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Cosby Declared Predator; Kavanaugh Controversy; Trump Speaks at U.N. Aired 1:00-1:30p ET

Aired September 25, 2018 - 13:00   ET

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


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[13:00:17] ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer. It's 1:00 p.m. here in Washington. Thanks very much for joining us.

And we start with the breaking news.

Very soon, later this hour, the disgraced comedian, Bill Cosby, will learn his sentence. He was found guilty back in April of three counts of aggravated indecent assault for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand back in 2004.

CNN's Jean Casarez is joining us from outside the court right now.

Jean, the judge just classified Cosby as a sexually violent predator -- a sexually violent predator for the rest of his life. Tell us more.

JEAN CASAREZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, in that courtroom when the judge made his decision, and it's a packed room, Bill Cosby did not flinch. But he did have to answer some questions shortly after that in court, if he understand what that meant, if he understood that he would have to register for a lifetime, if he understood that there were courses and counseling that he would have to take. It is not known now if it will be in prison or if there would be home confinement, if it would be at his home. And, third, that the community, this community, where Temple University really started it all, where Bill Cosby was that board of trustee, that the community has to be notified that he now is a sexually violent predator.

It's going to be about 30 minutes from now that we find out the actual sentence for Bill Cosby. The judge has all of the argument. He is now deciding what is appropriate under the law.

The state is asking that Bill Cosby be sentenced to prison. That at 81 years old, that he go to a prison in the state of Pennsylvania. They're asking for the maximum term of 10 year. They are saying that five to ten years, five years being the first time he could go before a parole board, they would also agree to, but they also are saying that they want a psychological assessment of Cosby once he's in prison. And they want those recommendations for him to follow before he would ever come out and see the light of day outside.

Wolf.

BLITZER: The defense, his attorney, Joseph Green, is asking for no prison time, right?

CASAREZ: That's right, home confinement. And their argument is really based on his age, 81 years old and that he is legally blind and he is not self-sufficient. They are saying that there is no evidence that he could reoffend at all. They quote that he is in remission. They say that between 2004 and the current year there have been no complains, no one has stepped forward that he sexually assaulted them, therefore he's not a risk to the community and he should be able to be at home. The prosecution counters that by saying there are geriatric facilities in prisons all across the state here and there is a medical facility in one of the prisons, if that's necessary for him.

BLITZER: Well, we'll find out later this hour if he's going to go to prison or not.

Jean Casarez, we'll get back to you. Thank you very much.

There's other news we're following, important news right here in Washington, will Brett Kavanaugh get a job on the nation's highest court. Will Rod Rosenstein lose his job as deputy attorney general of the United States? Two very high stakes political drams add up to one chaotic week for President Trump. The president weighed in on Kavanaugh just moments ago, blaming Democrats for trying to derail his Supreme Court nomination.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I think it's horrible what the Democrats have done. It's a con game they're playing. They're con -- they're really con artists. They're -- they're trying to convince -- you know, they don't believe -- they don't believe it themselves, OK? They know he's a high quality person. They don't believe them. It's just resist and obstruct. They're playing a con game and they play it very well. They play it actually much better than the Republicans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The judge, Judge Kavanaugh, has stepped up his defense against sexual misconduct allegations ahead of this testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee Thursday morning.

Also on Thursday, the deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein, could learn his fate when he meets face-to-face with the president. So, what happens to Rosenstein clearly has major implications for Robert Mueller's Russia investigation.

As for Kavanaugh, he went on Fox News last night, vowing to clear his name. He says he has no plans to withdraw his nomination.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRETT KAVANAUGH, SUPREME COURT NOMINEE: I'm not going to let false accusations drive us out of the -- out of this process. And, you know, we're looking for a fair process where I can be heard and defend the -- my integrity, my lifelong record, my lifelong record of promoting dignity and equality for women, starting with the women who knew me when I was 14 years old. I'm not going anywhere.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[13:05:15] BLITZER: Regarding Rosenstein, his fate has been up in the air since that explosive "New York Times" article last Friday. The report said Rosenstein had discussed secretly recording President Trump and invoking the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to remove him from office. Rosenstein called the story, quote, inaccurate and factually incorrect.

Let's start our coverage right now with Brett Kavanaugh giving an unprecedented TV interview for a nominee during the confirmation process. He's defending himself against the accusations that were levelled against him during his high school and college years and sharing personal details in hope of clearing his name.

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BRETT KAVANAUGH, SUPREME COURT NOMINEE: I've never sexually assaulted anyone. I did not have sexual intercourse or anything close to sexual intercourse in high school or for many years thereafter. And the girls from the schools I went to and I, we were friends.

MARTHA MACCALLUM, FOX NEWS: So you're saying that all -- through all these years that in question, you were a virgin?

KAVANAUGH: That's correct.

MACCALLUM: Never had sexual intercourse with anyone in high school?

KAVANAUGH: Correct.

MACCALLUM: You were all drinking. Were there times when perhaps you drank so much -- was there ever a time that you drank so much that you couldn't remember what happened the night before?

KAVANAUGH: No, that never happened.

I went to an all boy's catholic high school, a Jesuit high school, where I was focused on academics and athletics, going to church every Sunday at Little Flower (ph), working on my service projects and friendship. Friendship with my fellow classmates and friendship with girls from the local all girl's catholic schools.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: But one of Kavanaugh's Yale roommates is painting a much different picture, saying in a statement just released, quote, I concluded that although Brett was normally reserved, he was a notably heavy drinker, even by the standards of the time, and that he became aggressive and belligerent when he was very drunk. I did not observe the specific incident in question, but I do remember Brett frequently drinking excessively and becoming incoherently drunk, closed quote.

Our senior congressional correspondent Manu Raju is joining us from Capitol Hill right now.

So what's the latest, Manu, leading up to Thursday morning's hearing?

MANU RAJU, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, the intention is focused intensely on a handful of senators from both parties who will determine the fate about whether or not Judge Brett Kavanaugh will get that seat on the high court. And all these key moderate Republican and Democratic senators are waiting for that Thursday hearing before they make that ultimate decision about how they will vote on this nominee.

Now, at the same time, Democrats are renewing their push to open up an FBI investigation into all the allegations, both the ones that have been waged by Christine Blasey Ford, who accused Brett Kavanaugh of sexually assaulting her in high school in the '80s, but also Debbie Ramirez, the woman who made that allegation in "The New Yorker" article that Brett Kavanaugh, in college, exposed himself to her. Something that he has denied.

Now, I caught up with the two key senators, Lisa Murkowski and Joe Manchin, the Republican and Democrat, who will hold those key votes going forward, and Murkowski, in particular, raises specter of an FBI investigation, potentially clearing things up. And that's something that Democrats agree with.

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RAJU: Should there be a full FBI investigation into these allegations from Kavanaugh's past?

SEN. LISA MURKOWSKI (R), ALASKA: Well, it would sure -- it would sure clear up all the questions, wouldn't it?

SEN. JOE MANCHIN (D), WEST VIRGINIA: This is extremely serious, you know, and we take it very serious. But, again, these are allegations that are made and they have to come forth and prove their statements and he has a right to clear himself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: Now, Murkowski just told reporters that she believes that Debbie Ramirez should come forward, tell her story. Other senators have said something similar. Democrats believe it's going to be too soon to do that by that Thursday hearing. And at that Thursday hearing, Wolf, Republicans still, at the moment, planning to use an outside counsel, a female outside counsel, to ask questions of Christine Blasey Ford and Judge Brett Kavanaugh. They're rejecting calls for outside witness as Democrats want, but Democrats themselves plan to do the questioning of those two witnesses on Thursday, Wolf.

BLITZER: And the ranking Democrat, Dianne Feinstein, says the Democratic senators will ask their own questions, all of them, right? RAJU: Yes, that's right. She told me that going into a meeting in

Chuck Schumer's office, just moments ago. They're all strategizing exactly how they're going to ask these questions. But the Republicans, at the moment, plan on using someone else on the outside. That's something that Democrats are call -- are rejecting. And also Ford's camp too has raised some significant concerns about that effort, Wolf.

BLITZER: Yes, a dramatic moment Thursday morning when we have live coverage of that hearing. Thank you, Manu.

Manu Raju up on Capitol Hill.

Speaking of Deborah Ramirez, President Trump is dismissing the claim by Kavanaugh's second accuser. She tells "The New Yorker" magazine that Judge Kavanaugh exposed himself to her at a dorm party while they were students at Yale University. Kavanaugh denies the accusation. Here's what the president said just a few moments ago.

[13:10:19] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Look at the second accuser. The second accuser has nothing. The second accuser doesn't even know -- she thinks maybe it could have been him. Maybe not. She admits that she was drunk. She admits time lapses. There are time lapses.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: All right, joining us now from Capitol Hill, Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada.

Senator, thanks so much for joining us.

And let me get your immediate reaction to the words we just heard from the president of the United States going after Deborah Ramirez, the second accuser.

SEN. CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO (D), NEVADA: Hi, Wolf. It's good to talk with you.

Listen, these are serious allegations. And that's why I think many of my colleagues and I have been very clear, we need to finish the background investigation. That means the FBI needs to reopen it, go through and take a look at these allegations, put that information together and then provide it to the senators so that then we can have a fair and open hearing and have all of this information before us.

BLITZER: Have you already announced, by the way, how you're going to vote on Judge Kavanaugh's confirmation?

MASTO: I have.

So, you know, like the previous confirmation, I take my advice and consent role here in the Senate very seriously. So I want an opportunity to review his court rulings and some of his writings. I wanted to actually see how he responded to the questioning in the Senate Judiciary Committee. I'm not on that committee. And then I wanted to take the time to go into the committee confidential documents, which I think were inappropriately identified as committee confidential, and spend some time to go through that.

The only thing I did not get an opportunity to do was sit and meet with Judge Kavanaugh. But I will tell you, based on the information that I have seen, I just -- I disagree with his judicial philosophy. I think it's extreme, particularly if you just look at the Garza (ph) case. I think he is, unfortunately -- I have concerns he's going to roll back Roe vs. Wade and really my fight has always been for reproductive rights for women, the freedom for reproductive rights, and I have concerns of where he's going to take the court.

BLITZER: As you know, Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee are planning to have a female outside counsel actually do their questioning of Kavanaugh's initial accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, the California professor. But Professor Ford wants the senators on the committee to handle the questioning.

And in a letter to the Judiciary Committee, Chairman Chuck Grassley, a lawyer for Ford says this. This is not a criminal trial for which the involvement of an experienced sex crimes prosecutor would be appropriate. Neither Dr. Blasey Ford, nor Judge Kavanaugh, is on trial. The goal should be to develop the relevant facts, not try a case.

What do you think of the decision of the Republicans not to question Professor Ford directly, but to have an outside female counsel do that?

MASTO: Well, apparently only in the Senate is one place where you can have somebody come in and do the job for you. And I disagree with that. I think this is a senator's role and we should be asking the question.

I absolutely agree that there's this conflation between somehow this being a criminal trial and we are triers of fact. We are not. We are not determining guilt. What we are determining is whether Judge Kavanaugh is fit to sit on the highest court in the land in a lifetime appointment. That means all of his work background, his background, his character, his fitness to sit on the bench, that's open. And we should be asking those questions to make that determination of whether we are supporting him or not.

And, you know, that's why I go back to this. We need to finish the background investigation and then we have that fair and open hearing. At the end of the day, I think many of my colleagues are looking for that. But it is our role to ask the questions. And it is our role to, at the end of the day, make a determination whether he should sit, not whether he's guilty, but whether he should be sitting on the highest court in the land.

BLITZER: And do you think the Judiciary Committee should also invite Deborah Ramirez, the second woman, the Yale student who was at Yale with Judge Kavanaugh, that she should come forward and testify as well? MASTO: Well, Wolf, I think that's one of the reasons why I am open to

this background investigation and the FBI finishing it. I think the FBI, by going in and talking to the individuals who have come forward is so important.

Listen, I was a prosecutor for 10 years. I fought for victim's rights. I know that part of and key to us getting the information we need as senators to make an informed decision is a full investigation, a background check, which is always done, always done on these nominees, and particularly for judges who are going to sit for lifetime appointments. And that shouldn't -- there should be no difference here.

[13:15:01] BLITZER: One final question, senator, before I let you go. Did you see the interview that Judge Kavanaugh and his wife did on Fox News last night? And if you did, I'd like to get your thoughts.

MASTO: I did not, actually. I was doing a town hall last night, a telephone town hall, so I did not have the opportunity to watch it.

BLITZER: Senator, we'll continue this conversation I'm sure down the road.

Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, thanks so much for joining us.

MASTO: Thank you, Wolf.

BLITZER: An interesting moment during the president's speech over at the United Nations General Assembly earlier today. You're going to see why the room erupted in laughter after one of the president's claims about his administration.

Plus, new CNN reporting on the fate of the deputy attorney general, Rod Rosenstein. Why officials say the president may not, repeat, not fire him on Thursday.

And, moments from now, Bill Cosby will learn his fate as a judge will sentence him for sexual assault. Stand by. We'll have coverage.

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[13:20:20] BLITZER: President Trump taking the world stage today and addressing the United Nations General Assembly just a little while ago, using his speech, by the way, to praise the North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-un, for his, quote, courage, and then turning to attack Iran's regime, calling for the world to act against it.

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We cannot allow the world's leading sponsor of terrorism to possess the planet's most dangerous weapons. We can't allow a regime that chants death to America and that threatens Israel with annihilation to possess the means to deliver a nuclear warhead to any city on earth. We just can't do it. We ask all nations to isolate Iran's regime as long as its aggression continues.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Earlier, President Trump said he wasn't interested in a meeting with Iran until they, quote, changed terms. And in an interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour, Iran's president, Hassan Rouhani, claimed the U.S. had asked for a meeting eight times and then added this. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Have you requested a meeting with President Trump?

HASSAN ROUHANI, PRESIDENT OF IRAN (through translator): Not this year, nor last year. We have never made such a request for a meeting with the president of the United States.

A meeting must take place at a time when that meeting can serve a purpose, can be beneficial, can serve the benefits of both countries. But under the current conditions, I -- when it comes to a meeting and dialogue, I do not see it as beneficial, nor appropriate. But you should ask him who made such requests.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: All right, let's bring in the chief White House correspondent, Jim Acosta. He's joining us from New York right now.

Jim, is this now a further escalation of the tensions that were pretty extreme between the U.S. and Iran?

JIM ACOSTA, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: It sure seemed like it, Wolf. It seemed almost like a repetition of what we saw last year with the president amping up the rhetoric aimed at North Korea. Of course, this year, as you mentioned, a sharp contrast with -- with that, with the president referring to Kim Jong-un's, quote, courage in being willing to engage in nuclear talks with the U.S.

But, Wolf, some other very notable moments during that United Nation's speech. Obviously the president did not really go after Russia at all during this speech despite Moscow's attack on American democracy in 2016. But, Wolf, I think the most notable part of this speech came when the president was touting the achievements of his administration. It's a line that he uses quite often at various events, sometimes inside the White House. Usually he's surrounded by applauding supporters and that sort of thing, people going around the cabinet table and praising him and so on. But he did not apparently expect the reaction he would get at the United Nations when he repeated that line. And here's how it went.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Today I stand before the United Nations General Assembly to share the extraordinary progress we've made. In less than two years, my administration has accomplished more than almost any administration in the history of our country. America's -- so true. Didn't expect that reaction, but that's OK.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: And it's interesting, Wolf, because the president has used this line about America being laughed at before. He went after Barack Obama when he was president back in 2014, putting out a tweet at one point saying we need a president who isn't a laughingstock to the entire world. So it is quite notable, Wolf, that he was on the receiving end of that laughter here at the United Nations.

One other thing we should point out, Wolf, is that this speech was written by his top domestic policy adviser a speech writer, Steven Miller. It was steeped in a lot of the campaign rhetoric that we see out on the campaign trail. It even talked about, at one point, how the United States is not going to surrender its sovereignty to the United Nations or any other global body. Of course, Wolf, there isn't any politician in the U.S. who is talking about that, but it's that kind of language that plays with the president's base.

But, of course, this is one moment the president would probably like to have back, would not want a world body like the United Nations laughing at him.

But, Wolf, you know, this is something that we see often out on the world stage where we travel with the president going around the world, going to different countries and talking with foreign diplomats and so on. They say that many foreign leaders are really just not intimidated by the president's rhetoric anymore. They are essentially over a lot of his rhetoric and are sometimes amused by it, not really threatened or intimidated by it. And I think we saw that on display today, Wolf.

[13:25:17] BLITZER: Yes, we certainly did. It was a real moment indeed when that laughter erupted at the U.N. General Assembly.

Jim Acosta, thanks for that report. We'll have more on that story coming up.

But up next, controversy swirling around the Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh. He's defending his reputation as President Trump bashes one of his accusers. I'll talk to one of Kavanaugh's longtime friends. That's coming up.

And any moment now the disgraced comedian Bill Cosby will find out his sentence. He could face years in prison. The latest from the courtroom, that's coming up.

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