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New Video from Uvalde Tragedy; Ronald Garza is Interviewed about the Uvalde Shooting; Supreme Court Clerks Asked for Phone Records; Wally Adeyemo is Interviewed about Inflation. Aired 9-9:30a ET

Aired May 31, 2022 - 09:00   ET

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

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[09:00:38]

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. I'm Poppy Harlow.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Jim Sciutto.

New developments this morning in the Uvalde school massacre. CNN has obtained video and audio of a desperate police radio call, including what appears to be the voice of a child, telling an officer they had been shot. It's not the first time we've heard of calls for help from inside the classroom while police waited outside. We're going to play that audio for you in just a moment.

Plus, there are new details about a key figure in the response to that shooting. Uvalde school district police chief Pedro Arredondo will not be sworn into his newly elected city council seat today as originally planned. Should he keep his job as police chief?

HARLOW: That's a critical question.

Also today, a bipartisan group of senators will meet on gun reform. President Biden is optimistic that this time around he will get Republican support. The president says, quote, rational Republicans are ready for a deal. We will see.

All of this as the Uvalde community prepares to bury 10-year-old shooting victims Amerie Jo Garza and Maite Rodriguez today. Visitation services for Nevaeh Alyssa (ph) Bravo, Jose Manuel Flores Jr., and Irma Garcia will be held today as well.

SCIUTTO: Little bodies in little caskets.

Let's begin this morning with CNN correspondent Nick Valencia. He is near Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

Nick, CNN has new audio and video, desperate police radio call, yet another warning from inside that school building as it all unfolded. Tell us what we know.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Jim. It is chilling video and it shows just how chaotic things were as this

shooting was unfolding.

We obtained this video from an individual who did not want to be identified, but says that he began recording it on his Facebook live. And you could hear in this recording a clip of an adult being told by a child that they had been shot.

Now, according to this individual, that was part of radio traffic of Customs and Border Protection. It is unclear why that would be on the radio traffic between CBP agents. But the individual who recorded the video said, as soon as agents realized he could overhear, they turned down that video.

Now before - or that - that radio call.

Now, before we show you this video, we want to warn you that this could be very difficult for some of our viewers to watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you injured?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got shot.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Where? Where?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A kid got shot?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A kid?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They shot a kid.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: It's a short clip that gives us some insight into what happening as that shooting was unfolding. It is unclear at what point during the shooting that video was recorded.

Jim. Poppy.

HARLOW: Nick, this morning we hear from also a first responder whose wife and child were inside of the school during the shooting. What did he say?

VALENCIA: Yes, Jacob (INAUDIBLE) News and he tells us that he was at - or he tells NBC that he was at the school earlier that day to attend his daughter's second grade awards ceremony. He also says that his wife is a fourth grade teacher there. He said he was at a nearby barbershop when he remembers getting a text. He says he doesn't know if he got the text first, or his barber got the text first. But listen as he describes what happens next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JACOB ALVARADO, OFF-DUTY BORDER PATROL AGENT WHO RESPONDED TO SHOOTING: My barber actually heard shots. Or he thought he heard shots. He was coming to the parking lot, and he asked me if I heard it. I told him, I said, I didn't hear anything. I went inside the barbershop, sat down, and then I can't recall if he received the text first or if I received it, that there's an active shooter. There's an active shooter, help, I love you, from my wife.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And what did you do next?

ALVARADO: I looked for a gun. My barber said he had a gun. Both of us raced over to the school and met up there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: Alvarado went on to tell NBC that at one point he was actually outside the classroom where the gunman was barricaded and thought about going inside, but said he didn't have his normal tactical gear on him and thought better of the decision to enter that classroom.

This all is coming out as we prepare in this community to bury some of the smallest victims. The mayor releasing a statement to CNN saying that he decided to postpone a city council swearing in ceremony because he believed that today should focus on the families and those who lost loved ones.

Jim. Poppy.

HARLOW: We'll have more on that right now.

[09:05:00]

Nick Valencia, thank you very much for your reporting.

VALENCIA: You bet.

Uvalde School District Police Chief Pedro Arredondo, as we mentioned, will not be sworn into his newly elected city council seat. The move comes as the city has canceled the special meeting that was set to take place today. In a statement obtained by CNN affiliate KSAT, Uvalde mayor Don McLaughlin says, quote, our focus Tuesday is on our families who lost loved ones. The special city council meeting will not take place as scheduled.

Arredondo has been under intense scrutiny, obviously, since the shooting after the Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed that the Uvalde School District Police chief was the official who made the decision not to have the classroom breached, where the gunman killed 21 people last week.

We should note that Texas DPS did not identify him by name at that time. But Pedro Arredondo, also known as Pete, was elected to the council earlier this month. According to the school district, he has nearly three decades of law enforcement experience. A board of trustees approved him to lead the Uvalde School District Police in 2020, Jim.

SCIUTTO: Joining me now to discuss is Uvalde County Commissioner Ronald Garza.

Mr. Garza, thanks for taking the time this morning.

RONALD GARZA, UVALDE COUNTY COMMISSIONER: Good morning, Jim. Thank you for having me on your network.

SCIUTTO: So you heard us there with the update that there will be no swearing in today for Arredondo. Should he be sworn in at all to the city council given events at the school?

GARZA: Well, he was elected to that position. Personally, I think he should be sworn in. I think it was postponed just as a measure of respect for the funeral services that will be taking place. That's my understanding.

SCIUTTO: OK. How about his job as police chief? Should he remain in that position? This was an enormous test of his leadership and resolve, and there are 19 schoolchildren and two teachers who lost their lives.

GARZA: Yes, well, that's a matter -- an issue that the school district will have to undertake. As a county commissioner, we don't oversee that. So -- but I'm confident the school district and Mr. Arredondo will come together and do what is right for the community of Uvalde.

SCIUTTO: What do you think is right for the community?

GARZA: Well, I think -- I think what is right is that, you know, there's an investigation being undertaken. I think there will be an independent investigation. I hear the Department of Justice is also going to be investigating what took place in our community. And I welcome that. I think we owe it to the community, to the parents especially, they have questions, and they need answers.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

I want to talk in a moment about how Arredondo became in charge of the scene there given the number of agencies. But before I get to that, you likely heard this audio that appears to be a child inside that school, as this was unfolding, who had been shot. It's not, as you know, the first call that we have a record of. We have multiple 911 calls that came from children inside that classroom as this was underway.

Do we know if the information about these calls got to the commander or any other responding police on the scene while this was unfolding? Because they made a decision not to go in, based, it seemed, on the assumption that all the children were dead, but there's information that showed at least some people knew children were alive.

Do we know if that information was getting to the commander on the scene? GARZA: You know, I have no knowledge of that. You know, I'm kind of

like a lot of people here, you know, all this is coming to light now. You know, the children are taught, you know, to make that call, that 911 call, you know?

SCIUTTO: Yes.

GARZA: And they did. And they did. They made their calls. You know, why law enforcement did not take action is beyond me.

SCIUTTO: Yes. I mean either it's bad information sharing or it's further negligence to have knowledge from inside.

But let me ask you about Arredondo because he is the school district police commander. Quite a small police force for that integrated school district. I believe, you know, single digits.

Why was he in charge, given the number of agencies and all the resources that were responding?

GARZA: You know, I think it just came down to jurisdiction, you know. It was - it was something that took place -- that took place at a school campus, at Robb Elementary. And I think he was - he was the man in charge. And, you know, it just came down to jurisdiction.

SCIUTTO: You knew the gunman's grandmother who was, of course, the first victim of this. She was shot before he went on to the school.

[09:10:03]

There are reports that she may never speak again, but her at least life-threatening condition is improving.

Do you have any update on her status at this point?

GARZA: I'm just like a lot of people here, I heard that she's doing well. I heard she's going to survive. And I'm very glad to hear that.

You know, the family comes up sometimes of the shooter and, you know, I've known the family for many years. They're a good family. They value faith. They value church. And this should not be a reflection -- this one act -- this senseless act of violence should not be a reflection on the family.

SCIUTTO: Ronald Garza, we know you and the community are going through so much. Thanks so much for taking the time to join us this morning.

GARZA: Thank you, Jim.

HARLOW: And now to a CNN exclusive.

Supreme Court officials are intensifying their search for the person who leaked the draft opinion from Justice Alito that, if it holds, would overturn Roe v. Wade. According to three sources, officials are taking steps to require law clerks to provide cell phone records and sign affidavits. This is really unprecedented. The exclusive reporting comes to us from our CNN legal analyst and Supreme Court biographer Joan Biskupic.

I mean this is - this is a huge deal. And what you're learning, I understand, is that some law clerks at this point, you know, they're very young, by the way, are beginning exploring hiring outside counsel.

JOAN BISKUPIC, CNN LEGAL ANALYST AND SUPREME COURT BIOGRAPHER: That's right, Poppy. This is, obviously, something that the Supreme Court is taking very seriously, not just the breach of about a month ago, but also any further leaks that the chief justice wants to make sure don't occur. So, they're taking this very aggressive step. And it's already a tense time behind the scenes because they're resolving this abortion case, but also a gun rights case, religion cases. So, it comes at a time when you already have heightened tensions and the clerks are wondering, you know, what do they do here with these requests for affidavits and potential very extensive cell phone information.

And one lawyer, an appellate lawyer who has experience in government investigations, told me about the possibility of law clerks turning to outside counsel. And he said, you know, that's what's similarly situated employees would do for other government organizations, and that it would be hypocritical for the Supreme Court itself to somehow interfere with lawyers -- with law clerks going outside to get at least some advice from counsel.

Now, it's a delicate situation, Poppy, because, you know, these clerks already feel like they're under a microscope and all this scrutiny. And if they turn outside for a lawyer, just so they, you know, just to know what their rights are here, they don't want to draw much more suspicion, especially at this very tense time behind the scenes.

SCIUTTO: Well, it would be notable for the court not to let people seek legal counsel on a legal issue like this.

Bigger picture here, beyond the leak investigation, you have a potential Supreme Court decision that's going to change the lives of millions of women in this country. What do we know about negotiations on the Mississippi abortion case, and when, frankly, we're going to see the final opinion?

BISKUPIC: That's right, Jim, it's not just women, but it's - it could have potential for privacy rights in many other areas.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

BISKUPIC: There's a rule at the Supreme Court that dictates that all drafts need to be sent around by June 1st. You know, the finished draft. The one that had been leaked was dated February 10th. So, Justice Alito has obviously been doing much more work on it, probably fielding requests from colleagues about changes. And I anticipate that there were also efforts behind the scenes, a different kind of compromise.

So, as of tomorrow, his colleagues would have seen his final version. And then it ain't over till it's over, Jim. There is probably still many more negotiations and I expect to see this opinion likely by the end of June, if not early July, given how tense things are and how hard it's been for them to actually focus on these cases.

Jim.

SCIUTTO: And, by the way, as you mentioned, given the attention on Uvalde, there's also a gun -- notable gun decision that may come out during that timeframe too.

BISKUPIC: That's right.

SCIUTTO: Joan Biskupic, always good to have you on.

BISKUPIC: Thank you.

HARLOW: Thanks, Joan.

Still ahead, bipartisan talks on gun reform start today. Will this time be different? Will they compromise? Where is the common ground? We'll have those details ahead.

Also, President Biden lays out his plan to fight inflation ahead of a meeting this afternoon with Fed Chairman Jerome Powell. We'll speak with the deputy treasury secretary, next.

SCIUTTO: And, later, CNN speaks to commuters forced to cut their family budgets as gas prices hit ten-year highs. Some people say they will find a new job if they're forced to drive into the office.

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HARLOW: President Biden will meet with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell at the White House. That happens this afternoon. The president just laid out his plans to tackle inflation in a new op-ed in "The Wall Street Journal." He writes in part, we now have a chance to build on a historic recovery with an economy that works for working families. The most important thing we can do now to transition from rapid recovery to stable steady growth is to bring down inflation.

Joining me now to talk a lot about inflation is Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo.

It's great to have you. Good morning.

WALLY ADEYEMO, DEPUTY TREASURY SECRETARY: Well, thanks for having me, Poppy. It's great to be here.

HARLOW: So, in reading the op-ed by the president and considering this moment when eight in ten Americans say the government is not doing enough to tackle inflation, all of the proposals that are laid out are long-term. They would take at a minimum a few years from fixing broken supply chains, improving infrastructure, building a million units of additional housing, dealing with the upcharges from these ocean freight companies.

[09:20:12] Is there anything the White House is going to do to tackle it right now?

ADEYEMO: So, Poppy, I think the president has demonstrated that he understands the American people's biggest challenge at the moment is high prices. And we've actually taken immediate action. You look at the historic release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which was putting more oil on the market to help reduce prices. That was immediate action.

Look at what we've done in terms of supply chains. Look at the Port of Los Angeles, for example, where the president worked for the private sector to get it open 24 hours a day to make sure that you've dealt with some of those challenges. That was immediate action.

So, the president's focus both on taking immediate steps to reduce inflation, but also taking long-term steps as well, his meeting with the Fed chair today to talk about both of those things.

HARLOW: So - yes. Well, you mentioned the SPR release, the biggest release ever of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. It didn't bring down prices. Gas prices are 39 cents higher today than they were then. So, when you look at all of the families struggling really with this inflation, from their food, to gas and beyond, when can you tell them inflation will get back to a normal, healthy level? Two percent. Are we talking about 2023, 2024, later?

ADEYEMO: So, Poppy, I'm not going to make predictions, but what I am going to say is exactly what the president said, that he understands that high prices are a challenge for people. High gas prices make it harder to pay for things because he's felt it as someone who was growing up in a household where they dealt with food -- high food costs and gas costs.

HARLOW: Yes.

ADEYEMO: And what the president is saying is he's going to do everything he can to make sure that we bring down the cost of goods working with the Fed.

As he said in his op-ed, the Fed has primary responsibility here.

HARLOW: Sure.

ADEYEMO: And he's making clear that he's going to give the Fed the room that they need to take action. But in addition to what we've done with the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, he's calling on energy producers to produce more energy in order to make sure that we bring down prices. And he's also created more than 9,000 permits in the United States to ensure that more energy can be created in the United States as well. And he's committed to doing everything we can to bring down costs as quickly as possible.

SCIUTTO: So there's a limited amount that the Fed can do, right? There's rates, but, you know, beyond that there's only so much and he really can't do anything to deal with energy prices. One thing the White House could do is act on what the president said

three weeks ago when he said that his team, you guys, are considering whether the U.S. should lift those Trump-era tariffs, at least some of them, on China. Given how high inflation is now, is that going to happen in the near term? What's the plan?

ADEYEMO: So, Poppy, I think it's important for us to step back and realize that inflation is not just something that's a challenge here in the United States. It's a global challenge. And we come at this challenge in the United States from a position of strength because our economy has been growing faster and stronger than any other economy in the developed world. And as we transition to more sustainable growth, it's going to be important for us to make decisions that allow that sustainable growth to continue.

One of the things that we are thinking through is, how do we create a level playing field for American firms? And that's why these tariffs have been put in place with regard to China. And we're considering how we use tariffs as a tool to do just that. And, ultimately, our decisions with regard to what we do with tariffs will be around, do we think that they have an impact in leveling the playing field so that American firms and workers are put in a better position to be able to sell American goods around the world going forward.

HARLOW: But, respectfully, Mr. Deputy Secretary, that strength is not economic strength that most American families are feeling right now. Every poll tells us that. You talk to folks at the grocery store, they tell you that. Acting on these Trump era tariffs on China would provide some relief. Why not make that decision now?

ADEYEMO: So, Poppy, we're actively considering what we do with regard to those tariffs. I think the important thing for every American to know is that the president's committed to doing everything we can to bring down costs in a sustainable way.

One of the challenges that we faced for too long was the fact that because of China's unfair practices, American jobs have been lost, and our companies have been unable to compete. So we want to make sure that we address those short-term challenges, like inflation, but the long-term challenges that we face as well.

HARLOW: So over and over again, over the last one and a half years, the White House and the president and Treasury officials, Fed officials downplayed the inflation risk. The president, in July of 2021, said this is expected to be temporary, talking about inflation. Jerome Powell, I don't expect, will be in a situation where inflation rises to troublesome levels. Janet Yellen in March of '21, is there risk of inflation? I think the risk is small.

Larry Summers, former Treasury secretary, has been warning about this for a long time. A year ago, almost exactly now, he said, we are taking very substantial risks on the inflation side.

[09:25:00]

That was a year ago. Should more people in the Biden administration have been listening to

Larry Summers?

ADEYEMO: So, Poppy, what I can tell you is that the president and Secretary Yellen and the entire administration, this focus is our top priority on lowering costs today. No one could have predicted the war that Russia launched on Ukraine and the impact that's having on prices today from global energy to food prices. The supply chain shock that's been created by Covid isn't only something that's happened here in the United States, but it's happened around the world. And the president, in his op-ed, laid out three things that we're going to do to address it. One is, give the Fed the room it needs to take the actions it needs to. Two is take actions like reducing energy from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to bring down the cost of things like oil. And three is bring down our debts and deficits overtime in order to ensure that America both has the resources to pay for the things that we need, but also to help deal with the high costs in our economy.

HARLOW: I hear you. And we just talked about the SPR release that didn't bring prices down. And now the fact that you've got these EU sanctions and EU cutback - way - way cutting back from Russian oil imports, that will likely drive oil prices even higher.

I guess I'm trying to ask, is there a lesson learned here? Should ears have been more open to critics and folks like Larry Summers?

ADEYEMO: So, Poppy, I think the most important lesson that we've learned here is that we've got to do exactly what we've done since the beginning of the administration, which is everything we can to deal with the challenges the American people face.

Think about where we started. When the president came into office, 20 million Americans were unemployment. Today we have historic job growth. We also didn't have many Americans who were vaccinated. And, today, millions of Americans are vaccinated.

So, what the president's going to do going forward is use that same resolve and deal with -- to deal win inflation and to make sure that we address these challenges going forward. And we're going to do everything in the administration we can and we're going to give the room -- the Fed the room it needs to make sure that brings down inflation over time.

HARLOW: All Americans appreciate the effort and hope relief comes soon.

Thank you very much, Mr. Deputy Secretary. We appreciate your time this morning.

ADEYEMO: Thanks for having me, Poppy.

Jim.

SCIUTTO: Still ahead, President Biden says he sees new signs of hope in the battle over gun control. Not everyone on The Hill does, sadly. Are Democrats and Republicans ready to compromise for real? We're going to speak to a leader in the catholic church in Texas who says it's time to take action.

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