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Rep. Ro Khanna is Interviewed about the FBI Search and the DCCC Ad Spending; White House Launches Vaccination Sites; Migrants Arrive in New York from Texas; Decision on Student Loans. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired August 22, 2022 - 09:30   ET

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

[09:30:00]

REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA): Legal consequence. We want to make sure that they're actually taking down posts that are inciting violence.

HARLOW: You bring up two really important things, the First Amendment and Section 230. Given that Section 230 stands, which was written, you know, years ago and protected these social media companies essentially from any speech posted on their platforms that wasn't their own, given that that's still the law of the land, what can you do here?

KHANNA: Well, we can have accountability. But you're right. And, look, this is not a wonky point. Here's the problem with Section 230 as it's written. You could have someone post on Facebook, on Twitter, on Gab a post that threatens violence, that they did this on January 6th that says, I'm going to assassinate a specific person at a specific time and currently under Section 230 these companies have no legal responsibility to take it down.

HARLOW: Yes.

KHANNA: Now, they do have a responsibility to live up to their terms of service and many of them say that they take down threats under their terms of service. So we do have accountability to say, well, you've got to live up to what you're representing to consumers.

HARLOW: Yes.

And to be fair here, and we welcome representatives from any of these eight social media companies come on the show tomorrow, any day, they often do take it down. But there's such a volume of this stuff, and we've seen how hard it is, no matter how many people you hire, or billions of dollars to get it all down. So, I mean, this is the reality of where we are and people's lives are in danger.

Let me change topics here and ask you about the president's -- the search of the former president's Mar-a-Lago residence. Specifically, Congressman, because you've said, which I think is interesting, you've said recently, I think lawmakers shouldn't say a lot about this. Let the process work. But I do want your response to what Texas Republican Congressman Dan Crenshaw said to my colleague Jake Tapper on this just yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DAN CRENSHAW (R-TX): Yes, I still haven't seen any evidence that he was even at -- that Trump was even asked to give these documents back. He's been cooperating with them on these issues for a while now, for months. And so why take it to this extreme extent?

And I think that's why you're seeing so much backlash from Republicans. You're seeing everyone coalesce. It doesn't matter what side of the issue they're on with Trump. You've seen a lot coalesce around this one because it does seem unjust and there does seem to be a long history of loss of credibility at the Department of Justice at the hands of Democrats. And I think people are rightfully frustrated about that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: What's your response specifically to this argument he's making?

KHANNA: Poppy, I believe that they need to follow the law. But I will say that Attorney General Garland needs -- and the Justice Department should be as transparent. And there is an obligation to get all of the information out there that they can when you have a former president involved. And so my view is, get it out there. Get out there why this took place. Let's make sure that all the facts are out there.

I have confidence that Attorney General Garland wouldn't have taken a step like this if he didn't think it was absolutely necessary. He understands the stakes. But I'm always for transparency.

HARLOW: But -

KHANNA: And if there are doubts that can be quelled, let's have everything get out there.

HARLOW: That is a really important point. And I just want to ask you specifically, Congressman, does that mean that you then disagree with the position that the DOJ has taken that none of the affidavit should be released publicly? Because normally that would never happen unless charges are filed, which has not - they've not been filed in this case. So, do you think -- do you disagree with the DOJ position here saying we -- the public shouldn't see this right now?

KHANNA: Well, I think it's too aggressive of a position when you're dealing with a former president.

HARLOW: Huh.

KHANNA: My view is to have more transparency. Get out there what you're trying to do, why you're trying to hold him accountable. It seems like the Florida judge agrees with my perspective and that's why he's called for a partial release. Don't release sensitive information. Don't release information about particular law enforcement individuals who work there because that could put them in danger. But get as much out there as possible. HARLOW: Just to be clear, and you might not have seen it because it

came out in just the last few minutes, but there is this new order out this morning from that Florida judge, Judge Reinhart (ph), taking a slightly different position. We'll get into that in a moment and explain to people. But it's ultimately going to be up to that judge.

Let me end by asking you about one of the strategies, Congressman, that has been used by some in the Democratic Party to try to win in the mid-term elections.

Over the weekend, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair, Representative Sean Patrick Maloney, defended the DCCC's decision to spend money on these ads in some races across the country propping up Democrats, their money propping up extremist GOP candidates in these primaries, including election deniers. We saw what happened in Michigan as a result.

Here's how he defended that move when asked by Chuck Todd.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEAN PATRICK MALONEY, CHAIR, DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSIONAL CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE: My job is to - is to win elections for the Democrats. And I take that seriously because the moral imperative is keeping the gavel out of the hands of Kevin McCarthy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[09:35:03]

HARLOW: He's basically saying, at any cost. Do you agree with those tactics? Do you support them?

KHANNA: I totally reject them. I think they're abominable tactics. First of all, we should not be interfering in other primaries to try to pick more extreme candidates. I mean what this country needs is for us to get together, come together and have people who want to work to solve problems.

Second of all, be careful what you wish for. The remember the time where the whole Democratic Party was cheering for Donald Trump to become the nominee in 2016. How did that work out? So it may also not be tactically smart.

But this is what drives cynicism in politics. This is why 58 percent of Americans think our best days are behind us. This is why 70 some percent think we're on the wrong track. We should totally reject that and I - frankly, I'm embarrassed that the DCCC is doing that.

HARLOW: Wow. All right. Well, we appreciate your candor this morning.

Congressman Ro Khanna, thanks.

KHANNA: Thank you.

SCIUTTO: Strong words there. Well, monkeypox is spreading and officials are trying to get the

vaccine out as fast as possible. How the White House has taken the vaccine right to the groups who need it most right now.

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[09:40:51]

SCIUTTO: Washington state's King County, which includes Seattle, has now declared monkeypox a local public health emergency. Officials say there are at least 275 confirmed cases in King County. And because vaccine supplies are still limited, officials hope this declaration will help get more doses delivered to the area once they're available.

Since the outbreak of monkeypox began in May, most cases have to date occurred among gay and bisexual men.

HARLOW: So, in an effort to try to protect the groups most affected by this virus, the White House is sending 50,000 doses of the vaccine to LGBTQ Plus events nationwide.

Our Dianne Gallagher was at the Charlotte, North Carolina, pride festivities and parade over the weekend where shots for this vaccine were available.

Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DIANNE GALLAGHER, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Celebrating pride in person for the first time in two years, Charlotte showed up, dancing, cheering, marching and vaccinating at-risk pride participants against monkeypox.

ABE GADIKIAN, PRIDE FESTIVAL ATTENDEE: There were a group of women walking around saying that the shot was available. And me and a friend took a walk down to the health department, 15 minutes, filled out some paperwork, in and out.

GALLAGHER: The North Carolina city's pride festival is the launch site of a Biden administration pilot program to send 50,000 doses of the monkeypox vaccine so LGBTQ centered events, like pride, around the country.

DR. ANTHONY FAUCI, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY AND INFECTIOUS DISEASES: We will now, by prepositioning a considerable number of doses of vaccine, we'll be able to handle it and get our arms around this so that we don't see further spread.

GALLAGHER: Though some, like Miguel Fuller, who is vaccinated, feel the administration should have done this sooner.

MIGUEL FULLER, PRIDE FESTIVAL ATTENDEE: You can't just like put something on social media and say, all right, we've done it. They need to go to the bars, to the clubs, individually. GALLAGHER: That's something local outreach organizations, like Rain,

say they've had success in doing and is especially effective, they found, in reaching disproportionately affected communities of color.

CHELSEA GULDEN, PRESIDENT AND CEO, RAIN, INC.: I know what we've been seeing in nontraditional venues has been primarily people of color. So, the first weekend we did it, we did a day event and an evening event, and we vaccinated 170 individuals, 90 percent of them African American.

GALLAGHER: For Charlotte's heavily attended pride weekend, the Biden administration allotted Mecklenburg County Public Health an extra 2,000 doses of the monkeypox vaccine to be administered to people considered high risk.

GLENDA DANCY, ASST. HEALTH DIRECTOR, MECKLENBURG COUNTY HEALTH DEPT.: We're excited to be a part of it. There definitely is a need in this county. We have a high case rate, and we definitely want to be able to provide vaccinations to individuals who need those vaccines.

GALLAGHER: The CDC has recorded more than 14,000 cases of monkeypox across the country. State public health data shows that as of August 18th 198 cases of those were in North Carolina, 93 here in Mecklenburg County, which was operating on a vaccine wait list. They transitioned last week to an alternate, under the skin injection method in the forearm as a way to increase supply from one to five doses per vial.

GADIKIAN: I wasn't expecting the mark, but they -- I mean they told me it might be sore, it might be itchy. But, me personally, I haven't had any -- any symptoms from it. It's not bothering me at all.

GALLAGHER: But something that is bothering people at pride --

JENNY GUNN, PRIDE FESTIVAL ATTENDEE: We're very aware of not stigmatizing it as just a gay man's disease, just like HIV was in the '80 and '90s.

GALLAGHER: Men that have sex with men and transgender people do make up the majority of monkeypox cases right now, which is why they are being prioritized with the limited vaccine supply. However, monkeypox is not a sexually transmitted infection and any person can get it from prolonged close, typically skin to skin contact with an infected person. So, if the Biden administration wants its outreach to be a success, celebrating while educating without discriminating is the only way to approach it.

GUNN: It's good to see the community back. And, yes, it's a -- it's a great moment for all of us. And that's what should be talked about.

[09:45:03]

And we can protect people and still not stigmatize them.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

GALLAGHER: And that was something that was echoed from almost every person that we spoke with at pride here in Charlotte over the weekend, to educate and protect but not create a stigma.

You know, Jim, Poppy, something that was unique about those extra 2,000 vaccines from the federal government, there was no residency requirement, so it didn't dip into the vaccines that Mecklenburg County already had for residents. Some other events in the near future that are going to have part of this pilot program vaccines. We're talking about Southern Decadence in New Orleans and Atlanta Pride as well.

HARLOW: Dianne, thank you very much for going and for that important reporting. We appreciate it very much.

Still ahead here, President Biden set to take action when it comes to student loans as Democrats urge him to cancel as much as $50,000 in student loan debt per person. We'll be live with a report ahead.

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[09:50:27]

HARLOW: More than 240 migrants are now in New York City after what officials are calling the largest single day of arrival for migrants being bussed here from Texas. You see some images there. The New York officials says the group that arrived was a mix of families, individual with around ten children on board, including a 10-month-old baby.

SCIUTTO: They are among the thousands of migrants bussed to New York and D.C. this year at the direction of Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

CNN's Polo Sandoval joins us now.

Polo, these migrants really caught in a political tug of war between Republicans and Democrats over immigration policy. What's happening to them?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Jim, Poppy, they really have become the face of this back and forth between the governors of Texas and Arizona and the mayors of Washington, D.C., and here in New York. One hundred and forty total asylum seekers that arrived here in New York City over the weekend. That is the largest wave of buses that has come from -- or at least of migrants has actually come from the lone star state in the last two and a half weeks since Governor Abbott basically rolled out this plan to relocate these asylum seekers that had been processors and released by DHS officials along the southern border and then allowed to travel throughout the United States pending the outcome of their immigration asylum proceedings.

So far, since that was announced, we've seen a total of about 7,000 migrants arrive in Washington, D.C., the last couple of months here in New York, a little over a thousand we have seen, mainly men and women and children here. Many of the ones that I've had an opportunity to speak to coming from South America. Governor Abbott maintaining that the whole goal of this is to provide some relief for those border communities that have continued to see this flow of asylum seekers crossing the border. And he continues to receive support from within his party, including

from Republican Dan Crenshaw. I want you to hear a portion of the conversation that he had with our colleague Jake Tapper over the weekend as he basically supports the governor's efforts to send migrants to blue cities.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. DAN CRENSHAW (R-TX): And we're talking about the New York and D.C. bussing. We're talking about a few thousand immigrants. That's what we deal with on a daily basis in south Texas. So, look, what he's doing, I think, is out of desperation and it's highly necessary because somebody has to solve this problem. This is an infringement on our sovereignty. It's an infringement on our rule of law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SANDOVAL: Now, some important context that the congressman there could not or at least did not mention is that, again, many of these individuals do have the right to seek asylum here in the United States and, as I have heard repeatedly from those non-profits assisting these migrants after they're released from federal custody, they usually don't stay in these border communities. So it's really more of the municipalities and federal officials that have basically been overwhelmed along the southern border, and that's what's also the kind of strain that we're not beginning to see into these like New York and also in Washington, D.C., not just to house these thousands of migrants, but also to educate their children as back to school nears here in New York City. The city announcing efforts to basically register over 1,000 asylum seeking children in the coming weeks.

Poppy. Jim.

SCIUTTO: Yes, you are seeing a lot of generosity welcoming these migrants in these communities.

Polo Sandoval, thanks so much for covering.

SANDOVAL: Thank you.

HARLOW: All right, we should know in the next week if the Biden administration will extend the pause on federal student loan payments. This is according to the education secretary.

SCIUTTO: The pause for now is set to end next Wednesday. President Biden also considering cancelling for good as much as $10,000 in student loan debt per borrower.

CNN's Arlette Saenz, she's in - she's with the president in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

Arlette, this has been a back and forth for some months now as to whether this deadline will be extended, but I wonder, what is the justification the administration is offering here? What case are they making for these - for this pause? ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim and Poppy,

President Biden has been deliberating this decision for months and the clock is ticking for him to make that decision as that August 31st deadline is approaching. That is when the pause on federal student loan payments is set to expire. A pause that has really been in effect since the beginning of the pandemic and one that President Biden has extended four times, most recently in April.

Now, the president has been facing some pressure from Democrats who have wanted him to cancel up to $50,000 in student loan debt. But the president has said that that is something that he is not going to do. The White House has said that he is considering cancelling up to $10,000 worth of student debt for those making under $125,000 per year. That is something that the president promised as he ran in the Democratic primary back in 2020.

[09:55:05]

But certainly, there are a number of factors that the White House is considering at this moment. Yes, cancelling student loan debt would offer some financial relief to millions much Americans, but there are also questions about what kind of effect it might have on inflation.

Now, the education secretary said that that decision will be coming in the next week. So, we will see where President Biden lands on something that could affect more than 40 million Americans in this country.

HARLOW: Huge decision. Huge complications for those 40 million people and for this economy and debt going forward. We'll see what happens.

Arlette, thanks very much.

SCIUTTO: Still ahead, just alarming new video of a violent arrest in Arkansas. Deputies and a police officer seen in that video punching, kneeing the suspect several times, appearing to bang his head on the pavement. How authorities in that community are responding, just ahead.

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