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Biden Pushes For Stricter Gun Laws, For God's Sake, Do Something; Zelenskyy on War's 100th Day, Victory Shall Be Ours; U.S. Economy Adds 390,000 Jobs in May, Unemployment Stable at 3.6 Percent. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired June 03, 2022 - 10:00   ET

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

[10:00:00]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: A very good Friday morning to you. I'm Jim Sciutto.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Poppy Harlow.

President Biden in a primetime address to the nation making an impassioned plea for stricter gun laws, telling Congress now is the time for action.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: My fellow Americans, enough, enough. It's time for each of us to do our part. It's time to act for the children we've lost, the children we can save, for the nation we love. Let's hear the call and the cry. Let's meet the moment. Let us finally do something.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: The president calling for a set of changes to current gun laws in the wake of a string of mass shootings across the country, including an assault weapons ban or, he said, if Congress cannot accomplish that, at least raise the minimum age to purchase to 21 years old.

SCIUTTO: But the simple facts, once again, are this, those measures have no realistic chance of passages in the Senate. Republicans aren't even talking about gun restrictions. They are once again blaming mental illness for the nation's gun crisis. We have crunched those numbers before on this broadcast. That claim does not stand up.

Some states are, though, not waiting for Congress to act. New York state lawmakers just passed several bills, including one that raises the minimum age to buy a semiautomatic rifle to 21. We will have more on those state measures in just a moment.

But, first, let's look at the national effort or what remains of it. CNN's John Harwood at the White House, also with, Errol Louis, Political Anchor for Spectrum News and of the You Decide podcast. John, I don't want to get cynical here. I do want to be honest with our viewers because we will report on measures that pass of a Democratic controlled House but don't have the votes to pass the Senate and become law. So, what is the reality of the effort? What is still alive? What might still get through?

JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Jim, it's not cynical at all. It's telling the truth. Look, I think the White House goal for the Biden speech last night was to prevent the issue from fading away, as it's done after some past mass shootings, where there's a brief flurry of talk of negotiations, then the heat goes down and the issue goes away. As a senior administration official told me this morning, I think the president kept the heat on Republicans.

But they know that they are now facing an extremist Republican Party on this issue. Consider this, the president talked last night about an assault weapons ban. They passed it in 1994. They had nine Republican senators vote for that assault weapons ban. Republicans did not filibuster. When you then move ahead to 2013, after the Newtown massacre, Republicans did filibuster and blocked it, only four Republicans voted for even background checks. That wasn't an assault weapons ban.

And so, as you indicated, the discussions that are going on on Capitol Hill, this is not about finding a middle ground compromise because Republicans aren't anywhere close to the middle ground. The question is whether they will give an inch or two or three on red flag laws, for example.

It's a very difficult fight, but from the White House and Democratic perspective, you have got to wage it, you've got to wage a public argument. And if you can't get it done, as the president said last night, you count on voters to respond. It's -- this is a very, very tough issue for them, given the rock solid Republican opposition.

HARLOW: So, Errol, I mean, states can make changes, though, and some have, even some Republican-led states. Look at Florida after the Parkland shooting. New York is about to enact these new gun restrictions. But I say that with caution because, as soon as Monday, the Supreme Court could hand down its decision in a big guns case. And depending on which way that goes, that could call any new gun law completely into question.

ERROL LOUIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, absolutely. And, look, Poppy, it's the brokenness of the system that I think gives rise to the kind of frustration we heard from the president last night. When there are majorities and super majorities in favor of background checks, but you can't get a vote on it, majorities, and in some cases, super majorities in favor of an assault weapons ban, and you can't get a vote on it, when you have an inability to take any step forward even at the state level in part because we have a Supreme Court that may make all of that moot, there's a deep, deep frustration and I think some of the pain over the shootings and deaths themselves is really matched by the problem or the fear that our system is simply not capable of handling this problem. SCIUTTO: Looking ahead, we have midterms. The numbers look horrendous for Democrats. So, you might very well have political result, Errol Louis, in the fall, that for a whole host of other reasons, perhaps inflation, et cetera, will reaffirm, right, these Republican positions. So, I mean, should folks at home beyond Poppy's point where the Supreme Court is going on this, be preparing for an even more lax gun environment as opposed to one that is addressing some of these issues?

[10:05:08]

LOUIS: Well, no. Look -- (INAUDIBLE).

SCIUTTO: Sorry, we're losing Errol Louis there. Maybe, John, do you have a thought on that.

HARWOOD: Look, I think the political environment this year is extremely difficult for Democrats. Inflation concerns, as you mentioned, although the White House was quite pleased with that jobs report today which suggested that a cooling off economy, which is what they want to see.

But right now, all the cards are lined up against the Democrats. It looks very likely that Republicans will win control of the Congress. However, when you have an issue like gun legislation in the wake of mass shootings like this, that introduces a wild card into the election environment. When you have a leaked Supreme Court opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade, that introduces a wild card into the environment.

So, there is the potential, especially with some of the suburban voters that Democrats have prospered with in the past, there's a potential that some of these different issues could change the political dynamic. But, in general, it remains quite likely that Republicans, given where the president is, low 40s, not in a strong place politically, Democrats aren't in a strong place, that the republicans are going to take control.

But the more discussion there is of mass shootings and issues like this, the better the outlook is for Democrats.

SCIUTTO: Hey, Errol, just because we lost you, it sounds like you had a counterpoint, just very quickly, the point you were going to make?

LOUIS: Sure. It was simply that, look, we saw it with the George Floyd killings in the wake of it. Nothing changes until everything changes, right? If people are fed up enough and they take it to the streets and make it an issue in race after race, you could see some change after the November midterms.

SCIUTTO: Yes, keep your mind open.

HARLOW: Wise points from you both. So good to have you on. Have a nice weekend. Thanks, Errol Louis, John Harwood.

Turning now to the tragedy in Texas, according to court records obtained by CNN, search warrants have been issued for the Uvalde school shooting suspect's cell phone, vehicle and his grandparents' home.

SCIUTTO: This will give investigators the authority to perform a forensic download of the killer's cell phone with hopes, among other things, of turning up maybe a motive for the shooting.

CNN Correspondent Nick Valencia is in Uvalde, Texas. Motive, I don't know what a motive could be for going in to shoot a bunch of children dead, but what more do we know about the investigation?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, good morning, Jim and Poppy. Every day, it seems that new details continue to trickle out, but it's not enough, not enough for these parents who have gone through their worst day and have been largely kept in the dark to the inaction of police that day who have yet to fully explain themselves. But these search warrants may provide yet even more answers.

The forensic analysis that the police were given permission to with one search warrant of the iPhone 13 found by the gunman's body, they are at the scene, they are going to scrub that. Also, two other search warrant, one for his grandparents' home and another for his Ford F-150 which he crashed into a ditch right by the school, it uncovered a large cache of magazines for his gun as well as a bag of receipts and a laptop which also could provide more information. And we are learning, meanwhile, more information about what happened that day.

Roland Gutierrez is a state senator here who is really pressed for answers and he gave a press conference recently in which he said there wasn't just human error here, there was also system error, especially when it comes or when it came to the 911 calls.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STATE SEN. ROLAND GUTIERREZ (D-TX): You know, I've had to piece things together myself, talking to the State Communications Emergency Office, about 911 calls in rural communities, understanding that nine calls, 911 calls, were going to the Uvalde P.D. But they were also going to 17 other entities there. I also know that Arredondo was not receiving those 911 calls, not been told a reason why.

This community is a community that is hurt, that is fractured, that is devastated, but, absolutely, they need to know what happened here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: And, look, guys, whether or not they were getting those 911 calls, what Mr. Gutierrez said almost sounds like an excuse for Chief Arredondo. Those officers that were in the hallway, yes, they were given a command by the incident commander reportedly not to go in, but you have to understand there's got to be a human obligation for them. They're likely hearing these gunshots, likely hearing the groans of these students who were being murdered and it just makes no sense to us and no sense to the community why they wouldn't go in, even if it was going against the commands of the incident commander. Jim, Poppy? SCIUTTO: Well, it may prove to be multiple failures, right, on multiple fronts here. Nick Valencia, we know you'll keep on top of it. Thank you.

New York state lawmakers, they have passed ten bills to tighten state gun laws, state gun laws, including a bill to raising the minimum age to 21 from 18 to buy a semiautomatic rifle.

[10:10:01]

HARLOW: CNN's Athena Jones has been tracking this. Athena, so the governor is going to sign these measures. Walk us through what they would do, with the caveat that like the current New York law, they could be challenged.

ATHENA JONES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Certainly, they could be challenged, but Governor Kathy Hochul has said she's not going to worry about a courtroom loss. She's going to do what she can to try to protect the citizens of New York.

In a tweet, she's calling this our nation leading package of gun legislation. It would do several things, among them raise the age to a buy semiautomatic rifle to 21 years old. You'd have to have a license to buy this sort of weapon, and you couldn't get that license unless you were 21.

It would also require new pistols to have what's called micro stamping technology. They'd first have to study if this technology is feasible. But if it is, it means that every gun would -- basically, every bullet would have the fingerprint of the gun on it so you would be able identify which gun it came from.

They also would ban most civilians from buying bullet-resistant vests or body armor. You would have to be in a certain field of work. And they broaden red flag laws. So, they expand the list of people who can file for what -- a certain kind of protection order that allows courts to temporarily seize weapons from someone deemed a danger to themselves or to others.

The governor really making the point that New York can do what it can do, but she's pushing for movement on the federal front because you hear from folks like the governor and mayor of New York City, Eric Adams, about what's called the iron pipeline, guns and gun parts that are illegal in the state of New York, things like magazines that hold more than ten rounds, which you can't have in New York since 1994. Those things are coming in from out of state. And so real action is going to take a move on the federal part.

SCIUTTO: We've heard that from the NYPD, the iron pipeline. And the thing is state laws are nice, but in a country of 50 states where we don't have walls at our borders, right, those weapons can still come across. Athena Jones, thanks so much.

HARLOW: This hour, President Biden is expected to speak about the jobs report that we just got, the May numbers. It was slightly better than expected, but that might actually not be good for the inflation picture. We'll explain why with the labor secretary, next.

SCIUTTO: Plus, the January 6th committee is taking its first public hearings to primetime. What new information the committee is planning to reveal in those hearings, who could be called to testify, it will be significant national moment.

First, however, Ukraine's president shares a new message as the country marks 100 days since Russia's invasion. Where the war stands as the U.S. is sending -- U.S. and its allies sending more advanced weapons.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:15:00]

HARLOW: Russia's war on Ukraine has now reached its 100th day and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has never wavered, believing as much now as he did on day one that Ukraine will prevail.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT: The leaders of parliamentary factions are here. The president's chief of staff is here. Prime Minister of Ukraine Shmyhal is here. Podolyak is here. The president is here. Our team is much bigger. The Armed Forces of Ukraine are here. Most importantly, our people, the people of our country, are here. We have been defending Ukraine for 100 days. Victory shall be ours. Glory to Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SCIUTTO: Those words come as the war is getting more, not less bloody. Ukraine trying to push back Russian assaults in the east. U.K. intelligence says the key city of Luhansk in the east could fall under Russian control within two weeks and the losses for Ukrainian forces are staggering.

Joining me now from Kyiv with more, CNN Senior International Correspondent Ben Wedeman. You know, we've been covering this conflict for months now. What are you hearing from the frontlines?

BEN WEDEMAN, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: That the situation, Jim and Poppy, is getting ever more dire in the eastern part of the country, particularly in the city of Severodonetsk. I spent a lot of time there in the month of April, and even back then, it was getting mercilessly pounded by Russian artillery and they have been trying for weeks and weeks to take over that key city, and it appears at this point they may control as much as 70 to 80 percent.

There are still apparently 800 civilians in a basement in one of the -- in a large chemical factory there. In fact, we were in that basement back in April and the people were desperate for help, for food, for medicine, for relief. But it appears that the Russians are now -- perhaps they've learned lessons from the catastrophe that was their operation around Kyiv that they're using massive amounts of heavy artillery, simply to turn that area into a wasteland and then perhaps to take over.

And so, for instance, we've heard President Zelenskyy saying that every single day, somewhere between 60 and 100 Ukrainian soldiers are being killed as a result of the fighting. They continue to call, to plead to the west to provide more and better equipment. Now, we saw President Biden announcing a $700 million package that would provide some long-range artillery and other equipment that the Ukrainians desperately need, but they need it now, and it's not getting there in time for the pressure to be relieved on areas or cities, like Severodonetsk.

[10:20:08]

Jim, Poppy?

SCIUTTO: Ben Wedeman, good to have you on, thank you.

Joining me now to discuss the big picture there, retired General Wesley Clark, he's the former NATO supreme allied commander. General, thanks so much for joining again.

GEN. WESLEY CLARK, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Thank you, Jim.

SCIUTTO: So, first of all, Ukrainian losses in the east are staggering and the Ukrainian president has been public about them. He says 60 to 100 killed every day, many hundreds more wounded in combat every day. I just wonder, how long can the Ukrainian military survive this?

CLARK: Well, it's a real burden on the Ukrainian military. This combat in the east is chewing up trained Ukrainian forces, and the Ukrainians are mobilizing reserves and trying to get the reserves trained, but you can't build reserve forces that are as competent as the forces that are being chewed up in the east.

The Ukrainians, they have a terrible dilemma, because if they give up the terrain to try to save the force, they give up their country. But if they hang on to Ukraine, they're fixed in position of just pounded by the Russian artillery. So, it is a real dilemma.

They know what Russian tactics are. They just don't have the materiel superiority they need to counter it. The only way to beat this and hold on to your territory is to have more artillery.

SCIUTTO: And they were if they give up that territory, they will be pressured by the outside to sort of let it go to Russia.

The U.S., as you know, is sending more advanced weapons, but not a huge number. I mean, for instance, the multiple-launch rocket system, a few systems, limited ammunition. I just wonder, is the U.S. failing to give the Ukrainians what they need now and quickly enough?

CLARK: Jim, we've been talking for months on this channel and we've said really since the end of March that it was a race of competitive reinforcement, the Russians versus the Ukrainians, and we had to be behind it. And we have just been a step behind or two steps behind and low in quantity at every stage.

Now, partly, it's because we have our own forces to take care of, partly it's because we want to do things legally and correctly. We're not on a wartime in the United States. Our factories are not pumping out munitions and weapons systems, but there are a whole lot of factors at work.

But the bottom line is, not enough, not soon enough, and the critical moment is coming. You're going to see a breakthrough, I think, by the Russian forces out of Donbas, you're going to see mobile warfare. We've kept the Ukrainians from getting fighter planes. They desperately need those fighter planes. And they don't have enough mobile artillery systems. We're talking about shortages of several hundred systems.

SCIUTTO: Okay. The other issue here, right, is that those ports, those Ukrainian ports on the Black Sea, particularly Odessa, I mean, they're blocked. I mean, they're blocked and this is causing -- it's setting up a global food crisis here because that grain and corn from Ukraine is not getting to places it needs. What does NATO need to do here to get that open? I mean, they're supplying ship missiles so the Ukrainians can threaten Russian ships in the Black Sea, but should NATO be supervising some sort of safe passage here?

CLARK: Well, I think we would like to have United Nations authority to do this. I think if you could get the United Nations to call for a coalition of the willing to open up the Black Sea, put the pressure on Russia to move back and you give the authorization for countries like Australia or others to come in, bring their assets and work, and it would put pressure on Turkey. Turkey controls the entrance to the Black Sea, even though they're a NATO member, they're operating under their own legal convention that's been in place many years that limits warships and so forth going back and forth and how long they can stay there.

So, this is really an international community problem and I would hope that U.N. Secretary General Guterres would do something on this quickly, force Russia and China to either get out of the way or take positive action to open it up.

SCIUTTO: Meanwhile, parts of the world may be going hungry soon. General Wesley Clark, always good to have you on.

CLARK: Thank you, Jim.

HARLOW: As we wait to hear from President Biden on the May jobs report that we just got this morning, we will be joined by the labor secretary, Marty Walsh, to talk about that and the state of the economy, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:25:00]

HARLOW: All right. This morning, the new jobs report is out. U.S. economy added 390,000 jobs in May. The unemployment rate remained at 3.6 percent, which is a bit higher than the half century low recorded back in February 2020 right before the pandemic.

Joining us now to talk about it all, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh. And I just learned you are recovering from COVID. You don't -- you look healthy. We hope it's a speedy recovery. Thank you, Mr. Secretary.

MARTY WALSH, LABOR SECRETARY: Now, thank you. Yes, thank God for vaccines and boosters, that's all I can say, because --

HARLOW: There you go.

WALSH: -- I'll be all right. I'll be all right.

HARLOW: All right. Good. All right, so, as they say, you know, Boston strong.

Let's move on to the numbers. So, this jobs report was actually better than expected, which we would almost always cheer.

[10:30:00]

But with this inflationary environment, there are questions about that. Is there anything in the jobs report that you think should give Americans comfort about the very high inflation, very high prices?