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Washington Post Reports, Records Reveal Trump-Allied Lawyers Pursued Voting Machine Data in Multiple Battleground States; Today, Biden Signs Historic Climate, Health Care, Tax Bill; Afghan Economy Faces Collapse Due to Sanctions, No Foreign Aid. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired August 16, 2022 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:30:03]

BIANNA GOLODRYGA, CNN ANCHOR: She later helped arrange for the firm to do the same in the Detroit area.

We're joined now by Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. Secretary of State Benson, thank you so much for joining us.

As The Washington Post reported, state authorities now are investigating alleged improper equipment breaches in your state. What is the status of that investigation right now?

JOCELYN BENSON (D-MI), SECRETARY OF STATE: Well, there have been connections made between various attempts to breach our security. I think the bottom line on my end as the state chief election officer is I can assure everyone any breach tabulators that were identified have been decommissioned prior to this year's election. So, the machines in play for elections this year are secured. They have not been affected by this.

And so focus really now is building connections between the attempted breaches and the breaches themselves to seek accountability and justice because this is going to continue, these attempts are going to continue, not just in Michigan, but elsewhere until we real sequences for the perpetrators.

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: That's notable. You're saying you took those machines out of rotation, in effect, for this upcoming election. Why? Are you concerned that they were tampered with in such a way that might have affected this upcoming vote?

BENSON: It is possible. And that's why we decommissioned them immediately. And so that's -- I mean, that's really the consequences of this effort that there is an attempt to further lies and conspiracy theories gain access to secure voting machines and then the taxpayer bear the costs of having to replace those machines with ones we can affirm are secure.

GOLODRYGA: When were you first made aware of the scheme?

BENSON: Several months ago, actually earlier this year, and -- but it has been an ongoing effort, even back in 2020, when the evolving issues out of Antrim County made it clear that people would attempt then too, as The Washington Post noted, access those materials.

And what we realized then back in 2020 was that a lot of times back then, rural counties in Michigan, folks aren't expecting law enforcement to show up and demand access to voting machines or people posing as law enforcement, which it was some of the time. So, we immediately back then began working with clerks to educate them on the fact that it is illegal in Michigan to turn over secure voting materials to unauthorized parties and that work has continued over the last few years.

But, certainly, a lot of the coordination of this effort and the fact that affected many counties in Michigan came to light earlier this year once the investigation stepped up.

SCIUTTO: The first question that popped into my mind as I was reading this story was, could the copied data have been altered in any way, the tallies, in effect, and is there any evidence that there was an attempt to do so?

BENSON: We certainly think that there are nefarious reasons to get this data primarily to show some sort -- or attempt to show some sort of malfeasance in our elections, which simply doesn't exist. So, in that regard, first, the election results themselves are secure. We have paper ballots in Michigan. We have audits after the fact. The election was certified. That is protected and done. What happens after the fact when tabulators are accessed is often materials are gained and then misappropriated or used to somehow further lies and conspiracies as opposed to actually being evidence for anything.

GOLODRYGA: What are you doing to reassure voter as we're now approaching another election cycle that their votes will be counted and legitimate and this will be a safe and secure election?

BENSON: Well, three things. I mean, first, again, we're assuring everyone that the machines in play at elections are secure, they have been secured and we have got additional protocols and security in place to continue to begin to affirm that. We have audits and paper ballots in Michigan so our protocols are secure, the election will continue.

But, secondly, we're seeking justice. When I turned this evidence over to the attorney general, she has now called for a special prosecutor to ensure there is justice because these attempts will continue. Even if by other -- until there is real consequences for those involved, and then finally reporting this to the Justice Department so we can ensure if this say national trend, we'll provide evidence to support national accountability.

SCIUTTO: Yes, that's a good point, because we have seen some of the tactics used in 2020 repeated or attempted to be repeated in elections taking place now.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, always good to have you on.

BENSON: Thanks for having me. GOLODRYGA: Well, President Biden returns to Washington today to sign the Inflation Reduction Act into law. But can this give Democrats a boost in the midterms?

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[10:35:00]

SCIUTTO: Later today, President Biden will sign the landmark budget deal known by Democrats as the Inflation Reduction Act. He'll sign it into law. Major legislative victory for him and Democratic lawmakers ahead of this year's midterms.

GOLODRYGA: The bill gives historic powers to Medicare, which, for the first time, can now negotiate the prices of certain prescription drugs.

CNN's John Harwood is live this morning at the White House. And, John, you just wrote a piece saying that the same Joe Biden suddenly looks very different. Explain why and how this bill factors into that.

JOHN HARWOOD, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: well, Bianna, because the legislative process moves slowly, and those of us in the news business and politicians are talking every single day, there has been a whole lot of discussion while legislation has been pending about how Joe Biden hadn't gotten things done.

[10:40:04]

You had progressives saying, well, he can't really make bipartisan deals because Republicans aren't reasonable. You had centrists saying, well, they have gone too far left to get some of these partisan objectives, like a big climate bill.

And, in reality, once we have gotten to the end of the play, we see that he's done both things. You've had major bipartisan success on infrastructure, on semiconductor manufacturing, on gun safety, on burn pits legislation, veterans healthcare, and on the big partisan things, the American Rescue Plan last year, $1.9 trillion passed with Democratic votes alone, and now you have this big package of climate and healthcare and tax issues passed with every single Democrat voting for it, no Republicans voting for it.

That adds up to a pretty robust set of legislative successes for Biden that they hope they can use in the midterm campaign, in a year that is otherwise pretty unpromising for them because of inflation concerns among voters, Joe Biden's approval ratings are low, the winds are blowing against the Democratic Party, they're hoping they get some pushback from this entire set of legislative successes. They've had, not to mention, the pushback by their constituents against the Supreme Court decision on eliminating the constitutional right to abortion.

SCIUTTO: We should note the reconciliation bill, of course, was very much a party line vote, but several other pieces of legislation did have bipartisan support, if you look at the CHIPS Act, for instance, the gun legislation, the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO, for instance. So, how does this fit into his overall legislative history?

HARWOOD: Well, look, Joe Biden said during the campaign he was going to figure out ways to work with Republicans. And as it turns out, as much as Republicans want to take him down, there are some things that they find irresistible to cooperate on. The gun bill, for example, after mass shootings put a lot of public pressure on them. The infrastructure bill, that had been a pent-up desire among both parties. Donald trump talked about it, it didn't happen. People like having projects in their states and districts.

And semiconductor manufacturing, again, that is a bill to compete with China and to prevent the United States from being reliant on foreign suppliers for semiconductors. Everyone has seen what the dearth of semiconductors meant for inflation, for supply chain problems. So, they have got a rounded set of accomplishments that this climate bill really is the cap stone. I think most Democrats would tell you that that's the single most important thing because of the existential threat to the planet that events across the world are showing the danger extreme weather events.

GOLODRYGA: Let's not forget Vladimir Putin invade a sovereign country bringing the two parties together as well. Don't call Vladimir Putin a brilliant strategist anymore. John Harwood, thank you.

HARWOOD: You bet.

SCIUTTO: Still ahead, it is if you can believe it one year since the U.S. left Afghanistan. And since then, the nation is isolated, impoverished and the Taliban snatched basic rights away from women and girls. We're going to speak to an Afghan who fled the country in that exodus next about where his country stands now.

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[10:45:00]

SCIUTTO: A full year after the withdrawal of American forces and the Taliban's return to power, Afghanistan faces an uncertain future. People of Afghanistan are much poorer, country cut off from the global banking system and foreign aid. Nearly half of the country's population is now facing acute hunger. Plus, the Taliban have forced girls and women out of schools and public life. The burqas are back, drawing wide condemnation from around the world.

Joining me now is Bilal Sarwary. He is an Afghan journalist who managed to escape the country just last year. Bilal, it is good to see you and I'm glad you're safe and well.

BILAL SARWARY, AFGHAN JOURNALIST: Thank you for having me, Jim.

SCIUTTO: You and I met 20 years ago, more than 20 years ago in Afghanistan. You worked as a journalist throughout the long war, the U.S. presence there. You were one of the lucky ones to get out. First, about you, tell us what life is like outside of your home country and what it is like for those in your family left behind? SARWARY: Well, just because we were forced to leave Afghanistan does not mean that we have given up on the country. So, I have continued to cover Afghanistan as much as I could, speaking to colleagues, friends and family. But it is heart breaking, Jim, to hear that people are struggling for a loaf of bread, to hear their families don't have enough to eat, to hear that people are selling their baby daughters and sons.

And what Afghanistan today is, is a country, you know, that is struggling on the economic front under the Taliban as the de facto rulers. The Taliban would like you to believe that Afghanistan is the island of perfection, basically, that there are no problems.

We also see that the Taliban have cracked down against the Afghan woman. They have cracked down against the Afghan people.

[10:50:01]

It is important to notice that since they have come back, they have banned music and all forms of entertainment. Even in places like Kabul, women have to be segregated in public parks, right? The Ministry of Women Affairs was replaced by Taliban's notorious Ministry of Vice and Virtue.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

SARWARY: So, we have seen full scale Talibanization of Afghanistan, however, the Taliban are also facing their own insurgency from the Islamic state. So, suicide attacks, suicide bombs, assassinations of Taliban officials have continued and they have really failed to protect, for example, Afghanistan's Shia and Hazara communities. The attacks are simply heartbreaking, but at the same time there is also an insurgency from former Afghan government officials. The irony is that I was with these people a little more than a year ago in places like Helmand and Kandahar with their American advisers, and today, they are the insurgents.

SCIUTTO: Let me ask you this, the vast majority of those who work for the U.S. during the long U.S. presence there, they have been left behind. Are their lives in danger from the Taliban?

SARWARY: Well, a lot of people were targeted at a village district level but also in bigger cities, people who were exposed. The Taliban went after a lot of people because they had identify them.

I do know people are still waiting inside Afghanistan, they are still in hiding. Those who have managed to get to Pakistan have been complaining to me that they have been living there for a year now. And, you know, simply this is a process that is taking long and people do feel abandoned, if you talk about people who worked with the American military, government, because they are left exposed, you know, to Taliban brutalities and --

SCIUTTO: I've heard the same from people in that category. But before we go, the Taliban claimed when they took over again to be different from the one we knew 20 years ago. Is there any evidence of that? SARWARY: Well, the Taliban are more rigid, they're more extremists. The Taliban were sold to the Afghan people into the world as Taliban 2.0. But if anything, the Taliban are not that. They're still ruling with an iron fist, and they're still opposed to secondary girls' education. And it is also quite shocking that despite their claims that they have cut off with Al Qaeda, the leader of Al Qaeda was sort of found in the heart of Kabul city being housed by Taliban's interior minister.

And, unfortunately, what I see is Afghanistan is plunging more and more into economic hardships as well as security challenges. The Taliban are simply failing to govern Afghanistan.

SCIUTTO: Well, Bilal Sarwary, I'm glad you and your family are safe as well. I do wish the best to your relatives and friends who remain behind there. We do wish them the best. Thanks for joining us.

GOLODRYGA: Such powerful testimony from Bilal and notable that he has not given up on his country, as he said to you, Jim.

Well, coming up, a ten-year-old boy loses part of his leg after a shark attack in Florida Keys. The latest on his recovery, up next.

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[10:55:00]

SCIUTTO: A ten-year-old boy, poor little guy, has lost part of his leg after being bitten by a shark in Florida.

GOLODRYGA: CNN's Leyla Santiago joins us from Nicholas Children's Hospital in Miami. So, Leyla, what do we know about how this happened and how is this boy doing right now?

LEYLA SANTIAGO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, we understand he's still in the hospital right now, Jim and Bianna. And according to Fish and Wildlife, they received a call around 4:30 P.M. on Saturday.

So, let's talk about what led up to that call, to that report of a shark bite of the ten-year-old, Jameson Reeder Jr. According to his uncle who has been posting this on Facebook, a lot of updates there, he says that Jameson was snorkeling just off Looe Key, down in the Florida keys, and that's when, as he was holding on to a pool noodle, he was bitten by that shark. The uncle describes it as a quite a below -- beneath -- excuse me, below the knee of his leg. His family was able to pull him back on to the boat.

And then, this is pretty amazing, they flagged down another boat. On that boat, it just so happens there was a nurse there, she was able to treat Jameson and then they airlifted him here to this hospital in Miami.

Listen to how his uncle describes this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) JOSHUA REEDER, VICTIM'S UNCLE: Shallow water, about ten feet of water, just boy just out having fun time with his snorkel and Go Pro and trying to see fish and turtles.

He was on the phone on the first time and said -- he said he was there, just holding on to the noodle, and just saying, it's okay, Jesus will save me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANTIAGO: Hard to imagine his family just sort of watching this and trying to rescue him at the same time.

The family describing it as an 8-foot shark, that's what they remember of what they were able to see. I did just get off the phone with a shark expert from Florida International University, and he was very clear that the public should understand that this is reason to be vigilant, this is reason to be careful, but not reason to be terrified. He says this still remains statistically rare and in pretty low risk when it comes to shark bites. Jim, Bianna?

SCIUTTO: Must have been so terrifying for that little boy and their family. We hope he recovers well.

[11:00:00]

Leyla Santiago, thanks so much.

GOLODRYGA: And thank you for joining us today. I'm Bianna Golodryga.

SCIUTTO: And I'm Jim Sciutto. At This Hour with Kate Bolduan starts now.