President Obama Weighs in on Drugs and Rape
COOPER: Today, President Obama was asked whether Bill Cosby's medal of freedom will be revoked now that dozens of women said he raped them and documents have been released showing Cosby admitted under oath that he had Quaaludes to give to moment he wanted to have sex with. President was ask about Cosby during his press conference today. He said there is no precedent or mechanism for revoking a medal of freedom which was given to Cosby. But he made it pretty clear what he thinks of Cosby's admission. Take a look.</s>OBAMA: If you give a woman or a man for that matter without his or her knowledge a drug and then have sex with that person without consent that's rape.</s>COOPER: Well after that press conference, one of Cosby's alleged victims, model Beverly Johnson wrote this on twitter. President Obama states on TV drugging and having sex with a woman after is called rape. Beverly Johnson joins me now on the phone. I am wondering when you heard the president actually say that, weighing in against Bill Cosby, what went through your mind?</s>BEVERLY JOHNSON, COSBY'S ACCUSER (via phone): Well, Anderson, I am in D.C. presently at a speaking engagement. And I was in the hotel room when the television was on CNN as I normally have it on CNN. And so, I was - my heart was beating really fast. I believe that the President Obama has his finger on the pulse of this nation. And what he said was very profound and very powerful. And much needed.</s>COOPER: The fact that it was the president of the United States speaking from the podium, does it give you a sense that the tide has really turned now here? That so many people now based really particularly on once they saw the deposition that Cosby gave, in which he admitted to buying Quaaludes, with multiple prescriptions from the - going back to the 1970s. Do you think the tide has turned?</s>JOHNSON: I think the tide has turned with the fact that there is a rape culture in America. And you know, on the college campuses, on the work place and also with this Cosby situation. So I really feel that -- it even has a more, it has more impact than just this Cosby situation.</s>COOPER: The president said that there is no precedent or mechanism for actually revoking Bill Cosby's Medal of Freedom, which we just saw him getting there. Did you -- do you accept that? Does it matter to you that he has this?</s>JOHNSON: For me what matters is that's we are having a conversation about violence on women. In a way from the highest office in our nation and that's, you know, President Obama. For me that matters.</s>COOPER: And that conversation is certainly going to be had a lot of places tonight as it has been for many nights since all of this broke. Beverly Johnson, I appreciate you being with us. Thank you very much.</s>JOHNSON: Thank you for having me.</s>COOPER: Joining me now, CNN legal analyst and criminal defense attorney Mark Geragos, also attorney and legal affairs commentator Areva Martin. Areva, you believe that President Obama weighing in on this controversy is a big moment for survivors of abuse?</s>AREVA MARTIN, CNN COMMENTATOR: Absolutely. When you have someone in his position, the president of the United States saying that if a woman is drugged and you have sex with that woman that constitutes rape. I think women who have come forward with respect to the allegations against Bill Cosby will feel a sense of vindication. I think those women who are fearful of coming forward when they have been in similar situations will also be empowered by the words of the president. So, I think it was a good moment for survivors as well as advocates.</s>COOPER: Mark, does it seem to you that President Obama is now kind of weighing in on controversial topics that maybe earlier in his presidency he didn't?</s>MARK GERAGOS, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Precisely. I think that you are seeing Obama 2.0 in terms of these things. Today it's weighing in on, you know, what the, kind of a professorial definition of rape. Yesterday it was talking about the criminal justice system is broken. You know, something that is obvious to those of us in it. But to have the president say that is spectacular. And I think that there has been kind of an unleashing if you will of him and what he wants to say. Although, I will give - I'll temper that with when he says there is no precedent for revoking the Medal of Honor, you know he could set that precedent.</s>COOPER: Medal of Freedom we should point out. You think ...</s>GERAGOS: Medal of Freedom.</s>COOPER: You think he could put in some sort of a way to revoke it?</s>GERAGOS: Absolutely. Look, if - with one stroke of the pen this week he could get rid of 47 federal criminal convictions. One stroke of the pen he could get rid of the medal or revoke the medal as well. And as Areva says, you know, this is an important moment for women who are victims to, kind of rejoice in, and somebody recognizes this. Whether it is the women who are victims of Bill Cosby, or, you know, - and the victim of Dr. Luka (ph), this is a monumental moment for a lot of victims in this country.</s>COOPER: And Areva, you really believe, I mean you sort of alluded to this, that the more attention this Cosby case gets that the greater the likelihood that women will come forward whether it's about directly related to Cosby or other cases, other forms of abuse?</s>MARTIN: Absolutely, Anderson. You know, I've been saying this on your program since the story broke. That this is important. For those people who keep saying, why are we talking about this, the statutes of limitation have run. And there is nothing that can be done. I say that is absolutely false. That by talking about it and pushing the story as much as possible. We are giving permission to those women who are often afraid to come forward.</s>MARTIN: And who knows. There are maybe women who were subjected to Bill Cosby's, you know, drug and drug induced sex, that is rape, that happened within the statute of limitations. And they haven't been willing to come forward. Because they were afraid. Because he is powerful. Because he is rich. Because someone may not have believed him. Because they didn't think that they could have a platform from which to speak. So I think the more we talk about it, the president, shows like yours, national shows, the more it is written about, the more we are going to start to see a shift in what we call the rape culture. And women feeling as if they have a way to come forward and their voices are going to be heard.</s>COOPER: Mark Geragos, Areva Martin, thank you very much. Coming up, breaking news in Washington State, where a 16-year-old girl hiked her way to safety after the plane crash that killed her step grandparents. The wreckage of that plane we've just learned has now been found. Full details coming up. And later, we'll take you inside the tunnel that drug lord El Chapo used to escape from a maximum security Mexican prison. We've also got new surveillance video just before he escaped. That's next.