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Report: Trump Lashes Out at Report He's Under Investigation; Trump to Reverse Obama Legacy on Cuba; Cosby Jury Deadlocked, Judge Says Keep Deliberating. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired June 15, 2017 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Last hour. To you, big picture, Carl, how significant is this that the President of the United States is now under investigation?

CARL BERNSTEIN, WON PULITZER PRIZE FOR WATERGATE INVESTIGATION: It's very significant and at the same time there is an inevitably about it that the FBI investigation was inching its way to investigating the President. There has been a cover-up in the White House about all things Russians inexplicably. The President has tried to impede and obstruct and I don't mean in the terms of obstruction of justice in the legal sense but obstruct in the practical sense. Impede, demean, undermine all of the efforts to find out what happened and his own relationship and those of his family and those of his aides with Russians and Russian institutions. And so, it was inevitable that he would become the focus of an FBI investigation. That's now happened because partly he fired the head of the FBI investigation and we only know a small part of the picture of what the FBI is looking at, at this point.

BALDWIN: Right.

BERNSTEIN: Incidentally, they could exonerate him.

BALDWIN: Absolutely. This is just the beginning. This is the inquiry. We're months and potentially years out from any --

BERNSTEIN: He could welcome this if really there is no "there" there and he could help the FBI establish that there's no "there" there but he's done just the opposite throughout.

BALDWIN: What about Dan Coats and Admiral Rogers? These intel chiefs who will be interviewed by Bob Mueller, the special counsel, I want you to remind everyone what roles they play here.

BERNSTEIN: Well, they, too, had discussions apparently with the President of the United States in which it has been reported the President asked them to put pressure or if not pressure to the move the FBI away from what it was doing to characterize the investigation a certain way that would be innocuous. Again, we haven't heard from them publicly. We'll find out --

BALDWIN: Well, we have, sort of. They just didn't say much.

BERNSTEIN: No. No. We heard -- that's right. We heard publicly but not substantively what that conversation or what those conversations were because they refused to detail them. One of them did in closed sessions. I think we need to look at all of this not in isolation but think of it as a big mosaic that the FBI is putting together, both about a cover-up and whether or not there was an obstruction of justice in the cover-up by the President and those around him but also to try and establish what happened with the Russians in our elections and so far, the White House has been making it very difficult for institutions to find that out. And that's partly what this is about.

BALDWIN: Well, you have all of these investigations and they are searching for the facts. You have the President of the United States and you've alluded to how he's responding. He's calling this a witch hunt, phony reporting.

BERNSTEIN: Let's stop on witch hunt for a minute because this statement is quite extraordinary, because he ought to know if he's read American history, though he sometimes talks about how he doesn't read much, he ought to know that when we had real witch hunts in this country in the 1950s under Joe McCarthy and others, these were terrible scorched earth events that ruined the lives of people who were hauled before Congressional committees and other places simply because they belong to certain organizations or did not belong to certain organizations. Total apples and oranges. One of the darkest moments in our history and the President of the United States, any President, ought to know the difference between what we're looking at here.

We now have serious allegations confirmed by the U.S. intelligence community that the Russians, a hostile foreign power, tried to undermine our free elections. Instead of the United States getting up and saying, I want everybody in my campaign and my white house and my counsel to get to the bottom of this and help the FBI, help the Congress find what happened here, he's done just the opposite. And that's why he's in the precarious legal position that he's in. It's why he's in the precarious political position he's in.

[15:35:00] And meanwhile, Republicans, you know, in Watergate, Republicans were the real heroes because they said this is not about party. This is about the rule of law. And hopefully we will start to see that from Republicans in this instant, too, rather than the kind of statement that the Republican national committee put out today just calling it a witch hunt.

BALDWIN: The words carry power and history behind them, as you point out. Carl Bernstein, we'll talk about. Thank you, sir, very much.

Just in to CNN, sources are telling us that President Trump is expected to reverse part of former President Obama's Cuba legacy. The President is set to travel to Miami tomorrow to announce his plan to a receptive crowd of Cuban ex-pats and their families. How far is President Trump planning to go with this?

DAN MERICA, CNN POLITICS PRODUCER: I think it's fair to call this a partial rollback. The embassies in Washington and Havana will stay home but there will be more targeted efforts to go after tourism and businesses in Cuba. Strictly enforcing the guidelines and rules of who can travel to the island nation. On business, you're going to have businesses that are prohibited from doing any commercial with the military arm of the Cuban government and the commerce arm of the military government. You're going to have secretary of state rex Tillerson start a task force to try to improve human rights and expand internet rights on the island and the President will speak on the need for human rights reform on the island and will also talk about the opposition to any efforts to end the embargo through the united nations. The campaign promise that Trump made throughout the 2016 election, especially when he was in Florida, it's also the latest example of the President trying to really take a sledgehammer to the Obama legacy. Obama spent two years at the end of his presidency doing this and trying to make this happen and this is another example of President Trump trying to undercut that legacy.

BALDWIN: Dan Merica, thank you.

Breaking right now, the jurors deciding the fate of Bill Cosby are still deadlocked and the judge telling them, get back in there. Continue deliberating. They're trying to decide if he drugged and sexually assaulted Andrea Constand some 13 years ago. Here's a look at the jury panel. Seven men, five women. They've been deliberating for more than 30 hours. Bill Cosby faces up to 30 years if he's convicted. I've got Areva Martin and Mark Geragos here. 30 hours. What can be the reason so far?

MARK GERAGOS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Because it's a hung jury. I said during jury selection that this was going to be a deadlocked jury. It does not surprise me in the least given the racial and gender composition in this case, I think it was -- and given the weakness of the prosecution's case, it does not surprise me in the least. Today, the judge when they announced they were deadlocked, the judge gave what's called the Allen charge, which we call the dynamite charge which is supposed to tell you or those who are in the minority to rethink their position. The fact that he gave that and they're still out leaves me to believe that it's not a case of 11-1 but there is a greater split than that. I'd be surprised if he keeps them beyond tomorrow afternoon because he's been very solicitous before. They've given it their all. There's nothing wrong with a hung jury. It's just as legitimate as a guilty or not guilty. So, at a certain point, I think that he's go the to declare a mistrial

BALDWIN: Mistrial. Areva, if they come back and continue deliberating and can't arrive at this consensus, what does that mean for Andrea Constand and for Bill Cosby?

AREVA MARTIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: The prosecution will have to decide, do they want to put the resources and time into retrying this case? Constand had to travel here from Canada. Does the prosecutor want to put the witnesses, the 12 witnesses or so through another trial? That's why the judge is trying so hard to force this jury to come to a consensus. There's been a lot of time and injury invested. That's why you keep hearing the judge give these wonderful compliments to the jury about how wonderful they are and great and unique and what an opportunity they have to bring this matter to conclusion but the judge can't cross the line. He can't coerce them and no juror can go back to that deliberation room and put force or pressure on each juror. They have to come to this because of their own accord and because of the decision they make individually.

BALDWIN: But if you're Bill Cosby -- Mark Geragos, you've represented many clients. If the jurors cannot at least so far come to some sort of consensus, what are you thinking or his legal team, what are you telling Bill Cosby?

GERAGOS: Look, I'm telling you right now, you're hanging on by the skin of -- your bare knuckles and skin. This is the difference between life and death for him in the sense if he gets convicted, if the jurors convict him, he will get automatically remanded. Skin of -- your bare knuckles and skin. This is the difference between life and death for him in the sense if he gets convicted, if the jurors convict him, he will get automatically remanded. He'll spend the rest of his life in prison. If he doesn't get convicted, it's entirely likely this case won't get retried. This is really the big game. This is it. If you're the legal team and I've been there so many times when a jury has been given -- the Allen charge or the dynamite charge in a lot of jurisdictions, including California, that's been declared unconstitutional, that it is coercive. It still exists in other state jurisdictions but I think it's outrageous. They've spent a lot of time. Jurors have watched the evidence. They know better than we do what went on in that courtroom and they take it seriously. So why do you have to get in there and ram their heads together in order to get to a verdict, there's nothing wrong with a hung jury.

BALDWIN: That's what they're doing. 30 hours and counting. Areva and Mark, thank you so much on this Bill Cosby trial and what will happen next.

We are here in Washington. We're here in D.C. where we're right about three hours from the first pitch tonight down at the Nationals ballpark. This is a charity baseball game, the Congressional baseball game tonight that will go on as scheduled despite the bloodshed yesterday morning. Two of the Congressmen who will be playing ball, we have a Democrat and a Republican, they will join me live.

Also, new details about the man who opened fire on those Republicans at baseball practice yesterday morning. We'll talk to the former mayor of Alexandria, Virginia, who actually saw him multiple times, had conversations with him at the local YMCA. His thoughts, coming up.

[15:40:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Welcome back. You're watching CNN. New today, investigators say the two weapons used to carry out the attack were purchased legally. They are now taking a closer look at these electronics and we've learned that the shooter frequented this YMCA across the street from the ball field. With me now, the former mayor of Alexandria, Virginia, mayor William Euille. I'm so sorry that this happened in an absolutely beautiful slice of this country. Let me begin with this gunman. I understand you saw him, you had conversations with him a couple of times at the Y.

[15:45:00] WILLIAM EUILLE, FORMER MAYOR, ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA: Yes. Glad to be with you today and certainly a sad state of affairs not only here in Alexandria but for our nation, particularly anytime elected officials are being attacked but certainly had an opportunity over the past almost month and a half to have almost daily conversation with this gentleman. I first met him, like I said, about a month and a half ago after he became a member of the y and as I would finish my exercise routine around 8:45 a.m., come upstairs, get a cup of coffee, he'd be sitting at a table near the coffee area. Coffee, laptop. This was a daily ritual for him.

BALDWIN: Why did he even catch your eye, sir?

EUILLE: Not the first day, not the second day but, you know, the third day because it's not normal for particularly men to end up after their exercise to just sit back and relax on their laptops and even retirees, they exercise and leave and go home.

And -- but he kept overhearing folks acknowledge me as the mayor, good morning, Mr. Mayor, how are you doing, we miss you, stuff like that. And I think about the fourth day he actually approached me and said so people call you the mayor. Are you really the mayor? And I said, yes, I'm the former mayor Bill Euille. A couple days later he asked me to recommend places for him to go for breakfast or lunch and I did so and he took me up on some of those referrals and then a week or so later, hey, I'm new in the area, I'm looking for a job. Do you know anybody hiring? And I said, you know, as a mayor, former mayor, people come to me for all kinds of help and assistance and I said I don't know about any job openings at the moment. I said, what do you do? He said, construction. I said, I'm in the construction but what's your skill set? He said, well, I'm a home inspector. I said, well, certainly I'll keep my eyes and ears open for you.

BALDWIN: So, you're -- if I can jump in, you're having conversations with him about breakfast spots and how he can get work in Alexandria. He had been in town pretty much since March. Did he ever ask you about these Republicans playing baseball or chat about politics with you?

EUILLE: Not at all. On the TV -- it's on for public viewing right at the entrance to the Y. No matter what station was on, there was always some conversation or program or news report about the white house, the President, or the issue of the day. Other people would be sitting around after their exercises and probably make comments pro or con. He never engaged himself in any of those types of discussions, not even once he got to know me very well, he never discussed politics with me, to any great extent.

BALDWIN: So, bizarre.

EUILLE: And so --

[16:50:00] BALDWIN: I know you found his bag bizarre, because he had so many items in his bag. Almost felt like he was living out of his beg. Last question, when did you put two and two together, when you heard about the shooting at the baseball park, when did you realize this guy you had multiple conversations with was the gunman?

EUILLE: I learned about noon -- shortly after noon yesterday. And then when I started adding the pieces with his oversized gym bag, not really exercising but just using the Y as place to hang out and to probably live during the day. Not knowing that he had a vehicle in the parking lot and that he was living out of his vehicle. But the mere fact that he was probably also using at launching point to just scout out the area by the baseball stadium which is directly bird's eye view across the street. But I would have never concluded this gentleman to be someone to do what he did yesterday. He didn't express any type of disappointment or concerns at all.

BALDWIN: Former mayor of Alexandria, Bill Euille, thank you so much for being with me on the shooter but let's move away from that and talk about these members of Congress who are going to play a ballgame in a couple of hours despite this tragedy the gates of Nats Park will be opening soon.

Members of congress, we've got Democrats, we got Republicans. They will square off in this legendary charity game. So, I have with me Congressman from each team, Republican representative Jack Bergman and Republican Thomas Suozzi.

REP. THOMAS SUOZZI, D-NEW YORK: And I'm a Democrat, actually. He's a Republican -- wait, what are you?

BALDWIN: This is Washington heat, gentleman. You're a Dem, you're a Republican. Gentleman, forgive me. I'm melting.

SUOZZI: It's hot out here, we know it. Don't worry about it.

BALDWIN: First of all, the decision, I want to ask you about the game in a couple of hours. But the fact that we've heard from the President himself, who saw Steve Scalise last night, he said, specifically, that he's been -- this whole thing has been much more difficult on Scalise than people thought, going to be OK, we hope. Do we know any more about Congressman Scalise, either of you?

REP. JACK BERGMAN R-MICHIGAN: The short answer is, no, but he is in the hands of the best medical professionals in the world and when you have a wound like he had, it requires multiple stages. But he's under the best care in the world.

SUOZZI: I went to a bipartisan prayer breakfast this morning, it's a nondenominational prayer breakfast and he's facing a tough time. And we're all praying for him and we pray to god that he and the doctors take care of him.

BALDWIN: This baseball game, was there a moment in either of your minds that thought, maybe we shouldn't play?

SUOZZI: Never. I've -- I'm excited we're playing, I'm happy we're playing, I'm scared, but I'm more scared that I'm not going to get a hit. That's what I'm worried about.

BERGMAN: And I'm scared he's going to get too many hits. And the reality is, for those of us who have been practicing, Dems and Republicans, it's been a great adventure for me as a freshman on the baseball team. I love to say that. Tom's a freshman, too. We're freshman. And the idea to be able to go out there on a professional field, to represent in this case our parties, but more importantly, tonight, to represent unity in America.

BALDWIN: We were saying earlier, something like $600,000 had been raised prior to this and now how much money?

BERGMAN: We've been told it's up over $1 million. We are selling 500 tickets every hour. The game was exciting for us and people who were paying attention before this happened, now it's taken on a whole new meeting. This is a chance for us to demonstrate how much we love our country and how much we're going to try to work together.

BALDWIN: You were there yesterday. We talked yesterday and you were telling me about how everyone was headed into the third base line dugout to seek shelter from the gunshots. Have you had a moment to talk to either of those capitol police officers just to say thank you?

BERGMAN: The short answer is, no, because they've been on their own recovery right now and we will talk to them as soon as we can get face to face.

BALDWIN: What would you say?

BERGMAN: Thank you. And I love you.

BALDWIN: The baseball glove. Tell me about it.

BERGMAN: The baseball glove, we hope, is en route. The glove is 50 years old this year. The last time I used it in baseball, I was a junior in college. It's part of me. Just like a rifle is part of a marine. I don't go to the game without it.

BALDWIN: It's been part of the crime scene, but you're hoping to have it by 7:05 tonight.

BERGMAN: Yes.

BALDWIN: From you, sir, from the Democrats, seeing that photo of everyone gathered around in prayer from your practice yesterday morning, can you tell me about it, because so many people watch and follow Congress and it's all the bickering and lack of civility, all kinds of conversations people have been having. What does tonight symbolize and how can we take this and use it to move forward?

SUOZZI: You know, I'm a freshman. Jack's a freshman, maybe I'm missing something, but I have found my colleagues on the Republican side as well as the Democratic side to be incredibly civil. I've had a great relationship with a lot of colleagues, on both sides of the aisle, including jack. And I think that, you know, when we get outside and we wash television and listen to the road and social media, it deteriorates. I think that this is a special time in history. Because people are so sick of politicians and politics, they want us to get stuff done. And this is a chance for to us take that fertile ground and really try to come together and try to get things done.

BALDWIN: Congressman --

BERGMAN: Could I add on that?

BALDWIN: Please.

BERGMAN: We, as members of the freshman class, Democrats and Republicans, signed a contract of civility. It did not make a high enough priority in news. We are saddened by that in the short-term, but we're new here, but we're going to set standards and we will.

BALDWIN: Congressman Bergman, Congressman Suozzi, thank you so much.

SUOZZI: Thank you, buddy. I love you now, but you're in the game. Watch out.

BERGMAN: I'll still love you as I put you out.

BALDWIN: Also, please tune in tonight. Watch Erin interview at 7:00 eastern, both, she has the House Speaker and minority leader, Nancy Pelosi, first joint interview in history. That's happening. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)