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Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA) Discusses Fiery Democrat Town Halls, Schumer Defending Vote For GOP Stopgap Bill, Protecting Medicaid From GOP Cuts; Chief Judge Pushes Back on Trump Calls For Impeaching Judge. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired March 18, 2025 - 14:30   ET

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

[14:30:00]

BORIS SANCHEZ, CNN HOST: -- you voted against. What do you make of it?

REP. BRENDAN BOYLE (D-PA): Well, good to be with you.

I voted against the continuing resolution, the Republican plan, for a variety of reasons. And 99.5 percent of House Democrats, including our House Democratic leadership, led by Hakeem Jeffries, did as well.

It does include devastating cuts, in my view. And I'm also afraid that, come September 30th, we could have a repeat of -- of what we just had.

That said, however, I'm also focused on what we have right in front of us and not what has already taken place.

We are facing a Republican plan right now to cut Medicaid by the largest amount in American history, $880 billion. Again, the largest cuts in history to Medicaid. That is the fight right in front of us.

So I'm more interested on focusing right now on something that I could actually potentially stop, as opposed to something that has already taken place.

SANCHEZ: Sure, I get that.

And I do want to ask you about the claims from the president and other Republicans that they will not cut Medicaid, Medicare or Social Security.

But -- but I do want to go back to Senator Schumer, in part, because some of your colleagues have called for him to be primaried and to step aside from leadership.

You didn't seem like you wanted to even say his name there. So I wonder what you make of those calls for him to step aside.

BOYLE: Yes. Look, I don't believe in Democrat-on-Democrat violence. So I'll leave that for -- for others to opine.

I'm a House Democrat. I'm not a member of the Senate Democratic caucus, so I have too much respect for my Senate Democratic colleagues than to weigh in on a matter that's really relative to their caucus.

But again, all of this is a distraction from what Republicans are attempting to do right now, devastating Medicaid cuts. 44 percent of the people in my district here in Philadelphia are on Medicaid.

If that $880 billion cut goes through that Republicans are pushing in order to pay for their massive tax cuts for the rich, it will have a profoundly negative effect on my constituents here in Philadelphia, throughout Pennsylvania and throughout the nation.

SANCHEZ: You clearly don't believe the message from Republicans about trying to preserve those programs while making cuts that would help balance the budget.

I do wonder how you think that plays with voters, though. We heard from Senator Schumer talking to the "New York Times," saying that Democrats have to improve their messaging to working-class voters, to incorporate more social media.

You yourself have argued that the party needs to align itself with the mainstream on cultural issues as well. I wonder if you think leadership has that view. If they've done that enough.

BOYLE: Well, yes, you've asked me a few different questions there. So let me -- let me try to -- to tackle them all.

First, on the Medicaid cuts, you know, it's not a matter of my opinion. You don't have to take my word for it. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office last week confirmed exactly what I'm saying.

That as part of the budget resolution that Republicans passed a few weeks ago, you would, by definition, have to cut Medicaid to the tune of at least several hundred billion dollars, upwards of $880 billion. That would be the largest Medicaid cuts in American history. So that's number one.

Number two, I don't think there's any doubt, actually, not just based on the 2024 election results, but based on various other elections that have taken place over the last several presidential cycles, we, as a party, have to figure out how we can improve our numbers among non-college educated voters.

And not just white, non-college educated voters, but non-college educated voters or working-class voters of all backgrounds. That happens to be my background personally and my family's.

I have no doubt that I'm fighting for policies that I genuinely, genuinely believe in and that I think are best for working Americans.

But obviously, something isn't getting through. So it is an area where, frankly, we as Democrats have to do better.

SANCHEZ: I want to get your reaction to President Trump calling for a judge to be impeached after he had ordered a temporary block on the deportation of alleged gang members. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has framed this debate as a question

of whether Democrats would call for turning around a plane full of gang members and sending them back to U.S. soil.

I wonder what your response to that is, whether you are opposed to these deportations.

BOYLE: Yes. So first, I mean, to be clear, anyone who has broken the law, anyone who is a gang member and has committed crimes, of course, that person shouldn't be in our country.

[14:34:59]

I think what the issue that's at stake here is the idea that perhaps this administration actually ignored a judicial order. That is deeply disturbing. And it does raise the question, would this presidency be the first in American history that would ignore a court order, including a Supreme Court decision?

And then that throws into question whether or not we still have three co-equal branches of government. That's an important principle that is at stake.

SANCHEZ: The White House has denied that they disobeyed the judge's order. It likely will get played out in court.

I also wanted to get your feedback, the feedback that you've gotten from folks that you spoke to at a town hall yesterday in Philadelphia.

Voters across the country, as you saw there in the sound byte we played, have been using these town halls to express frustration with both parties. What did you hear from voters?

BOYLE: Yes, so I had a town hall last night, along with a colleague of mine, Mary Gay Scanlon, as well as with the Philadelphia AFL-CIO., heard a lot of concern, a lot of anger specifically directed at this Republican budget that just passed and will be in existence until September 30th.

Also, deep concern about what DOGE and Trump and Musk are doing, the sort of devastating job losses that they are forcing, not just in Washington, D.C., by the way. Let's not forget, 80 percent of those jobs are outside Washington, D.C., including in my district.

One woman who spoke got choked up and started crying. She had been at TSA for over two decades and told us how, at 8:58 a.m., she was informed by email that that was going to be her last day.

And then she got a knock on her office door 20 minutes later, telling her that she had to the end of the day to clear out.

So the sort of things that we're seeing this administration doing to public servants is deeply disturbing and dehumanizing to people, and that really was a lot of the conversation.

SANCHEZ: So with the limited leverage that leader Jeffries acknowledges that Democrats have, I'm wondering what you would call on your colleagues to do to block some of these agenda items for the Trump administration?

Whether DOGE cuts or the cuts that you're alleging that Republicans want to make to entitlement programs. What are the options that you have?

BOYLE: Yes. So first, whether it's the cuts that CBO has confirmed that Republicans have in their plans to cut Medicaid or any other further cuts that that they may do, I think Democrats have to use every tool at our disposal, any leverage that we have.

We have to fight back. And we can't give up on this because, eight years ago, Democrats faced a 40 seat, 47 seat Republican majority in the House. Actually, the Republican majority is so small that they can only afford to lose one Republican vote.

So what I talked about last night, and we'll continue to talk about, is we can stop these Medicaid cuts. But it's only step one of the Republican plan that has passed the House.

But they have to go through multiple rounds as part of the reconciliation process in order to make this law. These are deeply unpopular. 82 percent of the American people oppose cutting Medicaid.

So if folks can be mobilized and make sure that those who are planning to vote yes or have already voted yes the first time, hear from them and hear how deeply unpopular this is, that I think we have actually a real chance of winning this.

Just like eight years ago, when everyone thought, at this moment, the ACA was dead and gone, that it was going to be eliminated, enough people spoke out and got active that we were able to sway just enough Republican members to save Obamacare.

I am hoping and believe the same thing can happen now with Medicaid.

SANCHEZ: Congressman Brendan Boyle, we have to leave the conversation there. We appreciate you joining us and sharing your point of view.

BOYLE: Thank you.

[14:39:19]

SANCHEZ: The young man who was one of the last people seen with missing student, Sudiksha Konanki, has just entered a courtroom in the Dominican Republic. You're looking at video of it, from earlier today. We're following major developments in this story, when we come back.

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BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: We're following major developments in the case of missing college student, Sudiksha Konanki. Right now, Joshua Steven Riibe, the last person believed to have been with Konanki is in court, asking for his freedom and challenging his treatment by authorities in the Dominican Republic. And at the same time, Konanki parents are asking that she be

officially declared dead, saying, so far, there is no evidence of foul play.

And new video from just hours before Konanki vanished -- you can see it right here. Konanki can be seen jumping up and down, hugging a friend at a hotel bar. In the background, several feet away is Riibe, bent over and appears to be stumbling at one point there.

Let's bring in CNN's chief law enforcement and intelligence analyst, John Miller.

John, let's start with the court hearing before we talk a little bit about some of this video that we're seeing here. What could come of this hearing?

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT & INTELLIGENCE ANALYST: Well, this is a habeas corpus hearing his two Dominican lawyers have moved before a judge to have him released.

[14:45:02]

Now, this is the sticky part. You know, the police have always said he's not in custody. He's not a suspect. But he has been confined to his hotel.

They have confiscated his passport. So if he'd wanted to go anywhere, the police have had to accompany him. And they have brought him have brought him places to look at things to help with the case.

So basically, he is not in custody, but he's in custody. He's not free to go.

KEILAR: Sort of like a house arrest, hotel arrest, in a way.

And then I want to ask you about --

MILLER: Pretty much. This -- this hearing --

KEILAR: Yes.

MILLER: -- is basically to say they want they -- they want to force this issue. They want to say to the judge, if he is not charged with a crime, if the investigation has shown there is no foul play, return his passport and let him go home, and he will continue to cooperate.

He -- he's -- he's there with his lawyer, Helen Peralta, who's making that argument saying he has been restricted. No one can argue differently. Otherwise, why would his father have to come down here?

And his father, Albert, is sitting in court with him now. And this is still going on.

KEILAR: OK. And so well be monitoring that.

I do want to ask you about Konanki parents asking that she be declared dead. Tell us more about why.

MILLER: Well, so, on one level, on an emotional level, that's a terrible decision that a parent -- that parents would have to go through, which is asking to make their worst fears, the one that goes against their greatest hopes, a reality by asking the police investigation to declare her dead.

On the other hand, there's a practical piece there, which is, in terms of probate, any life insurance issues, some other matters that have to do with needing a declaration of death, that will help them move forward.

And then there is the third piece, which is, if they're going to bring legal action, whether it's against the hotel, against Mr. Riibe or others, if it's a wrongful death case, they need that certification.

KEILAR: Yes. And then just taking a look at the video, if we can just put it up again one more time. This latest video that you've seen where you see Ribbe kind of stumbling. You see her at the bar. She's very excited and happy.

What do you make of this?

MILLER: What no one, meaning none of the friends who were with them that night, disputes, which was -- there was a lot of drinking going on. Everybody was intoxicated.

And when you take that and say they went to the beach at 4:00 in the morning and went in the water, if that's what happened, and one of them was lost, these are certainly contributing factors.

But so far, nothing points to foul play. They don't have that -- that piece of evidence, that clue that says it was anything more than an accident. But the investigation continues.

KEILAR: Yes. The end result, just a horrible tragedy this family is facing.

Thank you so much, John. Appreciate it.

Coming up, thousands of documents on JFK's assassination finally to be made public. President Trump saying the information is, quote, "very interesting."

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[14:52:17]

SANCHEZ: The last of the JFK assassination files is set to be released today. President Trump says we'll see about 80,000 pages sometime this afternoon, and he expects they'll be unredacted and, quote, "very interesting."

KEILAR: This is from that executive order the president signed back in January after he promised on the campaign trail to declassify the documents. And we've heard copious conspiracy theories for decades now about

Kennedy's death. And while big bombshells aren't expected today, what we could learn is fueling a whole lot of interest.

With us now is CNN presidential historian and former director of the Nixon Presidential Library, Tim Naftali.

All right, Tim, what are you looking for?

TIM NAFTALI, CNN PRESIDENTIAL HISTORIAN: Well, the materials or actually bits and pieces of the documents that are yet to be released will tell us a lot about Cold War espionage, a lot about covert action, almost nothing about the JFK assassination.

After all, keep in mind, Donald Trump was president in 2017 and 2018. If there had been a smoking gun, that would have really shifted our understanding about who killed Kennedy in Dallas in 1963, Donald Trump would have released it in 2017 or '18.

What's been held up are materials telling us, for example, which country's codes and ciphers we were breaking in 1963, which countries we we're either attempting to overthrow their governments or we were involved in a certain way in trying to shape their democracies.

Those kinds of secrets we will get released finally.

SANCHEZ: I do wonder, Tim, if at all that changes the narrative around some of these conspiracy theories regarding the JFK assassination.

You know them pretty well, that there were multiple shooters, that the CIA was involved, that this was revenge on behalf of Fidel Castro for the Bay of Pigs, or perhaps Bay of Pigs survivors that were angry at Kennedy for not providing air support.

There was a suggestion that Kennedy wasn't even the target, that it was Texas' governor at the time. You're saying that we're not going to see any detail today that might put that to rest?

NAFTALI: Well, for us, one of the really toxic ideas in our country, I believe, is that there is a secret government that over which the people have no control.

It started on the left. The whole idea of the Deep State was on the left. And now it's very strong on the right.

What these releases will show you or show us. as I anticipate -- because I know where the holes are. I don't know what's behind the redactions, but I can guess.

We will see that John F. Kennedy was in full control of the CIA, as was his brother, who was his chief adviser on intelligence.

[14:55:01]

The Kennedy administration used covert action a lot. The Kennedy administration used spies a lot and expected a lot from the CIA and the National Security Agency. They we're under the full control of the Kennedys, particularly the president.

That might weaken theories that somehow there was a secret CIA plot or a secret Pentagon plot to do away with John F. Kennedy.

Why would the CIA or the Pentagon want to kill a president who is a supporter of using our secret tools to -- to defend our national security around the world? It makes no sense.

However, in the '70s, a lot of people, understandably, were shocked by the murder of John F. Kennedy still. And it had happened 10 years before.

A lot of Kennedys associates wanted to burnish his legacy, and so were not straightforward with the American people about the extent to which John F. Kennedy, the martyr, was a secret warrior.

Those kinds of details we've been getting for years. But well get the last of them, I hope, today or in the days to come.

KEILAR: Tim, fascinating either way. Look, even if it isn't so much about Kennedy and it's about some of the secret to dos of the U.S. government, this is going to be fascinating.

Tim, thank you so much.

NAFTALI: I agree, Thank you.

SANCHEZ: Coming up, the long-delayed homecoming for Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore now just a few hours away. They've been waiting a minute for this.

Stay tuned. We'll be right back.

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