Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Newsroom

CNN International: Poll of Polls: Trump Expands Lead Over Republicans; Trump Walking Fine Line on Abortion Issue; DeSantis Talks Energy Agenda, Downplays Climate Change; Biden Invited Netanyahu to Washington for Visit; U.S. Fed Keeps Interest Rates Steady; Britain's King Charles on Three-Day Trip to France. Aired 4:30-5a ET

Aired September 21, 2023 - 04:30   ET

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

[04:30:00]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN HOST: And welcome back to CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber, in for Max and Bianca, and we'll hear from Max later this hour. But if you're just joining us, let me bring you up to date with our top stories this hour.

U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy is trying to avoid a government shutdown by proposing a budget with deeper spending cuts and new border security measures. Now, a deadline for a deal is September 30th.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will be at the White House today and this afternoon for talks with Joe Biden. The U.S. President is expected to announce a new package of military aid, despite objections from some Republican lawmakers.

Now the latest update to the CNN Poll of Polls shows former President Donald Trump expanding his lead over the Republican field running for the party's 2024 nomination. Support for the twice impeached four time indicted one term president averages 58 percent and his lead is solidifying, at least in part due to falling support for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

So take a look at New Hampshire. 39 percent of likely Republican primary voters there say Trump is their first choice. DeSantis sits at 10 percent in 5th place. Meanwhile, 51 percent of Republican voters say Trump has the best chance to win a general election.

Now, abortion is, of course, a key election issue for many Republican voters, and frontrunner Donald Trump appears to be walking a very fine line with it. On the one hand, speaking to supporters in Dubuque, Iowa, on Wednesday, Trump took full credit for overturning Roe v. Wade, but then he veered into an area of the debate that has put him at odds with some conservatives. CNN's Kristen Holmes has more from Dubuque, Iowa.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Former President Trump, appearing to really respond to that backlash from conservatives over his comments over the weekend, which he criticized a six-week abortion ban. He in Dubuque, Iowa, taking credit for Roe v. Wade multiple times, saying he was able to do what no one else was able to do in 52 years. Adding that now because of him, pro-lifers had a voice, they had negotiating power. And he also said that Republicans need to learn how to talk about abortion. Particularly when it comes to exceptions, which he said he support.

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Like Ronald Reagan before me, I believe in the three exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother. I believe in that. I think it's very important. Without the exceptions it is very difficult to win elections. We would probably lose the majorities in 2024 without the exceptions and perhaps the presidency itself.

HOLMES: And there were a lot of cheers that rang out when he was talking about those exceptions. It was almost surprising given where we are in this conservative area and this conservative state.

[04:35:00]

But the other thing to point out here is just this tightrope that he continues to walk, going back and forth when it comes to abortion. We know that he does not want to talk about it. He does not want to campaign on it, but clearly felt like he had to respond. Again, now taking full credit for Roe v. Wade over and over again and talking about all he had done for the movement.

Kristen Holmes, Dubuque, Iowa, CNN.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: All Americans are safer than ever from climate disasters, at least according to Ron DeSantis. The Republican presidential candidate made that claim on Wednesday as he unveiled his energy agenda while in Texas. He called recent wildfires, hurricanes and other natural disasters around the world problematic, but ultimately accused the federal government of overreacting. CNN's Jessica Dean has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Today it's great to be back in west Texas.

JESSICA DEAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Florida governor and 2024 GOP presidential candidate Ron DeSantis unveiling his energy policy in the heart of oil country.

DESANTIS: I will restore our freedom to fuel. I will ensure that the United States of America is the dominant energy producer in the entire world.

DEAN (voice-over): DeSantis' plan includes ramping up domestic oil and gas exploration and production, removing the United States from the Paris Climate Accords and other net zero emissions commitments, allowing more pipelines and mining on federal lands, and repealing President Joe Biden's electric vehicle subsidies and other Biden supported legislation targeted at supporting electric vehicles. DeSantis also pledged to get gas prices to $2 a gallon, though presidents have limited tools at their disposal to control prices at the pump.

DESANTIS: I think we can definitely get under three and towards two, and the reality is we're going to have a very favorable environment for this.

DEAN (voice-over): While DeSantis acknowledged climate disasters are, quote, problematic. He said much of the discussion around it is fear mongering.

DESANTIS: The climate clearly has changed. You can judge that, I think objectively. I think the question is, what policy posture are we going to take from that?

DEAN (voice-over): As governor of Florida, DeSantis finds himself confronting some of the top concerns posed by climate change, from rising sea levels to more intense hurricanes.

DEAN: We've seen things just recently, like the flooding this summer, the smoke that came in from the Canadian wildfire. How concerned are you about climate change? Where do you prioritize that? And what do you say to Americans who are concerned about that? Particularly parents who are worried about, like, their kids can't go play out when it's smoky like that.

DESANTIS: In a major instance like that, I mean, obviously those are things we have to deal with, and those are problematic. I mean we deal with hurricanes in Florida, we deal with fires, too, in Florida. But what I would say is when Joe Biden says that he's more worried, like in 10 years with the climate than a nuclear war. I mean, I'm sorry, that's just not true.

DEAN: Despite all of the climate disasters that we've seen just within the last several months in the U.S. and around the world, DeSantis made the case that Americans are actually safer from those climate disasters than they have been in the past, thanks to oil and gas production. He gave the example of the recent hurricane in Florida saying that it was because of oil and gas he was able to get the power back on for so many Floridians.

Jessica Dean, CNN, Midland, Texas.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: All right, up next, Britain's King Charles is on a state visit to France and our Max Foster is there -- Max.

MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, he's about to have a rare honor of addressing the Senate floor. Something that's never been afforded to any other head of state of the United Kingdom. We'll bring it to you live.

[04:40:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: President Biden is working to improve relations with Israel, inviting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Washington later this year. They met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly Wednesday for the first time since Netanyahu returned to office in December. CNN's Hadas Gold reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

HADAS GOLD, CNN JERUSALEM CORRESPONDENT: After nine long months, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu finally got his face-to-face meeting with President Joe Biden. Not in the White House like he would have hoped. Instead on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. Regardless, the meeting went about as well as he could have hoped.

The two used each other's first names, were very complimentary. And while they both acknowledge that there have been issues between them that has soured the relationship, namely Netanyahu's government who say to reshape Israel's Supreme Court. It seems the prospect of normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia is keeping things afloat.

BENJAMIN NETANYAHU, ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Under your leadership, Mr. President, we can forge a historic peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia. And I think such a peace would go a long way first to advance the end of the Arab-Israeli conflict, achieve reconciliation between the Islamic world and the Jewish state, and advance a genuine peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

GOLD: But there are huge gaps to bridge before that can happen, including what the Palestinians will be offered as part of this deal. And whether whatever they are offered would even pass muster in Netanyahu's far right-wing government that includes ministers who say they don't even think the Palestinian Authority should exist.

And even though it only got sort of a passing mention in public, the concerns over the judicial overhaul were loud and clear. Protesters on the street demonstrating against Netanyahu's government could be heard from inside the hotel where the meeting was taking place. That's according to Israeli reporters who were there.

And though President Biden addressed what he called the hard issues of upholding democratic values, including checks and balances in the systems, he stressed that even where they have some differences, that his commitment to Israel is ironclad.

Hadas Gold, CNN, Jerusalem.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: The U.S. Federal Reserve chairman has announced that the Fed won't raise interest rates right now but could very well do so one more time at least this year. Jerome Powell also warns that the strong economy and strong job growth means interest rates could stay relatively high well into next year as the Fed tries to lower inflation even more. CNN's Matt Egan explains what this means for American consumers.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: The Fed is almost done, but not quite. That's the message from Fed Chair Jerome Powell. As was widely expected, the Fed voted unanimously to keep interest rates at 22 a year high. But officials are still penciling in at least one more rate hike this year in their quest to get inflation back down to healthy levels.

And the Fed does not plan to dial back its inflation fighting medicine very much at all next year. Fed officials previously projected four rate cuts in 2024. Now they only see two rate cuts.

So what does all this mean? Well, first, it suggests that borrowing costs will stay relatively high for the foreseeable future. We're talking about credit cards, car loans and of course mortgages, and that means further pressure on the economy.

[04:45:00]

Of course, this is an economy already grappling with plenty of headwinds, including worker strikes, the return of student loan payments and rising energy prices. Still, there are clear signs of progress on the inflation front. Fed officials, they marked down their core inflation forecast for this year, and they simultaneously marked up their views on both GDP and unemployment.

Now this is a reminder of how the war on inflation has progressed much better than feared. The most aggressive rate hikes in four decades have helped cool inflation, all without wrecking the economy, at least so far. Now the question is whether or not the Fed can finish the job and pull off a soft landing.

Matt Egan, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: Talks between members of the Writers Guild of America and Major Hollywood Studios are set to continue later today. They're hoping to reach a deal to end the writers' strike that's frozen Hollywood for more than 140 days. Representatives from the Guild met with executives from CNN parent company Warner Brothers, Discovery, Disney, Netflix and NBC Universal on Wednesday. A person close to the matter tells CNN, attendees left the meeting feeling encouraged.

And today could be a pivotal day of negotiations for striking auto workers. The Union held talks with two of the three automakers, Ford and General Motors, on Wednesday. Now the third, Stellantis, is expected to sit down with the Union in the coming hours after sending new proposals to the Union on Wednesday.

Stellantis and GM have temporarily laid off dozens of employees due to the strike and thousands more have been idled at several plants. The Union is demanding better pay and benefits and more time off. The companies say they can't afford those demands. Britain's King Charles is getting ready to address French lawmakers in

the Senate. His Majesty is on the 2nd day of a three-day royal visit, along with Queen Camilla. They attended a lavish state banquet at the Palace of Versailles on Wednesday. The King's visit is expected to include talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on climate change and the war in Ukraine.

I want to go live now to Saint-Denis, France and CNN royal correspondent Max Foster. So, Max, how is King Charles's first official state visit to France going so far?

FOSTER: Is going pretty smoothly and I think the French are pretty grateful for that because obviously this was a delayed trip. It couldn't happen earlier in the year because there were the demonstrations over the pension reforms and they really have rolled out the red carpet this time round to make sure everything is going really smoothly and emphasizing the deep relationship between Britain and France. Which has come under huge amounts of pressure ever since Britain obviously left the European Union.

And it was interesting watching them together at the Elysee Palace yesterday. They were on the red carpet, the President and the King and they were getting on really well. I think that's what everyone involved in this trip was hoping to see.

And in terms of, you know, the level of sort of honor that's being rolled out for King Charles, we've just heard that he's arrived at the Senate and for the first time, a British king or queen is being allowed to address the Senate from the Senate floor. And that's a very rare honor. And we're expecting to hear from King Charles. Speaking to a speech that was written partly with the government's help to really show that Britain and France are two countries that are very close to each other, very important to each other, and they do have a lasting relationship despite the ups and downs politically.

He'll also speak some French as well, which he did last night at the Palace of Versailles. It's pretty good, I understand it. We'll wait to see how good it is today because it's a big pressure moment for the king. One of his early state visits of his monarchy. And there's a huge amount of riding on it. It's very easy to make a mistake. Damage relations, which are already sensitive between the two countries. But so far, it's been going pretty well, Kim.

The reason I'm in Saint-Denis by the way, is because he's coming up here afterwards and he's going to be playing table tennis. It's all about promoting sport and the charities that work with sport in this area around the Stade de France.

BRUNHUBER: Interesting. All right, I'm curious to hear more about sort of what they'll be talking about and certainly a big theme that they've been discussing has been climate change, among other issues. Just take us through a bit more substantially sort of what the king will be talking about with the with the French.

FOSTER: Well, at the Elysee Palace yesterday they did have a one-on- one meeting. It lasted quite a while. And all the Elysee were telling us about that was that the king is very keen to hear the president's views on international affairs. I mean, what's different about the King and his predecessor, his mother, the Queen, is that she never got involved in any sort of politics. But actually the king is interested in hearing about politics. And he has expressed quite strong views on Ukraine. So I'm sure that is something that would have come up in that meeting. But we're never going to hear about it because it's going to be private.

[04:50:00]

But this is a king who has met many of these leaders around the world before. And just as the queen was useful to heads of state around the world, so is the king, I'm told, because he meets people. He listens to different views and different countries without taking a view, and therefore President Macron can also ask him what Charles reads as the state of international affairs as well from the people he's spoken to.

So these meetings are very useful for both sides and both, you know, diplomacies are really talking to that as well. So I think it's interesting to see how Charles is stepping up as a global statesman as much as the British king.

BRUNHUBER: Interesting. And we're just showing you live pictures there of the French Senate, as we expect King Charles to address the Senate, and then he'll be going later on to Saint-Denis about maybe 45 minutes outside of Paris proper where you are Max Foster. Thank you so much. And we'll continue our coverage of that during the coming hours.

All right. Ahead a big scare for Major League Soccer and superstar Lionel Messi. We'll have details on a possible injury just ahead. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[04:55:00]

BRUNHUBER: Plenty of worry for Inter Miami after soccer legend Lionel Messi left his latest match early and seemed to be in some discomfort. And you can see he handed over his captain's armband in 37th minute and hit the locker room before the half ended. Now CNN has reached out to Inter Miami for more information. They went on to defeat Toronto FC, 4-nil.

Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles is making her return to competitive gymnastics. Biles the most decorated gymnast in U.S. history, is set to compete for Team USA at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp on September 30th. Now it's the same city where she won her first all round title at the World Championship a decade ago. 17-year- old Joscelyn Robertson and returning World champions Shilese Jones, Leanne Wong and Skye Blakely will round out Team USA.

Right now for stories in the spotlight this hour. Late night television host Jimmy Kimmel says he's tested positive for COVID, forcing him to cancel a live show in Las Vegas on Saturday with fellow hosts Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon. And he's not the only one. Comedy icons Steve Martin and Martin Short

also had to postpone their sold out shows in Vegas this weekend due to COVID cases among their crew. Steve Martin tweeted the shows will be postponed to mid-December.

Kiteboarders gathered in the Netherlands this week to compete in the Red Bull Mega Loop Championship. Have a look at this. Yes, that's for the faint hearted there. The athletes fought storms and gale force winds producing some pretty amazing results -- as you can see there. It's the first time the competition has been held in four years because of the very specific weather conditions needs to perform these amazing acrobatic acts.

All right, that wraps this hour of CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Kim Brunhuber. "EARLY START" is up next right here on CNN.

[05:00:00]