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Trump's Son-in-Law May Become White House Power Player; "Sanctuary" Cities Plan to Defy Trump on Deportations; Officer Charged in Philando Castile Shooting. Aired 2:30-3p ET
Aired November 16, 2016 - 14:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[14:30:00] BROOKE BALDEWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Let's listen to the top.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: How did the meet go?
JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It went very, very well.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Is your administration going to ready on day one?
BIDEN: No administration is ready on day one.
(LAUGHTER)
We weren't ready on day one. I've never met one that's been ready on day one. But I'm confident on day one everything will be in good hands --
BALDWIN: The outgoing vice president. There you go, the picture of the outgoing vice president and the incoming and their better halves.
Coming up, Donald Trump's son-in-law may soon be a White House power player. Jared Kushner is a quiet, 35-year-old real estate investor who married Ivanka Trump seven years ago. And now he is considered one of President-elect Trump's closest confidantes. Kushner is not flashy. He likes to wield power behind the scenes. And a source tells CNN, down the road, Kushner may receive top national security clearance if he becomes a formal advisor to the president.
Joining me now, CNN's Brian Todd, who took a deep dive into Jared Kushner.
Tell me more about him.
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Brooke, multiple sources have told CNN Jared Kushner has been at the center of the infighting in the transition team, that he's rubbed Trump allies the wrong way in his efforts to purge the transition team of people who were associated with Chris Christie, who, of course, put Kushner's father in jail.
The Trump team is pushing back hard saying reports of infighting are not true. One transition official telling me Kushner is well liked and viewed by everyone involved as an asset to the team.
Either way, there's a very good chance that Kushner is going to have his father-in-law's ear in the oval office.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
TODD (VO): Jared Kushner, Trump's 35-year-old son-in-law, married for seven years to Trump's daughter, Ivanka, is considered shy and avoids the spotlight.
DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: And he's very good at politics.
TODD: But in the Trump White House, his power will likely be considerable.
LIZZIE WIDDICOMBE, AUTHOR: I think it will be similar to the role he played in the campaign, which is informal and behind the scenes, and yet massively influential. I think he's seen as kind of a conduit to Donald Trump and major decision making player.
TODD: Kushner is a wealthy real estate developer and publisher who took over the successful real estate firm his father founded.
GABRIEL SHERMAN, NATIONAL AFFAIRS EDITOR, NEW YORK MAGAZINE: Jared Kushner has ties to Wall Street investors, the Jewish community, and New York City, and also the media community.
TODD: He bought the "New York Observer" newspaper when he was 25 and once tried to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He didn't have a formal title in the Trump campaign, but campaign sources say he was among the candidates' most Trumped advisors. One source telling CNN Kushner was intimately involved in the decision to fire campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, last summer.
Said to be intensely loyal, Jared Kushner once pushed back against his own newspaper, which accused Trump of being anti-Semitic. Kushner, an Orthodox Jew, wrote Trump, quote, "embraced my family and our Judaism since I began dating my wife."
TRUMP: I have a son-in-law who's Jewish. Jared, a great guy. My daughter is Jewish. I have grandchildren that are Jewish, OK.
(CHEERING)
TRUMP: And I love them. I love them.
TODD: Experts say Jared Kushner could avoid breaking a law against a president hiring a relative if he doesn't take a salary or formal title. But he could have another conflict.
KENNETH GROSS, FORMER ATTORNEY, FEDERAL ELECTIONS COMMISSION: They have to be careful that he doesn't become a conduit of information because he's going to have information about what the administration is doing, and if he talks to his wife about what the business is doing, there is a conflating of the business and official interest. And that's something I think they're trying to keep separate.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TODD: So will Jared Kushner be able to avoid talking to his wife about the administration's dealings that might affect the family business? We haven't gotten an answer on that from the transition team. Jared Kushner did not comment for our story. A transition spokeswoman told us they're hoping he'll continue to offer counsel, oversee operations and ensure their success, as he did in the campaign -- Brooke?
BALDWIN: That's looking ahead. What about looking back to the presidential campaign? Do you know how influential Jared Kushner was?
TODD: Brooke, he's believed to have significant influence in mike pence as Trump's running mate over Chris Christie, who, as we reported, once put Kushner's father in prison for tax evasion and witness tampering. He had Donald Trump's ear during the campaign and that's expected to continue.
BALDWIN: Brian, thank you. We'll see you on "The Situation Room" later tonight.
Coming up, officials in a number of cities say they will not help a Trump administration deport undocumented immigrants. Trump says that decision could cost them dearly. Up next, we'll talk to the mayor of a so-called sanctuary city in America.
[14:34:40] Also ahead, charges filed against a police officer in the deadly shooting of Philando Castile. He was shot and killed during a traffic stop. Remember, his girlfriend live streamed the stunning aftermath of that shooting. We have new details today from police on exactly what happened.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Welcome back. You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.
Although immigration reform is one of the issues that defined Donald Trump's campaign, we know have little about what could become law. The president-elect sat down with "60 Minutes" and he said that he would enforce the immediate deportation of criminals.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LESLEY STAHL, CO-HOST, 60 MINUTES: About the pledge to deport millions and millions of undocumented immigrants.
TRUMP: What we are going to do is and have criminal records, gang members, drug dealers -- we have a lot of these people, probably two million, it could even be three million. We're getting them out of our country or we're going to incarcerate. But we're getting them out of our country. They're here illegally. After the border is secured and after everything gets normalized, we're going to make a determination on the people that you're talking about.
(END VIDEO CLIP) [14:40:09] BALDWIN: As part of his 100-day plan, President-elect Trump has vowed to block all federal funding of sanctuary cities, in cities like Denver, Los Angeles, Santa Fe, and here in New York. Local police then generally would not coordinate with federal law enforcement officials to deport undocumented immigrants.
But we talk about dreamers, this is a dreamer, Luis Gonzales, an immigrant, a college senior. The safety net of living in a sanctuary city, he says, is a matter of life and death.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LUIS GONZALES, IMMIGRANT: I've been trying to reckon with the reality that faces us. I've been trying to reckon with the reality and the possibility that my d will lose his job, that my family will lose their home, and that I might lose my friends and family to deportation and suicide.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Regardless of Trump's threat, officials in some cities are still saying they will not help President Trump deport people.
One of those officials, Javier Gonzales, is the mayor of Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Mr. Mayor, nice to have you here in New York.
JAVIER GONZALES, (D), MAYOR OF SANTE FE, NEW MEXICO: Brooke, good to be with you.
BALDWIN: Thanks for swinging by.
GONZALES: Absolutely.
BALDWIN: Before we get into the nitty-gritty, I don't think anyone is doing a great job of explaining what a sanctuary city is. Tell me.
GONZALES: It means we'll use all local law enforcement to focus on people that are committing crimes in our community. We won't take on the role of the federal government in trying to enforce federal immigration rules.
BALDWIN: So if someone is stopped or blows through a red light and is pulled over and it's determined that person is undocumented, people in Santa Fe will not go to the police and say this person should be deported?
GONZALES: Not for that offense, but if someone is stopped for a minor traffic violation and we run a background check, which is protocol, and we see that the individual has a pattern of committing violent crimes, we're hold him. We're going to work with federal officials to make sure they are brought to justice and all action is taken that's necessary. But if you're living in our commute and you commit a traffic violation but for everything else you've done is lawful, we're going to leave it alone and we'll let you go your way. BALDWIN: I know you for the counter argument. But there's the one
concern that, if you allow for this, a city like Santa Fe will become a magnet for undocumented immigrants and some folks will say crime will go up. What do you say?
GONZALES: First, that's a wrong statement. It's a false statement. All the data shows that sanctuary cities, welcoming cities, have remained on par with any other city here in America. Crime rates go up, they go down, they follow national trends. The truth is in Santa Fe we've seen things like low unemployment during the recession, more entrepreneurship. Santa Fe continues to be a global destination for a reason, and it's because of the multicultural presence of people from all over the world that have been a part of that community for 400 years.
BALDWIN: Well, what about -- what might hurt if Trump stays true to his word or not allowing the federal funding, you get $6.1 million in the Santa Fe city budget from the federal government. If that money were to dry up -- that's not chump change -- does that concern you?
GONZALES: Of course. We'll do everything we can to encourage the new president and the Congress to pass federal immigration reform so that we don't have to worry about this at the local level. But if we do, this is a question of values and where we're going to stand going forward. Is it better in the name of receiving federal funds to disrupt family lives? People that are living in communities peacefully, children that are part of a family that is producing great work in our community, those are areas that I think, as mayor of my city, I want to stand on the side of. We'll find our way to get through this. We've weathered tough times in our community but I won't a part of breaking up families, supporting federal deportation officials as they try and destroy the fabric of our community when this is a federal responsibility and they need to fix immigration.
BALDWIN: OK. Appreciate it. Mayor of Santa Fe, New Mexico, swinging by CNN.
GONZALES: Thank you, Brooke.
BALDWIN: Next, charges filed against a police officer in the deadly shooting of Philando Castile, the Minnesota man shot and killed during that traffic stop in July. His family is speaking out. Their reaction and the message to the community. That is coming up next.
But first, for many U.S. troops who fought in both Iraq and Afghanistan, the conflict never ends. The U.S. government estimates more than 350,000 veterans have been diagnosed with PTSD, or post- traumatic stress disorder, including Shari Duvall's son after serving in Iraq. He inspired her to create Canines for Warriors which helps other veterans cope with PTSD.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
[14:45:56] SHARI DUVAL, CREATOR, CANINES FOR WARRIRS: When my son went to Iraq on two tours, he was not the same person as all. They teach them how to go to war but they don't teach them how to come home.
BRETT DUVAL, U.S. VETERAN: Isolation was the first thing that they saw. My diagnosis was post-traumatic stress disorder.
DUVAL: My son was broken. I did what any other mother would do, help fix their son. I thought of the idea of service dogs for post- traumatic stress. When I approached Brett with the idea, I saw a spark come back in his eyes.
BRETT DUVAL: We looked at using rescue animals.
DUVAL: If the dog does not make the program, we find them a good home.
Canines for Warriors started out with a small house where we could house warriors.
I was cleaning kennels, making their food. Brett was training the dogs. And it, of course, grew and grew and grew into an organization that's saving lives.
Our mission is to get them back into civilian life with dignity and independence.
We are a nationwide organization now. I never dreamt has would happen. But to see my own son now, who's helping other veterans, it's just amazing to watch.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[14:50:18] BALDWIN: There are new developments in the police shooting death of Philando Castile, the man pulled over this summer driving his car. The officer, Jeronimo Yanez, has been charged with second-degree manslaughter. The prosecutor declaring the July shooting unjustified. Philando Castile's mother just spoke to the media and she called for peace.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VALERIE CASTILE, MOTHER OF PHILANO CASTILE: The family is pleased with their recommendation because we know what type of charges could be brought about by the statutes of Minnesota laws. We are here in solidarity, my family and I, to support that decision.
I want to let everyone know and thank all the organizations that have stood behind us in support of the Justice for Philando movement and we are in support of that also. We have gotten to this point and it is necessary for everyone to understand that we want peace. We don't want any protests to get outrageous and I support protests but it's a manner to have things done.
And I'm just glad that we have came to this chapter and it's a beginning to a different chapter. And we all hope and pray that the right thing is done in this issue. And I just want to thank everybody for coming out. Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Her son's case garnered national attention after Castile's girlfriend live-streamed the aftermath of the shooting on Facebook. Castile, a well-liked cafeteria supervisor, was shot seven times.
Rosa Flores is on this one for us today.
We know that the county attorney reasonable officer would have used deadly force under the circumstances, Rosa?
ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You're absolutely right, Brooke. We're also learning from the criminal complaint just how close the bullets came to both Philando Castile's girlfriend and also her daughter. You probably remember this very clearly that little girl that was sitting in the backseat. According to the criminal complaint, Brooke, one of the gunshots went through the driver's seat and hit the rear seat. Now that little girl was sitting on the passenger side so that bullet very close to her. And then from that criminal complaint as well one of the bullets hit the armrest that was between Philando Castile and his girlfriend.
Now, like you mentioned, we're learning that three charges were filed against the officer, Jeronimo Yanez, second-degree manslaughter in the death of Philando Castile and two felony counts of dangerous discharge of a firearm. We're learning where these two charges come from as well.
The attorney, he says he was grabbling with the idea of what to do in this case, perhaps impanel a grand jury. He decided to get to the case -- and get to the decision himself and he says that one of the things he looked as was just what was the reaction of the police officer that was with Yanez at the time. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN CHOI, RAMSEY COUNTY ATTORNEY: During this entire incident, Officer Kauser (ph) did not touch or remove his gun from its holster. By his actions and his own words, Officer Kauser (ph) did not see Castile make any sudden movements and he was surprised by the gunshots.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
FLORES: We are learning this entire intense exchange was captured in dash cam, video. And, Brooke, we're also learning that the last words Philando Castile uttered were, "I wasn't reaching for it," meaning the gun - Brooke?
BALDWIN: Do we know if the video and audio will be released?
FLORES: You know, right now the county attorney is saying that that video will not be released. We do know that they look fully, second by second. And they even say that live stream that Diamond Reynolds had on social media started 40 seconds after the seventh gunshot. And that it was one minute after the actual traffic stop that the seven shots were fire and that Philando Castile was shot and killed, dead in his car - Brooke?
[14:55:02] BALDWIN: Thank you for following it. Stay on it for us, please.
Rosa Flores, appreciate it.
Coming up on CNN, back to politics, back to the comings and goings at Trump Tower in Manhattan. We have now information on the transition shakeup. Who have is not on the list, who is on the list for a possible Trump administration. We'll discuss that.
Back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: Top of the hour. You are watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thank you for being with me this afternoon.
The president-elect is pushing back. Donald Trump insisting his transition is under control. He tweeted, quote, "Very organized process taking place as I decide on my cabinet and many other positions. I am the only one who knows who the finalists are."
It's possible we may know some of those choices as soon as today. And his former campaign manager, Kellyanne Conway says they have plenty of options.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELLYANNE CONWAY, DONALD TRUMP CAMPAIGN MANAGER: Well, you don't form a federal government overnight and these are very serious issues, very serious appointments, very serious considerations.
From his perspective, he's been presented with --
