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Robert Prevost Elected First American Pope, Takes Name Leo XIV. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired May 08, 2025 - 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: Former President Joe Biden is stepping back on camera, doing interviews, blasting President Donald Trump's first 100 days, and defending his own performance in an appearance on The View. Here's his take, six months after Democrats lost the White House.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I wasn't surprised, not because I didn't think the Vice President was the most qualified person to be president. She is. She's qualified to be president of the United States of America.

But I was surprised -- I wasn't surprised because they went the route of, the sexist route, the whole route. I mean, this is a woman, she's this, she's that. Really, I've never seen quite as successful and a consistent campaign undercutting the notion that a woman couldn't lead the country, and a woman of mixed race.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Knowing what you know now, do you think you would have beat him?

BIDEN: Yes, he's still got 7 million fewer votes. They're very close in those, those toss-up states. It was -- it wasn't a slam dunk.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANCHEZ: Joining us now to discuss is CNN political analyst Alex Thompson. Alex is the co-author, along with CNN anchor Jake Tapper, of Original Sin, President Biden's Decline, His Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again. Alex, great to see you as always.

Before we get to the substance of the conversation on The View, I wonder why you think the former president is choosing to speak now, and why that forum of The View?

[15:35:00]

ALEX THOMPSON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: My reporting is that he wants to actually get out there and respond, not just to Jake and I's book, but you had those previous two books last month where there were also allegations of him not remembering people that he should have known or seeming out of it during debate prep that came from Ron Klain. And so they want to try to show that, you know, he wasn't in decline, that he could still be president right now, despite many of the feelings that the Democratic Party -- Politico reported this morning -- that they actually brought on another aide to help with their comms in order to sort of push back on this narrative that is continuing to cement as more reporting comes forward.

SANCHEZ: He was asked about these books coming out and these allegations, and he said, quote, they are wrong. There's nothing to sustain that. And then Dr. Jill Biden, who was alongside him for the interview, chimed in and said, one of the things I think is that people who wrote those books were not in the White House with us.

First of all, why do you think Dr. Biden was alongside him joining the former president for this interview?

THOMPSON: I think that she sees herself as the ultimate defender, the ultimate loyalist, and feels that when he is attacked, that she needs to -- that she feels attacked, too, and wants to be part of that. I remember, you know, one line in her memoir that sticks out is that she that she essentially said that she always keeps a list and never forgets when, you know, someone has slighted her husband. And that's because she doesn't believe in rewarding bad behavior.

SANCHEZ: Wow, that's fascinating. And I wonder what you make of the argument that these stories, these allegations have no merit. There's nothing to sustain that -- the former president said.

THOMPSON: Well, I'd say our reporting shows that many people inside the Biden White House disagree and they do believe that there was a significant decline and a cover up of that, especially in 2023 and 2024.

SANCHEZ: I wonder what you think about him saying that he didn't ask former Vice President Harris when she was on The View to say that she wouldn't have done anything differently from him, because that was a moment that was viewed widely as a misstep, as so many Americans were dealing with high inflation and there were all these issues. It seemed like she was in lockstep with someone who was not that popular heading into a tough reelection.

THOMPSON: You know, that contradicts a lot of reporting, including some of my own, in that the there was a lot of tension between the Kamala Harris and Joe Biden camps during that period of the campaign because the Biden people felt slighted and they felt upset that they had basically been driven from the race.

And there were a lot of sensitivities about distancing themselves. And so, you know, for him to say that it wasn't that had nothing to do with it wasn't quite on the level.

And this is part of the reason why a lot of Democrats, including those that served in the Biden administration, really wish that Joe Biden would stop sort of commenting on the former vice president and her campaign. They feel that by him saying I would have won and he's not surprised that she lost is inherently insulting. SANCHEZ: And I wonder what your reporting indicates about his feelings regarding having stepped aside shortly after the election, especially he seemed to be very upset about it.

THOMPSON: And I believe he still is. All my reporting indicates that I think he feels, if not bitter, then certainly aggrieved at the fact that the elites, the Democratic Party essentially drove him out of the race for reelection. And he feels -- and that's part of the reason why, you know, he keeps saying he feels he could have won and that I believe he'll always think that he could have won if not for the fact that the party turned on him.

SANCHEZ: Alex Thompson, appreciate the reporting. Thanks for joining us.

THOMPSON: Thank you.

SANCHEZ: CNN NEWS CENTRAL returns in just a moment.

[15:40:00]

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BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: We're back now with more coverage of today's historic election of the world's first American Pope. A short time ago, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was introduced as Pope Leo XIV. He's from Chicago but spent years as a missionary in South America and served as a bishop in Peru.

SANCHEZ: CNN's Brian Todd is in Washington for us, getting reaction from students at the Catholic University of America. Brian, what are they sharing with you?

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, guys, it's a real sense of excitement here that this is the first ever American Pope. A lot of young people here are just jacked about it. I'm here on this campus of Catholic University.

And this is right next door to the National Shrine of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. They have put out the papal bunting, the yellow and white banners. They put that out, they said, as soon as they heard of the announcement of a new Pope.

And then they unfurled a huge American flag just around the corner. You've had makeshift celebrations here on the campus pretty much since the announcement was made. These kids here playing spike ball.

Almost got hit with one just here. And we have, hey, a kid named Leo, Leo Engbert. He is from King George, Virginia.

He's a freshman here at Catholic University. OK, Leo, I've got to ask you, first of all, how does it feel to have the namesake?

LEO ENGBERT, STUDENT, CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA: It's a great honor, honestly. Because I know we were all in the room watching the Pope come out. We were, like, laughing and joking about what if he was Pope Leo XIV.

Because it's been 122 years since the Pope Leo XIII. He came out, and I was just so shocked. I was like, we were all just there, like, laughing and, like, just having a great time. It was awesome.

TODD: And we have Tristan Schonteich. He is from Fredericksburg, Virginia. Both of these gentlemen are freshmen here at Catholic.

Tristan, how does it feel to have the first ever American pope? And what kind of pope do you want him to be?

TRISTEN SCHONTEICH, STUDENT, CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA: Yes, well, it's a great honor. It's a great blessing, you know.

[15:45:00]

It's really quite incredible to be here, you know, in D.C. while this is all happening. For this new Pope, I really hope that he can bring us together. You know, America is a country of unity, and I really hope that this new Pope can unite us all under one God. You know, we are his creation, so it is quite an honor, quite an honor.

TODD: And Leo, Pope Francis was considered a reformer. We are hearing and seeing that this new pope, Leo, is also considered a reformer. Is that what you would like?

What kind of pope would you like him to be?

ENGBERT: Yes, to a certain extent, we definitely need a reformer. I would agree with Tristen in saying that we really need unity and peace right now in the church. And I think it's great that he's from America. Because we need a figure, a world figure like that from America to spread the true meaning of Christ's gospel around the world.

TODD: Gentlemen, thank you for joining us. Good luck with the studies and everything. We appreciate you coming out. All right, guys, thank you.

So the celebration continues here on the campus, and at the Basilica, there's going to be a 5:15 mass here. We hope to get people coming in and out, guys.

Just a real sense of joy and real pride here that it's the first ever American pope in history. I also spoke to two seminarians who are studying here at Catholic University. One of them said he's just frankly shocked that there's an American Pope there.

Really just a sense of joy here among the seminarians and the students.

SANCHEZ: Yes, you can feel that as you spoke to them. Brian Todd, thanks so much for that reporting.

Much more of our special coverage on the election of the first American pope right after this. [15:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SANCHEZ: Tensions have been flaring between Pakistan and India in recent days as shelling continues across the de facto border that divides Kashmir. Pakistan says it has downed multiple Indian drones and fighter jets, while India says it's targeted Pakistan's air defense system.

KEILAR: Dozens of civilians are reported to have died on both sides of this conflict. We have CNN's Jim Sciutto with us now. Jim, tell us where things stand right at this moment.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL SECURITY ANALYST: Well, I'll tell you, I have some new reporting today that the U.S. has now confirmed that Pakistan was able to shoot down an Indian jet during its initial attacks on early Wednesday morning. You'll remember Pakistan has claimed this for some time. They claim that they've taken down five Indian jets as well as a number of drones.

The French had told us prior that the Indian Air Force did lose one of the French-made Rafale jets, and now the U.S. is confirming that. That's significant because it shows, one, significant capabilities from Pakistan to take out highly advanced Indian weapon systems. But it also, there might be a positive side to this because the concern, of course, in these attacks and exchanges is one side fires, the other feels the need to fire back, and then you get caught in this cycle of escalation.

We're awaiting Pakistan's response, but there are some who see potential here that Pakistan can claim we've already drawn blood, as it were. We've taken down prime Indian Air assets to show -- because it's all about reestablishing deterrence, right? I mean, hard thing to kind of define what that is, but it's an important aspect of this.

What was Pakistan able to do during that initial Indian attack?

SANCHEZ: And if they're not satisfied with just taking down a jet, what does their response look like?

SCIUTTO: Well, a whole host of things, right? I mean, they could attack things like India struck, right? India struck what it says were terrorist sites inside Pakistan-controlled areas, both in Kashmir but also in Pakistan itself.

So one could see Pakistan judging, calculating that it has to strike not only inside Kashmir, you know, the disputed territory at the center of this, but also inside India proper. And that's, of course, a dicier area. When countries get attacked inside their territory, then they may feel the need to respond, and the hope is here that both sides get to satisfaction and soon without escalating further.

KEILAR: We'll certainly be keeping an eye on that. Jim Sciutto, thank you so much. Really appreciate it.

And we'll be right back with more.

[15:55:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: All right, we are looking now at some pictures provided by Vatican media from earlier in the day of Pope Leo XIV with all of the Cardinals shortly after he was elected pope inside of the Sistine Chapel. So taking a look at those pictures there on this historic day where Cardinal Robert Prevost was named the next pope. The first American Pope in history.

SANCHEZ: Yes, a major moment not only for the church but for the world. Obviously 1.4 billion Catholics around the world that now Pope Leo is set to lead. We have a lot to discuss with Michael Sean Winters.

He writes for the National Catholic Reporter. He joins us now live from Rome. Thanks so much for being with us.

I wonder what the atmosphere there is like right now and what you made of today's announcement.

MICHAEL SEAN WINTERS, WRITER, NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER: Well, it's still exciting. The crowds are starting to dissipate. But especially for the Americans, it's a very proud moment.

You know, 200 years ago, ours was a missionary church. And to have a Pope from the United States is a source of enormous pride. And hopefully that he will, as he spoke about, be someone who reaches out and brings some dialogue and some Irenic spirit to our country which is so polarized.

KEILAR: We just had a reporter at Catholic University here in Washington, D.C., and was interviewing actually a student named Leo, as it were, asking him, you know, what do you want from this next Pope? Are you looking for a reformer like Pope Francis? And he said, to a certain extent, I'm really looking, though, for someone who is going to unify the church.

Can you talk a little bit about, you know, what the task at hand is for this pope when it comes to unity and or reforming?

WINTERS: So, I mean, the Cardinals were very clear in choosing Cardinal Prevost to be the pope, that they want to continue the reforms Pope Francis has started. And Prevost is a very great manager. He will maybe be able to institutionalize some of them, some of these reforms in ways that Francis had just begun, somebody who can land the plane, if you will.

You know that unity talk has become a conservative talking point in recent weeks. You know, so long as it's not a heckler's veto, I'm all for unity. But we're Catholics.

You get behind the Pope and there's only one Pope. And if he's teaching the gospel in a way that doesn't cohere with your politics, as a Catholic, you have to ask yourself if your politics need to change.

SANCHEZ: Wow. I wonder, Michael, what it means for him to land the plane. In other words, what do these reforms actually entail? What do they say about the future of the church?

WINTERS: So I would say there's two. One is this project of synodality, which is about how we govern as a church. And is it just top-down decision-making? Or do the Popes and the Cardinals consult with the entire people of God? We just had a two-year process that was really the largest consultation in the history of the world, going to people in their parishes, finding out what they want. And asking people to not reduce somebody they disagree with to a caricature, but sit down together, talk to each other, get to hear each other's concerns.

And so I think that's how you -- it has to be an organic thing. I think the other reform is, you know, before Francis, there was an idea that if you wanted to get into the Catholic church, you had to, like, pass a checklist. And this was not Pope Francis' view, and this was not Pope Leo's view, which is, he said today, everyone is welcome.

And we want everyone to follow Christ. Everyone starts at a different point. We all are sinners, but there's room for everybody in the church.

You know, the churches are going to stay empty unless we start welcoming people back. And he wants a more welcoming church.

KEILAR: And just really quickly, Michael, as you mentioned, there is some tension there in the church in the direction people want to see it go. What is the challenge facing this Pope?

WINTERS: Well, clearly there wasn't much of a division within the College of Cardinals. Relatively quickly, they reached a two-thirds- plus-one decision to continue with Francis' reforms and to entrust them to Pope Leo, who will be his own man and will do things differently. But I think the tensions, especially in America, there's a conservative group that's been very well-funded and very well- organized.

But I've been saying for two weeks since Pope Francis died that they were really a minuscule part of the population, and they have to do some soul-searching now. I think they thought this arch-conservative was going to come in and roll everything back, and clearly the cardinals of the worldwide church said no, we're moving ahead.

[16:00:00]

SANCHEZ: Michael Sean Winters is live for us in Rome. Thanks so much for sharing your point of view.

Really a historic moment that we've been tracking today, the election of a new Pope, the first American ever, Pope Leo XIV from Chicago.

KEILAR: That's right, known as Bob previously by some of his friends, something you cannot say about any Pope in history. A big day as we have been watching this news out of Rome.

And "THE ARENA" with Kasie Hunt starts right now.

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