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14 Arrested in Berkeley as Trump Protests Turn Violent; Trump Monitoring North Korea Situation From Mar-A-Lago; Trump White House to Keep Visitor Logs Private; Female Kicker Makes College Football History; Good Samaritans are Rock Stars in a Classroom. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired April 15, 2017 - 17:00   ET

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


[17:00:00] ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

ANA CABRERA, CNN ANCHOR: You are in the CNN NEWSROOM. Top of the hour. Thanks for being with me in the New York studios. I'm Ana Cabrera. We have some breaking news on the west coast to talk about right now. Protests regarding President Trump are turning violent in Berkeley, California. This video from earlier this afternoon. At least 14 people are now under arrest. Two others were injured.

Several fights broke out in this crowd of hundreds. Berkeley police tell us a firecracker was thrown into the crowd. Police have also confiscated a number of items, they are calling contraband from demonstrators like a knife and some wooden sticks. Now, the San Francisco Quanico (ph) reports today's rally follows other violent eruptions at other recent protests, and pro-Trump events in Berkeley.

Last month, ten people were arrested, many others bloodied and bruised, fist fights broke out between marchers and counter protesters, including crowds of what they are calling masked anarchists. This is also some video here in Berkeley, California, today. But meantime, back in February, the University of California Berkeley said protests at the school that were planned ahead of an appearance by the right-wing commentator Milo Yiannopoulos caused $100,000 worth of damage to the campus.

So, there have been a number of situations. Now, I can tell you that commentator's appearance had been canceled. We are covering every angle of today's violent clashes in Berkeley, California. And moments ago, I talk to the spokesman for the city of Berkeley Police Department Byron White. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BYRON WHITE, SPOKESMAN, BERKELEY POLICE DEPARTMENT: Injuries that were reported to us, one involved an officer who was exposed to some, what we believe is tear gas, when a member of the crowd put it out into the park. Another person was sprayed with what we believe is bear spray, or pepper spray type bear spray. Both of those people have been since treated and released.

CABRERA: Officer, when we look at these images, you don't see police getting involved, trying to break up the fight. Why is that? WHITE: I imagine that some of what you may be talking about is when

the -- some of the people went out into the adjacent street. We had a number of controlled points trying to limit the weapons that people had when they're having their peaceful demonstration. When those -- when that controlled area broke free, that presented a particular challenge for us, and that officers had to confront people who were potentially armed out in the street. So there was a degree of caution necessary.

CABRERA: Will you go back and watch some of the video, do you think, and try to follow up and make additional arrests?

WHITE: Certainly. Just as in past demonstrations, the Police Department continues its investigation after the event. The Berkeley police aren't just responsible for what happens in the park, but for the entire city. And we're going to review any video surveillance reporting from the area, as well as videos of people, the public sent in to us. And perhaps send out arrest warrants for those people as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: That video tough to watch. That was the city of Berkeley Police Department's spokesman Byron White and we just got a new update. The latest now is 15 people arrested to minor injuries. Let's talk about North Korea now. Not just ignoring President Trump's threats, but raising the stakes. It is used a major holiday parade to roll out never before seen weapons, specifically missile canisters that are larger than any of the country has unveiled before.

CNN is inside Pyongyang right now. Our crew was at this parade. And what you're seeing are two of the most worrisome developments. Experts say these canisters are capable of holding intercontinental ballistic missiles that could reach the U.S. mainland. Emphasis on the word "could." As of right now it is unclear if there is anything actually inside those canisters. But if so, the apparent design means it could be deployed rather quickly, and be more easily hidden from detection by satellites.

It's the disturbing realization and it comes as analysts speculates that North Korea is close to carrying out another nuclear threat. If it does, there is a chance Vice President Mike Pence will be just across the border. He's expected to land in Seoul overnight. Meanwhile, President Trump is spending another weekend at Mar-A-Lago in Florida.

And CNN Suzanne Malveaux is there in West Palm Beach near the President's private resorts. Susan, a lot of new developments. What's the latest from there?

SUZANNE MALVEAUX, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ana, certainly the Pentagon is taking a close look at potentially new information about those new missiles, new weapons that North Korea displayed earlier today. I have to say that the White House playing it pretty cool here. Really breathing a sigh of relief over the last 12 to 24 hours. There was not another nuclear test. But the White House has been showing that they are prepared to ramp up and ratchet up, if you will, this escalation with North Korea.

We saw the movement that the "USS Carl Vinson," the aircraft carrier, that strike group moving into the region. And we also heard from President Trump over the week saying that, yes, on the one hand, he was confident and willing to trade, if you will, economic type of trade with the leader of China in return for some sort of more action with North Korea, or in his tweets, that perhaps the U.S. would be willing to do it alone.

[17:05:30] But today, what we're seeing is really kind of a quietness from this White House. The last 12 to 24 hours, it was very much on high alert. The President here at Mar-A-Lago being briefed by his Deputy National Security Advisor K.T. McFarland who is here in Florida with him. They had everything ready to go overnight, a podium, a briefing room, secure facility set up in case they had announcements to make.

A North Korea provocation, or a U.S. response to that provocation. That did not happen instead what we've seen is the President out playing golf this afternoon as he did yesterday as well. The White House staff footprint, we are told by an official, intentionally light, so that the President can spend some time with his family and top White House advisers could do the same. But I have to tell you, Anna, yes, there is a sense of relief here. But certainly that they are not out of the woods yet.

We are seeing Vice President Pence on his way, make his way to the region, to the Asia-Pacific region. He is going to be in South Korea on Sunday. And that is where he's going to be meeting with the acting president of South Korea to talk about U.S. strategy, and alliance with South Korea and dealing with the threat from the North. He is going to be celebrating the Easter holiday, having meal as well as a service making a speech with U.S. troops and Korean troops as well, to make the point. He's also going to be visiting with Japan, Australia and Indonesia before he returns home. This is a very significant trip for the White House, as he develops personal relationships with critical allies in addressing the North Korea threat -- Ana.

CABRERA: All right. Suzanne Malveaux reporting from West Palm Beach, thank you. And while the President hasn't commented yet on this new show strength in North Korea, he did tweet this just a couple of days ago. "I have great confidence that China will properly deal with North Korea if they are unable to do so, the U.S. with its allies will. USA."

Let's talk more about the options ahead. My next guest is Kurt Bardella, he spent more than a decade representing members of Congress, including Republican Congressman Darrell Issa. Kurt, thanks so much for being with us.

KURT BARDELLA, PRESIDENT, ENDEAVOR STRATEGIES: This is a president who ran on the platform of America first. But I want to put up a map here and let's just take a look at all the places the U.S.'s military is now taking action just in the last couple of weeks. Syria, Afghanistan, Somalia. Do you think the President is still pursuing this America-first agenda that he campaigned on? Well, I think you look at the way in which he has engaged, you know,

in foreign policy. And really, it's been a massive spectacle, whether they were launching, you know, 57 or 59, you know, missiles in Syria, or the mother of all bombs the other day on ISIS. It's the spectacle of which he's gone about doing so is really consistent from what we've seen from Donald Trump, the propagandist, the showman, the producer of reality TV.

And I think that he believes at least that by showing and flexing American muscle, American might, that that's exactly the type of policy he's talked about in the past, which is America first, America being strong and forceful and decisive. Those are the things that he attacked President Obama on before which was in his mind not being decisive enough. No one can say that the actions he's taken in the last few days in the last weeks hasn't been directed straight forward and forthright. It remains to be seen whether really, policy by this -- I kind of liken it to a Hulk Hogan foreign policy of just strength and nothing really underneath that, whether that's going to work long term or not, we'll find out.

CABRERA: Kind of interesting how you put it in terms of what he has been consistent with in terms of being decisive, that type of thing. Now, there is a lot of talk still about who has the President's ear, and what's happening among his advisers. One person who is apparently losing favor is his chief strategist, Steve Bannon. And someone many think the President got his sort of nationalistic ideology or rhetoric from. Explain the geneses of this relationship between Bannon and President Trump. Because I know that you have some familiarity with Steve Bannon.

BARDELLA: Sure. Sure. Well, you know, if you follow Donald Trump's political rise, and really involved in politics, Steve has been at the forefront of that for a very long time. And even just going back to this most recent campaign, when Steve was still at Breitbart, He hosted a daily news show on Sirius XM radio, and Donald Trump was guest on that show frequently, I mean, more than at least 25 times going back to 2015. And they would have very in-depth conversations about the direction of the country, America's role in foreign affairs.

And a lot of I think Trump's ideology in the campaign was shaped in these conversations with Steve on this show. And so, it's a really deep rooted relationship which is why it was funny when Trump tried to create distance from Steve Bannon this last week saying, you know, essentially saying, he barely knows the guy, which isn't true based on the fact that he was on this public radio show numerous times over the last two years.

[17:10:23] CABRERA: Right. So what changed?

BARDELLA: Well, I think what changed was they weren't winning, they weren't doing well. Trump's been inundated with native headlines and self-inflicted wounds, whether Sean Spicer, Steve Bannon. I also think that, and you know, I talked about this a little bit before, Steve was someone who started stealing some of Trump's thunder. When you get on the cover of "Time" magazine, and particularly that publication which Trump has often talked about being on the cover so many times and he boasts about that a lot.

You know, he keeps it in his offices, all these stacks of magazines of things that he's been on the cover of. When your own aide is starting to do those things, you know, you're flying too close to the sun. And you're not really in Trump's mind, you're not knowing your role, your job is to support me, not be out in front of me and not become, you know, the other virtual, the co-president and playing to that caricature that somehow he was really running the show and not Trump, that's not going to fly with someone like Donald Trump.

CABRERA: Now, is that Steve Bannon's fault, though, or is he just kind of getting the short end of the stick?

BARDELLA: Well, I think that Steve was a very willing participant in the creation of the caricature that he was really running the show. And he didn't do anything to dissuade anybody from believing that notion, that Steve was really in charge. I think at the time, Steve really believed that it was to his benefit that people thought that he had all this power, and influence over President Trump.

And unfortunately for Steve, as time went on, and failure began to really overrun the agenda, whether it was not successfully repealing and replacing ObamaCare, whether it was the cancellation of the executive orders on the, you know, who's going to come into this country, those type of failures, you know, really started creating a situation where Trump was looking for somebody to blame. And Steve was front and center for that.

CABRERA: We have to go in just a moment, but I do want to ask you, you know, what benefit is it to Steve to stay in his current position if President Trump has come out in such a public way and sort of talked down about him?

BARDELLA: Well, Steve is someone who's very, I think, combative by nature and not someone who accepts failure very easily. And so you can make the case that by staying and surviving this, and eventually moving on on your own terms when you're not under siege, that you can come out on the other side of that looking stronger than if you were to live right now. I do think that there's some wisdom and the idea that maybe he should just walk away right now. If you're going to be sideline and everyone knows so publicly, there's this distance between you and the President, it's not doing it any good just to be there as a place holder, you're probably better served moving on with your life and reinventing yourself.

CABRERA: Kurt Bardella, thanks for your time tonight.

BARDELLA: Thanks for having me, Ana.

CABRERA: We appreciate it.

Coming up, the Trump administration announcing it will not reveal its visitor logs for guests who arrive at the White House. Breaking with the Obama administration. So the big question is, why? And we're continuing to watch protests unfolding in Berkeley, California. Fifteen people arrested so far. These protests are turning violent. We'll bring you an update as we get them.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:17:23] CABRERA: Since Donald Trump took office, there have been dozens of visitors to the White House since but we'll never know for sure who the President is meeting with because the White House plans to keep its visitor logs private. Breaking a precedence set by President Obama and infuriating critics who quickly brought up this tweet by Trump from 2012. Why is Barack Obama spending millions to try and hide his records? He is the least transparent president ever, and he ran on transparency.

CNN's political commentators Keith Boykin and Alice Stewart joining me now. Keith, to you first. The White House said this is necessary to not disclose the visitor logs because they want to protect National Security. Would you admit there are some circumstances where the White House needs to keep things from the public?

KEITH BOYKIN, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yes, of course, there are some circumstances where the White House needs to keep things from the public. However, there are possibilities to redact that information, to edit that information out. The Obama administration released some six million names of people who visited the White House. This administration doesn't want to release any. And he claims to be transparent. It's part of a pattern of non-transparency on the part of this administration.

We have this guy, today it's April 15th, everybody else is filling out their tax returns. Donald Trump has not released his tax returns yet. You know, even Alice can tell you this, because her former boss, Ted Cruz, released nine years of his tax returns, and challenged Donald Trump to release his. He did not do that. Hillary Clinton released 39 years of her tax returns. This is the least transparent president we've had in American history since probably Richard Nixon. And definitely the most corrupt president since Richard Nixon is this is a troubling pattern and it's a reflex of the hypocrisy of the Trump administration.

CABRERA: Alice, I want to play some sound for you from 2012. Let's listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRES. DONALD TRUMP (R), UNITED STATES: President Obama is the least transparent president in the history of this country.

DAVID LETTERMAN, NBC HOST, "LATE NIGHT WITH DAVID LETTERMAN": Why do we want to see President Obama's college records?

TRUMP: Transparency. Does that make sense to anybody? Seriously.

LETTERMAN: What does that mean, transparency?

TRUMP: It means there are so many hidden things that we just don't know about our president.

There is a total lack of transparency. This is a very, very sad day for the United States of America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: All right, Alice, you heard Keith, you heard the President himself from 2012. Is this another example of hypocrisy?

ALICE STEWART, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I think openness and transparency is vital in our government. And specifically, when it comes to the people's House, there at the White House, it's also important to note what they're saying, this change in policy is not as though they're going to take the secret service visitor logs and lock them up and throw away the key. What they're doing is they're making them available by filling out the Freedom of Information Act Request.

CABRERA: Right.

STEWART: Which having been a journalist, it is a pain, it's an extra process, but they will be available to those that fill out the proper paperwork and the information that will be provided. That being said and I think --

CABRERA: As a journalist we know that that can take a while to get that information.

STEWART: Sure. Sure. Yes.

CABRERA: So, it's not as easy as saying, you know, this is who's coming and going. And it's not out there for the public. It's added some layers, right?

STEWART: It does. And they're doing this simply because of all the concerns over privacy and national security.

BOYKIN: That's not why they're doing this.

STEWART: Look, I think people agree with me on this next point too. In addition to this, if he's going to be conducting official business down at Mar-A-Lago, I think we need to have visitor logs there. And I think we need to make those available under the same process. Because I think that is -- you can't bypass processes that have been in place for many, many years. And I think what work he's doing at Mar-A-Lago is just as important for the people to know in regards to openness and transparency as what's being done at the White House.

BOYKIN: I agree with what Alice is saying about Mar-A-Lago, except that the point that she's making is that, you can't have these norms violated. The problem is that Donald Trump is violating these norms every day. He's violating the constitution's clauses. He's violating the norm on the release of tax returns. He's violating the conflict of interest laws. He is violating nepotism laws. He is violating all the traditional norms of behavior for presidents. And I think this is unprecedented unless the Republicans and people who are good people like Alice stand up to Donald Trump and demand that he hold himself accountable and that Congress holds him accountable. We'll going to have some troubled times in the next four years. CABRERA: Keith, let me just play devil's advocate for a second

because I know you worked for President Bill Clinton. He also resisted releasing visitor logs. How do you see this differently?

BOYKIN: Well, I think that's problematic -- I don't see it differently. By the way, I think it's problematic in both instances. I think I err on the side of more accountability. And President Clinton, if he wasn't willing to release them I think is just as culpable as Donald Trump. The problem, though, is that Donald Trump ran for office criticizing Hillary Clinton, criticizing Barack Obama, slandering the Democrats for lack of transparency and he's shown no inclination whatsoever to be transparent. Not to mention going back to what Alice said about Mar-A-Lago, he's down there, he's been down there 28 percent of his presidency, down in Mar-A-Lago, one of the Trump's rented properties.

[17:22:35] This is his 17th week, I think he's there. And he's doing this in a way that benefits him personally. He's going down there at taxpayers' expense, costing us $25 million so far. He is on pace to spend more than Barack Obama spent over the course of four years. And as a result of this, he is benefiting personally because the money is going into his pocket for the Trump properties. That is not an ethical situation for an American president and we should all be standing up to denounce that.

CABRERA: I have to double check those numbers. But Keith Boykin and Alice Stewart, we'll have to leave it there. We'll have to leave it there for the moment. We'll have you both back. Thank you for joining us.

STEWART: Thanks, Ana.

CABRERA: Up next, the inspector general of veterans affairs says a veteran hospital in Washington, D.C., is putting patients at risk. A closer look at this scathing report, next.

You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:27:33] CABRERA: The veterans hospital in our nation's capital is putting patients at unnecessary risk. That's a quote from an urgent report by the inspector general of the Veterans Affairs Department. It found more than a dozen dirty areas that were supposed to be sterile.

Plus, medical procedures had to be canceled or they were delayed because $150 million worth of medical equipment was not inventoried or accounted for. That's just a small portion of this new report.

CNN's senior investigative correspondent Drew Griffin has more for us -- Drew.

DREW GRIFFIN, CNN SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE CORRESPONDENT: Ana, this is just the latest report from around the country showing the V.A.'s own inspector general believes V.A. health care is at times actually putting veterans' health care at risk. What's stunning about this report is where it's happening. The Department of Veterans Affairs' inspector general says, practices at the Washington, D.C., V.A. Medical Center are putting patients at, quote, "unnecessary risks," and the VA has removed the director of the hospital from his position, assigning him to temporary administrative duties.

The report found among other things that the hospital has staffing shortages, dirty storage areas, is failing to track its own medical equipment. In fact, out of 25 storage areas, Ana, that are supposed to be sterile environments, 18 of them were deemed dirty according to this report. Since 2014, 194 patient safety reports had been recorded here, including just last year, a surgeon was found using expired surgical equipment. The V.A. responded to the report by saying it's removed the director at the facility.

But put the number two in charge only to announce later in the day that the number two executive would also be removed. Ana, this is the type of report that is not uncommon as disturbing as it is. Just Thursday this week, the VA's inspector general released report on the veteran's hospital in Orlando, saying inspectors, this is a quote now, could not gain reasonable assurance that the facility there was safe for patients. And I think the real question is, what's the V.A. actually doing about this? Remember these reports go first to the VA's top management, including the current secretary of the V.A., David Shulkin, who just last year was actually in charge of the VA's entire health care division while all these problems were being discovered -- Ana.

CABRERA: Wow! And it's been years that they've been trying to get their acts together. Drew Griffin, thank you.

Coming up, she's a senior in high school and now she's the first woman to earn a football scholarship to a top-tier college. Go girl. She's going to join me live, next.

And there's a shakeup within the White House. Which adviser to President Trump has the President's ear? You're live in the CNN NEWSROOM.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:34:20] CABRERA: He started as one of President Trump's most trusted advisers. But now the President says, his chief strategist, Steve Bannon is, just quote, "a guy who works for him." And who wasn't even involved in the campaign until after he had won the Republican nomination for president. Some tough words from a man who was once named CEO of that campaign. So, could this be a sign that Bannon is on his way out?

CNN's Sara Murray has more on the shakeup inside the President's inner circle.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA MURRAY, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Donald Trump's inner circle may be getting another makeover. And so may some of his policies.

TRUMP: I think we have shaken things up, but I think we've had one of the most successful 13 weeks in the history of the presidency.

MURRAY: Chief strategist Steve Bannon is licking his wounds after a public dressing-down by the President who described him to "The Wall Street Journal" as a guy who works for me. Now Washington's favorite parlor game parsing the Trump palace intrigue is kicking into overdrive. As the downfall of one aide appears to be giving rise to a lesser known face in the West Wing. Garry Cohen serves as Trump economic counsel director. The former CEO of Goldman Sachs is a registered Democrat.

He's also given money to Republicans. And he's been quietly pushing a more centrist agenda in the halls of the White House. The success of the more moderate faction in the West Wing, which includes Cohn, Trump's son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner, and Deputy National Security adviser for strategy Dina Powell, was on clear display this week. The president insisting China is no longer a currency manipulator, abandoning this refrain from the campaign trail.

TRUMP: We're going to label China a currency manipulator, which is what they're doing.

MURRAY: And lavish praise on Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen, after lampooning her during the campaign.

TRUMP: And in my opinion, Janet Yellen is highly political and she is not raising rates for a very specific reason because Obama told her not to.

MURRAY: As the nationalist champion in Trump's White House appear to be losing ground, alliances may be shifting. Policy Advisor Steven Miller, a prominent Trump cheerleader on the campaign trail --

STEPHEN MILLER, TRUMP CAMPAIGN ADVISER: Are you ready to elect the man who can't be, who can't be purchased and who will only answer to the American people?

MURRAY: Sound a kindred spirit in Steve Bannon. Now, senior administration official says Miller has been branching out, working more closely with Jared Kushner's office of American innovation and assisting Ivanka Trump in her policy pursuits on paid family leave. As for the President, he ended the week noncommittal on whether a staff shakeup is in the works, telling the Wall Street Journal from day to day, I don't know.

(on camera): Now, this week President Trump's senior staffers are taking a much needed break from all of this West Wing turmoil to spend the Easter weekend with their families. President Trump is doing the same down in Mar-A-Lago where he hit the links on Friday, it was his 17th trip to the golf course since becoming president.

Sara Murray, CNN, Washington.

(END VIDEOTAPE) CABRERA: All right. Thanks to Sara. Much to discuss. Joining me via Skype, CNN contributor Michael D'Antonio, he is the author of the book "The Truth About Trump."

Thank you, Michael for being with us. President Trump made an interesting comments to the New York Post Michael Goodwin on Tuesday which prompted a lot of speculation, the ongoing speculation about what is the fate of his chief political adviser.

Let me read this to you. He said, "I like Steve, but you have to remember, he was not involved in my campaign until very late. I'd already beaten all the senators and all the governors, and I didn't know Steve. I'm my own strategist. And it wasn't like I was going to change strategies because I was facing crooked Hillary." So, I'm curious, what do you see as being the turning point for the President and Bannon's relationship?

MICHAEL D'ANTONIO, AUTHOR, "THE TRUTH ABOUT TRUMP": Well, I think Mr. Bannon has been elevated in the public mind, and certainly in political circles since the President was inaugurated. So that's a dangerous thing to do. I think presenting yourself, or even allowing other people to present you as the puppet master, the manipulator as he was called in "Time" magazine, is a very dangerous thing when you're dealing with any president. But especially with Donald Trump who has really made it clear throughout his life that there's really only room for one star, and he's the star.

So, it's an ego thing for him you think?

D'ANTONIO: Well, it's ego, but also I think that Donald Trump has actually much longer political experience than Steve Bannon does. Trump has been donating to campaigns, involved in politics since the late 1970s. And Mr. Bannon is a person who's a self-styled intellectual. He's read some books that present a really Dystopian view of our times and of the future. I actually think Donald Trump has thought more about how politics works. He's thought more about what the American public expects. I think he's his own best counsel in some of these affairs.

[17:39:30] CABRERA: Okay. And despite that he's never held a public office before becoming president. Let me just bring up an op-ed, just little something you wrote this week, where you called Steve Bannon this dark lord and Jared Kushner the prince of light as far as who's in the President's orbit. How do you think President Trump now feels about Kushner being gone again this week? It was a big foreign policy week. Kushner was on a ski trip. And remember, he was skiing in Aspen during that whole ObamaCare repeal/replace debacle.

D'ANTONIO: Well, you know, you might look at that decision that he made, and note that the ObamaCare repeal/replace debacle occurred. Well, he didn't have his hands on it. In a way he came out well there. And I doubt he took this trip without clearing it first with the President. And I also -- I'm keenly aware of Donald Trump's limitations when it comes to governing. I do have a lot of concern about the fact that he's never held a political office. He's never actually worked for anybody else but the family business. However, I think that he values loyalty above all. He values people

who sort of know their place. And I think in Steve Bannon, he has someone who's kind of a wild card where that's concerned. And he may feel his own agenda, his own intellectual agenda, his own disruptive approach to policy.

CABRERA: When it come to the President's agenda, what does Kushner and companies increasing influence mean for Trump's policies and his campaign promises?

D'ANTONIO: Well, I think what we've seen in the last week is that his approval rating has gone up, as he has moderated his positions. So in a way, he did everything he did to get elected. But between last week and this week, I think Gallup shows him up five points. I think that with Kushner and Cohen and Ivanka Kushner advocating these more moderate positions, I think that this may be serving the President well, as he eyes the future, and comes to really embrace the idea that he's serving the country, not just an election campaign.

CABRERA: Not just his base.

D'ANTONIO: Pardon me?

CABRERA: Not just his base.

D'ANTONIO: Well, right, not just his base. Those people were fired up. And we've noticed, I think, those of us who have watched politics for a long time, that it's now such a team sport, that the people who consider Trump their guy, they're not going to leave him. So he can moderate on a lot of these issues, and retain those folks. And maybe consolidate some support outside of that base. I think it's smart. And I actually think pushing Bannon to the side and maybe eventually getting rid of him may not cost him that much.

CABRERA: We only have about 30 seconds, but I do want to ask you, do you think Sean Spicer, the President's press secretary survives after the debacle this week with the comments on the holocaust and chemical weapons and, you know, he became the story versus the content of his press conferences?

D'ANTONIO: Well, I think the way for him to survive would be to moderate along with the President. So if he can dial it back a little bit, too, in that press room, and I think he learned a lot from this comment about Hitler, you know, going into any conversation with Hitler on your mind is always a bad idea. So he learned, I'm sure, from that experience. And again, if he shows himself to be loyal to Donald Trump, and with the agenda, and with the style that the President wants to promote now, I think he can survive and hang in there.

CABRERA: All right. Michael D'Antonio, thanks for joining us.

D'ANTONIO: Thank you, Ana.

CABRERA: Coming up, she's a senior in high school and now she's also the first woman to earn a football scholarship to a top-tier college. She joins me live, next.

But first, CNN's new original film, "Unseen Enemy" looks at where our next outbreak might come from, and what we can do to stop it? Tonight at 9:00 Eastern on CNN.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. LARRY BRILLIANT, EPIDEMIOLOGIST: Over the last three decades there have been about 30 newly emerging diseases that have the potential to be pandemics. If we do nothing, it's not a matter of "if" there will be a global pandemic, it's just a matter of "when" and which virus and how bad.

[17:44:16] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The world changes around us at increasing speed. We cause a lot of that change. Migrating to cities, stripping the earth of its resources, and altering primeval jungle.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[17:48:55] CABRERA: Let's just take a breather from some of the heavy news this weekend and shine a little light on a young woman who just made college football history. Eighteen-year-old Becca Longo is a senior in high school, now believed to be the first woman to earn a football scholarship to a top-tier school. Next fall, Longo will place football for Adam State University, it's a division two school in Colorado. And now, according to ESPN, about a dozen or so women have played college football previously, but none had a football scholarship.

So, let's bring in the rock star, Becca Longo, she's joining me now from Flagstaff, Arizona. Becca, thanks for being with us. I'm excited to talk to you. Apparently I understand you did not know you were about to make history when you signed your letter of intent for Adam State University on Wednesday. So what was that moment like when you realized that you'd broken a glass ceiling?

BECCA LONGO, FIRST FEMALE TO EARN A COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHOLARSHIP: Not at all. I did not know that I was doing that. And I didn't find out until Coach Todd actually announced it at my ceremony. And anyone there are watching the video. You can see that on my jaw like hit the floor.

CABRERA: That's very cool. The coach at Adams State said, he wasn't thinking about making history, either, when he offered you a scholarship. He was thinking about your accuracy as a kicker. That's got to feel good.

LONGO: Yes, it does.

CABRERA: Of all the sports you could choose to pursue, why football?

LONGO: Um, it was a really good bonding experience for me and my brother. He was so much older than I was. And like a 17 and six- year-old aren't going to have that much in common. And I just remember going to his games and he had a girl on his team and I was just inspired by her.

CABRERA: How cool. Coach Rosenbach, the coach at Adams State has said that there's something else that he thinks sets you apart from their other college football hopefuls. So, let's listen to that, what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIMM ROSENBACH, HEAD FOOTBALL COACH, ADAMS STATE UNIVERSITY: She's got -- she's put herself in this position by having that toughness, she deserves an opportunity right there to (INAUDIBLE).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: He talks about your great mental toughness. How did you develop that?

LONGO: Um, I think it's just all the negativity that I have received doing this, I've just learned how to block it all out.

CABRERA: Did all the guys on your high school football team accept you as a fellow player?

LONGO: Yes, I think I gained their approval.

CABRERA: Any concerns about entering that arena in college? Kind of the bigger football stage of sorts? And being accepted by the other guys who play?

LONGO: Um, not really. A lot of people are saying that I'm going to get, like, drilled because all the guys are so many bigger, faster and stronger, but so are my guys. And I think I just have to go in there and prove myself to them and they'll accept me also.

CABRERA: You come across as very fearless.

LONGO: Yes.

CABRERA: I know that you have overcome obstacles, not just the obstacle of being a woman in a male-dominated sport, but you overcame injuries, some doctors said, you might never play sports again. Tell me about that experience.

LONGO: Yes. Well, I broke my back in 2015, and my doctors told me I would never play sports ever again, like you said. And that just kind of motivated me in itself. I spent too many hours and too much effort to just give up my sport like that.

CABRERA: Wow! That's -- that is a story, to break your back and to come back and to earn a football scholarship. I understand you're playing basketball as well back in college.

LONGO: Yes. CABRERA: You clearly are incredibly athletic. So, congratulations to

your -- about getting that scholarship. And since this story came out, I understand you've had some interaction with professional athletes. Who and what are they saying?

LONGO: A lot of them are so supportive of me. And it just means so much, knowing that they have my back.

CABRERA: Who has contacted you?

LONGO: Um, a lot of people, Lolo Jones was one of them. The Denver Broncos, the kicker for the Denver Broncos, an old Colts' punter. Just a lot of people. I can't keep track of them all.

CABRERA: That's awesome. Again, Becca Longo, congratulations and good luck.

LONGO: Thank you.

CABRERA: Thank you. Ahead in the newsroom, we're live in Mar-A-Lago where President Trump is spending the weekend while Vice President Pence heads to South Korea, all as tensions between the U.S. and North Korea begin to heat up.

But first a fifth grade teacher in Suburban, New York City has found a unique way to connect his students with some extraordinary individuals. Take a look at how CNN heroes impact the classroom.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRIAN O'CONNOR, CNN HERO: Throughout our school year, we will set up several Skype calls with various heroes.

Whoa!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my God, it's (INAUDIBLE).

O'CONNOR: They're a celebrity to my kids, and as they should be. The kids came up with amazing questions.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How long did it take you --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How is it different --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you ever feel --

O'CONNOR: When I see how excited that fifth grader is, it makes me realize that, you know, we're doing something right in here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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[17:58:50] CABRERA: One of the most earth-shattering events of the past couple of days has nothing to do with this earth at all. It happens in a galaxy far, far away. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I only know one truth. It's time for the Jedi -- to end.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Fans of the "Star Wars" film franchise got a long-awaited first peek at the next chapter. Disney released this teaser trailer for the "The Last Jedi" yesterday morning even though this movie won't hit the big screen until December and listen to this. In just one day, the official teaser has been viewed on YouTube nearly 19 million times. Pretty intense.

I'm Ana Cabrera in New York. Thanks for staying with me. I'll see you back here in one hour from now live in the CNN NEWSROOM. "SMERCONISH" is next.