Return to Transcripts main page

CNN NEWSROOM

Tropical Storm Hermine Batters East Coast; Michele Bachmann: If Clinton Wins No Republican Will Be Elected Again; Trump Holds Roundtable with Black Leaders; Protests over Early Release of College Student Sentenced for Rape. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired September 2, 2016 - 14:30   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:33:15] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Talk about this Tropical Storm Hermine, and the warning to more than 30 million people up and down the east coast: Just because Hermine is no longer a hurricane, do not be fooled. This is still a very, very dangerous storm. You are looking at pictures this is Savannah, Georgia. Shelters there are being prepped right now in the case people in the lower-lying areas have to evacuate. In Florida, more than 100,000 people lost power in the Tallahassee area alone. High winds, downed trees across the state and also here on the coast of Georgia. These guys surfing the waves, just in time for Labor Day.

By the way, New York has been closing beaches ahead of Sunday, possibly Monday as well. Here is the city's mayor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL DE BLASIO, (D), NEW YORK CITY MAYOR: The number one concern in terms of safety is riptides right now. I want people to understand this is a very unusual situation. According to the National Weather Service, we could see some of the most intense riptides literally in 10 or 15 years. The strongest and most dangerous riptides. The phrase used by the weather service in the briefing I was just on is -- extremely dangerous riptides.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: That's New York.

Let's talk South Carolina. My colleague, Brian Todd, is there in Charleston.

Looks cool and calm now, Brian. Tell me more about conditions and what people are saying.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brooke, we just had a significant band come through here, very heavy rain a moment ago. Wind has kicked up. The brunt of the storm is starting to move across the Charleston area. I heard an official talk about riptide. This is what they are worried about here. Storm surge here in Charleston smacking up against the seawall. Some of the storm system out more towards the harbor and the ocean.

Now one thing we're told also, this is a city of high bridges. As the wind kicks up now, Brooke, around the Charleston area officials are worried that some motorists will go up on those high bridges, still try to drive around where it may not be safe. That's one worry here.

Another one is, of course, these are low-lying streets. They can get flooded very easily and they will get flooded at some point. They handed out 3,000, 4,000 sandbags last night and this morning and they're giving out more now. These are very low-lying streets. You can feel the wind around me kicking up here along the Charleston harbor here in the peninsula -- Brooke?

[14:35:54] BALDWIN: We'll stay in touch, Brian Todd. We'll stay in touch. Thank you. You are your crew try to stay dry. Thank you. And there he goes.

Just in to CNN here, we have video of Donald Trump's meeting with the African-American leaders around the roundtable in Philadelphia, one day before his highly anticipated visit to Detroit. We'll hear what has been said. Stay tuned.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:40:43] BALDWIN: 2012 Republican presidential candidate and former congresswoman, Michele Bachmann, just issued a dire warning. She said if Hillary Clinton wins this election, that this will be, quote, "the last election" for her party. Here she was.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHELE BACHMANN, (R), FORMER CONGRESSWOMAN & FORMER 2012 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It is a math problem of changing United States. And if you look at the numbers of people who vote and who live in the country and who Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton want to bring in to the country, this is the last election when we even have a chance to vote for somebody who will stand up for godly moral principles. This is it.

All the Never-Trumpers, the establishment Republicans that are out there saying, well, we'll just take our chances and four years from now we'll have a better candidate, then we can take the White House. It's not going to happen. It's not going to happen. Hillary Clinton will ensure it won't happen because she's going to change the demographics of the United States so that no Republican will ever win again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: So that no Republican will ever win again.

Joining us, Mark Preston, "CNN Politics" executive editor.

Is that fair?

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICS EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Yes and no. So, let's just pick apart her statement. What she's saying in some ways is true, but she is certainly overstating it. Let's just talk about where we are right now and why Democrats are perhaps better positioned as we're moving forward. Right now, we are looking at urban centers, which tend to be Democratic. They're growing. Rural areas are losing population. They tend to be more Republican. You are also seeing a decrease in the number of non-educated white voters participating in elections, reliably Republican voters. And you are looking at college educated white voters starting to go towards Democrats. They're still Republican but they are not as dominant in the Republican Party in attracting these voters. At the same time you see an increase in the Hispanic population. We saw 71 percent of Hispanics vote for Barack Obama in 2012. The Asian population which is growing by leaps and bounds voted for Barack Obama at 73 percent. So really what it comes down to is this basic number. Back in 2012, Mitt Romney, 89 percent of his voters were white. 56 percent of Barack Obama's voters were white. Barack Obama's coalition is much broader.

BALDWIN: Do you think she would have said this if Trump weren't the nominee?

PRESTON: I don't know. She said one thing -- who they want to bring in to the country, meaning -- dog whistle saying that Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton want to try to bring in Hispanics because they want to grow their coalition and perhaps strengthen their party. I think that's a bridge too far by Michele Bachmann.

BALDWIN: We've just turned around some video of the roundtable, African-American leaders, Donald Trump, in Philadelphia. That's been happening. Here's the pictures. What's the political play here?

PRESTON: A couple things. One, he certainly making an effort if not a clumsy effort, to try to reach out to the African-American community. The fact of the matter is, 93 percent of African-Americans voted for Barack Obama back in 2012. Republicans have never done well with African-Americans. They're not going to do well. Is really a play to try to get independents and Republicans who don't like to hear Donald Trump's divisive rhetoric. When Donald Trump is making these efforts, it is not so much to try to woo black voters over, although he is trying in some case to chip away a little bit. It is really to try to get those white voters, Brooke, that are on the fence about supporting him.

[14:44:22] BALDWIN: Mark Preston, thank you very much. Appreciate you.

Coming up next, he is the former Stanford swimmer convicted of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman. Today, you see him walking free, serving all of three months behind bars. We'll take you to the protests and talk about this next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Brock Turner is a free man today after serving just three months of a six-month sentence for sexually assaulting an unconscious woman. The former Stanford swimmer was silent. You see him here as he was opening that door and walking to his car which was waiting for him. Barricades separating him from reporters, who you know were shouting questions.

This case drew national attention after the victim's heart-wrenching impact statement was shared all over the Internet. Critics say his six-month jail sentence for three felony convictions for sexual assault was just too lenient.

The local sheriff said this guy belongs in prison.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LAURIE SMITH, SHERIFF, SANTA CLARA COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT: I've been a critic of the law. The law should be state prison for people who commit this kind of crime and that's -- what I think we really, really need to push. The system had a flaw in it and I'm hoping that the governor signs the legislation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Let's go to Ashleigh Banfield there live in San Jose, who sort of now famously read that victim letter live here on CNN.

Ashleigh, I see protesters behind you. What has that been like? What's the response been?

[14:49:49] ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Pretty amazing, actually. Hi, Brooke. We've been here most of the morning from the moment Brock Turner actually walked out of the county jail behind us through the gauntlet of press. It was a cold, dark morning. It was 6:00 in the morning. Only press there. But then throughout the day, I would say close to 200 protesters showed up to effectively make known what they feel about his release. Three months of a six-month sentence. It is all within the legal parameters, good behave, overcrowding in the California jails. But the message here today is -- this is rape. This isn't an accident. This isn't drinking too much. This is rape and it has to be treated as such. So there have been a lot of messages. A lot of politicians were here, national, local. California politicians as well. A lot of survivors who showed up. Of course, this bill is sitting on Jerry Brown's signature that would essentially not make someone like Brock Turner be eligible for the sentence he received. It would be incarceration and not like the county jail. It would be prison. Not a probationary offense.

So you're aware of what Brock Turner is going through right now, likely with family members, possibly planning a flight back to Dayton, Ohio, where he plans to serve out three years of probation and he will register as a sex offender within the next five days. For the rest of his life, he'll have to re-register and re-register on a regular basis.

Really quickly, Sanford law professor, Michelle Dauber is with me.

You started the recall campaign. Is this is about the judge, or is there a wider message?

MICHELLE DAUBER, STANFORD LAW PROFESSOR: It's about both. It's about the judge, who is biased, in cases of sex crimes and violence against women. But I think that it is also about the general message that these are serious crimes and they need to be taken seriously. The judge has treated these crimes like they are minor misdemeanors. Of course, as we know from media stories, he's not the only judge that has done that. There have been cases, other cases, around the country of athletes receiving very, very light sentences and probation. I think that we are really at a turning point in our national conversation about sexual assault and also about domestic violence. These are serious felonies and we're not accepting less than justice going forward.

BANFIELD: Please give our regards to Emily Doe, the survivor. She is a friend of yours.

This is because of her words, really remarkable words in her victim impact statement. She was courageous and faced the judge and her attacker and said what it was like to be a rape survivor. Effectively, it is her life sentence.

Going forward, there is this recall that is in the offing now, if it is going to happen. Think back, Brooke, to Governor Grey Davis. Yes, it is a democratic system. And, yes, that judge was elected. And, yes, he operated within his discretion. But that's also -- it lends itself to the discretion of voters as well. We'll watch and see what happens as well.

BALDWIN: You are so passionate about this. Glad you hoped a plane and were there for this day in San Jose.

Ashleigh Banfield, thank you, my friend. Thank you so much.

Coming up next, the FBI releasing notes from its interview with Hillary Clinton and its investigation into her private e-mail server. What we are now learning here publicly. And the Trump campaign's response. We got that moments ago. All of that for you.

Also ahead, keeping a very close eye on this tropical storm threatening the eastern coast of the United States through this Labor Day weekend. I'll tell you where it is hitting. We have a live reporting up.

You're watching CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:57:38] BALDWIN: A heart-stopping 45 minutes off the coast of Florida after a family's boat capsizes. The parents and one child find safety but their 2-year-old daughter is nowhere in sight. In cases like this, every second counts. Officers rush to the scene and go beyond the call of duty to find her.

CNN's Nick Valencia reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It's Friday night near Cocoa Beach, Florida. Brian Bossert and his wife, Tammy, are in trouble.

UNIDENTIFIED POLICE OFFICER: I need the ETA on the dive team. Can anybody advise ETA on the dive team?

VALENCIA: Police infrared video shows the parents standing on their capsized boat. Minutes before, they accidentally hit a guide-wire in the water causing the boat to flip. Their 7-month-old baby, Charlotte, is safe in mom's arms, but their nearly 2-year-old daughter, Kennedy, is in where in sight.

TAMMY BOSSERT, BOAT CAPSIZING SURVIVOR: I'm in the water. My boat crashed.

VALENCIA: Lucky for the family, these three cocoa police Department officers got the call.

OFC. MATTHEW RUSH, COCOA BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT: Coming about. Hold on.

VALENCIA: Matthew Rush is the first one on the scene.

RUSH: First thing goes through your mind, this it's not going to be good.

VALENCIA: He strips his uniform, jumps from a pier into the water and heads to find the missing baby. He's joined by Corporal Allen Worthy and Sergeant Michael Dilatore in the department's boat.

SGT. MICHAEL DILATORE, COCOA BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT: We are looking, can't find anything. We're finding debris.

VALENCIA: Officers make multiple dives searching for Kennedy.

DILATORE: I'm not expecting a good outcome of this. Preparing to find a two-year-old that may not be in good shape.

VALENCIA: Just when hope begins to fade --

RUSH: I head right up to the boat. I listen for a second and I heard her make a noise. It was a whimper or soft cry. At that point I said she's under the boat. We've got her.

VALENCIA: Officer Rush dives in one more time.

RUSH: Next thing I see is this child exploding up out of the water with the pressure from being pulled up with the life jacket on.

VALENCIA: Baby Kennedy survives floating in an air pocket under the boat for 45 minutes. She escapes with only minor cuts and bruises. Her parents call it a miracle.

BRIAN BOSSERT, BOAT CAPSIZING SURVIVOR: It's our world. These girls are our world. And we -- you know, without one of them, we just didn't know what we would do. You know? We can't thank them enough.

RUSH: It's what we do. Another day at Cocoa Beach P.D. VALENCIA: Nick Valencia, CNN, Cocoa, Florida.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[15:00:00] BALDWIN: Hour two we begin with breaking news. Thanks for being with me on this Friday. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

Let's get to it. New details from inside Hillary Clinton's closed- door meeting with the FBI. CNN has now obtained this report that the FBI sent on to the Justice Department --