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Man attacked by police officer after stopping him of jaywalking; President Trump quietly overturning an Obamacare rule protecting federal funding for a number of health clinics; Teacher and two students shot, only one of them survived; Aired 2:30-3:00p ET

Aired April 14, 2017 - 14:30   ET

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

[14:30:00] SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: In Sacramento, a man named Mandy Cane (ph) was walking down the street. Police said that he was jaywalking. You can hear that on video. And eventually this escalates. And here is how this escalates.

Mandy Cane (ph) says be a man. He takes of his jacket and says I don't have anything. Be a man. If you want to fight me, take off your gun and that is exactly what the officer does. He launches, jumps on him and then I counted, he punches him at least eight times before another officer comes. The reason for stopping him was jaywalking. You can see, if you look at the video, he is in a residential area and he gets pulled over by an officer, gets out of the car and kind of follows him. He put his hand up and then eventually you see the result of what happens.

Now, this case is a little different because we have not seen the police department respond as swiftly as in Georgia saying that this case has not yet been turned over to the district attorney's office, but that it is being investigated. He has been put on administrative leave. He has not been fired and he has not yet been named.

But Brooke, you remember this just like everyone else. What was the initial contact between Michael Brown and the police officer there in Ferguson? It was jaywalking. And in the black community, a lot of people see that as simply profiling and they want it to stop - Brooke.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: Not too long ago we didn't have cell phones that would capture videos like this that would, you know, put those in authority where they need to be and where they shouldn't.

Sara Sidner, thanks so much for both of those stories.

Coming up next, President Trump quietly signing this order behind closed doors that many women are outraged over. What that is, ahead.

Also, he says he is not a Republican, he is not a Democrat, but he is a former Goldman Sachs exec and apparently his influence is rising in the White House. Who is Gary Cohn? Those details ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:36:21] BALDWIN: President Trump quietly overturning an Obamacare rule protecting federal funding for a number of health clinics. The President signing a bill that allows states to withhold millions of dollars for organizations that provide abortion services, these organizations lie Planned Parenthood. It is already illegal to use federal money for abortions but a number of these clinics like Planned Parenthood provide other family planning services as well and this new legislation that the president signed could change all of that.

So Dana Bash is our CNN chief political correspondent. I have a number of questions for you. But let's just begin with this Planned Parenthood story. And just the notion that with all the talk of Syria and North Korea and China and everything else this week, I wanted to just make sure this doesn't slip through the cracks and the fact that the president did this quietly, tell me about it.

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right. He signed this piece of legislation without cameras there, as you said, privately, which is not the kind of thing that you see this president tend to do. He likes to have cameras in for every meeting he has and certainly every piece of paper that he signs, not this one.

Now this is, as you said, it wasn't an executive order. This was actual legislation that passed the Congress and did so narrowly, Brooke, in the Senate. The vice president needed to step in for the tie-breaking vote because two Republicans across party lines not wanting to vote for this.

Now, what is this? As you said, it is giving the states the option to not take federal funding and give it to clinics and so forth and a lot of these states when we say clinics, it is Planned Parenthood. They are pretty much the only show in town for family planning services. Now, what this effectively did was reverse something that the president, former president, rather, President Obama put into place right before he left office, which was to basically tell states that they can't not take federal funding.

So this is the back and forth, the towing and throwing over the very red hot potato that is Planned Parenthood and how to kind of -- the politics of whether or not they should be funding or not and how to get around the reality that you still have a conservative Congress, particularly in the House and you have a lot of conservatives, Brooke, who are saying that they want to hold up the government, shut down the government, every single piece of legislation that they could find to withhold funding to Planned Parenthood. So this was actually a Republican way to try to compromise. But I'm not so sure that is going to work. Because on the flipside, it's made a lot of moderates and obviously abortion rights supporters, even and especially in the Republican Party, very uncomfortable.

BALDWIN: Yes.

Let's pivot and talk about some of your excellent reporting just on the president changing world view, part of your CNN piece. Let me just quote it. A senior administration official with the president every day says that it is true he is swayed by aides, advisers, friends, members of Congress and others he talks to who try to influence him. But this source insists that is not necessary the last argument that the president hears that wins out. It's the one he thinks is most cogent and compelling. So it's not the world changing, it's the president. Tell me more about that.

BASH: That's right. And the president said very specifically last week, we didn't realize it at the time, but he was previewing strikes in Syria that he is flexible and he has to be because the world is changing.

With a lot of the big decisions and big 180s that he has made for over the past week, the world really has not changed. It is that he has changed. And there are a lot of reasons for the change. The fact that he is getting an education, on-the-job training which we hoped he would get. Anybody coming into the White House, but particularly somebody with no foreign policy and no political experience at all.

But also, it is the inner circle. And the inner circle that he had, which was very, very tight during the campaign and at the very beginning of his presidency has expanded, again, as it does, when somebody comes into the oval office. And that expansion, Brooke, has included people who have very different world views who are people who respects and people who are making very compelling arguments.

And so that was sort of about -- there's kind of the rap on this president, is that he is kind of like Bill Clinton or Newt Gingrich and a lot of other politicians that we have covered. You have got to be the last person in the room because then your argument is going to win. And I was told specifically it's not that. It is that he is willing to be swayed but it is you have got to give him the most, you know, compelling argument and it doesn't matter if you're the first or the last.

[16:41:10] BALDWIN: Well, how about one of the potential sawyers, Gary Cohn. I'm fascinated by his rise. It appears to me his influence on the president, right. This is a lifelong Democrat, who is the president's top economic adviser, former Goldman Sachs executive. He was hired, what, one or two dozen people to do actual policy, actual work. Can you tell me more about who he is?

BASH: Well, first and foremost, he is the former president of Goldman Sachs. And if there is one thing that we know that if you kind of look at the pattern of institutions and people and places that this president respects, they happen to be New York centric, "The New York Times," "SNL," don't laugh at me but I really mean it, and Goldman Sachs. I mean, Goldman Sachs is kind of the epitome of the place that you kind of respect if you are in New York circles.

So I was told by a source sort of familiar with the goings on inside the kind of House of cards, inside the White House, that that is something that you can't underestimate. That the president is still kind of, my goodness, I can't believe the former executive at Goldman Sachs is now working for me. So in that sense, he has a lot of respect for Gary Cohn.

But also as you mention, Gary Cohn who is a novice when it comes to politics knows how to run a railroad and he has a position at the national economic council that sort of by definition is structurally allowed to hire a lot of people, policy people, to help him, to help him make the case, as I mentioned before, if he wants to make a case about tax policy or anything else in her purchase view an purview and, you know, by all accounts, that is very much helped him with regard to this new presidency and try to kind of guide the president on really important policy issues.

BALDWIN: Dana Bash, you are so good.

BASH: Back at you, my friend.

BALDWIN: Thank you, Dana. I appreciate it.

Coming up next, it is a story that broke actually during a show this week, a shooting inside of a classroom, elementary school classroom. A teacher and two little boys were shot. And only one of them survived. I will talk to the parents of this 9-year-old boy. Hear what he told them about what happened and his friendship with the child who lost his life, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:47:31] BALDWIN: This week in America, little boys and little girls learning inside their classroom, a place that's supposed to be safe and sacred witnessed something no child should ever have to see. Their teacher and two of their classmates shot, only one of them survived and I want you to meet him.

Nolan Brandy, nine years old, caught in the crossfire of a murder- suicide in San Bernardino. The estranged husband of his teacher, Karen Smith, walked in to her classroom, opening fire without saying a word. Nolan and his 8-year-old classmate Jonathan Martinez were both shot. They were the children closest to the teacher when this gunman fired at her ten times stopping once to reload.

Jonathan did not make it. Nor did his teacher. But Nolan has survived. And his parents are joining me now. They are Leon and Rachel Brandy.

Welcome to both of you. Thank you so much for taking the time.

RACHEL BRANDY, MOTHER, SAN BERNARDINO SCHOOL SHOOTING SURVIVOR: Thank you.

LEON BRANDY, FATHER, SAN BERNARDINO SCHOOL SHOOTING SURVIVOR: Thank you.

BALDWIN: I cannot begin to imagine what you two have been through. How is he doing? How are you doing?

R. BANDY: Yes, it has been a lot. Nolan at this time is doing fine. He is recovering better than we expected. And so, he is moving right along with his recovery. And as far as we are doing, of course, in the beginning it was very surreal and just couldn't believe it. But, you know, we know our son is going to be all right. So we are truly thankful for that.

L. BANDY: Yes, he is in really good spirits. He is upbeat and looking forward to going home. So, you know, he is really happy. BALDWIN: How did you find out that this happened in your son's class?

R. BANDY: Well, I was at home and I found out about it while watching TV. I saw a news break. And immediately, I was upset because it was my son's school. And I left my house and I went to the high school to see if I could find out any information regarding this. Of course, the high school was on lockdown. So I waited there and soon more parents were coming and we were all just waiting for some type of information. So it was a while before I actually found out. And then I was able to call Leon and then let him know that we need to -- he needed to get to the hospital.

[16:50:07] L. BANDY: Yes. I was at work and she had texted me that there was an incident at school. And when I saw what was going on, I knew that they said the streets were going to be blocked. It's going to be chaos and panic. So there was a news helicopter and I was looking at the -- what was going on from the air and trying to find out, you know, if I could see Nolan, you know. I have to - what he was wearing. I said if I can see him and you know, see if he was safe, you know. But I saw somebody who like him but I wasn't too sure then. All of a sudden I got a call from her and she was like, you know, you have to come to the hospital, you know. He has been shot. So, you know, that's when I immediately left.

BALDWIN: What about little Jonathan who was in his classroom? I understand he was sitting next to Nolan. And Jonathan was the one who didn't survive. Do you know Jonathan? Or do you know if they were friends?

R. BANDY: Yes. As a matter of fact, every Thursday I would go into the classroom and I would help Miss Smith out with reading with the kids or math or whatever she would ask me to do. So we would sit in our reading groups. Jonathan would be in that group. And every time he would read and we would say good job. We would give each other a high-five. So I'm just going to miss that.

BALDWIN: I read he was a very friendly young little boy. And then the teacher -- so if you were there once a week as a mom, I mean, you knew this classroom. You knew this teacher.

R. BANDY: Yes. Yes. Very well. We would talk and the kids would go to recess. I mean, you know, we would be in there talking. So, yes, I feel like, you know, I was there just, you know, like that's my extended family. It just keeps replaying in my head. And because I was in that classroom, I'm just imagining it more so and thinking about where each person was and at the time that this happened. And so, you know, I'm trying to cope with that. But on the other hand I'm very glad that my son has made it. So that makes it a little easier knowing that we can move forward with him.

BALDWIN: Rachel, what about - just last question, what do you want people to know about your son?

R. BANDY: I want people to know that he is my bright and shining star. He is my butter bean. I'm so grateful. He is a happy kid. He is wonderful and he is ours. And thank you. L. BANDY: He is doing great. And you know, we are thankful for

everything, you know. All the --.

R. BANDY: Yes, all the prayers, the support, the caring, just the calls, the texts.

L. BANDY: Yes. So -- very grateful.

R. BANDY: Yes, we are so grateful. So thank you, everyone.

BALDWIN: Our best wishes to you and just channeling all the strength we can for Nolan. And let me just add that the north park community has set up a Gofundme page for the Brandy family with medical expenses. If you would like to help, go to gofundme.com/superheronolan.

Rachel and Leon Brandy, thank you so much.

L. BANDY: Thank you.

R. BANDY: Thank you.

BALDWIN: Coming up here on CNN, what is going on with President Trump's former adviser Carter Page? After learning the FBI got a warrant to monitor him as a possible Russian agent, he has been all over TV completely contradicting himself. Why? Why is he doing that? We will discuss.

Also, it is past midnight now in North Korea. The window is open for Kim Jong-Un to possibly launch a nuclear test. How would President Trump respond if that happens? Stay with me.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:52:00] BALDWIN: Navajo nation, police officers face a unique risk in patrolling human's need of American reservation and now an officer killed last month is being remembered for his bravery. CNN's Boris Sanchez has this week's "Beyond the Call of Duty."

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The stunning dessert panorama in the southwestern United States is the largest Native American reservation in the country. Spread across three states, the vastness and remoteness of the Navajo nation reservation makes it incredibly challenging, even dangerous for law enforcement. A territory larger than the size of West Virginia patrolled by a police force with a fraction of the resources and officers of its bordering counties.

CHIEF PHILLIP FRANCISCO, NAVAJO NATION POLICE: There are priority working with half the staff to other police departments working with and you know, twice the areas. So the struggles out there and the hurdles that have to go through is immense, but they still out there and do it every day despite of the danger and despite not having backup close by. SANCHEZ: Last month, one of their officers, Houston Largo, was the

only officer responding to a domestic violence call when he was shot and killed by an armed suspect.

FRANCISCO: He was like their baby brother. He was always there. He was a full of life, full of humor. He always kept them going. And they will miss him greatly because he was one of the hardest working and most dedicated officers there.

SANCHEZ: Largo, highly decorated officer and also a volunteer firefighter is just one of three Navajo officers killed on duty in fewer than two years.

FRANCISCO: Most police departments don't lose officers that often in that sort amount of time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's devastating. It really hits you right here in the heart.

SANCHEZ: At Officer Largo's funeral, the president of Navajo Nation, Russell Begaye, gave a heartfelt message he wants people to hear.

RUSSELL BEGAYE, NAVAJO NATION PRESIDENT: Remember in that uniform behind that badge, there's a person that is loved and honored and respected by many people. I want you just to remember that.

SANCHEZ: A message that reaches far beyond Navajo nation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need to recognize that these are real people with families, with children, with spouses, with mom, dad. We need to teach --

(END VIDEOTAPE)