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New Image of President Obama Seen at Iran Deal Press Conference; Donald Trump's Campaign Announces His Net Worth; NASA Reveals First Images of Pluto; New Video: Mexican Drug Lord Makes Second Prison Break. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired July 15, 2015 - 15:30   ET

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


[15:30:00] DON LEMON, CNN HOST, "CNN TONIGHT": I'm shocked that he's commented, but I'm also glad that he commented on it, and I thought his -- I thought his comments were right on mark and appropriate. He said I don't comment on specifics. He didn't specifically mention Bill Cosby.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: He commented without commenting.

LEMON: He commented without commenting. And he is right and I think advocacy groups are applauding him for doing this. And I'm sure the women who have accused Bill Cosby are applauding him saying this. And I think overall beyond Bill Cosby he's exactly right. Bill Cosby, of course, has not been, you know, he hasn't been convicted of anything or found guilty. He denies all the allegations.

But I think beyond Bill Cosby, he's right. Anyone who does, what he says, you gave a man or a woman a drug and you have sex with them without consent that's rape. And we should (INAUDIBLE). He said in a civilized country, in any country anywhere.

BROWN: Gloria, I want to get your thoughts on this. As you were watching the president respond what were you thinking? Were you surprise that had he kept going and was so blunt?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, it's sort of the old Obama versus Obama unbound, the new Obama we've been seeing over the last months. You know, the old Obama would have just given the first part of the answer that question. He would have said there's no mechanism for doing, it, et cetera, et cetera.

The new Obama sort of paused and said, but you know what? Let me tell you what I think as perhaps not only president but also as father of two young women, he then gave you his opinion about what he would call that kind of behavior, and he said make no mistake about it, it's rape. So I was kind of taken aback, but then, I thought about it and I thought, you know what, this president as we saw him today in the rest of the press conference, asking and answering his own questions, right?

LEMON: Throwing away the playbook. He said Josh is getting a bit nervous, right? BORGER: Right. He's been doing it time and time again, wouldn't you

say, Don? I mean, he is kind of stepping up a little bit more, feeling a little bit unshackled because he doesn't have to run for re- election and kind of telling what you he thinks.

LEMON: Yes. And that even yesterday in the press conference where he addressed the NAACP, same sort of tone where he just sort of went for it and talked about racial issues in a way he's been doing recently, but in a way that white America and black America and white America as we will have been wanting him to be firmly, clearly without hedging and without having any sort of political bend. So you're right. I think this is the new Obama. I don't know if it's Obama 2.0 or 3.0, whatever you want to call him.

BROWN: And frankly, you know, Gloria, He has a lot of wind in his wings right now with all of these accomplishments, if you will, this summer from, you know, same-sex marriage, to Cuba, to trade and now the Iran deal. I imagine that that's what plays into him being so candid right now.

BORGER: Yes. You know, and I think as second-term presidents kinds of wind down. Obviously, they are thinking about the legacy. And I think this president not only thinks about the things that you just listed, Pam, but I also think that this is a man who thinks about tone and language and how he will be remembered and written about because he's also a writer. And I think he's made a clear decision at this point that he's going to let the American people know a little bit more about who he is and what he really thinks about things, and that kind of liberation comes when you're not looking for another term in office.

LEMON: And I also think if any president who can talk about this issue, especially when it comes to an iconic figure, especially an iconic figure among African-American as Bill Cosby that this president is the one to do it and I think the way he did it today, it was perfect.

He didn't say anything negative about Bill Cosby specifically, didn't mention his name, but you said, you know, as you said, Pamela, he commented about it without commenting on. And I think he has authority to do that considering who he is.

BROWN: And it kind of makes you wonder if this was off the cuff or if he has sort of prepared for this kind of question?

LEMON: I think he has thought about it. I don't know if he's prepared. But I think he's thought about it. And I think he was sure that it was going to come up in some sort of way, Gloria. I don't know if you would agree with that.

BORGER: Yes. You know, I think so because why else would you say there's no mechanism unless you had actually looked into the question of whether there indeed was a mechanism. There are two senators who are calling for Cosby to give back this medal.

LEMON: Gillibrand and McCaskill. BROWN: This is the video, by the way, of the moment when he's awarded

the presidential Medal of Freedom.

BORGER: And George W. Bush did that. So if you know there's no mechanism you must have asked the question about whether in fact there is one. Right?

BROWN: And I want to quickly go to another dramatic moment during the press conference today when President Obama essentially scolded a reporter. Let's take a listen.

LEMON: Yes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As you well now know there are four Americans in Iran, three held on Trumped-up charges according to your administration and one whereabouts unknown. Can you tell the country, sir, why you're content with all the fan fair around this deal to lead the conscious of this nation, the strength of this nation unaccounted for in relation to these four Americans?

And last week the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said under no circumstance should there be any relief for Iran in terms of ballistic missiles or conventional weapons. It is perceived is that that was a last-minute capitulation in these negotiations. Many in the Pentagon feel you've left the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff hung out to dry. Could you comment?

[15:35:35] BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I've got to give you credit, major, for how you craft those questions. The notion that I'm content as I celebrate with American citizens languishing in Iranian jails, major, that's nonsense. And you should know better. I've met with the families of some of those folks. Nobody's content. And our diplomats and our teams are working diligently to try to get them out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: All right. Who first? Don?

LEMON: OK. So let me tell you basically what he was saying, was. Man, look here, are you out of your damn mind? That's exactly what the tone -- that's exactly where I thought he was going. Are you crazy?

BORGER: Right.

LEMON: Because to put the question in that form. I was at home watching it going wait a minute, you know. It was a little out of school. But I thought that was the next thing coming like what is wrong with you? That's what I thought he was going to say.

BROWN: So Gloria, this is just a question. Reporters ask questions.

BORGER: Yes. BROWN: Do you think that was an unfair question, and do you think the

scolding was warranted?

BORGER: I think -- look, the question about the fate of four Americans is a completely legitimate question.

LEMON: Right.

BORGER: When you look at the language and the way that it was loaded in this question, capitulation, are you content, did you hang the Joint Chiefs of Staff out to dry? There are different ways to ask questions. And I think, again, when you look at the president, and I think Don's absolutely right, I don't think he really wanted to say that's nonsense. I think he wanted to say something a little bit stronger, but you -- you could see that he was visibly angry and upset and irritated.

BROWN: Incredulous.

LEMON: Gloria, I was going back to the White House Correspondents dinner with his angry translator from PNP (ph), wait, here comes the angry translator but he held it in.

BORGER: He did, but it's a new Obama on the kind of Obama 3.0 as you call it, Don or whatever, Obama unbound. He was like I'm not going to let that go unanswered and just give him - you know, just answer the question about the prisoners. But I'm not going to be insulted as I feel Obama felt. And I think he took it on frontally again being very happy to do that.

LEMON: Yes.

BROWN: All right. So great to hear both of your perspective. So fun having you on.

Gloria Borger and Don Lemon, thank you so much.

LEMON: Bye, Gloria.

BORGER: Bye.

BROWN: Up next right here in NEWSROOM, it appears the big, bold, straight-talking style might be working for Donald Trump. He's on top in the new polls.

Plus, just moments ago he revealed he's worth more than $10 billion. I'll speak live to one of his former "Apprentice" star who is now campaigning for him on the trail.

Stay with us. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:43:01] BROWN: Just moments ago Donald Trump's campaign announcing he's worth more than $10 billion and that his income in 2014 was $362 million. Trump's popularity is also on the rise. He leads the GOP field at 17 percent in a new "USA Today"/Suffolk University poll. And this all comes as Trump's run for president is gaining momentum, so much so he started hiring staff. One of his recent hires in the all- important state of Iowa, may look familiar to you, especially to fans of Trump's former TV show "the Apprentice."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tana is a mother of two who owns a lucrative clothing business and is one of Mary Kay's top-selling sales women. She rose to the top with a positive can-do attitude and sharp negotiator skills.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I negotiate and I add and I add and I add. You know, just a little bit bigger.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The best people are the ones that don't stop.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: That's Tana Goertz. Donald Trump dumped her from "the Apprentice" during the show's 3rd season. But in a surprise move last week, Trump had two words for the former TV star, reality star, you're hired as co-chair of his Iowa presidential campaign.

Tana Goertz joins us now from Des Moines, Iowa. And we're also joined by Republican strategist Lisa Boothe. So great to have you both on with us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello.

BROWN: Hey there. I want to get to you first, Lisa, on this news coming out today from the Trump camp that he's making more than $10 billion. What is your reaction to this?

LISA BOOTHE, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, I say good for him. Look, we should encourage entrepreneurial spirit and encourage wealth and success in this country because the fact remains that Republicans want every American to be able to achieve the American dream so I think that's a positive thing. There's nothing wrong with making money in this country and that shouldn't be condemned.

BROWN: All right. Tana, now to you. You are not a professional political operative. So tell us exactly what you'll be doing for the Trump campaign in Iowa.

[15:45:02] TANA GOERTZ, CO-CHAIRWOMAN, IOWA SATE TRUMP CAMPAIGN: Well, I'm going to be educating Iowans on Mr. Trump's greatness really is the core reason that I'm part of this team as well as some of my unique marketing and promotional strategies. I'll be doing that to get volunteers to help with the campaign.

BROWN: Well, you do have quite a job ahead of you in this and a tough job in Iowa, if the recent Quinnipiac poll is an indication. This is a poll of likely GOP caucus participants. And it shows, as we've taken a look here, 28 percent there, definitely not support Trump. What is your strategy moving forward, Tana, and how to change that number?

GOERTZ: Well, that number is going up daily. Every person that I've come in contact with who wants to know more about Mr. Trump, that's reached out to me or that I've had the opportunity to talking to, is completely being converted. People are very excited about what he's going to do for the economy and for America. And my strategy is to just educate them on the Donald Trump that the media isn't portraying, the real Donald Trump.

BROWN: OK. And we know, Lisa, Donald Trump is meeting today with Ted Cruz, but he said on one of the morning shows today that he doesn't really know why they are meeting. What do you make of that?

BOOTHE: Well, I don't really know why they are meeting either. But, look, you know, a lot of times in races, candidates meet, you know, so who knows what will come of that. And look, I think, you know, as you were talking about the polls earlier, it's still very early on in the process. I mean, if you look at this time in 2011 Michele Bachmann was polling at 17 percent. And then by November of that year she was polling at four percent. At one point Herman Cain was polling at 23 percent and dropped shortly thereafter. So it's still incredibly early.

And Republicans have a very diverse field of candidates. We got current senators, we got current governors, former governors and we also have an incredibly diverse field of candidates. If you look at our field right now, we have two Hispanic candidates on the ballot, and African candidate on the ballot and a woman as well. And if you look at Democrats they are really lacking diverse any their field.

BROWN: And one of the candidates is Jeb Bush who as we know is neck in neck with Donald Trump in the polls. Let's take a listen to what he recently said about Trump.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEB BUSH (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Why am I talking about Trump?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

BUSH: Well, I didn't talk to him that much. In fact, no questions -- interesting that no questions come up about Donald Trump. I do think though from a Republican Party perspective we have to be big and bold, not divisive and angry. We have to be hopeful and optimistic, not deeply pessimistic. We're never going to win if we're a grievance party. We'll win if we offer something that gives people hope that their lives are going to get better. And Mr. Trump has every right to have every belief he has. He's going to run, that's fine. But I don't want to be associated with the kind of vitriol that he's spewing out these days.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Don't want to be associated with Trump's vitriol. Tana, your response?

GOERTZ: Well, I thought it was funny that Jeb was giving Mr. Trump permission to run. I mean, Mr. Trump doesn't need anybody's permission to do anything, and the numbers are speaking for themselves, so that's really what I have to say about that.

BROWN: I want to ask you quickly before we go, Tana. What is your reaction to Donald Trump's comments about illegal immigrants, those controversial comments that so many have been critical of? Do you agree with what he said?

GOERTZ: You know, Mr. Trump is not a racist. He's a realist, and most Americans are finding that out, and he is the voice for a lot of Americans. And what he wants to do is just make America great again so I think we've already discussed this plenty, but he is a realist and --

BROWN: Does that mean that you agree with what he said? So that means you do agree with what he said?

GOERTZ: No, I'm not saying that at all. I'm a realist, just like Mr. Trump is, and I think he's already covered this pretty clear.

BROWN: Tana Goertz, Lisa Boothe, thank you very much.

BOOTHE: Thank you.

BROWN: And we want to get back to that historic event involving space. NASA has now revealed the very first images of Pluto. This was a mission nine years in the making, and here's what they showed just moments ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

This is an area that covers the whole of (INAUDIBLE) around it covering quite a variety of terrains. But this is one of the first things that really caught our attention. This area as you can see from the scale bar is about 150 miles across. We've seen features as small as half a mile here. You can see the APL campus on this kind of image.

The most stunning thing about this -- well, there's many stunning things, but the most striking geologically is we have not yet found a single impact crater on this image.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[15:50:02] BROWN: I want to bring in Bill Nye, the science guy here. What exactly are we looking at? What's the significance of it?

BILL NYE, THE SCIENCE GUY: So this is now a ten times finer resolution than the picture we had yesterday of this one region or frame on Pluto. And it's so exciting, because you're seeing all this roughness and geologists, and geologists will go wild. They love this kind of thing. You can infer what it's made off with extraordinary precision with the instruments on the spacecraft. And there's two questions, Pamela, that get us all, where did we come from? And are we alone in the universe. And if you want to know where we came from, you have to study these bodies, these beyond the outer planets, the Plutoids (ph) as I like to call them, Pluto being the first among them. And so, by learning - he made a significant point there. They don't see impact craters on the wide shot.

BROWN: So what is that -- why is that important for someone who doesn't study all of this?

NYE: It means, there's less impact out there than maybe we thought. All the water on earth, all the water that is in you and me came from space. So why wouldn't they things be smashing into each other. There could be some war little mechanics not fully understood yet.

And here's the thing, when we take these kind of pictures, we learn more about planets writ large. And so, this is basic exploration. I just want to remind everybody. This whole mission, $750 million, over 15 years. That's nothing. OK? I mean, that's less than a cup of coffee per taxpayer for 15 years, and yet this is extraordinary images of this world we have all wondered about.

BROWN: And extraordinary that the new horizon today will pull this off, really, without a hitch, nine-and-a-half years early.

NYE: Yes. So when you look at that picture on the wide shot, we didn't just came and went, but you think you're seeing impact craters. When they look at it up close, they don't see to be, so there's a mystery.

BROWN: A mystery. We always like mysteries.

NYE: Yes, we do.

BROWN: Bill Nye, the Science Guy, thank you very much. Appreciate it.

NYE: Thank you.

BROWN: And up next right here in NEWSROOM, brand new images inside the mile-long tunnel that El Chapo escaped through.

Plus, surveillance video that shows the drug lord slipping out prison. That's ahead. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:55:00] BROWN: An international manhunt of brutal killer, Joaquin El Chapo Guzman tops wanted list across the U.S. and Mexico. And now we have new video of the moment, Mexico's most brutal drug lord makes his second prison break.

Surveillance video, the last known sighting. Take a look. Watch as El Chapo, still in prison uniform calmly walks over to the shower in the cell, and bends over and then seemingly vanishes.

Mexican authority say Guzman exploited two blind spots in his maximum security prison cell which was under 24/7 surveillance. Slipping through a hole under the shower to make his elaborate getaway.

A lot to talk about here. So I want to bring in Don Winslow, author of "the cartels" and Phil Jordan, former director of the DEA El Paso intelligence center.

Don, I'm going to start with you here. I want to replayed video of the escape, which is pretty incredible to see this and to calmly walking over to the shower and then disappearing. Let's show this video here, guys. What do you make of it as you watch this?

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYING)

PHIL JORDAN, FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE DEA EL PASO INTELLIGENCE CENTER: Are you talking to me?

BROWN: I'm talking to Don.

JORDAN: I'm sorry.

DON WINSLOW, AUTHOR, THE CARTELS: Listen. You know, we see him approach the tunnel. We don't see him actually go into the tunnel. But whether he escaped through the tunnel or he went out the front gate, it's the same story. He had to have helped inside the prison and outside the prison and speaks to systemic corruption.

BROWN: So even with this video, Don, you don't think he actually went through the tunnel. You think he went out the front door?

WINSLOW: I don't know. I have serious doubts that he went through that tunnel. You know, he escaped in 2001, as we know. In 2001, the story went out he escaped in a laundry basket. Several years later, you know, serious doubts were brought up about that. More probably, he went out by car or even helicopter. So if the past has prolonged, yes, I think we should have doubts that this tunnel might be a diversion or face-saving device.

BROWN: And let's look at that tunnel. We also had video of that, if we can pull that up, because Phil, I want to get your reaction. I mean, it's hard to believe that this just happened overnight with no help. Phil?

JORDAN: It's impossible. It's impossible. There's no way he did not have help from the Mexican authorities in not only planning the escape, but being able to -- you know, leave the prison.

And I agree with your guest, he could have gone through the front door very easily. I don't believe that he went out -- my personal opinion -- and I'm not speaking for DEA, but I do not believe that he would risk getting stuck in a tunnel.

BROWN: And you essentially called this happening, Phil. In fact, you think -- your only surprise is, what, that it took a year for this to happen?

JORDAN: Yes, I'm surprised -- I didn't expect him to stay in custody, alleged custody, because they do have a merit type setting in prison for him, not for everybody but --. But the point of the matter is that when they asked me if I was surprised -- yes, I was surprised that it took one year before he was allowed to escape.

BROWN: Allowed?

JORDAN: Allowed to escape, yes.

BROWN: So Don, to you now. We have some new video of the prison that's just coming in. And it shows just how easy it is to walk right up to the entrance, no security. This is supposed to be a prison with the most security in Mexico. But you don't see that, at least hourly. Do you think Guzman essentially had the keys out of that prison before he even got in there?

WINSLOW: No, absolutely. Look, you are talking about a man who has been at the heart of the drug trade since the 1970s, since he was eight years old taking opium. He was 15 when he started to deal with cocaine. Now he's a billionaire. This is a massively powerful person.

So if you're a guard in that prison, Chapo or most likely his representatives could come to you and say we can make your family comfortable for the rest of their lives, or we can make them dead, what would you do?

On the other side, on the government's side, as your other guest said, and I absolutely agree with him, millions of dollars go in that direction, and Chapo has those kind of resources, those kind of connections. He also knows where all the bodies are buried, because he buried some of them himself. So this is a man who can arrange for a departure rather than an escape from prison. I don't think the word escape encompasses the cooperation and complicity of the jailers.

BROWN: And as we heard the other guest say, allowed to escape.

Don Winslow, Phil Jordan, thank you very much. We really appreciate it.

And that does it for me. John Berman in for Jake Tapper. "The LEAD" starts right now.