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Biden Cancels Upcoming Visits To Australia And Papua New Guinea As Debt Ceiling Talks Continue; Congressional Leaders Speak After White House Debt Limit Meeting; Intruder Entered Biden National Security Adviser's Home. Aired 4-5p ET

Aired May 16, 2023 - 16:00   ET

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

[16:00:01]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN HOST: That was pretty good. That's really, you know --

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: They have to laugh at me. They work with me.

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: We should also point out, the dog is just a random Chihuahua.

KEILAR: It's not -- can you imagine this Chihuahua, if someone said that was driving their car.

SCIUTTO: By the way, that dog's lawyers have reached out to CNN.

KEILAR: Cease and desist. We shall, we shall.

That's it for us.

"THE LEAD WITH JAKE TAPPER" starts right now.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN HOST: This just in, President Biden just canceled the second part of his overseas trip. Is that a sign that the debt ceiling negotiations are going poorly?

THE LEAD starts right now.

Is the United States, are you and I, just weeks away from an economic catastrophe? Round two of negotiations at the White House are wrapping up right now, as President Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy are trying to reach a debt limit deal but not finding it easy.

Plus, he is known for pushing Kremlin propaganda and now, Yevgeny Prigozhin, the head of the mercenary group Wagner is claiming that the U.S. citizen, another one, was killed in the battle for Bakhmut. Is he telling the truth? While, the U.S., by the way is acknowledging that Russian strikes in Ukraine are hitting, and hit an American made patriot missile defense system.

Testimony today calling to regulate artificial intelligence. Fears that malicious actors will use this amazing technology to commit fraud on a global scale.

(MUSIC)

TAPPER: Welcome to THE LEAD. I'm Jake Tapper.

And we're going to start today with our money lead. With just hours before he heads overseas, President Biden's trip on the world stage has already been cut short. Sources telling CNN that the White House has canceled the second leg of the tour to Australia, to Papua Guinea, which the president was scheduled to visit after the G7 later this week in Japan.

Let's listen in on House Speaker Kevin McCarthy at the White House right now.

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA), SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: The president agreed to, with a couple of people from his administration, to sit down and negotiate directly with my team. So, I found that to be productive, personally. And we've got a lot of work to do in a short amount of time.

I wish he had been able to be in the place 100 days ago. This is what we are requested, but we are where we. So, we will work hard to make sure to try to have this to come to fruition.

(CROSSTALK)

REPORTER: Did you take default off the table?

MCCARTHY: Well, the great thing about that question is we already have taken default off the table because the House Republicans passed a bill that raised the debt ceiling, limited our future spending, saved taxpayers money by being able to pull back unspent money in ways that actually grow our economy by making our economy stronger and helping lifting people out of poverty into work.

And so, those are the parameters we'll talk about. Let me give him a moment to have Leader McConnell say a few words.

SEN. MITCH MCCONNELL (R-KY), MINORITY LEADER: I'd say what I've said since February. The president and the speaker are the keys to the deal. I'm prepared to try to deliver as much of my conference as I can, for whatever the speaker and the president can agree to that we know we'll get a signature.

REPORTER: Mr. Speaker, when will you meet again?

(INAUDIBLE)

MCCARTHY: Oh, that's a no-brainer. I don't think anybody in America doesn't think that if you had billions of dollars sitting out there that you appropriated two years ago, people could not spend and it's hardworking taxpayers money and the pandemic is over and you can't bring it back. It's the only place in Washington that Democrats think you should do that but I think that then you did the day it will be the bill.

REPORTER: Mr. Speaker, when will you meet again? MCCARTHY: Yes, sir.

(INAUDIBLE)

MCCARTHY: Yeah. I am, too.

You know, the difficult part is I came February 1st to sit down with the president so we wouldn't be at this day. So how could we responsibly lift the debt ceiling? Our spending is out of control. That's six trillion extra dollars that the Democrats spent brought us inflation. How could we grow our economy and make us less dependent on China and actually work together?

Unfortunately, for all those thinking that for 97 days, the president ignored us and said we couldn't meet. It wasn't until the Republicans would go longer ignore the problem and actually raise the debt ceiling, pass the bill, did we finally get a meeting.

It's unfortunate. We are where we are. But the good thing about it is Republicans have always looked to find a solution.

Yes?

REPORTER: Mr. Speaker, you said earlier this week that you were still very far apart.

MCCARTHY: We are.

REPORTER: You are still very far apart at this point.

MCCARTHY: Yes.

REPORTER: What progress was made in this meeting? And you want to see a deal by the end of the week.

MCCARTHY: Yes.

REPORTER: Do you think a deal could be possible?

MCCARTHY: It is possible, to get a deal by the end of the week. It is not that difficult to get to an agreement. When you think about limit, save, grow, the bill we passed, we raised the debt ceiling, we capped future spendings, we grow the -- grow our spending in Congress by 1 percent each year.

[16:05:02]

That gives you trillions of dollars of savings.

We bring back money that we have already appropriated from the taxpayer that wasn't spent in the pandemic. We put in work requirements that the president voted for as a senator. That, in Wisconsin, just a couple months ago, passed by 82 percent. It lifts people out of poverty, put them into jobs.

What that does is helps our supply chain. So no longer do we borrow money from China to pay people not to work. And the only thing we're talking about is able-bodied people with no dependents. That's all you're talking about. It's already in place in certain areas.

And so, then, we make ourselves more energy independent. We change the red tape that -- to actually build things in America. So the roads we want to build, the energy projects we want to build become energy independent. So it lowers the price to Americans but at the same time, it creates more jobs and the economy gets stronger.

(INAUDIBLE)

MCCARTHY: All right. Come back to me when we are not talking about the debt ceiling.

REPORTER: The situation is still unresolved. The president, as you know, is about to go overseas to the G7. Should he stay put and not go?

MCCARTHY: Look, the president is president of the United States, he can make his decisions of what's best of how to use it. The president has now -- what has changed in this meeting is the president changed the scope of who's on negotiating. Instead of all the four leaders, it's really -- he's finally taking Leader McConnell's advice that he's applied to him, the same advice you gave to President Trump that worked out, same advice to President Obama and others.

Appoint somebody from the president's team who can work with the speaker's team to see if we can come to an agreement. That is what the decision was made in this meeting. So the structure of how we negotiate has improved. So, it now gives you a better opportunity, even though we only have a few days to get it done. Have we done this back 97 days ago, we would already have a bill passed.

Yes, ma'am?

(INAUDIBLE)

MCCARTHY: Yes. Look, great question. As you really know is, for many times, the White House and the president would say Republicans are going to cut the veterans. We would say that was a lie.

Today, out of appropriations, it was proven it was a lie. We actually increase spending for our veterans.

It's like any other household. You prioritize where you spend your money. The real question is, how much debt is too much? We are at $32 trillion almost, 120 percent of our GDP. That means it is larger than our economy by 20 percent.

This is the equivalent of your child having a credit card and they hit the limit again and again and again. And every year when your child hits the limit, all you do is increase the limit. Well, it comes to a point now, that you can't afford it.

So do you just increase the limit again? Or do you actually take a serious thought about where you are spending your money? You're still going to fund the things that are most important to you.

But you're going to eliminate the waste. Maybe you don't go to Starbucks every single day. Maybe you don't waste the money.

(INAUDIBLE)

MCCARTHY: We -- the president just now appointed individuals, we will set -- I would like to meet today, actually, and just start meeting until we get this done.

Yes?

TAPPER: All right. We've been listening to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell speaking outside the White House after meeting with President Biden on the current debt crisis. McCarthy said the two sides remain very far apart, but that the deal could theoretically be reached by the end of the week. No one has any hopes that would happen, though.

Let's get straight to CNN's Jeremy Diamond, who's at the White House for us, as well as Manu Raju on Capitol Hill.

Manu, what do you make of what we just heard from House Speaker Kevin McCarthy?

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. One of the things that he noted there that they agreed to in this meeting was to have direct talks between the speaker and the president, because for some time in the last week when we actually begin these negotiations, there wouldn't be more people in the room, members of the staff from the Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, the Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, and Hakeem Jeffries, some others.

Now, it sounds like according to McCarthy that it would be direct engagement between McCarthy and Biden. So it was a process of decision.

A lot of the policy -- the policy, though, has not been decided. That is really what the hurdle will be to overcome in order to get a deal. It does not sound like they came any closer on their significant differences, which include how long to increase the national debt limit, how much they should kept discretionary spending, Republicans have pushed for a decade long caps in discretionary spending, Republicans -- the Democrats have pushed for something much smaller, perhaps two years or so.

Republicans want to impose new work requirements on social safety net programs like Medicaid. They called that a red line. That's something Democrats say is a red line for them, they don't want to include any of that whatsoever.

[16:10:02]

There are some discussions about adding other provisions in there to ease the permitting of energy projects, there are some disagreements still about the policy of those measures. All of those will be significant issues to try to overcome in just a matter of days because if they get the deal, paper that will just be a framework. Then you've got drafted into legislative tax and sell it into the broader House and Senate Republican and Democratic caucuses and try to get by in there and trying to get it through both chambers.

It takes about a week to go through the Senate at least. It could take several days to go through the House and there is not just not that much time for this potential default deadline of June 1st, which is why every day is so significant and for them getting a deal here. So it sounds like they reached a deal on the process of going forward, but still, major differences remain in the policies to avoid default, Jake.

TAPPER: And, Jeremy, even before McCarthy and McConnell came out and started talking about how far apart they were with the White House on negotiations, we learned President Biden has already canceled much of his upcoming overseas trip. He is still going to go to Japan for the G7, but he is canceling everything after that.

That seems to really signal that there's a crisis here, that they are nowhere near a deal.

JEREMY DIAMOND, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. No doubt about it, Jake. There is certainly a recognition that they are now getting down to brass tacks, the very difficult portion of these negotiations. I mean, my sources have been telling me that the initial part of the staff negotiations that we have seen happen over the last week or so have really been focused on just the basics of defining what they are actually negotiating about, and now, they are actually getting down to the finer points of the policy that is happening here, and clearly, there was a decision that was made that even as this White House insists that President Biden can be president anywhere, this is a deal that is going to come down to President Biden and the House Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

And that is going to require President Biden, who is touted as his negotiating abilities, his decades in the Senate as his campaign for president, it will require him to get into the weeds of the policy here to get into the details with the speaker of the House and to be in a room with him, and so that is what we should expect to see next week.

Now, the president is still going to be away for several days. He leaves tomorrow for Japan. I don't believe he is slated to return until Sunday or Monday. So he is going to be away for several crucial days here. But those staff negotiations will certainly continue.

Now, as we have seen, there are already some emerging areas of dis -- of agreement but also some very major sticking points with just 16 days to go until potential default.

TAPPER: Yeah, Manu, quickly if you could, one of the sticking points is, it is interesting because Republicans are pushing for work requirements for some government assistance. And President Biden initially seemed to signal a willingness to talk about it. And then the Democratic congressional leaders like Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader of the House, said no, no, no. And then Biden did a 180. I mean, that doesn't make negotiating, whatever you think of the policy, that doesn't make negotiations any easier.

RAJU: Yeah. No question about it. And Hakeem Jeffries told his members, I'm told, that he will not accept any sort of deal that includes Medicaid work requirements. And a critical eye on Democratic support to pass any bipartisan deal that comes between Speaker McCarthy and Joe Biden.

And McCarthy made clear that it is his red line to include work requirements. In that Republican bill to pass the House, it would require about 80 hours a month for individuals to obtain benefits through the Medicaid program, which, of course, is that entitlement program for health care for low income individuals that have to work, they work related activities for 80 hours a month in order to obtain those benefits that would apply to people who are 55, age 55 and younger. People who do not have any dependents but Democrats say that they are not going to get behind any plan that could take away health care coverage.

So how do they square that? That is going to be one of the big questions in the center of these negotiations. Among all those other policy disputes with just so little time, the White House has resisted these negotiations from the beginning, saying they should simply raise the national debt limit without any conditions, any cuts whatsoever.

But it is clear that they have backtracked on that. Now they realize that they know their choice than to try to negotiate a deal that includes some spending cuts.

TAPPER: Yeah.

RAJU: But even the deal could get pushback from the left and the right, Jake, even if they get one in the days ahead.

TAPPER: Yeah. Thanks. Let's listen to the Democratic leader of the Senate, Chuck Schumer.

SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER (D-NY), MAJORITY LEADER: All of us in the room together and hopefully we can come to an agreement. We don't have much time. But default is just the worst, worst alternative. And the -- having a bipartisan bill in both chambers is the only way, the only way we are going to avoid default.

Hakeem and I are committed to trying to get that bipartisan bill done.

REP. HAKEEM JEFFRIES (D-NY), MINORITY LEADER: It was a positive meeting. I thank the president for once again convening us. It was an open and an honest, but a very cordial discussion.

We all agreed that the only path forward is to reach a bipartisan agreement anchored and common ground.

[16:15:07]

We all agreed that the default is not an acceptable option and must be avoided. And we all agreed that over the next few weeks, we have to proceed with the fierce urgency of now, in order to make sure we can reach that bipartisan common sense, common ground agreement so that we can protect the health and safety and economic well-being of the American people.

SCHUMER: Few questions. Yes, yes?

(INAUDIBLE)

SCHUMER: Yeah. We won't get into negotiations out here. We have to come to common ground. That's the only way this is ever gotten done. It has never gotten done with one party saying, you have to do it my way. You have to get both parties in both houses together.

Yes?

REPORTER: How do you define common ground?

SCHUMER: Well, you will know when you see. And what that means is that we'll not sacrifice our values, they're not -- they'll probably not sacrifice their values. But we'll have to come together on something that can avoid default.

Default is a disaster. Full stop and everyone understood that in the room. I was glad to see that everyone understood what a disaster default was.

REPORTER: To say that you are closer to a deal than then you were a week ago. You said it was productive --

SCHUMER: Yes, I think it was -- as the leader said, it was a much more cordial meeting. There were honest and real discussions about differences that we have on a whole variety of issues. But it was all respectful. And that was a good sign, as well. Okay?

TAPPER: All right. That was the Democratic leaders of the House and Senate, Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries both of New York. They are leaving a meeting at the White House along with President Biden, of course, at the White House, Biden's aides and their Republican counterparts.

None of those that we just heard from are protecting any optimism that it will be easy to reach a deal to avoid the economic catastrophe that the secretary of treasury says could come as soon as the beginning of June.

Coming up next, details sent to CNN, what we are learning about an intruder breaking into the home of Biden's national security adviser, Jake Sullivan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:21:15]

TAPPER: Just into CNN, the U.S. Secret Service is now investigating how an intruder was able to enter the home of White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan last month without being detected by the agents there to guard Sullivan's home.

Let's get straight to CNN's Evan Perez.

Evan, Jake Sullivan's -- one of President Biden's closest aides, how did this happen?

EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, that is what the Secret Service says is now investigating, Jake. They know that this intruder managed to get into his home. He does have Secret Service there outside of his home. And it appears they did not know that the intruder had made his way in.

We have a statement now from the -- from the Secret Service. They say they are trying to make sure that they review everything about this incident to make sure that they learn what happened here.

I'll read you just a part of what they say. They say that modifications to the protected posture have also been made to ensure additional security layers are in place as they conduct this comprehensive review.

Obviously, Jake, a very concerning incident because we've seen a number of these incidents. Of course, someone threatening the life of a Supreme Court justice. We know that there are public officials here who get a lot of public attention and sometimes get a lot of threats as a result of that -- Jake.

TAPPER: All right. Evan Perez, thanks.

Let's bring in CNN chief law enforcement and intelligence analyst, John Miller.

John, what do we know about the agents who are on duty at Sullivan's home?

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Well, this actually happened a little while ago, right, Jake? This is the night that we were all at the White House Correspondents dinner, the 29th, down in Washington, D.C. It's later that evening, this intruder comes in and is confronted by Jake Sullivan in the house.

This is described to me by sources as the very momentary encounter. He says, what are you doing? The intruder realizes that there are someone in the house and leaves. Apparently, according to sources, enter through an open door.

Now, the Secret Service detail is posted outside. They weren't aware of this until Sullivan notified them.

But here's what didn't happen. Secret Service didn't reach out to the D.C. Metro Police with the description or looking for male one foot in the area. They didn't notify the Secret Service uniform division, which is often on patrol in that area looking after various embassies. So, no one went to looking for this individual.

They did a video canvas. They have some grainy video of a male that they are looking. But they are behind the curve here.

So what we are seeing is the U.S. Secret Service has ordered what they call a mission assurance review, meaning what happened here and where did procedure go. There seems to be some serious gaps here. And that investigation will determine what will happen or not happen to those agents.

But based on my experience, not notifying the police about searching for the intruder, not sounding the alarm that night, even if you're principal, your protectee Jake Sullivan said look, let's not make a big deal of it, could result in very serious consequences for those agents. So that's just starting.

TAPPER: Yeah. Sounds like a failure -- as it has been described to us, if sounds like a failure on the wide scale.

John Miller, thanks so much.

Coming up, we're going to talk about new information just in from police about the man who roamed a New Mexico neighborhood with guns, killing three people, injuring six others.

Plus, new claims from a man known for pushing propaganda, but he is talking about an American, another American. He says was killed in Ukraine, is he telling the truth? I will show you what he said in a video and investigate further.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:29:19]

TAPPER: Topping our world lead, right now, the U.S. State Department is working to try to verify, or disprove, notorious Russian Wagner warlord Yevgeny Prigozhin's claim that a U.S. citizen was killed fighting in Bakhmut. Prigozhin posted a video seeming to inspect the dead soldier's body. He then showed what he claimed was American ID.

The U.S. State Department has not yet confirmed that an American died in Bakhmut. Prigozhin says that he will hand the body over to the U.S. and treat the corpse with respect for dying a, quote, worthy death.

Meanwhile, just outside of Kyiv, one of Ukraine's two U.S. made patriot air defense systems may be out of commission after Russia claimed it hit the billion dollar battery with a, quote, high precision strike. U.S. officials are now acknowledging that it is probably damaged, though they say it is not destroyed.

The U.S. says the highly effective defense system might need to be pulled back or repaired. Taking one out a commission, even for short time, of course, could impact Ukraine's ability to defend its capital of Kyiv.

CNN's Sam Kiley reports for us now from southeastern Ukraine, as Russia is trying to find holes in Ukraine's defenses which have been fortified with a steady stream of Western aid.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SAM KILEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A new Russian tactic in the air assault against Kyiv, concentrated fire by missiles and drones, testing Ukraine's air defenses, probing for weaknesses.

Ukraine says it shot down 18 missiles, including six Kinzhal, Russia's hypersonic weapon. It was once considered invulnerable to air defenses. Now, not so much.

YURII IHNAT, UKRAINIAN AIR FORCE COMMAND SPOKESMAN (through translator): Six of these missiles were fired in the direction of the capitol. They were all destroyed by our air defense.

KILEY: Russia has been trying to overwhelm Ukraine with air attacks for months. The results, though, have been more pledges of air defenses from the U.S. and especially the U.K. and now even Germany after months of holding back.

On the ground, the conflict grinds on in Bakhmut.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE (translated): Into the shelter. Mortar attacks from the western side.

KILEY: Wagner mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin releasing a new video purporting to show him in a city. He demonstrates uncharacteristic sympathy for an alleged American volunteer killed fighting for Ukraine.

YEVGENY PRIGOZHIN, LEADER OF WAGNER GROUP (through translator): We will hand him over to the United States of America. We'll put him with a coffin, cover him with the American flag with respect because he died in his bed as a grandpa, but he died at war and most likely a worthy death.

KILEY: "The Washington Post" has reported that U.S. intelligence documents suggest that he tried to trade Russian intelligence for ceding territory around Bakhmut.

Prigozhin denies the claims. Russia said that the allegations Prigozhin offered to spy for Ukraine are a hoax. But in the Kremlin they might one day be considered treason, making this town, perhaps, a safer place than Moscow for Russia's top mercenary.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KILEY (on camera): Now, Jake, the Kremlin has said that they didn't fire six hypersonic missiles, so the Ukrainians couldn't have shot that many down. They deny indeed that any of their 18 cruise missiles, caliber cruise missiles, the hypersonic missiles and indeed more traditional missiles were shot down. They say they all reached their target.

Now, the Ukrainians historically have been pretty accurate about the missiles that they've shot down but they tend not to confirm whether or not the other missiles have actually made their target, particularly if they're not -- if they are a military target, such as Patriot batteries, Jake.

TAPPER: All right. Sam Kiley in Ukraine for us, thank you so much.

The Chinese government is dispatching its envoy and former ambassador to Russia, Li Hui, to Ukraine this week, as well as to Poland, and to France and to Germany and to Russia. They say this is an effort to move toward a Beijing mediated peace talk.

And joining us for a bipartisan interview, the top members of the Select Committee on China, Republican Chairman Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin and Democratic ranking member, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi of Illinois.

Chairman Gallagher, let me start with you. How realistic or unrealistic is it do you think for China to try to broker any sort of peace deal? Do they have the standing to do so?

REP. MIKE GALLAGHER (R-WI), CHAIRMAN, SELECT COMMITTEE ON CHINA: They do not because, of course, China is fueling Putin's war machine. China is standing by Vladimir Putin. Xi and Putin have a no limits partnership. I think it's important for us to understand the depths and scale of this partnership, and for that to give us the energy to continue our support of the Ukrainians, to make sure that we're modernizing our defense industrial base to build the weapons that we need not only to help Ukrainians fight for themselves, but to replenish our stock piles as well provide weapons in the Indo Pacific.

And so, let's not allow the Chinese communist party to perpetrate this narrative that somehow they're peacemakers when they are, in fact, supporting Putin's war machine.

TAPPER: And even beyond that, Congressman Krishnamoorthi, Ukraine President Zelenskyy, he's made it clear that he will not accept any peace deal without liberating the entirety of Ukraine, including Crimea, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014.

So, I wonder if there is even a peace deal to be had.

REP. RAJA KRISHNAMOORTHI (D-IL), RANKING MEMBER, SELECT COMMITTEE ON CHINA: Well, it's certainly not the Chinese peace deal, which I think the 13-point plan still recognizes Russian aggression in Ukraine but recognizing their claims to Ukrainian land. Unless they call for a pullback of those troops, there's not going to be any peace deal.

[16:35:09]

TAPPER: Chairman Gallagher, I have to just ask you, in terms of Ukraine, I mean, we've heard some pretty wobbly comments from Trump, DeSantis, even Speaker McCarthy when it comes to supporting Ukraine in what is, not to overstate, an existential threat to its existence as a democracy.

Does that make your job harder? Obviously, you are pretty forthright in your expressions of support for Ukraine.

GALLAGHER: Well, I think we need to do a better job, really for those of us who are also advocating for an investment in defense more broadly, of really explaining what we're up against in the form of the Chinese communist party and how can you not isolate the Russia threat from this broader no-limits partnership. What I increasingly see is a de facto alliance against the West in terms of Xi, Putin, to a lesser extent the Iranians.

So, teasing out the depths of that partnership is one part of the effort. The other thing is really understanding what the crisis in Ukraine has revealed, which is the fragility of our defense industrial base, our munitions industrial base and making sure we never put ourselves in positions again where we're struggling to manufacture things that we've neglected for years. So, we can fix that problem through things like multi-year procurement for critical long range precision fires, but that requires some action here on Capitol Hill.

TAPPER: Congressman Krishnamoorthi, Zelenskyy reiterated his desire for U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets. U.S. officials are constantly saying they're reluctant to send Ukraine weapons that can strike inside Russian borders. But Ukraine, we know now, has British stealth missiles that have a 155 mile range. So, I don't fully understand the argument because they have the ability to hit inside Russia.

KRISHNAMOORTHI: I personally think it's a good idea to provide those weapons. I do think that one other thing that we should mention is that we are trying to work with our allies and partners in the region to provide them with the armaments they require. I think that we should provide them with the ATACMS as well, which is the long-range missile, which is one step higher than we have provided with the HIMARS.

What we've learned is that the Russians are moving back their outposts and targets beyond the range of the HIMARS. So it's logical to provide the Ukrainians with the next level weapon to be able to deter attracts from those and to punish attacks coming from those further regions.

TAPPER: Chairman Gallagher, on the subject of China, there's a former employee bringing a wrongful termination against ByteDance. That's, of course, the Chinese owned parent company of TikTok. And this former employee claimed that China's communist party had, quote, supreme access to all data held by ByteDance.

Now, the Biden administration is threatening a nationwide U.S. ban on the app unless the Chinese owners sell their stakes in the company. That hasn't happened yet.

What's the holdup on that?

GALLAGHER: Well, I think we need to arrive at a unified position here in the House. I'd like to arrive at a bipartisan position. We actually have a bipartisan, bicameral. I'm in favor of a ban or a for-sale because we can't allow TikTok to become the most dominant media platform in America, not just because of the ability to exfiltrate data, track your location, but really the ability to control the news, determine what young Americans get in terms of their news are determine their sense of reality. That's very dangerous, particularly if you believe as I do, that

TikTok is owned by ByteDance and ByteDance is effectively controlled by the Chinese communist party. I would say the allegations of this employee contradict in many ways the testimony of TikTok's CEO before Congress a couple of months ago and that's very troubling.

KRISHNAMOORTHI: And it also matches the claims of the whistleblower who came forward to Congress to talk about what actually happens with regards to TikTok and ByteDance. We have to remember that ByteDance is beholden to the Chinese communist party, at the very highest levels. The secretary of the internal cell at ByteDance, the Chinese Congress party cell embedded there, is the editor in chief of ByteDance.

TAPPER: Yeah.

KRISHNAMOORTHI: So, we're -- I mean, it's just a bizarre kind of marriage between ByteDance and the CCP, and we have to recognize it for what it is.

TAPPER: Congressmen Mike Gallagher and Raja Krishnamoorthi, the chair and ranking Democrat on the Select Committee on China -- thank you so much. Appreciate it.

GALLAGHER: Thank you.

KRISHNAMOORTHI: Thank you.

TAPPER: Police are giving an update right now on that mass shooting in New Mexico. Nine people shot, three of them killed. But police are saying about the 18-year-old whom they say is responsible, and all the weapons he had on him. That's next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[16:43:36]

TAPPER: In our national lead, minutes ago, authorities gave an update on the investigation into the teenage gunman who killed three people and wounded six others in New Mexico. Yesterday, police say the gunman appear to have targeted victims at random that he roam the neighborhood and fired at homes, at cars, and at people before officer shot him dead.

CNN's Natasha Chen is with me now.

Natasha, what do we know about the shooter, what do the authorities share?

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Jake, just a few moments ago the police in Farmington, New Mexico, said that Beau Wilson is the 18-year-old who was shooting indiscriminately yesterday in this neighborhood. They said that he had some minor infractions as a juvenile, but nothing serious enough to rise to the level of serious crime, nothing that would have prevented him from buying a firearm.

Here is one of the officers talking about how he might have acquired the weapons he used.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEPUTY CHIEF KYLE DOWDY, FARMINGTON, NM POLICE: He is a student of Farmington High School. He was armed with multiple firearms, including an AR-style rifle. We are still investigating how he came to possession of those firearms, but we do know that he did purchase one legally in November 2022.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHEN: November of 2022. That's just one month after he turned 18. The police did say a little bit later on in that press conference that the other weapons may have been owned by family members, Jake.

[16:45:02]

TAPPER: Natasha, this shooting was different from other mass shootings we have seen recently. It didn't happen in a school, it didn't happen a church, it didn't happen in a mall, it was somebody, just wandering the streets, in a way. Do authorities have any sort of motive?

CHEN: Jake, that is the big question here. They said that this was a wide and complex scene where this person really spanned the area about a quorum or mile, shooting at mostly vehicles and some of that gunfire hit the homes.

They did say it was arbitrary. Right now they cannot find an actual link between the suspect and these victims, nothing to indicate that he might have known these people. In speaking to the people who know him and speaking to family members, police say that there may have been potential mental health issues. So they are still investigating all of that, Jake.

TAPPER: All right. Natasha Chen, thank you so much.

Up next, the immigration crisis extends well beyond the U.S. Mexico border, it extends well beyond Texas. How moving migrants has set off a dispute in New York.

Plus, I'm going to talk to the mayor of Denver as he and other big city leaders are getting frustrated and making requests of the White House.

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[16:50:40]

TAPPER: In our national lead, New York City Mayor Adams is facing new pushback for how he plans to handle the influx of migrants in his city. The latest contention, housing migrants in school gyms.

CNN's Athena Jones is outside a school in Brooklyn, where migrants are currently being sheltered.

Athena, what is the reaction from the community there? ATHENA JONES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Jake. There's a lot of

anger and concern. Anger and concern about the fact that the city did not notify, not just parents, but teachers, school administrators, other members of the community about the plan to house migrants here at this facility. You know, even this morning there was a lot of question about whether this was already going on or whether it was something that was still being considered listening to the language from the mayor.

What we now understand from a city council members that migrants began arriving here at this location, the gym behind this school on Sunday. We went into that gymnasium, cots wall to wall, they appeared to be housing adult migrants from men and women. But there is a lot of uncertainty about who these people are, talking to the parents and they are concerned about how well they have been vetted, what their health status is, and the fact that the school is still in session.

They are concerned about the atmosphere that having these migrants just steps away will help create for the children.

Take a listen to what one mother who has a son in pre-K had to say. Robin Williams is her name. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROBIN WILLIAMS, PARENT OF STUDENT AT PS 188: I was scared. I was nervous. I felt like it was the wrong decision that they made at the time where nobody knew anything. My concern is that I will be with children that go to school to get an education at PS 188. Our families are walking around not knowing who we are taking in for shelter in, for our safety, and our well-being.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: And one more thing, the mayor has stressed that these gyms are separate and in separate buildings from the school. But as one person that we talk to, it is a skip and a jump. There are three or four feet separating the school in the gym that is right behind it. So while the mayor is guaranteeing there will be no interaction between migrants and students, a lot of folks around her question how that's even possible.

I should mention that this is a school for 3K and through grade five. So, just a lot of concern in this community.

TAPPER: All right. Athena Jones in New York, thanks so much.

It's not just a New York problem, of course. In Denver, Colorado, today, several dozen migrants arrived at a processing center, many of them hoping to get bus tickets to other cities.

Denver's Mayor Michael Hancock joins us now.

Mayor Hancock, good to see you again.

So, you along with the mayor of Los Angeles, Houston and New York City have a joint letter to President Biden asking him to meet with all of you to talk about this issue. Have you heard any response, and what do you want to say to him?

MAYOR MICHAEL HANCOCK (D), DENVER: No. We have not, Jake, and it's good to be with you as well.

We have not heard back from the White House. But not surprising is that the president is dealing with the congressional conversations around that ceiling today. So we do expect to hear from him and I am sure we will hear from him soon we will learn when and if we get a chance to sit down with the president.

TAPPER: What do you need from the federal government?

HANCOCK: We have serious concerns. With regards to one policy, it's important to know that we're all on the same page. Two, obviously, cities like New York, Denver, and Chicago, D.C., Houston are stressed in terms of our resources. Denver has extended $17 million. We know that that is a tick tack compared to what is happening in New York City and other cities like Chicago and D.C.

But the reality is that, proportionally, it's a major impact for us. And we also need to support around shelter facilities, as you just -- the story in New York, that's because they are out of space and the migrants continue to come. New York, Denver, Chicago, we want to make sure that you could respond in a compassionate, humane manner. But we are stressed, and we need support from the federal government at this time.

TAPPER: Yeah. I mean, it is a humanitarian crisis and you don't have the means, you don't have the money, not just you but Houston and Dallas and New York and D.C. and L.A. and Chicago, you don't have it.

Is it fair to say that the failure to actually have a border but functions of the border is a federal failing, but you, and the mayors, and citizens of all these other cities, especially, of course, the border towns in Arizona, California, and Texas are the ones that are paying the price? Is that a fair description, do you think?

HANCOCK: Jake, could have said it better myself. You are absolutely correct. Our cities are really carrying the burden that is really a federal burden, with regards to immigration policies and strategies.

[16:55:05]

It's unfortunate. And unfortunately, the federal government hasn't figured out how to respond to those of us who were calling for their help and respect at this time. Many of us, some states that like Colorado are leaning in to help us. But we like some the language and the actions that come out of the White House recently.

But I think we need to know more clearly what is happening on the ground as we try to respond again in a humane manner for those souls who have come to our cities.

TAPPER: Yeah. I mean, again, look, these are people in dire circumstances, most of them are in the United States just because they are trying to provide for a better life but it is a federal responsibility to keep the borders secure, we saw in New York some American veterans, homeless veterans kicked out of a hotel, moved to another hotel, because they were making room for some of these individuals.

And again, our hearts go out to them, they are in dire need. You've previously mentioned the possible need to cut city services for the citizens of Denver if you don't get federal help. What services would be cut?

HANCOCK: Well, we don't know yet. And we are trying to do everything that we cannot have to go through the direction, or go in that direction, in a very serious way to cut services. I did mention it because I was talking about the broad, general spectrum of the options that we have available. And if we don't get help from the federal government, we won't have a choice but to cut services while we try to care for those who are coming to our city.

So then we don't have further chaos, and even more people who are unhoused in our streets. As you know, because I've seen you do these stories and many cities like Denver, San Francisco, D.C., New York, who are already -- who are all already struggling to take care of those unhoused in our cities.

This exacerbates the challenge. In, fact that is how we found out that we have migrants coming to our city because they were going to our homeless shelters and our providers called us and said, we've got a problem, and we had to move to address it.

So, we need help and we need it quickly and we have a federal government to coordinate itself to figure out how to move in and assist our cities so that we don't have to cut services and impact our delivery of services to people in our cities.

TAPPER: President Biden, if you're watching, the mayor of Denver is saying that buck stops at the resolute desk. He needs help.

Mayor Michael Hancock, thank you so much. Appreciate your time, sir.

HANCOCK: Jake, thank you for having me.

TAPPER: Coming up next, the future of artificial intelligence, should it be regulated? Hear the testimony on Capitol Hill today calling for new rules in the world of deepfakes and malicious actors.

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TAPPER: Welcome to THE LEAD. I'm Jake Tapper.