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One Escaped Inmate Captured, 2 Others Still Missing; Accuser Admits Parts Of This Story Are Difficult To Conceive Of; Trump Suggests He May Skip GOP Primary Debates; U.S. Slaps New Sanctions On Russia For Detaining Americans; Five-Year-Old With Rare Disorder Awaits Life-Saving Treatment. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired April 27, 2023 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Just in. A big update in the hunt for four inmates who escaped at jail in Mississippi over the weekend. Let's get straight to CNN's Amara Walker who's been following this story from the beginning. Amara, what's the update?

AMARA WALKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Boris, we just learned that Jerry Raynes, one of the four escapees are from the Raymond Detention Center just out of Jackson, Mississippi, has been found. He has been taken into custody in Spring Valley, Texas. That is just outside of Houston. Now we don't know exactly what he was doing, you know, where he exactly was when he was captured just a few moments ago. But we know that he had been on the run for five days. And we do have images that were just tweeted out from the Hinds County Sheriff, Tyree Jones. These are the photos of Jerry Raynes as he was taken into custody just moments ago.

So now, Boris, the focus remains on the two other escaped detainees. The search for them continues. The belief is that they are still somewhere in central Mississippi. And as you also know, a fourth detainee, he was killed in a police shootout yesterday. So the hunt continues for the two other escapees -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: We know you'll keep us up to date with the latest details. Amara Walker, thanks so much.

So former President Donald Trump who prides himself on his pugnacious verbal attacks may be backing away from Republican primary debates, which are set to begin later this summer. Trump sites his standing in the polls, his feuds with the mainstream media, and his dissatisfaction with GOP leadership as the driving reasons.

Joining us now to discuss is Abby Phillip, CNN senior political correspondent and the anchor of "INSIDE POLITICS SUNDAY." Abby, what kind of impact could this have in the Republican primary?

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN ANCHOR, INSIDE POLITICS SUNDAY: Hey, guys, well, it would be chaos which I think would be the point. The whole idea here with Trump -- and this has been going all the way back to even 2016 -- he's been threatening to not be a part of debates for a very long time. And some of it is about injecting this idea that he's not going to put himself on that platform to be scrutinized, frankly.

And a lot of times he does end up -- I mean, he did end up doing them. Although there were probably historically in the last two cycles fewer debates than we would normally see between general election candidates. But Trump ultimately decides to do them in part because he knows he needs the platform too.

It's one of the few times in American politics when you have pretty much the entire country's undivided attention. No one likes attention more than Trump, and I think he also understands the power of that attention more than most people, so these threats are designed to kind of keep people a little bit on their toes. But I doubt that at the end of the day, he won't at all participate.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: Maybe he's got a point, right? He's running away with the nomination as it is right now. DeSantis is his closest competitor but falling. The other candidates are single-digits. Who has more to gain from the debates? Does he have more to gain? I mean, he can get himself a prime time interview on Hannity I assume. Why does he need the debate?

PHILIP: I mean, a prime time interview on Hannity is not the same thing as a presidential debate. And, I mean, we're sitting here in April, so much can happen between now and the fall. I don't think we know whether or not the dynamics between Trump and DeSantis, who is still not a declared candidate, is really going to hold up.

So he can say pretty much anything he wants right now. But in that moment, more often than not there will be benefit to whoever is leading to being on that stage. Because you're not talking about an audience of a few million people on a weeknight on Fox News. You're talking about so much of the country tuning in for the very first time on politics. That's very hard for most people to walk away from.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: He also gets FOMO. I will tell you that. I interviewed him the night when he skipped the debate in Iowa on his plane, and I could tell he had FOMO that he's not there for the debate with all the other Republicans. So he knows. He remembers.

PHILIP: He does.

KEILAR: So speaking of Nikki Haley, she's now throwing some punches at Ron DeSantis over these legal challenges against Disney. Let's listen to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIKKI HALEY, (R) PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: South Carolina was a very anti-woke state. It still is, and if Disney would like to move their hundreds of thousands of jobs to South Carolina and bring the billions of dollars with them, I'll let them know I'll be happy to meet them in South Carolina and introduce them to the governor and the legislature that would welcome it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: How do you see this strategy here?

PHILIP: I mean, here's what it tells me. It tells me that Nikki Haley -- and a lot of other Republicans, by the way, Chris Christie, Asa Hutchinson and others, basically see this fight that DeSantis has picked with Disney as a huge loser, a political loser, a public relations loser. And so, they're eager to really just get on the other side of it.

[15:35:00]

Never mind as far as conservative principles go, I think it's hard to square what DeSantis is doing with that, which is the point a lot of these other conservatives are making.

But I think as a political point, she sees it as a way to just undercut him. Because he seems to be on the losing end of this battle with Disney now firing back at him with a lawsuit. Even actually Kevin McCarthy, not that long ago, a few minutes ago, said something very similar, that DeSantis probably shouldn't be threatening to put a prison near Disney World. He should just sit down with Disney and sort it out. I think that tells you where a lot of Republicans a down on this.

SCIUTTO: I think people kind of like going to Disney. You know what I'm saying?

PHILIP: Disney is very popular. They bring a lot of money to Florida. It's a tough -- it's a tough fight

SCIUTTO: My kids ask me about it a lot. Abby Phillip, thanks so much.

Right now in a New York courthouse, Donald Trump's lawyers are cross examining his rape accuser, E. Jean Carroll. We're going to take you there live next.

And later, she barely left her bedroom for the first year of her life. Why this little girl infected with a rare disease now has a glimmer of hope. We're covering these stories and more ahead on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:40:16]

KEILAR: The woman accusing Donald Trump of rape acknowledges that parts of her story are, quote, difficult to conceive of. Writer E. Jean Carroll back on the stand for a second day of testimony in a New York courtroom. And she is being cross-examined now by Trump's legal team in this defamation and battery trial against the former president.

Carroll alleges that Trump assaulted her in a dressing room in a department store in the 1990s. He denies the allegation. He calls it a hoax and a con job. CNN's Kara Scannell is live for us outside of the courthouse in New York. Kara, can you tell us what else E. Jean Carroll has said today. Kara Scannell, CNN correspondent: Well, Brianna, there was just a fairly intense exchange between Trump's attorney Joe Tacopina and E. Jean Carroll -- who is now in her second hour of testimony. Tacopina was focusing in on Bergdorf Goodman, where this alleged attack happened. Having E. Jean Carroll go through the attack again and asking questions at every step of the way.

One area that he really focused on, was he asked her if when she was being attacked why she didn't ever scream out for help. I'm going to read you a little bit of the back and forth between them.

At one point Tacopina said -- he was present her about why wasn't -- why she didn't scream. If she was really being attacked, wouldn't she scream.

And she said: You can't beat me up for not screaming.

He said: I'm not beating you up. I'm asking questions Ms. Carroll.

Then they continued to go back and forth over whether she was screaming or should have screamed.

And she said: I'm telling you he raped me whether I screamed or not.

At that point her voice was cracking. She also said that, you know, the reason why many women don't come forward is because they get criticized for not screaming.

Now this back and forth continued where he then asked her, so you didn't scream while you were getting violently raped because you didn't want to make a scene?

And Carroll said: That's right. That's probably why I didn't scream.

He then continued to go on and press her about the struggle inside of the dressing room.

He said -- he pointed out to her, you were wearing 4-inch heels during this whole struggle.

And she said: I can dance backwards and forwards in 4-inch heels.

He pointed out that her tights. She said that she was wearing tights that Trump had pulled down before he raped her. And he pointed out to her that she said that her tights never ripped.

And Carroll said, no, they never ripped. He said they were flexible tights.

And he also asked her about a purse. And she said that she was hold a purse in her hand during the attack, which she estimated lasted about three minutes. And he said to her you never dropped your purse, you never put down your purse.

So, he's really focusing in on every step of this alleged attack trying to find any weaknesses in her testimony or at least raise questions among the jurors' mind about what happened.

You know, but this was a fairly intense exchange. They took a short break. They'll be back in about five or ten minutes from now. She'll be back on the stand answering more questions. There's about another hour left in the court testimony this afternoon -- Brianna.

KEILAR: Kara, thank you so much for that. We do appreciate it -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: The Biden administration is imposing new sanctions on Russia today for the wrongful detainment of U.S. citizens. The move stems from several high profile cases of Americans spending months, if not years behind Russian bars. One of them is "Wall Street Journal" reporter Evan Gershkovich. Next hour, CNN's Bianna Golodryga is going to speak with a close friend and colleague of Evan's. Bianna joins us for a preview. Bianna, give us an idea of what the conversation is going to be like?

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: Well, Boris, it's been now four weeks since Evan Gershkovich was wrongfully detained in Moscow. And I'll be speaking with his close friend and fellow journalist at the "Financial Times," Polina Ivanova about what this has been like for him. She has been spearheading and launching a campaign to get people to write letters to Evan.

They actually have been translating them into Russia because unfortunately these are journalists that know the system very well. They've covered this prison. They've covered the Russian legal system, and they know how this works, and that includes Evan Gershkovich himself. So, what they are allowed to receive in prison are some of these letters that his friends have been translating, and he's been receiving them, we know, and he's been writing back as well.

[15:45:00]

It's been four weeks now, and we got news that the Russian foreign ministry is denying a consular visit for him in Moscow. This is a retaliation for Foreign Minister Lavrov's visit to New York this week where they are accusing the United States of not allowing Russian journalists to get their visas to accompany him. Needless to say, there is still not one shred of evidence that they have presented in Evan's case. The United States has deemed him wrongfully detained, and we're going to talk to his good friend about how he's doing right now.

SANCHEZ: We look forward to that conversation. Bianna Golodryga thank you so much for that. "THE LEAD" starts at the top of the hour -- Jim.

SCIUTTO: Coming up, the incredible story of a girl who had no immune system. Why episodes, if you could believe it, of "Gray's Anatomy" ended up being the key part of her fight to survive.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:50:10]

SCIUTTO: Any parent of a young child can tell you how often they, and you, deal with ear infections, stomach bugs, the common cold. Of course, the answer is constantly, but their little bodies, they can handle it. Those every day ailments, however, put this adorable 5- year-old at constant risk of catching something that could end her life. Until now. CNN's Elizabeth Cohen explains the treatment that will save her.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are you going to be this year for Halloween?

SEERSHA SULACK: I don't know. I'm going to be a cheerleader.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're going to be a cheerleader.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): 5- year-old Seersha Sulack loves costumes, but she doesn't go trick or treating like other children do. Any germ, even a common cold, can kill her, because she was born with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency or "Bubble Boy Disease." made famous by the 1976 John Travolta movie "The Boy in the Plastic Bubble."

Seersha was born in Hawaii where her father was stationed as an Army helicopter pilot. When she was 6 days old, she was airlifted to UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital where she spent nearly two months.

SHAYLA SULACK, SEERSHA'S MOTHER: For the first year of her life, she never left her bedroom.

COHEN (voice-over): Her first Christmas gifts wiped clean and brought to her room. Later, medications helped.

SHAYLA SULACK: She's getting six to seven shots a month, or needles in her legs.

COHEN (voice-over): And she could go outside. But still, not near anyone except her immediate family. Then Dr. Donald Kohn, who runs this lab in UCLA, had some good news for the family. He said it looked like in the not too distant future, Seersha would be able to get a treatment called gene therapy. He's worked on it for nearly 40 years.

DR. DONALD KOHN, UCLA GENE THERAPY RESEARCHER: We can really fix the gene or replace the gene that's missing and it's exciting.

COHEN (voice-over): A 2021 study showed the therapy had stunning, near perfect results.

KOHN: All the children we treated in the past are doing well. We barely hear from them anymore.

COHEN (voice-over): But then the company that owned the gene therapy decided not to pursue FDA approval. Instead they investing money in treatments for more common diseases. That left Seersha and more than two dozen other families waiting to get the treatment.

SHAYLA SULACK: The longer that we waited, the higher chance of infection or her medication not working, or something happening outside of our control to make her severely sick.

COHEN (voice-over): Promising gene therapies for rare diseases have sometimes had trouble getting to market, because the potential profits might be small.

KOHN: It's been very frustrating.

COHN (voice-over): Thursday, the FDA is holding a meeting on gene therapy, one of a series of public meetings, intended to help the development of these innovative treatments. Last week, the agency's leader testified to a Senate committee.

DR. ROBERT CALIFF, FDA COMMISSIONER: We agree that this is an area we've got to move along more quickly.

COHEN (voice-over): As for Seersha --

SEERSHA SULACK: Santa got it for me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Santa got it for you.

COHEN (voice-over): Next month, she'll bring her unicorn suitcase to the hospital to get the gene therapy. She had a preparatory visit earlier this month. Her family looking forward to the day that she's like other five-year-olds.

SHAYLA SULACK: She's excited to go to school. And she wants to go to a Dodger game, and she's inviting everybody to Disney World for her.

COHEN (voice-over): After years of waiting, Seersha and her family thrilled for the day she can get out into the world.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SCIUTTO: Goodness. Well, I'm rooting for her. I'm sure you are. Elizabeth, I'm curious, is she aware that she's not like other 5-year- olds, that she has this issue now?

COHEN (on camera): Jim, I asked Shayla that question and she said, in many ways Seersha, this all she knows. She thinks this is just life. But as she has gotten older, she says, why can't I play softball like my sister or do jujitsu like my brother? And so, really this this gene therapy is coming at just the right time. She's such a sweet heart, but she's just starting to get kind of frustrated that she can't do what her big brother and sister do -- Jim.

SCIUTTO: Goodness. I remember that movie, too, "The Boy in the Bubble." Elizabeth Cohen, thank you so much. Will continue to follow her story and wish her the best -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: Up next, CNN's exclusive interview with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Why the terminator says his father was among millions sucked into a hate system by lies. We'll be right back.

[15:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SCIUTTO: In a CNN exclusive with Arnold Schwarzenegger, the actor and former California governor opens up about his father, who was a Nazi, and why he feels it is imperative today to speak out against hate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, ACTOR AND FORMER GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA: My father was, and so many other millions of men, were sucked into a hate system through lies and deceits. And so, we have seen where that leads. I've seen it firsthand how broken these men were. The kind of atrocities that happened, how many millions of people had to die, and then they ended up losers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: It's interesting when used here is words there. It seems like that was not purely backward looking, right? He was drawing on his tribute to give advice for people today.

SANCHEZ: Yes, he often speaks out about his experience with his father, who got wrapped up in Nazism and all of that, and it clearly impacted him. I read a lot about Arnold Schwarzenegger's life, and that difficult relationship with his dad.

[16:00:00]

He didn't go to his father's funeral. And he attributes that difficult relationship to his success, because he used it as motivation to move forward in his life.

KEILAR: Yes, but being sucked into something, that's not, you know, a new phenomenon, right?

SCIUTTO: And it's not.

KEILAR: And he was making that point.

SCIUTTO: And we certainly haven't gotten rid of it, right, sadly.

KEILAR: That does it for CNN NEWS CENTRAL but don't go anywhere. "THE LEAD" starts right now.