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Gun Massacre Survivors Testify at House Oversight Hearing; Bipartisan Group of Senators Met for Gun Negotiations Today; Armed Man Arrested Near Justice Brett Kavanaugh's Home; January 6th Committee to Access More E-mails from Former Trump Attorney; National Gas Price Average Nears $5 Per Gallon. Aired 2-2:30p ET

Aired June 08, 2022 - 14:00   ET

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

[14:00:07]

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Victor Blackwell. Welcome to CNN NEWSROOM.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Alisyn Camerota. An 11-year-old survivor of the Uvalde massacre testified today on Capitol Hill about the living hell that she endured for 77 minutes in her classroom. Miah Cerrillo described what happened when a gunman murdered 19 of her classmates and two teachers while she was just feet away. She gave new details about how she survived after seeing the killer shoot her teacher in the head.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIAH CERRILLO, SURVIVED CLASSROOM MASSACRE IN UVALDE, TEXAS: He shot my friend that was next to me, and I thought he was going to come back to the room, so I grabbed her blood and I put it all over me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you feel safe at school? Why not?

CERRILLO: Because I don't want it to happen again.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you think it's going to happen again?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: Now Miah was one of several witnesses who gave heartbreaking and really disturbing testimony at the hearing about America's epidemic of gun violence. Mass shootings are on pace to hit record levels this year.

The parents of Lexi Rubio, who was killed at Robb Elementary, wept as they implored lawmakers to change the country's gun laws.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIMBERLY RUBIO, MOTHER OF UVALDE MASSACRE VICTIM LEXI RUBIO: We don't want you to think of Lexi as just a number. She was intelligent, compassionate, and athletic. She was quiet, shy unless she had a point to make. If she knew she was right, as she so often was, she stood her ground. She was firm, direct, voice unwavering. So today we stand for Lexi, and as her voice we demand action. We seek

a ban on assault rifles and high-capacity magazines. We understand that for some reason to some people, to people with money, to people who fund political campaigns that guns are more important than children.

Somewhere out there there's a mom listening to our testimony thinking I can't even imagine their pain, not knowing that our reality will one day be hers unless we act now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLACKWELL: CNN correspondent Omar Jimenez is in Uvalde, Texas.

The committee, the American people today heard these stories of who the children would have been, who they would be if they were still alive now, and lives of those left behind who are changed forever.

OMAR JIMENEZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Victor and Alisyn, these are heartbreaking realities of what happened here in Uvalde, not just in the day when this happened a little bit more than two weeks ago, but in what has persisted day in and day out trying to get back to normal lives for these young survivors.

We spoke to the grandfather of one young survivor over the course of the past weeks and he told us she still hears the sound of bullets. She gets scared by even the slightest sounds, and then even today on Capitol Hill, we heard from Miah Cerrillo who described a little bit of what she saw as just a young fourth grader having to smear the blood of her friend as she played dead as this unfolded. But we also heard from her father who described what it is like for her in regards to his relationship with his daughter.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MIGUEL CERRILLO, FATHER OF UVALDE SHOOTING SURVIVOR MIAH CERRILLO: Today I come because I lost my baby girl. She is not the same little girl that I used to play with, hang around with.

I wish something would change, not only for our kids but every single kid in the world because schools are not safe anymore.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JIMENEZ: And that's the major question here. What will change? Everybody who spoke on Capitol Hill and everyone who's spoken out here in this community are hoping that their words, their stories can have at least some sort of an impact on long-term change so that this, these memorials all across this particular town don't pop up anywhere else.

CAMEROTA: Omar, it's unbearable. I mean, honestly it's unbearable to hear the details. Of course we have to hear their stories and they're living it, but every detail is just so searing. And then this afternoon the Justice Department talked about its review of the police response of that Uvalde shooting. We know it took officers 77 minutes to enter the classroom and kill the shooter, so what's the attorney general saying?

JIMENEZ: Yes, well, Attorney General Merrick Garland made this announcement a little bit earlier this afternoon and stressed that this was not a criminal investigation, instead an after-action review of what happened here. And this is something that was requested by the mayor here in Uvalde to look at the investigation into what happened at Robb Elementary. As he admitted, there were missteps in regards to the initial release of information, which we now know at this part.

[14:05:03]

The Justice Department, though, was quick to say what this investigation would be and what it wouldn't be saying that there is no way that they can go back and erase the pain that this shooting has caused this community and subsequent aftermath has caused this community. But what they can do is look at where things went wrong and offer recommendations so that this type of incident, as far as the response goes, doesn't happen in the future, so that they can offer those recommendations.

But bottom line, it's going to take some time as Uvalde County district attorney here says it is going to be a while before they get any report from her.

CAMEROTA: OK. Omar Jimenez, thank you very much for the reporting.

So a larger bipartisan group of senators met today to try to come up with gun safety measures. The senators say they're making progress towards a framework for a bill.

BLACKWELL: CNN's Lauren Fox is with us now. So where are the discussions stand today?

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, lawmakers emerging from that meeting just a little over an hour ago, and Senator John Cornyn, the lead Republican in those talks, said that they are making progress, but he said the enemy is arbitrary timelines. He did not give a deadline for when this group may be finished with their work.

He also said there are sticking points everywhere warning that while they are making progress, there's a lot of details they still have to work through. We also are getting a sense of what is on the table and what is off the table at this point in these negotiations. We know off the table ideas like universal background checks and despite the fact that Minority Leader Mitch McConnell privately has said he's open to the idea of raising the age from 18 to 21, that someone could purchase an AR-15, that is not something that has widespread Republican support, the 10 votes really needed to pass this gun legislation through the U.S. Senate.

On the table incentivizing states to pass red flag laws as well as opening up juvenile records as part of the broader background check process for people between 18 and 21 trying to buy guns like an AR-15. You also have school safety as well as about $7 billion for mental health. All of this coalescing with a huge question mark. Do they get a deal

by the end of the week? If you remember, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he wanted to ensure they had something because the delays just -- he was not going to stand for.

You're seeing some opening, some softening from Republicans. Cynthia Lummus telling my colleague Ted Barrett yesterday that she had one opinion right after Uvalde, but she has been hearing from constituents in the conservative red state of Wyoming. She said she does want to look very closely now at this package, even though they are more narrow protections of what senators are discussing -- Victor and Alisyn.

BLACKWELL: Lauren Fox on Capitol Hill, thank you very much.

Let's get into all of this now with CNN political commentator S.E. Cupp and CNN senior political correspondent Abby Phillip.

Abby, I want to start with Miah because Congress has heard from survivors of mass shootings before, but it's been two weeks since Uvalde. She's 11 years old. Where does her voice fit into these discussions today?

ABBY PHILLIP, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: First of all, I think that it really confronts them and the whole country with really what is our national shame, that an 11-year-old has to be in a position two weeks after she was in the room with a gunman and watched her teacher and friends be murdered to testify before Congress on this issue. I think that that in and of itself is a shocking fact for this country.

Some people might have been tempted to say, oh, they're exploiting this young girl, but she wanted to tell this story, and you also heard from her father who wept as he talked about losing her.

Look, I think that lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, particularly Republicans, recognize that they have to do something. That's the sentiment that you're getting in Washington these days is that everybody knows that sitting around on their hands doing nothing is no longer an option because these particular victims who for the last -- for their entire lives these kinds of school shootings have been a reality for them.

They are demanding that something change and I think that that has made -- raised the stakes for Washington as they go through these negotiations.

CAMEROTA: What's wrong, S.E.?

S.E. CUPP, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I wish that were true. And you know I'm a law-abiding gun owner. I used to be a member of the NRA. I quit the NRA because it no longer represents law-abiding gun owners, the majority of whom want background checks and stuff like that passed.

I know the contours of this debate from the Republican and NRA side all too well, and the intransigence on that side, the slippery slope argument, not willing to give a single inch. That is textbook, it is not changing, and it trickles over to Republicans who wait it out.

[14:10:06]

John Cornyn saying the timeline is arbitrary is exactly what he is doing. He's setting the stage to wait it out. I won't be surprised if they walk away with nothing.

CAMEROTA: Yes, on that note, I want to point out something. Mitch McConnell, Senate minority leader, is very curious about when he can move with great speed and urgency.

CUPP: Yes.

CAMEROTA: Here he is today, let me play for you what he said today that he felt requires urgent action today. Here he is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY): House Democrats must pass this bill and they need to do it today. No more fiddling around with this. They need to pass it today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: He's not talking about gun safety. He's talking about -- on some level he is because he's talking about protecting Justice Brett Kavanaugh in his home, but there he wants urgent action whereas our reporting is that only behind the scenes is Senator McConnell willing to say that he's willing to raise the age for gun purchases to 21. Only privately will he say that, not publicly. What's going on with that?

CUPP: There's been no consequence for doing nothing for a lot of Republican lawmakers, zero consequences. In fact, they're rewarded. And it's just -- it's frustrating, I think, for a lot of us who are on the side of Second Amendment, but -- I'm a mom first, and the frustration is when I hear my friends on the right and people like Mitch McConnell say in the interest of keeping a free society, this is just the way it has to be.

I would ask them, when our kids are not safe at school, shopping malls, churches, temples, sporting events, movie theaters, hospitals, name it, are we in a free society? Does this feel free to you? I have a school aged kid. I don't feel free. I don't feel safe. I mean in the interest of a free society? I don't know what liberties you're protecting anymore. It feels like we are unsafe everywhere.

BLACKWELL: And Abby, it sounds like from Democrats in the House who will eventually have to pass whatever comes out of the Senate, if something comes out, even from Dick Durbin we heard today, the majority whip, they'll take whatever, whatever they can get, whatever small incremental change. And there is a bit of deflation that we're hearing from Democrats. PHILLIP: Well, I think it's also strategically important for them to

be in that place because it really puts the onus and the spotlight on what are Republicans actually willing to do to S.E.'s point. Democrats are saying we will put anything on the table, everything on the table, and so then the ball is in the other side's court. What are they willing to accept? Or will they show their cards?

I think there's a lot of reason to believe what S.E. is saying that the playbook here is to wait. I think also Mitch McConnell is talking -- you know, we as reporters getting word about Mitch McConnell's private thoughts to decode that for the people at home, this is exactly what he did when it came to the impeachment of former President Trump. Privately, he said that he supported impeachment, but publicly he was willing to do absolutely nothing.

And it's because he knows that there's not support in his conference to do much and certainly not to raise the age from 18 to 21, and so it's a little bit of a kind of public relations cover that he's kind of seeking on this issue, and it's not going to be followed with any sort of action. But I think by Democrats basically saying it's up to you to tell us what you're willing to accept, that really puts the spotlight where it ought to be.

There's only -- I mean, the reality is in this debate, there's one side of the debate that wants to talk about everything but one issue.

BLACKWELL: Yes.

PHILLIP: Everything but one issue. As a factual matter, that is where we are in Washington, but that is not where the American public is, and that's certainly not where gun owners are.

CUPP: That's right. I keep pounding that drum, law-abiding gun owners want some commonsense changes on gun laws. Adam Kinzinger, congressman from Illinois and a gun owner himself, of course has offered a raft of changes that are significant changes. What I hope is the Democratic posture that Abby's explaining is true for now. They'll take what they can get. What I hope they don't do is get something little and then gum it up with bigger asks. Take the incremental wins. They're much bigger than you think they might be at the moment.

PHILLIP: That will be a real test.

CUPP: Yes.

PHILLIP: Especially when it goes back to the House. Will they, in fact, take the incremental wins? I mean, nothing that is going to be done is going to be anything big or grand, but the small. If it saves one life, I think is the question, is it worth doing?

CAMEROTA: Are baby steps better than no steps?

CUPP: Yes.

CAMEROTA: Abby Phillip, S.E. Cupp, thank you both very much.

[14:15:03]

So this just into CNN. An armed man was arrested near the home of Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and he has just been charged with attempted murder. We have the details next.

BLACKWELL: And on the eve of the January 6th Committee's primetime hearing, members are getting access to more e-mails from former Trump attorney John Eastman. What this could mean for the investigation ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: The Justice Department just charging a California man who was arrested near Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's home with attempted murder. Authorities say he was armed and was making threats against the justice.

BLACKWELL: There's been increased security around the justice's home since that leak of a draft opinion showing the court is poised to overturn Roe v. Wade.

[14:20:05]

CNN law enforcement correspondent Whitney Wild is with us now. So just before he was arrested, this suspect called authorities? What did he tell them?

WHITNEY WILD, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT CORRESPONDENT: Well, what he told them was he was having suicidal thoughts and that he had a firearm in his suitcase. He did have a firearm in his suitcase according to this indictment that was just released along with a series of others extremely alarming items.

Let me back up and tell you how this all started. 1:00 a.m., two U.S. deputy marshals saw this man exit a taxi. He was dressed in all black. He had a suitcase. He had a backpack. Once he saw those deputy marshals, he turned on his heel and walked down the street. That's when he called 911 and said he was having suicidal thoughts.

Once police took him into custody, they found in his backpack and in his suitcase black tactical chest rig, a Glock 17, pepper spray, zip ties, a hammer, screwdrivers, a long list of other items including hiking boots.

And while they were doing this investigation, they read him his Miranda Rights and it was through this interview they did with him in which he said his intention was to kill the Supreme Court justice inside that home and then kill himself. He was angered over the leaked abortion ruling. He was also concerned that the justice would side with the Second Amendment, that he would loosen gun laws. This is another high-profile opinion coming out of the Supreme Court soon, so we have two high profile Supreme Court opinions coming out, abortion and guns. He was angry about the possible ramifications of both.

This is something that Department of Homeland Security officials have been warning about as well as the FBI for weeks. Further, he told investigators that he wanted to give his life a purpose and he thought that by doing this act, by killing the Supreme Court justice who was not named in the indictment, by the way, by killing the Supreme Court justice, he would be able to do that. Again, telling investigators he intended to kill him, the Supreme Court justice, and then himself.

He also said that he purchased the Glock 17 as well as other items for this explicit purpose. This is a frightening case. It is eerily similar to a case we just covered on Saturday where a man killed a former judge in Wisconsin and then killed himself. Again, the real chance of domestic violent extremism geared toward the Supreme Court justices and their staff and others associated with the court is very real.

This is the example of the type of crime that the federal officials had been warning about since this leaked draft opinion that shows the Supreme Court is very likely to overturn Roe v. Wade happened. Back to you.

BLACKWELL: Some stunning details there, this man, again, just charged with attempted murder. Whitney Wild for us outside the court. Thank you.

On the eve of its primetime hearings, a federal judge is granting the House January 6th Committee access to trove of e-mails from former Trump attorney John Eastman. Now they largely are related to his efforts to help the former president attempt to overturn the 2020 election.

CAMEROTA: We're also learning about two potential new witnesses, former acting attorney general Jeffrey Rosen and his then deputy Richard Donahue. They have been invited to testify publicly about their final days inside the Trump administration.

CNN's Ryan Nobles is on Capitol Hill. So, Ryan, tomorrow is obviously a big day for the committee. What do we know about how these e-mails will play in?

RYAN NOBLES, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: I think it's very unlikely at this point, Victor and Alisyn, that these e-mails will play a starring role in tomorrow night's hearing. This is information the committee may not get even until later this afternoon, and they have to process that information and then see how it relates to the rest of their investigation, but there's a real possibility because of the content of these e-mails that it's something that could pop up in one of the several other hearings that are planned for the month of June.

This is the former -- he's still a conservative attorney named John Eastman who was one of the central architects of the many different legal theories about standing in the way of the certification of the election results, and these particular e-mails show, according to the judge in the case, perhaps an effort to try and circumvent even the legal process to stand in the way of that certification.

That's why the judge ruled that these e-mails should not be protected by attorney-client privilege. So the committee hopes to get that information. It is part of a broader investigation. May not see it tomorrow night, but you should expect it to come up in the very near future.

CAMEROTA: OK, Ryan Nobles, thank you very much for the very latest. And be sure to watch tomorrow night, this is at 7:00 p.m. CNN's special coverage of the January 6th hearings.

OK, well, no relief yet at the gas pump. A gallon now averaging just shy of $5 nationwide. So we have more on the worldwide problem, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:29:23]

BLACKWELL: The World Bank is warning that the global economy's odds of avoiding a recession are getting lower. According to its new forecast, the war in Ukraine, lockdowns in China, supply chain disruptions are hammering growth and raising inflation.

CAMEROTA: Meanwhile, gas prices continue to climb here in the U.S. The national average now just under $5 a gallon.

CNN's Rahel Solomon is tracking all of this for us. So, Rahel, gas prices, let's start there.

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Gas prices. Yes, guys, 15 states are already at $5 a gallon, plus the District of Columbia. This reporting from AAA nine are on the cusp. So this pain is widespread, and we're getting some comments out of the Middle East today at a conference that could signal more pain. The energy minister of the UAE saying that prices are nowhere near the peak.