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New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu Endorses Nikki Haley; Hunter Biden Calls Out Republicans on Capitol Hill. Aired 11-11:30a ET

Aired December 13, 2023 - 11:00   ET

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

[11:02:28]

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN breaking news.

SARA SIDNER, CNN HOST: This morning, a defiant Hunter Biden showing up on Capitol Hill, saying, I'm here and willing to testify in a public hearing, after being subpoenaed by House lawmakers to testify behind closed doors.

Hunter says he will not sit for a private deposition.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN HOST: House Republicans, they're investigating Hunter in order to investigate his father, President Biden, part of the impeachment probe that Republicans are pushing against President Biden.

Hunter Biden went after in his statement today after the Republicans leading the charge. He admitted his own failings and he defended his father.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HUNTER BIDEN, SON OF JOE BIDEN: My father was not financially involved in my business, not as a practicing lawyer, not as a board member of Burisma, not in my partnership with a Chinese private businessman, not in my investments at home nor abroad, and certainly not as an artist.

And in the depths of my addiction, I was extremely irresponsible with my finances. But to suggest that is grounds for an impeachment inquiry is beyond the absurd. It's shameless. There is no evidence to support the allegations that my father was financially involved in my business because it did not happen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN BERMAN, CNN HOST: All right, we are all over this dramatic moment from every angle on Capitol Hill.

CNN's Evan Perez and Manu Raju both there.

First to you, Evan.

You were right there to hear Hunter Biden's statement. EVAN PEREZ, CNN SENIOR JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, John.

Look, the goal today by Hunter Biden's team was to keep the Republicans guessing. And he did right up to the moment he walked up these steps here and delivered that very forceful, that very defiant statement that you heard just a part of just now, really answering for the first time in the best way he could some of the questions that Republicans have been having throwing his way, essentially the statement that he was probably going to be able to read to Republicans if he had sat for that closed-door deposition.

Instead, he said he preferred to do a public hearing. And so he showed up here on the Senate side. The Republicans were sitting over the House side. He showed up here at what is called the Senate swamp to deliver that statement.

A lot of it was very, very personal, talking about his personal struggles with addiction, and also defending his father, defending the fact that he says that there is no evidence to indicate or to show that his father benefited financially from any of his very messy financial dealings.

[11:05:15]

Those financial dealings, he got paid millions of dollars working with a company in Ukraine, one in China. Of course, that's one reason why this inquiry has been ongoing for now for over five years.

And, of course, John, what makes this even more complicated for Hunter Biden is that, just in the time since the Republicans sent him that subpoena, since that time, he has been indicted with tax charges in California, where he is now facing two trials, right, one for tax charges in California, another one for possessing a gun during the time that he was addicted to drugs, and should not have been able to possess one in Delaware.

So, now this is now a political problem, obviously, for the Biden campaign. And Republicans have threatened that they are going to hold him in contempt. And so now it's up to them to see what they do next -- John.

BERMAN: Evan Perez for us on Capitol Hill.

Evan, thanks so much.

SIDNER: All right, let's now go to Manu Raju, who is on Capitol Hill, as usual, chasing after reaction, in this case from Republicans.

What are you hearing? I know we heard from James Comer, who was trying to explain why this was happening in the first place. What are you hearing there?

MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, James Comer, the House Oversight Committee chairman, making clear that he wants a private deposition with Hunter Biden, that, eventually, they'd be willing to have him in public, but they say the way their investigation is going, people need to be deposed first, and then there can be a public hearing.

They are threatening to hold him in contempt of the House for not appearing behind closed doors. We expect that process to play out over a matter of several weeks. So, this could be punted into next year, as Hunter Biden defies a subpoena.

Now, I also caught up with a number of Republicans on the Senate side of the Capitol, including several of them who have been involved in the Hunter Biden matter, some of them investigating Hunter Biden's alleged ties with his father over his business dealings and the like.

And they made clear that they believe that Hunter Biden has a right to make a statement, but they also believe that he should say it under oath.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: Hunter Biden just made a statement here saying that he has done nothing wrong, Republicans have attacked and distorted the truth about his family. The president and his father was not financially involved with his business dealings. He's willing to testify in public. What do you say to him?

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): He has a right to make a statement. I think some of the facts probably are contrary to what he says. But the main thing is to have a process. He's being indicted. If I were him, I'd be reluctant to say anything.

RAJU: He said that his father was not financially involved in any way with his business. Do you accept that?

SEN. CHARLES GRASSLEY (R-IA): I'm going to take the same position I have taken since 2019, that all I can say is, there's some indication of maybe some compromise with China particularly.

But I have no evidence of it. And I'm going to just follow the facts where they are. And the facts haven't taken me to that point where I can say that the president's guilty of anything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

RAJU: Now, this comes as the House is planning to have a vote tonight to authorize an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden, even as many Republicans will acknowledge they have yet to prove that Joe Biden acted corruptly to aid his son in any way with those overseas business dealings.

But Republicans are planning to vote for it, even the ones who are skeptical, because they say they need more power to find the evidence to actually go to court if they have to and the like. So we do expect that vote to happen this evening, but actually getting to the point of impeaching the president a completely separate matter.

A lot of those vulnerable Republicans, in particular, ones from swing districts, are uncertain about whether or not they will go to that length to impeach the president, making him just the fourth in American history to go down that route.

But at the moment, at least the investigation wants to go ahead, as they weigh the next steps with Hunter Biden's defiance of the subpoena as well.

SIDNER: Manu Raju, we are in strange and unprecedented times. Thank you so much for all your reporting -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: Joining us now is former Republican congressman and CNN senior political commentator Adam Kinzinger. He also served, of course, on the January 6 Congressional Committee.

What did you think of Hunter Biden today?

ADAM KINZINGER, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I mean, I thought it politically and, like, message-wise, it was a brilliant move.

I mean, they have made it clear that they're willing to testify in public. I think Manu in his report said some of the senators were saying, well, it's great. He needs to do it under oath. Well, he can do that under oath in public. He has made it clear.

[11:10:03]

I think his concern is look, when we go behind closed doors, the Republicans in the House have already made it clear. They have deemed him guilty. They have deemed the president guilty on no evidence, as they have said, no evidence.

This -- tonight, this vote tonight, potentially for an impeachment inquiry, will be the first time in American history that they're using an impeachment inquiry not to get to justice, hesitate, but we have to get to justice, but as a way to go on a fishing expedition.

You're going to have all day on CNN these so-called moderate Republicans come on, and talk about how, boy, they don't know if he's guilty, but they have to do this so they can get to the answer of some things. This is the first time in history that will happen.

And a lot of them are going to take that approach because they want to satisfy the MAGA base at the moment and vote for the impeachment inquiry while trying to look reasonable and truly like, oh, we're all for justice.

This is -- look, if you have evidence of the president having done what you're accusing him of, then open this impeachment inquiry and impeach him. But they don't have evidence of that. And they're desperate to find it, because they have determined the outcome before they have even gotten the facts.

BOLDUAN: So, a couple of things on that.

We heard from -- we have heard Republicans speak out after Hunter Biden made his comments. They're not happy. They're not going to stop their investigation, as we know. One thing we heard from Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan is this. He said: "When Congress asks you to come testify, you're supposed to come testify."

As someone who served on the committee who issued a subpoena to Jim Jordan, which he defied, what are people supposed to take from this?

KINZINGER: Well, they're supposed to take the Jim Jordan is an absolute hypocrite.

Jim Jordan, in front of the Rules Committee, when we were talking about holding Steve Bannon or somebody in contempt, he said in front of the Rules Committee that the Department of Justice and the FBI should be the ones investigating Donald Trump and that would be their role.

Now, of course, he's against the Department of Justice and the FBI investigating Donald Trump. He's for the sanctity of the subpoena by the U.S. Congress until he's the one that gets subpoenaed by U.S. Congress. And he also votes against enforcing subpoenas against people like Steve Bannon and against people like Mark Meadows.

I mean, this is -- the hypocrisy is mind-numbing. I -- like, I am less concerned with what people's view is on positions and what their idea is on policy as much as I am with, there is just open and blatant and unashamed hypocrisy, where it's all about winning, it's all about power, and truth and justice really has no role in what they're doing.

If you have evidence that Joe Biden, not Hunter Biden, but that Joe Biden broke the law, bring it forward, and if it's impeachable, impeach him. You don't have that evidence. So you go on a fishing expedition, and, all of a sudden, you raise the flame of justice in Congress, like you're so concerned with the congressional subpoena, when you are the one that ignored it the whole time.

BOLDUAN: On this vote that's coming to kind of -- to formalize the impeachment inquiry, Tom Emmer -- he is the majority whip -- he said -- he probably said it -- we have heard it from a few people.

He said it probably most clearly to reporters: "Voting in favor of an impeachment inquiry does not equal impeachment."

Do you think there is a scenario where this inquiry is launched and it doesn't end in articles of impeachment against Joe Biden?

KINZINGER: Look, if I was in Vegas betting I would put all of my money on, no matter what, this ends in impeachment, and I said this at the beginning of the year.

Keep in mind, Marjorie Taylor Greene, who's now the de facto...

BOLDUAN: Right.

KINZINGER: ... head of the GOP, introduced articles of impeachment on Joe Biden his first day in office, before anything was even accused or known. So they have made it clear that they have to impeach him. The base is

demanding that, which is why people like Tom Emmer and all these so- called moderates are voting for this inquiry, because they think -- and this is a mistake everybody made in Congress my whole time there. You think, if you give the MAGA base a little bit, they're going to kind of lay off you and then you can go on other news channels and look reasonable, like, oh, I'm not sure we need to impeach.

No, you are enabling the inevitable impeachment of Joe Biden potentially based on nothing. If you come up with evidence, fine. But, right now, you don't have that evidence. And you're going to move forward with impeachment.

Have no doubt, an impeachment inquiry is the beginning of impeachment. It's not just some desire to get to the truth.

BOLDUAN: Adam Kinzinger, thanks for jumping on -- John.

BERMAN: Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley just sat down for an interview with our Dana Bash and made news. Dana will be here and tell us what she just learned moments ago.

[11:15:02]

And exclusive new CNN reporting. We have new audio of Kenneth Chesebro, the pro-Trump attorney who has accepted a plea deal with prosecutors in Georgia. What he says happened at an Oval Office meeting and what it could now mean for the federal case against Donald Trump.

Emotional testimony, as women open up about sexual assault they say they faced at the Coast Guard Academy and the treatment they received after they reported it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:20:21]

BERMAN: All right, just in, a brand-new and rare interview with Republican presidential contender Nikki Haley fresh off her endorsement overnight by New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. CHRIS SUNUNU (R-NH): Deal with a sweet older woman who has come to a lot of events, and I saw her coming in here. And she said: "So are you going to finally endorsed Nikki Haley for president?"

You bet your ass I am! Let's get this thing done!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: All right, CNN's Dana Bash just sat down with both Governor Haley and Governor Sununu for a joint interview. And Dana joins us now.

This is the world premiere, Dana, of this interview you just did with the two governors.

(LAUGHTER)

DANA BASH, CNN HOST: That's right. I'm still standing outside of the governor's home, which is right behind me here in Concord, New Hampshire.

Look, the two of them, as you showed, were having fun on the trail last night. They have been doing stumping already today. They have been doing a lot of local radio and they will continue to do it throughout the day.

The big question, one of the big questions for the two of them is going to be how their connection -- and they really do appear to have a connection -- is going to play with voters, when the New Hampshire primary is coming very, very soon.

Everybody was vying for Chris Sununu's endorsement. The question, of course, is, how is she going to catch up with the former president, who is still far and away the front-runner here in New Hampshire? In an interview that she did earlier this week with ABC News, she said that she actually believes, even though she doesn't think Donald Trump should be president, she thinks he is fit to be president.

I asked her about that. And this is part of her answer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NIKKI HALEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Let me just say this.

Anti-Trumpers don't think I hate Trump enough.

BASH: Yes. That's true.

HALEY: Pro-Trumpers don't think I love Trump enough. What you see is what you get. I just call it like I see it.

And wouldn't it be nice if you weren't gauged on whether you love or hate somebody, and instead where you think the country should go? So the media loves to sit there and say, but you're not hating him enough or you're not loving him enough.

Look, at the end of the day, I look at it policy by policy.

BASH: Yes.

HALEY: I don't look at the personal side. I don't look at the political side.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: So that was an interesting answer. She also, John, clarified that comment that she made about Donald

Trump being fit to be president, that she was specifically talking about his mental capacity, his physical capacity.

And that last answer that I just played for you, that was her elaborating on my question about, what about his policies? What about his personality? What about his character, John?

BERMAN: Any sense, Dana, of how she, along with now Governor Chris Sununu, intend to try to consolidate the not-Trump vote in New Hampshire and maybe beyond?

BASH: Mm-hmm.

Well, he -- the governor says that it is now a two-person race between Donald Trump and Nikki Haley here in New Hampshire. That is certainly what he is clearly hoping now, but that is not actually the reality here on the ground, because Ron DeSantis is still playing, but, most importantly, Chris Christie is still playing.

And he's still getting a sizable chunk of the non-Trump vote. And so the big question is whether or not they can -- to consolidate, using your word, John. I asked Governor Sununu whether he thinks his friend -- and they are friends -- Chris Christie should drop out. He wouldn't go that far.

But, clearly, the hope in -- obviously inside Nikki Haley's campaign, but even inside the governor's world, is that, at some point soon, if it looks like this endorsement and other factors -- and there are many other factors here for Nikki Haley -- whether that is taking hold and she is climbing, whether that will put pressure on the Chris Christies of the world, Chris Christie, in particular, to drop out.

But there's no sign that that is going to happen now. But you bet it's unclear -- look, you know this as well or better than I. It's unclear how much endorsements matter. If you look at Iowa, John, at least in the polls, it doesn't look like Kim Reynolds, who is a very popular governor with Republicans there, doesn't look like it moved the needle at all.

Let's see what happens with her organization. And even Sununu said he's not sure how much it's going to bump. But he just wants to make clear to his supporters here -- he's been elected four times now -- it's a two-year term -- that his supporters here see that he doesn't support Donald Trump, and she is the one he wants to win.

[11:25:16]

BERMAN: All right, this interview just happened.

Dana Bash, thank you so much for being with us from Concord, New Hampshire, for the world premiere of some of the sound of that interview.

BASH: Thanks, John. BERMAN: And we should note, the full interview with Dana Bash, Governors Nikki Haley and Chris Sununu will air on "INSIDE POLITICS," hmm, in just about 36 minutes -- Sara.

SIDNER: Very accurate, as usual, John.

All right, next: CNN has obtained new audio of one of Donald Trump's former co-defendants in the Georgia election case. What he says Trump was told about the election.

Stay with us for this exclusive reporting.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[11:30:00]