Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

U.S. Issues New Sanctions After Putin's Ukraine Annexation; Pier In Pawleys Island, SC, Collapses; Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Discusses Federal Response To Hurricane Ian; Ketanji Brown Jackson Ceremonially Sworn In At Supreme Court. Aired 2:30-3p ET

Aired September 30, 2022 - 14:30   ET

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

[14:30:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Well, the United States is never going to recognize this. And quite frankly, the world is not going to recognize it either. He can't seize his neighbor's territory and get away with it. It's as simple as that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: One of the four regions annexed was bombarded by Russian missiles hours earlier.

We want to warn you this next video is graphic.

The Ukrainian prosecutor general's office says Russian missiles struck a civilian convoy in Zaporizhzhia, killing at least 30 people and injuring nearly 100. Among the dead, an 11-year-old girl and 14-year- old boy.

Joining us now is CNN's senior international correspondent, Matthew Chance, and CNN military analyst and retired Air Force colonel, Cedric Leighton.

Thank you for being here.

Matthew, I'll start with you.

Illegally, annexing a fifth of the country of Ukraine. What does this mean? What happens now?

MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It is incredibly dangerous. First of all, not only is it a sham and show that Putin's struggling in the words of President Biden, but it also shows how determined he is to press ahead along this path, despite the costs, despite the criticism. He's undeterred.

And we saw the incredible scenes in Moscow tonight, in Red Square, a carefully choreographed celebration of patriotism.

And it is not -- it is not entirely clear that the population at large in Russia share that enthusiasm. We have seen hundreds of thousands of people leaving the country trying to escape mobilization in the last couple of weeks.

Nevertheless, this is the message Putin is putting across, this territory is Russia's and Russia's forever.

Of course, most dangerously, they said that they will defend this territory, which they now regard as Mother Russia, remember, with everything they've got, implying nuclear weapons could come into play and that's terrifying.

CAMEROTA: Colonel, let's talk about that. Saying that you have annexed something is different than holding it.

So these areas, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia, can Russian soldiers hold on to these?

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: The way it is going now, Alisyn, I would say they cannot. The way things have been happening in the east, especially in the northeast of Kharkiv, with the different offensives that the Ukrainians have been putting on, it is very clear that the Ukrainians are moving forward. They got the momentum.

And it is going to be, I think, really hard for the Russians to keep this territory. I mean, we have, you know, word of the Russians being possibly surrounded by the Ukrainian forces.

And that really shows that this is more of a pr stunt than anything else. It certainly is not commensurate with everything that going on, on the ground there. It doesn't correspond to reality there.

CAMEROTA: Matthew, how about this former defense official, Russian defense official, Igor Girkin, speaking out and saying, basically criticizing Russian command and because of its cretinism and its unprofessionalism.

And saying what is happening right now because Ukrainian soldiers -- I think we have video of it -- have been able to surround some Russian soldiers in the area of Lyman and saying it is a huge moral blow to the Russian army and, on the contrary, huge moral success for the Ukrainians.

Is that bold he's saying all of this out loud?

CHANCE: Igor Girkin was at the forefront of Russian military operations in 2014 when they first attacked Ukraine. He seemed very much as a sort of military hardliner and a critic of how this conflict has been handled from inside Russia.

Because, while you got the liberals saying this is immoral, we shouldn't be doing this, you have a whole bunch of hard-liners saying this has been mishandled, we should have gone in with much more force, we need to take the gloves off and really show the Ukrainians what we can do.

And Igor Girkin is part of that group. And that's pretty scary because the Kremlin listens to that hardline nationalist lobby group. And --

(CROSSTALK)

CAMEROTA: They will up the ante?

CHANCE: Well, what they want is for Putin to go in harder. They think he's been too weak. They think the military has been too weak. The logical extension of that is that this war is going to escalate if the Kremlin listens.

CAMEROTA: Colonel, what about that? What about that video where you see actual Ukrainian soldiers surrounding Russians and driving them out of some areas?

LEIGHTON: Well, I think, Alisyn, this is part of the whole effort that the Ukrainians have mounted. They are using the weapons that NATO and the United States have given them, they're using them to great effect.

They're also turning around Russian weapons that they have been able to capture. They're capturing Russian soldiers. They are, in essence, using things to their advantage that were part of the inventory.

And the other thing we have to look at is the morale of the Ukrainian forces. It is far higher than that of the Russian troops when it comes to actually the morale on the battlefield.

[14:35:03]

The Ukrainians are there to defend their country. And what they're doing around Lyman and other areas is, I think, really symptomatic of the difference between the Ukrainian forces, who need to be there, and who are doing this to defend their homeland.

And the Russian forces, who are not doing that. They don't want to be there. And they have a very difficult time actually executing the operations that they are charged with executing.

CAMEROTA: OK. Colonel Cedric Leighton, Matthew Chance, thank you very much for the expertise.

Back to Florida. One local Florida official makes a plea to those in D.C. after Hurricane Ian. Quote, "Send help, we need it."

And talk about the federal response and if it has been enough. We're going to talk about all of that with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[14:40:27]

CAMEROTA: OK, we have new pictures into our newsroom of Hurricane Ian, now hitting South Carolina. A portion of the pier on Pawleys Island has collapsed. This is according to the local the police department. And that's Pawleys Island right there and what they're tweeting out.

Pawleys Island is just north of where Hurricane Ian just made landfall minutes ago as a category 1 hurricane. This video is of a pier in North Myrtle Beach, a portion of it has

also collapsed as you can see.

CNN's Nick Valencia is in Myrtle Beach for us right now.

Nick, how are you?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Alisyn, it's terribly difficult to hear you with the intensity of the wind here. It has really picked up. The rain is not so much a factor as the wind is, now that Hurricane Ian just made landfall south of us.

I just got off the phone minutes ago with the emergency management who tells me that wind is expected to still be a factor in the next hour or two and will only intensify.

And 13,000 people throughout the county are without power. In Myrtle Beach, there's no bridges or roads closed. But you saw some damage there in Pawleys Island. The piers here, several of them, have taken significant damage.

There's no reports of major wind damage so far. But the emergency management still wants people to stay inside as this storm continues to batter parts of Myrtle Beach and beyond -- Alisyn?

CAMEROTA: Nick, I understand why it is so hard to hear. We are hearing the ambient noise of what is happening at Myrtle Beach right now. We can see the pier is washed away.

What is happening with the storm surge and with everyone in that area? Are people all sheltering in place? What is the status of this exact hour?

VALENCIA: People are sheltering in place. That's exactly what officials want. And if there's another silver lining in this, the water is starting to recede.

I misspoke a short time ago, I said there was 10 feet of storm surge. Water levels are at 10 feet. Storm surge is six and a half, seven feet.

You can see how big the waves are behind me. This is about as close as we can get safely to show you just how significant the -- how rough the waves are, Alisyn.

There's no one out here on the beach. That's a good sign. There have been residents and other locals here, people passing through, tourists visiting and wanting to see the conditions and elements.

But the hotel we're staying at brought everyone back inside. They locked the doors.

We did lose power here just for briefly a moment ago. That power is back on.

I'm going to throw it back to you, Alisyn. This wind is picking up and intensifying. It's going to be hard to hear you here.

CAMEROTA: Understood, Nick.

(CROSSTALK)

CAMEROTA: Thank you very much for the live shot. You can go take cover right now. We'll check back with you as soon as possible.

So a short time ago, President Biden reiterated the federal support he'll send to the towns that have been decimated by Hurricane Ian.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: The federal government will cover -- is covering every cost, 100 percent of the cost, to clear the massive debris left in the wake of the hurricane and these counties. It all needs to be cleared out for communities to begin the hard work of trying to get back on their feet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Infrastructure losses are enormous. Bridges, roads, completely destroyed, as you can see.

Yesterday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said his state is in a good financial position to kick start this recovery.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FLORIDA): In terms of the overall infrastructure, obviously, we'll seek federal support for that. We're also -- Florida, we're well positioned, financially, right now, to get through this. And we have the largest budget surplus we have ever had.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: And Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joins us now.

Secretary Buttigieg, thank you for being here.

It was heartening to hear Governor DeSantis say that Florida is in such good financial standing. I think he said that they have -- well, I think they have something like a $22 billion budget surplus right now. He called it historic reserves.

And so given that, should some of the FEMA and federal funds be redirected away from Florida towards places like Puerto Rico and South Carolina that are being hit so hard right now that aren't as flush with cash?

PETE BUTTIGIEG, TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY: Well, it doesn't have to be an either/or. We're doing everything that we can to support everyone who has been impacted by these storms.

Right now, we have got funding headed to Puerto Rico, which is very much still dealing with the impacts of Fiona. We're also seeing absolutely shocking imagery and heart-breaking

stories from people in Florida, who have been affected by the storms.

[14:45:01]

The different damage assessments on infrastructure, roads, even airports and parts of the aviation system, everything about infrastructure there's still being assessed.

And we have a lot of resources that we can use. Typically, FEMA will be there in the first instance. That's what you're seeing right now.

But we have what is called quick release emergency relief dollars on the highway side that we can use in order to get help to those who we know are going to need it in terms of their roads, bridges, other key infrastructure.

And just as we do in normal times, there's a partnership where you have the state resources, local resources, and absolutely a very important federal role.

I'm sure, as the governor said, they'll be seeking federal resources and we'll make sure we're doing our part, teaming up with the state.

But right now, our focus is mainly just on making sure that the basic transportation systems are as functional as possible, and that emergency supplies can get to where they need to be.

CAMEROTA: And so there are the big infrastructure losses as you're defining. And then there's the personal losses. We have just seen video after video of homes completely demolished. Shredded.

So the property analytics firm Core Logic estimates Hurricane Ian caused $47 billion in insured losses, probably the most expensive in the state's history.

Will homeowners be able to recoup all of those losses from their insurance companies or the federal government?

BUTTIGIEG: Well, again, this is where there are a lot of different sources of help that are going to align at the same time, from what FEMA can do to what people have insurance coverage for.

And we have got to look at the uninsured losses out there, especially in zones where people may not have had flood insurance and regular homeowners insurance may not have covered some of the damage that took place.

Of course, from a transportation perspective, we're focused on the public transportation assets.

But just at a human level, you see the losses that people experienced and there's not only the things that insurance can replace, but loss of a home, loss of family, keepsakes, treasures.

And, unfortunately, mounting count we see of the loss of life. People have suffered irreplaceable losses.

But we're also already seeing the incredible coming together of people working to respond to the immediate emergency.

I just saw a figure that right now there are workers from 33 different states just on the utility side, getting people their power back. And we know that there will be both official and governmental and volunteer and nonprofit assistance to help people get through these very, very difficult times.

And it is inspiring to see how that is happening, even as everybody is still responding to the heart break and the shock of what is taking place.

And, of course, many others still in the path of this storm, who we're urging to listen closely to announcements from local authorities to remain in a safe place.

If they're in a safe place or whatever they're being advised to do by local authorities, whether that's the shelter in place, or to evacuate.

CAMEROTA: I know I have to let you go soon, but I have a couple of questions about the ripple effect of this.

In terms of air flights, I think 1800 flights have been canceled as of this morning, nationwide, just because of what's happening in Florida, and in the southeast.

So how long do you expect those disruptions?

BUTTIGIEG: So, we don't yet have a date for when the airports can be back up and running. The focus for FAA is to make sure we can support that.

Anytime you have this extreme of a weather event, there will be ripple effects across the national aviation system.

Having said that, a lot of the airlines were able to position their assets safely outside of the range of the storm. So the question there is really, how soon will these airports be operational so they can get back, get up and running?

FAA has mobile resources to support air traffic control when a building is inaccessible or a tower has been evacuated. But we're still waiting for the damage assessments so we know some of the impact of things like instrument landing system equipment and other things that are on the ground.

While we're speaking of aviation, just one other thing I want to mention -- and this might sound novel to -- not something we were talking about a few years ago when there were disasters.

Sometimes in the aftermath of the disasters, people are interested to fly their own drones, get pictures of what's going on. FAA is urging people not to do that right now. Because we need to keep

the air space safe for low-flying aircraft and drones that are being used by emergency personnel as part of the rescue and recovery efforts.

CAMEROTA: OK. That's a good warning. Good to know.

Secretary Pete Buttigieg, thank you very much for the update.

BUTTIGIEG: Thank you.

[14:49:47]

CAMEROTA: OK, another historic moment today in Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's trailblazing path to the Supreme Court. We're going to talk about what it is, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first black woman to serve on the Supreme Court, took the judicial oath today. This event was ceremonial. She was, of course, officially sworn in last June.

Today's ceremony also included the traditional rite of passage for all new justices to walk down the front steps of the Supreme Court.

Joan Biskupic is our CNN legal analyst and Supreme Court biographer.

Joan, tell us about justice Jackson's first few months.

JOAN BISKUPIC, CNN LEGAL ANALYST & SUPREME COURT BIOGRAPHER: Sure. Thanks, Alisyn.

Yes, that was down 36 steps of the Supreme Court. It was quite a morning of pageantry and history. But now the real action starts.

During the last couple of months, she has been reading cases, preparing for the arguments this Monday, trying to get up to speed, navigating this building that she's new to, and trying to figure out, how will she work with our eight colleagues.

And what's interesting about this moment, Alisyn, not only is she trying to be ready to perform the duties as an associate justice, but she also faces this unusual time of public distrust of the court.

[14:55:12]

We've seen poll after poll this summer in the wake of the ruling that rolled back nearly a half insure of abortion rights, where the public is expressing so much more scrutiny of the Supreme Court.

And the justices themselves are arguing about their own legitimacy. Some justices raising questions about just whether the court is acting like a court.

That is coming from the liberal dissenters. But justices in the majority say the reason people are sort of showing a lack of confidence in the court is that they simply don't like the rulings.

So there's -- there are so many different divisions that you will also face.

So on Monday, Alisyn, we'll hear her first questions from the bench, in cases that will go this week and next for our October sitting.

And pretty soon, we're probably going to see how she wants to weigh in on this larger question of where the Supreme Court stands right now in the American eye.

CAMEROTA: OK, Joan Biskupic, thank you very much for that report.

BISKUPIC: Thank you.

CAMEROTA: And be sure to join CNN's Fareed Zakaria as he goes inside the highest court in the land. Fareed's new investigation, "SUPREME POWER," begins Sunday night at 8:00 p.m. on Sunday.

OK, Hurricane Ian has just made landfall in South Carolina. We're going to take you there live to see the impact, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)