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Bipartisan Group Of Senators Meets To Discuss Possible Gun Reform; Uvalde Mass Shooting Sparks Debate On Arming Teachers In Schools; DOJ Interviews GA Republicans, Trump Allies In Fake Elector Probe. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired May 27, 2022 - 09:30   ET

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

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[09:30:57]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: As we learn more about the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, the young students who survived are grappling with fears, emotions no one their age should face, no one. Last night, my colleague Laura Coates spoke with Edward Timothy Silva, a second grader who was hiding in another classroom when the gunman killed 19 children and two teachers. He talked about what it was like and what he fears now. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

EDWARD TIMOTHY SILVA, SECOND GRADER WHO SURVIVED UVALDE SCHOOL SHOOTING: Well, at first they sounded like something like was popping, like, kind of like fireworks. First, lady came to the classroom and knocked on our doors with a purple shirt. She said, go and hide and we turned off all the lights and went to the back of the classroom and put desk in front of us. And we're hiding. Well, we were running out of the doors because like two police cars were covering our doors of the shooter was going to come in. And then they were just -- we just ran out of the room whenever the cops told us to run. I have the fear of guns now. Because I'm scared someone might shoot me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Sweet little boy. Democratic Senator Joe Manchin, he struck a cautiously optimistic tone when asked about the possibility of bipartisan gun reform. The West Virginia Democrat is part of a bipartisan group of senators who met yesterday on the subject speaking to reporters off camera. Manchin said members are looking at quote, a little bit of everything, including background check expansion, and what are known as red flag laws. He also said he believes Democrats can get 10 Republicans to support the effort overcoming the threat of a possible filibuster. That's what you need to get stuff like this passed.

Joining me now former Republican Congressman Joe Walsh. Joe, it's good to have you on this morning for a lot of reasons. You know, I feel like you're a whisperer for the right. You have your finger on the pulse, not just Republican lawmakers but the base. And you said, you feel this is potentially this moment is different, that something might get done. What are you hearing and why do you believe that?

JOE WALSH (R-IL), FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE: I do, Jim. I think this moment is different. And by the way, first off, every Senate Republican ought to hear what Edward, 10-year-old Edward Timothy, just said. And Jim, every Senate Republican should hear what you heard about 30 minutes ago, an 11-year-old girl smeared her classmates' blood all over herself and played dead. She grabbed her dead teachers phone to call 911. Every Senate Republican should have to know her story too.

Jim, I speak with Republicans. I've been speaking with Republicans privately the last few days. It's something does feel different. They feel heat. They ought to feel heat. They feel like they have to get something done. They should. But I also, and Jim, you know my history, right? Former, you know, Tea Party Congressman, strident gun rights advocate, sometimes too strident. I mean, look at me right now. I'm working with David Hogg, Parkland, Florida School shooting survivor, gun reform activist. And David Hogg and I are working together to try to put heat on the Senate Republicans to get something done.

SCIUTTO: We know you have that conversation, and it hasn't come out yet on podcast. CNN did speak to David Hogg earlier this week. I want to play what he said because I want to get a sense of what that common ground is you're finding. Have a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID HOGG, PARKLAND SHOOTING SURVIVOR: We need to realize that look, if our government, if we as Americans can't lead by example, not even our politics but as Americans, you know, we can't lead by example and focus on what we can agree on to save our own children. You know we need to do some serious critical evaluation of why that is.

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[09:35:10]

SCIUTTO: So what is as you were talking, what do you believe, and as you talk to lawmakers, by the way, what do you believe that common ground is legislatively?

WALSH: I think here's the sweet spot. And by the way, Jim, I have fallen in love with 22-year-old David Hogg. He and I disagree more than we agree, but I'll partner with him any day of the week. Look, this is on responsible gun owners like myself, if we want change in this country, responsible gun owners like me, defenders of the Second Amendment like me, have to lead the charge.

And I think the sweet spot, Jim, is focusing like a laser beam on doing all we can before a bad sicker evil person buys a gun, focusing on that, so universal background checks, strengthening background checks, enhancing and enforcing red flag laws. In talking to Republicans, I think this is the area where they can find compromise, and they better.

SCIUTTO: Like you say, like they say, you know, it takes a general to make peace, right? You need a conservative gun rights advocates to it. I wonder though, play devil's advocate for a moment, the NRA convention few hours to the west that's going ahead. Ted Cruz is speaking there. The presumptive GOP nominee for president perhaps in 2024, Donald Trump, is going to be speaking there. It's a powerful force against this kind of step.

WALSH: Jim, very powerful force. And when I was in Congress, I met with that powerful force. Here's what I would say, screw the NRA. And I'm a dedicated gun owner. What we need is 10 to 12 brave, courageous Senate Republicans to say what I just said, screw the NRA.

Jim, 80 to 90 percent of gun owners in this country, support universal background checks and enhance red flag laws. Look, the NRA is alone on this, but it's going to take 10 to 12 Senate Republicans to distance themselves from that organization, and I'm hearing it.

SCIUTTO: Yes. Listen, I was a member of the NRA when I was a kid when I was a gun safety organization, right? It's a different animal now. Phil Walsh, let's keep talking. We'll see what happens.

WALSH: Thanks Jim.

SCIUTTO: Just ahead, we're going to speak to the daughter of the officer who arrested a gunman at Santa Fe High School back in Texas in 2018. Why she says based on her father's experience, arming teachers, as you hear from some gun advocates is not the answer. We'll discuss next.

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[09:42:26]

SCIUTTO: A 10-year-old who survived the shooting at Robb elementary school now says he's afraid to return to school. Feel certain something like this will happen again. Can you blame him? Jayden Perez had celebrated his honor roll achievement just 90 minutes before a gunman stormed into his school Tuesday killed many of his friends who got that same certificate you see there. CNN's Adrienne Broaddus spoke to Jayden about his just terrifying experience.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAYDEN PEREZ, 10-YEAR-OLD SURVIVOR OF ROBB ELEMENTARY SHOOTING: Five of us hiding there and then the rest under a table. But that didn't stop one of my friends getting hurt. Due to shot through the window and hurting my friend and my teacher like my teacher got hurt like on right here.

ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Do you ever want to go back to school?

PEREZ: I don't want to know because I don't want anything to do with another shooting and me in the school.

BROADDUS: Are you scared it might happen again?

PEREZ: And I know it might happen again probably.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: I know it might happen again, he says.

Well, tragedy on top of tragedy this morning for a family already grieving the loss of one of the two Uvalde teachers gunned down trying to protect their students. The husband of teacher Irma Garcia, he's now died, just two days after his wife of 25 years, they were sweethearts, was killed. The Archdiocese of San Antonio says Joe Garcia died of a heart attack. Garcia's family says his death may be a case of broken heart syndrome because quote, losing the love of his life was too much to bear. The couple leave behind four children, two sons and two daughters, another casualty.

While there is increasing pressure for new gun legislation, the horror of what happened inside Robb Elementary School is also igniting another debate. Often after shootings like this, and you've heard it before, gun advocates will argue the solution is more guns, including arming teachers, putting guns in the classroom. So I want to speak now to Jordan Cooley. She's the daughter of the officer who arrested the shooter at Santa Fe High School in Santa Fe, Texas, where eight students and two teachers were killed in 2018. Jordan, it's good to have you on. First, I wonder if I could ask you as you watch this unfold in Uvalde, it had to bring back painful memories for you.

JORDAN COOLEY, DAUGHTER OF OFFICER WHO ARRESTED SANTA FE HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTER IN 2018: Yes, painful and frustrating. I remember when I call that my dad was at the shooting but that he was OK and it was something that I couldn't explain and it wasn't my children, it wasn't my mother that was a teacher.

[09:45:14]

SCIUTTO: You responded to this argument that will often hear after this. And I've had folks say to me, including on this program, arm the teachers, that's the way to protect the kids. So your response and in a tweet yesterday it was, as the daughter of the cop who arrested the school shooter in Santa Fe high School, I can absolutely say arming teachers is not the answer. Tell us why.

COOLEY: They're -- it's twofold, right? There is the training aspect of it. My father has been a Navy army officer and a police officer for 15, 20 years, which largely explains why he was able to go in and be able to maintain composure. Teachers don't have that kind of training. And it's the logistics of trying to get that kind of training for teachers is difficult.

But if we think about the mental health aspect of it, my father suffered from severe PTS, and depression, and anxiety prior to the shooting. And then after the shooting, there wasn't a way for him to seek resources, and navigate those emotions, of walking over children, of trying to make sure that he was alive that his colleagues were alive, and trying to ask a teacher to do the same for teachers that they know or for students that they know, it's inexplicable. SCIUTTO: You know, that's an aspect of this that we don't often talk about, and that is that the wounds last, the physical and psychological wounds last long, long after the shooting. Can you relate some of how that's affected your dad, but also you?

COOLEY: Yes, so my dad, months and years, experienced having dreams of seeing the children. It stopped him from being able to connect with his own children, with his family, with being able to show up in the best way he could for work, which he's a police officer, he has to be on all of the time. And so it gravely impacted his ability to just live his life. And for me, I mean, the stress of having a police officer as a dad growing up, it's constant.

But knowing what he had gone through and seeing how it affected him, it was difficult. And we got the resources and tools. But not everyone has access to those to be able to navigate kind of trauma that brings.

SCIUTTO: Yes, we heard of family earlier, right, who wants to get their child therapy afterwards but doesn't have the means. We're going to do our best to help spread the word about how to contribute to those kinds of organizations, and they're going to help. Jordan Cooley, it's good to have you on. Thank you.

COOLEY: Thank you so much for having me.

[09:48:03]

SCIUTTO: Still ahead, a CNN exclusive. We are learning the Justice Department is now interviewing Georgia Republicans and key players in former President Trump's orbit about his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. We'll have a live report next.

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SCIUTTO: Now CNN exclusive report, federal investigators interviewed Georgia Republicans about their interactions with members of former President Trump's inner circle and his 2020 reelection campaign. This is part of the probe and efforts to put forth alternate slates of electors to displace Joe Biden electors in battleground states that Trump in fact lost. CNN crime and justice reporter Katelyn Polantz joins me now live from Washington. Katelyn, tell us the significance of these interviews and what it says about where the investigation stands.

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN SENIOR CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: Jim, every day we are learning more about the federal criminal investigation around January 6th, and how it is looking into political -- more and more political aspects leading up to January 6th after the election. Right now, with this, we are learning that the federal investigators are indeed looking into actions of the Trump campaign at this time, at least in Georgia.

So this week, I found two people in Georgia, both of them were -- are Republicans. They were going to serve as electors in 2020 for Donald Trump. They ultimately did not, they backed out. But they have received subpoenas from the grand jury in Washington, D.C. They also were approached or spoke on the phone with FBI agents about the Trump campaign, whether they had any interactions with people on the Trump campaign, and also about this effort in Georgia by the GOP to put together a slate of Trump electors after the election, even though it was not needed because Joe Biden won that state.

So in those subpoenas, that's what we look at to see where this investigation is going, what it's asking for. Prosecutors are asking for information about the signing or mailing of Trump elector certificates in Georgia. The planning of Trump's elector slate, communications with Republicans, or I'm sorry, that Republicans had with federal government officials, or with the Trump campaign and communications with more than two dozen Trump lawyers, campaign advisors, and Georgia electors.

And there's a list of people on the subpoenas that the prosecutors want documents with or from Giuliani, John Eastman, Jenna Ellis, big names around Trump. So what we know from this is this is a focused fast moving investigation from the Justice Department looking into Georgia and interactions with the Trump campaign. Jim?

SCIUTTO: Katelyn Polantz, thanks so much.

[09:55:03]

Now new reporting from CNN on Ukraine, multiple officials telling me and my colleague -- colleagues that the Biden administration is preparing to approve the shipment of long range rocket systems, known as MLRS, to Ukraine, these are powerful weapons more powerful than the U.S. and its allies have sent so far. Ukrainian officials have been pleading for NATO to provide these launch rock -- multiple launch rocket systems. The weapons can fire a barrage of rockets hundreds of kilometers much further than any of the systems or artillery Ukraine already has.

The delivery could be part of a larger package and military and security assistance to Ukraine, which could be announced as soon as next week. And it comes as U.S. officials telling me that Russian forces are making some significant gains in the east in recent days.

Just ahead on CNN, the uniquely American tragedy in Texas, parents' grief during the anger as authorities in Texas struggle to explain how a gunman spent an hour inside the school before law enforcement entered and killed him.

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