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Biden Speaks At APEC Summit; Paul Pelosi's Attacker Found Guilty In Federal Trial; Ex-Army Officer, Who Reported Trump, Running For Congress. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired November 16, 2023 - 14:30   ET

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

[14:30:00]

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Investments announced today from companies like Amazon, United, Delta, Microsoft, to make sure our region is more inclusive and interconnected.

Investments announced today from companies like Boeing, Apple, Flexport, PepsiCo, or the Pepsi company, I should say, make our economies cleaner and most sustainable.

Investments today for companies like IBM, Visa. Look, they make up -- they make our region more resilient. They make it more secure.

Here in this world, this world-renowned hub of innovation, leading tech companies like -- and I'm going to mispronounce -- I'm not going to even try.

(LAUGHTER)

BIDEN: It's better not to try -- not mispronounce than try and mispronounce.

(LAUGHTER)

BIDEN: The point is small- and medium-sized businesses are getting into the action as well.

All the announcements translate into a real country and real outcomes that matter to people's lives. They're proof that a strong, dynamic American economy is an engine of growth, economic growth and innovation throughout the entire region.

And they're a testament to the fact that American investment and American ingenuity are in high demand all across the region.

Because when you do business with the United States and our companies, you know what you're getting, high standards, fair practices, protections for workers, world-class ideas and innovation, and a commitment to deal with the environment finally. It's quality guaranteed.

Look, this is how we've been able to mobilize billions in investments, including major new announcements this morning for a partnership for globalism and infrastructure investment. We also work closely to deepen our bilateral economic cooperation with

partners throughout the region, especially on the issues that will most impact our future economic success.

For example, in September, when I traveled to Vietnam, as I mentioned earlier, to mark a historic new phase in our partnership with our countries, we committed to work together to strengthen the semiconductor supply chain with India, Japan, Republic of Korea and Singapore.

We've launched new initiatives to shape technology and standards that will transform the future.

We deepened our economic partnership with the Philippines, Indonesia, Australia and others. We renewed our elevated our engagement with critical regional bodies, including Asian and Pacific Island forum.

And when we -- when we offered to host APEC two years ago, we committed to modernizing this institution, to make it easier for us to work together as we take on the challenges of a new era. And there are many challenges.

We're going to see more changes in the next 10 years than we've seen in the last 50 years.

That brings me back to the summit, where do we go from here. The world is fundamentally different than it was 30 years ago at the first annual APEC leaders meeting at Blake Island in Washington State.

The questions we must answer today are not about how much we trade but about how we build resilience, lift up working people, reduce carbon emissions, and set up our economies to succeed over the long run, how to deliver growth from the bottom up and middle out so no one gets left behind.

The idea behind this new Indo-Pacific economic framework partnership among 14 diverse and dynamic nations all committed to tackling certain issues.

Like pandemic response, vulnerable supply chains, climate change, natural disasters, which we've learned can gravely impact our economies. We announced the framework in May of 2022.

Later today, we're launching an important new tool to support sustainable economic growth and create a race to the top, not the bottom.

There are tangible commitments negotiated in record time that are going to deliver meaningful outcomes, meaningful outcomes to make supply chains more resilient, still take clean energy transmission and fight corruption.

For example, the new supply chain agreement will allow us to better monitor the supply chain challenges before they become the kind of full-scale disruptions we saw during the Covid-19 pandemic.

[14:35:07]

And to ensure we're better prepared to shift and adapt when disruptions do occur. And they will.

I know you all know better than I, our work is not yet done. This framework will be a platform for ongoing economic cooperation.

We will continue working, better facilitate high standard trade, and advance workers rates with strong enforcement of labor standards.

And at every step, we have upheld our commitment to unions. Each of the framework includes strong pro-labor outcomes that will benefit workers of all economies.

It's critical to build a stronger, fairer, more resilient economy for families across the Indo- Pacific.

This week, my administration has launched our new global labor strategy to ensure that workers' rights are at the centerpiece for economic strategy internationally as well as domestically. It's a primary concern to me.

Last week, in Illinois, if you congratulated the UAW on their record contract with the Big Three U.S. auto companies.

The contracts can lead to thousands of new jobs, billions of dollars in planned investments to keep American auto-owners thoroughly competitive and enter into partnerships with the most highly skilled and dedicated and engaged workers anywhere in the world, American labor.

Folks, I asked the Treasury Department to do a study. When labor does well, what does that do to people -- all the non-labor folks around the country? Everyone benefits.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN HOST: OK. President Biden there speaking at the APEC summit in San Francisco, really focusing on the U.S. economy and U.S. investment in Asian companies.

I want to bring in CNN global affairs analyst, Kim Dozier.

What are your takeaways. I'm curious, on the big meeting with China, how China would view this speech from the president today?

KIMBERLY DOZIER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Yesterday, it was we're building bridges, we're talking to each other today. But the message was also we are competitors and that's OK.

And today, President Biden is throwing down the gauntlet and saying and now we compete. Because he's essentially vying for business in China's backyard.

China is the major trading partner for most of these countries gathered here today. And this is in an era where China is suffering from a new trend of de-risking, post-Covid. Where they're saying we can't keep relying on China for all of our manufacturing. We have to find other shores on which to buy or make our products.

And Biden is saying, here is our plan to lay it out to make it possible and to basically eat China's lunch.

BROWN: It's interesting, too, because you had President Xi having that dinner with American business leaders last night, Tim Cook, Elon Musk, trying to court U.S. investment back to China after its loss on foreign investment.

Thanks so much, Kim Dozier.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: And we do have breaking news now. The jury has found the man accused of attacking Paul Pelosi, of course, Nancy Pelosi's husband, who at the time of this attack -- she was Speaker Pelosi. He's been found guilty on both counts here.

Let's get to CNN's Veronica Miracle. She's live outside of the courthouse where all of this is happening. Also with us, CNN legal analyst, Jennifer Rodgers.

Veronica, first to you here, tell us the very latest.

VERONICA MIRACLE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, this decision came down exactly 24 hours after the jury started deliberating, finding him guilty on both of those charges.

And he now faces 50 years in prison, 20 years and 30 years for both charges respectively if he's convicted for his full potential sentence.

Both of charges including one count of assault on the immediate family member of a federal official and the attempted kidnapping of a federal official.

David DePape appearing motionless in court. There were a lot of big moments throughout the trial.

Including Paul Pelosi taking the stand and saying that it was the first time he was speaking about that very disturbing, very intense and traumatic evening for him outside of speaking to investigators at his bedside.

And, of course, the prosecutors -- he said he never watched any of the videos or listened to any of the 911 calls because he did not want to relive the trauma.

Then, on the flip side, David DePape took the stand in his own defense and talked about his remorse for hurting Paul Pelosi.

He said he feared for Paul Pelosi's life after the attack and didn't know he was alive until he was charged with attempted murder in his estate case. Obviously, a lot of very intense moments throughout this process. [14:40:07]

Next will be his sentencing. And then the state trial will begin. We expect it to begin at the end of this month where he's facing attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, elder abuse, among other charges. So a lot happening here.

Back to you.

KEILAR: All right, Veronica, if you can stand by for us.

I want to bring in Jennifer for legal analysis of this.

Just your reaction to this that he's been found guilty on both charges in the federal trial for attacking Paul Pelosi.

JENNIFER RODGERS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: It's not a surprise. Everyone knows what happened here. The police responded before he actually struck the blow. There was video that we've seen. So there wasn't much history about the facts here.

And the defense really wasn't anything like I didn't do it. It was a technical defense about whether the defendant understood that he was interfering with Paul Pelosi because he was Nancy Pelosi's spouse and he was trying to interfere with the actions of a federal official.

I'm not surprised that ultimately the jury didn't buy that and found him guilty. The question now is, how severe will the sentence be?

And, of course, he has another upcoming trial on the state side. So that could actually result in a higher sentence because it's an attempted murder where the federal charges were attempted kidnapping and assault on the spouse of a federal official.

KEILAR: Yes. That's set for trial later this month.

I want to go back to Veronica Miracle.

Because we're just getting a statement in from the family, right?

MIRACLE: That's right. A spokesperson for Speaker Nancy Pelosi releasing this statement, saying:

"Speaker Pelosi and her family are deeply grateful for the outpouring of prayers and warm wishes for Mr. Pelosi from so many across the country during this difficult time.

"The Pelosi family is very proud of their pop who demonstrated extraordinary composure and courage on the night of the attack a year ago and in courtroom this week. Thankfully, Mr. Pelosi continues to make progress in his recovery."

He did speak about his recovery when he took the stand, saying he is still going through physical therapy multiple times a week. He had to relearn how to walk. He had constant headaches and dizzy spells throughout the last year and he still gets them. So it's been a very slow process. He had to have his hand

reconstructed. He's had stitches on his arm.

So he said that he's taking things slow and it's been very traumatic and very difficult.

KEILAR: So traumatic, for someone of that age, too. I mean, this is just an incredibly difficult situation for the family.

And, Jennifer, this is also a bigger issue. This speaks to, I think, also sort of a narrative and demonizing of public officials that someone like DePape, who honestly is not unique, might seize on.

This isn't particularly a legal question, but perhaps this legal outcome may raise some, maybe, second thoughts for some people about the kind of rhetoric that is out there.

Because Nancy Pelosi, who was the original target here, has long been on the receiving end of so much of demonizing language from her political opponents.

RODGERS: Yes, I wish we could say it would. As you know, in the wake of this visual attack, you had members of -- former President Trump and his followers, kind of making fun of it and making light of it and making jokes about the fact that he had been viciously attacked.

So it perhaps will be a deterrent for those people who actually might themselves do this sort of thing. They might see this and say, well, gee, if I do what the former president suggested, I might get in trouble for it.

But whether it stops politicians from encouraging that kind of activity, I'm afraid that have seen in this very case that it didn't and it likely won't.

KEILAR: That is a sad state of affairs, for sure.

Jennifer, thank you so much.

Veronica, thank you for the very latest on this as we follow it.

[14:44:19]

Stay with CNN. We'll be right back.

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BROWN: We're following breaking news out of Chicago right now. Take a look here.

This is new video coming in of a heavily damaged Chicago Transit Authority train after the two-car passenger train collided into a snow removal train. At least 23 people were injured in the crash, three critically injured.

Chicago authorities say the train was traveling at the correct speed but ended up rearending that snow removal train, which was moving slower. We'll keep you posted on the latest.

Brianna?

KEILAR: A military officer, who was retaliated against by the Trump administration, now running for public office. Retired -- former Army Colonel Eugene Vindman planning to run as a Democrat for an open congressional seat in Virginia.

Vindman and his twin brother gained national recognition in 2019 during former President Trump's first impeachment after raising concerns about Trump's phone call with Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, when Trump wanted dirt on his then-2020 presidential rival, Joe Biden, to come from Ukraine.

And Eugene Vindman is joining us now, in studio.

Thank you so much for being with us.

COL. EUGENE VINDMAN, U.S. ARMY, RETIRED: Thank you, Brianna. Great to see you again.

KEILAR: Great to see you.

All right, first, tell us how you came to this decision that this is what you wanted to do, run for Congress.

[14:49:56]

VINDMAN: Sure. So I came to this decision -- for 25 years I spent in the Army, I was apolitical. And I served under Republican and Democrat presidents. And I was happy in that service.

But the 2020 election, Donald Trump, obviously was of significant concern. There were personal costs associated with serving in the Trump administration.

And I became very much interested in safeguarding democracy. I think democracy is on the ballot. I only retired about a year ago, so I stayed completely out of politics during that period of time.

But now that democracy is on the ballot again in 2024, and Trump is on the ballot, it's important, I think, that you have somebody like Trump that is a criminal, is a fraudster, and then you have somebody that has integrity and service and values.

KEILAR: How do you distinguish yourself as a candidate to be more than -- obviously, this pro-democracy stance is very key to your platform. But how do you distinguish yourself as being something other than a foil to Trump?

VINDMAN: Sure, so I think, again, my career of service, the fact that I have been a prosecutor, I have been an adviser, I have worked in the White House so I have been in the building where important events have occurred. I have advised on those events to the national security adviser.

It's critical experience. It's also judgment at the national level.

In addition, I have, since retiring, spent a great deal of time in Ukraine helping investigate war crimes. I'm very much interested in accountability and rule of law.

As an immigrant to this country, I came here legally with my family and we made lives basically from nothing. My dad had $759 in his pocket when we landed here, and we were less than 5 years old.

I believe strongly in the American dream. I think my values and my record will speak for themselves.

And I will undoubtedly be a foil and I think Donald Trump and MAGA extremists will come after me hard.

But I think I also represent values. And really even, in just a short, few hours since I announced my run, there's been enormous, enormous groundswell of support around the country and in Virginia. Thousands upon thousands of small-dollar donors.

KEILAR: How many, would you say?

VINDMAN: Over 6,000 so far.

KEILAR: You know how much money you have raised since the announcement?

VINDMAN: A lot of money, a lot of support, so I'll leave it at that --

(CROSSTALK)

KEILAR: Leave it at that.

All right, Ukraine aid, you're a huge proponent of it. You believe very much in what the U.S. is doing to support Ukraine. Some support from the American public is waning.

If you were a member of Congress, what would you do to try to convince your Republican colleagues to support aid for Ukraine, knowing that for many of them, it's not that they don't actually personally support the idea?

It's that it's politically unpalatable to their constituents and they don't feel they can go there.

VINDMAN: I think my job is going to be much easier after 2024. Because I think that the Democrats have a great record, the president has a great record.

I'm very proud of what he's done in the last few days, how strong he's been with President Xi. In fact, very Reagan-esque in directly confronting.

So I think --

(CROSSTALK) KEILAR: You think it will be easier because Democrats will take back the House?

VINDMAN: That's exactly what I'm saying. I think the Democrats will have a great year. The economy is doing great.

And the majority of Republicans are very -- there's only a small cluster of MAGA extremists that are -- that would sacrifice national security and our values.

The Democrats -- or the Republicans -- my apologies -- even a majority of Republicans would support Ukraine aid and Israel, for that matter. We can't support our allies because the House is so dysfunctional. It's the chaos caucus in the House.

KEILAR: Will your brother campaign for you?

VINDMAN: My twin brother and I have been through thick and thin. I tell people, even though we're at 48 years old, I've known him for 49 years.

(LAUGHTER)

VINDMAN: I'll let you figure that out.

So he's backing me 100 percent. Just like I backed him during the impeachment. And my family is behind me.

KEILAR: Did Alex have any concerns about you doing this?

VINDMAN: He told me not to screw up. But he said that in jest. I think he knows that I'm doing this for the right reasons. This is, again, about democracy.

And it's also about the voters of the Virginia Seventh Congressional District. There are local issues, important issues. Like women's rights. I'm a father of a 13-year-old girl. I'm concerned she has the same rights her mother enjoyed.

[14:54:59]

I'm concerned about infrastructure. I have done the commute up I-95 for quite a long time. And I-95 needs to get fixed.

I'm very concerned about schools being fully funded and safe. A few weeks ago, I got a message from the school saying it was not quite a lockdown, but there was an incident.

And the same thought that goes through every parent's mind nowadays is, what's going on in the school?

KEILAR: We can't help but jump to conclusions.

VINDMAN: Exactly.

KEILAR: You say one of the things you're going to focus on is preserving the non-political nature of the military.

Right or wrong, you stood up for what you thought was correct. You have been politicized as a member of the military who was working at the White House.

How do you focus on preserving that when you have been pulled into that role?

VINDMAN: I think the critical component here is we have seen the results of politicization of the military for Alex and I a few years ago and how it's translated to the hold that Tommy Tuberville, seriously damaging our national security, has on the nominations for senior officers.

So the key there is the Department of the Military, those in uniform, need to follow their values. Not read political tea leaves, not try to gauge what the response will be from the right or left.

Think about what the values are, stick to those values, defend those values. That's how you prevent the military from being politicized.

KEILAR: Colonel, it's great to have you. Thank you so much for being here. And we'll be following your race.

VINDMAN: Thank you, Brianna.

KEILAR: All right, so we are following some breaking news. The special counsel investigating Joe Biden's handling of classified material, it's not expected to bring charges. We'll be looking into this. We'll have new details next on CNN NEWS CENTRAL.

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