CNN "The Situation Room" - Transcript: Charleston Church Shooting
Interview
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BLITZER: Let's bring in Congressman Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, who is joining from us Charleston right now.
Congressman, I know you had a chance to speak with President Obama today. What did he tell you and what did you tell him?
[18:15:04]
REP. JAMES CLYBURN (D), SOUTH CAROLINA: Well, thank you very much for having me, Wolf.
The president called as I worked my way from the airport here to the church to let me know that he was thinking of the members of the congregation of Emanuel, and, of course, he invoked his memories of both this church and Morris Brown AME, where we're having the service, and asked that I personally deliver his well-wishes to everybody. And, of course, I told him that I would keep him posted on what's
taking place here, because he expressed an interest in staying up to date on the activities here. And so, after a meeting tonight with the mayor and other members of the AME Church, I will get back with the president sometime in the morning to let him know what I know.
So, we just talked about that and his remorsefulness about all of this.
BLITZER: We're showing our viewers, Congressman, this small plane that's about to carry Dylann Roof back to South Carolina from North Carolina, where he will face murder charges, nine people who were murdered.
And I want to talk about some of these people. You knew the pastor at this church.
But, if you could just stand by for a moment, Congressman, I want to take a quick break.
CLYBURN: Yes.
BLITZER: We will watch what's going on with this plane. We will take a quick break -- much more with Jim Clyburn when we come back.
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[18:21:14]
BLITZER: We're following the breaking news.
The suspect in the Charleston church massacre is in custody. He's aboard that small plane, going to be flying him back to South Carolina from Shelby, North Carolina, where he will face charges in connection with the murder of nine people at a congregation, historic black church in South Carolina.
Charleston -- let's go to Charleston as we await to see this plane take off.
Congressman Jim Clyburn, South Carolina, is still with us.
Do you know, Congressman, if this alleged shooter is cooperating with police?
CLYBURN: I don't know that.
All that I have heard seemed to indicate that he gave them no trouble when they confronted him and arrested him. And how much he's cooperating beyond that, I don't know. But I really want to know, because I really believe that we cannot understand the full import of this action until we know what motivated this young man.
Now, if he had some individual antisocial feelings, even racial misgivings, that's one thing. But if he is acting out of his sensitivities and sensibilities with some kind of organized antisocial group that is proliferating the Internet with all of this hate stuff, then that's something else again, because I really believe that those people of goodwill that exist in this state and this nation have got to stop being silent, when we see so many things like this taking place.
I remember back in the '70s, when I was in the governor's office, the things we did under Governor West to penetrate and infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan to render them almost useless to everybody, including themselves. We have now stepped back from these groups. And we act as if, because we're not doing it, then we don't have any responsibility for it.
We have responsibility to each other. We have responsibility to this state and to this nation. And we see this kind of stuff taking place. We have got to speak up. We have got to stand up.
John Lewis would say, we have got to get in the way and make some noise. And unless people do that, speak up and speak out, the evil- thinking people will control the airwaves and they will control the activities, much of which is not good for the future of this great country.
BLITZER: Congressman Clyburn, as usual, well-said. I would like to continue our conversation tomorrow, if we can. Thank you so much today for joining us.
CLYBURN: Thank you.
BLITZER: I wish we were meeting under different circumstances.
CLYBURN: Thank you. Look forward to it.
BLITZER: Thank you very much.
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