Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

Lawmakers Renew Efforts to Pass Stalled Gun Control Legislation; McConnell Says He Directed Sen. Cornyn to Engage Dems on a Bipartisan Solution on Gun Violence; FDA Chief Faces Questions on Formula Shortage on Capitol Hill; Hundreds at Vigil Last Night for Uvalde Shooting Victims. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired May 26, 2022 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: Who is guard on the campus or is that common across Texas? Were you surprised to hear that just now at the press conference?

STATE REP. TREY MARTINEZ FISCHER (D-TX): Yes, I was. I mean, Alisyn, we've had conflicting reports. So, I learned of this change of events just like you did in real time. So, I am still processing it. But you know, one of the supposed fixes was done by this Republican leadership was to require more campus presence at our schools. And so, yes, it's a little surprising, but we need to get to the bottom of it. I'm learning it in real time like you are. I need to understand more of the facts and chronology.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN HOST: All right, State Representative Trey Martinez Fisher. Thank you for your time, sir.

FISCHER: Thank you.

BLACKWELL: All right, we will see if anything happens at the federal level. We'll have the latest on the negotiations over gun reform. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BLACKWELL: In a CNN exclusive, we are learning that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell encouraged Republican Senator from Texas, John Cornyn, to start discussions with Democrats for a bipartisan solution on gun violence. No McConnell would not tell CNN specifically what would be a part of that legislation.

Joining us now is CNN political commentator Ana Navarro and CNN senior political analyst Ron Brownstein. He is also a senior editor at the "Atlantic." Ana is it possible this is the tipping point. That you know, It didn't happen obviously with Sandy Hook where there were 20 kids killed. But here 19 kids killed, now Capitol Hill will pay attention?

ANA NAVARRO, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I hope so. I really hope so. I've got to tell you, without knowing this I e-mailed John Cornyn this morning -- who I know -- and I begged him to do something. I told him I was writing to him as the cousin of someone who got killed at Pulse Nightclub and the aunt of a 32-year-old school teacher who was so afraid to show up to work. And I asked the step-grandmother of 12 college age and school age children who are terrified to go to school. And you know and I do think John Cornyn is a serious legislator who is there to make laws and pass laws. Not to get twitter followed and twitter like and have TikTok's and podcasts.

And so, that people like Mitt Romney, and John Cornyn, and John Thune, and Rob Portman and Senator Toomey. I hope that those Republicans will come together. Because it's not that it's -- you know, it shocks the conscience that it's 19 little children that were destroyed to such a point that it requires DNA evidence to try to identify them.

But it also shocks the conscience that we were still burying the victims of Buffalo, just ten days before when this happened. It's not only the actual act. It's their frequency and the fact that this is a uniquely American problem and only happens in America. And so, legislators, voters, donors, we all have to come together and demand that Congress acts.

Because when that shooter shows up, he's not going to ask what your voter registration is. He's not going to ask if are you a card- carrying member of the NRA. He's going to shoot. There is no question that will be asked. So, none of us, none of us are immune to this. No matter who we are, where we live, the color of our skin or our creed. None of us in America today are immune to this and we must demand Republicans and Democrats, for the love of God, come together on some commonsense gun reform. 90 percent of America supports background checks.

You know who doesn't support it? The NRA. It's dam time they brake the chain of the NRA around them and act for the sake of the constituency and for the sake of this country.

BLACKWELL: Ron, you're going to need ten Republican votes. Because we know that Joe Manchin does not believe that the filibuster should be changed for anything, including gun reform laws. Are there ten Republican votes?

RON BROWNSTEIN, SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: I severely doubt there are ten Republican votes for anything meaningful. You know, look, even the universal background checks bill, which as Ana noted, has over 80 percent support of the American public. It is going to be impossible to get ten Republican votes for that.

I mean, Victor, the pattern of public opinion is very clear here. There is majority support -- it is not that Americans that more gun control will solve all the problems of gun violence. They don't believe that. But there is majority support for trying to do something. There is majority support for universal background checks, there is two-thirds support for banning assault weapons. Almost two- thirds support -- almost two-thirds support for banning high capacity magazines. Even majorities of Republicans who don't own guns support those propositions.

The only group that is consistently opposed to all of these ideas is one quadrant of the population. Republicans who are gun owners.

[15:40:00]

And yet they have a strangle hold on the Republican Party, particularly has it has become more dependent on the rule, non-urban areas, nonurban states where gun culture is strongest. 20 states where gun ownership per capita is the highest send two-thirds of all the Republican Senators to Washington and accounting for two-thirds of all of the states that Donald Trump won. They only have about 70 million people, OK. The 20 states that have the smallest gun ownership, have 190 million people. And in the Senate, both of them have equal weight and that's why it's very hard to see meaningful action without confronting a filibuster and the challenges it creates a majority vote.

CAMEROTA: Ana Navarro, Ron Brownstein, thank you both.

BLACKWELL: Well, the baby formula is flown in from Europe is about to reach store shelves. We'll tell you when, ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:45:00]

BLACKWELL: Secretary of State Tony Blinken just wrapped up a big speech today on China. He says the U.S. stands ready to strengthen diplomacy with China in this charged moment for the world, while also offering this characterization of the Xi regime.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTONY BLINKEN, SECRETARY OF STATE: China is the only country with both the intent to reshape the international order and increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military and technological power to do it. Under President Xi, the ruling Chinese Communist Party has become more repressive at home and more aggressive abroad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: CNN has seen documents indicating that China will propose a sweeping regional security deal with a number of Pacific Island nations next week. And this comes as multiple Western nations raise concerns about Beijing's expanding reach in the region.

A second day of hearings on Capitol Hill for the head of the FDA. Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf took questions from the Senate about the baby formula shortage that continues to plague the U.S. Senator Patty Murry pressed Califf on why the administration has not responded to questions she asked in early April.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN, PATTY MURRY (D-WA): I will not allow the FDA to continue spinning its wheels on something as important as the food families feed their children. That is why I quickly sent a letter demanding answers from you, Dr. Califf. In that letter, I detailed the delay in FDA investigating the reports of potential contamination of Abbott formula and I demanded information on how you will reform and improve the FDA food program. I have not yet seen a plan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Meantime, a new batch of baby formula is heading to store shelves as early as this weekend. 60 tons landed yesterday at Dulles International Airport, amongst the second shipment from Europe as a part of the Biden administration's "Operation Fly Formula."

Delta Airlines announced today that it is scaling back its flight schedule this summer. The carrier will cut about 100 flights a day between July 1st and August 7th and will primarily affect travel in the U.S. and Latin America. Delta calls it a strategic decrease and cited multiple factors, including volatile summer weather patterns, vendor staffing issues and the ongoing pandemic. Now Delta is not the first airline to trim its summer schedule. JetBlue and Alaska airlines also announced summer cuts.

Next, meet the special helpers being brought in to help comfort members of the Uvalde community.

[15:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: So, in my couple of days here in Uvalde, Texas, I've seen what a tight knit community it is. It's a town that is bound by football and church and school. And everyone knows everyone. And last night hundreds gathered to honor the 21 people killed in the school behind me. CNN's Adrienne Broaddus joins us now. Adrian, what more are you hearing from the community?

ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Lots of silence where I am right now, Alisyn. We are less than a mile away from the school. We're at an area that members of the community refer to as foursquare. It's right across from the courthouse, and behind me, you may notice there are crosses. Each cross bearing the name of the individuals who were killed on Tuesday by that 18-year-old.

But unlike at the school, the crosses here also are holding a heart, a blue heart, and there's a sharpie attached to the heart, allowing members of the community to leave messages for the families and to share their memories. Earlier in the day, we also saw therapy dogs here, here to comfort this community grieving. Listen in.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BONNIE FEAR, K-9 MINISTRIES: We don't tell them anything, we listen. We're just here to listen. And they talk or they cry, or they just smile when they see the dogs and thanks for being here or why are you here. So, we don't want to do too much talking, we just want to be there with them in their sorrow.

JODY LOCKWOOD, K-9 MINISTRIES: When something horrific like this happens, so many people in the world wish they could do something. And even though we can't do a lot, we can at least bring these dogs and just give people some hope and comfort and let them know people all over the world care about them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROADDUS: And Alisyn, I started by saying it's silent here, because some people aren't talking, they're just allowing themselves to feel. There have been some prayers. Others have shared memories. I just spoke with a now third grader who laid flowers here on one of the crosses for his friend -- Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Adrienne Broaddus, thank you for bringing us that silent memorial there.

[15:55:00]

So, we've just learned that Joe Biden and First Lady Jill will be coming here, Victor, to Uvalde, Texas on Sunday. Coming here to grieve with this community, and just, you know, do what Joe Biden does. Which is explain to them that he understands having lost a child, as well. His adult son, obviously.

But Victor, I mean, as we close, there are still so many questions, and I know that the answers are not going to bring back these 19 kids and two teachers, but we always hold out hope that somehow by understanding better, we might be able to see the next one coming or prevent it and somehow take better action.

BLACKWELL: Yes, and the lack of answers to those questions now only compounds the pain of these families in that community.

All right, "THE LEAD with Jake Tapper" starts after a short break.