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Interview with Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff; New York City Opening Emergency Centers for Asylum Seekers; Stephen Breyer Warns Justices About Some Opinions; NASA's DART Mission Prepares for an Asteroid Collision. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired September 23, 2022 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:30:00]

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: You know, they feel most comfortable given this new environment. Have you seen people take up that?

MARC BENIOFF, SALESFORCE CEO: Poppy, this is not our first conversation about what is a CEO's role in political issues? What do we do when it comes to actually making something happened that supports our employees? The number one thing is we must have our employees back. You know and I know we are dealing with a whole series of crazy presidents, crazy governors, crazy mayors, all over the world, in every country, in every city, in every state. The number one thing I can do is let my employees know I'm here for them and I will 100 percent support them, and if they're not happy where they are, you're right.

HARLOW: Marc, who is crazy?

BENIOFF: I'm really talking about all of the situations that I've had to go through over the last decade especially where our employees will contact me and say something just is not right. You know the story for example in Indiana. You know, we're the largest tech employer in Indiana.

HARLOW: And I was going to bring up Indiana because, Marc, for people who don't know in 2015 you threatened to not just relocate employees, in 2015 you threatened to pull all of Salesforce out of Indiana because of a law that would discriminate against LGBTQ people and you won that fight and they didn't end up enacting that law.

Is that something you're considering now in states restricting abortion or outlawing abortion to not just offer to relocate people but pull Salesforce, pull resources?

BENIOFF: We actually just said if you're going to discriminate against our employees, we're not going to be able to set up shop there. And when we said that, 200 other companies the next day, the largest companies in the United States all said we agree. We have to support our LGBTQ communities as well.

Look, we have to be for equality, we have to be for dignity. We have to be for the equality and dignity of every human being, and if you're not for equality and dignity, then, you know, this is not something that I can work with and we're going to have to exit your city or your state just as we have in many places.

HARLOW: Twitter. There was a day when you wanted to buy Twitter. OK? And you write about it just so -- it's so fascinating how you write about it in your book and you wrote, the more people told me I was crazy, the more my arter (PH) for the idea grew. You didn't buy Twitter and I wonder what you see right now in the battle between Twitter and Elon Musk.

BENIOFF: Well, I'm not really following the battle. But, you know, I've always had a huge vision for Twitter. I think it's one of the most exciting applications in the world. I've always thought Twitter could be an operating system. I always thought Twitter could be a receptacle for applications. When I look at those frames inside the text fields, I always ask myself, wow, why can't those be apps? Why can't there be app stores?

Why can't we monetize more completely? Why can't there be all kinds of things that would create even more user engagement? But when I went to buy Twitter and I was having those conversations, all of my shareholders came to me and said, you can stop that now. You will not pursue this vision. It's hard for me because I am a visionary. I'll get things in my head, you know that, Poppy, and then for somebody to tell me you may have the vision in your head but you're not allowed to execute this vision. It was a tough moment for me.

HARLOW: But, Marc, I have to tell you, listening to your answer, you sound to me like someone who might still want to buy Twitter.

BENIOFF: Poppy, that will never happen. Just talk to my investors. They'll make it very crystal clear to you.

HARLOW: What if it were just up to you? Would you buy Twitter today, Marc, if it were up to you?

BENIOFF: If it was just me, absolutely. If it was just me and it was my pocketbook, I think it is the greatest, most unrealized, most unmonetized brand in the technical industry, and it's an amazing company, amazing brand, amazing platform, and can do incredible things for the future. And I have always been in love with the product. I use it every day. And I believe very strongly that this has got still a huge amount of potential ahead.

HARLOW: Even given the -- I mean, A, you don't think it has the bot problem that Elon Musk thinks it has?

BENIOFF: I'm sure that there is many parts of the platform that may or may not be exactly optimal just like it is will all social media companies.

HARLOW: Even after this whistleblower came out with all those warnings about data privacy concerns and security potential breach ability? You still want it? Marc Benioff still wants Twitter?

BENIOFF: I'm just telling you my investors will never let me buy Twitter. I will never buy Twitter. It's not something that because I want something doesn't mean I'm going to have it. By the way, it's a lot like I would like to go have a sundae right now with three scoops of ice cream, chocolate topping, whipped cream and a cherry, but I'm not going to have it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HARLOW: I mean, I want a sundae right now, Jim.

[10:35:01]

JIM SCIUTTO, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, Twitter is an ice cream sundae.

HARLOW: There you go. I guess if you ask Marc Benioff, Elon Musk doesn't want to touch it. But look, to have candid answers like that from CEO, such a great company, is rare. It was really interesting to hear from him. Thank you for his time.

SCIUTTO: No question. Looks like he took the Twitter purchase off the table for now but we'll see. CEOs have changed their minds before.

HARLOW: Yes.

SCIUTTO: Still ahead, New York City forced to open emergency shelters as it faces waves of migrants. Just how long will they be able to stay? We're going to go to one of the shelters live, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:40:09]

HARLOW: New York City is opening emergency shelters to house more than 13,000 migrants who've arrived in this city since April. Many are coming on buses. Some of them sent by Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Hundreds more pouring into the city every day.

SCIUTTO: CNN's Polo Sandoval joins us live from outside Port Authority, that's the city's main bus terminal where many of them are coming in.

Polo, of course the shelter is not open yet. You're where they come into the city. But when they do open, how long can asylum seekers stay?

POLO SANDOVAL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: So, Jim and Poppy, these soon to open humanitarian relief centers they really do speak to how the city of New York has had to reassess how they're responding to how they're taking in these asylum seekers. One source told me are 300 to 400 a day. So this is one of the reasons why city officials plan to deploy these sort of soft sided tent-like facilities.

The city actually released a couple of images to show us kind of what they expect they will look like when the first facility for adults opens in the Bronx in a few weeks' time. They expect one for families to open after that but the main purpose here, according to city officials that made this announcement yesterday, is hopefully many of these asylum seekers will be able to bypass that port authority that you mentioned a little while ago here in Midtown Manhattan and go directly to this particular facility where they can get food, clothing, legal assistance, even some temporary housing but emphasis on temporary.

They are hoping that these individuals that are getting help, these asylum seekers, won't be there for more than one to four days. The goal there will be to place them in the city shelter system which we should note is currently housing roughly 10,000 asylum seekers since April, and then also for those who plan to perhaps travel on. City officials are hoping to facilitate that as well. So that's really the main focus here.

The city hoping to get a little bit of wiggle room and some room to handle each case as they come in but those numbers do continue to add up. Now, in terms of some of the questions that are coming up right now, the Legal Aid Society, one of the non-profit groups here in New York City that's basically been advocating for migrants since we began to see this influx at the start of the summer, they do have some concerns about asylum seeking families with children in congregate settings, Jim and Poppy.

They've reached out to the city to try to find out exactly how they plan to address that. But again, these humanitarian relief centers expected to open in a few weeks' time here in New York City. Back to you.

HARLOW: OK. Polo Sandova, thank you for being there, for staying on this story and all the reporting.

Still ahead, the long anticipated wait for the premiere of our friend's new show "WHO IS TALKING TO CHRIS WALLACE?" Well, it is finally here. Media moguls, Hollywood legends. But next, Chris Wallce is going to talk to us with a preview of this rare interview with just retired Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:47:40]

SCIUTTO: After months of waiting a truly special program is finally here. The premiere of HBO Max's "WHO IS TALKING TO CHRIS WALLACE?" will showcase -- this one will showcase interviews with a whole variety of voices, media moguls, CEOs, Hollywood legenda. The first three episodes are out today including an interview with the now retired associate justice of the Supreme Court, Stephen Breyer. Here's a preview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHEN BREYER, RETIRED SUPREME COURT JUSTICE: There have been delays, you know, in the party split between control over the Senate and control of the presidency. And sometimes long times past, and I would prefer that my own retirement, my own membership on the court not get involved in what I'd call those purely political issues.

CHRIS WALLACE, CNN ANCHOR: So the fact it was a Democratic president and a Democratic majority in the Senate played a role? BREYER: You have to be, did it play some role, could have but

depending about the Republicans were.

WALLACE: You really think that there was a possibility if the Senate was taken over by Republicans that Joe Biden could have nominated somebody and the Senate would simply have refused to confirm any of his nominees?

BREYER: Do I think that's a possibility? I get my information from the newspapers which aren't always accurate but I think reading those newspapers, they suggest there is a possibility. I don't know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: That is just the beginning. Our Chris Wallace joins us now.

Chris, congratulations on that very, I think it's going to be very revealing interview. Congrats on the show. And I just -- I'm struck by the fact that when you think about Stephen Breyer, you know, prior to being on the Supreme Court, he worked for the Senate Judiciary Committee. He wrote a book called "Making Our Democracy Work," and you also talked to him about the state of democracy right now.

WALLACE: Yes, I would say that he was concerned. I mean, just that. Why did he leave the court? He feels he's up to still doing the job. He likes still doing the job. He told me he's going to miss not being there the first Monday in October but he was concerned that if he stayed and the Republicans should take over, that he in effect might be held hostage there because the Republicans might refuse to confirm anybody that President Biden nominated and just generally, he's -- I think he's concerned.

[10:50:12]

You know, he doesn't -- he's got a long view. He's 84 years old. He's seen a lot of stuff. And you know, he says we've had some bad times before. The civil war or Vietnam. So he's not hanging crepe for the American democracy but he says that we're through a tough time. And interestingly enough, Poppy, he contrasted this last term, his 28th year on the court with all the 27 before indicating that he really does think the court with a 6-3 conservative majority has taken a turn.

SCIUTTO: That's notable to distinguish that one year from, goodness, nearly three decades. I know you can't tell us about everyone who is coming on board and you got a big slate but who are you most excited about that you can reveal in the coming weeks?

WALLACE: Well, I can reveal everybody. But this week, and so let me just quickly explain it, we have three interviews that are up right now on HBO Max. You can go after this show is over and pop them up and it's Justice Breyer, Tyler Perry and Shania Twain. That's a pretty good range for you. And then on Sunday is the best parts of those three interviews will air in an hour on CNN at 7:00 p.m. primetime.

So -- and each week will have three interviews on HBO, and then the best of those on CNN. We have Alex Rodriguez. We have James Patterson. You know, I could go on and on. A lot of really great guests. Mark Cuban I'm doing next week. So it's fun and it's fun for me as somebody who's covered politics for the better part of a half century and 18 years on a Sunday morning talk show to be able to talk to a Shania Twain and a Tyler Perry in addition to a Justice Breyer.

SCIUTTO: Yes, it's a remarkable variety. I'm really looking forward. And thank you so much for telling people to wait until after the show.

WALLACE: Yes.

SCIUTTO: Because I don't want to lose to all this right away.

WALLACE: As far as Kate Bolduan takes on a run.

SCIUTTO: Chris Wallace, thank you. We're excited.

WALLACE: You bet.

SCIUTTO: Don't miss "WHO'S TALKING TO CHRIS WALLACE?" at Sunday night 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time -- well, not only here on CNN, HBO Max, too, but you'll have a chance here on our network.

Coming up next, how NASA's next mission aims to save the world from asteroids one kamikaze drone at a time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The dinosaurs didn't have a space program to help them know what was coming but we do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:57:05]

HARLOW: A kamikaze spacecraft is crashing into an asteroid to try to knock it off course and save planet earth and no, folks, this is not a movie. This is not a sequel to "Armageddon," it does seem rather inspired by the film "Don't Look Up," but it is exactly what is on track to happen Monday as NASA launches its first planetary defense test, mission called DART.

SCIUTTO: Yes, can't wait to hear that acronym broken down.

CNN space and defense correspondent Kristin Fisher here with the latest. So tell us why they're doing it? Can they do it?

KRISTIN FISHER, CNN SPACE AND DEFENSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, we're going to find out. I mean, they're doing this because this type of technology, this type of technique could potentially save all of humankind one day if there were ever a killer asteroid or comet headed straight towards earth. This asteroid called Dimorphos poses no threat whatsoever to earth. This is strictly a test. But Jim, it's NASA's first ever planetary defense mission. They've had

to come with this whole planetary defense team to make it happen. And so what they're going to do they launch the spacecraft 10 months ago. It's been traveling to space to that asteroid right there called Didymos, but right next to it is a smaller moonlit called Dimorphos. That's the target asteroid.

So on Monday, shortly after 7:00 p.m. this spacecraft is going to slam into that asteroid and the goal is to just bump it, kind of nudge it slightly off its orbit, and if it is able to successfully do that, then if there were ever a killer asteroid potentially headed towards earth, then that technique could be used to save you and me and everybody on this planet.

SCIUTTO: I guess, Poppy, they need it when Ben Affleck isn't around.

(LAUGHTER)

FISHER: Or Bruce Willis.

SCIUTTO: Yes.

HARLOW: Or Bruce Willis, that's exactly right. How far -- I mean, I guess I just wonder what the measure of success, Kristin, is going to be for them on this to see if actually one day one is headed towards earth they can deploy this?

FISHER: Yes, so we're going to actually be able to see all of this live. There is a camera on the spacecraft.

HARLOW: Cool.

FISHER: It's going to slam into the asteroid and then it's just going to go black. After that it's going to take a few weeks to find out if it's been a success or not in terms of moving it from its orbit. They're going to have to use telescopes all over the earth. Ground based telescopes. They're also going to be using the Webb space telescope to point it at this collision and see if it was successful, if it was able to push it off of this orbit.

But, you know, at the very least it's a success in and of itself to be able to actually smash an asteroid. I mean, it's really a two-part test. We'll find out part one on Monday night if they're able to actually make impact and then part two, if they're able to actually move it a few weeks later.

SCIUTTO: Goodness. Remarkable, seemingly taken out of Hollywood but perhaps necessary at some point. Dimorphos by the way sounds like the villain of another space movie, too, but anyway.

FISHER: It's a good one, right?

SCIUTTO: It's great. It's fun. Kristin Fisher, thanks so much. And thanks so much to all of you.

HARLOW: Can Kristin tell how much you love space stories, Jim? SCIUTTO: I do love space. I do.

HARLOW: It's his favorite. Thanks, Kristin. And thanks to all of you for joining us today. We hope you have a safe and nice weekend.