Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Scientists Calling for Election Recounts in Key States; Trump Names More Cabinet Picks; School Bus Crash Investigation. Aired 3- 3:30p ET

Aired November 23, 2016 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:10]

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, we continue on. You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

Just a heads-up, any moment now, we will be hearing from Chattanooga police. They will be holding a news conference on just this heart- wrenching school bus crash that has killed at least five children.

Here is what we know. Today, it is really just a time of mourning for this tight-knit Southern community. A kindergartner, a first grader and three fourth graders all lost their lives this week.

Nine-year-old Cordayja Jones was one of them. Her aunt called her a bright little girl and said God was ready for his angel to come home.

We are also hearing from one of the mothers about the moment she found out her only child, 6-year-old D'Myunn Brown, had taken his last breath.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DIAMOND BROWN, MOTHER OF VICTIM: I know when my baby sits on the bus, I know he sits in the front of the bus.

I know that because I stay at the bus stop to get him every morning and every evening when he gets off the bus. And I know he gets in the same spot. So, when they told me that the front of the bus, kids hadn't been removed, it automatically gave me that mother instinct that my baby was up there, because I had been sitting out there as they were pulling the kids come out one by one, and I hadn't seen my son yet.

So, that evening, I made may way to the emergency room because they kept telling me that several kids were already at the emergency room and you just need to go there and they are going to try to identify him.

And from there, I was there probably about 4:00 something until 11:40 last night. And I finally got the word that my son was deceased about 10:30 or 10:45 last nigh, that he was one of the ones that was dead on the scene.

(END VIDEO CLIP) BALDWIN: As we are learning more about these precious children, we know now the man behind the wheel had been involved in another school bus crash two months ago.

Investigators say -- actually, let's listen to police in Chattanooga.

(JOINED IN PROGRESS)

FRED FLETCHER, CHATTANOOGA POLICE CHIEF: We are here to give you an update on the criminal investigation.

As you all might remember from previous briefings, there are currently two investigations occurring concurrent, but separate, a criminal investigation being conducted by the Chattanooga Police Department and an administrative investigation being conducted by the National Transportation Safety Bureau.

We're going to talk about the criminal investigation, for which the Chattanooga Police Department is the lead investigating agency.

Sergeant Austin Garrett, the acting commander of our Traffic Division, is going to give that briefing.

Before he does, I would like to say a couple things that we have repeated earlier. Please be careful about reporting any information about this investigation that does not come from the Chattanooga Police Department.

We are absolutely committed to giving you information in a timely basis when we have updates. Today should serve as a prime example of that. We have a couple of significant updates. As soon as we got them, we arranged this meeting, this press conference, so that you could get them and help us communicate them to the community as quickly as possible.

We're absolutely committed to giving you information as it comes to us. If we're not giving it to you, it probably means we don't have it. If we don't have it, its reliability is probably of dubious accuracy. If you report that or if you re-report it, you are harming my community.

I would very much appreciate it if we could be careful about that. Some of you have been very good about that. And that means a great deal to me. Thank you for that.

Again, criminal investigation, brief update, a few questions after.

Sergeant Austin Garrett, a 24-year veteran of the Chattanooga Police Department, commander of the trained division, the lead of this investigation, is going to give you those details. Thank you.

SGT. AUSTIN GARRETT, CHATTANOOGA POLICE DEPARTMENT: As Chief Fletcher said, I'm Sergeant Austin Garrett, commander of the Chattanooga Police Department Traffic Division, overseeing the criminal division into the accident that occurred on Monday. Currently, the investigation is still ongoing. We're still in the

very early stages of the investigation. There's a great deal of physical and testimonial evidence to acquire and process. Our number one priority in the Chattanooga Police Department is helping the children and the families who were impacted by this horrible crash.

I will provide you with an update on the investigation and take a few questions at the end.

Currently, Chattanooga Police Department Traffic Division has obtained warrants for all data devices contained on the bus. Our investigative team is reviewing the video from the bus. Some of the video we have shows views from the front, back and sides. Those are currently being examined, as I said.

We're also interviewing witnesses. We have not started speaking to the children involve in the crash yet, but we will in the future. That's also a very important part of our investigation.

In interviewing the children, it's important that they have been impacted by traumatic incidents, that we do that in cooperation with individuals who are trained in these matters, as well as working the parents.

[15:05:04]

And we are working on coordinating those efforts. I would like to also mention that no one was ejected from the bus during or after the crash. The media is reporting claims that the driver asked the children on the bus if they were prepared to die.

I want to be very clear on this. No witness we have spoken with has that information or provided it directly to our investigators. But we have also not interviewed all witnesses yet. If anyone has firsthand information, we would request that you provide that to the Chattanooga Police Department investigators assigned to the case by simply calling the police department and speaking with one of them.

As it relates to the blood draw, we received toxicology reports back today from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation that shows no trace of alcohol or drugs in the driver's system. The driver's driving history did include a minor wreck in September of this year investigated by our agency.

And it is also part of the investigation. As for the patients, at this time, hospital officials tell us six children remain hospitalized. Out of respect and privacy for the families impacted by this tragedy, we will not be providing you with any condition updates.

Again, the Chattanooga Police Department's priority is helping the families heal. Part of that healing process is reassuring them that our department investigators are commended to a complete, thorough and fair investigation.

I will take a couple questions.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

GARRETT: Again, we have heard those reports. That is part of the investigation currently being examined by investigators. That is currently part of the investigation.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

GARRETT: That is part of the -- it's part of the (INAUDIBLE) affidavit that is on file.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

GARRETT: It's part of the investigation.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

GARRETT: The blood draw toxicology that went to Tennessee Bureau of Investigation in Nashville.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

GARRETT: All of it came back negative.

Next.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

GARRETT: Several with multiple angle.s I couldn't tell you exactly how many, but we do have multiple angles.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE)

GARRETT: That's part of the investigation.

Thank you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

BALDWIN: All right, so just hearing from police there in Chattanooga.

Just a couple of notes. Let me just underscore the fact that they have looked into and of course this criminal investigation is ongoing looking into the background of this 24-year-old driver, Johnthony Walker.

And when those toxicology reports came back, not a single trace, no alcohol, no drugs in his system whatever. They did point out he had sideswiped a car about two months ago in September, so we're looking into some previous accidents he might have had.

And again the new piece of information, six kids are still in the hospital, five have died, including a kindergartner, a first grader and three fourth graders.

And I just want to show you one more of these young lives who passed away Monday. Zoie Nash, she was 9 years young and her uncle tells us she was a sweet, sweet girl, she played basketball, she loved softball. Zoie's 8-year-old brother, Zach, was also on the bus. He was injured. He is expected to survive. And we're told Zach learned about his big sister's passing when their mom told him that -- quote -- "Zoie had received her wings."

The little girl would have turned 10 on December 12. Zoie's family still plans to have a birthday party in her honor. We will be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:13:02]

BALDWIN: And we're back. You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Thank you for being with me.

All right, new developments on the individuals who will help Donald Trump run this country when he takes office as president in 58 days. He has just named these two women to Cabinet-level positions. He selected Betsy DeVos, a school choice advocate, to become his education secretary.

And he chose South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley to be his ambassador to the United Nations. She is the daughter of immigrants from India, the first female governor of South Carolina. And she's also his first outright critic to join the Trump team.

No question the selections help fight off complaints about a lack of diversity in his inner circle. And then add this. Trump's former rival Dr. Ben Carson gave a hint on Twitter that big news is coming about his own "role in helping make America great again."

Let me bring in a guy you have seen all over the campaign trail, CNN politics reporter Jeremy Diamond.

And so let just me ask you on this education secretary selection, I don't think it's a household name. Tell me more about her.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes.

Well, she's a big Republican donor. She's a billionaire philanthropist and she's been very active on education issues, particularly on the conservative spectrum. But there has been some criticism, both, first of all, obviously from the teachers unions who oppose some of her positions supporting charter schools and school voucher programs, a very conservative issue.

But then, again, on Common Core, there were some questions raised about whether or not she Common Core. And actually American Principles Project, which is one of these conservative groups opposed to Common Core, released a statement questioning whether she would be a good choice because of her belonging to certain groups that support Common Core.

Now Betsy DeVos, who is the incoming -- the nominee now for this position, she put out a tweet just a couple hours right after Donald Trump made this announcement saying: "Many of you are asking about Common Core. To clarify, I am not a supporter, period."

[15:15:01]

So she is trying to put to bed any potential uproar from some of these conservative groups that are adamantly opposed to Common Core. Donald Trump has vowed get to rid of Common Core standards as well, so clearly here she's trying to do some work to smooth those waters and make sure that there's no uproar there.

BALDWIN: So, again, it's one of those positions that would have to go through Senate confirmation. Jeremy Diamond, thank you so much on that, a potential pick for education secretary, lots of other names, though, flying.

Ari Fleischer is back with me today. He's a former press secretary for President George W. Bush.

Ari, happy early Turkey Day. Thanks for joining me.

ARI FLEISCHER, FORMER GEORGE W. BUSH WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: Thank you, Brooke.

BALDWIN: OK. So, a couple days ago when you were on this show we were talking about the potential of this Mitt Romney-Donald Trump meeting over the weekend. We know it's happened and apparently Governor Romney is seriously considering it.

If I recall, Ari, you said this is nothing, neither side is interested. Are you changing your tune today, my friend?

FLEISCHER: Well, I urge caution here still.

The key thing is, especially for a post as important as secretary of state, is you really have to be in synch with the president of the United States and particularly a president of the United States who is running to change things around the world, who's running on an America-first platform, who's willing to shake up alliances and try to put pressure on allies to do things they have historically been reluctant to do, like spend more money on defense.

So the issue here I think is if it's going to be Mitt Romney, can he fully and with a clear conscience sign on to support Donald Trump? Because that will be his job. And I'm not sure he can do that.

BALDWIN: As we wait, apparently, he's seriously considering it, he will think about it over the holiday weekend, one name we do know about is Governor Haley. He has selected her. He'd like for her to be the U.N. ambassador.

She wasn't necessarily a never-Trumper, but she was one of his harshest critics. Here's a look back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. NIKKI HALEY (R), SOUTH CAROLINA: Donald Trump is everything we hear and teach our kids not to do in kindergarten. I will not stop until we fight a man that chooses not to disavow the KKK.

DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT-ELECT: She's very, very weak on illegal immigration. We can't have that.

HALEY: We don't want a president that is going to come in and just bash and sit there and tell us what we're not doing right. When a bully hits you, you hit that bully right back.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Ari, do you give Trump correct for selecting someone like a Nikki Haley?

FLEISCHER: I think every Cabinet and every team around the president has got to be a mix of people, many of them loyalists, many of the people who ran with you, who know what makes you tick and will support you in thick and thin.

But it is important to broaden that circle and bring in some critics, to bring in some outsiders, and you have to have a healthy mix. Ultimately, what it really comes down to is, what kind of mix do you have, how influential will these people be, and how dedicated are they to serving out the president?

It is a mix. I'm a little surprised. Nikki Haley doesn't have exactly a lot of foreign policy experience. Neither does Donald Trump. As long as she is committed to his agenda and means it in her heart, she will be with him thick and thin, then it's a solid choice. She's a very qualified governor. She's very sharp, very fast on her feet, very able.

BALDWIN: What about -- going away from of these selections for a moment, as press secretary, you had to deal with us media types and I'm just curious what you make of Trump yesterday, the back and forth, would the meeting be on? Would it be off? Eventually, it was on. He

Went to "The Times," the failing "Times," as he says, made all this new there. Do you think that that is a harbinger of things to come? Will there be more transparency, more on-the-record meetings, more of what we saw the other day, the off-the-record mess?

FLEISCHER: I think you're going to see a tremendous amount of drama to come.

BALDWIN: Define drama.

(CROSSTALK)

FLEISCHER: Oh, my good -- tension, pressure, Donald Trump working with the mainstream media doing interviews now with "The Wall Street Journal," "The New York Times," "60 Minutes," and at the same time railing against the mainstream media.

It's going to be a fascinating tug and pull to watch because Donald Trump has wisely figured something out, which is he can run against the mainstream media. The mainstream media is terribly unpopular. Most Americans don't think they report the news fairly and accurately.

And so when Donald Trump goes after them, a lot of Americans nod their head and go, yes, that's good. But at the same time, he does work with them. And so it will be this fascinating boxing match between Trump and the press, with the press punching back.

But, really, Brooke, a lot of reporters don't like him and he knows that. And that's why I think we are going to watch something brand- new as far as the president's relationship with the press corps going forward.

BALDWIN: Well, apparently -- I was talking to a reporter who was in the meeting yesterday, he was very open, he made a lot of news sitting around that table.

And one of the things he talked about was this whole -- concerns about a conflict of interest with the Trump Organization and being the president. When he was talking about that, he said -- quote -- "The law is totally on my side," meaning the president can't have a conflict of interest.

And some people took that as saying, well, hang on a second, are you saying you're above the law? But there is a law he may be referring to. It was actually introduced by Bush 41. It's complicated, but it essentially gives protection to presidents against business conflicts of interest.

[15:20:13]

If maintaining, Ari, his business involvement is OK, is legal, can he do this?

FLEISCHER: No, to me, it's not whether it's legal or not. It just shouldn't happen.

When you're the president, there should not be any question in anybody's mind. A neutral observer, who is neither pro nor against Trump, should come to the conclusion everything the president does, he does because he thinks it's good for the nation, not for himself.

And that's the line Donald Trump need to find and stick to. He doesn't need this sideshow, he doesn't need this distraction. He's got a lot of major decisions to make. Why does he want anybody to think that he made any of them because it could help his personal financial situation?

He needs to come up with that line, let his children run the business. And very importantly, Brooke, his children should not be involved in governmental meetings, because that crosses that line and it's only going to give his fodder to his critics who want to say he's trying to make money off of government service.

BALDWIN: OK. Before I let you go, we just saw the president pardon his final turkey, Tater and Tot. And you were at the White House for a couple years. Do you have a favorite turkey pardon story, Ari?

FLEISCHER: You know, to tell you the truth, Brooke, I never used to go to the turkey pardons, because you guys in the press kept me a little busy attending to the other matters of state.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Throwing the media under the bus when I'm asking you a softball.

(LAUGHTER)

FLEISCHER: Other than when the Yankees came to the White House, I would not go to any of those soft events. I kind of got a little too busy, I'm afraid.

BALDWIN: Ari Fleischer, I appreciate it. Thank you very much. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family.

FLEISCHER: Thank you, Brooke. Same to you.

BALDWIN: Thank you. Thank you.

As Trump is building his Cabinet, Hillary Clinton's margin in the popular vote -- yes, people are still counting -- is growing. Now there are these scientists who are actually begging her and her team to challenge the results in three key states.

Also ahead, president-elect Trump and his family are spending Thanksgiving down south at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida. How the Secret Service is working to secure what could become the winter White House.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:26:45]

BALDWIN: Welcome back. You're watching CNN. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

CNN is learning of some concerns by top computer scientists who are raising worries about whether votes in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania may have been hacked or in some way manipulated.

They have already presented their findings to Hillary Clinton's top aides. According to a source, the scientists say that they have noticed that Hillary Clinton performed worse in counties that relied on electronic voting machines compared with paper ballots and optical scanners.

But just to be crystal clear, CNN cannot verify any reports of inaccurate results.

That said, this all comes as Hillary Clinton's lead in the popular vote is nearing the two million mark against president-elect Trump.

So let's talk this over with CNN political commentators Errol Louis and Alice Stewart.

Nice to see you all.

Errol, just begin with the fact that, with these computers scientists, we're talking about these three states. The fact that John Podesta and a couple of others hopped on the phone to hear them out, why do you think he did that?

ERROL LOUIS, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, it would be irresponsible not to. If there's an allegation and it has any kind of credibility -- and, look, frankly, Podesta and some of the other people on the Clinton team have a lot of extra time on their hands these days.

So it couldn't hurt to hear them out. But we should be clear right up front that you have to make the distinction between causation, correlation, and coincidence. This could be pure coincidence. There could just be a correlation. Or there could be a cause. And the scientists, if they're real scientists, they understand that.

But to sort of throw this out here, I have looked through it and I can't quite see where they have evidence that suggests there was somebody who did something wrong. And so to that extent, it might just be an unhappy coincidence that is sort of tantalizing because it was so close in those three states.

You change the outcome in those three state, all of which there were a 1 percent difference or less, and Hillary Clinton wins the race. But I don't think anybody should get their hopes up about whether or not that is going to happen.

BALDWIN: OK.

ALICE STEWART, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: If there was anything inappropriate that happened, absolutely, positively, it should be investigated.

But people need to remember that elections are run state by state. I was deputy secretary of state in Arkansas. And the officials, election officials in every state take it very seriously. And they take a lot of pride in free and fair elections. And I'm sure in each of these three states once this was even brought to their attention, I'm sure they went back and checked.

They don't want anything inappropriately. They don't want their state to be listed as a state that has done something wrong. So I'm sure they have done their proper checks and found things are free and clear. But if there is actual evidence of something wrong, it should be looked at.

But I think at this stage of the game, I think we're free and clear, at least with regard to these three states.

BALDWIN: For all of the Hillary Clinton holdouts, don't hold your breath.

What about this on-the-record meeting, let me stay with you, Alice, on-the-record meeting over at "The New York Times" with Donald Trump and some members of his team and on Jared Kushner and specifically how would he, would he not take some sort of formal role in the White House?

There are anti-nepotism laws. And so Trump was asked about this. And he said, well, oh, perhaps he can take on a role where he could help me broker Middle East peace.

Now, I know that Jared Kushner is a bright 30-something-year-old man, bright businessman, but Middle East peace?

STEWART: Clearly, a lot of this was just talk -- talking about different possibilities for where Jared could fit into the administration.

Look, he did a phenomenal job with the campaign, bringing together the core team he had and then bringing in new people and working with the RNC.

Clearly, he would have a role in the administration.