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Legal View with Ashleigh Banfield

President Obama Speaks in Hiroshima; Hillary Clinton Campaigns in California; TSA Problems Examined. Aired 12:30-1p ET

Aired May 27, 2016 - 12:30   ET

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

[12:30:00] PRES. BARACK OBAMA, (D), UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: -- but among those nations like -- but among those nations like my own that hold nuclear stock piles. We must have the courage to escape the logic of fear and pursue a world without them.

The memory of the morning of August 6th, 1945, has never faded. That memory allows us to fight complacency. It fuels our moral imagination. It allows us to change. But we have a shared responsibility to look directly into the eye of history and ask what we must do differently to curb such suffering again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: For more on the president's trip, we are joined by CNN presidential historian Douglas Brinkley. We must look directly into the eyes of history, which I think we are all doing today by watching this sort of monumentous occasion. Doug, my question for you is why President Obama and why now? It's been 71years.

DOUGLAS BRINKLEY, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Well, for one thing, President Obama is a great interest in Asia. You know, he grew up part of his life in Indonesia. He's going to spent part of his ex- post presidency in Hawaii and looking at pacific basin issues, but the U.S.-Japanese relations is extremely important. Just a few weeks ago, Donald Trump was talking about giving nuclear weapons to Japan and here you have Barack Obama going to the sacred site of World War II and making it plea to read the world of nuclear weapons so it's an extremely important speech particularly in the context of U.S.- Japanese relations.

Ronald Reagan, we have to remember, also wanted to talk about ridding the world of nuclear weapons. It doesn't mean there's cause and effect that they suddenly disappear but very poignant day in American history today and I think the president's speech was very eloquently written.

BANFIELD: One of the people in the crowd, as the president was speaking with a man that a name with Shigeaki Mori. He's 79 years old. He would have been 8 when the bomb fell. He was a survivor and this moment followed between the two.

You could hear the photographers shutter going off on that. So I mean, there's more to this picture than just what I've said. Mr. Shigeaki Mori spent decades trying to get official recognition for 12 U.S. POWs who actually died so he clearly is the embodies contrition. Remarkable.

But at the same time, the president did not deliver an apology. We all wondered if that was going to happen. Does that matter? Is there a sting that left behind?

BRINKLEY: No. Not at all. It would have been wrong to president to apologize to get into rethinking Harry Truman's decision and to have gone to Japan and done that. I thought he did it with a lot of grace notes. He's talking about the future. It's very meaningful in Japan what the president did. It was a large healing gesture without revisiting whether the bomb should have been dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki or not.

And so I thought he did it the right way. Remember, once you leave government, you know, George Schultz, former secretary of state, spending his life at the Hoover Institute trying to rid the world of nuclear weapons. Many states people do it and you see Barack Obama joining their ranks, but don't think it would have been appropriate to go to Japan and be despairing of the Truman administration decision.

BANFELD: Doug Brinkley, it's always good to have you. Thank you so much. Appreciate it.

BRINKLEY: Thank you.

BANFIELD: Back in the United States. Millions are on the move. People, that is. This is Memorial Day weekend and the madness, yes, you can see it for yourself. This is Atlanta. We all know how much of a hassle in the airport can be but this is Atlanta Hartsfield right now. Is the TSA prepared for this crush or will the long lines that we're used to on non-holiday weekends be even more miserable?

Next, wait until you hear what the TSA chief has to say about it all this morning.

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[12:38:45] BANFIELD: It's all about California coming up and that is a restaurant in California in Oakland, to be exact, and there is Hillary Clinton as part of what's been called the community discussion in Oakland as she campaigns to try to clinch the nomination for the Democratic Party in June and she's taking questions from people. Let's listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're taking them on field trips. 35 and 40 a year. Are young people are trained to teach and deliver programs during the summer. Entirely useless (ph) so they have learned how to design curriculum and how to teach classes, possibly that college program facilitates 86 percent completion rate in four years.

HILLARY CLINTON, (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: It's great.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now, one of the things that's the pa pain of our prosperity, of course, are things like the student loan debt because so many of ours, you know, can't make that money, can't make that commitment, want to go to a four-year institution. Some go to the junior college which is exceptional. We just want them to finish.

In terms of the development opportunities that are coming, we're located not too far away from the open airport. That pain of that prosperity is what upset what happen to our small businesses.

[12:40:03] You know, you said you were a former Oaklander and some of the most quite thing about Oakland are our art ...

CLINTON: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... our small businesses. And so many of them unfortunately will be displaced. And so we're looking for support from HUD, for work opportunity, support for education. We talk a little bit about why these kids are so angry. It's called complex PTSD. Our children never leave their battlefield. And while Oakland is getting safer by the minute, there are still some that are being left behind.

We had extraordinary parenting engagement. We talk about the washer and dryer component. We are bringing parents in to learn how to put alongside their kids do martial arts and yoga, to learn how to relax in some of our trauma filled cycles. And me and my parents are telling me, we're going to have to move. We can't afford to stay here. And that's similar. Well I use the umbrella of non-profit life, so many of them are non-profit. They're having their rents doubled and tripled because of our prosperity.

And so, I say to you that you know why (inaudible) started by the Clorox Company 40 years ago. Our tremendous partnerships with both business and foundation and schools exceedingly helpful. Even our NBA champs, the Warriors foundation figured out how to support our young people and their families' needs.

If elected, we're really hoping you'll be able to see the greatness in Oakland, particularly through a child's mind which I know you'll connect through and help them see their future. Their success to the future.

CLINTON: You know, Regina, the kind of community center services that you provide are the ones that, based on my experience and everything that I've read, are more likely to work and to survive. And because they are, in effect, multidisciplinary and because you are creating opportunities for young people to assume leadership and educational work, so it really does set a good example.

But look, we have a big problem in affordable housing and in keeping neighborhood character and opportunities for people living in Oakland over years. No city really has yet figured out how to do that. I mean, you know, there's advantages, of course, to fixing up neighborhoods and making them attractive and all the rest of it. But I think it's a big price to pay if we displaced everybody who has been there and who has gone through the bad times and deserve to be part of the good times.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

CLINTON: And I don't know. I will turn to the mayor and the county supervisor. This is becoming a problem in our cities.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

CLINTON: Because our cities are great magnets for people to move in. Young people, obviously, and older people who are downsizing and want to be in the city instead of out in the suburb and see a lot of moves on that. So they are driving the market up. How do we have enough affordable housing? How do we help to support the existing neighborhoods? Because you could do all this work and the people you're actually helping and working with won't be in Oakland in 10 years.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.

CLINTON: They won't be able to afford to be in Oakland. And so wt are we doing about that, mayor?

MAYOR LIBBY SCHAAF, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA: Well, yeah, this is my (inaudible) right here.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

BANFIELD: You know, Oakland, California, this is a different kind of campaign style than you see from Donald Trump, without question. We're used to seeing huge rallies and stop-by, you know, shaking hands et cetera, but this is one of those things where there's that not many people and they get as much time to talk as the secretary gets to talk as well but a lot of listening going on inside the restaurant as well. So that's California. And make no mistake, Trump is in California as well. So is Bernie Sanders. So there'll be a lot of political activity going on in that very hot state because June 7th is just around the corner. Primary day. Lots of delegates there.

You know what else is around the corner? Like for some people, maybe 16 minutes away. A big weekend and it's a big travel weekend. The Memorial Day travel rush has begun. This. Oh, god, I feel for you. This is the line for security at Atlanta Hartsfield. You know something? The TSA has plans to try to fix this. And we've asked some questions, specifically this morning, and we got answers this morning. You'll hear them next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[12:49:00] BANFIELD: This summer may break all records for the number of traveling Americans by air, by rail, and by road. That's the same time that federal safety agencies are under increasing pressure to make things safer for us travelers without lowering our actual security. CNN's Rene Marsh just a few minutes ago had a chance to speak with the administrator of the TSA. So what's he saying?

RENE MARSH, CNN AVIATION AND GOVERNMENT REGULATION CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ashleigh, first off, he said he's seeing results from all of the changes he's made so far. He says that he's seen wait times reduced. However, he is warning that there's still going to be lines at some of the major airports but I do know that over the years, and over the months, last few months, we've heard TSA say they need more screeners to meet the need. Well, today, I asked exactly how many screeners does TSA need? Do they know and have they identified that number? Here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

PETER NEFFENGER, TSA ADMINISTRATOR: Well, think I guess we're still trying to get -- I'm trying to get the exact number. As these resources come in, it's giving us some good feel for how effective we have become. We're seeing some -- and we're focusing these, as you know, on the top 20 airports. So I hesitate to put an exact number out there now because I'm still trying to work out the final staffing models. We have redone our entire staffing model.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

[12:50:23] MARSH: Well, Ashleigh, he still cannot say how many officers TSA would need in order to efficiently do its job at the nation's airports. He was asked this at Congress when he was on Capitol Hill for that hearing this weekend. He was unable to answer then. And many of his critics say he's been on the job for a year and that might be part of the problem that he's unable to identify how many officers he actually needs. I did push him a bit on this and he says that he wants to see how the current staffing levels are working now before he puts that exact number out there. Ashleigh?

BANFIELD: And all of your work, you know, Rene (ph), I think you're coming right during the time that you're doing this extraordinary series which is so timely, so thank you, Rene, for this great series about deteriorating infrastructure across the country.

Yesterday, I had you here. You were talking about the crumbling bridges, the ones we're driving over even if they're crumbling underneath and today, you're dig even deeper into the dire shape of the rail system. Let's have a look at what you found.

(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)

MARSH: Deep inside the 106-year-old Hudson River tunnel connecting New York and New Jersey, the concrete is cracked and crumbling and after Super Storm Sandy flooded the tunnel, the situation became urgent.

JOSEPH H. BOARDMAN, AMTRAK CEO: The salt is eating way at the concrete, it's eating away at the rails, it's eating away at the cables that goes through here for power.

MARSH: Amtrak CEO, Joe Boardman calls it one of the most glaring examples of aging railroad infrastructure in the United States.

BOARDMAN: This is the busiest quarter in the western hemisphere. We got here because we didn't maintain our infrastructure. MARSH: Every day, about 230,000 riders pass through it. The tunnel has been plagued by power failures. The power cables are 80 years old causing shutdowns and massive delays for days. The repair backlog for 450 miles of rail from Boston to Washington D.C. alone is $20 billion. Aging infrastructure has also contributed to deadly derailments.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Notify Amtrak to shut down the entire Northeast Corridor.

MARSH: In May 2015, Amtrak 188 traveling more than two times the 50- mile-per-hour speed limit jumped the tracks in Philadelphia. Eight people were killed and more than 200 injured. Thousands of miles of railway lack technology caused positive train control that can automatically slow speeding trains.

Why has the industry as a whole taken so long to put the technology in place?

BOARDMAN: It's really rather, it takes time to make sure that works right.

MARSH: Across the country, 30 freight and passenger train accident, 60 deaths and more than 1,200 injuries could have been prevented had that technology been in place. But it's not just safety. It's speed.

In Japan, bullet trains are capable of going almost 200 miles per hour. That speed would cut a six-hour Amtrak ride down to 2.5. Fastest train in the U.S. can go 150 miles per hour but usually travels at half that.

BOARDMAN: We can have that kind of service along the corridor, because you'd be talking $151 billion.

ANTHONY FOXX, SECRTARY OF TRANSPORTATION: You want to be able to show the benefit of the dollar you invested.

MARSH: Anthony Foxx heads the Department of Transportation.

FOXX: I think members of Congress struggle because they actually require longer than a political term to take route.

MARSH: But for the busiest track in the western hemisphere, speed takes the back seat to the urgent need to stop the crumbling.

(END VIDEOCLIP)

BANFIELD: Urgent indeed. To the tune of billions. So, what about the money? The money that is critical, the money that doesn't seem to be flowing. How is that going to change?

MARSH: Well, I will say this. Amtrak has done frequent inspections of the track that you saw, the tunnel you saw to make sure they maintain safety but the bottom line is they rely heavy on the federal government for funds. It gets about $1.6 billion per year. But you heard the backlog of repair is $20 billion. So what it's getting from the federal government is simply not enough. Compare that $1.6 billion that Amtrak got from the federal government to China's government. In comparison, China spent $128 billion last year on its rail infrastructure.

You know, I spoke to a lot of people within the industry and what I've heard over and over again is that infrastructure is long term gratification and many people in the industry believe that politicians who are up for reelection, they need short-term gratification and so, you know, many times funding this sort of thing is not necessarily a priority.

[12:55:12] BANFIELD: Frustrating. Especially when you look at the $151 billion price tag for the sweeter gizmos that's seem ...

MARSH: Yeah.

BANFIELD: ... right off the map. Rene, great stuff. Thank you for that. And that's not the last of it either. I'm going to do the plug for you here because Rene's series is continuing. You can go to cnnpolitics.com and catch a lot of her work and she's also got her next piece on, you guessed it, airports. That's tonight on Erin Burnett OutFront, 7:00 Eastern time. And Rene does fantastic exhaustive work. So, tune in.

In just a few moments, Donald Trump expected to speak live in Fresno, California. One day after he clinched that magic number of Republican delegates needed to clinch the nomination. We're going to take you live inside the rally and don't forget the activity outside too. Police bracing for the protesters who have already shown up. Going to go live right after this.

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