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Prosecutor to Question Ford and Kavanaugh; Trump Slams Kavanaugh Accuser; Kavanaugh and Ford Testify Thursday; Rosenstein Fate Far from Certain; Canada is Running out of Time; Pope Notes Church Progress; Astros Win Title. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired September 26, 2018 - 06:30   ET

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


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[06:34:04] ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Bill Cosby waking up behind bars this morning. The disgraced comedian and actor, once known as America's dad, sentenced to three to ten years in state prison after being convicted for drugging and sexually assaulting Andrea Constand at his home 14 years ago. Cosby escorted from the courthouse in handcuffs after his bail was revoked.

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KEVIN STEELE, MONTGOMERY COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY: He used his acting skills and that enduring TV personality to win over his victims and then keep them silent about what he did to them. So now, finally, Bill Cosby has been unmasked and we have seen the real man as he is headed off to prison.

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HILL: Cosby was also ordered to pay a $25,000 fine, plus the prosecution's expenses as part of his sentence. His attorneys have filed an appeal. Cosby's wife, Camille, was not in the courtroom. Her husband's spokesman slammed the trial as the most racist and sexist in the history of the United States.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, a frantic search continues for a missing six-year-old autistic boy in North Carolina. Search crews were out all night on foot and on ATVs searching for Maddox Ritch. They plan to deploy drones this morning. Maddox was reported missing on Saturday after running off from his father and another adult at a local park. His mother is desperate for any sign of her little boy.

[06:35:22] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CAME RITCH, OTHER OF MADDOX RITCH: I just want my baby home, please, whatever you can do. Maddox is my whole world and my reason for living. I want my baby back in my arms.

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BERMAN: The FBI is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads them to Maddox. HILL: Actor Will Smith bungee jumping out of a helicopter into Grand

Canyon to celebrate his 50th birthday.

The jump was live streamed on his YouTube channel. He described it as going from absolute terror to pure bliss. Smith says he made the 1,000 foot leap to overcome a long held fear, also to help raise awareness and donations for education campaigns by the group Global Citizen.

So there goes your birthday plan for this year because Will Smith already did it.

BERMAN: It wasn't (ph) this year. Fifteen years from now when I turn 50, I'll consider it.

HILL: Yes.

BERMAN: I'll consider it. But I have a long time to think about it.

HILL: Long, long time to go.

BERMAN: As do you. You have 21 years to think about it.

HILL: Yes. Yes.

BERMAN: All right, the Trump administration staring down two crisis, so did President Trump just make matters worse by criticizing one of the women accusing Supreme Court Nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual misconduct. We will be joined by a former White House insider, next.

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[06:40:43] BERMAN: Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee have scheduled a vote on Brett Kavanaugh's nomination for Friday morning, 24 hours after the Supreme Court nominee and his accuser, Christine Blasey Ford, are set to testify about Ford's allegation that Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in high school, an accusation that Kavanaugh adamantly denies.

Joining me now is Marc Short, a CNN political commentator, former White House legislative affairs director under President Trump, and also -- and I think that matters to this discussion -- someone who worked in the Senate for a long time as well.

We learned overnight that the Senate Judiciary Committee, the majority, the Republicans are going to have an attorney, Rachel Mitchell, do the questioning of both Judge Kavanaugh and Professor Ford. Why do you think that is?

MARC SHORT, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think there's the sensitivity to being accused of being too tough on somebody who's coming forward as an accusation of sexual assault. So I think that they are looking to make sure that they avoid that scrutiny. But it's also -- there's also a political ramification, John. We all know that. Republicans right now are not strong among women voters and so they want to kind of protect themselves from that and have somebody else do the questioning. BERMAN: Yes, optics. And there may be nothing wrong with that. It may

be the smart move politically.

SHORT: I think it -- candidly, I think they'd probably get criticized either way, that if they're the ones doing the questioning, then there will be accusations that say, you know, they don't have sympathy for the accused. And so -- and yet if they opted out and say we're going to have somebody else come and do the question, they'll say they're not doing their jobs.

BERMAN: So you're of two minds on the subject. As a man of the Senate, as we like to say, or a person of the Senate in this case, let's keep it gender neutral given what we're talking about, you do think it's a fair criticism that perhaps senators should be doing their own questioning?

SHORT: Yes, I think if you go back and look at what Ben Sasse said in his opening statements a couple months ago, he was -- he was very good in predicting that this was going to become a show trial. And I think, at the same time, if they're part of the circus, then they should be the ones who are -- who are taking responsibility for the questioning the witnesses.

BERMAN: So, one of the things that is interesting that has happened now twice, it happened at the end of last week and then it happened again yesterday, is that President Trump, after a period of silence, has more or less directly attacked the accusers. In this case, he suggested that Debbie Ramirez, who says that Brett Kavanaugh -- who claims that Brett Kavanaugh put his gentles in her face at Yale, which he denies, he went after her and said she was messed up at the time, she was drunk at the time, what does she know, questioning her credibility there. Do you think that helps get this vote past the Senate?

SHORT: I think the president, often, if he feels like the point isn't getting made, he's going to step in and make the point. And I think that, you know, in reality, the accuse in that case is somebody who acknowledges being incredibly inebriated, doesn't have a clear memory, but 35 years later, after reflecting it on for six days, decides that she now has a clear memory. And there are other journalism groups who decided they could not publish that story because it couldn't be corroborated. I think there's a lot of problems in that story.

BERMAN: To be clear, "The New York Times" said they didn't publish it because they didn't get the interview with Debbie Ramirez, which "The New Yorker" got. And, in this case, I understand you have questions about the credibility of this story, but I was trying to draw more on your expertise inside the Senate.

Do you think the president, going after the accuser, helps him win those crucial votes that he needs?

SHORT: I think that we should be focused on probably three votes, Jeff Flake, Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski. I'm not sure that the president's interference benefits or hurts in that case. I think he's -- he's speaking more broadly to open up the conversation to say, is there -- is this witness credible.

BERMAN: Do you think -- if you're Mitch McConnell, do you wish he would be quiet?

SHORT: I'm sure that Leader McConnell wants the president to stay out and to say this is our process.

BERMAN: OK.

SHORT: But it's also the president nominee. So it's perfectly fair for him to weigh in.

BERMAN: You talked about Lisa Murkowski, Susan Collins and Jeff Flake. Game this out for us. If one of them isn't convinced, what then happens?

SHORT: Well, I think that typically, candidly, Senator Murkowski and Senator Collins will probably be more aligned. And so they'll probably go more in a tandem. Jeff Flake will be more of the independent voice, and he's on the committee, so he's the one to watch first and what his reaction is to the testimony on Thursday will probably be very telling.

BERMAN: If they -- if Kavanaugh is to get confirmed, do you think it will be unanimous among Republicans?

SHORT: I think likely yes. But again, I think that if it's a 50/50 vote that the vice president breaks, then that's always a possibility if Jeff Flake goes away. But I also think it's important that there's Senator Manchin and Senator Donnelly --

BERMAN: Sure.

SHORT: Who both, I think, are waiting to see what Republicans do. And so if Republicans have the votes, I suspect you'll see them go along, too. So I don't think it will be strictly party line because they're up for re-election and want to show their (INAUDIBLE).

[06:45:05] BERMAN: That's a great point. If the Republicans are unanimous, they may bet one or two Democrats. If they're not unanimous, though?

SHORT: Then there's more pressure on Donnelly and Manchin to not support the nominee, and to give the Democrats what would be perceived as a victory in taking down the nominee.

BERMAN: And if it's not unanimous, you're not even sure it will ever come to a vote?

SHORT: I think that's true. I mean if -- if hypothetically you reach that point, John, then I think you know where the votes are. The Republicans would tell McConnell where the votes are.

But I think that that's getting ahead of ourselves right now. The reality is that -- is that I think the focus should be on those three senators -- BERMAN: Yes.

SHORT: And I think that most Republicans believe that -- that Kavanaugh has been anxious to testify after Thursday's hearing that they'll be able to move forward.

BERMAN: It's not getting too far ahead of ourselves at this point given that it's all going down tomorrow, but I appreciate what you're saying.

Let's talk about Rod Rosenstein. You say you've always found Rosenstein to be a voice of reason and you think it would be a loss?

SHORT: Oh, I do think it would be a loss. I think Rod, who was in most of our White House meeting, was a great voice of reason. He was very measured in assessments that he provided and counsel that he provided. So sure he would be a loss. But I'm hopeful that Thursday when he meets the president, they see a path forward. They continue working together.

BERMAN: And that would be your advice as someone -- again, you're no longer working in the White House, but I think we all know the president tends to watch TV. If you were to give advice to the president from this chair right now, what would it be on Rod Rosenstein?

SHORT: Well, I think there's a lot of pieces of information I don't know. I think that probably Rod is looking at that "New York Times" story from last week and is concerned about what that will do for his standing inside the administration. But I think that Rod has been a great voice of reason in a lot of White House meetings, in the Situation Room and other places. And so I hope that he stays.

BERMAN: Would it be awkward, though, after all of this to stick around?

SHORT: Well, I think it depends on the accuracy of some elements of the story. And I think Rod could clear that up with the president. I think that they've actually developed a very good working relationship over the last year. So I think that there's a very good chance he'll be staying around.

BERMAN: Again, we're not even getting too far ahead of that because that happens tomorrow as well.

Marc Short, don't go far because I think we're going to have a lot more questions for you in the near future. Thanks for being here. Good to see you.

SHORT: Thanks, John.

BERMAN: All right, coming up in just minutes, we're going to speak with Brett Kavanaugh's attorney, Beth Wilkinson. A lot of questions for her on these new developments overnight.

HILL: Pope Francis facing increasing criticism over the Catholic Church's handling of priest sex abuse scandals. The pope's latest comment not doing anything to quell that growing outrage. We'll tell you what he said, next.

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[06:50:53] HILL: It's time now for "CNN Money."

The deadline for NAFTA renegotiations is this weekend. And President Trump's top trade official warns Canada it is running out of time.

Chief business correspondent Christine Romans joins us now with more.

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CHIEF BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: The clock really is ticking.

It really is. Imagine, Erica, a North American trade pact without Canada. It looks more likely by the day.

Here's U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer.

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ROBERT LIGHTHIZER, U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE: I think Canada would like to be in the agreement. I think the U.S. would like them in the agreement. But there's still a fair amount of distance between us. There are, you know, very large issues. I think Canada wants to do it. I know we want to do it. And we'll see whether it happens. We're sort of running out of time.

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ROMANS: Lighthizer says there's distance between the U.S. and Canada on key issues, like how to settle trade disputes and U.S. access to Canada's dairy market. The White House wants Canada to agree to a framework set between the U.S. and Mexico by September 30th. That will let the current Mexican president sign the deal while he's still in office. But Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau does not want to accept the U.S./Mexico deal as is.

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JUSTIN TRUDEAU, CANADIAN PRIME MINISTER: My focus on this throughout has been simply not escalating, not opining, not wading in. My job is very simple. It's to defend Canada's interests.

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ROMANS: If Ottawa doesn't agree by this weekend, the administration will move forward anyway with or without Canada. That will anger U.S. businesses and farmers. Both rely on duty free trade with Canada. And this U.S./Mexico agreement, by the way, faces a test in Congress. Congress has to approve that deal, John.

BERMAN: And there have been some Republican senators who are uneasy if Canada doesn't jump in.

All right, Romans, thanks very much.

ROMANS: You're welcome.

BERMAN: Pope Francis addressing the priest abuse scandal plaguing the Catholic Church in the U.S. The pope's latest comments are raising eyebrows after saying the Pennsylvania grand jury report that detailed more than 1,000 children being sexually abused by hundreds of priests is, quote, an example of the church making progress.

Our Delia Gallagher live in Rome with the latest.

Delia.

DELIA GALLAGHER, CNN VATICAN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, John.

That's right, in the course of a 55-minute press conference in which Pope Francis spoke mostly about his trip to the Baltics, avoiding questions on sexual abuse, he did make a few general comment, amongst which saying that the Pennsylvania grand jury report showed that in the last 70 years there has been a decrease in sexual abuse cases and that the Catholic Church was doing all it could in order to stop the problem.

Of course the pope is right, there has been a decrease in the number of sexual abuse cases in recent years, but his comments show that he hasn't quite grasped the point of those reports, which is to show the cover-up as well of bishops and, in some case, the questions of where those allegations went at the Vatican. And so there are a number of issues which Pope Francis chose not to address during really the only opportunity that he has to directly face reporters and talk about some of the most pressing issues internationally that are going on.

And so the real story here is not so much what the pope said, but the fact that he didn't take the opportunity to address the sex abuse questions in a more specific way.

Erica.

HILL: Delia Gallagher with the latest for us there. Head scratching for a lot of people as we hear those comments as well. Thank you.

History about to be made. The first all-female NFL broadcast team announcing details? We've got that in the "Bleacher Report."

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[06:58:38] HILL: Baseball's post season gets started in less than a week and on the American league side the match-ups are now set. John Berman knows all about this but we're going to John Berman, we're going to Andy Scholes for the "Bleacher Report" this morning.

Good morning, Andy.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, guys.

This "Bleacher Report" is brought to you by Ford, going further so you can.

You know, this is shaping up to be one of the best post seasons in quite some time. You've got the Yankees, the Red Sox, Dodgers, Cubs all likely going to be battling for the World Series crown. But they'll have to go through the Houston Astros if they want to win it all. The Stros wonning again -- or winning the AL West again last night. Their magic number was two. They beat the Blue Jays. And then when the Mariners won in a walk-off over the A's in the 11th inning, that sealed the division for the Stros. The team was actually watching that game back in their hotel in Toronto and started to celebrate when they realized they had won it. The Astros, the first defending champions to win 100 games the next season in 28 years. Houston's going to take on Cleveland in the division series. The Red Sox will await the winner of the wildcard match-up between the Yankees and the A's. That game a week from today.

All right, NFL history about to be made in the broadcast booth. Hannah Storm and Andrea Kremer will be the first all-female NFL broadcast team when they call tomorrow night's matchup between the Minnesota Vikings and L.A. Rams. The two veteran sports broadcaster journalists will be behind the mic for 11 Thursday night games this season as part of Amazon Prime's video NFL package. And Amazon says, viewers, they get an option of which they want to listen to, guys, while they watch the game. They can listen to Joe Buck or Troy Aikman or also the new broadcast team of Kremer and Hannah Storm. Pretty cool how you're going to get to choose.

[07:00:13] BERMAN: Yes, the best part about it is they're