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Steve Hardy Meets with Trump, Ben Carson; Bush Daughters Pen Open Letter with Advice for Obama Girls; DOJ Issues Scathing Report on Chicago Police Department Orlando Mourns Slain Officer. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired January 13, 2017 - 14:30   ET

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


(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:33:04] UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE QUESTION)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: That all gets straightened out. We want them to be themselves. And I told them, be yourselves and say what you want to say. Don't worry about me. And I'm going to do the right thing, whatever it is. I may be right. And they may be right. But I said, be yourselves.

Wouldn't you say, Steve?

Let them do it. I could have said, do this, say that. I don't want that. I want them all to be themselves.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: OK and on --

(CROSSTALK)

TRUMP: Everybody OK? Everybody good?

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Sir, on repeal and replace --

TRUMP: Say hello to Harvey.

Repeal and replace is going great.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Sir, Mr. Trump, Mr. Trump. Sir, what, contractually, did you discuss with Mr. Trump? Are you going to work on a TV show with him, sir?

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE QUESTION)

STEVE HARVEY, HOST, STEVE HARVEY MORNING SHOW & ACTOR & COMEDIAN: Oh, no. I was invited here by both transition teams, Obama's transition team and Trump's transition team, and it was really a really cool meeting in the beginning. We talked a lot about golf and things like that, and people we knew and people in common, and then we got down to the crux of it. He's introduced me to Ben Carson, who's now the new head of Housing for Urban Development, and we're going to team up and see if we can bring about some positive change in the inner cities, which I felt was my only agenda, and he agreed, and he wants to do something. And I realize that he needs some allies in that department and he seemed really sincere about it.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Chicago being one.

HARVEY: Chicago is definitely one. Another one they want to start with, as a target, is Detroit. Ben Carson expressed that because, quite naturally, he's from Detroit.

I want to do some things in all of the major inner cities to see if we can bring about some change and help some of these young people out. And so, that's why I'm here, and it was a successful meeting, and he seemed really sincere.

[14:35:10] UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Thank you, sir.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Steve, Steve, the Jump Program. Is this like the initial jump into politics, Steve?

HARVEY: Well, you know, it's not my jump into politics. I ain't going to pass a background check.

But I -- it's just me following orders from my friend, President Obama, who said, Steve, you got to -- as he told everybody -- get out from behind your computer, stop tweeting and texting, and get out there and sit down and talk. So, I stepped from behind my microphone, and I came and talked to the guy that's going to be the 45th president of the United States. I did what I was supposed to do.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: How did the meeting come about?

HARVEY: The transition team from President Obama and the transition team from Donald Trump got me on the phone about a week or so ago.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What about the inauguration?

HARVEY: No, I'm -- I'll be turning 60 on Tuesday, and my wife is taking me far away, so I won't be at anybody's inauguration, because my wife said no.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: (INAUDIBLE QUESTION)

HAVRY: The Trumps being on "Family Feud?" yeah, against the Obamas. That will be good. Or how about the Clintons? If I could set it up, it would be skyrocketing for the ratings. Yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Maybe you should call them --

(CROSSTALK)

HARVEY: I would, you know. I'm handling everything pretty good, you know. It was -- of course, it's an honor to be invited to talk. And I think that's the only way that we're going to unify our country. We've got to talk, you know? President Obama said, you got to sit down and talk, and I really enjoyed the conversation. He seemed really sincere. He's a genuine person.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Do you have any lingering things you still want to talk about, things you're still concerned about, things you haven't heard what you wanted to hear yet --

(CROSSTALK)

HARVEY: I mean, for this, we got off to a great start. I think it could be the beginning of something. But for them to invite me here to talk about a specific problem and thought that I might be able to help, I know I got a big radio show, you know, I got a lot of people listening every morning, so I've always been concerned about inner city problems, because they're huge. My mentoring program has been a part of this type of -- that's what I want to see happen, and they were spot on with it. And Ben Carson got on the phone. I met with him over the phone today. But I sat with President-elect Trump and we laughed a little bit. I ain't been laughing that much over the past few days. They're kind of beating me up on the Internet right now for no reason, but that's life, isn't it?

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What did you laugh and talk about?

HARVEY: We talked about golf. We laughed about my score in golf. His score in golf. We talked about some of the friends that we have in common, Mark Vernet (ph). Talked about TV shows, things like that. He's a fan, so he's seen it. I met his daughter. She was very sweet. So, I think we're off to a good start.

(CROSSTALK)

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Steve, Steve, how did you move between being a comedian and a spokesperson, and being Steve Harvey, trying also to get your message out to the people and everyone and had that comedian and --

HARVEY: Well, you know, it's two things in your life. Your career is what you're paid for and your calling is what you're made for so you have a responsibility to the communication that I service to try to be a voice and speak on some issues. So, they've heard me. They know where I stood on the election. But nothing's changed. But we got to talk. And I thought it was a great guy, you know? We really had a nice conversation.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: There has been a lot of doubt about his administration, about race, Jeff Sessions, his record in Alabama, some of the things the president-elect said during the campaign trail about the inner cities.

HARVEY: Yeah.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Are your doubts fully gone are or are you going to try to work them out?

HARVEY: Look, you don't kill it with one conversation but you can start it with a conversation. So, you know, a lot about what people say, well, it's time to see what you do. So -- and he said he wanted to do something. You can't beat better than that. And so, we're going to see. I've been put in contact with Ben Carson, which was great. I spoke with him. And so we're going to get some things started. And they have a plan for the inner cities, but they need help, and so that's why they called me, so I'm assuming -- so we'll see what I can do.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Steve, do you support the Sessions nomination?

(CROSSTALK)

HARVEY: The Sessions nomination, I don't really know anything about it.

[14:40:00] UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: You know, he's -- he had a testy hearing this week in which some questions whether or not he was on the right side of history in his work in the civil rights.

HARVEY: Well, yeah, I mean --

(CROSSTALK)

HARVEY: Is that something you sort of --

(CROSSTALK)

HARVEY: I don't really like commenting on stuff I don't really understand or know about. I'm not a politician, man, to be honest with you. I'm hoping that these people can straighten it all out. But I want to get in here and do my share. And I had a good conversation in there, so moving forward, its ought to be good.

I appreciate y'all. Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Thank you, Steve. Thank you very much.

(CROSSTALK)

HARVEY: Thank you, guys.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Nice of him to stand and talk as long as he did.

Steve Harvey there. Another day, another surprise face there in the Trump Tower lobby. Essentially, walking out of a meeting. We caught a glimpse for a hot minute of the president-elect standing by his side.

Sounds like both the Obama administration and have the Trump transition team reached out to Steve Harvey, hey, come in and meet with our HUD nominee, Dr. Ben Carson. Because, clearly, Steve Harvey's passion lies in really helping improve -- I think he said specifically bringing out positive change in inner cities. Specifically, he mentioned Chicago and Detroit. And he also said it's his birthday next Tuesday and he will steer clear of Washington because his wife is taking him far, far away. So, happy early 60th to you, sir

Let's talk Chicago, though. A years-long investigation into the Chicago Police Department is complete. The findings, abuse of force, pervasive racial discrimination and poor policing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LORETTA LYNCH, U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: The Department of Justice has concluded that there is reasonable cause to believe that the Chicago Police Department engages in a pattern or practice of use of excessive force in violation of the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution. Our investigation found that this pattern of practice is in no small part the result of severely deficient training procedures and accountability systems.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: This investigation followed the release of dash cam video from a 2014 fatal police shooting of Laquan McDonald. Remember the 17-year-old teenager was shot, an African-American teenager shot 16 times by a white officer.

So, the city has agreed to work with the Department of Justice and the community on drafting a consent decree. What will that look like?

Let's go to CNN's Ryan Young, in Chicago with more on that.

How do they fix this?

RYAN YOUNG, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Brooke, normally, when we have these conversations, we're talking about the numbers of murders and we talk about all the crimes that are happening in Chicago, but after that video was released of Laquan McDonald, we heard a lot of people in the community just talking about the idea that they wanted to see something better coming from the police department. They thought, for years, that they had be underserved. And that is something that you saw in this report that's come out. More investigators than ever before were brought to Chicago, and over the last year, they've been doing their investigation.

So, there's two parts of this. One, police officers talked about they needed more training. They wanted body cameras. They talked about the idea of getting Tasers as well. And then, you had the community, who said they believe that too many times that officers were preying on their neighborhoods. So, that was something that was stepped forward.

The mayor and the attorney general both said, in the next few months, not only were they going to be hiring more officers but they were going to be putting procedures in place.

And some of this training is already happening. One program they talked about was bringing 16 and 17-year-olds from disadvantaged communities into a room with officers so they could have an open dialogue about what's going on. But big changes are on the way for Chicago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAHM MANUEL, (D), CHICAGO MAYOR: I want to be clear. The Chicago Police Department, the city of Chicago is already on the road to reform, and there are no U-turns on that road. We've already improved and expanded de-escalation training and we're upgrading our use of force policies. We're providing every officer with body cameras and Tasers. We've expanded recruitment efforts to ensure that the department draws on all the communities that make up this great city. As a result of our efforts, today, the Chicago Police Department has the most diverse command staff in its history.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YOUNG: Brooke, something that we heard over and over before from the community was members of rival gangs were taken to other rival gang territories and dropped off when they weren't giving the information that the police wanted from them. And sometimes police officers would actually alert other gang members they had dropped these kids off, putting them in danger. You read instances like this in this report over and over.

But the silver lining in this, at least from the mayor's perspective, was that officers are a part of this process and they believe they're going in the right direction. Only time will tell to see what exactly happens. This has been going on for quite some time, decades, so we know it won't get changed overnight.

BALDWIN: Stay on it for the follow-through.

Ryan, thank you, in Chicago

YOUNG: Thank you.

14:44:51] BALDWIN: Coming up next, this touching letter penned from two former first daughters to Sasha and Malia Obama. What Jenna and Barbara Bush have to say to the girls who are about to face life after the White House.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: As Sasha and Malia Obama are preparing to leave the White House, they are getting heartfelt advice. Here is just a little bit of the advice Jenna and Barbara Bush shared.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNA BUSH, DAUGHTER OF GEORGE W. BUSH: You've listened to harsh criticism of your parents by people who have never even met them.

BARBARA BUSH, DAUGHTER OF GEORGE W. BUSH: You stood by as your precious parents were reduced to headlines, your parents who put you first and not only showed you but gave you the roles.

JENNA BUSH: As always, they will be rooting for you as you begin this next chapter.

BARBARA BUSH: And so will we.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[14:50:07] BALDWIN: Let me bring in Kate Anderson Brower, our CNN contributor and author of two books about life in the White House, "First Women, The Grace and Power of America's First Lady" and "Inside the Private World of the White House."

Kate, correct me, but has there ever been such a public acknowledgement, a public letter, between former first kids and current or outgoing first kids?

KATE ANDERSON BROWER, CNN CONTRIBUTOR & AUTHOR: No, Brooke, and I think that says a lot about this relationship between Laura Bush and Michelle Obama. I mean, they are -- of all the recent families, Laura Bush and Michelle Obama are friends, and their personalities are similar and to me, it's very interesting because I don't think most people would think that. You have a Republican and a Democrat, but this meeting that took place between the Obama daughters and the Bush daughters was really special. I mean, Laura Bush showed Michelle Obama on her first tour of the White House the rooms that she thought would be best for Malia and Sasha and she invited her to come back to the White House with her daughters and usually having those two meetings is rare. Usually, it's one and there -- you know, people wouldn't think on the surface that these two families have much in common, but we've seen, you know, from the Smithsonian African- American Museum that opened up in D.C., that hug between President George W. Bush and Michelle Obama. There is -- there is a kind of friendship there, and there's an empathy there.

BALDWIN: What about, then, looking ahead to the Trump White House? And of course, as adult kids, and then there's young Barron, who, you know, who knows when he will officially be living in the residence, but it is different. He will be sort of like an only child, like Chelsea Clinton. Is there any word of any communication between the Obama girls and any of the Trumps?

ANDERSON BROWER: There isn't. I'm not sure if they're talking. This is a different kind of transition because of how polarizing, you know, this election was. But I do know, for instance, when Chelsea Clinton came into the White House, Barbara Bush said to Hillary Clinton, you know, can you invite a cousin or a friend to live with her for a while because it's very hard to be an only child and live this life. Where you're in the spotlight and that's why they do get some close to the residence staff and Jenna and Barbara talk about their relationship with the White House florist at the time, and they even, you know, go to the funerals of butlers. They traveled from Texas to D.C.

BALDWIN: Close with the staff.

ANDERSON BROWER: Yeah. It's kind of a -- it's a very nice thing, I think, because these staff stay on from one administration to the next, and they don't care if it's a Republican or a Democrat, and they are -- they're like a lifeline for the children in the White House.

BALDWIN: It is, just quickly, noteworthy, then, you will have -- because, you know, Sasha, who wasn't at the speech earlier this week apparently because of some very important exam the next morning, you know, that she has to finish high school in D.C., so the Obamas will be in the same neighborhood where Ivanka Trump and her husband are moving into. ANDERSON BROWER: It's rare. Usually, the first family high tails it

out of Washington --

(LAUGHTER)

-- you know, as quickly as they can. So, I mean, we'll see how that evolves. I know that President Obama's going to be, you know, working on redistricting efforts, getting more Democrats elected in the midterms and remaining in politics.

They are still young, so to see how that relationship evolves is going to be fascinating.

BALDWIN: Michelle and Ivanka soul cycle classes? Who knows.

(LAUGHTER)

Kate, thank you so much.

ANDERSON BROWER: Thanks.

BALDWIN: Kate, for us in Washington, D.C.

Coming up, any moment now, we are expecting this House vote on the beginning process of repealing Obamacare. This is just a procedural vote. There was a vote in the Senate, now on to the House any moment now. We're watching that for you.

This is CNN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:57:53] BALDWIN: The city of Orlando is remembering the life of a police officer known as a super cop for her tireless efforts to engage the community. Sadly, Master Sergeant Debra Clayton was killed this week while in pursuit of a murder suspect.

But as CNN's Nick Valencia reports, she went beyond the "Call of Duty" and made the ultimate sacrifice to protect her city.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The first thing people usually noticed about Master Sergeant Debra Clayton was her smile.

JACK WILLIAMS, FRIEND OF SERGEANT DEBRA CLAYTON: I mean, she was beautiful.

VALENCIA: Put against the frame of her freshly pressed police uniform, it was disarming.

WILLIAMS: This is a picture of little Johnny, her son.

VALENCIA: Jack Williams was one of her closest friends. For the last four years, he and Clayton worked together on a program to stop violence in Orlando. They weren't technically family but she had a way of making him feel that way. Clayton called him Uncle Jack.

It still hasn't fully hit him yet that she's gone.

WILLIAMS: Realistically, I have to accept that fact. That she's gone. That she won't be pulling up to my house again, calling me Uncle Jack. She was a police officer, but she was a community activist.

SGT. DEBRA CLAYTON, SLAIN POLICE OFFICER: The police is here to help you. We're not here to hurt you. We're here to help you.

VALENCIA: Here she is last summer, doing what she did so often, engaging the community, bridging the gap, as she would say, between police and the public.

CLAYTON: We want to stop the violence until the community, but we need the community to speak up.

VALENCIA: Speaking at a ceremony for his fallen colleague, Orlando police chief, John Mina, said there was no officer more committed to uniting Orlando.

JOHN MINA, CHIEF, ORLANDO POLICE DEPARTMENT: Great, great police officer, great leader in our agency, and really led by example with the things that she did in the community.

VALENCIA: Sergeant Clayton cared deeply about Orlando but especially about its youth, perhaps because the newly wed had a son of her own.

At the candlelight vigil to celebrate her life, he spOKe just a few feet from where his mom's life was ended.

JOHNNY BRINSON, SON OF SERGEANT DEBRA CLAYTON: She lived for and she died for it. She was the prime example. Everything she worked for, she died for.

ASHLEY THOMAS, BROTHER OF SERGEANT DEBRA CLAYTON: My sister was a beautiful person inside and out. Like, she would give you the shirt off her back.

VALENCIA: Clayton died on a Monday morning outside this Walmart, shot and killed by a murder suspect fugitive, a man who robbed Orlando of the woman her friends called super cop.