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Murder of NBA Star, Dwyane Wade's Cousin: Two Brothers Locked Up Charged with Killing Nykea Aldridge; Colin Kaepernick's Protest; Nasty Campaigns of Elections Past. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired August 27, 2016 - 17:00   ET

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


[17:00:00] FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Look into the Buddhafields journey for enlightenment and the consequences as followed "Holy Hell" premieres Thursday on CNN at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

All right thanks so much for spending pretty good day with me. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. The next hour of the CNN NEWSROOM begins right now.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks so much Fred, it is 5:00 Eastern Time and you are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Sciutto, in again today for Poppy Harlow.

We're following breaking news, in a murder of NBA star, Dwyane Wade's cousin. Two brothers are now locked up charged with killing Nykea Aldridge. And for the first time we're hearing from her mother. Aldridge was shot in the head while walking and pushing her new born in a stroller on Friday she was taking to register them for elementary school, she died at short time later at the hospital.

Authorities say, she was not the intended victim. Police say that Darwin Sorrells Jr. and Derren Sorrells, brothers, were shooting at another man when Aldridge was caught in the crossfire. Authorities say both brothers are career criminals and are on parole at the time of the killing.

Earlier this afternoon Chicago police talked about the arrest and the frustration about the cycle of violence in their city.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When will enough be enough? How often do we have to stand at a podium like this demanding to my judicial and policy partners some type of resolution? This tragedy isn't just no worthy because Miss Aldridge has a famous family member, it's not worthy because these two offenders are the prime example of the challenge we face here in Chicago with repeat gun offenders that don't care who they shoot, don't care who's life they take and clearly, clearly don't fear the consequences of their actions.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: News of the arrest came just a few hours before a tearful vigil for Aldridge grieving family members and friends, remembered her for her strength. And just a short time ago her mother sat down and really powerful interview with my colleague Rachel Crane.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DIANN ALDRIDGE, NYKEA ALDRIDGE'S MOTHER: She knows I'm "Fashionista" and she took pride and, you know, doing her hair and, you know, the color purple fan now, like purple, purple, purple, you know, and how old is her daughter, his eight. She's a purple fan now, you know, it's like Diann, that's me and my mom's favorite color, purple and pink, you know, I was like "OK, but, you know, Nykea was an awesome daughter, she loved her kids, and I can go on and on, you know, about Nykea being an awesome mom, you know, trying to move ahead with the kids and, you know, move then to better area.

You know, she was just trying to make a better life for her and the kids. And that's the most important thing in her life was her kids, you know, to make sure that they got out of situations that she had been in. OK, that's my baby.

RACHEL CRANE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: And how are the children doing?

ALDRIDGE: Summer, the oldest girl. It really hit her really hard and her son Sincere, he's a momma's boy, so it hit him too. Shavae, the little baby -- look second to the last child, she is so strong, she is really strong and it's just, you know, they support each other, you know, they cry to each other, they tell each other, you know, they miss their mom, they want their mom and it just hurts me here. Kids say they want their mom and their mom won't be in their lives anymore. Only through spirit, only through pictures that's all. Only way they do know their mom for the rest of their lives. Only thing they have to go on is what they had. It's just heart breaking it's really Oh, God its heart breaking. And I truly from the bottom of my heart, I forgive them I can't bring her back, but I forgive them. And I just pray to God that they pray to God, to ask for forgiveness for what they've done. They've taken a person's life senselessly. And I just love her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Poor mother who got poor family. Well, joining me now is Cheryl Dorsey, She's Retired Los Angeles Police Sergeant. Cheryl, that mother's pain just too often repeated around the country, but particularly in Chicago.

[17:05:02] Can you help me -- can you help our viewers understand just how we arrived here in Chicago. I mean the statistics are off the wall. Four people died, 24 have been shot, in shootings in Chicago this was noon yesterday.

CHERYL DORSEY, RETIRED LOS ANGELES POLICE SERGEANT: Well, first let me express my condolences to the family and as a mother my heart breaks for this family, for this untimely death of this beautiful young woman. And so how we got here, you know, I don't know but thankfully we have -- it looks like in a place of a police chief someone who's taking an affirmative action to try to right things, but I mean his hands are full, his plate is full, he has ERIT officers that he has to deal with in terms of the Laquan McDonald shooting and having to recommend termination. He has violence that is seemingly out of control and so there's not one thing that's going to fix this and it's certainly going to take some time. We understand that guns are coming to Chicago from Indiana, with their laws or a little loose there. And so it's imperative that we do something about the gun laws and then we make sure that there's teeth behind the consequences for criminals who engage in criminal activity.

SCIUTTO: Do you -- I mean you mentioned one thing there, gun laws in a neighboring state because people often say Chicago has tough gun laws, but we've heard this and we've seen this in the statistics that many of these guns come across the border from a state that has less severe gun laws. What else makes a difference in your experience to stop a psycho like this?

DORSEY: Well, clearly I mean if these career criminals had still been behind bars, they would not have been on the street, we understand that, you know, bullets have no name and clearly they would to intending for this lady to be a victim but yet she was.

And so how did they get out and then I read that there's regulations within the city that allow free time even thought they had monitored bracelets that they were wearing, what does that mean? How do you get to do the kinds of things that they did and then get free time while you're out?

SCIUTTO: Now, Chicago is really off the charts in terms of numbers, but you do see evidence of in other cities at least no not back to the levels of the '80s but violent crime rising. Do you trust Washington? Do you trust the Federal Government, Congress to make a positive difference here?

DORSEY: Well, I think it's going to have to happen at the state level and so that police department like I said, they have their hands full, and this is on them to ring in the activity that's occurring. And so I don't know, you know, what they're deployment needs are, I don't know the number of officers they have out on the street and understanding all the turmoil that is going on within that department, my hope and prayer is that the officers are not pulling back and in terms of enforcement activities because we've heard time and time again when police still picked upon then they feel like they don't have the support of the higher ups, sometimes some officers may not provide the kind of service that the public expects. And I pray that that's not the case here in Chicago. But what else would it be.

SCIUTTO: That's a real problem. We saw that here in New York City I mean there was talk about a few weeks or months ago about cops pulling back under that sort of criticism I mean it's a difficult balance for communities to strike when you have, you know, so spiking violence like this but also allegations you mentioned of police misconduct, this small number but still allegations.

DORSEY: Exactly. And listen we understand that crime happens everywhere and so no one I immune, but how is it that in certain parts of every city more fluent areas are nor run amok with violent activities, so how is it that officers manage to curve that kind of activity in some areas and it goes unchecked in others? I don't understand if they're providing the same service for everybody, it would think -- you would think that -- in result would be the same for everybody. That would not be tolerated in an affluent area I don't believe.

SCIUTTO: Now, isn't there evidence that violence feeds violence that some of these and something learned over last years and decades, right? That crimes kind of feed of each other and then and lead to more crimes is that -- it was that your experience in L.A.?

DORSEY: Well, listen. I mean you can say that, but also I understand that police conduct themselves differently in certain parts of town and we've heard that and so I'm not telling you anything you don't know, we heard that in the DOJ report in Baltimore, the police officers comports differently in higher economic areas than they in lower economic areas. And so if they can prevent and prohibit activity in one part of town, how is it that it goes unchecked in another part of town?

SCIUTTO: If you were in charge and there was one change you could make to stop the cycle of violence like were seeing now in Chicago what would you do?

[17:10:00] DORSEY: I think I would increase the penalty for those who create -- who commit violent crimes. How do these young men get out? They're career criminals obviously, they have little regard for life and property and that sort of things, so how is it that they were out on the streets anyway? I think if you don't have a real consequence for that behavior then you don't deter it.

We're not deterring the criminal behavior that's going on in that city when you have career criminals doing the same types of things over and over and over.

SCIUTTO: Well, Cheryl Dorsey, it's been great to have you on and use some of your expertise and experience to get to the bottom of this. Thanks for taking time this Sunday.

DORSEY: Thank you for having me.

SCIUTTO: Coming up this hour, it's the scandal that continues to haunt her. We have new details surrounding the Clinton Foundation and their alleged special favors.

Also later, San Francisco 49ners fan showing their frustration over their quarterback's decision to sit during the national anthem by burning his jersey. New reaction from other players in the league as well.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCIUTTO: To politics now. Some newly released e-mails are shutting more light on the relationship. Hillary Clinton State Department may have had with the Clinton Foundation. The e-mails obtain by CNN show a foundation official asking the State Department for special favors such as inviting representatives of Top foundation donors to a China state lunch and a request that one of them be sited at the same table as Vice President Joe Biden.

CNN's Dianne Gallagher, she's been looking through these documents. So Dianne, when you look here, was this the nature or the favor being asked for siting at table at lunch, was there something even more serious than that?

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well Jim, you know, after reading through these e-mail chains here it is. It's request from the Clinton Foundation to the Clinton State Department.

[17:14:59] The State Department does say look, no policy action took place because of any of these request. But as, you know, this is likely only going to fan the flames of controversy that surrounds whether the foundation try to receive special access.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GALLAGHER: Conservatives are calling this latest batch of e-mails yet another example of the blurred lines between the State Department under Hillary Clinton and the Clinton Foundation.

One particular exchange between Clinton's top aide, Huma Abedin, and then Clinton Foundation executive Doug Band include a little list of names that Band seem to suggest as invitees to a State Department lunch for Chinese President Hu Jintao back in January 2011.

Western Union CEO Hikmet Ersek whose representative says never got an invite, then UBS President of Wealth Management Bob McCann and Rockefeller Foundation President Judith Rodin. Now each of those executives headed up companies that have made large donations to the Clinton Foundation, then they asked Abedin in a subsequent e-mail about Rodin "Can we get her at Biden's table?" to which Abedin responded "I'll ask."

Now, State Department Spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau, tells CNN "The State Department does not believe it is inappropriate for the administration to consider individuals suggested by outside organization when deciding who to invite to an official function." Still close contact like this has remained a point of criticism from Clinton's opponent Donald Trump.

DONALD TRUMP, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It is impossible to figure out where the Clinton Foundation ends and the State Department begins.

GALLAGHER: Clinton has said the foundation donors had no influence on her decisions at the State Department.

HILLARY CLINTON, (D) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I know there's a lot of smoke and there's no fire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GALLAGHER: And the Clinton campaign has called Citizen's United a right wing group that has been attacking the Clintons for decades. Now of course, that group points out that it's been requesting information and going to court for two years, just trying to get more information on the relationship between the Clinton State Department and the foundation, Jim?

SCIUTTO: Now, when you look at these e-mails Dianne, is there evidence in the e-mails that the request for access was granted?

GALLAGHER: You know, the State Department says that no policy action was taken, we can't say as we reported that at least one of those people who requested -- it appears the foundation requested an invitation for, said that there's no record of an invite there, we have put out fillers, requesting information if those other invitees got there, they have not gotten back to CNN just yet.

But, you know, Jim, in particular and again this was first reported by ABC News. Back in January 2011, Band forwarded an e-mail to Abedin from an Argentine businessman calling him a great friend and a big supporter.

He was asking Abedin to deliver a message to the Ambassador of Malta on behalf of that businessman and really it's just essentially putting it a good word for the rabbi that the Ambassador was already scheduled to meet. Well Abedin did forward that message to another State Department official using that the same language calling him a good friend and supporter of the foundation. But Jim, she did add just wanted to pass along and no need for action.

Of course, Clinton has maintained no evidence that any action was ever taken by her department to benefit a foundation donor.

SCIUTTO: Dianne Gallagher, thanks for looking into it for us.

Coming up, Donald Trump's running mate Mike Pence sat down exclusively with our Jake Tapper on State of the Union this morning, what he was saying about those Clinton Foundation e-mails.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:22:06] SCIUTTO: Welcome back. I am Jim Sciutto.

Vice Presidential Candidate for the GOP Mike Pence is particularly concern about any foreign donations made to the Clinton Foundation. Pence telling CNN's Jake Tapper in an exclusive interview this morning that he thinks an independent special prosecutor should investigate and even if there is no proof of specific favors, Pence says the mere idea of big foreign donors gaining special access is by itself a conflict of interest.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAKE TAPPER, CNN CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: What's the point exactly you're trying to make about the Clinton Foundation? And can you point to any actual evidence that, as secretary of state, she actually changed a policy because of this access that donors allegedly had? MIKE PENCE, (R) VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Well, it's a fair question. But access is also very valuable. And this week we learned from the Associated Press that more than half of the individual meetings that secretary of state granted during her tenure ...

TAPPER: Not including government officials or foreign officials.

PENCE: Well, of course not.

TAPPER: Yes, yeah.

PENCE: These are individual meetings that she has discretion over. More than half of those meetings were granted individuals who contributed tens of millions of dollars to the Clinton Foundation.

Look, you know, this has been unfurling in front of the American people, particularly over the last few weeks. This week, we found out 15,000 e-mails she didn't turn over. We also learned from a congressional investigation that these so-called e-mails on wedding plans and yoga, she eradicated with some high-tech software called BleachBit, which completely eliminates the capacity in most cases to recover them.

You know, the simple fact is, this is becoming more and more clear through direct evidence in these e-mails that State Department officials under Secretary of State Clinton were extending access and special favors to major donors of the Clinton Foundation.

TAPPER: Can you point to any favors, though?

PENCE: Foreign donors of the Clinton Foundation and major corporations. And your viewers should be reminded here that foreign donors cannot contribute to presidential ...

TAPPER: Sure.

PENCE: ... federal campaigns. And so this becomes a conduit for people to gain access. And gaining access is a favor, Jake.

TAPPER: Mr. Trump's foundation gave $100,000 or so to the Clinton Foundation. Was he trying to gain access? Was he trying to gain a favor?

PENCE: I think Donald Trump has made it very clear that, through the course of his career, he has supported a broad range of initiatives and policies. Just this last week, he contributed $100,000 to a little church in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He didn't do it publicly. You people found out about it. But when we were down there visiting families a little more than a week ago, he was impressed with the work that church was doing.

TAPPER: Right, but why did he give money to the Clinton Foundation?

PENCE: That Reverend Franklin Graham was doing. And he just very quietly in the car said, "I am going to send $100,000."

TAPPER: But you're not comparing that to Mr. Trump's foundation giving money to the Clinton Foundation?

PENCE: Well, I'm just saying Donald Trump -- I know we want to make Donald Trump the issue on every issue.

[17:25:00] TAPPER: No, you're making -- you're talking about the Clinton Foundation. I'm talking about the Clinton Foundation.

PENCE: I'm talking about foreign donors and corporate donors to the Clinton Foundation who the Associated Press this week was able to confirm were more than half of the meetings, private meetings the secretary of state granted during her tenure.

And then we found out this week, remarkably -- and this is -- this just, I think, is -- is incredibly troubling to the American people. We found out the State Department now, even though they have been ordered to do it, will not provide the balance of her calendar until after the election.

You know, this is -- this is a -- this is an example of pay-to-play politics the American people are sick and tired of. And it's what Donald Trump and I are going to bring to a crashing end when he becomes president.

TAPPER: But you -- but you can't point to any policy change. You said access is the important thing.

PENCE: Well, I think that's the reason why we need to -- we need to have an independent special prosecutor in this case.

TAPPER: You were talking ...

PENCE: The FBI, you know -- you know, a couple of months ago, the FBI wanted to initiate a public corruption investigation into the Clinton Foundation. And senior officials at the Obama Justice Department shut it down.

TAPPER: They said they had looked into it a year before and that there wasn't enough there.

PENCE: Well, they -- we heard it was reported publicly the FBI thought about opening a public corruption ...

TAPPER: Yeah, CNN broke the story.

PENCE: And I commend you for that. But my point is that now this is exactly what the independent special prosecutor statute is for.

TAPPER: OK.

PENCE: The administration should appoint a special prosecutor. And frankly, and one other thing on this. For the Clintons to say that, if she's elected president, they would recognize a conflict of interests in the Clinton Foundation, and so would be stepping away from it, former President Clinton, if it would be a conflict of interests when she is president of the United States, why wasn't raising money from foreign donors a conflict of interests when she was secretary of state of the United States of America?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Mike Pence there, speaking with my colleague Jake Tapper.

Straight ahead live in the NEWSROOM is today's news about the Clinton Foundation e-mails yet another reason that Hillary Clinton should hold a news conference. We'll talk it over with my political panel.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:30:15]

JIM SCIUTTO, HOST: We just heard Republican Vice Presidential candidate Mike Pence criticizing the Clinton Foundation and calling for an independent special prosecutor.

New e-mails obtained by CNN show that a foundation official asked Hillary Clinton's state department for special favors, specifically for access to a lunch. In one case he asked that representatives of those top donors be invited to a lunch that was related to China and Chinese diplomats.

Let's talk it over with our panel, Donald Trump supporter, Mark Burns, he's Pastor of Harvest, Praise and Worship Center. Ryan Lizza, he's Washington Correspondent for the New Yorker.

So when we -- when we look at this, and I believe that's who we have on the air. Ryan Clinton offering a detailed explanation. Is she -- or is it more just a broad trust me excuse on the question of these e- mails?

RYAN LIZZA, WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, NEW YORKER: Well, I think their view is that the bright line is did -- you know I think she's using the smoke and fire analogy. Did -- is there proof that the Clinton -- excuse me that the Clinton State Department provided any policy changes, any policy favors in return for a Clinton Foundation donor?

And you know so far I don't see the smoking gun in these e-mails. There's no doubt there was a cozy relationship between senior people at the Clinton Foundation and senior people at the State Department. Clinton's top aid is Huma Abedin. Bill Clinton's top aid, this guy Doug Band, they go back a long way, they obviously were in regular communication. And so you know not totally shocking that the Clinton Foundation would be recommending people to populate these kind of lunches and such, which are traditional for who? They're for donors, those kinds of people.

And you know, donors get access in American politics. And anyone that is surprised by this shouldn't be.

SCIUTTO: I just want to welcome in Scott Bolden. Hey Scott Bolden. He's Former Chairman of the Washington, D.C. Democratic Party. I thought we had him, we do have him now we had a little problem with the signal. But I want to give Pastor Mark Burns a chance to respond first. You're

a Trump supporter. When you hear that from Ryan Lizza who's covered this campaign for some time that he doesn't see a smoking gun in these e-mails do you see a smoking gun?

MARK BURNS, PASTOR, THE HARVEST AND PRAISE WORSHIP CENTER: You know I do. (Inaudible) clear that the pay for play system is in full effect with the Clinton Foundation and also with Clinton and the State Department.

Again, we're going to see what we want to see. Hillary supporters would see what they want to see. But the American public sees this clear as day that you know when the rain is gone, I can see clearly now that this is without smoking gun, and this is without question that shows Hillary Clinton and why 70% of Americans don't trust her to become, the next President of the United States. Because it is few elite that will prosper and not us working Americans that Donald Trump has connected with and has become a voice for the voices.

SCIUTTO: Hey, Mark Bolden, I want to give you a chance to respond there but also ask why doesn't Hillary Clinton come out in a press conference forum and just answer these questions once and for all?

SCOTT BOLDEN, FORMER CHAIRMAN WASHINGTON D.C. DEMOCRATIC PARTY: Well she's asking -- these questions have been asked and answered several times. She's done 300 press conferences. You know when the media --

SCIUTTO: Interviews, not press conferences. She's done interviews but not press conferences.

BOLDEN: I'm sorry. Well, she's talked to the press. It's not like she is not accessible to the press. She talks to the press after she does her public events.

But let me get into the pay for play because we keep talking about this and I'm a former prosecutor. And so let me talk a little about that.

One, what's the pay? The pay is to a Foundation that does incredible work, but what's the play. The play is in Washington people ask to be seated or asked to get invitations to various government, nonprofit and other organizations, organizational events all the time. Unless there's a government action, unless there's some policy change, then there's no problem.

Now there are appearance issues, of course, but she's addressed these. Her surrogates have addressed these. And when the prosecution, or the FBI or DOJ looks at this, they look to see if it's unethical behavior, they look to see whether it's inappropriate, you'll never be prosecuted for that. If it's unethical maybe, and then if it's downright illegal they will open up an investigation.

They've declined to do that. They've looked at it before. There were rules set in place and I'll be honest with you, if I was Donald Trump and his campaign I'd be worried about getting my polling numbers up with African-Americans, Hispanics and educated whites that continue to attack Hillary Clinton for a Foundation that's done great work and that there is no bridge. That is the bridge from the ask to a favor to something illegal. There is no bridge and they should focus on something else.

SCIUTTO: Pastor Mark Burns, how do you answer that argument?

[17:35:10]

BURNS: Without question this is -- again this is what Hillary Clinton supporters will do, they will always try to re-steer the narrative when Hillary Clinton and her campaign. This is simply a desperate sign of a desperate candidate whose willing to say, do, cover up whatever she has to do to make sure that she's untouched.

BOLDEN: Hillary Clinton is up by 10 or 12 points. How can she be desperate? What is she desperate about? She's not desperate she's up by 10 or 20.

(CROSS-TALK)

BURNS: And this is without question

(CROSS-TALK)

SCIUTTO: One at a time, please Mark. Please let the pastor finish his point.

BURNS: She clearly sees the handwriting on the wall and she also knows that this October surprise is coming up. There's more e-mails that is going to be released and she's fearful of it. So she's -- that's why she released you know horrible, horrible pointless acts like the one with the KKK to simply try to pick the pander on the fears and the hardships of African-Americans and minorities in this country. That is not a sign of a leader who really cares about the people.

SCIUTTO: Folks, let me just say this. I want to give Ryan Lizza a chance to --

(CROSS-TALK)

BURNS: (Inaudible) one race who really doesn't care about the African- American community and will use us continuously as the Democratic Party has done and then say, hello, I'll see you four years later. Thank you for your vote. That's Hillary Clinton and the Democratic Party.

SCIUTTO: Ryan Lizza, on the issue of press conferences, I mean these are continuing issues here. And the fact is you know, whether there's evidence of pay to play, part of the reason that this still gets oxygen, right, is that the issues haven't been answered directly by her with sufficiency, I mean that's the perception of the press she hasn't had a press conference in more than 200 days. Why the delay? There's a perception that there's a kind of waiting out the clock by the Clinton campaign.

LIZZA: Absolutely. You know there's this old rule in politics where they stiff us in the press if they are up in the polls. And the obvious theory in the Clinton campaign is that they have a decent advantage over Donald Trump right now. He continues to make news with controversial comments. And they're just playing this sort of building a ground game, staying on message, running out the clock and it's not in their political interest to get in front of a big group of reporters and answer questions from us.

And the only way to you know to make that happen is for we in the press to keep up some pressure, keep that clock up on CNN and the rest. But I you know look, we've seen play for pay in politics, we saw it in the Clinton administration for sure. There were a lot of cases. I don't see pay for play in donors asking to be at a lunch. I would say to Pastor Burns, say Donald Trump gave you -- your -- an organization $100,000, Donald Trump is now President and you ask to go to a lunch at the White House. You don't get anything out of that if you just went to a lunch. I don't see how, you know, why that is necessarily scandalous. So that's why I disagree with you pastor about how there's a smoking gun in these current e-mails that were released today.

SCIUTTO: Pastor Burns, would you consider that scandalous if you asked for access to a politician's lunch, for instance?

BURNS: Access and connections. Back door deals, it happens all the time. This is what the American --

SCIUTTO: It does.

So you would turn down the invitation to the White House? Is that what you are saying?

BURNS: This is the thing, this is what the American- yes, it may have been happening over and over again but that is one of the problems watching elite --

SCIUTTO: Would you turn down the invitation to the White House based on that question?

BURNS: The point that I'm making is the American public, that's who we are talking about. That's who we serve. We're not just talking about the few elite that have access and can afford a $100,000 donation to a Clinton Foundation so they can gain access to certain people that can do favors for them. But we're talking about the American public.

This is a voice that Donald Trump was talking about. What you are saying, you are absolutely right, that's how it has always been done in Washington D.C. But Donald Trump is saying, I'm tired of that type of politics, that is destroying America and it's not impacting the normal American citizen, like myself.

BOLDEN: Jim, let me just say this --

SCIUTTO: Unfortunately we -- we are going to have to leave it --

BOLDEN: The only person that gives to Donald Trump is looking for access --

SCIUTTO: One quick thought Scott, then we're going to have to leave it there. and then we will have to leave it there.

BOLDEN: Whether it's $20, or $100,000, every one of them is looking for access to that candidate. It is not illegal, it's not inappropriate nor is it unethical.

BURNS: (inaudible) of the pay for play attitude that few people get to have and the rest of us get left out. That's got to --

(CROSS-TALK)

SCIUTTO: Pastor Mark Burns, Scott Bolden, and Ryan Lizza. Thanks very much. They're difficult issues. But thank you for taking the time with us today.

Still to come, 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick made a stand by sitting during the national anthem on Friday night. Now some football fans are making their own stand.

[BEGIN VIDEO CLIP]

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My salute to you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Furious football fans are posting videos online burning all things Kaepernick.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You should never play another down in the NFL again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[17:40: 14]

SCIUTTO: More reaction right after the break. You are live in the CNN Newsroom.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCIUTTO: Social media is ablaze with reaction to San Francisco 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick's decision to sit down during the national anthem as a sign of protest. You will see why we use the word "ablaze."

While some have come to his defense, Kaepernick's refusal to stand before a preseason game Friday night has many 49ers fans burning jersey and other merchandise with his name on it.

CNN's Polo Sandoval joins me now from CNN Center in Atlanta with details.

Polo, remarkable to see this kind of catching fire, as it will, on the internet.

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely. It is definitely spreading throughout the country. And some of the criticism Jim also coming from some of the quarterback's own peers.

In fact just within the last hour or so, Kyle Long with the Chicago Bears taking to twitter saying that he always stands for during that portion of the game but then he also agrees that racism is a real issue in the United States. And as you are about to hear that is what the main message from Kaepernick is. But then you go on-line and you'll see that reaction from the public has been swift.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: San Francisco Colin Kaepernick is behind a controversial moment in a football season that hasn't even kicked off yet. The 28- year-old chose not to participate in the national anthem at the start of a preseason game on Friday. This photo captures players and staff standing as jersey number 7 sat silently on the sidelines.

[17:45:14]

SANDOVAL: Kaepernick says he was protesting systemic racism. He later told NFL.com. "I'm not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color. To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the streets and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder."

Kaepernick's silent demonstration is setting off a firestorm of criticism.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My salute to you --

SANDOVAL: Furious football fans are posting videos online burning all things Kaepernick.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You should never play another down in the NFL again.

SANDOVAL: Kaepernick does has support, though. Political commentator Marc Lamont Hill defended the pregame protester during in a conversation with CNN's Jim Sciutto.

MARC LAMONT HILL, POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: But if we're making an ethical, or moral or even political argument, I would say it's absolutely justified. I go to games all the time, I'm a routine attender of basketball games, I never stand for the flag bearing for the player --

SCIUTTO: You don't stand?

HILL: No. No I don't.

SCIUTTO: Why not?

HILL: It is an act of -- it's an act of political resistance. It's an act of political critique.

SANDOVAL: One fan even took to twitter calling Kaepernick his next pick for President. The 49ers organization says it respects their players decision and part of the team's statement reads "We recognize the right of an individual to choose to participate or not in our celebration of the national anthem."

The team is now preparing for the next preseason kickoff.

And a film maker Spike Lee also added to the list of supports for Kaepernick. An interesting comparison Jim, he actually compared this to 1968 Olympics in Mexico City when Tommy Smith, and a fellow African-American athlete actually used their moment in the national spotlight to raise their black glove covered first. And obviously that is a very different situation here but it's interesting how that also was met with high criticism and now here we are about 50 years or so later and obviously a very similar situation there, as well.

SCIUTTO: I thought of that moment as well. Polo Sandoval, thanks very much.

I just wanted to make a note to our viewers because we had a technical difficulty in our last segment just before the break. We lost our audio connection with Pastor Mark Burns in the middle of his comment. He was on a Skype shot, sometimes the audio, as I'm sure you've experienced is not completely reliable. That's what happened there. And we will -- of course we'll have him on the air many times in the coming days.

Coming up, it's more than just Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump on the ballot this November. And for some members of congress, what happens at the top of their party is impacting their own re-election pick.

Case in point these two men; we'll talk about it next live in the CNN Newsroom.

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[17:51:43]

SCIUTTO: Welcome back. Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton's fight for the White House is, of course, the main event, but voters have many more decisions to make on election day.

Races that will decide which party controls both the Senate and the House for the next two years and some of those contacts are just as nasty as the presidential race.

Larry Sabato, is author of "The Kennedy Half Century" he is also Director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics. Larry, first thanks for taking time out of your Sunday to join us today.

LARRY SABATO, AUTHOR: Sure. Happy to be with you.

SCIUTTO: So let's look at a couple of primaries in particular. Arizona, Florida, they have primaries this week. Of course two high profile senators, former presidential candidates fighting for their political survival, this is McCain and Rubio. Do you see any danger in either the primary or the general election for either of them? SABATO: The primary less so. I think both McCain and Rubio will win,

though McCain has a particularly tough challenger. The general election, that's a question mark for both of them. If you had to guess today, you would say that both McCain and Rubio would hold on. But I'm not so sure. I think it's going to defend on what happens at the top of the ticket. There will be a lot of coattail this year, Jim.

SCIUTTO: There was a "Washington Post" op-ed just today, two Republican strategists say it's time for the GOP in effect to give up hope. I'm just going to quote briefly from the op-ed. "The phrase desperate times call for desperate measures is attributed to Hippocrates and now it's time for the Republican Party to take decisive, perhaps desperate measures if it's going to survive. Republicans must look past the 2016 Presidential election, and start planning for 2018 and 2020 comebacks."

Do you think that's premature?

SABATO: Well, it's very premature because they're not going to do it Jim. I doubt they ever do it. If they do it they would only undertake it after at least the first debate and maybe the whole series. Then they could point to the polls and say there's nothing that can change them and we have to save the Senate and the House. But they are tremendous risks for the Republican Party in abandoning Trump.

SCIUTTO: Now, when you look down ballot, there's been a lot of talk about Trump having an effect on down-ballot races. What do the numbers show right now in terms of the Trump effect, if it's real, helping the Democrats reclaim the Senate?

SABATO: It is real. I'm convinced of that. As we approach Labor Day, even though the Democrats are currently behind in the Senate, 54 seats for the Republicans, 46 for the Democrats, I think the Democrats have a good, maybe better than good, chance to achieve at least a 50-50 tie. A tie would be broken by the new Vice President. If Hillary Clinton won, obviously Tim Kaine would be breaking the tie. And Democrats could do better than that. Why? Donald trump is dragging down some Republicans, and it just so happens that this year, the Republicans are defending 24 of the 34 seats on the ballot. They've got a lot of territory, they've got nine incumbents or open seats that potentially could switch. The Democrats have only one in Nevada.

SCIUTTO: Final question. Donald Trump, he's campaigning this week in Washington State. That's a state that last voted for GOP in Ronald Reagan's landslide victory 32 years ago. Last week he was in Texas and Mississippi, which you would think any Republican candidate could win easily. What do you make of his campaign strategy?

[17:55:11]

SABATO: I think it's going to be a case after November 8 what candidates should never do. He's either campaigning in states he's sure to win or states he's sure to lose, and he ought to be in the 8 to 10 swing states where at least he has a reasonable shot. Eventually he'll do it. I guess it will be after Labor Day. SCIUTTO: So why -- do you have any sense of why focus on the long

shots and the ones that are really in the bag?

SABATO: Well, Trump is a candidate who doesn't play according to the rules. And of course, his supporters say he's going to win a massive landslide on account of it. And we'll all see how this unusual strategy is going to work outcome November 8.

SCIUTTO: Yes. 70 days away. Larry Sabato, thanks very much.

After the break. The words of a mother who lost a daughter to the plague of gun violence in Chicago. Her heartbreaking interview "Trust me", is, that's right after this.

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[18:00:00]

SCIUTTO: Top of the hour now. You are live in the CNN Newsroom, I'm Jim Sciutto in for Poppy Harlow. And we begin with new developments in the murder of an NBA superstar's cousin. We're hearing from the grieving mother of a Chicago woman who was gunned down while taking a walk with her newborn baby. Her daughter an innocent victim of the gun violence --