Return to Transcripts main page

CNN NEWSROOM

Ryan Lochte Speaks Out on Rio Robbery Scandal; Trump to Deliver Immigration Speech This Week; The President on Vacation; U.S. Military Commander Issues Warning to Syria and Russia; Clinton Confident in Recent Polling; Obama to Visit Flood Ravaged Louisiana. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired August 21, 2016 - 15:00   ET

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


[15:00:00] MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Martin Savidge in for Fredricka Whitfield.

Ryan Lochte speaking out for the very first time about that fateful night out in Rio and going for goal in the 100 meter mea culpa. One of the U.S. swimmers golden boys is now apologizing for "exaggerating the truth" but then confusing to confess to accusations that he lied about getting robbed." Brazilian police say that the swimmer and teammates vandalized a gas station bathroom and urinated on the property.

Lochte and police do both agree on one thing. At least, they appear or appeared to agree on that. It's where they differ is the issue of a gun and money exchanging hands, was it a robbery or not? Here is what he told NBC's Matt Lauer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATT LAUER, NBC: How do you feel about the way you've handled yourself since Sunday morning, early Sunday morning when this all went down?

RYAN LOCHTE, U.S. OLYMPIC SWIMMER: I mean, since everything that happened, I kind of have laying low, just not -- I mean, I had those statements. I've talked to you. But before I wanted to go out on camera, I wanted to really make sure those other guys came back on U.S. soil. And which I just found out, that's why I'm doing this today is, Jimmy just came back, he is the last person to come back.

LAUER: Let me play devil's advocate there for a second. Because had you come out and set the record straight earlier, Gunnar and Jack might not have been pulled off that plane and Jimmy might not have had his passport impounded, so if you come forward and done an interview like this and told the real story earlier, couldn't you have taken way a lot of their problems?

LOCHTE: Oh, by all means. And I think, this is why I'm taking full responsibility for my actions because if I didn't over-exaggerate the story, to what I said when I did it, when it first happened with Billy Bush and yourself, and I told you the full story, none of this would have happened. We wouldn't be here. We wouldn't be sitting here discussing this. LAUER: So when you talked to Billy on Sunday afternoon, you didn't tell him the whole truth. When you spoke with me on Wednesday night by phone, you didn't tell me the whole truth.

LOCHTE: I left details out. And which-- that's why I'm in this mess, is I left certain things out and I over-exaggerated some parts of the story.

LAUER: One of the things you appear to have embellished with Billy, when you talk to Billy. So you said at some point after you refuse to sit down, the security guard put the gun to your forehead and cocked it. That didn't happen?

LOCHTE: That didn't happen and that's why I over-exaggerated that part.

LAUER: Why did you do that?

LOCHTE: I don't know why. You know, it was still -- hours after the incident happened, I was still intoxicated. I was still under the influence. And I'm not making me being intoxicated like an excuse. I'm not doing that at all. I mean, it was my fault. And I shouldn't have said that. I shouldn't even -- just kept it at like I'm not saying anything.

But I over-exaggerated that part and the gun was drawn but not at my forehead, it wasn't cocked at my forehead. It was towards my general direction and as you can see in the surveillance, that's when my hands went up.

LAUER: You told me on the phone, Ryan, you said. "We are victims here. We are victims. And we're happy that we're safe." In the police press conference they said, "Not victims, they're vandals." How do you feel about that?

LOCHTE: It's how you want to make it look like, whether you call it a robbery, whether you call it extortion or us paying just for the damages, like we don't know. All we know is that, there was a gun pointed in our direction and we were demanded to give money.

LAUER: And that's really interesting point. I want to take a little time on this. If I were to ask you the same question again right now and say, "Were you robbed on Sunday morning in Rio", how would you answer?

LOCHTE: I can't answer that because I don't know if -- because I was intoxicated, so I don't know. All I know is there was a gun pointed at us and we had -- we were demanded to give money. Whether it was to pay for the damages of the poster, whether it was extortion or whether it was a robbery, like I can't -- I'm not -- equipped to like ...

LAUER: Except I want to point out that Gunnar in his statement, the police said, at some point, someone who spoke English walked over and offered to help translate this altercation. And he made it clear that the security guard was telling the four of you, you need to pay for that stuff, that damage before you can leave here or I'm going to call the police.

[15:05:07] You understood that at that time, didn't you?

LOCHTE: Yeah. Yeah. So then, we had to give the money.

LAUER: Right. So-- but at that point it's not a robbery. At that point, you're striking a deal. You're striking a deal to pay for what damage you've cause so that he doesn't call the police, and this doesn't become a bigger incident. Isn't that fair?

LOCHTE: We just wanted to get of there. There are held-- I mean, there was a gun pointed in our direction. We are all frightened. And we wanted to get out of there as quick as possible. And the only way we knew is, this guy saying you have to give him money. So we gave him money and we got out.

LAUER: That doesn't sound like a robbery. A robbery is when some guy targets you, whether he's armed or not, to take your money, and you belongings and valuables. This guy was negotiating a deal because of what happened in the walk way, and you guys were on the other end of the negotiation.

LOCHTE: And that's why it could be-- people can see it in many different directions. All we know is that there was a gun pointed to us and we were demanded to give him money. End of story.

LAUER: I guess, what I'm trying to get at is, the first version of the story you told, Ryan, was much more about the mean streets of Rio.

LOCHTE: Yes.

LAUER: And the version we're hearing now is much more about a negotiated settlement to cover up some dumb behavior.

LOCHTE: And that's why I'm taking full responsibility for it, is because I over-exaggerated that story, and if I never done that we wouldn't be in this mess. Those guys would never be in Rio or we're in Rio, none of this would happened and it was my immature behavior of, you know, we just finished.

We wanted to celebrate. And we hadn't been drinking or anything like months before that. And I definitely had too much to drink that night and I was very intoxicated. And none of this would have happened if I didn't do that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAVIDGE: I'm joined now by CNN's Don Riddell, he's live in Rio and I also have Mike Paul, the man known as Reputation Doctor. He is standing by in New York.

But, Don, first to you. Now that Lochte has issued this apology, are you hearing anything on potential disciplinary action? Has anything changed?

DON RINDELL, CNN ANCHOR WORLD SPORT: Well, I think that's almost certainly still to come. But the United States Olympic Committee, Martin, is still trying to keep their, you know, successful and clean and well-behaved athletes in the headlines. And they found that very, very difficult to do is the last few days.

So today, we saw a press conference from the USOC at which Allyson Felix and Simone Biles and others were there. The CEO of USOC Scott Blackman did discuss this briefly and confirmed that further action will be taken when we get back to the United States.

I think they have realized that the more fuel that's poured on to this fire, the more of the spotlight is taken away from those athletes. So they want to get the Olympics over and done with, get back to the United States and deal with it then, but there is no question that this has been a really, really big problem for the American athletes here, all of them.

Whenever you get to a press conference, that is a question that journalists want to ask. That is what the news outlets have been covering and it's a real shame when you consider the United States had topped the medals table here once again. They've had phenomenal Olympics and for many, many days since this incident on Sunday morning, the athletes have not been the story, this has been the story. And that's been a great shame for American Olympics.

SAVIDGE: It certainly has. What are Brazilians been saying about all of this?

RINDELL: Well, the Brazilians that I've spoken to are pretty disappointed. I mean, they've had a great Olympics too. The Brazilian team is at its most successful Olympics ever.

Of course, when you host the games, you are in the short window of the world. You want to promote your city. We all knew about the problems for Rio, building up to these games.

And I think the people of Rio, the karaokers (ph) would say, well, a lot of that coverage is probably fair and square. But what really urged them and what I think they took really personally was that this was exaggerated and Ryan Lochte admits that he now exaggerated the story. And that just wasn't fair. That just wasn't right.

And I think they are pretty miffed about that. Especially, we saw the chief of police speaking about it earlier this week. He was clearly very, very irritated about this entire circus and he's very regrettable, you know, on the behalf of everybody that had anything to do with it.

SAVIDGE: Yeah. Don Riddell, thanks very much for that.

Now, I want to bring in Mike Paul. He's an expert on public relations, crisis management and a man who spent 25 years helping celebrities and athletes save their careers and reputations. Mike, thank you very much for joining us.

Let's start with your reaction to how this has all played out and what you thought of Ryan Lochte's interview. [15:10:06] MIKE PAUL, PUBLIC RELATIONS EXPERT, "REPUTATION DOCTOR": Well, thanks for having me.

Just want to make clear that some people think that Ryan Lochte is my client because I've been offering commentary but he's not my client. I've worked with other professional athletes who've been sadly in similar situations.

I've give him a C minus overall for how he has handled this thus far. I don't think he has been fully truthful. Over-exaggerated, I'm not even sure if that's a word. As though, some exaggeration is OK. It's not okay.

You know, if he were my client, one of the things that I'd be telling him is that, I care about you and I have to give you tough love, and be prepared for because it's going to be direct.

There are no ifs and buts in a true apology. An apology is beyond words. It's about changing your heart to have a repentant heard, to feel sorry for others not yourself first. I haven't heard an apology, for example, to the gas station owner where this incident happened, where he not only urinated in the wrong place, kicked down a door, ripped down an advertising sign. That certainly deserves damages. I haven't heard that at all.

I've heard more about his fans, his family, himself, his teammates. He has to think about all of the stakeholders, and the most important stakeholders, he needs to be able to look at all of them and categorized them with priority, to make sure that he's hitting these marks with a changed heart and not just with words.

SAVIDGE: And those are excellent points. What about damage done now to himself? The sponsorship money is of course vital for these kinds of athletes, for their continued training, for their lifestyle? Is he damages goods? Is he beyond repair do you think? Where is he?

PAUL: Well, you heard strong statements, even with your piece that you just put together before this interview, with the USOC, saying some things that at least telegraphing that there's probably going to be some sanctions against him. It makes sense.

Again, if he were my client, I'll be counseling him, do you think the USOC is going to be able to allow you to get way with this? If other athletes do similar, there would be no penalty whatsoever, there's probably be sanctions, the same with your sponsors.

You have major sponsors. You have sponsors like Polo Ralph Lauren in Speedo for example, two of your biggest, do you think that they feel comfortable putting an ad on TV now with your face on it, when people are calling you names like "Swim Shady" and "Lochte Monster"? I mean, those are things that are not trustworthy.

The ultimate currency that he's trying to keep is trust and that's something that he needs to understand. And as a 32-year-old man who some people are still calling him a kid, he is not a kid.

SAVIDGE: No, he's not.

PAUL: By the way, he has a lot of international travel experience and a lot of Olympic experience, including someone on his own team, who should have been a clear example to not do he things he's done.

SAVIDGE: Right. This was not a young kid at his first Olympics. In your experience, when looking, you know, at the likes of disgraced athletes like Marion Jones and Lance Armstrong. When you see those kind of issues, those are doping, do you think the public is actually more forgiving at somethings say, more serious like those athletes have been through versus an embellishment a lie, over-exaggeration, however you characterize it. Do you think actually the public is harder on somebody like Lochte?

PAUL: I think at times they are, because they expect more maturity. They expect better of him. They say things like a world class athlete knows better.

To be at the top of your game, it includes having good behavior. It includes understanding what's important to branding and reputation and not just the law. If you're arrested and if you have a major fine you have to pay, then you need to be leaning on the advice of an attorney. I think that's extremely important in those two situations.

But in this situation, this is much more about branding. This is much more about the future. This is not only about your own brand, but the brand of the United States of America and the brand of an entire country who hosted the games that with your words, you labeled, as being a part of the problem and they were not a part of problem at all.

SAVIDGE: Right. We tend to sometimes think this is just a minor offense, what's the big deal. You summarized it very well. Mike Paul, thank you very much for joining us.

PAUL: Thanks so much, Martin.

SAVIDGE: Coming up, top immigration and deportation policy have served as a corner stone for Donald Trump's candidacy. But now, his new campaign manager is hinting at a potential shift. We'll discuss, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:18:04] SAVIDGE: Donald Trump is set to deliver a major speech on immigration this week. And today, his campaign is hinting on his stance on forcibly deporting million of immigrants maybe softening. Forced deportation were a major part of the cornerstone of Trump campaign but now that issue is "to be determined".

CNN's Chris Frates has the story now from Washington. This seems like an incredible turn, if it's true, Chris.

CHRIS FRATES, CNN INVESTIGATIONS CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, that's right, Martin. Because remember, Donald Trump campaigned hard in these primaries on his plan to deport the 11 million immigrants who in this country illegally. But today, Trump's new campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway, signals Trump hardline stance might be softening.

Here is CNN's Dana Bash pressing Conway this morning on State of the Union.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, let me play something from what Mr. Trump had said previously. Listen to what he said back in November.

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: You're going to have a deportation force, and you're going to do it humanely mainly at expense of ...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They get ripped out of their home? How?

TRUMP: They going back where they came. If they came from a certain country, they're going to be brought back to that country. That's the way it supposed to be.

BASH: So does Donald Trump still support that, a deportation force removing the 11 million or so undocumented immigrants?

KELLYANNE CONWAY, CAMPAIGN MANAGER, DONALD J. FOR PRESIDENT: What he supports and if you go back to his convention speech a month ago, Dana, what he support is, to make sure that we enforce the law, that we are respectful of those Americans who are looking for well-paying jobs. And that we are fair and humane for those who live among us in this country.

And as the weeks unfold, he will lay out the specifics of that plan that he would implement as president of the United States.

BASH: Will that plan include a deportation force? The kind that he just-- you just heard in that sound bite and that he talked about during the Republican primaries?

CONWAY: To be determined.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[15:19:4] FRATES: Now, questions about Trump's immigration positions come after a meeting with Hispanic leaders on Saturday where he reportedly told attendees, he plans to legalize millions of undocumented immigrants. And that will be a huge reversal for Trump who campaigned on the idea of creating a deportation force that would expel undocumented immigrants from the country.

But not everyone who attended that meeting walked way with that impression, this impression that Trump's open to granting legal status to undocumented immigrants. One meeting attendee told CNN that Trump talked about treating people in the country illegally in a fair, a humane, in a legal way but he didn't interpret that to mean Trump wanted to grant them legal status.

Now, Trump plans to focus on immigration all this week so we'll likely hear more directly from Trump in coming days, Martin.

SAVIDGE: So that could be, sort of kinder, gentler deportation.

We've learned that Sean Spicer is the communications director for RNC. He's going to be working more out of the Trump campaign headquarters. So what is that say about how unified the RNC in the Trump campaign are right now?

FRATES: Yeah, Martin. Well, it's just another example of how closely the RNC and Trump campaign are working together. Because remember, the Trump campaign is still relatively understaffed compared to past Republican presidential campaigns and is leaning heavily on the RNC to provide the typical kind of campaign infrastructure.

And I asked about Spicer about this move and he told me this. He said, "We are committed to winning back the White House and maintaining our majorities in the House and Senate. To that end, our political digital data and communications teams will continue to integrate and coordinate with the top of the ticket." And Spicer, well that means less time here in Washington, D.C. and more time in Trump Tower in New York, Martin.

SAVIDGE: Well indeed, all right. Thanks very much, Chris Frates.

FRATES: You're welcome.

SAVIDGE: Coming up, a horrific suicide bombing in Turkey and he's left 51 people dead, the age of the bomber, somewhere between 12 and 14. The details, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:25:31] SAVIDGE: President Obama returns from his two weeks summer vacation at Martha's Vineyard today. But as CNN's Dana Bash shows us, like many of his predecessors, the president was reminded that just because you leave Washington, doesn't mean that you are off duty.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you having a good time?

PRES. BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Having a great time, as always.

BASH: For a president, even being on vacation doesn't necessarily mean getting way.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm like, "God, I'm drowning."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're coming. We're coming.

BASH: After historic flooding hit Louisiana this week, the Baton Rouge newspaper, "The Advocate", demanded President Obama break its annual trip to Martha's Vineyard to visit victims.

Instead, he went golfing. And Donald Trump seized the moment to make his own trip.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're glad you're not playing golf in Martha's Vineyard.

TRUMP: Somebody shouldn't be.

BASH: The White House announced later that day that Obama plans to visit on Tuesday.

GEORGE W. BUSH, FORMER PRESIDENT OF UNITED STAGE: Good morning, everybody.

BASH: He is hardly the only president to resist pressure to interrupt his time away from the White House. President Bush decided to stay on his Texas Ranch as Hurricane Katrina made land fall in 2005, a decision he later told Oprah Winfrey he regretted.

BUSH: I shouldn't have flown over and looked. I made a mistake. I should have landed. The problem is that when the president lands, resources are taken off the task at hand. I didn't realize a picture of me looking out would look I didn't give a darn.

BASH: Of course, a president is commander-in-chief no matter his location. It's a point presidential press secretaries have been making since Teddy Roosevelt made the working vacation a norm by relocating most of the White Staff to his summer home in Oyster Bay, New York.

The press core has been chasing presidents on vacation ever since from Eisenhower on the links of Augusta National to JFK on his sailboat at the Kennedy compound in Hyannis.

Nancy Reagan defended her husband's frequent visits to their Santa Barbara Ranch by arguing that presidents don't get vacations, they just get a change of scenery. And Nixon said, escaping Washington kept him from being isolated from the reality of American life.

But as President Obama was reminded this week, the realities of politics never go away, even when you're at the beach.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAVIDGE: And our thanks to CNN's Dana Bash for that story.

Coming up, Turkey rocked today by a deadly suicide bombing that left 51 people dead, and it is the age of the bomber that is so striking to many on top of the death toll. We will talk about all of this after a break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:31:13] SAVIDGE: Hello. Thank for joining me, I'm Martin Savidge in for Fredricka Whitfield.

The top U.S. Commander for American troops in Iraq and Syria is growing a line in the sand, in the most direct public warming to Russia and Syria today. Lieutenant General Stephen Townsend is vowing to defend U.S. Special Operation Forces in Northern Syria if regime war planes and artillery continue to attack in areas where American troops are located.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

LT. GEN. STEPHEN TOWNSEND, COMMANDER OF U.S. FORCES IN IRAQ AND SYRIA: We've informed the Russians who tell us they've informed the Syrians where we're at, and I just say that we will defend ourselves if we feel threatened.

(END AUDIO CLIP)