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McConnell to Step Down as Leader; Israel Could Launch Ground Incursion into Lebanon; Civilians killed in Gaza; Polling on Reproductive Health. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired February 29, 2024 - 08:30   ET

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

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[08:33:26]

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, this morning, new jockeying on Capitol Hill as several Republican senators are actively maneuvering to be the next Senate party leader. This after Mitch McConnell's dramatic announcement that he will step down in November.

CNN's Lauren Fox is chasing it down on Capitol Hill.

Mayhem as they try to figure out who will be the next leader there, Lauren.

LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and they have some time, John, to figure this out because McConnell is not stepping aside as the Republican leader until November. But this is going to be about a battle for the soul of the Republican conference in the United States Senate. You are already seeing that there's a lot of talk, a lot of speculation about who could fill McConnell's shoes.

But there's really a division among members as to what they think that person should embody. Should this person look like and follow Donald Trump? Should this person have a close working relationship with Donald Trump? Or is there a belief, and some share this in the United States Senate among Republican members, is there a belief that someone in this role needs to be a counterbalance to Donald Trump?

Ron Johnson, who has been critical of Mitch McConnell over the course of the last several years, he said that it's his view that it was responsible for McConnell to step aside and give the conference several months to have this debate in an open way. But then you have people like Lisa Murkowski, who told our colleague Ted Barrett, that every day she wonders if she still fits in this Republican Party.

And if McConnell is gone, someone who has really tried to fight against the tide of isolationism and populism that has spurred the Republican Party in the last several years, then what does that mean for people like Lisa Murkowski, for people like Susan Collins.

[08:35:11]

There's a lot of discussion about the three Johns, John Thune, the number two Republican right now, John Cornyn, a Republican from Texas, the former whip, and John Barrasso, another member of current Republican leadership. And that discussion is going to continue. But again, seven for months until Republicans have to make this ultimate decision. And you can expect that Trump is going to loom large in the months ahead as people are jockeying for that role.

John.

BERMAN: John power. I can get -- lineup behind that.

Lauren, you know, 24 hours ago we thought there might be a government shutdown looming. Where do things stand right now?

FOX: Yes, things are moving in a much more positive direction. You had that announcement yesterday from House Republican leaders that they are going to move forward with a short-term CR to give themselves a little bit more time. Then the expectation is that they are going to be able to pass six of the appropriations bills by March 8th, the other six by March 22nd.

Now, a lot of things can fall apart between now and then. But there is a realization, they are five months into this fiscal year. It is time to try to put this behind them because the fact is the math is not going to change for Speaker Mike Johnson. He either makes the hard calls now or he makes them later, but delaying them may only create more frustration and angst for him on his right flank. And I think that's why you're seeing him make this choice now. A lot can change, though. So, I just want to caution, let's not guarantee that this is happening until we see the ink is signed and dried at the White House.

BERMAN: No, look, if there is a way to mess it up, we have seen them find ways over the last several months. Some of those first votes will start happening today.

Lauren Fox, thank you very much.

Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: We are continuing to track breaking news this morning. Reports dozens of people have been killed in Gaza while waiting for food from aid trucks. There's new video coming in. We'll bring you the details.

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[08:41:24]

BOLDUAN: So, we are tracking the breaking news out of Gaza right now. The IDF says it is looking into a deadly and chaotic incident that happened today in Gaza City. The Hamas-run Palestinian Ministry of Health says more than 100 people were killed as they tried to get food from aid trucks.

Now, separately, we also have reports the Biden administration is growing increasingly concerned that Israel may soon launch a ground incursion into Lebanon. CNN's Alex Marquardt is joining us now.

Alex, brings up to speed.

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kate, administration officials tell me that there is a distinct possibility that in the near future Israel could launch a ground incursion into southern Lebanon. I'm told this is not something that would necessarily happen imminently, but it could happen in the late spring or early summer. A senior Biden ministration official telling me that they are operating under the assumption that this is something that Israel is going to do.

A second administration official says that there is a growing number of officials in the Israeli government and military who wants to do this. Who see this as something that Israel needs to do. The Biden administration, or these officials that I've spoken with, warning that this could lead to what they call a major, major escalation that we don't even know the proportions of. So, warnings of a distinct possibility of an expansion of this conflict.

Now, of course, since October 7th, Kate, so much of the focus has been on Gaza, on the war there between Israel and Hamas following those horrible attacks in Israel by Hamas on October 7th. But at the same time, there has been this slightly lower level, but -- but significant conflict brewing between Hezbollah in southern Lebanon and with Israel. We've seen tens of thousands of Israelis and Lebanese displaced, increasing airstrikes by Israel into Lebanon leading to these fears of a growing -- of a growing conflict.

The U.S. has dispatched a senior official named Amos Hochstein to try to come up with a diplomatic solution. And what that would look like is the creation of a buffer zone in southern Lebanon that would essentially push Hezbollah out and make it less possible for them to fire from those southern Lebanese positions into Israel.

Now, if those diplomatic talks are not successful, and Israel is saying that they hope they are, Israeli officials have made clear that a military -- a military operation into southern Lebanon is very possible.

Kate.

BOLDUAN: Alex, thank you so much for that reporting. Really important. Thank you.

John.

BERMAN: All right, with us now is CNN global affairs analyst, former defense secretary under Donald Trump, Mark Esper.

Mr. Secretary, thank you so much for being with us.

I want to start with the breaking news, these drone images we've just seen in the reporting out of Gaza of dozens, maybe 100 people killed while waiting for aid at these aid trucks that are coming in. The humanitarian situation in Gaza, how much of a threat is that to

hopes for peace there, to hopes for Israel to achieve what they want to achieve?

MARK ESPER, CNN GLOBAL AFFAIRS ANALYST: Well, clearly Israel has a responsibility under international humanitarian law to provide food and aid to the civilians in Gaza. And this may be part and parcel of that. We -- there are concerns, of course, have been for many years, that food aid coming in is rife with, you know, arms and ammunition for Hamas, and that maybe Hamas is also pilfering it. Reports -- early reports from this incident are -- are maybe that that was happening, and then Israel opened fire, or maybe a stampede happened.

But look, this is all related to what's going on, on the ground. And it's going to be a key part of the negotiation between Hamas and Israel.

[08:45:04]

BERMAN: It made me think of a headline that I saw in "The Wall Street Journal" today, and I have it right here, "Hamas is losing every battle in Gaza. It still thinks it could win the war."

ESPER: Yes, because the logic is, by Yahya Sinwar, the head of Hamas in Gaza, is that if he survives, if he and enough of his fighters survive, not win, then they've actually won the conflict, if you will, because at some point Israel will have to stop its - its - its operations in that area and pull back. And so that's what they're holding out for.

By the way, that's why Bibi Netanyahu wants to go in. He believes there are four to six battalions, militants remaining there. He believes Sinwar is there. He wants to go in and take them out. And, to me, that's - there's one way or another he is going into Rafah.

BERMAN: But when you see the civilians who are clearly suffering in Gaza like this, and the world continues to see it, the window seems to be closing.

ESPER: Absolutely. But look, Israel's suffered this international condemnation now for four plus months. So.

BERMAN: Lebanon. If Israel did cross the southern border - I was there in 2006 when there was a border crossing -- a war between Israel and Lebanon. If Israel did cross that southern border into Lebanon to go after Hezbollah, how much of an escalation would that be?

ESPER: Look, it's a major escalation. And this talk has been going on now for months. And I've argued that why would Israel want to start a second front, which is why it's interesting now we're talking about late spring, summer.

But look, Hezbollah has 150,000 rockets and missiles aimed at Israel. They probably see an opportunity to go after this. And, look, there's other reporting coming out of the -- out of the region right now that says Iranian IRGC leadership met with Hezbollah and said, if Israel goes into Rafah, we want you to attack. So, there's a lot of conflicting information going on here.

BERMAN: I what to ask you what's going on in Ukraine right now. Of course, Vladimir Putin held one of his big news conferences talking about any number of things. But today it included a new threat on the west that seemed to be a reaction to the discussions that were just taking place in Europe over the possibility, which everyone said they wouldn't do, of sending some kind of troops to help the Ukrainians in Ukraine.

This is what Putin said today. "The consequences for possible interventionists will be much more tragic. They must ultimately understand that we also have weapons, and they know about it, just as I now said, we also have weapons that can hit targets on their territory."

ESPER: Yes, look, nuclear saber rattling by Moscow is not new. What I thought was really new news that didn't get much coverage was on Monday when Paris, President Macron, held this conference with 20 or so European leaders to talk about Ukraine. But there was supposedly talk within a room of France, President Macron saying, we are considering putting troops into Ukraine. Now, he didn't specify for what. Apparently other countries from the Nordic states, the Baltic states, says, yes, we'd be willing to do it. To me, this was news that didn't, again, get much coverage that NATO forces, or at least host nation - or nation -- national forces would go in some type of role and support Ukraine.

BERMAN: That's what I was referring to.

ESPER: Yes.

BERMAN: And that's what Putin, Vladimir Putin, is clearly responding to in this.

ESPER: Sure. Because that would change the dynamic of the conflict in Ukraine. Now you have western troops in there with more western weapons and that would certainly blunt the new offensive by Russia and aid Ukraine.

BERMAN: It doesn't see an imminent, and it does seem like Macron was raising it basically to show some kind of a threat or urgency to Vladimir Putin.

ESPER: Look, I think it always makes sense to not take that option off the table in any scenario. So.

BERMAN: I want to close with this. Look, you have said that you're no lawyer. You have also said that you do not think that Donald Trump is fit to be president again.

ESPER: Right.

BERMAN: The Supreme Court, yesterday, decided to take up this case a presidential immunity in April, which a lot of people see this as making it all but impossible to hear the federal election subversion case before the election. I wonder if you think that is good or bad for the American people, that there may not be this case, this criminal case, before Election Day.

ESPER: Well, look, on one hand, its good because nobody's above the law. There should be a process to play out. Most people think that the court is going to rule that the cases filed by the state are wrong, right? But the bad for the American people on one hand is that it pushes this back and we -- the American people, Republicans may be -- end up voting for a candidate at the end the day could be convicted of a - of a crime or crimes. And so you have that on the other hand.

So, look, I'd be curious to see how this plays out. They're thinking that the case may - will go to court in, what, late April, and then not be resolved until June, the first -

BERMAN: Well, the Supreme Court won't hear arguments until April.

ESPER: Right.

BERMAN: They may not issue a decision until June. If they allowed it to go forward, it means the case may not happen at all before Election Day.

ESPER: Right.

BERMAN: But if it did, it would be the fall.

ESPER: Right. So, you could end up voting for somebody that could end up convicted.

BERMAN: Right.

ESPER: And that is a terrible situation for the United States, for the American people to be in.

BERMAN: Former Secretary Mark Esper, thanks so much for being with us. Appreciate it.

ESPER: Thank you, John.

BERMAN: Kate.

BOLDUAN: It's great to have him in studio.

Joining us -- coming up for us, a showdown in Texas. What is going to happen when President Biden and Donald Trump both head to the border to highlight the migrant crisis and also hit each other over that very same crisis.

And new polling is out, taking the temperature of how Americans feel right now about Alabama's Supreme Court ruling creating an IVF nightmare for so many families.

We'll be back.

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[08:54:33] BOLDUAN: Comedian and actor Richard Lewis has died. Known for so many roles in shows like "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICHARD LEWIS: I did Wordle again today. I'm a Wordle wizard, man. I did it in three tries. That's three days in a row, man.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wow, you're really on a good streak.

LEWIS: I'm on a huge streak. That's (INAUDIBLE).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BOLDUAN: Lewis' publicist tells CNN that he passed away at home in Los Angeles after suffering a heart attack.

[08:55:00]

In the last year he revealed that he'd been living with Parkinsons disease. Richard Lewis was 76 years old.

And this just in, encouraging new data on inflation. One of the Federal Reserve's favorite data markers is showing this morning that inflation is still on a downward, albeit bumpy path towards the Fed's target of two percent. The latest numbers show a slight improvement from December, matching Wall Street expectations and raising hopes that the Fed will begin cutting interest rates soon.

Burger King offering customers a free burger until Friday. The deal is in response to Wendy's new plan that we talked so much about as they want to test out surge pricing on their menus. Wendy's responded to the pricing controversy, saying it would allow restaurants to discount prices at different times of the day, allowing special offers during slower times. So, we will find out, I guess, soon.

John.

BERMAN: Thank you so much.

So, this morning, state and federal legislators are scrambling to figure out what to do following Alabama's state supreme court ruling which has such a big impact on IVF. The question is, how are voters feeling?

CNN's senior data reporter Harry Enten is here with that.

I'm glad you're doing this because this has been so controversial. And we had one member of Congress tell us that Republican lawmakers are terrified about this issue. So, why?

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: Yes, they have good reason to be terrified, John. I've been waiting for a poll on this. Pollsters just never even thought to ask the question. But now we finally do have one. All right, so this is a little bit of complicated of a polling

wording, but frozen embryos are people and those who destroy them are legally liable, just 31 percent of Americans support that idea. Essentially what the Alabama Supreme Court was finding. The vast majority, two-thirds, 66 percent, are opposed on this particular thing. It was not too much of a surprise me. But even given this wording, which I think is a little complicated and may actually be better for the support side, it still only registers less than a third of support among Americans. The vast majority, 66 percent of them, are opposed.

BERMAN: What about a party breakdown here?

ENTEN: Yes, what about party breakdown here? So, Democrats, overwhelmingly, are opposed for this ruling. Eighty-two percent of them are opposed. Kust 17 percent support.

What's more interesting to me, this is not too surprising, is go over to the Republican side of the aisle, right? That Alabama Supreme Court leaning more conservative. Look at this GOP. The best that this can do is register essentially a 50-50 split with 49 percent support, 49 percent opposition. There are rarely issues in which you see Republicans and Democrats both sort of this close together. And this is to -- sort of points out how politically difficult this is for Republicans where their own base is split. Democrats are overwhelmingly opposed and the American public is overwhelmingly opposed.

BERMAN: Yes, IVF seems to be this new third rail and there are a lot of Republican politicians who know it.

Abortion, broadly speaking, it is very much a campaign issue since the Dobbs decision. Donald Trump has come out in supportive of a 16 week federal ban on abortion. What are - what are views on that?

ENTEN: Yes. All right. So, we saw that voters were -

BERMAN: I should say -- I should say I don't know that -

ENTEN: It's reported.

BERMAN: It has been reported that he is supportive.

ENTEN: Reported, yes.

BERMAN: He has not come out and supported it.

ENTEN: He has not - oh, he has not come out. It was a "New York Times" report.

BERMAN: Yes.

ENTEN: Correct, John.

So, if we look here, a national ban on abortion after 16 weeks of pregnancy, again, this is a bad idea if you're talking about politics because just 40 percent of Americans support it, 57 percent oppose it, John. And then if you look towards the center of the aisle, among independents, right, those are the key groups of voters that you want to go after an election, just 39 percent support it, 59 percent oppose it. So, basically, what's being reported by "The Time" and the Alabama Supreme Court ruling are basically things that are just not popular among the American public, John.

BERMAN: And, look, the other day we were talking about immigration and how voters see Donald Trump more favorably on immigration than they do President Biden. What about the issue surrounding abortion?

ENTEN: Yes. So, look, this is not the ground that Donald Trump wants to be playing on. So, if we look, trust Biden more - Trump -- trust Biden or Trump more on abortion, look at this, Biden with an eight- point lead. The economy, the economy, the economy, right? Donald Trump, the former businessman. This is the ground he wants to be playing on. That or immigration. Look at that lead that Trump has on the economy, a 20 point advantage on the economy. His lead on immigration is even larger. But instead this morning we're talking about IVF and abortion. This is the ground Joe Biden wants to be playing on. It was part of the reason the 2022 midterms Democrats did so well. If we're talking about IVF and abortion, that is where Joe Biden wants to be. Donald Trump does not want to be here. He wants to be talking about the economy or immigration, like going to the border today.

BERMAN: Harry Enten, great to see you, as always. Thank you very much.

ENTEN: Thank you.

BERMAN: Kate.

BOLDUAN: All right, so the highly anticipated "Dune: Part 2" opens across the country tomorrow. The release of this celebrity packed sequel was delayed because of the Hollywood strikes. Now, CNN's Elizabeth Wagmeister sat down with the film's stars, Zendaya and Timothee Chalamet. Warner Brothers Discovery is also the parent company of CNN.

[09:00:02]

Watch.