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Fake Joe Biden Robocall Urges New Hampshire Voters Not To Vote Tomorrow; Netanyahu Under Fire For Opposition To Two-State Solution; Top Biden Adviser Visits Middle East As Work Continues On Hostage Deal; CEO Slammed For Denying Request From Mom With NICU Baby. Aired 3:30-4p ET
Aired January 22, 2024 - 15:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:30:00]
BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: No delegates are being awarded for Democrats tomorrow night. But that's not stopping Biden supporters from organizing a write-in campaign to ensure the president scores a symbolic victory over some of his intra party challengers.
Let's discuss with a key official that's leading that Biden write-in campaign, New Hampshire House Democratic leader Matt Wilhelm joins us now. Matt, thank you so much for being with us. I first want to get your reaction to reports that CNN came across that fake robocalls imitating President Joe Biden are going out in New Hampshire trying to discourage voters from casting ballots tomorrow. We have a clip of one. Let's listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Voting this Tuesday only enables the Republicans in their quest to elect Donald Trump again. Your vote makes a difference in November not this Tuesday.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANCHEZ: It's frightening because of how much it sounds like the president. I'm wondering what do you know about these calls and are you concerned they could affect turnout?
MATT WILHELM, (D) NEW HAMPSHIRE STATE HOUSE: Well, we've heard about these calls late last night. Word was getting around that these calls were coming into cell phones. You know, it's a deep fake disinformation campaign, it's really an appalling attempt to suppress votes and damage our democracy. And you know, probably a preview of what's in store for 2024.
You know, I trust that law enforcement is going to take this seriously. I know the Attorney General here in New Hampshire and the feds are also being notified, but it's really a cynical attempt at voter suppression. I know it's going to backfire when voters respond by showing up to the polls in even greater numbers than expected tomorrow. SANCHEZ: So, let's talk about the why. Tomorrow's primary for
Democrats is purely symbolic in that no matter who wins no delegates are going to be awarded. So why are you promoting this write-in campaign for President Biden?
WILHELM: Well, I actually reject the notion that it's symbolic. You know, we take our participation really seriously here in New Hampshire. You know from volunteerism, to philanthropy, to campaigns and elections, you know no election is symbolic, especially when our democracy is quite literally on the line.
Joe Biden is the only person to defeat Donald Trump. He did it in 2020. He's going to do it again this year. You know, his name may not be on the ballot due to this intra-party squabble. And I'm certainly disappointed that the DNC has put us in this situation.
But you know, I have an 11-year-old and an eight-year-old and you know I'm not going to tell them that this election or any election is symbolic. It doesn't really matter. You know, it's something that we need to participate in. It is a rich tradition here in the state. You know if we didn't show up to the polls tomorrow that would be giving in to cynicism. So, you know, tomorrow we're going to write in the president and make sure that this critical campaign here in 2024 is off to a really strong start with a win in your first in the nation presidential primary.
Right, Matt, you mentioned the -- I think you called it an awkward position that the DNC has put New Hampshire voters in. I want to ask you about a remark from someone you campaigned with earlier today saying that it was a mistake. Senator Maggie Hassan described it as a terrible mistake to exclude President Biden from the ballot. Do you agree with her?
WILHELM: Well, look, I think the DNC's made a mistake by adopting a nominating calendar that fails to acknowledge the importance of our small state. You know, senator Hassan, you know, knows what it takes to win here. She's done it time and time again. First as state senator than as governor and now as U.S. senator. And you know a swing state like ours, it is a top target of, you know, both the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, the Democratic Governors Association in 2024 and this Grassroots Biden writing campaign it is totally separate from the DNC.
And so, we are really just educating our neighbors about the importance of kicking off the president's campaign with a win here tomorrow and making sure that the president is reelected in 2024.
SANCHEZ: You mentioned something akin to threats to democracy. It's interesting because The Union Leader -- that's New Hampshire's conservative paper of record -- they endorsed President Biden's principal challenger Congressman Dean Phillips. And he recently told voters about this this delegate situation.
Quote: What was done to you all is one of the most egregious affronts to democracy I've ever known in my lifetime.
Matt, do you think voters feel that way?
WILHELM: Well, I think, you know, a lot of granite staters, my neighbors, my family, my friends share the opinion of The Union Leader being disappointed, right, that the DNC refuses to recognize our more than hundred-year tradition and state law that requires the Secretary of State to set that first in the nation primary date ahead of any other similar contest.
[15:35:04]
And you know, the president's going to be the nominee. He has unprecedented levels of support. The party is largely unified behind him and the vice president. I know that this is the most important election of my lifetime and we're going to have a simple choice in November. It's a choice between democracy and dictatorship. And I'm going to be proud to have my name on the ballot alongside the president in the general election. I know that, you know, a lot of my Democratic colleagues in the New Hampshire House and in the Senate, we overwhelmingly feel the same way.
SANCHEZ: Matt, very quick. Yes or no. So, my producers don't yell at me. Should Dean Phillips drop out after tomorrow?
WILHELM: You know, I think it's really important that granite skaters have --
SANCHEZ: Just a yes or no real quick.
WILHELM: Looking forward to it.
WILHELM: Thank you so much, Matt Wilhelm, appreciate your time.
WILHELM: Thank you.
SANCHEZ: Of course.
Coming up, mounting international pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for his opposition to a two-state solution. Why the EU's top diplomat is calling Netanyahu stance unacceptable. That story next
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:40:45]
BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: The White House says President Biden is keeping an open mind about what a two-state solution would entail in the Middle East. President Biden will hold what is being described as very frank discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the formation of an independent Palestinian state. It's a proposal that Netanyahu is flatly rejecting time and again.
Today, the EU's top diplomat called Netanyahu's stance unacceptable as Israel faces mounting pressure internationally to embrace a two-state solution. In the meantime, top White House advisor Brett McGurk is visiting Egypt and Qatar this week hoping to strike a deal to free more than 100 Israeli hostages still being held in Gaza.
Here with us now we have CNN political and national security analyst David Sanger. He's also the White House and national security correspondent for "The New York Times." And David, the Biden administration really seems to think or at least try to be communicating or, I don't know, trying to create that Netanyahu may be open to a two-state solution.
You have heard some verbal gymnastics in your time when it comes to diplomacy. And that is a backwards somersault followed by a front handspring. So, translate what is going on here.
DAVID SANGER, CNN POLITICAL AND NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, you know, this is actually pretty simple, Brianna. We've got no illusions about where Prime Minister Netanyahu is on this issue. He's been consistent on this issue for a long, long time.
He has been opposed to a two-state solution. He has been opposed to a Palestinian state. At some moments he's suppressed those words so that he could get through a meeting with -- you may recall this came up often with President Obama, but not just with President Obama.
But now after the October 7th attacks, he's being very clear. He's saying if there is a separate Palestinian state, it will be used as a base to attack Israel again.
President Biden has also been clear. He's been clear that even before October 7th, there was no way they were going to get a recognition of Israel by Saudi Arabia. Sort of the next step in a peace accords with the Arab states unless there was an agreement to a two-state solution. So, they're stuck while Netanyahu is there.
KEILAR: They're stuck while he's there. So, is there a hope on the part of the Biden administration that maybe he will not be there ultimately? And that is the path to the two-state solution.
SANGER: Well, it could be. Certainly, he has made it clear that he's trying to cling to power here. He's been through the huge embarrassment that October 7th happened on his watch. And the further embarrassment that the Israeli Defense Force was so slow in responding.
And, you know, the key to Netanyahu's political message over the past number of years has been that he's the one who has kept Israelis safe. There seems to be a widespread view in Israel that when the war is over and there is a chance for an election or a change of government, he's out.
But we also have an increasing sense that war isn't ending anytime soon if you define the war's goal as eliminating Hamas.
So, he's trying to hold on and he's probably betting that if a former President Trump comes back into office, his problem on this is solved.
KEILAR: President Biden's Middle East coordinator, Brett McGurk, as I mentioned, is meeting with officials both in Egypt and Qatar this week trying to work on this hostage agreement. What is he hoping to achieve? What can he realistically achieve here?
SANGER: I think his hope is that now that the pace of bombings in Gaza has been reduced and it has come down a fair bit, as American officials have insisted it should, that there may be an opportunity to get a truce again.
[15:45:00]
Maybe not a full ceasefire. And get more of a release of hostages. As you may recall, it happened a month and a half or two months ago. That would certainly be their hope because if the bombing continues and there are no talks, the chances that the hostages survive diminishes pretty rapidly. So that's what Brett McGurk is working on.
It's not clear that Hamas will agree to that, and it's certainly not clear at this point that Prime Minister Netanyahu will agree. Hamas wants a permanent ceasefire, in other words, an end to the bombing, that would mean that Israel would basically give up on its objective of eliminating Hamas.
And Netanyahu, of course, is caught between these two contradictory objectives, getting the hostages back and defeating Hamas.
KEILAR: Yes, hard to see Netanyahu doing that. David Sanger, it's great to have your insights here. Thank you so much.
SANGER: Thanks, Brianna. Great to be with you.
KEILAR: A CEO apologizes twice for a decision that ignited backlash. An employee who requested to work remotely was turned down despite having a newborn baby in the NICU -- in intensive care. We'll have that after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:50:50]
SANCHEZ: A baby clothing company is facing harsh backlash after denying a new mom's request to work remotely. Kyte Baby employee Marissa Hughes' adopted son was born barely weighing a pound. At just 22 weeks, he needs to stay in the hospital until possibly April. And Hughes' story went viral after a woman claiming to be her sister posted a TikTok video claiming that she was fired over the dispute.
KEILAR: The company's CEO apologized for what she calls a terrible decision on how her employee's request was handled. But even the apology is being slammed on social media for its perceived lack of empathy. And that prompted Kyte Baby's CEO to apologize a second time.
CNN correspondent Camila Bernal is with us now on this. What is the latest with this controversy, Camila?
All right, I think we're having a technical problem.
SANCHEZ: It sounds like we're having some audio issues.
KEILAR: Well, that's a bummer. This is a great story, Boris, that we've been following.
SANCHEZ: It is a huge one.
KEILAR: Because so many people have been reacting to what is really just an incredible backlash from this company when it seemed like it was a pretty clear decision about what should be made.
SANCHEZ: It's a big deal. And whenever you have to apologize twice as a leader of any kind, never mind the CEO of a company like this, it's not really a good thing. We're going to work to get Camila's signal back up. I think we're going to take a quick break. And hopefully on the other side we'll bring you this and many other stories.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:57:04]
KEILAR: All right, we have resolved our technical issues, so we can bring you this story. CNN correspondent Camila Bernal back with us now. Camila, take us through this controversy involving this company, Kyte Baby, and the decision to get rid of a mom whose baby was in the NICU and had requested some accommodation.
CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Boris and Brianna, despite these two very public apologies, the mom says she doesn't think it's appropriate to return to work. But this all started in December when Marissa Hughes and her husband decided to adopt a baby. That baby was born prematurely and had to remain in the NICU because of health concerns.
And the company policy here is that for a person like Marissa, she would get two weeks of maternity leave and then would have to sign a contract saying that she would return to work at least six months after that leave. And she said, look, I can't sign that contract because my baby is still at the NICU. And so, the company essentially said that she was not allowed to work remotely despite her proposal to do so.
And that's when her story spread on social media. And that's when the company's CEO had to apologize on TikTok. That first video that she posted, well, people didn't like it because they said it was scripted. They said it wasn't genuine. And so, the CEO of Kyte Baby had to post a second video on TikTok apologizing again. I want you to listen to part of that apology.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
YING LIU, CEO AND FOUNDER, KYTE BABY: This was a terrible decision. I was insensitive, selfish.
I cannot imagine the stress she had to go through. I fully realized the impact of my action, my decision, my short-sightedness.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BERNAL: And now the company is revising their policy. Marissa posted a video on social media saying that she's encouraged by these changes.
But the key thing here is that this is not illegal. There are no protections when it comes to parental leave in the United States. And so, it is a discussion about parental leave and also about a company that essentially makes baby clothes. But it's not allowing this girl, Marissa Hughes, to essentially take that time off or at least work remotely while she takes care of her baby -- guys.
SANCHEZ: Camila, you mentioned the public response to the CEO's apology. What was Marissa's?
BERNAL: Yes, Marissa posted a video really thanking people for praying for her baby and then addressing the controversy saying, one, that she acknowledged the apology. Two, that she didn't find it appropriate to return to work. And three, that she was encouraged by those changes.
She's been fairly private. She did not respond to our requests for comment, but you see her there on the video. And she continues to ask people for prayers for her baby because, of course, that is her priority right now.
KEILAR: Of course. What a tough time for that family. But our hopes to them that everything is going well ahead.
[16:00:00]
Camila, thank you so much for that.
BERNAL: Thank you.
KEILAR: It's just the irony of that, Boris. If you make baby clothes in this day and age, and you're not going to be sort of baby family friendly, it might come
back to bite you.
SANCHEZ: It seems counterintuitive that they wouldn't be more sensitive to someone who decided to adopt a baby that clearly has special needs that way. Nevertheless, we hope the best, as you mentioned, for that baby and for you as well. Thanks for joining us today. "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts right now.
