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AT THIS HOUR

Trump Meeting with South Korea and North Korea; Paul Manafort Court Hearings; Southwest Airline Tragedy; New President for Cuba not a Castro; Preview of CNN Original Series Sex and Love Around the World with Christiane Amanpour; Starbucks Arrestees speak out for the first time after arrest in Philadelphia. Aired 11:30-12p ET

Aired April 19, 2018 - 11:30   ET

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


(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If we don't think it's going to be a successful mark, we won't have it. We won't have it. If I think that it's a meeting that is not going to be fruitful, we're not going to go. If the meeting when I'm there is not fruitful, I will respectfully leave the meeting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KATE BOLDAUN, CNN ANCHOR: It's fascinating. What more are you hearing about plans for this meeting?

ELISE LABBOT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, our CNN producer Kevin Liptak has some amazing reporting this morning. That it was actually John Bolton, the President's new National Security Advisor that's kind of inspiring him to say, you know, it's OK. You remember John Bolton, so hawkish about North Korea but, you know, now go to the meeting. If it's not working you'll know right away and -- and you can leave. But Kate, preparations are going ahead for this meeting.

We heard that CIA Director Mike Pompeo went to North Korea, met with Kim Jong-un over Christmas. That's giving U.S. officials a lot more confidence that this meeting will take place and that important issues like denuclearization on the agenda. Right now, they're hung up on the venue. There are, kind of, maybe about half a dozen possible venues that they're considering in Europe, in Asia. The North Koreans really want that to be in Pyongyang. I don't think the White House is ready to send President Trump there to North Korea.

But that's where they -- they're hung up so far. But it does look like, you know, these talks are going ahead. The North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is about to meet South Korean President Moon. So I think we'll know a little bit more in the coming days about the trajectory of this meeting. It was going to be in May. Probably will slip until June.

BOLDAUN: But about what the President said right there, not just if it doesn't work out we won't go. I think that would be understandable if plans don't work, you don't attend. But that bit of if we don't like what's going on in the meeting, I will get up and leave. Is that part of the discussion and if -- if President Obama was going to be sitting down 2with, you know, an adversary? Is that part of the advice that you would give, like, if the meeting isn't going well just get up and go.

SAMANTHA VINOGRAD, CNN NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Typically no. President Obama had a lot of tough meetings with people like Vladimir Putin --

BOLDUAN: Right.

VINOGRAD: -- where you deliver tough messages. The meeting can get testy, but you typically don't walk -- get up and walk of a meeting with a head of state. But I do think that I was -- that a lot of us were reassured by the President's comments last night. Saying that he wouldn't go to a meeting unless he was confident that the right preconditions were in place. It looks like the policy process is starting to actually catch up with the President and his comments back in March, and I think that Bolton's probably part of that.

BOLDUAN: Fascinating stuff. Let's see what happens today and tomorrow. Great to see you Elise. Great to see you Samantha. Thanks so much. All right. I have some breaking news coming in right now I'm going to bring to you from the court hearing involving former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

We're learning more about Special Counsel Robert Mueller, his boss in this, of course, Rod Rosenstein and they're role in the case and also what Manafort is trying to do in court. Let's get over -- let's go to Evan Perez CNN Justice Correspondent for much more on this. He was just in court. Evan, lay it out for us. What are you learning?

EVAN PEREZ, CNN JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well Kate, I think you can call this the "witch hunt hearing" this is the -- the President's name didn't really come up in the hearing. But very much his argument that this investigation by Robert Mueller the Special Counsel is a witch hunt. I think that was the -- the -- the crux of the argument that was going on in court. And Paul Manafort's lawyers are simply saying that the -- the -- the appointment of Mueller that he -- he did not have enough -- enough jurisdiction to go all the different places that he has gone.

That, you know, the charges that they've brought against him have nothing to do with Russia and the collusion argument. And the government pushes back, they say that Mueller had been in regular touch with Rod Rosenstein, his boss. That everything he has done, he's done with authorization. And -- and of course this August 2nd memo which we now know has really angered President Trump. This is a memo that -- that authorizes Mueller to essentially look into whether or not Paul Manafort was in collusion with the Russians. That memo came up and the question from Manafort's lawyers is, you know, was there something else that -- that Mueller was told before this August memo.

Why write this August memo if he was already authorized? And -- and the judge sort of poked some holes into this and -- and essentially kind of backed up the - -the -- the prosecutors that Mueller does not appear to be going rogue. That there are things when he was appointed in May, Kate, that he wouldn't necessarily know because the investigation was still ongoing. The question obviously came up is, you know, why did you write this memo? Why did you even bring up this memo? Michael Dreeben, the prosecutor for the -- the --the -- arguing on behalf of Mueller said essentially, we saw that this day would come.

I think the reference there is simply that there've been a lot of attacks on the Special Counsel Robert Mueller and whether or not he's authorized. Whether he's gone rogue. The answer they gave in court today Kate was no he has not. So we'll see what the judge orders. Manafort is simply trying to essentially set aside the -- the charges that have been brought against him. They're -- they're saying that there's not enough jurisdiction. That it has nothing to do with Russia. I think the judge, at least from my read of it in court today, looks very skeptical in that argument.

BOLDUAN: Well all right. We'll stand by for that. Great to see you Evan. Thanks so much for bringing it to us. Appreciate it. Coming up for us still, the man who tried to save the victim of that Southwest Airlines jet that lost an engine mid-flight spoke out, just moments ago. His emotional and personal account of what they all went through up there. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:39:50]

BOLDUAN: An ordinary American describes an extraordinary ordeal. The Texas firefighter who tried to save the woman who was killed during that terrifying midair emergency on a Southwest Airline flight is speaking out for the first time this morning. Andrew Needum tried to pull fellow passenger Jennifer Riordan back into the plane after she was partially sucked out through a smashed window. Just moments ago, with his family by his side a very tearful Needum spoke about the tragedy. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREW NEEDUM: It was a family that lost a loved one. (inaudible) I feel for her family. I feel for her two kids, her husband, the community that she lived in. I can't imagine what they're going through.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: CNN's Polo Sandoval's joining me right now. Polo, you're learning more about the victim and about what happened to her. What are officials saying?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jennifer Riordan, the only fatality involved in this deadly engine situation that unfolded on Tuesday Kate. Authorities here in Philadelphia confirming the cause of death here as being blunt impact trauma to her head, neck and torso. This coming from officials late yesterday. We're also learning, of course, from the NTSB that she was actually strapped in. She was wearing her seatbelt at the time the debris hit the fuselage of that plane that you see behind me.

You can't see the damage from our advantage point since it was to the other side of the aircraft. That's exactly what kept this woman in that plane, at least partially in that plane which then prompted that response from -- from -- from several of her passengers to rush over to her -- to her seat to try to pull her back in. It took several minutes to finally get her back in there as we heard from that Texas firefighter who was one of two men that finally as able to get her in that cabin.

Kate, also we are hearing word that the -- the -- the Federal Aviation Administration is going to be ordering the inspection of the same model engine that you see on the plane behind me here, on that Boeing 737. This is something that had already been in the works even before this, especially after another Southwest, a very similar incident as well. This is going to call for the inspection of those fan blades using ultrasonic equipment since this -- these signs of a metal fatigue are usually very hard to detect unless you have that special equipment.

So that's really the next step here Kate. You can also expect investigators with the NTSB to go to Dallas, to go to Southwest headquarter. To take a closer look at the records of this aircraft here to see when was the last time that it was inspected. We know on Sunday they took a closer look at it but we still don't know if they specifically looked at those fan blades Kate.

BOLDUAN: How did this happen? And how can they make sure it doesn't happen ever again? Polo, thank you so much. I appreciate it. We'll continue to follow the story. Still ahead for us though, history is in the making. For the first time in six decades, Cuba will not have a Castro as it's president. What that means to the people and for Cuba's relationship with the United States going forward? We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:47:17]

BOLDUAN: History was just made in Havana. For the first time in almost 60 years a person not named Castro became the leader of Cuba. Miguel Diaz-Cainel just took over Raul Castro's job as president, although Castro will still be the head of the ruling communist party and is expected to be involved and make many major decisions. Still a huge moment today. Joining me right now, CNN Chief International Correspondent Christiane Amanpour. Christiane, it's great to see you. What does a Cuba post Castro look like?

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN HOST: Well honestly that is the all important question. I mean, the fact of the matter is nobody really knows a lot about Diaz-Cainel. He is obviously a loyal party member. It's not like there's some sort of new technocratic revolution on the horizon. You just mentioned that Raul Castro will remain in a very important planning position as Head of the Communist party until I believe 2021. And it's also apparently likely that Diaz-Cainel will not be Commander-in Chief. He will not don a military uniform and be head of the armed forces in the same way that the Castro brothers were.

Not a whole lot is known about him. He's apparently an engineer by training. A very loyal party member. He was sort of dubbed day and night according to our CNN reporting because as he was ascending up the ranks of the hierarchy. He could be counted upon by the senior administration officials to always be there. To make sure those who he was overseeing, whether it was day or night were not pilfering on the job, were not sleeping on the job, were -- were just doing the job and not sort of deviating from, you know, strict party rules.

So he also according to the U.S. who knows who we're dealing with the normalization of relations with Cuba. He did not have a lot to do with that process. So it's not as if he's got a big, kind of -- kind of, you know, entree into the United States either. So, unknown at the moment.

BOLDUAN: Quite amazing though. I was sitting here thinking, Cuba seems to be one of the few places that you did not go though for your new series.

AMANPOUR: No I did.

BOLDUAN: You went to Cuba? Of course, that's the one thing that I didn't know. Gosh darnit. So on your new series Sex and Love Around the World, you really did go around the world then. OK. Perfect.

(CROSSTALK)

BOLDUAN: Oh exactly. So in the new episode we're going -- I want to show her viewers. You go to Shanghai. Here's a bit. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Today's mission is we want to find a beautiful dress for the (inaudible).

AMANPOUR: OK. So you think I have a good chance of getting engaged?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Yes.

AMANPOUR: I could open it more.

(LAUGHTER)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Unbutton --

AMANPOUR: There you go.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. No, no, no, no, no.

AMANPOUR: No?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Too much.

AMANPOUR: This is too much? Your face, I mean, you look horrified.

(LAUGHTER)

AMANPOUR: It's just a little button.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are good girl.

(CROSSTALK)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: And Christiane you are a bad girl. That is what she was telling you.

AMANPOUR: Yes.

(CROSSTALK)

AMANPOUR: No, so here's the thing, I mean, look, this series has been unbelievably revealing because is it's just been about conversations mostly through the eyes of women from all those six cities that I visited. And here in China for instance, there has never been a tradition of people choosing their own husbands or wives. It's all through the millennia being arranged marriage. It's all about the family. So in Shanghai, which is one of the -- as you know biggest business capitols in China and women do so incredibly well in Shanghai.

They're the most millionaire women in Shanghai than in any other city in China. And they're doing incredible work except on the field of love and intimacy because they don't know what it means to date. They haven't had that experience. So I was there in a dating tutorial. These two girls wanted to know how to date men. What to dress. How to be. Even though they were successful professionals and had a high level of education.

BOLDUAN: It's so fascinating. You also go to Ghana. So different from China of course. What did you learn there?

AMANPOUR: Well Ghana is again -- it's -- we went to the capital Accra. And Ghana is one of the most successful of the west African nations. It's got a very, very successful economy. It's very progressive relatively in terms of politically and culturally. It also calls itself the most religious, or one of the most religious capitals in the world. And it's true on every corner you see a temple or a mosque or most likely a Christian church, you know a hold over from all of the sort of Christianity that came with missionaries and beyond.

But in any event, there is a whole spectrum of love, intimacy and sexuality in Ghana that, you know, we -- we didn't see as much in -- in many of the other places. It's so many different aspects depending on what social demographic, social economic demographic you come from. So it's just fascinating. But so many people talk so openly that's the most revealing aspect to this and really told us what they wanted in life. And we're talking mostly, you know, through the eyes of women.

BOLDUAN: And -- and an important part of life, which is intimacy.

AMANPOUR: Indeed.

BOLDUAN: It's huge. Important. Part of our lives.

AMANPOUR: It is.

BOLDUAN: Christiane, it's great to see you. Thank you. Button up girl. Button up. Be sure to catch the CNN original series Sex and Love Around the World, Saturday 10pm eastern right here on CNN. I do want to take a moment though to mark even more history in the making. The Senate, yesterday, changed the rules. Senator Tammy Duckworth became the only sitting Senator in U.S. history to give birth when she welcomed her second child into the world earlier this month.

Well, now the Senate will for the first time allow infants into the Senate chamber. Never allowed before. Duckworth raised the question with her colleagues because of challenges that new moms everywhere face when trying to work and breastfeed their newborns. Like everything else in the Senate though it wasn't without some belly aching. Senator Orrin Hatch even asking and telling the AP, but what if there are 10 babies on the Senate floor. Well Senator, doesn't it often seem there are 10 times 10 babies on the Senate floor. Either way, a moment in history. We wanted to mark it. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:57:33]

BOLDUAN: Two African American men who were arrested at a Philadelphia Starbucks, they are breaking their silence now. Rashon Nelson and Donte Robinson, they say more than anything they just never want this to happen again.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONTE ROBINSON: So what I want is for a young man or young men to not be traumatized by this and instead motivated, inspired.

RASHON NELSON: I hope people understand that it's not just a black people thing. It's a people thing. And that's exactly what we want to see out of this and that's true change. So put action into place and stop using your words.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDOUN: Through change. CNN's Alison Kosik is here now with me. Alison, what do -- what do they say about what happened that day?

ALISON KOSIK: This is an incredible story Kate. The two men speaking out today for the first time and we're learning that they were at the Starbucks for only a few minutes before they were handcuffed. Rashon Nelson, Donte Robinson, they both said they walked into the Starbucks in Philadelphia around 4:35 for a 4:45 meeting last week. They were there to meet a third friend for a meeting, something they had been working on for months. Nelson says when he walked in he immediately asked a Starbucks employee to use the bathroom but he was told it was only for paying customers.

And Nelson says, you know what he left it at that. He said he sat down at the table with Donte Robinson. They were talking. That's when an employee came from around the register and she asked them if she could get them anything. Start them with some drinks or some water. They had some bottled water already, said they wouldn't be long but then the police arrived. Records show the 911 call it was made at 4:37 so that's about 2 minutes after they walked in. And as soon as they walked in, Robinson says he was thinking they can't be here for us. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONTE ROBINSON: Well initially as soon as they approached us they just said we have to leave. There was no question of, you know, was there a problem here between you guys and the manager. You know, what happened.

ROBIN ROBERTS: When you were arrested did they tell you what you were being arrested for?

RASHON NELSON: No. Not at the time. We wasn't read any rights. Nothing. Just double lock handcuffs behind our back and escorted out and put into a squad car.

(END OF VIDEO CLIP)

KOSIK: CEO Kevin Johnson, he's apologized publicly. Monday he met with the two men to apologize in person about how they were treated but beyond that we're not really getting any details about what happened in their meeting. Nelson and Robinson's lawyer he's saying they're involved in mediation with Starbucks and that it's confidential. As for Starbucks Kate, the company is closing 8,000 stores across the country on May 29th in the afternoon to give it's employees, 175,000 of them, racial bias training Kate.

BOLDUAN: Very good to hear these men speaking out. Alison thank you so much. And thank you all so much for joining me. Inside Politics with John King starts right now.

[12:00:15]