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NEW DAY SUNDAY

Family of Airplane Thief "Stunned and Heartbroken"; Rallies Mark One Year After Violent Charlottesville Protests; Trump Reacts to Omarosa's Claims: Calls Her "Low Life"; President Trump Wants To End Family Reunification, Critics Say New Mexico Police Could Have Acted Sooner To Rescue A Boy Who Was Missing, The Sheriff Says Otherwise, The University Of Maryland Benches Its Head Football Amid Allegations Of Bullying, NASA Launches An Unmanned Spacecraft To Our Closest Star. Aired 7-8a ET

Aired August 12, 2018 - 07:00   ET

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


[07:00:02] BARACK OBAMA, FORMER PRESIDENT: How many people are going canvassing today? It's a little brisk outside. It will be good for you. Walk quick. Talk fast.

HILLARY CLINTON, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: It's time that we moved from sound bites to sound solutions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need to continue to press. Keep the energy up. There is a huge momentum.

MICHELLE OBAMA, FORMER FIRST LADY: Iowa, you can make the difference.

BILL CLINTON, FORMER PRESIDENT: Tomorrow night, the future of the free world is riding on your shoulders. Don't feel any pressure.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTI PAUL, CNN ANCHOR: Check out the new episode of "THE 2000s". That airs tonight at 9:00 p.m. Eastern on CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The 29-year-old Horizon Airline employee has been identified as Richard Russell.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Commercial aircrafts are complex machines. I don't know how he achieved the experience.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's going to disappoint them to hear I did this. I would like to apologize to each and every one of them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was just shocked to see someone so nice, so helpful, and caring.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is NEW DAY WEEKEND with Victor Blackwell and Christi Paul.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Good Sunday morning. How and why did he do it?

CNN speaks exclusively a former coworker of that man who crashed an empty passenger plane.

PAUL: Also this hour, a year after rioting in Charlottesville, white supremacists and counterprotesters both heading to the capital.

BLACKWELL: The president faces accusations of hypocrisy after his wife's parents become U.S. citizens using a visa process he has opposed.

PAUL: CNN's Scott McLean speaks exclusively with the Taos County sheriff about the compound where officers found 11 children living in squalid conditions there and a very remains of another small child.

BLACKWELL: And NASA launches a probe that will travel closer to the sun closer than any spacecraft before it.

Your NEW DAY starts right now.

(MUSIC)

PAUL: So glad to have you with us. One minute -- well, two minutes now past 7:00.

It was hard to listen to the man who was flying that stolen passenger plane near Seattle yesterday as he was talking to the tower and apologizing to the people who loved him.

BLACKWELL: Yes, that was Richard Russell. And now those who loved him say that they are shocked after Russell was identified as the airline employee who took off from the Seattle airport in that empty plane and then crashed it an hour later.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE MATHEWS, FRIEND OF FAMILY: This is a complete shock to us. We are devastated by these events and Jesus is truly the only one holding this family together right now. As the voice recordings show, his attempt was not to harm anyone. He was right in saying that there are so many people who have loved him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PAUL: Now, we are learning more about his training on the ground as well. Officials say he was authorized to tow planes to their gates but they do not believe he that had a pilot's license.

BLACKWELL: It is still early in the criminal investigation. Officials are working to recover the plane's data recorders and Russell's remains. And airport security experts are pointing out there have been several flaws identified in the system by this incident.

CNN correspondent Dan Simon is live in Steilacoom with an exclusive interview with one of Russell's former coworkers. Dan, good morning to you.

DAN SIMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Victor and Christi.

We are beginning to get a clearer picture of what Richard Russell was like as a friend, as a coworker, as an employee. I spoke to Jeremy Kaelin (ph), he worked closely alongside Russell for eight solid months. They worked the p.m. shift together.

He says this is somebody who had a lot of integrity, somebody who worked really hard, and somebody who also had a great sense of humor. He is also not surprised that Russell was able to learn some basic aspects of aviation, given certain aspects of his job.

Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SIMON: When you learned it was your friend and former coworker, Richard Russell, who did this, what did you think?

JEREMY KAELIN, WORKED WITH RICHARD RUSSELL: Shocked. He was really just super funny, always laid back but super nice, super funny, and he will always go out and help others to his flights that he wasn't assigned to help out with or -- and when he was working with you on your flight, he will work as hard as he could.

SIMON: You saw the home video of him doing those maneuvers.

KAELIN: Yes.

SIMON: He seemed like, to a certain degree, he knew what he was doing as a pilot or behind the controls.

KAELIN: Yes. Well, you can learn how to fly with flight simulators if you buy them. You can literally run them on your PC, Mac, whatever. Also part of his description on tow team was to operate some of the systems that were -- he was trained to do by Horizon Air which is part of the tow team.

[07:05:02] And so, essentially, he just took that knowledge and built off of it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SIMON: Well, Kaelin who himself is studying to be a pilot says there is so much information out there, including YouTube videos, that might teach you how to start an airplane and how to do basic maneuvers, so he is not surprised that somebody who had access to airplanes like Russell was able to do what he did. I can tell you, of course, this is all being investigated by the FBI. They will be talking to friends and family and maybe to coworkers like Kaelin himself.

Part of this investigation is also centered about 10 minutes away from here by ferry where dozens of investigators have been sifting through the debris field. Victor and Christi, back to you.

BLACKWELL: Dan Simon, so many questions still. Thanks so much.

PAUL: CNN aviation analyst Peter Goelz is with us, a former managing director for the NTSB.

Peter, when we talk about Richard Russell, I want to ask you about something that Mary Schiavo another aviation analyst, of course, said to us last hour. She said there was something specific that stood out to her in all of this. When Richard Russell was talking to the tower, he asked if they could help him with the pressurization of the plane because he was feeling light-headed. She said what stood out was that he was only at about 14,000 feet. Because of that, that's too low in elevation that you would normally become light-headed and she suspects that perhaps there might be something physical going on with him.

Does that stand out to you as well?

PETER GOELZ, CNN AVIATION ANALYST: Well, I heard that comment. You know, you start to feel the effects of hypoxia above 10,000, 12,000 feet. And I wasn't clear when that comment was made. If he had just completed a barrel roll or his flip, those two, you know, maneuvers that he had completed, that also could have contributed to his light- headedness.

You know, these are very sophisticated and stressful maneuvers and it's very common for inexperienced pilots, and experienced pilots, to feel the effects of them. So, I'm not quite sure.

PAUL: OK. I wanted to ask you as well about, you know, the tower and what was happening in those moments, because we have learned that they knew that this was an unauthorized departure, there were no routine procedures, the ramp, the ground, the takeoff clearances, none of that had been given. So when you've got a guy in a plane sitting there saying, I'm going, what other choice does the tower have?

GOELZ: Yes, the tower really -- they'll review their procedures, as well as, you know, all of the ground operations, to see whether there was something more that could be done and I'm sure they are going to find something. But if somebody is in a plane and the tower picks up that they are moving for a takeoff, you know, you only have a very few number of seconds to try to prevent it, and there are not any reasonable steps you can take, other than trying to immediately clear the runway or clear the taxiway where the individual is going to protect other people. It's a very vexing situation.

PAUL: Yes, Peter Goelz, thank you for your thoughts on this today. We appreciate you.

GOELZ: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: There's a state of emergency in Charlottesville, Virginia, exactly one year after the deadly and violent protests hit that small town. PAUL: Yes. Yesterday, in fact, hundreds of demonstrators marched

through the streets of that city. Police came prepared to the worst, but the protests were mostly peaceful. There's going to be same show of force today. White supremacist holding a "unite the right" rally in Charlottesville, but a second rally also planned at Lafayette Square near the White House in Washington.

And that's where CNN's Sara Sidner is.

Sara has been having a lot of very interesting conversations lately about this -- Sara.

SARA SIDNER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, the conversations revolve around race and the racial divide here in this country. We've talked to many different people, including a member of the Ku Klux Klan. He is an imperial wizard. He was in Charlottesville, saying that he was representing a militia at the time. He's a man that shot a gun towards a black protester and he has pled no contest in that case.

But something remarkable happened between him and a black R&B musician who is standing up for him trying to change hearts and minds.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD PRESTON, KKK LEADER: I shot a gun (INAUDIBLE) flame thrower --

SIDNER (voice-over): Richard Preston admitting what he did during the deadly white nationalist unite the rally last year in Charlottesville, Virginia. That's Preston, yelling the "N" word, aiming and firing on the direction of a black counter protester wielding a blue torch.

Preston spoke to CNN for the first time since he pleaded no contest in the case against him.

[07:10:03] (on camera): Are you sorry for shooting the gun towards a black man?

PRESTON: No, because I protected people on the steps. That's all I was doing.

SIDNER: But you did say the "N" word before you fired that gun. Why? Why?

PRESTON: Can I ask you a question? If you're standing in a group of 1,000 black folks --

SIDNER: There wasn't 1,000 black folks around you.

PRESTON: I can't tell you how many there was. But, OK, a large group of black people, OK? How do you get one black man's attention in a crowd full of black people?

SIDNER: You say hey, you, with the torch. There's a thousand ways.

(voice-over): Preston said he went to protect a confederate statue as a member of a militia, but he also wears another hat.

PRESTON: The heck with all these illegals.

SIDNER: That of an imperial wizard of a Ku Klux Klan chapter. Four year, he's been trying to re-brand the KKK as peaceful do-gooders, not hate-filled racists.

(on camera): Do you hate black people?

PRESTON: No, I have friends that are black.

SIDNER: But you're an Imperial Wizard of a Ku Klux Klan group. And the Klan has a history of terrorizing black folks. How can you say that?

PRESTON: Some Klans did have a history of terrorizing black folks, but not all Klans did. And I've never terrorized a black person in my life.

SIDNER: Why not join the Kiwanis Club? Why not call it something different? Why the Ku Klux Klan?

PRESTON: Because I want to see the Klan become what it once was.

SIDNER (voice-over): He references this, the second rising of the Klan, when thousands marched through Washington in 1925.

PRESTON: At that time, that march was about the fact that our country was allowing immigrants to come here, change their names, no documentation. If your name was Schwarzkopf, you could come here and call yourself Schwartz, and nobody cared.

SIDNER: He fails to mention it was about keeping blacks Jews and immigrants from rising socially or politically. But he says his plan is different.

PRESTON: It's not about a black man, a white man, a red man and a yellow man. It's about a red, white and blue.

SIDNER: But he's still awaiting sentencing in Charlottesville. While he waits, something remarkable is happening because of this man. R&B musician Daryl Davis has spent decades engaging with Klan members and challenging their beliefs. He and Preston have talked for years via phone. Suddenly, Davis was standing up for Preston in court.

(on camera): What do you say to the judge?

DARYL DAVIS, R&B MUSICIAN: I testified on his behalf. I also paid part of his bail money to get him out.

SIDNER: You paid part of his bail money?

DAVIS: I did.

SIDNER: Is he taking you for a fool? Using you?

DAVIS: No, not at all. Not at all.

SIDNER: How do you know?

DAVIS: Because he and I were already friends. I said, I'm willing to take Mr. Preston and he has agreed to go down to this museum with me and take a tour of it and learn something.

SIDNER (voice-over): He's referring to the National Museum of African-American History.

DAVIS: Seeing what he's going to see there is going to plant a seed. The seed may not blossom today, tomorrow, the next day. But eventually, he'll come out, because the truth never -- can never be squashed.

SIDNER: The two men bonding over history and returning to Davis' home to find another shared passion. His track record speaks volumes. Davis says 200 of the Klansmen he's befriended over the years have left the group, more than 40 of them with a simple gesture, relinquishing their Klan robes to him.

(on camera): You don't think you'll ever give up your robe?

PRESTON: No, I'll be buried in it.

SIDNER: Are you sure?

PRESTON: Yes.

SIDNER (voice-over): But then this happened. Richard Preston who had never been married, had Daryl Davis at his Klan wedding.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As you stand in the presence of God --

SIDNER: This time, it was David giving something away. The bride.

(on camera): His friendship has been something really special to me.

DAVIS: He wanted me to be a part of this wedding. That's beautiful. That's a seed planted.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SIDNER: Now, as you might imagine, this story has evoked anger. It's also evoked hope.

Some people very upset with Daryl Davis feeling like he is sympathizing with this man who clearly holds racist ideals but Daryl says, look, he has a proven track record. He has done this so many times and he has made a difference. He asks other who criticized him, what have you done?

Now, as far as what is going to happen here in D.C., here in Lafayette Park, we are expecting both sides that they will not come together if police have anything to do with it, they are keeping them separated. One side, of course, "unite the white" rally and nationalist groups coming out which includes David Duke as a speaker and one of the organizers, Mr. Jacob Kessler.

But we're also expecting another side to show up in much larger numbers, those who oppose this kind of ideals. We are expecting up to a thousand people what the permit said who are protesting against them, and all of this is happening right outside the White House -- Christi, Victor.

PAUL: Wow. Sara, a very powerful piece there, thank you so much.

BLACKWELL: President Trump's response in the wake of last year's violent protesters and ahead of this year's planned rallies have been controversial, let's say that.

[07:15:01] Joining me is CNN contributor and "The Washington Post" national reporter, Wesley Lowery.

Wesley, welcome back.

First, let's start with the president's tweets, and we call them tweets, but these really are official statements from the president of the United States, the only one thus far on Charlottesville.

And here's what he said yesterday: The riots of Charlottesville a year ago resulted in senseless death and division. We must come together as a nation. I condemn all types of racism and act of violence. Peace to all Americans.

That's the entirety of what we're hearing from the president about Charlottesville.

What -- how did you receive that?

WESLEY LOWERY, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, it's worth giving the president at least the credit of saying this is the most full-throated condemnation of the white supremacist violation in Charlottesville this time last year, that have this had been his statement in the moments and days after Heather Heyer was murdered amidst that violence, that perhaps the response to him would have been different.

But that said, we saw in real time how the president responded to this incident, right? The equivocating, the good people on both sides. They're attempting to blame the anti-racist protesters and demonstrators on equal footing as the KKK and Nazi members who had gathered in Charlottesville. But beyond that, you know, some of the criticisms we've seen of the president amount to a question of, well, you can't, in a tweet, condemn all types of racism, then pursue policies that many people think are racially discriminatory and use a rhetoric and employ political rhetoric that is racially divisive.

What we know about this president since before he was even a president was that he took advantage of the racial divisions in our politics, that he stoked a white fear and a white grievance among his base, took advantage of dog whistle rhetoric.

And so, again, it is important for the president of the United States to issue statements like this. I do believe that. That said, this particular president, it's hard to believe those words are particularly genuine when, like I said, there is a very good faith argument that many of his policies and actions fly in the face of those words.

BLACKWELL: Let's talk about the message that came out just a few minutes after that that the president followed up by saying: I'm proud to have fought to and secured the lowest African-American and Hispanics unemployment rates in history. Now, I'm pushing for prison reform to give people who paid their debt to society a second chance. I will never stop fighting for all Americans.

In the context of what you said, the policy conversation, black and brown people care about more than criminal justice. So, where else in the administration does this commitment come to fruition? Do we see it in the Department of Education, in Housing and Urban Development? Is there any evidence that this extends beyond the president's discussion of unemployment numbers and prison reform?

LOWERY: No, not particularly. I mean, in fact, what we have seen across most federal agencies is a massive walk-back in terms of both the investigation and prosecution of civil rights cases, whether that be the Department of Labor or the Department of Education, much less, the Department of Justice. We have seen aggressive steps as it relates to things like voting rights, you know, administration that has taken the steps that can to potentially make things more difficult for black and brown voters to have their voices heard.

We have seen other things that are maybe not so explicitly in racialized and civil rights terms but things that lead an average viewer or reader to believe that this president perhaps doesn't care. We have seen tens of hundreds of thousands of people in Puerto Pico received what most people agree was a pretty inadequate response to a terrible, you know, act of god that left their homes decimated and their lives at risk. And so, what we see is time and time again, policies and behaviors and postures from this presidency and from this White House that most people of color believe have been negligent, if not aggressively discriminatory towards them.

So, you know, the president does very often like to cite unemployment numbers with African-Americans. And it is true that the president is currently overseeing an economy much better than it has been but what we know is the economy works in cycles. And so, I think when the president says these things, it provides an out for members of his base, folks who want to say, hey, look, he can't be a racist because black unemployment is doing well. These are the same people, by the way, who said, he can't be a racist because he is friends with Omarosa, right?

But I think most black and brown voters and people and Americans know or judge a public figure is not about these types of, you know, straw man arguments or token arguments but, rather, it's about how do you show though your behavior, through your rhetoric, through your actions that you care and value black and brown people? And I think this president has a track record that speaks for himself.

BLACKWELL: Well, he's got several more hours today as these rallies start to see if there is another statement and several more years to see if there's actually some legislative change.

Wesley Lowery, thanks so much.

LOWERY: Thanks for having me, Victor.

PAUL: And, remember, President Trump is slamming his former White House aide, calling Omarosa Manigault Newman a low life as she gets ready to release her tell-all book.

[07:20:05] Brian Stelter is going to talk to us about that.

BLACKWELL: Plus, President Trump has said many times he wants to end what he calls chain migration. He says too many people are coming here and then bringing family members to join them. What about members of his family?

PAUL: And the sheriff who handled the case of a missing boy at a horrific compound answers to critics who say he should have done something sooner.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PAUL: Well, this morning, President Trump is in Bedminster. He's not at the White House. And if he was in Washington, he'd see a gathering of white supremacists right outside on the White House lawn.

BLACKWELL: It's the same "unite the right" group that marched in Charlottesville last year.

PAUL: CNN White House reporter Sarah Westwood live from New Jersey for us now.

So, Sarah, has the president said anything about what is expected to happen today?

[07:25:00] SARAH WESTWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Well, Christi, so far, we haven't heard so much from the president on this topic beyond a tweet he put out yesterday condemning racism. President Trump is here in New Jersey wrapping up the last full day of his working vacation as those white nationalists gather back in Washington, outside of the White House in Washington. He has no public events on his schedule today so we may not hear anything from him other than what he puts on his Twitter feed.

Now, even though President Trump tweeted yesterday marking the one- year anniversary of Charlottesville, so far he hasn't said anything about the events set to take place today. But one thing he has spoken about is Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Sessions' refusal to investigate the origins of the Russia investigation. Trump accused Sessions of being a missing in action when it comes to an investigation of how the Obama DOJ opened the Russia probe even though Sessions has recused himself from anything related to Russia.

Now, as he's been here in New Jersey, Trump has tweeted 14 times about the Russia investigation, so clearly it's something on his mind. And he has escalated his calls for the Justice Department to hand over documents from that ongoing investigation.

And, of course, this is all taking place against the backdrop of the trial of his former campaign manager Paul Manafort, something that, obviously, continues to frustrate the president -- Christi and Victor.

BLACKWELL: All right. Sarah Westwood, thank you so much.

PAUL: So, Brian Stelter, CNN senior media correspondent and CNN host of "RELIABLE SOURCES", is with me now.

Good morning to you, Brian.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN SENIOR MEDIA CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

PAUL: I know we're going to talk about Omarosa, but I do want to talk real quickly about the fact that the event happening today and trying to cover what is happening in a balanced way.

You wrote in a piece, I thought it was really well said. You said, I think there's widespread agreement that journalists shouldn't just hand over the mike to white supremacists for an unedited, unchallenging interview. But how should newsrooms approach these stories?

Al Tompkins, a veteran faculty member of the Poynter Institute said his main notion, quote, is that no problem, including racism or hate, gets smaller by ignoring it.

It's a profound thought. It still doesn't help us know how to balance, yes?

STELTER: Yes, I think a real challenge for these organizations. It's actually, in some ways, similar to the challenge of covering terror groups. You know, you think about how do you cover ISIS? Do you shine a light on the horror or do you try to deny a group oxygen?

There is actually a similarity in some ways between that problem, that challenge, and the problem of an extremist here at home, an extremist here in the United States who has hateful thoughts, who is part of a hate group by giving them attention, you're, in some ways, helping recruit or at least that is the risk.

So like I said in that piece for CNN.com, an unchallenging unedited interview, a live interview is probably not the right answer. I love what Sara Sidner just did in her piece a few minutes where she's telling a story about someone with noxious ideas and thoughts, but also bringing someone else into the picture, who's trying to make a change, to improvement in that person's life.

I think that was something else Al Tompkins that was really notable. He said, for all the coverage of wrongdoing, for all the coverage of racists and white supremacists, let's also make sure we shine a light on the people who are trying to make a change in these counter- protesters today, because as Sara said, we're going to see a much bigger presence of counterprotesters than we will these white supremacists in Washington later today. PAUL: All righty. I have to ask you about the back and forth between

Omarosa and President Trump. It seems to be getting heated and the book is not even out yet.

STELTER: Right, right. This is a book coming out on Tuesday, but we're going to be hearing a lot about this book in the next few days. The title, it tells you everything you need to know. The title is "Unhinged".

This is Omarosa breaking with President Trump in a very public way, really betraying him. And I think it matters for a couple of reasons. One, this is the first real White House tell-all. Every White House has these, a former staffer who breaks from the pack and comes out and says what she says is the truth about what really happened.

Number two, she's a reality TV star. You know, we all know Omarosa as the villain, as the liar, as the back-stabber from "The Apprentice". And yet, President Trump did decide to hire her, bringing her in. She was for a while the highest ranking black staffer at the White House. She made $170,000 a year, pretty good government salary.

So, she was there. She was in meetings. She saw action at the White House. And some of her stories do seem to check out. However, our colleagues here at CNN read the book and found some basic errors, found a lot of unverifiable information as well.

So, it's really going to be a battle of credibility. Who has less credibility? Omarosa or former White House colleagues?

But the bottom line about this book, as it's about to come on in Tuesday, she's describing Trump as racists, as lewd, and is mentally waning. It's a real incredible betrayal of, you know, who was her former boss, someone she worked for for a long time.

She now says she has a lot of regrets and people will be able to decide for themselves if they believe her account of what happened.

PAUL: All righty. Brian Stelter, thank you so much.

STELTER: Thanks.

PAUL: So, good to see you.

And you can catch more of Brian later on "RELIABLE SOURCES". That's at 11:00 a.m. Eastern, right here., and at 9:00 a.m. Eastern, the President's attorney, Rudy Giuliani is on "State of the Union" with Jake Tapper.

BLACKWELL: Well, President Trump wants to end family reunification. He calls it chain migration, it allows people to sponsor their family members coming into the country for potential US citizenship, so why doesn't he believe that pertains to his family?

[07:35:00]

BLACKWELL: President Trump was criticized this week for again, promising to end what he calls chain migration. He has made his views very clear on this point.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We have to end chain migration. We have to end chain migration.

We want to select people based on their ability to contribute to our country, not choose people randomly. We have no idea who they are or based on extended family connections.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: But this week, his attacks on family sponsoring each other was splashed with a little hypocrisy from his own in-laws. Their sponsor, his wife, Melania Trump, the First Lady and her lawyer thinks the President is wrong on the topic.

Joining me now, Yodit Tewolde criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor. Welcome back to "New Day."

YODIT TEWOLDE CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY AND FORMER PROSECUTOR: Thank you for having me.

BLACKWELL: So let's start here with clarity. This system, the visa that the President has lambasted for more than a year now, is that the exact same process in which the Knavs came into the country?

TEWOLDE: It's believe to have been the same process. I mean, look, the problem with Trump is that he's had a history of being a hypocrite. He has a pattern of being a hypocrite since before taking office and since then, his whole entire presidency has been knee-deep in hypocrisy on everything from foreign policy to executive orders to even patriotism.

So you have Melania Trump's parents who became US citizens by using that same family migration or family-based migration which he loves to call chain migration. By using that same system that he is trying to get rid of and so that allows US citizens and permanent residents to bring over certain family members to live in the US permanently, and so while Melania who has a questionable immigration history herself, while she sponsored her parents for a green card, the President is trying to reduce legal immigration at all costs and making it harder for documented immigrants to obtain citizenship or even permanent residency.

In fact, what he is trying to do is also limit sponsorships down to spouses and child -- or minor children, which would, obviously, excluded his own in-laws at the time if that were to be the case. So, this whole thing is hypocritical. She used the same process that he has been talking about for a year and a half now to get rid of and, of course this is a system where the Trumps work from this place of do as I say and not what I do.

BLACKWELL: So, let's listen to Michael Wildes, this is the First Lady's immigration attorney and then we will talk about his criticisms and who might have had to have authorized this on the other side. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL WILDES, IMMIGRATION LAWYER: This is a tradition that happens in all rank and all files of life, whether you're President of the United States and this is the first naturalized First Lady that we have, or people who eventually navigate through the waters into America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Does a criticism like this, if he works for the First Lady, does that happen without her authorization, without her giving him the go ahead?

TEWOLDE: You know, that's a good question. I don't know. I can't say.

BLACKWELL: But you're a defense attorney. If you were speaking out on a policy that benefits your client's family, but potentially the husband is against whatever that policy is, do you go out and speak without clearing it first?

TEWOLDE: We have seen Melania Trump do that quite a bit. This isn't the first time she has actually taken a different position from her husband, but this isn't about following the rule of law, right? This is about controlling who comes in.

Donald Trump only cares about family-based migration when it comes to brown and black people coming in. This is coming from a President who is labeled Haiti and African nations as shithole countries, questioning whether America should taking people from those countries, and that we should be taking in more people from countries like Norway when he describes the Mexicans being criminals and rapists.

The hypocrisy of Trump's in-laws becoming citizens using a system that he is trying to keep other people from using isn't shocking, it isn't surprising. In fact, it makes a lot of sense. This is about, again, controlling who comes into this country. He only cares when it comes to brown and black people coming into this country because there is a fear that immigrants are changing the face of this country, that from what's traditionally been a white and Christian majority, you saw that fear in Laura Ingraham's rants -- her racist rant against illegal immigration where she talks about basically wanting to preserve white culture.

You're going to see that fear later on the day when you see a bunch of neo Nazis and supremacists convene right in front of the White House -- that is where we are at today.

[07:39:57]

BLACKWELL: Well, I mean, I used the word "hypocrisy" at the top and so did you. There is a basic rule that if it's better than it looks, people will tell you, and hopefully, the White House or the First Lady's office will clarify, if this is not just bold-faced hypocrisy that the President says other families should not be able to bring their relatives in the country using family reunification, but his wife can. Yodit Tewolde ...

TEWOLDE: Victor, I wouldn't hold my breath on that. We won't hear a thing.

BLACKWELL: Deep breaths. Yodit Tewolde, thank you so much.

TEWOLDE: Thanks, Victor.

PAUL: Well, critics say New Mexico police could have acted sooner to rescue a boy who was missing, the sheriff says otherwise. You're going to see more of what he had to say in a moment.

BLACKWELL: Eleven children were found at a New Mexico compound with no running water, barely any food. Landlords say they told authorities months ago that something just was not right.

[07:45:10]

PAUL: Yes, but in an exclusive interview with CNN, the sheriff says they have it all wrong. CNN's Scott McLean has more for us here.

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

SCOTT MCLEAN, NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT, CNN: The children who lived on this squalled compound in northern New Mexico were home schooled, but authorities say they were taught to become public school shooters.

Taos County Sheriff Jerry Hogrefe says the source of that allegegation comes from 14 and 15-year-old kids who lived on the compound where the body of a small child was also found buried under human waste inside of a 40-yard tunnel.

JERRY HOGREFE, TAOS COUNTY SHERIFF: There was some crying. There was some emotion.

MCLEAN: But tears are not enough for Jason and Tonya Badger who think law enforcement has bungled this case.

TONYA BADGER, PROPERTY OWNER: They were dragging their feet. They were taking too long. A child's life was at stake.

MCLEAN: The Badgers own the property the compound sits on and say they alerted the Sheriff's Office as early as April after they say, they spotted the missing child and his fugitive father there.

HOGREFE: It had never came to me. I'll tell you right now, I never had credible information that would get me on that compound until Thursday when I wrote the first search warrant. I will stand by that.

MCLEAN: Deputies finally raided the compound on August 3rd and they found 11 malnourished children and five adults who have pleaded not guilty to child abuse charges, charges that came only after weeks of FBI surveillance and even an in-person visit.

There was a Sheriff's Deputy who went out to that compound sometime in June, correct, to serve court papers?

HOGREFE: Yes.

MCLEAN: And so at that time, seeing the conditions, should that Deputy not have come back and said, "This is no place fit for a child?"

HOGREFE: The deputy didn't see a child.

MCLEAN: But you had the FBI who was surveiling the property since May, they saw children.

HOGREFE: Yes.

MCLEAN: But still, no action. The Badgers had even given the sheriff permission to search the property.

HOGREFE: We would not have valid right to be there and therefore, the fruits of the unlawful tree would have come into play and we would have lost anything that we could have possibly would have been able to criminally charge.

MCLEAN: But you might have been able to save a child if he were still alive.

HOGREFE: Yes, thanks for reminding me of that. It's not like it's hard enough to live every day wishing that I could have got there quicker, but have got to get there lawfully.

MCLEAN: A moment later, the sheriff abruptly walked out of the interview.

HOGREFE: I think we are done.

MCLEAN: But that's hardly the final question as to why his office didn't act sooner. Scott McLean, CNN, Taos County, New Mexico.

(END VIDEO TAPE)

BLACKWELL: The University of Maryland benches its head football amid allegations of bullying. Coy, this is a stunning story.

COY WIRE, SPORTS CORRESPONDENT, CNN: It absolutely is, Victor. Imagine having a son or daughter being forced to practice until they pass out or even worse; in one case, dying. We will tell you about a bombshell report and the disturbing details in what is being described as a toxic culture at the University of Maryland. That is coming up on "New Day."

[07:50:00]

PAUL: Well, Maryland's head football coach on administrative leave this morning while the death of a player from heat stroke is under investigation.

BLACKWELL: Coy Wire is here now with details. From what we're hearing, this is just terrible.

WIRE: Scary, disturbing allegations. Here's the deal, Maryland has their first home game in 20 days from now. They just watched one of their teammates die after a workout. Now, their head coach, DJ Durkin being placed on leave while his program is being investigated for alleged abusive treatment of players.

This all stems from a bombshell report by ESPN describing a toxic culture of intimidation, humiliation, all within the team. It's said players were subject to verbal and physical abuse like one player who said he was forced to eat until he vomited. Another player allegedly mocked after he passed out during conditioning.

Of course, 19-year-old Jordan McNair died of heat stroke two weeks after collapsing during an outdoor workout on campus in June. Body temperature was reported to reach 106 degrees. Athletic Director Damon Evans released a statement last night saying, quote, "The safety and wellbeing of our student athletes is our highest priority. These alleged behaviors are not consistent with the values I expect all of our staff to adhere to and must do better." Unquote.

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan supporting the decision to place Durkin on leave. He said in a statement, quote, "We must have complete confidence that our student athletes are treated with dignity and respect and that they are supervised and coached responsibly. If the investigation confirms these reports, then strong and permanent corrective actions should be taken immediately." Unquote. The Offensive Coordinator is going to take over as interim head coach. Kickoff is September 1st versus Texas. It is a home game. Prayers go out to the family of the young man whose life was lost, but also, you think about those parents who have players still on the team while all of this is going on. We'll keep our eye on it for you.

PAUL: You would think that this would not be an issue with how many times we have had to report this.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

PAUL: It's the fact that it's still happening. Coy, thank you.

WIRE: You're welcome.

BLACKWELL: All right, coming up, NASA launches an unmanned spacecraft to our closest star.

[07:55:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)

JULIE MIGNEREY, HOTEL SITE SELECTION MANAGER: As age has crept up on me, I noticed little things. Going up the stairs, I'm a little out of breath. Go hiking with my family and I'm the last one in line. I'm much more calling out to the kids, "Can you bring this downstairs?" Or if I'm sitting down, "Can you grab that glass of water for me."

I am not looking to go be a body builder, so I just wanted every day functionability.

KOLLEEN LOSCH, CORRECTIVE EXERCISE SPECIALIST: Personal fitness is where you're training for everyday movements. We don't think about how a squat will translate into an everyday world. We squat every time we sit down, getting into a car, getting off the couch, when we're traveling in the airports. We're putting things into the overhead compartment, that's a shoulder press.

MIGNEREY: I can totally feel this in my stomach. They had me do certain exercises and then ask, how does that feel? Where are you feeling that?

LOSCH: Exercise should not be about getting injured, so if we find that a client has an injury, we will why refer them out to a physical therapist or an occupational therapist.

MIGNEREY: After about two months, I noticed the aches and pains going away. I have lost some weight. I feel healthier. I feel like my muscles are stronger and they support me better. I want to be out there with the kids, having the fun versus sitting in the chair and watching everybody else have those moments.

GROUP: We rock.

(BEGIN VIDEO END)

BLACKWELL: NASA is going where no spacecraft has gone before in its first unmanned trip to the sun.

PAUL: Yes, the Parker Solar Probe has thick solar shields to protect it from melting. The first data back to earth expected in early December. Thank you so much for being with us. Make good memories today.

BLACKWELL: "Inside Politics" with John King starts now.

[08:00:14]