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Philippines Attack at Manila Resort Not Terrorism; Trump Pulls U.S. Out of Historic 2015 Agreement; Trump Travel Ban Appeals To U.S. Supreme Court; Putin: "Patriots" May Have Hacked U.S. Campaign; U.K. Party Leaders Hit the Campaign Trail; Sean Spicer's Role as White House Press Secretary Examined. Aired 12-1a ET

Aired June 2, 2017 - 00:00   ET

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


[00:00:44] ISHA SESAY, CNN ANCHOR: Hello everyone. Breaking news this hour. I'm Isha Sesay in Los Angeles.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm John Vause. Thirty-four people had been confirmed dead in a bazaar and frightening robbery, a popular casino in the Philippines.

Crowds and people run for their lives after a gunman set fire and started shooting inside the resort in Manila. Many initially thought this was a terrorist attack.

SESAY: Now police say the gunman is dead, he apparently set himself on fire inside a hotel room at the resort.

Our Alexandra Field is following developments for it, and she joins us now from Hong Kong.

Alexandra, 34 people dead, do we know how they lost their lives?

ALEXANDRA FIELD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Isha, it seems from police that many of these people suffocated inside of that busy resort casino right in the heart of Philippines, the capital city. What you're seeing on that video truly showing a terrifying and a heartbreaking scene. This happened at around midnight, a lone gunman storming into this busy casino that hundreds of people race to try and get out.

But police described the deadly combination inside, locked in an unopened windows, combustible materials. A gunman who was shooting indiscriminately targeting machines, various gambling machines and setting gambling tables on fire. Combustible carpets adding to the chaos, adding to the injuries, it was hours before the smoke can clear inside that casino, but SWAT teams were sent to the scene.

People described seen thick cloud of smoke, hearing gunshots hours after that smoke could finally cleared. Police told us that they had found 37 total dead. Many of them against seem to suffocated trap inside of that casino, because of the heavy smoke but 37 person among those who died overnight. According to police was the gunman himself. They said they found him with two firearms. His believed to set himself on fire, burn beyond recognition but, investigators clearly trying to identify this person now.

And police are saying that they are looking at CCTV of the gunman walking into this casino. Again, it happened around midnight, finally those bodies discovered around 7:00 this morning when it was all over, Isha.

Police at this point are saying that it does not appear that this gunman had any links to ISIS, although certainly it was the widely how believed that all of this was unfolding over night that this could very well be a terror attack.

SESAY: Yes. And so to be clear to our viewers, originally we're saying 34, now police revising that figure, 37 dead including the gunman.

Alexandra, do we know anything about the victims?

FIELD: These are people who have been there enjoying their evening, there could be a combination of guest or employees of that casino. They have not been publicly identified. Again, the gunman has also not been publicly identified. But there was plenty of reasons you believe that this could have been a terror attack, that was the assumption that many authorities were operating under in this overnight hours. You know that in thick of this kind of chaos Isha, witnesses report seeing various things, and this case they reported seeing a masked gun, there were concern that there could have been other actors involved in this.

We are now told that it was simply the one lone gunman and again police underscoring defining of their investigation saying that this is not related to the situation that is happening in the southern part of Philippines, terrorist have been targeting the island of Mindanao, there were government forces are locked in a battle with ISIS militants, martial law has been declared there, that's why the spark concern about a possible ISIS attack.

But again police saying this bears no hallmarks of that. Isha.

SESAY: All right, Alexandra Field joining us there from Hong Kong with the very latest. Thank you Alex.

VAUSE: Now, we're now learning that U.S. President Donald Trump will appeal his controversial travel ban to the Supreme Court. The executive order tried to stop refugees and immigrants from six Muslim majority countries from entering the U.S. It's the so-called extreme vetting that Mr. Trump promised during the campaign.

SESAY: Look, what have repeatedly blocked the order and now the White House legal team is asking the Supreme Court to allow the ban to go into effect until the courts full review later on this year, but let's talk about this and much more on our panel, in a little bit.

Well, globally leaders have been nearly unanimous in their condemnation of U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to quit the Paris Climate Accord. [00:05:04] VAUSE: Footage's noisy street protest like this one in New York. The President's unilateral announcement on Thursday was met with loud disapproval from corporations and government around the world.

SESAY: But from critic said, they were disappointed with Mr. Trump. Others call the decision a mistake yet the President was unfazed adamant he had done the right thing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: The Paris agreement handicaps the United States economy in order to win praise from the very foreign capitals and global activists that have long sort to gain wealth at our country's expense. They don't put America first, I do and I always will

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: The disappointment was most evident among European leaders who had lobbied President Trump during the G7 summit and trying to stay with the Paris accords.

SESAY: Well, French President Emmanuel Macron went on television to denounce Mr. Trump's move as a mistake, even barring Mr. Trump's campaign catch phrase to drive home this point.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EMMANUEL MACRON, PRESIDENT OF FRANCE: We all share the same responsibility, make our planet great again.

VAUSE: Well, taking the U.S. out of this climate deal will be like a slow motion to force lasting several years. In fact, the separation will not be fully executed until after (inaudible) before 2020, that's one day after the next U.S. presidential election.

SESAY: And still while leaders are already putting Washington on notice, they announce that the U.S. as a nation in full retreat from the international stage. CNN's Michelle Kosinski.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHELLE KOSINSKI, CNN SENIOR DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The world's reaction came fast and furious.

TRUMP: The United States will withdraw.

KOSINSKI (voice-over): Paris lit up its city hall green. Canada's Justin Trudeau expressing deep disappointment along with Brazil, Germany, France and Italy in a joint statement saying the Paris climate agreement can not be re-negotiated despite President Trump saying it's a possibility.

MACRON: It is not the future we want for ourselves, it is not a future we want for our children. KOSINSKI (voice-over): The President of the European Commission, hold no punches reminding the U.S. that withdrawal from the deal is a years long process.

JEAN-CLAUDE JUNCKER, EUROPEAN COMMISSION PRESIDENT (through translator): That's not how it works. The Americas can't just leave the Climate Protection Agreement. Mr. Trump believes that because he doesn't get close enough (inaudible) to fully understand them.

This notion, I am Trump, I am American, America first and I'm going to get out of it. That won't happened, we tried to explained that to Mr. Trump in Tower Mina (ph) in clear driven sentences.

KOSINSKI (voice-over): The Vatican called the American decision a disaster for the planet, when the Pope met with Trump he gave him his published thoughts on the environment calling for a revolution on climate change before the earth devolve into "an immense pile of filth" and the U.N. Secretary General.

ANTONIO GUTERRES, UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY GENERAL: Climate change is undeniable, climate action is unstoppable and climate solutions provide opportunities that are unmatchable.

KOSINSKI (on-camera): Some foreign policy experts including one's who served in Republican administrations feel this decision now could have the greatest diminishing effects on the U.S' influence in the world.

(voice-over) With China, India, Europe more than ready to step in and fill that void. The cooperation of the European Union with China in this area will play a crucial role especially in regards to new technology, a role China seems to relish today in an editorial and its English language tabloid, a reckless withdrawal from the climate deal will waste increasingly finite U.S. diplomatic resources and the U.S' selfishness and irresponsibility will be made clear to the world crippling the country's world leadership.

Michelle Kosinski, CNN, the State Department.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: And just after President Trump made it official that the U.S. was pulling out of the Climate Accord, three governors of democratic states pushed back announcing a new alliance to uphold the goals of the deal which is made in Paris.

And these are big states, California, Washington, and New York claim to almost 70 million more than 20 percent of U.S. GDP.

Jay Inslee is the governor of Washington State, he joins us now from (inaudible). Governor good to see, your colleague Jerry Brown, governor of California, he said it was insane and deviate for the President to withdraw from the Paris climate deal. I'm assuming you're on the same page with Governor Brown.

JAY INSLEE, WASHINGTON STATE: Well, not only I am but over almost 100 million Americans already live in States that have constraints on carbon and it's very important for the international community to not be overly just hardened.

[00:10:00] We have a President who has decided not to lead but we governors and we states are moving forward on constraining carbon pollution almost a hundred million people already are in states that have state laws that are reducing carbon pollution, almost another hundred million live in states that are embracing renewable energy to clean up our electrical grid.

So our states are moving forward even in the absence of national leadership. I'm proud that my state is one of them, Washington State, the state of Microsoft and Boeing, we are moving forward against climate change even if Washington, D.C. does not.

So we expect this coalition to go, we've established United States climate alliance starting today. We've already had several governors say they want to join us on this effort so I remain believer in the American value of leading the rest of the world. Our states are going to do this and Donald Trump can not stop us. In our system, the states can move forward. We are going to move forward.

VAUSE: And the bigger picture there governor, is it possible to decarbonize the U.S. economy, move it away from fossil fuels towards renewables if the White House is not onboard.

INSLEE: Well, we are decarbonizing our industry very rapidly. Look, in my state, a well over half of our system is decarbonize now and moving very rapidly, and the reason is we are discovering that we can draw jobs by the hundreds of thousands. My state has the largest manufacturer of carbon fiber that goes into electric cars. We sell the largest vanadium flow battery that allows the integration of renewable energy into our electrical grid system.

What we're discovering is that we can grow our economy and decarbonize our economy -- state as the largest rate of economic growth in the United States, as the same time we're leading the world or leading the nation with a cap on carbon to decarbonize our economy.

So we believe that the combination of amazing innovation that's represented by the auto industry that is electrifying our fleet, by the energy electricity generation industry that was moving rapidly to serve and win to the construction industry that's going to net zero homes. You bet we're doing this much more rapidly than anyone could have predicted several years ago and happily we're growing our economy at the same time.

So my message to the world is we are going to move forward with you. Do not let Donald Trump derail this international effort. Our states are with you. We're going to move forward, we're going to grow our economies around the world as a result and we're going to commit it to that success.

VAUSE: So when President Trump says he base his decision to pull out of the accords because it was all about saving jobs. He said the accord was essentially a job killer. Your experience as a governor is the complete opposite it sounds like, which means what, there's politics at play here for President Trump? INSLEE: Well, I can't speak to his motivation but I can speak to his wrong headiness. I can't speak to the fact that he is backward thinking. I can't speak to the fact that he is ignoring plain science. Look, this is very important for economic growth for two reasons.

Number one, we know that the jobs of the future lie in a decarbonized economy. We know that that is a necessity and that's the reason even today we have twice as many jobs in the United States in solar and wind power than we do in the coal industry, and that is growing very, very rapidly.

But the second reason the economic imperative calls for a carbon cap is we have industries that are being damaged by climate change. Look, we've had the two biggest forest fire season in my state's history in the last three years, the forest products industry is threatened by this. Our shellfish industry is threatened by this because carbon acidifies the oceans, it reduces our ability to grow the best oysters and clams in the world.

So the economic case for action against climate change is clear and Donald Trump is simply flat wrong, we can not allow the flatters society to dominate the future or the climate deniers, the people in my nation who were moving forward, the Washingtons, the Californias, the New Yorks, the Virginias, the Oregons, the Connecticuts we're leading the future but winning the economic future and that's going to continue, that's why abolishing our efforts in the future.

VAUSE: All right, governor, thank you so much, good to speak with you.

INSLEE: Thank you.

VAUSE: Well, joining us down for more, Democratic Strategist Dave Jacobson, Republican Consulting John Thomas and we can now make the announcement.

SESAY: Drum roll please.

[00:15:02] VAUSE: The climate official both are CNN political commentator.

SESAY: Congratulations and very welcome.

VAUSE: Welcome to the family. We put the fun into this functional, OK. OK, let's just pick up where the Washington --- Governor of Washington State left off.

Let's listen to California's Jerry Brown reacting to this decision by Donald Trump withdrawal from the accords.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JERRY BROWN, CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR: I have doubt we'll be destroy, seas will rise, insects will spread in areas they've never been before. This is not a game, it's not politics to talk to your base, it's humanity and whether makes it to the 21st century.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: John, you know, you've obviously he has very die predictions there ends up here, really tough talking coming from California Jerry Brown himself (ph) unofficial emissary, climate change. So, at the end of day, is this decision by the President more about politics insights?

JOHN THOMAS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Having I think, well, first of all, there is an element of politics, obviously him fulfilling a campaign pledge but I think the president firmly believes how could he possibly stay on board with this climate change attack and go back to his voters who put him in office and say "It's OK, your power bills are probably going to go up 20 percent annually but this is, you know, maybe might make a difference. I don't think he can do that, he has to -- he can't hurt the voters that put him the office, I just somebody he get.

VAUSE: It's their politics.

THOMAS: Ultimately look, I mean he -- well it might be a maybe, there's no definitive --

VAUSE: OK.

THOMAS: That this is going to fix the problem.

SESAY: Well, one thing you did say definitively is that this is about putting American interest first. I mean, that's what you made clear. This is about economy, his critic say not so fast, take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris. I promise I would exit or renegotiate any deal which fails to serve America's interest.

BILL PEDUTO, PITTSBURGH PENNSYLVANIA MAYOR: Hillary Clinton won the city of Pittsburgh with nearly 80 percent of the vote. And the values that we have in the city follow right along the lines of what the Paris Agreement stated and we're already following those goals.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: Dave, some political watches, say, this is the President acting like a typical businessman putting short term gains above anything else.

DAVE JACOBSON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think it's a big lead mistake by the President. And by the renegade President I should call him. I mean, look, if you're going to put America first, you need to see that the table on the international stage and this is ejecting the United States from that conversation and if he's a businessman then he cares about supply and demand, right? And that's what we've got sort of this growing clean, new energy, green job, the driven economy. We've got wind, you've got solar exploding within the U.S. economy and you've got cold jobs that ultimately are only about 15,000 and 55,000 all across the country. You've got less people working in coal than you do it RB's restaurant.

So I think what does underscores is the fact that people are moving towards the clean energy economy. We saw that today with business leaders from Facebook to LinkedIn to Google, taking out of full page ad and the news in the New York Times today calling on the President not to pull out of this agreement. So I think he had undercuts his argument that he's a savvy business leader.

VAUSE: OK, let's talk about jobs because that was a very big issue during the speech in the Rose Garden by the president. He actually didn't talk about denying climate change (inaudible) as progress. But the main idea was that, you know, that this accord is essentially, would cost American jobs, it's a job killer?

Listen to what the president had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: Even if the Paris Agreement were implemented in full, with total compliance from all nations, it is estimated it would only produce a two-tenths of one degree -- think of that; this much -- Celsius reduction in global temperature by the year 2100. Tiny, tiny amount.

Compliance with the terms of the Paris Accord and the onerous energy restrictions that is placed on the United States could cost America as much as 2.7 million lost jobs by 2025 according to the National Economic Research Associates.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: OK. Look, this is one of the forms that you'll have is that, you know, this is just not accurate information. Those numbers come from the study founded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Council of Capital Formation, both oppose the Paris deal and even that study comes to the footnote which means, the study does not take into account potential benefits from avoided emissions. The model does not take into consideration yet to be developed technologies that might influence the long-term cost to say nothing. You essentially of all the jobs that are created in renewable energy.

SESAY: Yes.

VAUSE: So, you know, this information which, you know, the President is putting out there which is misleading at this.

JACOBSON: This is emblematic of the President's entire terms since his been office. We've seen falsehood after falsehood of after falsehood.

[00:20:00] Standing from his -- the inception of his presidency where he lied about the crowd size in his inauguration but I think largely, look, if he look at states like California for example, you have Governor Brown on earlier where the state Senate earlier today pass, or this week pardon me, pass a clean energy bill calling for a 100 percent renewable energy in the state by 2045.

I mean California is the six largest economy in the world. It's bigger than Italy and we're moving in the direction of clean energy, renewable energy jobs. And so, I think with that underscores the fact that there's real movement that's driven by the private sector here.

THOMAS: No, it's actually the moment of the government's force. I think that's the distinction. Trump and his administration, don't want the Government picking winners and losers whether that's industries or were not. If it involves towards clean and green, that's fine. If the private sector chooses to do that, but he doesn't believe the federal government or the world's nation should force an economy in one direction or the other.

SESAY: I think, well, yes. Let's talk about some other news that taking places. We just mentioned at the top of the show that the President is going to appeal the travel ban to the Supreme Court, your reaction to that and the timing of this. Is this the president, you know, feeling good about himself because obviously they have decided to pull out of the Paris deal. How do you see it?

JACOBSON: I think he is trying to divert attention from the pulling out of Paris deal number one, number two. Look, the definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. This is already been shut down multiple times by federal justices. So I don't see any change and this isn't like a, you scratch my back, I'll scratch your back dynamic, where Donald Trump did just support, disappoints Armani (ph) pardon me.

VAUSE: Gorsuch.

JACOBSON: Gorsuch pardon me too, the Supreme Court, I don't know that that's necessarily going to translate to a victory for Donald Trump after he is been shut down so many times.

THOMAS: It's not. It might not translate to a victory. I mean, he can't gamble there, but he is being consistent. He said, this would take it to the Supreme Court, we kept and rejected by those lower court judges. So look it's just was the natural course of things. Of course, he wanted to get Gorsuch confirmed without that there be no shot at it, and so.

VAUSE: So here, the Gorsuch means see and they're have been a chance of getting this real dude, yes.

THOMAS: Oh no, he certainly well. With Gorsuch but I just don't think it's not guaranteed.

SESAY: And then he then loses then what, if that is did the case.

THOMAS: Well, that's it.

(CROSSTALK)

SESAY: No, I know that's it, but I mean for him. I mean in terms of his --

(CROSSTALK)

THOMAS: Well, it's a massive black eye on this ban. Absolutely, it has to pass for his political capitol.

VAUSE: OK.

SESAY: All right.

VAUSE: Let's see what happens. CNN Political Commentators, Dave Jacobson, John Thomas.

(CROSSTALK)

SESAY: Those ties are looking extra fine.

VAUSE: Yes, glowing. OK, so let's come back to the Paris Climate Accord, Mr. Trump lies himself with few allies among business leaders around the world. There's a letter urging the president to stay in the agreement. There it is. There few in New York Times and the Wall Street Journal in Thursday signed by 25, the world's most valuable companies, other CEO's express disappointment as well with the announcement. Others even decided to actually leave the president's business advisory council.

A Tesla and SpaceX CEO, Elon Musk tweeted, "And departing presidential councils, climate change is real, leaving Paris is not good for America or the world." The Disney CEO of Robert Iger said, "As a matter of principle I've resigned from the president's council, over the past agreement withdrawal."

SESAY: Well, the General Electric CEO Jeff Immelt tweeted this, "Disappointed with today's decision on the Paris agreement, climate change is real, industry must now lead and not depend on Government." And from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, "We believed climate change is an urgent issue that demands global action, we remain committed to doing our part."

VAUSE: OK, we will take a short break, when we come back, the Russian president Vladimir Putin making us sort of admission kind of about who maybe in responsible for meddling in the U.S. election like they're hacking it, know that it was not Russian Government, more detailed in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:25:55] SESAY: Hello, everyone, updating our breaking news for you, in a modus official in the Philippines says, 36 bodies have been found in a Casino that was attacked by gunman early Friday morning. The victims were not shot but most appear to have suffocated.

VAUSE: And most of the dead were women found inside a bathroom. Cellphone recorded some of the panic as many have rushed to get out of the casino. Police say, they're not treating this as a terrorist incident but rather a robbery.

Investigators say they recover more than $2 million dollars worth of casino chips in the gunman's backpack. And the police chief says, the suspect is dead after setting himself on fire in a guest room. More details on this as soon as we get them, into CNN.

SESAY: Very disturbing. Now, Vladimir Putin, gave the keynote speech at in economic form in Saint Petersburg, Russia in the coming day on Thursday, reports asked him about his relationship with U.S. President Donald Trump. He replied, how can I be friends with someone I've never met?

VAUSE: Well, you can't be or maybe not. OK, Mr. Putin is also admitting that they may be in Russian meddling the U.S. election, sort of. Here's Brian Todd.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Vladimir Putin tonight again demonstrates his mastery of deflection and denial when it comes to allegations of Russia's role in meddling in America's election process. Putin likens hackers to artists.

VLADIMIR PUTIN, RUSSIAN PRESIDENT (through translator): They may act on behalf of their country they wake in a good mood in paintings, same with hackers. They woke up today, read something about the state relations. If they are patriotic, they contribute in a way they think is right, to fight against those who say bad things about Russia.

TODD (voice-over): Patriots doing it on their own, not back by the government, what do you think?

DEREK CHOLLET, GERMAN MARSHALL FUND OF UNITED STATES: The U.S. Intelligence Committee in January concluded with high continence that Vladimir Putin ordered an insulin campaign to try to shape the U.S. election. And part of that influence campaign were hackers. This is Putin trying to up his state and blur what is the reality.

TODD (voice-over): U.S. Intelligence says, the Russian Military Intelligence agency, the GRU used online personas known as Guccifer 2.0 and DCLeaks.com to release hacked material to influence the American Election. U.S. official say, Putin's finger prints may not be on the computer keys, but the operation had or would been approved by the top levels of the Russian government. Today, Putin said, Russia could have been framed.

PUTIN (through translator): I can't imagine that someone is doing this purposefully, building that chain of attack so that the territory of the Russian Federations appears to be the source of that attack. Modern technologies allow that kind of thing.

CHOLLET: Perhaps he sees to the trail of evidence, he's getting closer to the Kremlin. TODD (voice-over): The Cyber security firm crowd strike which investigated the Democratic Party hacks, says, they're the work of hacking teams known as Cozy Bear and Fancy Bear tied to Russian government and intelligence agencies.

Are these the several (ph) hackers who happen to be wearing military uniforms, who are they?

ADAM MEYERS, INVESTIGATOR CROWDSTRIKE.: I think that there's people in Military uniforms. There's people that are probably more business focus and then there's going to be a Technical Cadre that may be a little bit more informal and may be a little bit more casual.

TODD (voice-over): Expert say, Putin, likely has plausible deniability that Russian hackers outside the government could be targeting the west with the tacit approval and support of the Kremlin. How sophisticated are they?

JASON HEALEY, CYBERSECURITY EXPERT, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: When it comes to espionage and offense, they are fantastic. They are close to the best in the world, probably right after our own here in the United States.

TODD (on camera): Now, analyst are focusing on the next possible targets of Putin's hacker, one cyber expert who investigated the Russian government hacks told us, the upcoming elections in Britain and Germany could be targeted. And the U.S. congressional committees investigating Russia's influence in the U.S. election should be on guard against hacks as well.

Brian Todd, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: Another short break. When we come back in it may not be the landslide victory that many had predicted, which is days before the U.K. election, Theresa May is saying "Those sliding poll numbers. No, they don't matter."

SESAY: Plus, some U.K. voters are considering a third option.

[00:30:00] Well, here many in one London community are back into liberal Democrats.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAUSE (voice-over): Hello, everybody. You're watching CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause.

SESAY (voice-over): And I'm Isha Sesay. The headlines this hour:

(HEADLINES)

SESAY: We are less than a week from Election Day in the United Kingdom and polls are indicating that Prime Minister Theresa May's lead over Labour's Jeremy Corbyn is shrinking. The party leaders were campaigning on Thursday and May said she and the Conservatives are fighting to earn every vote. She repeated her claim that opinion polls don't matter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

THERESA MAY, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: You know that there is only one poll that matters and that's the poll that is going to take place next Thursday in the general election, when people actually go and cast their vote.

And when they do that, the choice they have is a simple one, because there is only one of two people who is going to be prime minister after the general election. It's either me or Jeremy Corbyn.

So the choice people have is do they want to -- how do they see the future?

They have a choice to decide who they want to lead this country into those Brexit negotiations, get the best deal for Britain from those Brexit negotiations, but also lead us to building that stronger, more prosperous future for our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Jeremy Corbyn says not only is he fighting to win this election to form a Labour government but he's also leading a movement.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEREMY CORBYN, LEADER, U.K. LABOUR PARTY: The cynics started this election by saying nothing can change, nothing can alter, nothing can happen.

And do you know what's happened?

Thousands and thousands and thousands of people coming to our campaign offices met up with our candidates and got out there, door knocking, donating small --

[00:35:00]

CORBYN: -- sums of money to the Labour Party. The average donation is 22 pounds. I suspect the average donations to Conservatives is slightly more.

(LAUGHTER)

CORBYN: Add a number of noughts to that figure.

(LAUGHTER)

CORBYN: And there's a movement going on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Theresa May sound a bit like Donald Trump. Polls don't matter when you're not in front.

Jeremy Corbyn, 22 pound average sounds like Bernie Sanders.

SESAY: Does indeed, does indeed.

(CROSSTALK)

SESAY: Well, Prime Minister May called a snap election to strengthen the U.K.'s hand in talks to leave the European Union. But one opposition party is offering voters an alternative.

VAUSE: The Liberal Democrats are campaigning as the only party to always oppose Brexit but also pushing for another Brexit referendum if they win. We get details now from Isa Soares.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ISA SOARES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The battle for Britain can be felt in every Crane Street (ph) corner, each window a scream for a vote. Even across this bridge, a divide is palpable.

This is the legendary Eel Pie Island --

(MUSIC PLAYING)

SOARES (voice-over): -- a piece of land that has seen a share of debauchery and rock 'n' roll, with both the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton having played here in the 1960s.

That rebelliousness has long gone. But one thing is still colorful: local opinion.

LEE CAMPBELL, ARTIST: Well, I voted to remain because I've really like being part of Europe and I found it very comfortable to be able to hop across the Channel whenever I wanted to without passport or anything. But it was lovely.

STEVE: Britain and the E.U., to my perspective -- and other points of view are available -- is that it was a bit like a broken-down, loveless marriage. Politically speaking, we're already sleeping on the sofa in the spare room.

SOARES (voice-over): With the U.K. election fast approaching, Brexit continues to sow divide for this couple. Despite their differences, both Lee and Steve tell me they'll be voting for the Liberal Democrats on June the 8th. Steve, though, is still reluctant.

STEVE: I voted for Labour in the past.

SOARES: Why not Labour this time?

STEVE: Jeremy Corbyn.

SOARES: The Liberal Democrats have been campaigning hard in this community here in West London, hoping that their pledge to remain part of the E.U. will rock voters' votes. But with so many, Remainers already resigned to the fact they are going to leave the European Union is the Liberal Democrats strategy's just a sinking ship.

SOARES (voice-over): Not so, tells me former U.K. cabinet member and Lib Dem hopeful, Vince Cable.

VINCE CABLE, LIBERAL DEMOCRAT CANDIDATE: I think the point we're making is that it isn't a question of leaving or remaining.

I mean, what the government is doing, the Conservative government, is pursuing an extreme Brexit type of -- a kind of UKIP type of Brexit, which is extreme, which is severing (INAUDIBLE) single market because (INAUDIBLE) and all the research collaboration will do a lot of damage. And we are arguing that it doesn't have to be like that.

SOARES (voice-over): For those undecided voters, the Liberal Democrats' manifesto is clear: they're the only party offering a second vote on Brexit. And in this corner of London, where European links is strong, this can win them votes -- Isa Soares, CNN, London

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SESAY: Very, very quaint.

VAUSE: Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

SESAY: All right. Still ahead on CNN NEWSROOM, it is not easy being Spicey. Why we're seeing less and less of the president's spokesman, Sean Spicer.

VAUSE: Aww.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:40:00]

(MUSIC PLAYING)

VAUSE: Well, since the very first days of the Trump administration -- what was that, about nine years ago?

(LAUGHTER)

(CROSSTALK)

VAUSE: -- still has been in the headlines almost as much as the president himself. That, of course, is the White House press secretary, Sean Spicer.

SESAY: In recent days, we've been seeing a lot less of the larger- than-life spokesman. Jeanne Moos has more on Spicey's surprising vanishing act.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Now you see him.

SEAN SPICER, WHITE HOUSE SPOKESPERSON: You are shaking your head here. I mean, it's true. You did it.

MOOS (voice-over): Now you don't.

SPICER: You are free to use the audio.

MOOS (voice-over): Sean Spicer is a little like "The Incredible Shrinking Man" in the 1957 movie.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP, "THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN")

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You'll come right back?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Of course I will.

(END VIDEO CLIP, "THE INCREDIBLE SHRINKING MAN")

MOOS: Not in a dollhouse, but in the White House, playing cat and mouse with the press. But lately, televised briefings have been rare, giving way to Wednesday's audio-only gaggle, with that eyebrow-raising answer to a question about President Trump's gibberish tweet...

SPICER: The presidents and a small group of people know exactly what he meant.

(CROSSTALK)

MOOS (voice-over): -- leaving reporters scoffing in disbelief.

MOOS: Hey, turn that off. No cameras. Audio only.

MOOS (voice-over): We, too, can pull a Spicer. An his briefings are getting shorter.

SPICER: Thank you, guys.

MOOS (voice-over): One online commenter begged, "Please tell me that news outlets will play the audio-only briefings over GIFs of Melissa McCarthy as Spicer. Be still, my heart."

Like this you mean?

SPICER: I'm not ready to discuss it at this time.

MOOS (voice-over): "SNL" may have been prophetic.

MELISSA MCCARTHY, COMEDIAN, "SEAN SPICER": No, wait, is this like "The Godfather," when you kiss me and no one ever sees me again?

ALEC BALDWIN, ACTOR, "DONALD TRUMP": Yes.

(LAUGHTER) MOOS (voice-over): It's as if Spicer is a hostage at his own

briefings; as one poster noted, "with a 1,000-yard stare." And when he briefed outside the White House, he got more grief.

STEPHEN COLBERT, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": He wasn't hiding in the bushes, OK?

He was hiding among the bushes, OK?

MOOS (voice-over): Reporters get treated like misbehaving kiddies.

SPICER: (INAUDIBLE) -- Cecelia (ph)?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can I see the fish today?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. It's my --

(CROSSTALK)

SPICER: Hold on. Major, Major, Cecelia is asking a question. That doesn't mean you get to jump in --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That --

SPICER: (INAUDIBLE), I'm actually asking Cecelia a question if you could be as polite as to not interrupt.

MOOS (voice-over): It's enough to leave reporters...

SPICER: Please stop shaking your head again.

MOOS (voice-over): -- shaking their heads.

SPICER: Stop shaking your head.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, no.

MOOS (voice-over): (INAUDIBLE) Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VAUSE: (INAUDIBLE).

(LAUGHTER)

VAUSE: He's daft (ph) --

(CROSSTALK)

SESAY: Yes.

VAUSE: -- he's not a fixture. OK.

It was 50 years ago today Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play. And The Beatles' iconic album, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," celebrated its 50th anniversary on Thursday and to mark the date, the Capitol Records building, right here in Los Angeles, there it is, live shot for you, bathed its tower in the four colors of the band's Sgt. Pepper's suits.

SESAY: And it's very cool. Capitol is releasing 50th anniversary packages of the album Friday, including dozens of unreleased recordings. "Rolling Stone" has voted "Sgt. Pepper" as the greatest album of all time.

Do you agree?

VAUSE: Yes.

SESAY: Mmm.

VAUSE: Though I know nothing about music.

(LAUGHTER)

VAUSE: But I would agree with that.

SESAY: OK. My decision after the break.

Thanks for watching CNN NEWSROOM, live from Los Angeles. I'm Isha Sesay.

VAUSE: I'm John Vause. I will have to wait because "WORLD SPORT" is next. Then we'll be back --

(CROSSTALK)

VAUSE: -- news from around the world and Isha's decision. You're watching CNN.