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Trump Signed Order Stopping Family Separation; Fox News Loses Credibility Supporting Trump on Immigration Practices; Space Camp Prepares Young Girls for Space Flight. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired June 20, 2018 - 15:30   ET

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


[15:30:00] BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN HOST: Back to our breaking news here, moments ago President Trump signed an executive order that will keep undocumented children with their parents when they are detained at the border. It's an action he denied for days. He denied it was possible for him alone to do.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We're going to have strong, very strong borders, but we're going to keep the families together. I didn't like the sight or the feeling of families being separated. It's a problem that's gone on for many years as you know, through many administrations. We're working very hard on Immigration. It's been left out in the cold. People haven't dealt

with it and we are dealing with it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Let's go straight to Capitol Hill to Democratic Senator Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin. We should point out, the aim is to stop the practice, the keep families together act. We want to make sure we get that out there. Senator Baldwin, good to have you back.

SEN. TAMMY BALDWIN, (D), WISCONSIN: Thank you, it's good to join you.

BROOKE BALDWIN: With all this breaking news the President signed this to keep families towing. What are your thoughts?

SEN. TAMMY BALDWIN: So many reactions. First of all, the President realized tearing children away from their parents is immoral. He seemed to realize suddenly he could do something about it. So, we have been calling upon him for weeks to reverse the policy. I don't yet know the exact details of the executive order that he signed. He is requiring or reversing the -- he signed requiring or reversing the family reunification. However, I am understanding it does not reverse his zero-tolerance policy. So, we're still going to have some really critical issues to deal with relating to detention and detention of children, families with young children. So, this is not of, but this is at least the President recognized the immorality of what was happening at our southern border.

BALDWIN: So then, senator, what happens now? Where does your bill stand in the senate? SEN. TAMMY BALDWIN: Well, the bill is waiting and available for

action and 49 members of the Senate, all the Democrats have signed onto it. We need 60 votes to pass it. And, frankly, it would help resolve some of the issues that appear to be left unresolved by this executive order as if what I'm hearing is correct.

[15:35:00] I think that also they're not going to be separating families, but there is a big question raised about how they reunify the families already torn apart, split apart. We want that process obviously to happen as quickly as possible. We understand that this is traumatizing and some of this trauma has a permanent affect on children.

BROOKE BALDWIN: As we have been talking, senator, there has been a tweet from the President's daughter Ivanka Trump. Let me read this to everyone. She says, thank you, President Trump, for taking critical action, ending family separation at our border. Congress must act now. Find a lasting solution that is consistent with our shared values the same values that so many may come here seeking as they endeavor to create a better life for their families.

Two points on that tweet, senator. First and foremost, before we get how she is calling on Congress. What do you make of the fact that apparently it was Ivanka Trump the President said has been talking about this policy. Also, the first lady we have been told by a senior White House official had been working days behind the scene, encouraging her husband to keep these families together. Do you think the President needs to listen more to the women in his life?

SEN. TAMMY BALDWIN: There is absolutely no question. He has to do that. But listen, this was something that I think violated all American values. It was an un-American activity. I think it is helpful when the President listens to those beyond his echo chamber. And I'm glad that they've spoke up. I'm glad now that they're speaking out more publicly. To the question of what congress needs to do now, well, 1st we have to understand exactly what this executive order is to see if it has left some of the immediate and critical issues unaddressed. But, in the big picture, I can tell you the first year that I was in the senate of the United States, we passed comprehensive immigration reform with 68 out of 100 votes. We sent it over to the House. Of course, it languished there. We can do this. But we should address all of these critical issues. The dreamers. The dreamers need to have certainty. They need to have a path to citizenship and the only country they have ever known as home. But we also need to fix numerous things. That includes smart border security. We can do this. It's awfully difficult to do at this time of year.

BROOKE BALDWIN: But here's a question for Democrats. You hear the President now, on a lot of topics, included looking back at previous administrations. They should have done more. Right? So as so many people are outraged by the cages and the thermal blankets and the facilities housing these kids, they were all there in 2014 under President Obama. My question is, Senator Baldwin, did you speak up against them then? SEN. TAMMY BALDWIN: You notice on this issue that we get into a

moment where we are making progress and then when it stalls, we turn around. I think we need to press it through. The American people need confidence that we can solve problems. Nobody believes that we have an immigration system that works him it is broken. It needs fixing. We just have the resolve to do that.

BALDWIN: Were you worried about it then? Did you raise your voice under the Obama administration?

SEN. TAMMY BALDWIN: You know, in numbers of cases, usually, I remember a constituent who was in detention at the border arguably very inappropriately. And we, you know, we raised our voice in that instance and many others. But that's, we've got to do this in unison. It's not enough to do it case by case, for a senator or house member by house member. We got resolve to fix this issue.

BROOKE BALDWIN: Senator Tammy Baldwin, thank you.

SEN. TAMMY BALDWIN: Thank you.

BROOKE BALDWIN: Much more news here, President Trump signing this executive this entire conversation order to end his policy of family separations. Let's discuss how polarized this entire conversation is, especially on a certain cable news channel. Don't miss this.

[15:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Now, before the President signs this executive order to detain parents with their children along the border, rather than separate them, Fox News played a large part in an endeavor to down play the images, down play the audio of children at these holding facilities. Here is conservative commentator Anne Coulter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNE COULTER, CONSERVATIVE COMMENTATOR: These child actors whooping and crying on all the other North Carolinas 24/7, do not fall for it, Mr. President.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: The President's former campaign manager is widely criticized for this about a ten-year-old with down syndrome.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I read today about a ten-year-old girl with down syndrome taken by her mother and put in a cage.

COREY LEWANDOWSKI, MANAGED TRUMP PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: Womp, womp.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Womp, did you say womp about a 10-year-old girl with down syndrome. How dare you, sir. How absolutely dear you, sir.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BALDWIN: The coverage of the border crisis is causing a greater divide even within the Fox organization.

[15:45:00] Steve Levitan, the co-creator and executive producer of "Modern Family" tweeted on Tuesday he would cut ties with Fox over all this Fox News coverage. Seth MacFarland, creator of "Family Guy" says he's embarrassed to work with Fox. He donated $2.5 million to public radio to support its coverage. Let's go straight to "Baltimore Sun" TV critic, David Zurawik. Dave, nice to have you back. I mean 2.5 million dollars from Seth MacFarland, do you expect to see more of this ripple effect? More liberal stars calling out their parent network?

DAVID ZURAWIK, TV CRITIC, "BALTIMORE SUN": Seriously, god bless those guys, some people are saying they can afford to do it. It is not a case of can they afford to do it. They sell a product. They cut off a part of their market, by going at Fox this way. But this is one of the good things about this horrible story is that people of good conscience and the media and some politicians were able to create so much moral outrage, it backed Trump down, you saw President Trump sitting at that table signing.

That that was a guy that had not an inch of his normal bluster there, he was in retreat. He couldn't even think of anything to say, why he was justifying it. And I am really pleased to see Hollywood producers. Now on the far right, people are going to say, oh, Hollywood it's a bunch of liberals.

That isn't actually Levitan's show, "Modern Family" it's a very conservative show in some ways. It supports family in the way television has for 50 years. These are not leftists that hate Trump. These are moral people who said no I would rather lose money than work with that company. By the way, I will tell you something, Brooke, there are people at Fox News, some people I think of as friends, it's time when Fox News behaves the way it did. When it became as part of the Trump propaganda machine, it's time for these people to step up. Don't tell me Brett Behr is a real journalist. No, Brett Behr is part of this. He needs to doing it to just like everybody else, when they behave this reprehensibly.

BALDWIN: What do you think is going on over there? Do you think it's more extreme than the Roger Ailes era? Do you think it is the Trumpification of Fox as this product now they're sort of selling on cable TV? What's going on?

ZURAWIK: That's a great question, Brooke, and I think what went on his after they lost Ailes, after they had to get rid of Ailes, I think there was a little panic, what will happen to us. They lost Megyn Kelly. They lost the first string basically at one point. Then the ratings held the ratings held and the ratings were strong, because they were riding -- they said, look, we're the only place, if you like Trump, if you don't want people telling you, you made a mistake voting for Trump. Watch Fox.

BALDWIN: Come to us. ZURAWIK: They've doubled down, tripled down on that. A year ago, I

said, look, it's a bad strategy, it looks good now, because they have ratings. I don't think there is any thinking person in this country that doesn't believe Trump is going to end in infamy, if you are in bed with him as a media company the way Fox News has become, you will live with that stain. You're going to destroy your brand even with your base.

Right now, it looks like a good strategy in terms of ratings. With this last situation on the border, Fox News -- I wrote about this, this week. Fox News, their prime-time lineup, which is straight propaganda, it's propaganda of puppets. It's unbelievable. It's like a communist country when you watch that show. It's beyond state TV. They couldn't come up with even a semi credible way of defending what Trump was doing.

So what did they do? Just the clips you showed, oh, these are child actors, oh it's really a summer camp. Tucker Carlson, don't listen to anybody but us, we're the only ones telling you the truth. That was Bill O'Reilly's sort of mantra. Don't listen to anybody, I am the only guy telling you the truth. They have so polarized this conversation. And seeing Lewandowski on Fox last night going, womp, womp, was the last straw. It was such outrage, such outrage.

BALDWIN: I have yet to talk to anyone today who has defended him, and we had the guy in the other double box saying he just couldn't believe he was sitting there hearing that. And to hear Lewandowsky asked again if he would apologize, he said, no.

[15:50:00] There you go, Dave Zurawik, never lacking opinion when it comes to all things media. Dave, thank you so much for coming on today and going there. No, I appreciate it. I really do.

Reaction is pouring in, on our breaking news this afternoon. President Trump signing an executive order to end family separations at the border. Republican Congressman Mark Sanford talked to CNN about that and the news his colleagues apparently booed the President when he slammed Sanford on a meeting on Capitol Hill. Don't miss that.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: All this week here on CNN, we're telling the stories of extraordinary people and organizations that are making a difference. And so, as part of this whole series called "Champions for Change," I went to Huntsville, Alabama, to visit a very special place to me because I went there as a kid. Yes, I went to Space Camp. And I wanted to focus on the young girls, and we need more, who are absolutely enthralled with all things science.

[15:55:00] (BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: You're about to feel like you're walking on the Moon.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

BALDWIN: Which is possible in your lifetime, by the way.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

BALDWIN: You ready?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

BALDWIN: Should we do this?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

BALDWIN: Let's walk on the Moon. How is it?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Feels like I'm flying.

ANDREA HANSON, NASA EXERCISE, PHYSIOLOGY AND COUNTERMEASURES LAB: Space camp is going to be a life-changing experience for them. The goal here is to get the communications turned on, constructed in the middle of the super structure, and make sure we can communicate from Mars back to Earth.

When I see these kids and especially these young girls on the training center floor, I just am so excited for them, because I know that their possibilities have just exploded, and they're going to do great things.

BALDWIN: I was a space camp kid in 1993. I begged and begged and begged my parents to please send me here to Huntsville, Alabama, and I got to live my dream. I think at the end of the day, it's about these kids and belief. Like, Space Camp believes in them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here we are.

BALDWIN: What has this place taught you about you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's taught me that I can do a lot more than I thought I could. Because before I got here, the idea of doing a mission where you, like, essentially simulate landings on the Moon or Mars or whatever was really scary, because I didn't think that was possible for someone like I'm a 16-year-old girl, how can I possibly do that?

DR. DEBORAH BARNHART, SPACE CAMP CEO: One of our amazing women from Space Camp, Dr. Andrea Hanson, is now at the Johnson Space Center, and what she does is prepare the astronauts for the physical rigors of space.

HANSON: When I talked to students like to encourage them to remember, I didn't know there was a job called the International Space Station Exercise Countermeasures Specialist, that I could apply for. I'm the only one that has this job in the entire universe.

BALDWIN: You're talking to someone who gets really star struck any time they meet anyone from NASA. So, I find Andrea to be a total rock star.

HANSON: I welcome you home to Space Camp. It is home. It achieves the trajectory of my professional career.

BALDWIN: Why do you think there are fewer girls still interested in space and astrophysics and science?

ANANYA, SPACE CAMP STUDENT: Before women were prevented from doing this stuff. NASA didn't accept women. Now it's more accepted, but it's still, like, a transition.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Gender norms have contributed to just really less amount of girls in science.

BALDWIN: To actually have conversations with these fifth and sixth graders, talking to me about, you know, gender norms and telling me stories behind the constellations, I'm so encouraged that we have young girls who are interested in science and space.

HANSON: Being here and working as a camp counselor, giving the brief sessions on the physiological adaptation that the body goes through when living and working in space just changed the way I thought about the world around me.

BALDWIN: What do you think that we will see, and not only our lifetimes, but the lifetime of these space camp kids?

HANSON: With the proper national backing and the funding, we will land on the surface of the Moon.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have landed on the red planet.

HANSON: Will we get to Mars in these kids' lifetimes? I'm going to say yes. I'm going to put my money on yes.

BALDWIN: How does that force you to tackle issues in a new way?

HANSON: We are rethinking the way we design our medical system. We are making real trades that would suggest if there's a serious medical emergency, we're not going to turn around and come back home. We're going to have to deal with it as we go.

Brooke, welcome back to space camp.

First lesson of the day, the multiaccess trainer or the M.A.T. we're going to have you practice an anomalous reentry profile where you're capsule is tumbling back towards the earth.

[16:00:00] BALDWIN: Oh, my gosh.

HANSON: NASA is going back to the Moon, so it's time to train how to walk in one-sixth gravity.

BALDWIN: Flying through space. For me, it's a bit surreal. Flying over this place that I came to when I was 12. What is it like for you?

HANSON: It does feel like I'm a kid again, except I get to do it in real life every day. It's a family here. We take care of each other. We put a lot of energy into a tremendous mission, and that is inspiring the next generation of engineers, scientists, teachers and astronauts.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: Thank you, Space Camp, for having me back again. We're going to continue to share these inspirational stories all week long, and you can watch "Champions for Change," it's a one-hour special this Saturday at 8:00 p.m. eastern here on CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thanks for being with me. "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts right now.