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Remembering The Lives Lost In The Tree Of Life Synagogue Massacre; Kellyanne Conway: President Trump Is Trying To Heal The Country. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired October 29, 2018 - 07:30   ET

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


[07:30:00] JOHN AVLON, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: -- in 2017.

And what's especially odd in all of this is that white nationalist movements, like militias, typically increase in reaction to Democratic presidents. But with this Republican in the White House, these groups aren't receding, they're on the rise.

And that's an issue we all need to confront, taking to heart the words of Pittsburgh's mayor this weekend.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR BILL PEDUTO, PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA: We know that hatred will never win out. That those that try to divide us because of the way that we pray or where our families are from around the world will lose.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AVLON: And that's your reality check.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Thanks, John, so much.

I think it's so important to see those numbers because it's happening, it has been happening all around us, and it needs to be talked about. It needs to be focused on and we, frankly, should have been doing it long before 11 people were murdered in Pittsburgh.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Absolutely. So, we'll be talking about it a lot this morning and, of course, we will have the head of the ADL coming on to talk about what's behind those numbers.

BERMAN: And up next, we're going to have a member of the synagogue in Pittsburgh who knew so many of the victims. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: The deadliest attack on Jews in American history. Eleven lives taken in an instant by a hate-filled gunman inside a Pittsburgh synagogue.

This morning, our focus is on the victims.

[07:35:00] Joining me now is the former president of the Tree of Life congregation, Lynnette Lederman. She personally knew eight of the 11 victims.

Lynette, we're so sorry for you. We are so sorry for your community. Let me just get that out there.

We are thinking of you. I can't imagine what you're going through.

Let me just ask you --

LYNNETTE LEDERMAN, FORMER PRESIDENT, TREE OF LIFE SYNAGOGUE, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, KNEW EIGHT VICTIMS OF THE SYNAGOGUE MASSACRE: Thank you, John.

BERMAN: -- what can the country do for you? What do you need to hear this morning?

LEDERMAN: The country can stop the hate speech. We know it starts at the top but in addition to the support and the love that is flowing into Pittsburgh in an incredible way, the main problem is to stop the hate speech.

BERMAN: What kind of hate speech are you talking about?

LEDERMAN: We're talking about anti-Semitism. We're talking about bigotry and racism. We're talking about the kinds of things that this individual fomented for his entire life.

We know that Richard Bowers probably hated a lot of people. We know that he hated Jews. But we also know that he was incited to act.

We know that this is probably -- we know that it's not a random act around the country. We see hate all the time.

And, of course, our leaders are responsible. Our leaders have a responsibility to us to unite us, to bring us together, and not to divide us.

BERMAN: I think one of the ways you can battle such hate is to talk about love, and that is one thing that is in abundance in your congregation, and it is one thing that was in abundance among those 11 people who were murdered.

I think of Cecil and David Rosenthal, those two brothers in their fifties. Special needs individuals who would greet people entering the congregation every service. Tell me about them.

LEDERMAN: Well, first of all, the Tree of Life congregation is a very tight-knit, resilient group of people. The congregation is 154 years old. I was the second female president when it was 136 years old. It has a rich history and we've carried that legacy and that history and those customs and traditions through the decades.

And, Cecil and David Rosenthal essentially were the embodiment of that kind of tight-knit community. Tree of Life is reflective of the entire Pittsburgh community. These two special needs men grew up in this loving environment. They were embraced by the ACHIEVA organization -- special needs

organization. And the other thing that they did that was part of their lives was the synagogue. The came to synagogue every single Saturday morning.

One of them, Cecil, was more outgoing and greeted everybody at the door, and David was a little quieter. But they were always together and they were a fixture in our congregation.

BERMAN: And they brought you joy and they brought the people of Squirrel Hill joy.

Rose Mallinger, 97 years old. When I heard her name and her age read out loud it took my breath away. Tell me about her.

LEDERMAN: Rose Mallinger was a very young, vibrant, vivacious 97 years old.

Her family, in Pittsburgh, are well-known. Her son has been at the Jewish Community Center running sports programs for 30 years. Her daughter, Andrea, was with her and was injured in the shooting.

Rose Mallinger was just a warm, wonderful human being. She worked at the synagogue years ago with her sister.

Again, the people that were in the pews -- the people that were in the congregation Saturday morning where the stalwarts of our congregation. They were there every Saturday morning. Some of us are in and out of shul on an irregular basis and attend randomly, but come on high holidays.

But the people that were there Saturday morning were doing what they do, and that was worshiping in their safe space. And that is what is so horrific about what happened to Rose Mallinger, and Cecil and David, and the rest of our friends.

BERMAN: I mean, to paraphrase something I learned in the Charleston shooting at the black church -- I mean, if you can't be Jewish in a synagogue, where can you be Jewish?

Joyce Fienberg was a friend of yours.

LEDERMAN: Well, I knew -- I wasn't very close to Joyce Fienberg but I knew her. I didn't know her very well.

I chair the Children's Playrooms in the Courts for the National Council of Jewish Women and Joyce was a volunteer in the playroom for several years before her husband passed away. She was active at -- in her research and in her work.

[07:40:14] She was, again, a very important component, a very important member of this congregation.

Some of our older members were not in shul on Saturday -- were not in synagogue on Saturday morning. One of them was Moe Libo (sp). Joyce Fienberg would call him every morning to make sure he was up and out so she could pick him up for minyan. He didn't come Saturday morning and she came herself.

Loving people, warm people -- people who expect to be safe in their worship space.

BERMAN: Volunteers, greeters, a 97-year-old person. It doesn't sound --

LEDERMAN: Yes.

BERMAN: -- like the type of people who need to be feared in our society, does it?

LEDERMAN: Oh, they're not -- they're not feared. And they shouldn't have to fear anything from the world around them, particularly with the kind -- the kind of people that they were. But the kind of people that they were speaks to the kind of people in this congregation and in this city -- in Squirrel Hill and in this city.

We will rally. We will come back. We will not let any anti-Semite intimidate us.

But we mourn the loss of these wonderful people because they were so innocent and they were so warm and loving, and losing them takes a big chunk -- a big chunk of our hearts away today.

BERMAN: There's been a letter written by some Jewish leaders in Pittsburgh to President Trump asking him not to come to the city in the wake of this shooting.

And one of the things they say is, "That for the past three years your words and policies have emboldened the growing white nationalist movement. You, yourself, called the murderer evil, but yesterday's violence is a direct culmination of your influence."

Do you welcome the president to Pittsburgh in the wake of this?

LEDERMAN: Are you asking me a personal question?

BERMAN: I'm asking you.

LEDERMAN: I do not. I do not welcome this president to my city.

BERMAN: Why not?

LEDERMAN: Because he's the purveyor of hate speech. The hypocritical words that come from him tell me nothing.

We have a -- we have very, very strong leadership in this city. We have a very strong mayor with very strong values. A very strong county executive in Rich Fitzgerald.

We have people who stand by us who believe in values -- not just Jewish values, but believe in values. And those are not the values of this president and I do not welcome him to Pittsburgh.

BERMAN: Lynnette Lederman, these losses took a piece of your heart. It takes a piece of our collective heart in this nation, as well.

Thank you for being with us. We know you will be strong. Thank you.

LEDERMAN: Thank you, John.

CAMEROTA: It's been a week filled with tragedy and calls to turn down the political rhetoric. Can President Trump somehow change the rhetoric? Will he tamp it down or tamp it up?

Kellyanne Conway joins us, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:47:26] (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We must all rise above the hate, move past our divisions, and embrace our common destiny as Americans.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: President Trump calling on everyone to unite after 11 people -- 11 Jews were shot and killed at a Synagogue in Pittsburgh. What role does the president see for himself in that healing effort?

Joining us now with the White House perceptive, Kellyanne Conway, counselor to the president. Kellyanne, thank you so much for being with us this morning.

KELLYANNE CONWAY, COUNSELOR TO PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Good morning.

BERMAN: I want to note something you wrote over the weekend.

You said Sunday, "Catholic services and prayers today focusing on the murders of our Jewish brothers and sisters in Pittsburgh. We condemn the hatred and evil of anti-Semitism. We mourn with you. We stand by you."

My wife and kids attended a mass much like the one it sounds like you went to and I know people are looking to come together as best they can this week.

What are the president's plans for this week to bring the country together?

CONWAY: We've not heard the last from the president on this matter and I think it was incredibly important, John, the president's statements in the wake of the murders of 11 people of faith. And because of that faith he condemned, in no uncertain terms, anti- Semitism. And really, that's a lesson to me from this weekend.

I don't like when the politicians are pointing fingers, when the media immediately starts the blame game and others start the blame game for a very simple reason. We're disrespecting the victims and we're disrespecting the opportunity to instruct everybody as to why this happened. They were murdered not because they live in Pittsburgh, not because it was a nice fall day. They were murdered because they were Jewish.

And that man apparently went into the place of worship in Squirrel Hill -- at Squirrel Hill and said all Jews must die -- or it's alleged -- it's reported that said something like that to the police afterward.

And so let's not miss the opportunity to make sure that everyone -- most especially our children, but everyone of all faiths and those who call themselves atheists or agnostic -- know that people are being gunned down and murdered because of their faith.

I want everybody to memorize the names of the 11 people. Everybody who feels compelled to start pointing fingers and play the blame and shame game today should read their stories -- their unbelievable stories. I tried reading them throughout the night.

And they are people of service. The best thing you can do is to be like them in service.

And the reason I tweeted that yesterday about the Catholic services is we're constantly being sliced and diced by our gender, our race, and ethnicity.

BERMAN: Yes.

CONWAY: Our politics, our religion. I want everybody to know that this country founded on Judeo-Christian values, and this -- that people of faith come together and support those.

[07:50:02] I certainly have enjoyed being at bar and bat mitzvahs, being at brises and baby namings like that. Learning more about religion as my friends have about my religion. We're very devout Catholic.

And we just need people to understand that in 2018 in this country, as in many places and spaces around this world for centuries, Jewish people are being murdered because of their faith.

BERMAN: Yes.

CONWAY: That is the lesson here.

BERMAN: Yes, it certainly is, and it is what happened. And we've been telling the stories of those who were lost all weekend.

And I don't even know the name of the killer. I've never bothered to learn it and we won't speak it on this show, Kellyanne.

CONWAY: Good.

BERMAN: But you said we are being sliced and diced as a nation.

And just to review some of the things the president has said since this murder, since he condemned anti-Semitism, since he called on the nation to come together -- he called Tom Steyer who received a bomb last week in the mail, a "lunatic."

He talked about Maxine Waters, who received bombs in the mail at her Washington and California office, at a political rally. He's been very critical of the media. He even went after the Dodgers' manager over the weekend.

I know that's a trivial explanation but if you say we're being sliced and diced as a culture -- as a society -- doesn't the president have a role in that, too?

CONWAY: The president is trying to heal the country but you're cherry-picking certain tweets.

I mean, the case of Maxine Waters, she went first. She told people to get up into the cabinet members. If you see Trump cabinet people in a restaurant tell them they're never welcome here.

And if you want me to run through the litany I can because a lot of the hate and venom has gotten -- has -- it's come from -- it's come from CNN.

BERMAN: I'm not going into that. Kellyanne, I'm not going to go into things she said. I'm not going to go into things she has said.

It doesn't come from CNN. I'm not going to go into it.

CONWAY: You -- no, no, no, no, no. You've got people --

BERMAN: Hey, Kellyanne -- hey, let me finish. Let me finish.

CONWAY: Go ahead but please be honest.

BERMAN: I'm not going to go into things she has said.

I'm talking about the President of the United States and what he has said since the murders on Squirrel Hill. And you and I would agree there's only one president.

CONWAY: His -- but about Tom Steyer. OK, but about Tom Steyer.

BERMAN: Yes.

CONWAY: About Tom Steyer. He has been running ads for a year and a half, I think partly because networks like yours have been -- well, for a long time covering non-stop Russia collusion. I don't even know if you have those graphics --

BERMAN: Yes.

CONWAY: -- anymore. I haven't heard it in months.

He's talking about impeaching the president -- a democratically- elected president who is doing a great job for this country. The economy's never been better. The peace that he's trying to bring around the globe by meeting with people like Kim Jong Un to try to get the denuclearization, to get the remains of North Koreans -- BERMAN: So, Kellyanne, is it safe to say -- is it safe to safe the president will not change the manner he has spoken in regards to these people?

CONWAY: I think it's safe to say that --

BERMAN: Tom Steyer, Maxine Waters, the media -- he's not going to change that today, tomorrow, before the midterms in the wake of what happened.

CONWAY: Now, hold on. I've got a whole list here I can hold up or I could just tweet it later of everything that's been said on your network.

Nazi concentration camps, racist, misogynist, pig. You -- I don't even like repeating them but I think they bear repeating this morning. You should feel some shame, too.

Why are things like that said? Oh, are you taking a moratorium on that this weekend? I don't think so.

You guys had a panel on yesterday. I couldn't believe that people on the panel were making all of this about them.

This is about 11 murdered people of the Jewish faith -- murdered for that reason -- and a community that will be devastated. And a larger community --

BERMAN: Right.

CONWAY: -- worldwide that will be devastated.

But in the case of the president, you're talking really about him watching the World Series and talking about a pitching change that many people also were criticizing.

Your Red Sox ended up winning the World Series. Congratulations to you.

But now you're just nitpicking and you're losing the bigger essence, which is the President of the United States has asked us to rise above the hate, has denounced anti-Semitism --

BERMAN: Yes, yes.

CONWAY: -- in all of its forms, and is asking us to unify.

BERMAN: And we did not ignore that. We did not ignore that at all.

CONWAY: Well --

BERMAN: In fact, I played that coming into your segment. We noted it repeatedly.

So hang on, Kellyanne. Hang on, hang on, hang on.

CONWAY: I don't like Eric -- listen, I don't like Eric Holder saying that we should be kicked.

BERMAN: Hang on, Kellyanne.

CONWAY: I don't like Hillary Clinton saying don't be civil to us.

BERMAN: I don't -- and we have never condoned any of that language, all of which happened before last week when all of those people that you mentioned received bombs in the mail.

So let me just say this. What we are covering today is the totality of what is being said and has been said since these bombs. We're discussing the tone and the tenor in this country. We're also talking about the need to heal.

I want to read you Patti Davis, the daughter of former President Ronald Reagan -- the late President Ronald Reagan -- who says this, and I just want your reaction because it is a discussion about where we are today and what the president can do.

She says, "This president will never offer comfort, compassion or empathy to a grieving nation. It's not in him. When questioned after a tragedy he will always be glib and inappropriate.

So I have a wild suggestion. Let's stop asking him. His words are only salt in our wounds."

Patti Davis wrote that overnight after the things the president said this weekend.

CONWAY: Hey, that's one person's opinion and she's not a supporter of the president anyway. That's fine -- that's America. She has a First Amendment right to say that -- to feel that way.

But there are millions of other Americans who are looking to the president and were very moved by his words than.

Very moved by his words after Parkland because I met with those parents here. I've talked to the mayor many times.

[07:55:04] I saw him after Las Vegas -- the mass shooting there where we still don't have a motive of that sick man.

These deranged people, as you said, why even give them oxygen and publish their name? And thank you for not doing that.

BERMAN: Right.

CONWAY: But I think if you want to find a negative you always will, whoever the you is. But again, we can't -- we're not being honest if we say we'd like to unify and heal and come together at times like this, and then right away sneering and jeering on Twitter. Right away, pulling up --

BERMAN: But, Kellyanne --

CONWAY: I mean, it's just -- BERMAN: You say right way, sneering and jeering on Twitter. I think you're talking about maybe the media, but you could be talking about your boss. There is --

CONWAY: No, I'm talking about many people. I'm talking about many people.

BERMAN: Is he among the many people --

CONWAY: The day --

BERMAN: Is he among the many people who sneers and jeers on Twitter?

CONWAY: The day I was coming in here on the first day on the job with my mother and my small children to be sworn in as an assistant to the president, Madonna was saying she really felt like blowing up the White House. I mean -- and it's never gotten better. It's never gotten better.

BERMAN: Yes. No one should ever say that and you should not have been through that. And I know -- I know your family has undergone threats as well, and no one should live through that.

But again, when you're talking about --

CONWAY: Then they should stop saying it.

BERMAN: -- sneering and jeering -- should the president stop saying things like that?

CONWAY: The president -- you need to look at the totality of everything the president says and does.

BERMAN: We are, we are. But you seem to be --

CONWAY: I don't think you do.

BERMAN: -- ignoring the president's role as the leader --

CONWAY: No, I'm not ignoring it.

BERMAN: -- of the nation and you seem to be ignoring the fact the president --

CONWAY: No, I'm not ignoring it.

BERMAN: -- engaged in all of the behavior that you are also condemning.

All I am asking is if he has a responsibility --

CONWAY: I think --

BERMAN: -- just like you are calling on everyone else to exercise that responsibility? CONWAY: Hey, John, if the president responded to everybody who insults him and tries to deride him and tries to kick him out of office -- I mean, remember, people were promised that he was going to basically be marked out of office.

Just wait -- they're going to change the electors. Oh no, hold on, he's not going to like it. He's going to miss Trump Tower in New York.

Oh wait, we'll just impeach him. Hold on, Russia collusion.

I know that's been --

BERMAN: I fail -- I fail to see what any of this has to do with the Russian investigation now, Kellyanne.

CONWAY: Well, it's got a lot to do with it because from the beginning --

BERMAN: I don't see it.

CONWAY: Oh, I'm glad you admit that. No, no, no, excuse me. From the beginning --

BERMAN: This isn't about the Russia investigation.

CONWAY: No, I'm trying to tell you what it's about. It's about 11 lives lost --

BERMAN: Yes.

CONWAY: -- and we're not even talking about that. We're talking, again, about everybody's favorite topic, President Trump.

But let me say this.

BERMAN: Yes.

CONWAY: This president, if you go back and read all of his words after every tragedy -- even after the natural disasters that have happened on his watch -- his words have been very moving and uplifting. They have been decidedly nonpartisan.

And the people you've mentioned just today -- Maxine Waters, Tom Steyer, and the president -- and someone being interviewed on your network yesterday made those comments. And who could argue with his assessment of what a terrible interviewee that person is? But that's OK. He makes the rest of us look even smarter.

BERMAN: Yes. Kellyanne --

CONWAY: That's fine.

I want to -- I want to remember the people who --

BERMAN: So do I. CONWAY: -- were murdered over the weekend. The president is doing that. He will continue to do that this week.

His daughter, who is a converted -- converted to Judaism -- sent out the most beautiful tweet possible --

BERMAN: Yes, she did.

CONWAY: -- that one anti-Semitic can't come -- and she got attacked. It's that people have just lost their mind.

BERMAN: And I don't -- and I don't doubt -- I don't doubt the president loves his daughter, loves his son-in-law, loves this three Jewish grandchildren. He's very pro-Israel. I think all of those points are crystal clear.

CONWAY: And he's very pro-America.

But, John, also --

BERMAN: However, Kellyanne -- however, however, however, you need to not just reach the president's base here and the president does need to convince some of these people who are healing in Pittsburgh today that he is with them.

I want to play you Lynnette Lederman, who used to be president of the congregation at the Tree of Life synagogue. She was with us just moments ago and I had a chance to ask her if she would welcome the president to come help the people of Pittsburgh heal.

Listen to what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Do you welcome the president to Pittsburgh in the wake of this?

LEDERMAN: Are you asking me a personal question?'

BERMAN: I'm asking you.

LEDERMAN: I do not. I do not welcome this president to my city.

BERMAN: Why not?

LEDERMAN: Because he's the purveyor of hate speech. The hypocritical words that come from him tell me nothing.

We have a -- we have very, very strong leadership in this city. We have a very strong mayor with very strong values. A very strong county executive in Rich Fitzgerald.

We have people who stand by us who believe in values -- not just Jewish values, but believe in values, and those are not the values of this president and I do not welcome him to Pittsburgh.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: How do you convince Lynnette Lederman, Kellyanne, that she's wrong?

CONWAY: Well, first of all, I know that she's very grief-stricken, I can imagine, and my heartfelt condolences go to her and everybody in that congregation regardless of politics.

Many people are welcoming the president to go there and help heal.

And again, I think that we're missing the opportunity to talk about what this truly was, which was people being gunned down because of their faith, not because of their politics.

The same way Steve Scalise was gunned down because of his politics. That guy, last June, a year and a half ago, didn't hate baseball, didn't hate --

BERMAN: No.

CONWAY: -- pretty, sunny days in Virginia in June. He hated Republicans --

BERMAN: Yes, he did.

CONWAY: -- and he was gunning them down. And, Steve Scalise crawled across his own blood --

BERMAN: Yes.

CONWAY: -- in the outfield and thank God, he's alive.

BERMAN: Thank God, I agree.

CONWAY: He was being gunned down for his politics; them for their -- for their religion.