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Questions over Olympic Swimmers' Robbery Story; Trump Addresses Statesville Fraternal Order of Police; Montel Williams Supporting Clinton; New Conference with Brazil Police. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired August 18, 2016 - 14:30   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:30:22] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Back with breaking news. I'm seeing some movement, not quite the police chiefs here. We are waiting for chief of Civil Police and chief of tourist police there in Rio to hopefully set the record straight on really what happened with Ryan Lochte and his swimmer buddies in the wee hours a couple of days ago. Ryan Lochte standing by his story that he was armed -- rather, robbed at gunpoint. But there is now video that's come out at a gas station showing -- I don't know. I don't actually know. We don't really know what happened.

But my question, Danny Cevallos, is this. Three of the swimmers are still in Brazil. One is here in the United States. So how does that work? Could Brazil say to the U.S., bring him back, we want to charge him? Does the U.S. say -- what?

DANNY CEVALLOS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Oh, what a difference if you are charged with a crime, where your feet stand geographically. Ryan Lochte being back in the United States puts him in a drastically different position than his fellow swimmers who are back in Brazil. And for the swimmers, as well as other U.S. citizens, the State Department will -- cannot and will not do much if you are arrested abroad. There is a misconception among some Americans that somehow our government will send the Blackhawk helicopters when we are arrested in Cancun or aboard somewhere else. Not true. The only thing the State Department may do is help you do is find a lawyer. They may help you get in touch with your parents. But they are not going to bust you out of jail, pay your bail, or represent you in court. So those swimmers that are in Brazil have a very different situation. The only way to get Lochte back to Brazil is through extradition, through Brazil and the United States, extradition treaty. There are rules and requirements. And ultimately it's something that the State Department has to approve of and grant that extradition.

BALDWIN: Doesn't that add a layer of complication, the fact that there are three in one country and one in another?

CEVALLOS: It adds a diplomatic political layer because, if Brazil demands Lochte back and the United States says, no, well, meanwhile, Brazil has some swimmers that the United States might want back, so each of them is sort of at a draw at this point, if it gets to that. Whereas, really the better diplomacy would just be to come to some agreement and that would probably be some kind of restitution, a big apology, all over those many millions of followers that some of the swimmers have on social media. I don't know. But that might be the wise resolution instead of -- this could potentially escalate to an international conflict over what started out as a particularly ill- advised night out.

BALDWIN: Art Roderick, let me just hear your voice, CNN law enforcement analyst.

Again, as we await these police chiefs. On the left side of your screen, that is a piece of video from the gas station where they were for 4:30 in the morning.

My question to you, sir, is what sort of criminal activity -- what sort of activity, I should say, could be deemed criminal in the eyes of Rio police?

ART RODERICK, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Well, first of all, we've got some report of vandalism. Again, there is a ton of questions up in the air that hopefully we'll get answers during this press conference. But the vandalism is the key part. Did they pay the store owner off? We don't know. What was actually vandalized? Were they confronted by a security guard? We don't even know that.

But I do agree with the panel that somewhere in between here there is the truth. If that's the case, then I think both parties have to come to some agreement here. It's just very odd also from a purely investigative standpoint that Lochte's back here in the U.S. Did he call his attorney right away? I know his attorney has said that this was a scheduled trip for him to come back. But it's just, as an investigator, it just throws some doubt on the whole story when all of a sudden the next day after this event Lochte gets on a plane and comes back to the U.S.

BALDWIN: He's the one who makes it home when the other three are behind in Brazil.

RODERICK: Right.

BALDWIN: Quick break. Waiting for this news conference to happen. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:37:30] BALDWIN: We will get you to Rio and that news conference momentarily as we are waiting for new information on what the heck happened with Ryan Lochte and swimmers in the wee hours of the morning a couple days ago. We'll take you to Rio momentarily.

But first, let me talk about Donald Trump. As you know in the last 24 hours or so, we've been discussing a shake-up, you want to just call it changes, really at the helm of his campaign, bringing in Steve Bannon, Kellyanne Conway.

And Donald Trump now in the battleground state of North Carolina, talking to members of law enforcement in Statesville. We've turned around a little of that tape. Here you go. (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DONALD TRUMP, (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE & CEO, TRUMP ORGANIZATION: I want to thank you everybody for being here. As you know, big, big supporter of law enforcement and our police. These are great people. Great, great people. The courage that you show is amazing. It is wonderful to be in North Carolina. We just went down to the range and we had a little shooting practice.

And I want to thank our great mayor, Rudy Giuliani. He did an amazing job in New York.

(CHEERING)

TRUMP: The sheriff is tough, he's smart and fair. Is he fair? Tell me, is he fair? He better be fair.

(CHEERING)

TRUMP: Come on over here. Come on over here. I want to thank you. Very special person. I want to thank you. I want to thank you very much.

So it looks like it is going very well. I guess they just got some very good numbers that were just announced in North Carolina. North Carolina is going to be very important. I know how well we're doing with law enforcement. That could be unanimous. That could be no matter where you are in the country, we get no negative vote. But I think we're going to do very well in North Carolina. It is a great state. I have property here. We have a lot of employees here. We have a terrific property right on Lake Norman. You folks know about that. Just a real, really special place with incredible people and I appreciate all of you being here.

If anybody has any questions, go ahead.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just want to let you know, North Carolina State Fraternal Order of Police Foundation just this past week had our state conference and you have North Carolina Fraternal Order of Police Endorsement. And we're sending that to the national lodge.

(APPLAUSE)

[14:40:04] TRUMP: That I did not know. We've had a lot of support from the police, from the unions, from the police. It's incredible.

Thank you very much, Ron. It is my great honor.

That was a great question.

(LAUGHTER)

That turned out not only to be a -- thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

Question? Anybody?

That means you have all the answers. That's good.

(LAUGHTER)

Yes, go ahead.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Trump, thank you for being here.

I'm retired law enforcement officer from the state of New Jersey.

TRUMP: Good place.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I supported Giuliani though.

(LAUGHTER)

My question is, when you become president, we have a problem with Congress. One of my biggest problems with Congress is the Benefits that they give themselves. This he make more -- make laws that we all have to abide by, but they conveniently exempt themselves. Health care, pension. If they have one -- they serve one term in Congress, then they continue for the rest of their lives. What other profession has these kinds of benefits? And what with key do to have term limitations in Congress, get these bums out so we can have a decent people who pass -- decent people who pass laws that benefit the people of the United States?

TRUMP: Well, you're not the first person that's talked to me about term limits. And you're not the first person that talked about the various benefits, including the health care.

And, Ron, he definitely has his opinions. Do you agree?

But I understand that very well and we're going to look into that because a lot of people are limits. I hear it from more and more people and we're going to take a very serious look at that. Without the term limits, you have two different scales. But we will see what happens. It is a very good and very fair question and one that I've heard many times. We'll look into this very strongly. OK? OK.

So ladies and gentlemen, thank you very much.

What you do is incredible, the risks you take and the danger. I think it's probably come out more in the last six months to a year.

Sheriff, I would say the last six months to a year it's come out more the danger of being a policeman than maybe it ever has.

I think, in terms of myself, I was always aware of the danger but I've never seen it like it is right now. So I have great respect for your courage, great respect for you and I am behind you 100 percent. OK?

Thank you.

(APPLAUSE) BALDWIN: Donald Trump, self-dubbed the law-and-order candidate, addressing police in Statesville, North Carolina. We are watching for a mega rally tonight in Charlotte. That happens in the wake of the shake-ups, changes in the top of the Trump campaign, bringing in Kellyanne Conway as campaign manager and Steve Bannon, who had been running "Breitbart News" up to the top.

And just to also remind you, Hillary Clinton, too, in New York today meeting with the nation's top cops. That happening as well.

We're still waiting to hear from the two chiefs of police in Rio de Janeiro in the wake of the Ryan Lochte scandal. What really happened. We're waiting.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:48:04] BALDWIN: We'll get back to Brazil momentarily. We just played the sound from Donald Trump meeting with the Fraternal Order of Police in Statesville, North Carolina. He's on the trail there.

But here is something interesting. Montel Williams says he is throwing his support behind Hillary Clinton. He supported Republican, John Kasich, in the primaries. Now he says there is no way he is voting for Donald Trump. No way.

You can hear from the man directly, Montel Williams just seated next to me.

So good to see you, my friend. Welcome back.

MONTEL WILLIAMS, FORMER TALK SHOW HOST & FORMER MARINE: Good to see you, too.

BALDWIN: So we were hanging out in Cleveland. You were at the RNC. You were on with me and you said to me, Brooked it's either -- because you so love John Kasich. It was either Hillary or no one.

WILLIAMS: Right.

BALDWIN: What happened to go Hillary?

WILLIAMS: You know, what's happened is the fact that I've just decided that I can't be silent anymore. I really believe that Donald Trump represents a clear and present danger to this democracy and our republic. Unfortunately, there is no other game in town. I think Hillary's left and reluctantly -- I say only partially reluctantly, I'm going to back her. I cannot see Donald Trump ever being commander-in-chief of our military.

BALDWIN: You said Trump is "worse than a clown or bigot." Then when I heard you say about Hillary Clinton, well, she was left, what don't you like about Hillary Clinton?

WILLIAMS: I have to say very clearly and I am starting to change my attitude. Like a lot of other independents, you need to be pushed a little bit in one direction or another. I went to the Republican convention. We saw nothing but separatism, diving. At the Democratic convention, at least they made an attempt to reach out to people like us, people who were Independents, Republicans, conservative. They made that attempt. Now, I reached out after I wrote in op-ed piece and said blatantly, as long as we can get to the understanding that the first priority for me is taking care of our military. Remember, each candidate said after the Wednesday they intend to put ISIS in its place. That means sending troops into the battlefield. We can't do that until we pay the debts that we owe.

[14:50:10] BALDWIN: I know becoming a Marine, you passionate about that. But you still didn't answer my question which is what about Hillary made you so reluctant to finally giving in --

(CROSSTALK)

WILLIAMS: Remember, I hold some of the highest clearances this country has ever given. I had some-secrets. I was at the National Security Agency for my entire career. Send 600 days afloat under the water in black ops. The way she handled our security information is really unconscionable. However, we have due process. I spent my time in the military protecting that due process. They've run her through the gamut and decided not to charge her. Move on. Next. So that was the one that was my biggest reluctance. Now, second one was the fact that she has stated that she's not sure if that V.A. problem still exists. Well, they do exist. There is no way to lie our way out of this. Whether or note went from 22 to 21 people killing themselves a day, that's nothing to brag about. Last night, after I went on "Hardball," two steps removed from Hillary herself, camps have reached out to me, Montel, can we talk about the veterans issues? I say this all year long, I've not heard from Donald Trump at all.

BALDWIN: He says he is advocating for veterans issues.

WILLIAMS: No, he's talking a mean game. He said we want to put more police officers in inner cities because we want to help black people. Really? The next thing he going to say to build a wall around inner cities in to keep us out? He needs to stop the rhetoric over there.

BALDWIN: But also, in this name calling, he called Hillary Clinton a bigot. Beyond that, he was saying that the Democratic Party has taken for granted black voters.

(CROSSTALK)

WILLIAMS: That's the most ridiculous thing in the world. That is the most ridiculous comment ever. The fact that he would even address black people after he himself wrote in his own book -- let's remember something, Brooke. Everybody talks about "The Art of the Deal." I want to remind you of this. When that book was published it never made "The New York Times" best seller's list. I'm the only show that gave Donald Trump a full hour for that book. The Monday after it aired, he hit "The New York Times bester seller list. His book was at number one. His author said when Donald called in to start the interview process, he said I'm really proud of this, I'm that same guy I was when I was 8 years old. He's the same guy today. He's an 8- year-old spoiled child who throws tantrums, won't study, won't listen, thinks he knows everything and won't listen to anybody.

BALDWIN: How many years ago was that show? Off the top of your head?

WILLIAMS: That show had to have been -- when --

BALDWIN: 20-ish years ago.

WILLIAMS: Yeah.

BALDWIN: What was he like then?

WILLIAMS: Same guy he is today.

BALDWIN: Same guy he is today.

WILLIAMS: Yeah. I question the fact that I interviewed him then. I really kind of a little bit -- I had some angst over airing it because even those that were -- I had complete control over the show but my reps at ABC were like, really?

BALDWIN: I have had a lot of folks on who advice Trump, talk about his brilliance, his family.

WILLIAMS: What brilliance? What brilliance?

BALDWIN: What did you like about him 20 years ago?

WILLIAMS: You know what? I really put him on because I wanted to get some ratings. Back then. Nobody else would take him. I thought if I put him on -- I did exactly that. I got ratings and I got him ratings.

BALDWIN: Did he write you a thank-you note?

WILLIAMS: Heck no. But that's not the only time I've met with Donald. I met with him over business initiatives here in his office, in Manhattan, in Florida. I used to be invited to Mar-a-Lago. I'm sorry to say he is the same guy I knew then.

BALDWIN: We'll pivot back. We'll talk about what happened in Brazil over the commercial break. In full disclosure, you just came up to say hello. I said, what are your thoughts on -- as we talk about the Olympics. There was such a run-up to what happened in Rio with regard to -- I'm sure Brazil didn't love it with regard to Zika and pollution in the water and crime down there. And for the most part it's been solid Olympic Games and now all of a sudden you have this incredible American swimmer --

(CROSSTALK)

WILLIAMS: And our other Olympic athletes, American, are being booed right now because of from. But go ahead.

BALDWIN: Your thoughts on all of this. Because they are held to a higher standard. He is a role model. He's got -- not to -- he's got like a million Instagram followers. Lot of young people, I guess is my point, look up to man. He's 32. He's been in some trouble in the past. He's the one that's made it to the United States. The other three are still stuck in Brazil. What do you think of this whole thing?

WILLIAMS: It's sad commentary all day. I've heard everybody trying to excuse the fact that he has now -- and you know for a fact lied.

BALDWIN: Why do we know for a fact?

WILLIAMS: Because he said when he talked to the NBC affiliate -- before Matt Lauer, the young man on the evening show. When he talked to him he said that these young guys put a gun in my face, they put me on ground. Then he turned around and said, well, I embellished that. Then he said the car was run off the road. I embellished that. Embellments not -- it's called lying. When in America did we decide to defend liars? Whether we like it or not, here in the United States if I say something blatantly false about you, you can sue me. If I file a false police report, I can be locked up. I'm so sorry. These are Olympic athletes. They should be held to a higher standard. And let's stop accepting the lowest denominator in America in think that lying is OK. That's Donald Trump.

[14:55:28] BALDWIN: The news conference has just begun.

WILLIAMS: Sorry. Thank you, Brooke.

BALDWIN: I appreciate it.

The news conference. Let's listen.

(CROSSTALK)

FERNANDO VELOSO, CHIEF, BRAZILIAN CIVIL POLICE (through translation): Can we start?

Well, good afternoon to all of you. I will try to carry on this interview that will be easier for all of you. I hope that you all understand Portuguese. There will be no opportunity for simultaneous translation, so any will speak in Portuguese. If there is anyone that doesn't understand Portuguese? We can even try later on to answer any question. We cannot do it in two languages, although we have a huge number of foreign journalists here.

My name is Fernando Veloso. I am the head of the Civil Police of the state of Rio de Janeiro. I'm here with the head of the Brazilian police officers.

We have you all here in this theater, and we need also to thank the theater to allow us to have this press conference here because -- have it in a more comfortable way for you because there -- our police office will not be able to accommodate all of you.

So what we're going to do in the following way our press conference. First, of all we're going to provide you all with a brief explanation, with a chronological analysis, explaining the evolution since the police was aware of what happened to now. Some information will not be able to inform you because the investigation is still under way. So it's not concluded. Therefore, some information we might not be able to prove it to all of you. At the end, we will try to again provide a brief explanation so you all know, understand, what is going on. The head of the police will try to explain again what happened, and then we will try to answer your questions.

Because of the number of journalists that we have here, we ask you all to organize yourselves. I'm not going to use my police power and say, oh, no, now we have a list. We have a list or the names of journalists. And we're going to follow that list. So what do you prefer? To raise our hands? OK, we're going to do it -- raise your hands.

I'm saying that because I have here the head officer actually here for the Police of Tourism. And the Olympic Games are still going on and I know that you all want to understand what is going in a very organized manner. And I cannot keep the head of the Police of Tourist here all the time because I know that there is still things that he needs to do.

So having said that, let's start.

The incident occurred in a different way from the usual. The police was informed of the supposed robbery through the social media. And since then, our Police for the Tourists start working on that. You all know that. Has been disseminated through the media. The work of the police was very, very difficult due to the lack of information that we have and the very few information that we were able to gather from the supposed victims. They were very --