Return to Transcripts main page

CNN NEWSROOM

Trump's Lawyers: The President Can Shut It All Down Psychiatrist In JonBenet Ramsey Case Among Four Killed In Arizona; Several Stranded By Lava Despite Warning To Get Out; Eight States Head To The Polls This Tuesday; Study: Some Women With Early Stage Breast Cancer Can Skip Chemo; Inner City Kids Gain Success Playing Rugby; Whale Dies After Ingesting Over 17 Lbs Of Plastic Waste; Atlanta Helping Officers Live In The Area They Serve. Aired 5-6p ET

Aired June 3, 2018 - 17:00   ET

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


[17:00:00]

ANA CABRERA, CNN ANCHOR: But can the president pardon himself? It's never been tested.

But legal analysts here at CNN say if President Trump does pardon himself for any crime that may result from the Special Counsel investigation, it will amount to a self-executing impeachment.

Now this comes the same weekend that the New York Times published a once confidential letter from President Trump's lawyers to the Special Counsel running the Russia investigation.

And that letter claims that the President has the power to shut down the entire investigation. The President's personal attorney Rudy Giuliani says President Trump probably has the power to pardon himself, but there's no plan to actually do it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUDY GIULIANI, PRESIDENT TRUMP'S ATTORNEY: He's not, then he probably does, but he has no intention of pardoning himself, but he probably -- doesn't mean he can't. I mean, that's a really interesting constitutional argument, can the President pardon himself?

It would be an open question, I think it would probably get answered by -- gosh, that's what the constitution says, and if you want to change it, change it, but, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A lot of focus on the president...

GIULIANI: I think the political ramifications of that would be tough. Pardoning other people is one thing, pardoning yourself is another.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: A political ramification would be tough, he says. Let's go to the White House, and correspondent Boris Sanchez. Now, Boris, is the thought here that Rudy Giuliani wouldn't be talking about pardons if he wasn't also thinking about charges, and indictments, maybe even impeachment?

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: There's no question that the President and his attorney have impeachment on their minds. Rudy Giuliani acknowledge to has much last week on CNN saying that he and the President have developed a strategy to try to discredit the Special Counsel in order to avoid impeachment.

Further, he was asked specifically about pardons in part because of the ones that have been granted by President Trump, and reports that he is considering additional pardons. Giuliani was also asked about the revelation in this letter that came from the White House legal team to the Special Counsel that President Trump indeed dictated a response to the New York Times following news that his son, Donald Trump Jr. met with Russians in Trump Tower in June of 2016.

Initially, several key figures within the administration denied that the President had a role in crafting that statement, both Sarah Sanders and Jay Sekulow tried to downplay the President's role, it turns out he indeed dictated that statement. Listen to how Giuliani is now using that to say it's a reason why the President should not testify before the Special Counsel.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GIULIANI: I mean, this is -- this is the reason that you don't let the president testify. If -- you know, our recollection keeps changing, or we're not even asked a question, and somebody makes an assumption. In my case, I made an assumption, and then we corrected it, and I got it right out as soon as -- as soon as it happened. I think that's what happened here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: He says our recollection keeps changing. I didn't want to point out that Giuliani has been asked about these discrepancies between what the administration tells the press, and facts that have come out as a result of this investigation. He has said that he does not believe that the President has lied to the press, and he said in any event, that is not a crime. Ana.

CABRERA: Boris Sanchez at the White House, thank you. Let's bring in our panel now, White House reporter for Bloomberg News, Toluse Olorunnipa, CNN Legal Analyst and former federal prosecutor Michael Zeldin, and CNN Legal and National Security Analyst, and former FBI special Agent Asha Rangappa.

So, Michael, you've previously worked with the Special Counsel, you have an idea of how he interprets the law? Do you think he believes the President can pardon himself?

MICHAEL ZELDIN, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: No. And in fact, on October 5th, 1974, the acting assistant attorney general for the office of legal counsel wrote a memorandum to the deputy attorney general where she was asked that question, and she concluded that a president cannot pardon himself. And so if we are binding ourselves to OLC opinions that President

can't be indicted, most likely this memorandum opinion to the deputy attorney general forecloses a president from pardoning himself pursuant to OLC policy.

CABRERA: Sounds like there is a definitive answer that has been put out there, documented, former Trump campaign advisor Chris Christie, also man of legal expertise, was asked about this idea that Trump could pardon himself. Listen to his response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC NEWS HOST: Rudy left often the possibility of the president pardoning himself, even though he says he doesn't expect him to do it, he would have the right to do it.

CHRIS CHRISTIE, FORMER TRUMP CAMPAIGN ADVISOR: Listen, there's no way that will happen, and the reason it won't is because then it becomes a political problem, George. If the president were to pardon himself, he'll get impeached.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Impeached -- Toluse, is that the case? Because so far the most powerful Republican lawmakers who have control of the House have been reluctant to push back on Trump's attacks on the Justice Department, and his use of presidential power, some like Devin Nunez have even been huge allies on all things involving the Russia investigation.

[17:05:02] TOLUSE OLORUNNIPA, BLOOMBERG NEWS, WHITE HOUSE REPORTER: Yes, we have seen the President coving the edges, seeing more -- how he can get away, we have seen how far he can push, both against this special counsel investigation, and on other presidential norms before members of Congress speak up.

And so far he's been able to push, and not receive very much push back from leaders within Congress. You've seen him use the pardoning power in ways that previous presidents never have, in terms of handing out pardons to people who haven't gone through the Department of Justice process that's set in place for presidents to review pardons, you've seen him give our pardons to political allies, and people who support him.

So it's not yet clear that the Congress would stand up to the president if he decided to go further, and pardon people who are being targeted by this investigation, or even pardon himself preemptively because obviously his legal team believes that he could be the subject of a subpoena, and potentially even the subject of an indictment from the Special Counsel if they find things that they believe constitute obstruction of justice, or other laws that the President may have broken.

It's clear that the president wants to push as far as he can against this investigation. We have seen it from his Twitter account, and he wants to see whether or not Congress will stand up to him, and it's not yet clear that Congress has the votes to impeach if the president continues to push further, and further, so I would expect the President to continue to push the envelope as far as possible.

CABRERA: We see that is the political strategy, as well as the legal strategy because we had to look at this letter President Trump's team sent to the Special Counsel team that lays out their argument that a president cannot obstruct justice, writing, quote, it remains our position that the President's actions here by virtue of his position as the chief law enforcement officer could neither constitutionally nor legally constitute obstruction because that would amount to him obstructing himself.

And that he could if he terminate the inquiry, or even exercise his power to pardon if he so desires. So, Asha, do you interpret that as them essentially arguing the President has absolute power to control the law of the land?

ASHA RANGAPPA, CNN LEGAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: That is their argument. They are arguing that the President is above the law, this is a concept that the framers of our constitution explicitly rejected in creating our constitution.

And, Ana, let's just look at this incoherent legal strategy, which is internally inconsistent, if the President can't obstruct justice, if they're so sure of that, then there would be no need for him to pardon himself, because there's nothing that he could possibly be guilty of.

The other inconsistency is that the President continues to tweet that President Obama illegally spied on him, had illegal investigations, well if it's true that the President can control any investigation however he wants, then Obama presumably had that power, too.

And I don't think anyone buys that, I think we understand that there are rules here for a reason, and the President have to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, which mean that he has to do it in the interest of the country, and not himself. That's the bottom-line.

CABRERA: Michael, you know, Giuliani was not part of the legal team in January when that letter was sent to the special counsel office, but he said it still represents the current thinking of the President's legal team that is there today. He also says Mueller has not responded to this letter, what does that tell you?

ZELDIN: Well, I don't know if he's in the know or not. I believe that Mueller, and the real lawyers on this case are in active negotiations around the issue of whether or not the president will agree to sit down for an agreed upon interview, to foreclose the possibility of receiving a subpoena, and having to determine whether to fight it in court.

So I'm just not sure if Rudy is aware of what's going on behind the scenes by the real lawyers in this case. But if in fact Mueller has not responded, and the office of the President, and the President's personal lawyers have asked him for questions, and it's bad on him, he should responsibility to them so that we can move this thing forward to a resolution, so that we know what's going on. CABRERA: The President began tweeting about his former campaign

manager Paul Manafort today, let me read you one of his tweets, he writes, as only one of two people left who could become president, why wouldn't the FBI or Department of Justice have told me that they were secretly investigating Paul Manafort on charges that were 10 years old, and had been previously dropped during my campaign, should have told me.

In another tweet, he downplays Manafort's role in the campaign. But, Toluse, why do you think the President is all of a sudden going after Paul Manafort today?

OLORUNNIPA: Yes, this is the latest in the long stream of distractions that administration, and this legal team have tried to bring up to distract from this investigation, which is moving a pace.

They first they talked about President Obama wire tapping Trump Tower, and then they talk about unmasking, and that was the big scandal for a couple of weeks, and they moved on to spygate, which seems to have blown up in their face with Trey Gowdy saying there's no such thing as spygate after seeing the documents that the Justice Department provided.

[17:10:04] And now they're moving on to saying that the FBI did not provide President Trump with adequate warnings when he was in the middle of a campaign that his campaign manager may have been the subject or the target of an FBI investigation.

Obviously, this is more distraction from this administration. They haven't been able to get their stories straight as we saw Rudy Giuliani and the President's legal team basically admit that they had lied to the press by saying that the President had nothing to do with the statement that came out of the Trump Tower meeting with Don Jr., saying that the President had nothing to do with it.

And then the lawyers basically acknowledged that the President dictated the entire statement. Obviously, this legal team is trying to throw as much in the air to distract, and to make it more difficult for the public to know what's going on, so that people just sort of end up going into their own political camp saying this is all part of the Washington swamp.

And if I'm with Republicans to start with, I'm going to be with them no matter what comes out of this special investigation, I think that's part of what the President is doing here.

CABRERA: Asha, if we were to look at the content of that tweet, why wouldn't the FBI say something, or warned candidate Trump or his campaign about Paul Manafort? Should they ask?

RANGAPPA: No, they would normally not in a counterintelligence investigation because when the FBI becomes aware that someone is being targeted, developed, tasked by a hostile foreign intelligence service, they may be receiving that information from many sources, including our allies, sensitive methods, other people who are -- could be working for the other side. So they're not going to disclose what they know about specific people,

they're going to do what they did in this case, which is to give a general security briefing, alerting the campaign to this threat, even that I think was actually quite extraordinary, and telling them, this is what the Russians are trying to do.

They're trying to infiltrate your campaign, you need to let us know if there are any contacts. And, Ana, as we know, to a person, not a single individual associated with his campaign ever reported any contacts, and they have lied about it when asked, so that is also telling, and would be something that the FBI would take into account.

CABRERA: There have been so many meetings undisclosed until the truth trickled out, and then they say, oh, that's right, and they had to go back, and backtrack. Michael, in that same tweet we show, the President also referred to his own Justice Department with quotes around the word justice. What's your reaction to that?

ZELDIN: Well, it's sad is what -- it is when the President of the United States who in that letter on January 29th claims to be the chief executive -- probably claims to be the chief executive officer in charge of the Justice Department, and the FBI, and everybody else to disrespect them by putting their name in quotations.

I just don't think it is right. I think he shouldn't be doing that. He could take issue with particular aspects of what the Justice Department may be doing here, and there. But to disrespect that office, and the people that work there, who have made careers of fighting crime, et cetera, is just -- it's not acceptable to me having worked there for, you know, a decade or two.

CABRERA: Michael Zeldin, Toluse Olorunnipa, and Asha Rangappa, thank you, good to see you all. Coming up, four people have been killed in the Phoenix area in the past week alone, and police are now identifying one of the victims as a forensic psychiatrist linked to the JonBenet Ramsey case. Why police believe they may all be connected.

Plus, a newly released study could change medical treatment for hundreds of thousands of women with breast cancer, no more chemotherapy, details ahead.

[17:15:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CABRERA: Welcome back. Police in Arizona are looking for a man they now believe may have killed four people in a series of related shootings. The latest victim was a 72-year-old mental health counselor found dead in his Scottsdale office yesterday.

Also among the victims, a well-known forensic psychiatrist who worked on several high profile cases including the killing of JonBenet Ramsey. Our Nick Watt is following the story from Arizona. Nick, how are police linking these four cases?

NICK WATT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, so far they are linking the cases between Steven Pitt, that forensic psychologist, and two paralegals -- two women who were shot in their offices Friday afternoon in downtown Scottsville.

Police are linking that they say by evidence, they won't say what that evidence is, they're also now trying to link that fourth murder to this same killer, that was Marshall Levine who was found in his office shortly after midnight, in the early hours of Saturday morning, he had also been shot.

Now, they have released an artist's impression of the suspect, but they're not releasing a name, they're not giving us any indication as to a motive, but they say they are still getting a lot of tips in, and they're following a lot of leads. Ana.

CABRERA: Do police believe they have a serial killer on their hands?

WATT: Well, I think they do. I mean, they believe that those first three cases were definitely connected, and they're working to connect that fourth. Does that qualify as a serial killer? That's, you know, semantics.

But they do believe that the cases are connected, and they are obviously trying to work at how and why they would be connected. Those two paralegals worked for a law firm that deals with family cases. Steven Pitt, of course, as you mentioned, a well-known forensic psychiatrist.

He was involved in the JonBenet Ramsey case, he was involved in the Columbine School shooting. Now, he is the guy who may testify in court in the family case. Is there one case that connects these people that perhaps leads to the suspect?

We do not know so far, but one sort of tragic irony here, Ana, is that if Steven Pitt was still alive, he very well may have been brought on as a consultant to consult in this case, and to try to track down this killer. Ana.

CABRERA: Nick Watt in Arizona. Thank you. Coming up, doesn't Hawaii residents did not evacuate, and now find themselves trapped in their homes surrounded by lava.

[17:20:06] We're live from the area just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CABRERA: Frightening apocalyptic scenes unfolding right now in Hawaii. More than 500 earthquakes have erupted of Mount Kilauea in just the last 24 hours. That's the highest number ever recorded there.

And despite desperate warning to get out, nearly a dozen people who chose to stay put are now stranded. Cut off by seething rivers of lava. Authorities are now planning emergency air lifts to evacuate those people who are trapped.

[17:25:00] Let's go to CNN's Scott McLean, live from Hawaii. Scott, what is the latest? SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Ana, well, as you mentioned,

these people are trapped. On the one side, there is a massive miles long river of molten lava to contend with, and on the other side is the Pacific Ocean, neither are very good options.

And right now they are stuck between the two. Last count, there were about a dozen people that we know from just a couple of hours ago that civil defense authorities here in Hawaiian have actually air lifted three different people out of that area, two men, and one woman.

Though we're not exactly clear on what the circumstances were that prompted that evacuation -- that emergency evacuation. But the reality is, in that area, it is not a nice place to be.

People are saying they don't have a good place to go, well, where they're at is not good place to stay either, there's no power, there's no water, landlines don't work, and there is no cell phone service either.

And so if people want to get rescued, if people want to get out of that area, they're going to have to do it the old fashioned way, they're going to have to send up smoke signals, maybe they'll have to spray paint S.O.S. on their front lawn.

Authorities have said that they will fly over that area with helicopters checking regularly to see if there were any signals like. But otherwise these people are on their own with no food, no water, and really no means to communicate with the outside world.

CABRERA: Help me understand how dangerous would it be to do these air lifts out of that area?

MCLEAN: Well, it is more dangerous certainly than not having to do them at all, which would have been the other option, authorities actually went through that area, and swept it, and basically said to anyone remaining, look, the lava is about to cross Highway 137, that the main highway in that area, and last remaining escape route, and they said this is about to happen.

You either get out now or you're going to be stuck. And some people chose to stay anyway. And I think that's some of the frustration that's coming to a head with authorities in that area, but also in the Leilani Estates area, which is really ground zero for this eruption.

That's where you're seeing this massive fissure that's feeding that lava flow out into the ocean that's cut these people off, shooting some 200 feet into the air, and is not a safe place to be.

And that is where they have told people look, you have to get out of that area or you'll be arrested. For the people in this isolated area though, Ana, it is still a voluntary evacuation zone. So they are not forcing anyone else, they can't charge anyone, not at least at this point.

CABRERA: Why do people stay behind if they had received such a warning? What are you hearing? MCLEAN: Well, one of the things that we are hearing constantly is the

condition of the shelter, as much as authorities are doing to do what they can to make it comfortable, it is really not a nice place to stay, certainly not for more than a night or two. Essentially, it's a big open air gymnasium with a couple of cots.

Some people are staying with -- in tents, and other people have put their tents actually outside, and many more are sleeping in their cars. Those lucky enough to have friends, family, or another place to stay, they really are in much better shape than those who don't.

And so you can understand why people are wanting to stay in their own homes if they can, because if you have -- if the only other option is sleeping in your car, or sleeping in a cot with hundreds of other people, you might take the option of your own bed if you don't think the danger is imminent.

CABRERA: Scott McLean, better safe than sorry, would be I think rule upon there. Thank you for you r continued reporting from Hawaii as the volcano threat lingers there. Coming up, with just a few months ago into the midterm elections, some high-profiled primary races on Tuesday could give us a taste of which party could be in control of Congress after November. We'll discuss ahead.

[17:30:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CABRERA: We are rough 150 days now from midterm elections, and this week we could get a taste of how many of these races will pan out. On Tuesday, voters in eight states will head to the polls to cast ballots in primary elections. Now there hasn't been great polling on these elections so far.

So these races will give us the better idea just how much enthusiasm voters from each party have, and where these candidate stand. Let's bring in our on what we can expect. Joining us CNN Political Commentators Maria Cardona and Steve Cortes. Maria is a democratic strategist, and Steve is a former Trump advisor.

Guys, the latest jobs report released just this past Friday shows unemployment at its lowest level in half a century. 3.8 percent. This is thanks in part to the 223,000 jobs being added in May. Maria, isn't that great news for Republicans who control House and the Senate, and the presidency, pass major tax reform this past year?

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Well, sure, and they certainly will try to tout that, but I think still the majority of the American people thank President Obama for the tough policies that he put in place as we have had record number of consecutive months of job creation ever since Obama took office.

So there is no question that Trump and the DOE are enjoying the great economy that Obama left them. But moving into the midterm election, there are a lot of Americans that are really still worried about their bottom line, including health care costs, health care costs are going up. Republicans are now owning the health care costs, and especially in

places like California, which we see many districts in play, the majority of Californians approve of Obamacare, and every single Republican voted to repeal Obamacare.

And so that's going to be a big issue as healthcare has been a big issue in all of the races that Democrats have won thus far, so these are going to be still kitchen table pocket book issues that Democrats are going to continue to run on for those Americans who still feel like the economy is not working for them.

[17:35:04] CABRERA: Maria, perhaps you just outlined the Democratic strategy there, but that was really the first time I have heard it defined. I mean I didn't realize health care was the big issue that Democrats were touting.

CARDONA: It's is a very big issue, it's what we won on in Alabama, it's what we won in Georgia, and it is across the board, a lot of the state elections that we have won that have flipped. We have flipped 40 local districts from red to blue, and the majority of them were run on health care issues. And that's going to be a big, big plank of the Democratic platform moving forward.

CABRERA: Steve, should Republicans be worried?

STEVE CORTES, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: No, I don't think so. And by the way, if 40 seats have been flipped, there were 1,000 seat legislature seats during the reign of President Obama that went from Democrat to Republican. So even if 40 have flipped, it's still just a drop in the ocean compared to what's already gone on this in country, and I think will go on in 2018.

Look, there is no way to talk about it. By the way the New York Times, -- don't take it from me, take it from the New York Times, who said on Friday after those jobs numbered, they said we have literally run out of superlatives to describe the jobs numbers that were presented.

And by the way, yes, the unemployment rate fell during the Obama year, but you know what didn't rise or didn't get better was wages, and now wages are rising dramatically under the pro-growth leadership of President Trump, tax cuts, and deregulation.

The first quarter of 2018 saw the largest quarterly wage increase we've seen in a decade in this country. That's what's most important to working class voters, to middle class people, many of whom live in the middle of this country, quite literally...

CABRERA: Right.

CORTES: ... who elected Trump, and he's delivering on his promises to those very people.

CABRERA: The economic numbers are great, Steve, I think we could all agree with you on that, but is Trump stepping all over those great numbers by imposing tariffs against our allies this week? CARDONA: Yes, exactly.

CABRERA: After all you have Republican Senator Bob Corker tweeting this last night. Let me show you. He says I'm working with like minded Republican senators on ways to push back on the President using authorities in ways never intended, and that are damaging to our country, and our allies. Will Democrats join us, Steve? The President and his party of not on the same page.

CORTES: Well, they should not, Ana. And by the way, when you say his party, to some degree, the Washington Republicans I don't think are the party of Trump. They are not the party of the 2016 movement. You know let's be honest. Senator Corker has never been...

(CROSSTALK)

CABRERA: OK. But then you also John Kasich saying that the Republican...

CORTES: Well, same. Same.

CABRERA: Also you have John Boehner the former speak of the House, he is not...

CORTES: Same.

CABRERA: He is saying that there is the Republican Party, which is the Trump Party.

(CROSSTALK)

CORTES: Ana, these are establishment -- here is the thing, one thing -- one thing trump did I think that was magnificent for this country, not just for him, but for the country, is he unveiled, or he unmasked what is a crony establishment in Washington, D.C., where the D or the R doesn't matter that much. They all benefit from the system they have created, to the detrimental of working class Americans, and Corker is part of that.

CARDONA: Wow.

CORTES: People like Jeff Flake are part of that, people like John Kasich. You can say wow, but quite frankly...

CARDONA: Wow.

CORTES: ... Maria, I think your part of that establishment in Washington, D.C., of lobbyists and connected people who have benefited at the expense of regular Americans.

CARDONA: Wow.

CORTES: Trump came in to office to smash that system whether it's Democrat or Republican...

CARDONA: Oh my god. CORTES: ... and he has done so magnificently to the benefit -- to the bottom line benefit of working class Americans who have seen their wages rise, their security increase, and this is a wonderful movement for American, and Bob Corker, and people like Jeff Flake, and you know, pseudo -- so-called Republicans want to stand in the way, they're going to get run over just like the Democrats have been.

CABRERA: I think it's so interesting to hear you as a Republican attacking other Republicans, but let me flip -- let me flip the coin here, Maria, because a lot of eyes are going to be on California on Tuesday where Democrats are hoping to pick up some seats, and there, we have a bunch of Democrats in the fight attacking each other, could that will in effect who enter the vote leave an opening for the GOP?

CARDONA: Well, that's what they certainly would like to think, Ana, but let's look at this. Democrats have put 104 districts in play, that means 104 districts are possible takeovers for Democrats. We only need 23 districts, 23 seats to flip the House.

And many of those seats can be found in California, many can be found in Pennsylvania, many are in Texas, many are in New York, we have a lot of Places where Democrats have tremendous opportunity to take over the house.

Now Steve might talk a happy game, which of course he has to because he knows that Republicans are in trouble going into the midterm elections, and look, economic numbers are good.

But if that was the only thing that Americans cared about, Ana, President Trump's approval ratings would be in the 70 percentile rating, and they are not. This president still enjoys the lowest approval rating at this point in a presidency of many, many months of having the lowest approval ratings since being in office.

(CROSSTALK)

[17:40:02] CABRERA: Let me stop you there for just a second though because...

CARDONA: And that's what republicans are really worried about.

CABRERA: Let me -- let stop you there for just -- hold on a second.

CARDONA: Sure.

CABRERA: Because why are you so confident that Republicans are in trouble in the midterms when you see the generic ballot poll showing the race tightening, Republicans and Democrats are closing in, you have what is going on in Texas, and the race between Ted Cruz and Beto O'Rourke, in fact the latest poll showed that gap widening with Cruz polling away. Is the blue wave now what it wants was?

CARDONA: Sure! Well, look, the fact that you even brought up Ted Cruz and Beto O'Rourke, that speaks volumes in and off itself, Ana. Ted Cruz's seat should never even be in play. Beto O'Rourke should never even have made a dent into the political conversation. The fact that we're even talking about him...

CORTES: Maria, that is not in play...

CARDONA: Hang on. Hang on. The fact that we are even talking about him, I think speaks volumes of the kind of dent that Democrats have made, and the kind of numbers that we have been able to rack up in the last elections because we have been able to really shrink the margins in places where Democrats should never be in play. For example, Connor's seat in Pennsylvania, look at what happened in Alabama.

CABRERA: Right, right.

CARDONA: The enthusiasm, there's no question that it's on the Democratic side.

CORTES: Maria.

CARDONA: But let me address one thing.

(CROSSTALK)

CABRERA: Here is another thing...

(CROSSTALK)

CABRERA: OK, guys hold on. We're short on time, and I do want to get this little tidbit in as well, Steven, if you respond to this.

CARDONA: Sure.

CABRERA: You know, in California, it is noteworthy that you look at the registrations of voters and Republicans have slid into third, there are more registered Democrats, and more registered independents than registered Republicans. Steve, do you worry at all about that becoming a national trend?

CORTES: Listen, it's possible. I think the Republican Party -- I'll be very honest here, the Republican Party is a party in search of its soul. Because you have people like Senator Corker invested interest in Washington, D.C., who are very popular -- excuse me, not very popular, but very entitled, and very set in their ways.

And then you have the Trump movement, which in many ways is an threat to them, so there's a battle going on there, but I think as far as Ted Cruz -- I have to get this point in, right now at least according to polling, it's not a race, according to Quinnipiac, he's up by 10 percent, which is better than Donald Trump won Texas by.

And what I think is most encouraging is he's winning the Hispanic vote right now according to polling in Texas, Ted Cruz as a Republican and as an avid supporter of Donald Trump, that's not just great news for Donald Trump, that's great news for the Republican Party as a whole. If we capture the Hispanic vote, which I think we are going to, then we can't look anywhere.

(CROSSTALK) CABRERA: We've got to leave it there, guys.

CARDONA: But you brought up a very good point, Steve. The Republican Party is in search of its soul, because when you have a President who is focused on a culture of corruption, where every single thing he's focused on is to make himself, enrich himself, enrich his family, that's what he has record low approval rating.

CORTES: The idea that he ramp up is to enrich himself a self-made billionaire, the idea that he needed this for his bottom line is just absolutely insulting, not just to him...

CARDONA: It's not insulting.

CORTES: ... but all of the...

(CROSSTALK)

CABRERA: OK, guys, let's talk about this off camera, because I got to go. Steve Cortes and Maria Cardona, I appreciate it, thanks, guys.

A big shake-up in the medical world today, a major study saying many women with early stage breast cancer don't actually need to undergo chemotherapy treatment anymore. Plus, a dead whale washes to ashore in Thailand, what killed it is something you use every day.

[17:45:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CABRERA: This could be considered a major medical break through. And it's great news for some women with breast cancer. Doctors just revealed a new study showing that some women with early stage breast cancer can skip chemotherapy entirely. CNN Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen joins us now. Elizabeth, this sounds really promising, walk us through the study and its findings.

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Ana, it's certainly is. This is actually is game changing. What this study found is that about 85,000 women a year in the United States are getting chemo who don't need it.

And so what the scientists did, is they used a genetic test that's already out there, and in use, they figured out, hey, wait a second, when the test says this, a woman needs chemo, but when it says that, a woman doesn't.

This doesn't work for all forms of breast cancer. But it does work for tens of thousands of women. And avoiding chemo, Ana, I don't know if you knew anyone who has ever had it, but it is of course great to avoid the hair loss, the nausea, but in addition, chemo puts you at a higher chance of getting leukemia later in life, and heart failure. So to avoid that, it's huge.

CABRERA: Yes. Is this something that women in the future are going to be able to do, or can people benefit right now?

COHEN: You know what, they can benefit really in their doctor's office is starting tomorrow because the test is out there, two to three women -- two out of three women with breast cancer are getting the test, so the test is there, and now doctors know how to use it better.

Now, you might be wondering what about that third woman? Well, it's interesting, sometimes women, their insurance don't cover it. Because it does cost thousands of dollars, or sometimes doctors don't know to use it. So this is going to really up the answer that this test needs to be used more often than it is. >

CABRERA: I'm so glad to be able to bring that good news.

COHEN: Right.

CABRERA: It sounds like it. Thank you, Elizabeth Cohen.

COHEN: Thanks, Ana.

CABRERA: Appreciate it. Coming up, as many police departments around the country say they suffer from perception problems in their communities, one city is trying a new program to change that one cop at a time.

But first a nonprofit in Memphis, Tennessee is helping inner city kids reach their potential with a sport most of them have never even rugby, it's this week's Impact World.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

[17:50:10] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rugby just doesn't build character, it reveals character. I think it does that for our kids.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One, two, we ready for you. Three four, (INAUDIBLE).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is Memphis inner city rugby. We are operating and serving six schools, nearly 200 kids around the city. We have boys and girls.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And the communities, we're bringing rugby to, so many of the kids are lacking outlets in life, and pathways to opportunity.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have to have a starting GPA. There is like zero tolerance with the attitude.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Partnering with teachers allows us to fuse mentoring for these kids along with coaching them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Scholarship eligible, 5,000 bucks, boom, living on campus now at 24.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: About 100 percent of our kids have been accepted to college or university. Now, a couple of handfuls of our kids have earned college rugby scholarships. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I absolutely adore my coach. Sometimes you

don't think that you can do something until somebody pushes you to do it, and then you're, like, oh, OK. I just did that. What else can I do?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Here we go.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Fantastic job, just like we always ask you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The need for rugby can sound cliche who needs a sport, leverage, love for the game, and accountability to a mentor to go the right direction.

(SHOUTING)

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[17:55:00] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CABRERA: More disturbing evidence of what human waste is doing to the world's oceans. A short fin while died in Thailand after ingesting more than 17 pounds of plastic.

Veterinarians removed more than 80 plastic bags from that whale's stomach during an autopsy. Officials say the whale spotted floating abnormally on May 28th, and began vomiting pieces of plastic days later.

A recent study found that nearly 70 percent of marine litter is non- degradable plastic. Officials in the U.K. warn that without intervention, the amount of plastic in the ocean could triple in the next 10 years.

Many police departments across the country would admit they are suffering from a perception problem especially as it relates to minority communities. That problem is one the city of Atlanta is trying hard to solve. The city has a unique columbine program, officers live in neighborhoods they patrol and Officer Mike Costello is bridging the divide.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE COSTELLO, POLICE OFFICER: People will see me and not want to trust me. So I think that's the number one obstacle right now is gaining trust with people that maybe you've not had the greatest experience with the police officer in the past. I knew that I was going to have to meet a lot of people. It was something that I went out, and I did within the first two weeks of me moving in.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mike Costello moved to Atlanta in 2016. At the time more than 80 percent of the city's police force was living outside the city limits. The Atlanta Police Foundation is changing that. Offering officers like Costello financial incentives to move into the city, and act as liaisons to the community.

KEANNE PARRIS, PRESIDENT OF ORGANIZED NEIGHBORS OF EDGEWOOD: I do think that his presence has changed perception.

COSTELLO: Hi, everybody. I am Officer Mike Costello.

PARRIS: He's been very engaged with getting to know neighbors. He knock on a lot of doors, he has an open door policy.

COSTELLO: You're an Edgewood OG. Five years ago this neighborhood, I believe was in a much different state as far as violent crime goes. There's an apartment complex in the community where a police officer -- actually a friend of mine was shot. It's on my running route.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Costello doesn't patrol his own neighborhood. But he says living in the city has affected how he approaches policing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He's no like I'm the cop type individual. He's a neighbor. He's good people.

COSTELLO: I'm more likely to give second chances to people if it's second chance can be given. OK. On this one we're going to a gas station, male location trying to fight everybody, unsure of weapons. And that would be him. Everything going OK? You know they called about you, right?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

COSTELLO: OK. You good?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right.

COSTELLO: All right. You know they don't want you here tonight. He's a regular. I don't like taking somebody like that to jail, because jail's not going to solve any of that guy's problems. But at what point do you keep allowing him to do that.

It looks like the tool shed in the back is going to be fully engulfed. Most police officers know that when they signed up for this job, it's dangerous, and some bad things can happen to you at some time. I still think that most people in this country like police, love police. Know they're there to help them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Costello says he hopes sharing a community with the people he's pledged to protect will help change more minds.

COSTELLO: If I can change one person's way of thinking about police, I think that's successful.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: Hello on this Sunday. You're live in the CNN Newsroom. I'm Ana Cabrera in New York. And tonight questions about the power of the president. And just how much it can protect him in the Russia investigation that has dogged him from day one.