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Charges Dismissed Against Philadelphia Police Officer; Congress Moves Closer to Government Shutdown; President Biden Joins Striking Autoworkers in Michigan. Aired 1-1:30p ET

Aired September 26, 2023 - 13:00   ET

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

[13:00:00]

MARGARET HOOVER, CNN POLITICAL CONTRIBUTOR: One could argue he should have been doing for four years.

DANA BASH, CNN HOST: Yes.

HOOVER: The bully pulpit of the presidency is powerful. And so we will see.

BASH: Yes, it is. We will see.

SHANE GOLDMACHER, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": It may be more than a strategy too. I mean, I think this is a legacy issue for Biden. He really wants to go down as the most pro-labor president. So it's more than just a political strategy.

BASH: Fair point. Fair point. And it happens to be what he truly, truly believes.

You are seeing pictures right now in Wayne County, Michigan. President Biden is going to be there any minute. Don't go away. Stay with CNN to see what happens with this historic moment.

Thank you so much for joining INSIDE POLITICS.

"CNN NEWS CENTRAL" starts right now.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: President on the picket line, standing with striking union workers and fighting for a key battleground state. It's an historic trip with potentially big consequences.

The meltdown before the shutdown, House Republicans one day closer to Saturday's deadline and no closer to an agreement. Is the speaker out of options?

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: Plus, a total annihilation of his digital privacy, Hunter Biden suing Rudy Giuliani and his former attorney, this latest move by the president's son as he pursues an aggressive legal strategy.

We're following these major developing stories and many more coming in right here to CNN NEWS CENTRAL. KEILAR: We're about to see for the first time a sitting American

president walking the picket line. The United Auto Workers strike was already historic for opposing the Big Three automakers simultaneously. Well, now Joe Biden is expected to join the ranks of the UAW, a source saying union President Shawn Fain will be joining him on the line.

Fain greeted the president at the Detroit Metro Airport here a short time ago.

That is where CNN's Arlette Saenz is standing by for us. And less than an hour's drive to the north, we have CNN's Vanessa Yurkevich, who is with workers on the picket line in Warren, Michigan.

Arlette, to you first here. The president is trying to shore up union support. He's trying also to convince Americans that his economic policies are working. He has a lot riding on this visit.

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yes, he definitely does.

And President Biden is making this historic visit, becoming the first sitting U.S. president to walk with striking workers on a picket line. We're expecting to see him any moment now as they have just arrived at a facility -- a facility, what appears to be a General Motors facility where there are some UAW members walking the picket line at this moment.

The White House had not detailed ahead of time the exact location where President Biden would be simply, saying that it was in Wayne County, due to some security concerns that they were facing. But President Biden's mission while he is on the ground here is trying to show that support for union workers and also shore up support the president's working-class voters, who could be critical heading into the 2024 election.

Now, the president arrived at the Detroit Airport about half-an-hour ago, where he was greeted by the UAW president, Shawn Fain. We anticipate Fain to also be there on the ground with the president at that picket line. Fain had extended this invitation for President Biden to come here to Michigan as these workers are striking.

But it's noteworthy that the UAW has yet to endorse in the 2024 presidential election. The president was asked earlier what it would take to earn that endorsement. He said that's not something that he's worried about at this moment. The White House has tried to stress that this is a trip about showing solidarity with these workers as these negotiations are ongoing with the Big Three automakers.

Now, the White House has walked a very careful line during these negotiations. They don't have any legal authority to be directly party to the negotiations, but they have tried to lend support in certain ways, and the president has come out in vocal support for the UAW since the strike has started.

But one thing that the White House has refrained from doing is weighing in specifically on how the White House views the demands of the UAW as these negotiations are under way. Now, what's also playing out over the course of this -- these next two days is this remarkable political split screen, when you think about the fact that Biden is here today and former President Donald Trump is also expected in the Detroit area, where they're gathering a group of union workers to address.

Now, it comes as both of these men are vying for working-class voters in very different ways. And it seems like...

(CROSSTALK)

KEILAR: Arlette,let's -- I'm going to pause for just a moment. Let's listen in because he is there addressing union workers with a bullhorn.

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: (OFF-MIKE) UAW picket lines when I was a senator since 1973.

But I will tell you what. It's the first time I have ever done it as president.

(CROSSTALK)

(APPLAUSE)

(CROSSTALK)

BIDEN: The fact of the matter is that you guys, the UAW, you saved the automobile industry back in 2008 and before, made a lot of sacrifices, gave up a lot. And the companies were in trouble.

[13:05:02]

But now they're doing incredibly well. And guess what? You should be doing incredibly well too.

(CROSSTALK)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BIDEN: Stick with it, because you deserve the significant raise you need and other benefits.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let's get it!

(CROSSTALK)

BIDEN: Let's get back what we lost, OK?

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BIDEN: We saved them. It's about time them to step up for us. Thank you.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BIDEN: Now, there's a guy I know you don't know here, but I brought him along anyway.

(LAUGHTER)

BIDEN: Shawn Fain, your president.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

SHAWN FAIN, PRESIDENT, UNITED AUTO WORKERS: All right, good afternoon, UAW (INAUDIBLE)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you.

FAIN: I want to thank Local 174, home of Walter Reuther.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

FAIN: Thanks this local leadership and director Laura Dickerson.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(CROSSTALK)

FAIN: Because you're all the reason we're here. This is all about the membership.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) .

FAIN: This site, Willow Run, it holdings a historic place in the history of our union, in our country.

You know, this was part of the arsenal of democracy during World War II. It's where they built the B-24 Liberator bomber. That bomber, they built one of those per hour when they were at their peak. It's what helped us win the war.

So, today, 80 years later, we find ourselves again with the arsenal democracy. It's a different kind of arsenal democracy, and it's a different kind of war we're fighting. Today, the enemy isn't some foreign country miles away. It's right here in our own -- in our own area. It's corporate greed.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

FAIN: And the weapon we produce to fight that enemy is the liberators, the true liberators. It's the working-class people, all of you working your butts off on those lines to deliver a great product for our companies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's right.

FAIN: That's how we're going to defeat these people. That's how we're going to defeat corporate greed is by standing together.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) FAIN: You know, this is a historic moment, the first time in our country's history that a sitting USA president has came out and stood on the picket line.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

FAIN: Our president chose to stand up with workers in our fight for economic and social justice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

FAIN: It's a historic day, a historic moment in time.

You know, just as today, it's about the autoworkers who are part of the fabric of the working class in this country. We're the people who make the world run. It's not the billionaire class, not the elite few. It's the working class of the billions of people who have been left behind. That's what this battle is about, changing that.

You know, what's going to move this, it's not some executive that owns our future. It's us. It's working-class people from all walks of life. You know, it's what we decide to do together that's going to change it, that's going to shape the future of this Earth and for future generations.

And that's the economic reality that corporate executives don't want us to recognize.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes!

FAIN: I see these CEOs try to justify a system where they take all the profit and the workers are left to fight for the scraps and live paycheck to paycheck. That's got to end.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

FAIN: They say they deserve all of the profit because they say they're different. You know what? They are different. They have different degrees. They have different responsibilities. They have different titles, different positions.

You know what? I agree, though, they're different, but let's talk about some of that. These CEOs sit in their offices. They sit in meetings, they make decisions, but we make the product.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

FAIN: They think they own the world, but we make it run.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

FAIN: The CEOs think the future belongs to them. Today belongs to the autoworkers and the working class.

[13:10:04]

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

FAIN: And the difference between them and us, it's just as our theme song, Solidarity Forever," says. Without our brain and muscle, not a single wheel would turn.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

FAIN: That's what's different about working-class people, whether we're building cars or trucks or running parts distribution centers, whether we're writing movies or performing TV shows, whether we're making coffee at Starbucks, whether it's nursing people back to help, whether it's educating students from preschool to college.

We do the heavy lifting. We do the real work.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

FAIN: Not the studios, not the executives.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

FAIN: And though we don't know it, that's what power is. We have the power. The world is of our making. The economy is of our making. This industry is of our making.

And, as we have shown, when we withhold our labor, we can unmake it. And as we're going to continue to show, when we win this fight with the Big Three, we're going to remake it.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

FAIN: In this union, the members are the highest authority.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

FAIN: In this country, the people are the highest authority.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

FAIN: So, today, I just want to take a moment to stand with all of you, with our president, and say thank you to the president.

Thank you, Mr. President, for coming.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

FAIN: Thank you for coming to stand up with us in our generations- defining moment.

And we know the president will do right by the working class. And when we do right by the working class, you can leave the rest to us, because we're going to take care of this business.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) FAIN: Thank you for coming out. Thank you for being a part of this fight. And let's get back to winning solidarity for all of our members and economic and social justice for all of our members.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BIDEN: You have heard me say it many times. Wall Street didn't build the country. The middle class built the country.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's right.

BIDEN: And unions built the middle class.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

BIDEN: That's a fact.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That's a fact.

BIDEN: So let's keep going. You deserve what you have earned, and you have earned a hell of a lot more than you're getting paid now.

Thank you very much.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

KEILAR: The president there telling UAW workers, "You deserve a hell of a lot more than you get paid right now."

I want to get back to Arlette Saenz.

As we heard the president there and we heard the president of the United Auto Workers, Shawn Fain, they're rallying the troops in Wayne, Michigan, alongside the president. It was interesting. He told the striking autoworkers: You saved the auto industry. You gave up a lot. Auto companies are doing well. You deserve the raise you need.

And we had been talking, Arlette, before he spoke about how he hadn't been very specific, weighing in on the negotiations. He said: "You deserve the raise you need and other benefits that you lost."

Of course, what they're fighting for are things like health care and pensions and the like. Has he gone that far? Because I know he was being pretty general there, but he's saying they deserve everything they're asking for.

SAENZ: Yes, maybe slightly further than he's gone before, but he still hasn't weighed in on these very specifics of what they are seeking, as far as seeking a 40 percent increase in their pay and other issues.

But what the president was trying to do there is signal his full support for these autoworkers as they are striking. There's that imagery you now have of President Biden wearing that UAW hat with a bullhorn in hand speaking to these striking workers.

And a lot of what he talked about also strikes at the heart of much of his pro-union message that he has tried to espouse throughout his presidency, saying that the middle class built this country and that it is unions that built the middle class.

One thing that Biden is really trying to do with this visit is shore up that support with working-class voters, especially in a state like Michigan. This is a state where the president won voters in union households with a little over 60 percent last election, compared to former President Donald Trump. This is a state that will once again be pivotal again heading into the 2024 election.

[13:15:04]

But what the White House has said is that the president today is focused on showing the support and the solidarity with these striking workers, walking the picket lines there with them. You see him still there. He is on site. This is just outside of a General Motors facility, walking around, talking with people.

And this gives the president an opportunity to try to present a split screen with former President Donald Trump, who will be here in this area tomorrow. The president's invitation here to Michigan came from the UAW president, Shawn Fain, directly, who invited him to come here just last week.

The president earlier today said that he's not concerned at this moment about the fact that the UAW hasn't endorsed him just yet. But it's certainly an endorsement that he is hoping to win heading into 2024. But for the time being, the White House insists the focus today is on these workers and trying to stress the president's support for not just the UAW, but unions writ large.

KEILAR: Yes. Well, they seem happy to have the shot in the arm of his presence there in Wayne, Michigan.

Let's head up the road to Warren, Michigan, which is where Vanessa Yurkevich is.

We were talking with our Arlette earlier about how he doesn't have the endorsement. He was asked about that. He got the endorsement from the UAW in 2020. Maybe he's not worried about it, Vanessa, but I'm sure he would like it. What do the union workers there, what do they think about him being there rallying the striking workers?

VANESSA YURKEVICH, CNN BUSINESS AND POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, well, unfortunately, the folks here did not get to hear the president just moments ago, but they have been here on the picket line 24/7.

We're at a Stellantis facility. This is one of the 38 facilities that were authorized to go on strike just Friday. But just to remind folks about what the union is demanding, as you have heard, the president and UAW President Shawn Fain speak about what these workers deserve, 40 percent in pay increases over the next four years, cost of living adjustments, a return to pensions, and also retiree security and a four-day workweek.

But let's hear from one of those workers.

I want to bring in Chanel Holyfield (ph). She has been working at Stellantis for 11 years now.

The president just spoke. I know you didn't get to hear from him, but just the president being here today, what are your feelings about that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm glad that he's here. But if he's here for us, it's important is that he's here for us.

But if he's not here for us, then he's just here.

YURKEVICH: Yes, he said that he was here to support union workers and to make sure that you got your fair share.

When the president of the United States says that, does that hold any meaning to you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, it does. He's the top. So it means a lot to us. And we just want what's fair. That's it. That's all we want.

YURKEVICH: The president is not at the negotiating table...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

YURKEVICH: ... and does not have a lot of power in terms of negotiations. Do you think his presence here today will help with negotiations between Stellantis, the company you work for, and the union?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I believe so. I do. I believe so.

We will just see. It's a waiting game. We're out here.

YURKEVICH: Thank you so much. Thank you so much, Chanel.

So, listen, negotiations continue between the Big Three and the union, despite the fact that President Biden is here today and former President Trump is coming here to Detroit tomorrow. According to a source, the union has not endorsed the president -- President Trump's visit here. They did not invite him here, and they have no involvement with that event.

But, today, you just saw a historic moment between UAW President Shawn Fain and the president of the United States in what has already been a historic strike -- Brianna.

KEILAR: Yes, we certainly did.

Vanessa, Arlette, thank you so much to both of you for your reports from Michigan alongside the striking autoworkers there -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: Let's expand the conversation out with Tony Totty. He's the president of UAW Local 14 in Toledo, Ohio.

Tony, thank you so much for being with us.

It is a historic moment, the president of the United States picketing alongside your union members. I'm wondering what you heard from President Biden that stood out to you.

TONY TOTTY, PRESIDENT, UAW UNION LOCAL 14: Thank you for having me, Boris. Well, we have heard a lot of the same.

Joe Biden's been by our side the whole way through. It's nice to hear these words while the companies are profitable. If anybody knows what we deserve, it is President Joe Biden. When you look at the Obama administration, he was over the reconstruction for the auto industry, and he knows what we gave up.

And now that these corporations are so profitable, just like he said, we deserve that raise.

SANCHEZ: Tony, I want to get your thoughts on criticisms of President Biden's overseeing or watching from the sidelines as this strike has been happening, people that feel that he hasn't been specific enough about what workers deserve, people that feel that he's pushed the auto industry too far into electric vehicles, and that has led to disruptions for you and your workers.

[13:20:19]

What do you say to those criticisms?

TOTTY: Well, he's not at the bargaining table. Our negotiators are, and these are for-profit companies.

And the reason why they're making the switch to E.V. is they know there's profits over there on that side once we make that transition. So they're still making money on internal combustion engines, but the future is E.V.s. So that's why they want to go there.

I don't have a problem with anything that the president has done so far. For our endorsement, we have a process that we go through. When you look at four years ago, in 2020, we didn't make our endorsement until the election year. So we're still on track to make our endorsement in a timely manner that goes along with our process.

SANCHEZ: What do you make of former President Trump's visit scheduled for tomorrow? Are you concerned at all that some people may see this as nothing more than a photo-op for these two front-runners in 2024?

TOTTY: Well...

SANCHEZ: And it looks like we're having some technical issues there with Tony Totty. We do want to thank him for his time.

Of course, plenty more to discuss, not only from Michigan, but wherever headlines are happening.

We will be right back on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:25:59]

KEILAR: Right now on Capitol Hill, the House and the Senate are on a collision course, with fewer than five days to avert a government shutdown.

Think of the House as the kid who hasn't done its most essential homework assignment, and the Senate is the parent who is grudgingly doing it for them, in the hopes that they will just turn something, anything in, because, at any time, the Senate could release its own bipartisan short-term spending bill, since there is no deal in sight in the House.

But even if the Senate does pass a stopgap bill there, are major questions remaining, like, will it have funding for Ukraine? Will Speaker Kevin McCarthy even bring that Senate bill to the House floor? And, if he does, will hard right House Republicans revolt and try to oust him from his speakership?

CNN's Lauren Fox is live for us on Capitol Hill.

All right, what more do we know about the status of this Senate bill, Lauren?

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Brianna, the expectation is, we could see text of their bill as soon as this afternoon. They are still trying to find a deal that works for both Republicans and Democrats.

And they're hoping that they can try and make sure that Republican and Democratic members would support it even before it comes to the to the floor, hoping that they can move this as quickly as possible, because time is of the essence right now. What they're looking at -- and this is still fluid -- is about a 45-day short-term spending bill, basically a bridge to get them to the next opportunity to have a broader negotiation on one-year spending bills.

So that is what they're looking at the moment. But it's important to keep in context that there are some things that a lot of senators would like included in this short-term vehicle that may not get to the final bill. And a couple of those include Ukraine funding, as well as disaster aid.

Now, again, things are still being negotiated. It's possible that some of that money ends up in the legislation, but it is important to keep in mind that Senator Rand Paul, a conservative, has already warned that if any Ukraine money is included in this package, he could potentially slow the process down.

And because there's not much time to act, that is something that leaders want to avoid. If the Senate can unite and pass the bill, the question, of course, is will Kevin McCarthy put it on the floor? And every single day, we -- we give him this question. And this is what he said today when I pressed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. KEVIN MCCARTHY (R-CA): I'm not going to take up hypotheticals of someday dreaming the Senate's going to do something. When they do something, come back and ask me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FOX: And, of course, there he is again saying that this is a hypothetical question. We will see if by the end of the week that is the case or whether the Senate has acted quickly and swiftly to send something to McCarthy -- Brianna.

KEILAR: It's kind of a less hypothetical, as far as hypothetical questions go. I will definitely give you that.

Lauren Fox live for us on Capitol Hill, thank you -- Boris.

SANCHEZ: Today, major developments in the murder case against a Philadelphia police officer, a judge just dismissing all seven charges against Officer Mark Dial. Remember, he was seen on video fatally shooting Eddie Irizarry during a traffic stop last month.

CNN's Danny Freeman is outside court in Philadelphia.

So, Danny, take us to the scene. Why did the judge throw out the case?

DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Listen, Boris, the judge was pretty emphatic, if not short-worded, though, in her decision.

Judge Wendy Pew said from the stand after less than two hours of hearing this preliminary hearing in the case of officer Mark Dial and Eddie Irizarry: "I agree with the defense attorney 100 percent." And then she dismissed all of the charges that the district attorney here in Philadelphia had levied against officer Mark Dial. That included murder. That also included voluntary manslaughter as well.

And I want to break down a little bit of what were the two focal points, let's say, of this preliminary hearing. The first focal point was the testimony of officer Michael Morris, who was Mark Dial's partner that day. He was driving the car.

Officer Mark Dial was in the passenger seat. And at this -- in this preliminary hearing, Officer Morris testified that he was afraid for his life and his partner's life at the moment when they got out of the car. And he said that he shouted to his partner.

[13:30:00]