[Allen:] Welcome back. Thousands of Americans from coast to coast were out in the street for a seventh straight night of protests.
[John Vause, Cnn Anchor:] And in New York City, joined by looters. The violence and widespread vandalism now mean New York's curfew will take effect three hours earlier on Tuesday from 8:00 p.m. A number of high- profile businesses were targeted, including a flagship Macy's department store.
[Natalie Allen, Cnn Anchor:] In Los Angeles, dozens were arrested for burglary after looting a number of businesses there like this, with many rushing into a drugstore. A witness says the group appeared organized and not part of initial protests as we have seen across the country. And in Washington, military helicopters were hovering over people. They were used to try and disperse protesters who are out past curfew.
[Vause:] Not since the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. has the United States seen this type of red-hot anger, filling the nation by protests. For 10 days in 1968, nearly 200 American cities were rocked by violence. More than 40 people were killed and almost 4,000 arrested. Indianapolis though was among the few cities which remained calm. King's death was announced by Robert Kennedy, who is campaigning there for the democratic presidential nomination. In front of a mostly black audience, standing on a flatbed truck, he threw away prepared remarks and delivered what is considered one of the great political speeches of the 20th century. Here is part of it.
[Robert Kennedy, Former United States Attorney General:] You can be filled with bitterness, with hatred, and a desire for revenge. We can move in that direction as a country, in great polarization black people amongst blacks, whites amongst whites, filled with hatred toward one another. Or we can make an effort as Martin Luther King did to understand and to comprehend, and replace that violence, that stain of bloodshed that has spread across our land, with an effort to understand with compassion and love.
[Vause:] Just a few hours ago, the 45th U.S. president, doing his first remarks on camera, about the protests and racial tensions tearing this country apart.
[Donald Trump, President Of The United States:] As we speak, I am dispatching thousands and thousands of heavily armed soldiers, military personnel, and law enforcement officers to stop the rioting, looting, vandalism, assaults, and the wanton destruction of property. We are putting everybody on warning.
[Vause:] Joining us now is CNN's senior political analyst David Gergen, who has been an adviser to four U.S. presidents. David, it is good to see you. Thank you for being with us.
[David Gergen, Cnn Senior Political Analyst:] Thank you, John.
[Vause:] Now, whether the words are said by a man who wants to be president or said by the man who is in fact the president, for better or for worse, they have a very real impact. Is it possible that what Donald Trump is trying to do here is to escalate the confrontations because he certainly doesn't seem to be making any attempt to de- escalate?
[Gergen:] He is trying to escalate and for very purposeful reasons. Let me thank you, John, for going back and showing those clips from the Kennedy speech. That was one of the most memorable speeches in American political history. I ask my students here at the Harvard Kennedy School to read it every year, to study it. You know, Bobby was in a situation he was coming to the speech when he learned that Martin Luther King had not only been shot but had just died. And it was left to him to go in front of a crowd in Indianapolis. Large crowd, primarily black citizens, who did not know when Kennedy got there that King was dead. And I think he is going to be remembered in the history, as well, but for the very wrong reasons.
[Vause:] I want you to listen to president's phone call with governors earlier in the day. He makes perfectly clear the direction he wants to take. Listen to this.
[D. Trump:] You have to dominate, if you don't dominate, you're wasting your time. They're going to run all over you, you'll look like a bunch of jerks. Now the harder you are, the tougher you are, the less likely it is that you're going to be hit. It's happened before, it's happened numerous times. And the only time it's successful is when you're weak. And most of you are weak.
[Vause:] Also the call with the defense secretary. He referred to places where there are protests as battle space. He said, "I think the sooner that you mask and dominate the battle space, the quicker this dissipates, and we get back to a the right normal." The former Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey took to Twitter. He said, "America is not a battleground. Our fellow citizens are not the enemy." David, how concerning is it to you when you hear the administration talking in these terms?
[Gergen:] Well, I must say when a president calls himself a "law and order president," that is really a form of race-baiting. He is really trying to appeal to blind racists that he is their savior and he is their leader. It is pretty raw stuff. It is what gives despair to a lot of people. Most Americans feel they won't have a chance to speak out in the way they'd like until they get to a ballot next November. But even that may not settle things. We're so divided as a people right now. There is so much poison in the air. There is so much disinformation. But I must tell you, I was asked a couple of days ago on CNN, should Trump give a speech? I said, you know, it is the first time in my life I would tell a president not to give a speech. And I felt today, he shouldn't have given that. He would've been a lot better off the country, been a lot better off maybe moving toward healing. What has been lost
[Vause:] David, we're out of time. David, thank you so much. We really appreciate you being here.
[Gergen:] Good to talk to you again.
[Vause:] Thank you, you too.
[Gergen:] Thank you.
[Vause:] Take care.
[Allen:] Top music executives are leading an effort right now to pause business operations in a movement called "Blackout Tuesday." They are encouraging workers and artists to use this day to reflect on racism and inequality in the United States. On his Instagram account, artist Quincy Jones asked his followers to disconnect from work and reconnect with our community. Big labels like Sony Music, Columbia Records and Interscope are expected to participate, as well. CNN's parent company, WarnerMedia, is also joining in. And other major companies are feeling the pressure to take a stand. CNN's John Defterios is with me now from Abu Dhabi. Hello to you, John. You know, there have been passed efforts with
[John Defterios, Cnn Anchor And Emerging Markets Editor:] Thanks.
[Allen:] Black Lives Matter, similar to this. Does this seem different and the response broader based from the business community?
[Defterios:] I think it is different because it's so widespread, the protesting coming right after COVID-19, which is causing an economic shock and even higher unemployment within the minority communities, particularly the black communities across America. I've been taken aback by how widespread the responses been overall from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. But even big industrial groups and lobbying groups, the business round table usually stays clear of anything having to do with race relations, coming forward and saying we represent 10 percent of the working population in the United States. This cannot go on in this sort of state of play. The CEO of Dow Chemical, major petrochemical player, says there has to be the most diverse company in its sector. Even Shake Shack which recently went public over the last couple of years, Randy Garutti, the CEO, said, look, I am a white CEO being very frank about it, but I can serve as a platform for change with our customer interface and employing minorities throughout our organization. Tweeter is suggesting by 2025, a quarter of its workforce will indeed be from nine minority communities going forward and mostly clear the politics. Natalie, I would say that Box, which is a Cloud storage maker out of California, said and were suggesting that it was the president who is responsible for the protest and stoking the fires, and saying that President Trump has no compunction to try to heal the nation. He does not have the capability. There is a huge void, Natalie, and I think it's corporate America ironically that feels it needs to fill that void, whether it's social media or an industrial group to do so. It is pretty shocking, actually.
[Allen:] Right, someone has to. What are real actions that some are suggesting to close this inequality gap, John?
[Defterios:] Well, I think you raised an interesting point here because they see the donations from half a million dollars to $10 million. The Verizon, the telecom group, $10 million is quite generous, but it's a $230 billion market cap company, and there is a danger this money gets dispersed and doesn't really make a change. The CEO of the Black Entertainment network, Robert Johnson, who has always been very forthright, said it is time for reparations of $14 trillion to the black communities. That is a big number. It can serve as a stimulus going forward. Others were suggesting a brand new tax code, more progressive tax rate, race estate taxes here, and even have truth and reconciliation committees in the United States. I don't see it, Natalie, but I'm glad people are talking about it finally.
[Allen:] Absolutely. We need every avenue we can to emerge with something concrete and positive from all of this. John Defterios, as always, thanks so much.
[Vause:] Serial human rights abuse? China has seized on the protests in the U.S. to accuse the White House of a double standard, comparing the violent clashes in some American cities with their own handling of demonstrations in Hong Kong. But the chairman of the U.S. Senate Intel Committee has accused Beijing of playing a major role in provoking the recent unrest. CNN's Steven Jiang is live in Beijing for us this hour. Steven, it is unusual for China to try to turn the tables on the U.S., if you like, when it comes to human rights. But what is different this time is China's involvement here. What specifically is Beijing accused of doing?
[Steven Jiang, Cnn Senior Producer:] John, some U.S. politicians and officials have been alleging or at least alluding to China's attempt to stoke chaos in the U.S. with, for example, National Security Advisor Robert O'Brien pointing to Chinese social media reactions to the events in the U.S., saying they have been gloating about chaos in the U.S., and there is also some indication from social media monitoring agencies that there is very active engagement from clusters of social media accounts from China. Now, of course, when I asked about this at the foreign ministry's press briefing on Monday, the spokesman flatly denied all these accusations, calling them baseless and saying that China does not interfere in other country's internal affairs. But he added the whole world is watching what has been unraveling in the U.S. and that U.S. officials and politicians better get their own house in order. As you can imagine, though, the state media has been covering these events in the U.S. in a breathless fashion, and this is also being extensively discussed across Chinese social media with many posts and reports which are focusing on racial discrimination and other social ails in the U.S., also the eruption of violence and chaos across American cities with acts of looting and rioting, as well as sometimes heavy-handed responses from local police departments. And this, of course, in a way is seen as a major propaganda, a victory handed to Beijing leadership by Washington, because remember, as you mentioned, for months, Washington has been voicing its support for the Hong Kong protesters, saying they have the right to take to the streets, to demand a greater autonomy and freedom. And, of course, now, tables have turned. The Chinese state media is really highlighting the Trump administration's response, including the president's threat to use the military to crush this violence as the ultimate example of the hypocrisy and double standard. John?
[Vause:] Steven, thank you. I have to admit I am disappointed they didn't turn out the it's Cold War thinking line, when it comes to accusation of interference, but I guess that stays forever. Steven Jiang is live for us in Beijing. Thanks, Steven.
[Allen:] Coming up next here, the new generation of sports stars who are finding their voice amidst the chaos of this past week.