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Biden Departs for First Foreign Trip; Washington State Officers Marijuana with COVID Vaccine; NBA Star Speaks of Brother being Robbed. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired June 09, 2021 - 08:30   ET

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

[08:30:00]

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Now after the president moves from here to Brussels where he will attend the NATO summit, as well as an E.U. summit, and issues of climate change, COVID-19 and countering China will be a feature of many of the talks during this week.

But then the president turns his attention to tackling and engaging with an adversary as he has that high stakes meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin one week from today in Geneva, Switzerland.

Now, this summit with Putin was under some debate from the White House team. But ultimately the president found it important to engage face- to-face with Putin in order to set the course and set the pace of their relationship. There's issues like ransomware and also human rights violations that the president is expected to bring up. But he will also try to find some areas of agreement on things like climate change.

So the president is making his first foreign trip here to Europe. And you will remember, Biden's basically been preparing for this moment for decades. He spent 36 years in the Senate where he circled the globe and also as vice president, but now he is coming to Europe as the leader of the United States, the one who has the final decision- making power as he is trying to assert to allies that America has their back and to adversaries that America is ready to confront them.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Arlette Saenz, thank you so much, as the president there at Joint Base Andrews getting ready to head off for this very important trip. His first trip heading to Europe where I just found out they don't have really cicadas in England. I think there's one species, but it's certainly not what we're dealing with here, where one just kind of attacked the president, right?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: Join the club. I've been attacked, too.

KEILAR: Tell us about that, Gloria.

BORGER: Do I have to?

KEILAR: Yes. Relive it.

BORGER: No, I was driving. I had left the window open in my car. And I had -- I -- I -- that's how it got in, I think. And I was driving and it was sort of in my shirt.

KEILAR: Oh, really?

BORGER: Really in my shirt. So I tried to get it out and I almost had an accident. So I had to pull over.

KEILAR: There was an accident in Ohio.

BORGER: Was there?

KEILAR: Someone ran into a utility pole when the same thing happened to them.

BORGER: Yes, well --

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: I spent all day on the baseball field on Sunday. My purse was on the ground. And I got in the car and it crawled out of my purse on to my arm.

BORGER: Oh, my God.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, all I can say is, all heroes don't wear capes. You guys, I'm so glad you're OK.

BORGER: We've survived.

BERMAN: I applaud your bravery. Thank you so much for being with us.

KEILAR: Stay -- stay strong.

BORGER: Right.

KEILAR: Just ahead, making vaccines a high priority. The state that is offering joints for jabs.

BERMAN: And the world leader slapped across the face. The French president just joined this exclusive club.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:36:32]

KEILAR: All right, we have seen million dollar lotteries. We've seen, what, laps at Talladega. We've seen all kinds of incentives here. Scholarships to college, beer, beer, wine, joints. That is --

BERMAN: Now you have my attention.

KEILAR: Right? Do I? That's right, in Washington state, the liquor and cannabis board is adding marijuana to the list of COVID-19 vaccine incentives. This one kind of surprises me, actually.

And joining me now to talk about this is the agency director for the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board Rick Garza.

OK, Rick, how did you guys come up with this, and who are you trying to draw in for vaccinations with this incentive?

RICK GARZA, AGENCY DIRECTOR, WASHINGTON STATE LIQUOR AND CANNABIS BOARD: Well, good morning.

We didn't draw this up. We really had a request from three of our cannabis retailers from around the state, Spokane, Vancouver, Seattle, who came up with the idea as obviously a way to incentivize folks to vaccinate.

So Governor Inslee has issued a number of creative incentives to support vaccinations and this is one of them. And we're hoping that, like many of the states, you know, the focus of the purpose of the program is to get Washingtonians vaccinated. And as I said and you just spoke to something the board approved several weeks ago, which is the ability for those who have proof of vaccination to get a pint of beer or a glass of wine.

KEILAR: And do you think -- are you hearing enthusiasm from consumers who want to partake in this?

GARZA: Well, we have examples from wineries and breweries a couple of weeks ago who had lines with respect to this. And again, you know, want to stay focused on the fact that we've got a global pandemic that's taken nearly 4 million lives. And anything we can do to get Washingtonians vaccinated is what this effort is all about. We're at about, I think, right now 65 percent of our Washingtonians have given at least one dose. And we need to get that higher. This is an effort to do that.

And again, also remember we've got an age group between 21 and 34 that probably has a lower vaccination rate than others. This is an effort to increase that number.

KEILAR: Yes. And they spread it, right? We know that. That age group is quite the spreading age group.

I do want to ask you, just sort of playing devil's advocate here, former Surgeon General Jerome Adams tweeted yesterday about vaccine incentives. He said, I'm just really starting to get uncomfortable with the public health tradeoffs here and the messages that we're subtly sending our youth. Is it really worth it?

I mean he's saying, you know, alcohol and now in this case you're talking about marijuana. What do you say to -- what do you say to that?

GARZA: Well, we've heard concerns from the prevention community that think this is a bad idea. And we understand that. You know, we have made many allowances in the last year, Brianna, with respect to our restaurants that have been hard hit by the pandemic. Many of them closed or restricted. So we recognize that typically this is not something that we would consider. But, one, we're in the midst of a pandemic. Unprecedented in the

history of the country (INAUDIBLE) one time for (INAUDIBLE) again, the focus is trying to get through this pandemic (INAUDIBLE) vaccinated. And so (INAUDIBLE) --

[08:40:05]

KEILAR: I think -- I think, Rick, unfortunately, we are --

GARZA: To have -- to not have (INAUDIBLE) --

KEILAR: We're having a tough time -- Rick, we're having a tough time hearing you, but certainly we take your point there. This is certainly the tradeoff that the state has decided upon here.

Rick Garza, good luck with that. Joints for jabs.

Donald Trump says the election that he lost was a fraud. So Benjamin Netanyahu says, America, hold my beer. We roll the tape, next.

BERMAN: And the NBA player not holding back as crime in the U.S. hits close to home.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: So Portland Trail Blazers center Enes Kanter tweeted a harrowing account of his brother being robbed at gunpoint over the weekend. Surveillance video shows three men approaching him with guns drawn. They robbed him and, according to Atlanta Police, they drove off in a gold sedan. The Atlanta Police are looking to identify the suspects who are still at large.

And joining me now is Enes Kanter of the Portland Trail Blazers.

[08:45:00]

Enes, my friend, it's so nice to see you. I'm so sorry this happened to your brother.

Explain exactly how this went down.

ENES KANTER, CENTER, PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS: Thank you for having me, brother. Always nice talking to you.

And I remember, you know, he lives in Atlanta, and that day I was in Portland. There is three-hour difference. I remember him calling me around 3:00 a.m. and I pick up the phone and he was very panicked, you know, and he showed me the video. He sent me the video. And at first, you know, I was like, he's the only family I have in America. So I was just very worried. And after I watched the video, I was just very shocked and disgusted by the act that -- by the incident that happened. And I was very heartbroken at the same time. And I was like first thing was just, are you OK or not? And, you know, for me it was very sad because this happened. And this could have happened to any college kid that was just, you know, just want to live their life free. BERMAN: How's he doing?

KANTER: He's doing really well. You know, he's, obviously, he's shocked, and he was in a little trauma, but I think, you know, I talked to him and, you know, he was obviously -- the first couple of hours he was not doing really, well right now he's doing -- he's OK.

BERMAN: And, obviously, this is happening across the country. We're seeing a rise in crime in metropolitan areas. Certainly in Atlanta we know that they're dealing with a rise in crime there and also gun violence as well. And I think this made you think even more about that, Enes.

KANTER: Let me tell you this, John, you know, gun violence is an urgent and complex problem and it requires, you know, detailed research and broader discussion to solve it.

You know, my brother's incident is just a small example. And -- because hundreds of them happen every day in Chicago, in L.A., in New York and all over the nation. And if you look at the numbers, you know, every single year more than 30,000 Americans lose their life by guns. And we should continuously, you know, look for ways to reduce the incidence of gun violence at (INAUDIBLE).

You know, unfortunately, gun control is the most polarized issue and I believe we can find a way to reduce gun violence without (INAUDIBLE).

BERMAN: Enes Kanter, it's always great to talk to you. I hope your brother continues to improve. And I know you will work to make the world a better place however you can.

Thanks for joining us.

KANTER: Thank you so much, brother.

BERMAN: So, French President Emanuel Macron met with a slap in the face Tuesday as he was greeting a crowd during a public appearance. Video posted on social media shows a man slapping Macron as the president walks up to say hello. The incident happened in southeast France as Macron was in the area to speak with restaurant owners ahead of easing COVID restrictions today. He's hardly the first world leader to be targeted in a crowd.

(VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: The former Spanish prime minister, Mariano Rajoy, sucker- punched during a campaign event. The assailant reportedly asked to take a picture before the blow.

In Italy, former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi took a metal souvenir to the face in a crowd, breaking his teeth and nose. He spent more than a day in the hospital.

(VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: That's Britain's former number two fighting back after being smacked by an egg on his way to a theater. John Prescott actually landed one on the protester's chin.

(VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Yes, a protester hitting Brexit leader Nigel Farage with a milkshake during a campaign stop. We're told it was banana flavored with a hint of salty caramel. An angry Farage could be heard telling his detail, could have spotted that a mile off. Shakes not only the dessert of choice -- not the only dessert of choice.

(VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: That's former Canadian prime minister smacked with a pie during a campaign stop. Jean Chretien later joked he wasn't that hungry.

Same for the mayor of Sacramento. Former NBA star Kevin Johnson pelted during a benefit dinner. We're told the flavor there was coconut.

(VIDEO TAPE)

BERMAN: That's Bush 43, famously, and rather deafly, dodging a shoe at a news conference in Iraq. That was actually scary. That was five years after the war began. The shoe hurler would later run for office.

Sort of on a more x-rated frontier, a New Zealand economic minister was hit in the mug by a sex toy. The protester upset with a trade agreement. Steven Joyce would later joke, someone just send the GIF over to John Oliver so we can get it over with.

Now, the pope has a lot to deal with, largely because the church leader is eager to be one with the crowd.

(VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: That's Christmas Eve 2009. Pope Benedict knocked over by a woman who jumped the barricade during mass.

[08:50:04]

Another bystander barely making his way on to the Popemobile. But not only was Benedict not phased, it appears he didn't even notice.

His successor, not as forgiving.

(VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: That's Pope Francis swatting away a woman who pulled his harm. He later apologized for losing his patience. But, look, there's a dark history here of popes being targeted, which is an important reminder that this really is serious, worrying business. Pies, shakes, slaps, shoes, sex toys, it may all seem frivolous, but it's only a short step from something much worse. Well, honestly, a hundred steps. That's about the distance that the insurrectionists were from former Vice President Mike Pence, and they were not offering sweets, they wanted to hang him. KEILAR: Meantime, Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu is on the verge of

losing power and not going quietly, denying the legitimacy of his own defeat. Sounds familiar, right?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): We are witnessing the greatest election fraud in the history of the country. In my opinion, in the history of any democracy.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: That election, the 2020 presidential election, was by far the most corrupt election in the history of our country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: As a coalition of political parties from Bibi's left to the right of him, united solely by their belief that he has to go for the good of Israel, Netanyahu is tearing a page, really a couple of chapters, from his pal Donald Trump's playbook. He went on a right wing network that's been compared to Fox to complain about how the rest of the media is out to get him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): Do you know why I'm here? Because this is the last remaining place in broadcast media in the state of Israel in which I, as prime minister, can speak. In the rest of the media it's simply an astonishing recruitment in favor of this left-wing government.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT (January 11, 2020): They just made it up. It's fake news. They're all very dishonest. Most of them are really -- I mean 80 percent are dishonest.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: And on that network, Netanyahu cast himself as a victim of forces inside the government.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): There's the last risk we didn't speak about and that's the risk of the deep state. Deep state is now deep inside this government.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT (October 8, 2020): You have a deep state. You have a group of people.

TRUMP (October 4, 2019): Democrat lawmakers, they're deep state cronies.

TRUMP (August 24, 2018): Is that deep state or what? Explain it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: And as Netanyahu is set to lose his job in the coming days, he's promising to topple this new government quickly.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER (through translator): My friends and I in Likud will vehemently oppose the establishment of this dangerous government of fraud and surrender. And if, God forbid, it is established, we will bring it down very quickly.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT (January 6, 2021): You'll never take back our country with weakness. You have to show strength.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Israel's domestic security chief issued a rare public warning that, quote, an intensifying and severe increase in the violent and inciting discourse, especially online, could lead to real-world violence.

Alon Pinkas wrote in the left-leaning daily "Haaretz" that Netanyahu is creating his own January 6th. That's what he said. Adding, as a result of incitement and disinformation, judges, prosecutors and now also the leaders of the opposition are receiving extra protection after Netanyahu's cult-like supporters threatened their lives.

This is Trump's legacy. When you lose an election, the best thing to do is not to accept the results and to watch the chaos unfold.

BERMAN: Look, I'm so glad you pointed this out because not only does what the former president did and continue to do, not only does it undermine American democracy, it undermines the example of American democracy. And it has an impact around the world. The rhetoric is really close to identical here.

KEILAR: It is stunningly identical. And I think what is also important to point out here is that Netanyahu knows what came of this rhetoric in the U.S. And with that, having that retrospect, right, he is still proceeding this way.

And the other thing to note is, it didn't work for Trump, right?

BERMAN: No.

KEILAR: It didn't work for Trump and yet he's still -- I guess this is the last play.

And here is what else to watch today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ON SCREEN TEXT: 10:00 a.m. ET, Press gaggle aboard Air Force One.

3:00 p.m. ET, President Biden arrives in the U.K.

3:45 p.m. ET, President Biden speaks in the U.K.

(END VIDEO CLIP) (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:58:58]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Watch out for the cicadas. I just found one. It got me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Yes, and where did it come from? He gets off Marine One. He flicks it off of him. It's very clearly a cicada. We've been sounding the threat, sounding the alarm on this threat, and I think maybe now America's taking notice.

BERMAN: If you've been with us during the whole show, you saw that moment in history where President Biden, I believe, survived the first presidential cicada incident on record where he did swat away a cicada. But it's not the first incident that has plagued this trip because the press charter, the plane carrying the White House press corps --

KEILAR: That's right. So I guess the cicadas actually got into the engine of the plane and so they were supposed to take off last night and instead they couldn't. They had to get a new plane. It was enough of an issue with the plane. It created basically a mechanical.

BERMAN: So, the reporters have made it to the United Kingdom, but not before having to survive that assault on the First Amendment, obviously, on the behalf of the cicadas. But you could see what a problem it is here.

I'm down in D.C. I don't live here. But they're everywhere.

[09:00:00]

KEILAR: Welcome to our hell of cicadas, John Berman.

BERMAN: Well, or as Brianna Keilar likes to call them, lunch.

KEILAR: CNN's coverage continues right now