Hillary Clinton.

Guys, we just heard at length Hillary Clinton speak out on her thoughts in the aftermath of the massacre in Dallas. Listen to what Donald Trump posted his video that he posted his thoughts on Dallas.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: The shooting of the 12 police officers in Dallas, Texas, has shaken the soul of our nation. Just a few weeks ago, I met with many of the men and women in the Dallas police force during my visit to Texas. They're not just police officers. They're mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters.

And they are all on my mind today. They're on everybody's mind. A brutal attack on our police force is an attack on our country and an attack on our families. We must stand in solidarity with law enforcement, which we must remember is the force between civilization and total chaos.

Every American has the right to live in safety and peace. The deaths of Alton Sterling in Louisiana, and Philando Castile in Minnesota also make clear how much more work we have to do to make every American feel that their safety is protected. Too many Americans are living in terrible poverty and violence. We need jobs and we're going to produce those jobs. Racial divisions have gotten worse, not better. Too many headlines flash across our screens every day about the rising crime and rising death tolls in our cities.

Now is the time for prayers, love, unity, and leadership. Our children deserve a better future than what we're making them live through today. But to get them there, we must work together and stand together. We will make America safe again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: That was Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee. Neal, did you hear a lot of difference, substantive difference, in his message in the aftermath of Dallas as to what we heard from Hillary Clinton?

NEAL BOORTZ, FORMER CONSERVATIVE TALK SHOW HOST: Actually I did. I can't tell you how this grieves me to say this, but, actually, Hillary sounded more on target than Donald Trump did on this one. But she missed something important. She talked at great length about what whites need to do.

And we do need a dialogue, we need to improve it, and white people need to understand the angst and the concern in the black community. Some people over the -- what they perceive to be the targeting of some blacks by police.

But at the same time, this is where Hillary didn't go, blacks need to understand that there are also serious heart felt concerns in the white community especially about the overwhelmingly disproportionate degree of violent crime that is perpetrated on America's towns and cities by about 3.5 percent of our population, being young black males.

This isn't going to be a one way dialogue. Whites need to understand the concerns of blacks, and vice versa and we need to understand that you can't shake hands with somebody who has their fists clenched.

BLITZER: Maria, what did you think of these two messages, one from Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump?

[11:50:01]MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, I actually for the most part agree with Neal that Hillary Clinton was much more on target in terms of the comprehensive manner in which we need to deal with this very, very difficult issue or set of issues head on.

I will say this about Trump, he sounded very unTrump-like in his statement, which I think is a good thing. I'm glad that he didn't get into what he has previously gotten into which is blaming President Obama for our racial divisions.

But I think he did miss a point in going into real solutions, and that is where I think the big difference is with Hillary Clinton. She talked about the solutions. She talked about what we needed to do in terms of not just the white community understanding and putting themselves in the shoes of African-Americans and what they deal with every day.

But actually focused on what police departments can engage in and in terms of trying to fix this. And in terms of what Neal said about whites, about the African-American community understanding the fear from the white community.

That's where Hillary Clinton talks about really coming together and talks to each other as opposed to past each other. And she talks about love and kindness and love and tenderness, and that's what we need to focus on.

BLITZER: Guys, I want to shift gears momentarily because we're just getting in, Hillary Clinton has just released a brand new, very detailed proposal to expand mandatory healthcare funding by some $40 billion here in the United States over the next ten years.

She wants to make Medicare, for example, available to people 55 years old and older. She wants to expand Medicaid and go beyond Obamacare and the Affordable Care Act. I don't, Neal, if you got a chance to review her latest proposal, but it's getting increasingly very close to what Bernie Sanders is proposing.

BOORTZ: Well, not surprised. She's been moving to the left ever since the Sanders candidacy gained so much steam. If you want healthcare reform, the best way to do it, this has been proven over and over in so many areas of concern to American citizens.

On the left, on the right, of all colors, if you want real reform, you move toward free market reforms. For instance, I'm 71 years old, you know what? I don't need a health insurance policy that is going to pay maternity benefits. I'm good. I'm not that good.

So maybe by allowing the marketplace to meet the demands of the people, we might move to lowering the cost of medical care. One thing, I would love to be engaged in a full scaled debate with somebody over this ridiculous concept that we have a right to healthcare. Nobody has a right to any portion of another person's life.

BLITZER: Clearly you disagree with Bernie Sanders on that and --

BOORTZ: Yes.

BLITZER: -- Maria, let me read to you the tweets that Bernie Sanders just posted in the aftermath of Hillary Clinton's detailed statement. Today's proposal by Hillary Clinton is an important step towards expanding health insurance and healthcare access to millions of Americans.

He said efforts to give Americans a public option choice and to expand Medicare by allowing people to opt in at 55 years are important steps. Together these steps will get us closer to the day where everyone in America has access to quality, affordable healthcare. Here's the question, Maria, I assume this week there will be a joint appearance and probably will endorse her. Is that what you're hearing?

CARDONA: That is exactly what I'm hearing, Wolf. I actually think this is terrific. Look, this is the Democratic Party really focusing on going beyond our current problems. The Affordable Care Act has done a huge, huge job and put a huge dent into the crisis that we had in terms of healthcare.

We have a record number of people that are now covered. We have record numbers of families who do not have to worry and wake up at night that they're going to have to choose between paying the rent or paying their kids hospital bills.

I think that's a good thing as a country. I think that this shows that the Democratic Party is listening to the American people in terms of what they want and where this country needs to go.

What Hillary Clinton is talking about today is to continue to fix what is a problem that the Affordable Care Act started to go to in terms of a solution, and we want to get to where the solution is for all Americans.

BLITZER: All right, Maria Cardona, Neal Boortz, we're going to try to set up a debate for you, Neal.

BOORTZ: I'd love that.

BLITZER: Thank you so much to both of you for joining us. An important day indeed. The next hour of our special coverage continues right after this.

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[15:59:29]

BLITZER: Hello. Thanks very much for joining us. I'm Wolf Blitzer with special coverage of the Dallas police ambush. President Obama is expected to address the nation any moment. The White House announcing he will travel to Dallas in the coming days after cutting his visit to Europe short. We're going to bring you the president's remarks live, stand by for that.

Meanwhile in the investigation into Thursday's shooting, we are also now learning disturbing details about the gunman, Micah Johnson. While serving in the U.S. Army in Afghanistan, Johnson was accused of sexual harassment by a fellow female soldier. He was honorably discharged in 2015.

This information comes as that city mourns the deaths of five police officers who, according to officials, were singled out and murdered as payback for the recent --