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Biden Goes After Trump, GOP in Fiery Address; Biden's Use of Term Illegals Angers Some Democrats; Republicans Slam Biden's Address as Divisive and Political. Aired 10-10:30a ET

Aired March 08, 2024 - 10:00   ET

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

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[10:00:00]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN ANCHOR: You are live in the CNN Newsroom. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington.

Today, Democrats are breathing a sigh of relief after President Biden's fiery state of the union address and his impassioned speech that lasted more than an hour.

The president sought to diffuse concerns about his age and draw a stark contrast with the MAGA movement. He lambasted his Republican rival more than a dozen times without ever saying his name, referring to former President Donald Trump simply as my predecessor.

Republicans in the meantime sat on their hands most of the night, not even president's call to defend democracy could elicit a unified response, and he had no qualms. The president had no qualms about pointing that out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: History is watching. Just like history watched three years ago on January 6th, when insurrection stormed this very capital and placed a dagger to the throat of American democracy.

My predecessor and some of you here seek to bury the truth about January 6th. I will not do that. This is the moment to speak the truth and to bury the lies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Within moments of taking the floor of the president jousted with heckling House Republicans specifically on the issue of immigration.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: In November, my team began serious negotiation with a bipartisan group of senators. The result was a bipartisan bill with the toughest set of border security reforms we've ever seen. Oh, you don't think so? Oh, you don't like that bill, huh? That conservatives got together and said it was a good bill? I'll be darned. That's amazing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: That is not how Republican leadership wanted the night to go with many blatantly ignoring Speaker Mike Johnson's call for good behavior. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: Not really. I -- Laken Riley, an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal, that's right. But how many thousands of people being killed by legals?

To her parents, I say, my heart goes out to you having lost children myself. I understand.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Let's get straight to CNN's Arlette Saenz over at the White House. Arlette, what's the mood over at the White House this morning?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim, Biden's advisors are feeling pretty good about his performance last night. They believe that he accomplished what he set out to do, laying out that vision for a second term, but also trying to provide that stark contrast with former President Donald Trump. Biden never named his predecessor by name, but there was no mystery about who he was talking about last evening.

And one thing that his campaign team has pointed me to is the fact that they saw a real fundraising boost around the president's State of the Union address. The 9:00 P.M. and 10:00 P.M. hours when that address was taking place were the campaign's best online fundraising hours since the launch of their campaign. They argue that's a sign of the enthusiasm and energy around the president's messaging.

But the president in his address also tried to quell some of the concerns people have about his age and stamina. You saw him come out with a very fiery political speech, taking aim at Trump, tangling with Republicans in the House chamber there over issues like immigration and taxes. A key question going forward is whether he will be able to maintain that fiery energy as he hits the campaign trail.

A bit later this afternoon, he will make his first stop traveling to battleground Pennsylvania. He'll be visiting a suburb of Philadelphia. The suburbs, of course, will be very important for Biden as he's trying to woo moderate, independent and especially suburban women voters in areas like Philadelphia.

Tomorrow, he heads to Georgia. Vice President Harris is heading out west to Arizona and Nevada. We are expecting travel from both of them to ramp up in the coming weeks. But, really, what the Biden campaign and the president are trying to do today is try to build off of some of that momentum, some of that energies from last night's address. We'll see how exactly that translates with voters once he hits these battleground states.

ACOSTA: All right. Arlette Saenz over at the White House, thank you very much.

[10:05:00]

Joining me now to discuss is Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna of California. He serves on a number of committees and is the deputy whip for the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Congressman, thank you very much this morning.

I'm sure you're a little tired like everybody else is after last night. But let me ask you this. A lot of folks in your party wanted to see the president get fiery last. Is that what you got?

REP. RO KHANNA (D-CA): It was a brilliant speech. It's a passionate speech and I am more energized as the House Democratic caucus. I mean, look, the president delivered. But the best part actually was not when he was most fiery. It was at the end, where he said it's not about age, it's about values. I was called the youngest guy. I've been called someone who was old. But you know what? I've always stood for compassion, for dignity, for decency, And that's American values and that what I'm going to fight for for America's future. And I thought he connected in a very deep way.

ACOSTA: I do want to ask you about immigration because that really flared up as a big issue last night. There was this moment when the president was sort of rattling off the number of agents that would go down to the border as the result of the bipartisan immigration legislation that had been making its way through Congress until it was blocked by Republicans.

And there was a moment where you saw James Lankford, the senator from Oklahoma. You might not have seen this because you were on the House floor, or perhaps you've seen the video since, where he mouths the word, true, agreeing with the president at that moment.

I just have to ask you, if we have some of the videos, we can show it to our viewers, I have just have to you, Congressman, after this speech last night, is there any more of an appetite on the Republican side to get that bill through the Congress?

KHANNA: Well, I appreciate Senator Lankford acknowledging that. What he was saying is that the president was right, that president is willing to compromise, that the president had a real plan for border security that had support for Republicans and that Donald Trump, for political reasons, sabotaged it because he wants to run on the issue.

My hope is that people will see the response the president got, that he is in the business of having solutions, of fixing things, and that it will remove my colleagues. But, unfortunately, the Republicans have really been focused on tearing this president down and helping Donald not solving issues.

ACOSTA: And the president also confronted the conservative justices on the Supreme Court who overturned Roe versus Wade. Let's listen to that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: It's a decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court majority wrote the following. And with all due respect, justices, women are not without electoral power. You're about to realize just how much you're right about that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Just curious, what did you make of that moment? How did you feel about the president almost going after the Supreme Court or the conservative justices on the Supreme Court? And how critical is this issue going to be in the fall?

KHANNA: Well, he did it with humor and decency, but he showed in a few lines just how out of touch the Supreme Court justices in their black robes have been on the court for decades are with modern American life. I mean, for them not to understand that women have the right to an abortion and that elected officials and politicians shouldn't be coming in the way of them and their doctors and that their decision actually has led to things like banning IVF in Alabama. They're just out of touch and I think that's what the president was highlighting.

ACOSTA: And how do you think the president handled the Israel-Hamas War in his address last night and should he have more forcefully called for a ceasefire? Should he be demanding a ceasefire right now?

KHANNA: Well, look, I've been outspoken that the president should call for a permanent ceasefire and release of all hostages and that we should stop transferring weapons to Israel that are being used to kill civilians while we don't have aid getting to people.

But I thought the president last night spoke with such empathy about the suffering in Gaza. It's the most empathy I have heard from him. He acknowledged that over 30,000 people have been killed. He acknowledge that 2 million who have displaced. He acknowledged that we need to do a much better job getting aid in and he said to Israel don't block the aid. So, I appreciate where the president has come on the issue.

ACOSTA: Do you think that's going to remain a political vulnerability for the president if he does not demand that permanent ceasefire that you just talked about a few moments ago?

KHANNA: Well, first, Jim, and it's a substantive issue. I mean, people are being killed there I know people in my district who have had generations of family members killed. I mean, it's such a horrific, heartbreaking issue.

So, I really, really hope that they will do everything possible to get for a ceasefire, at least through Ramadan, but I do think that this remains an issue for many young voters, progressive voters, young Jewish voters, Muslim American, Arab-American voters, voters of color, and that the president really has to try to get this war to end.

[10:10:06]

I've said that directly to him and his team, and I'm glad that he at least used the word, ceasefire, in the speech, and I think they've come a long way on the issue.

ACOSTA: And I have to ask you, I don't want to throw too much of a curveball at the control room, but some of the antics that we saw last night on the House floor, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene wearing the MAGA hat, there was another congressman wearing a T-shirt with Trump's mug shot on it that said, never surrender. What is going on during these State of the Union speeches? I mean, the House speaker, Mike Johnson, called on his members to not do this sort of stuff. Is it just totally out of control now? Now, you're on the House floor, you're witnessing all of this in real time. What's going on?

KHANNA: Well, it's sad that we can't have some civility and decorum, that people are hurling insults at the president of the United States from the House floor. Look, I sat through four State of the Unions that Donald Trump delivered. I never yelled insults at him. I never acted up. Neither did anyone in the House Democratic Caucus. And we had impeached him twice, but we still gave him the courtesy because he was the president of the United States, elected by the American people. And I just wish that, regardless of party, we could do that.

But I don't think that's going to reflect well on them. I think the American people expect in those situations that we rally around the president. That's not rallying around a Democrat. It's not rallying around Joe Biden. It's saying he is the leader of our country and we owe a respect to the office of the presidency.

ACOSTA: All right. Congressman Ro Khanna of California, thank you very much for your time this morning, we appreciate it.

KHANNA: Thank you, Jim.

ACOSTA: All right. In the meantime, immigration, as we were just talking about a few moments ago, provided some of the most fiery moments at the State of the Union. But will it be the issue that is a make-or-break a matter for the president come November? We'll talk about that next.

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[10:15:00]

ACOSTA: During a State of the Union address, President Biden faced numerous interruptions with Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene being the antagonist-in-chief.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: Laken Riley, an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal, that's right. But how many of thousands of people being killed by legals? To her parents, I say, my heart goes out to you having lost children myself. I understand.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Let's discuss more now with the Atlantic's Tom Nichols and CNN Political Commentator Maria Cardona, I should say.

Tom, thanks so much for being with us. I appreciate it. What did you make of that moment?

TOM NICHOLS, STAFF WRITER, THE ATLANTIC: And it's always unfortunate to have this kind of behavior at the State of the Union. I mean, it's in a way, it's kind of fun like the way the British prime minister's question time is.

ACOSTA: Right. That reminded me of what we saw last night. Yes, absolutely, when you see with the prime minister time in Great Britain, you're absolutely right.

NICHOLS: Right. But I think it's unseemly. The president's there to deliver an address. Sometimes it's a good address. Sometimes it's not great. Sometimes it's partisan. Sometimes it's uplifting. But it's not a conversation with some, you know, attention seekers in the Congress.

He's the guest of the House and should be treated that way. And instead it becomes this kind of, you know, look at me in my funny hat stuff that I think is just I think it's unfortunate. And I wish people wouldn't do it.

ACOSTA: Yes, I mean, but that's just sort of the state of affairs, right? I mean, this is happening at every State of the Union. It's sort of the way it goes.

And, Maria, you're here with me in studio. Let me talk to you about this. I mean, one of the moments that came up during that that piece of video when Marjorie Taylor Greene and the president were going back and forth, the president irked a lot of conservative or a lot of progressives, I should say, when he used the word illegal, when he was going back and forth with Marjorie Taylor Greene. What was your reaction to that?

MARIA CARDONA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: So, I kind of jumped as well when I heard that word, but when I went back to actually look at the back and forth, he was playing on what she had said. She had said illegal. He said, yes, illegal, but how many thousands are killed by legals?

So it was him defending the reputation --

ACOSTA: There's a lot of Latinos, a lot of folks in the community who want to be compassionate towards migrants. Say, hey, wait a minute, no human being is illegal. Why is he using that kind of work?

CARDONA: And you're absolutely right. And he knows that. And his team knows that. And I think the point for what we should all be focused on is what he said in the broader context. He talked about the border bill and really put it at the feet of Republicans about how they turned their back because they only wanted to weaponize it, but he also did something last night that made progressives very happy, which is he talked about the bill that he presented the very first day when he was president that had a comprehensive approach.

He talked about not just border security and strong and smart border security, which Democrats have always been for, but he talked about pathways to citizenship. Those words, pathways to citizenship, are key because I think all of this has been lost in our focus on just having border enforcement, which is critical.

But we know, Democrats know, the president knows, and the vast majority of Americans know and support that what actually solves this problem is to do both, smart border security as well as increased legal pathways so that migrants can come here and work and contribute the trillions of dollars they have to our economy.

[10:20:09]

ACOSTA: Yes. And, Tom, I mean, one of the interesting things that happened last night was this moment we talked about with Ro Khanna a few moments ago where he's talking about the immigration bill and they flash over to James Lankford, the Republican senator from Oklahoma, and he is mouthing the word, true, after the president rattled off all of agents and judges that would be part of the legislation.

It's kind of an incredible moment because it was Lankford who Republican leaders put in charge of that negotiating process and then he sort of got thrown under the bus on the whole thing.

NICHOLS: Yes. I mean, you can't blame Lankford for saying to himself after all that work and after the arrows and rocks that were thrown at him that what the president said was basically true, because that was the deal they had worked out.

And I thought it was important that President Biden called out his predecessor, as he kept calling him, for basically trying to wreck the ongoing business of the sitting House. But it a very interesting moment because Republicans were sitting on their hands and sort of, you know, doing the high school, eye-rolling and head-shaking, like they were having to get chewed out by their English teacher.

But for Lankford to sit there, you know, very attentively and then to nod and say that's true, I mean, that's an important moment because it affirmed to people who care about this stuff.

Most of the people in that chamber, they just don't care policy. They couldn't care less. What they're about is staying there and helping Donald Trump, who will then help them get through their primaries. But for people who care about this stuff, that's an important moment to have a Democratic president and a very conservative Republican senator basically on the same page about immigration at the State of the Union in front millions of people. ACOSTA: Tom, hold on. Hold on, are you saying that the congressman who was wearing the Never Surrender T-shirt doesn't care policy? I can't believe you would say such a thing.

NICHOLS: I don't want to judge, you know, too quickly from -- judge a book by its cover or congressman by his T-shirts but there is fundamental unseriousness there. Yes, that is what I'm saying and that's my suspicion (ph).

ACOSTA: Just discouraged. Yes, it is.

Maria, when he was done speaking the president was down on the floor and, you know, this is what President Biden loves to do, he's almost still a former member of Congress sometimes, I mean, the way he operates on these States of the Union. And he had this exchange with a couple of fellow Democrats. Let's listen to it, talk about it at the other side.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. HENRY CUELLAR (D-TX): You were on fire. You were on fire today.

REP. JERRY NADLER (D-NY): Nobody is going to talk about cognitive impairment now.

CUELLAR: You were on fire tonight.

BIDEN: I kind of wish sometimes there was cognitive impairment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: I mean, if there was an indication as to how the evening went for the president. I mean, even he was joking about this cognitive impairment issue. I mean, how much of this do you think was put to rest last night? Is it going to be a lingering subject, do you think, in the months that people have short-term memories next week, maybe, you know, Fox will be running you know a montage all day long doing it all over again, but what do you think?

CARDONA: Yes. Look, I hope it was put to rest, but it will be something that Republicans will continue to try to underscore because they had nothing last night. The president schooled them, took them to task, showed them that he is ready to fight, that he is not going to essentially be intimidated by them. It was the best of Joe Biden telling us that, he's going give us the best of America.

And that moment, I think for Republicans, they really didn't know how to react, which is why you're hearing this morning, the only criticism they have is that it was too political because they had nowhere to go on the whole issue of, oh, he has cognitive impairment, you know, look at his mouth. No, they saw who they're going to have to deal with. And I think that they are very concerned about that.

And I think it will continue to be put to rest because this is the beginning of Joe Biden continuing to show Americans who he is and how hard he's going to fight for us. And that is the beginning of the salvo of this campaign.

ACOSTA: And, Tom, I mean, let's talk about the Republican response a little bit. The senator, Katie Britt of Alabama, she has been considered kind of a rising star in the GOP right now. She gave the response to the State of The Union. Let's listen to some of that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. KATIE BRITT (R-AL): To think about what the American dream can do across just one generation, in just one lifetime, it's truly breathtaking.

The true, unvarnished state of our union begins and ends with this. Our families are hurting. Our country can and do better.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[10:25:00]

ACOSTA: Tom, what did you make of that and also the optics of where she was sitting and delivering that response? I mean, a lot of folks took note of that as well.

NICHOLS: Well, in the words, if I may paraphrase, President George W. Bush, that was some weird stuff, man. You know, the whole kitchen setting and kind of the very labored and breathy, you know, and quavering voice delivery. I mean, I've never seen -- I have to be honest here and say, that was my introduction to Senator Britt. I've never seen her. I have never heard her speak.

And I actually thought that the Republicans were going to put somebody out, you know, young, vital, trying to draw a parallel with Joe Biden. And that was kind of unnerving in a way, that whole business. And, yes, the kitchen locale, you know, I mean, it was a little too on the nose for a party that's had problems with women and reproductive rights and women's rights. The whole thing was a little creepy, I thought.

ACOSTA: All right. Well, Maria, Tom, we could go on and on, but we won't do that. But thanks very much for your time this morning. I really appreciate it.

CARDONA: Thanks so much.

NICHOLS: Thank you.

ACOSTA: Thanks, guys. All right, less than 24 hours after President Biden's warning about democracy, his predecessor, as he called last night, is hosting the prime minister of Hungary this morning down at Mar-a-Lago, a man criticized for rolling back rights, rolling back democracy in his own country. We'll talk about the importance, the significance of all that, next.

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