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Russians Headed to the Polls on Final Day of Voting; Navalnaya Calls for Defiance at the Polls Sunday; Trump Rallies in Ohio, Warns of "Bloodbath" if He Loses; Poll Finds Some Black Voters Shifting Towards Trump; Rift Appears to be Growing Between Biden and Netanyahu; DeSantis Enacts Tougher Laws on Undocumented Migrants; Vice President Courts Voters on Marijuana Reform. Aired 5-6a ET

Aired March 17, 2024 - 05:00   ET

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

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[05:01:08]

KIM BRUNHUBER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello and welcome to all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada, and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is "CNN Newsroom."

Russians are heading to the polls for the last day of voting in the country's presidential election. Meanwhile, we're standing by for possible demonstrations outside polling stations this hour.

Plus --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD TRUMP, U.S. REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Now, if I don't get elected, it's going to be a bloodbath for the whole, that's going to be the least of it. It's going to be a bloodbath for the country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The former president ratcheting up his rhetoric on the campaign trail. This is a new poll shows Biden's message that Trump is a threat to democracy isn't resonating with one key group.

And Haiti is in chaos as gang violence wreaks havoc on the island nation. Look at how the State Department is coordinating evacuation flights for U.S. citizens trapped there.

ANNOUNCER: Live from Atlanta, this is "CNN Newsroom" with Kim Brunhuber.

BRUNHUBER: Russia says more than 60% of its voters have already cast their ballots in a presidential election that's in its third and final day. Now, the outcome is expected to be a landslide victory for President Vladimir Putin. He faces no real challenger, partly because many opposition leaders are dead, jailed, exiled, or banned from running. But some average Russians are still fighting back. Prosecutors have opened 15 cases against people who reportedly staged small acts of protest at polling stations. But as Russians vote, the defense ministry says three dozen Ukrainian drones were launched against the country overnight. Moscow says two people are dead, and this refinery in southwestern Russia caught fire.

Meanwhile, we're waiting for more possible pushback against the Kremlin at polling stations. Yuliya Navalnaya, the widow of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, urged voters to show up in droves at noon, which is the current time in Moscow. She asked them to do anything they want with their ballots, except vote for Putin. Now, she's hoping the optics would send a message of defiance to the Kremlin.

I want to go now to London, where Clare Sebastian is standing by. So, Clare, these acts of defiance, I guess, were slated to start now, so it may be too soon to know what exactly is happening. But take us through what we have seen so far and how it's sort of challenging the narrative that Putin wants to create.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, Kim, it is now, as you say, noon in Moscow. The Navalny team has been running a live stream and monitoring events in the more eastern regions of Russia, where they have already passed noon. And so far, what we've seen, I don't think you could classify necessarily as actual demonstrations, people simply lining up outside polling booths, which, in a sense, is what Yuliya Navalnaya asked them to do.

And obviously, we don't know for sure what everyone put on their ballots, but we are, of course, monitoring the situation in Moscow. More significant so far, though, have been these acts of defiance that we've seen at polling stations. Some 29 polling stations have been affected, around 200 or so ballot boxes destroyed.

We've seen incidents of people pouring green dye into ballot boxes, other cases of alleged arson, where fires have been started in polling stations. This does reflect, I think, although it is a relatively small number, of course, in a country of 140 million people, that undercurrent of frustration, of dissatisfaction with the Putin regime that we saw in the lead-up to this election, with support for an anti- war candidate who was withdrawn from the ballot, and the sort of outpouring that we saw in the attendance at Alexei Navalny's funeral just a few weeks ago.

So we are seeing elements of this. You have to remember that in Russia, the climate of repression has been increasing, even in recent months. Certainly we've seen an uptick since the start of the war. There are serious legal consequences for protests. Most protests are illegal without pre-agreement from the authorities, and certainly they don't have that here.

[05:05:11]

So this is the situation that we're dealing with, but of course we are monitoring what will be happening at polling stations now that we're in the Moscow time zone when it comes to that noon call to action. BRUNHUBER: All right, we'll keep monitoring that, as you say. In the meantime, Ukraine's reaction to what they're calling the pseudo- elections, what are they saying?

SEBASTIAN: Yes, so Ukraine is urging residents of the regions of its country that are occupied by Russia not to take part in these elections, calling them illegal, saying that anyone seen to be helping will be seen as collaborating and could face consequences.

The real fear is that this is what we've seen Russia do when it occupies a territory. We have a template for that with Crimea, where holding elections, getting people to take Russian passports, bringing in Russian institutions, that turns what should be a temporary occupation, certainly in the eyes of Ukraine, into something more permanent and irreversible and allows Russia to consolidate its power in those regions. So Ukraine is trying to get the message to its people not to be part of this.

And of course, we are also seeing in the lead up to these elections an increase of Russian -- of Ukrainian or alleged Ukrainian attacks inside Russian soil. We've seen, as you say, some three dozen drones. Russia says that Ukraine fired at it overnight. There's been another attack on an oil refinery. We've seen a spate of attacks on oil refineries in recent weeks as Ukraine tries to bring the war home, both to the sort of the military element of this.

We know Russia makes most of its money, of course, from its oil and gas, but also to civilian life as well and getting the message to the Russian people that this war is not something that they are insulated from as they go to vote in these elections, Kim.

BRUNHUBER: All right, I appreciate that, Clare Sebastian, thank you so much.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump is on the campaign trail after securing the Republican Party's presidential nomination. He was in Ohio on Saturday, days before the state's primary on Tuesday. He once again repeated his promise to free those charged with crimes related to the January 6, 2021 attacks on the U.S. Capitol, even referring to them as hostages. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRUMP: And you see the spirit from the hostages, and that's what they are: hostages. They've been treated terribly and very unfairly, and you know that, and everybody knows that. And we're going to be working on that soon. The first day we get into office, we're going to save our country, and we're going to work with the people to treat those unbelievable patriots, and they were unbelievable patriots.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: Trump also repeated false claims that President Biden is behind his legal problems, and once again praised Hungary's authoritarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, but he didn't discuss his former vice president, Mike Pence, who said on Friday that he cannot in good conscience endorse his former boss.

Now, at that Ohio rally, Trump also made a shocking comment about the possible consequences if he loses in November. CNN's Alayna Treene has details.

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ALAYNA TREENE, CNN POLITICAL REPORTER: Well, former President Donald Trump gave his first formal speech here in Ohio after he secured enough delegates earlier in the week to effectively declare him the Republican presidential nominee. But look, Donald Trump's visit to Ohio was not necessarily to boost his own candidacy. Both Donald Trump and his team believe that he will do very well in this state in November.

Instead, he was here to boost his endorsed candidate for the Ohio Senate primary, and that's businessman Bernie Moreno. Moreno is locked in a messy, contested three-way primary, and Donald Trump really came to the state in the hopes of giving him that last-minute boost and more support ahead of that race on Tuesday. But even though Donald Trump was here to talk about the Ohio Senate primary, much of his speech focused on the general election.

He attacked Joe Biden and blamed him for what he argued were the many charges that he is facing. And he also offered a new line that I have yet to hear yet on the campaign trail. And that is essentially that he argued if he were to not win re-election in November, that there would be a bloodbath in this country. Take a listen to how he put it.

TRUMP: We're going to put a 100% tariff on every single car that comes across the line, and you're not going to be able to sell those cars. If I get elected -- now, if I don't get elected, it's going to be a bloodbath for the whole -- that's going to be the least of it. It's going to be a bloodbath for the country. That'll be the least of it.

TREENE: Now, those comments came as Donald Trump once again argued that he wanted to free those imprisoned for their role on January 6. He referred to those convicted as hostages, a more favorable term that we've heard him use time and again on the campaign trail. And he argued that it was a day-one priority for him if he were to reclaim the White House in November.

Alayna Treene, CNN, Vandalia, Ohio.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

[05:10:07]

BRUNHUBER: Now, the Trump campaign later sought to clarify his comments, saying he was specifically talking about an economic bloodbath for the auto industry and auto workers when he said there would be a bloodbath if he loses. But President Biden's campaign was already slamming Trump's comment.

In a statement, Biden's campaign spokesperson said Trump, quote, "wants another January 6, but the American people are going to give him another electoral defeat this November because they continue to reject his extremism, his affection for violence, and his thirst for revenge."

Meanwhile, President Biden is courting African American voters, an important Democratic voting base. He recently spoke to the Black Information Network, and that interview will be coming out in the coming hours.

Now, it comes as a recent New York Times Siena College poll found that 66% of black voters are leaning towards Biden compared to 23% for Trump. That's a nearly 20% decrease for Biden from 2020 and a near doubling for Trump. A recent Reuters IPSOS poll found that 37% of black voters say they are voting to stop Trump versus 65% of white voters.

All right, joining me now is Clifford Albright, co-Founder and Executive Director of Black Votes Matter. Thank you so much for being here with us.

So, listen, you can argue with individual polls, but it's hard to question the trend. And that seems to suggest President Biden is bleeding support from the African American community.

Now, it's more noticeable with black men particularly, but it is overall as well. What do you think is behind it?

CLIFFORD ALBRIGHT, CO-FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BLACK VOTES MATTER: Yeah, good morning, thanks for having me. I think, you know, as you said, you know, different polls say different things. You know, there's other polls that are showing, including one that Cornell Belcher recently did that says that, that percentage of those black voters looking to support Trump is closer to 11 or 12%.

You know, when we talk about the trends, though, the reality is that at about this point in the election cycle in 2020, Joe Biden's approval ratings or favorability ratings in the black community at that time were close to around 76%.

And so he's really at about where he was in 2020. With that said, obviously, you've got, you know, a lot of stories and some anecdotes about black men in particular that are leaning towards Trump. But I just got to say it just doesn't match what we're seeing in the community when we're out doing our work. It's not matching what we're seeing or hearing, and it's not matching the way that black men or black voters in general have been voting in recent election cycles when you look at Georgia or Kentucky or even Ohio in the abortion referendum.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah. Some of the arguments that have been made are that it might not necessarily be that they, you know, they have a lot of passion for Biden and they might not come out. But then, you know, we're seeing something else. And that's a significant number of people who've said in recent polls that they would actually vote for Trump, you know, 13%, 17% around those numbers, depending on the poll, which is obviously a lot higher than the 8% he got in 2020. So that means that since then, black voters have looked at Trump, listened to his message and says, yeah, you know, he's -- he's the man for me, despite the many statements he's made that have been widely described as racist against black people.

ALBRIGHT: Yeah, I mean, again, you know, it just doesn't match what we're seeing and hearing. I think that there's a difference between, you know, as you say, people saying at this point, eight months out. Oh, yeah, I'm thinking about voting for Trump, right? Or even saying that in a poll and the way that we actually vote, you know, it is not all that unlikely or unfamiliar that there are people that will say that they're thinking about voting for Trump.

But we just don't come out and you can do that. We heard the same thing in Georgia with the 22 Senate race where everybody thought that black men were going to swarm over to vote for Herschel Walker because he is such a popular football hero in Georgia. And it just didn't happen. You know, I think it's interesting in recent polls, the specter of Trump is not enough to get black voters to vote for Biden. That's clearly not enough.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah.

ALBRIGHT: You know, saving democracy is not enough when we feel like we've never had democracy. But if you look at the same poll, what you see is that black voters are more likely to say that they support President Biden because of his policies as opposed to the specter of Trump.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, I'm curious about that, because, you know, that remains a cornerstone of President Biden's messaging is that, you know, Trump poses this threat to democracy. And, you know, he hammers that again and again. So polls have showed that, you know, especially with African-American voters, that doesn't seem to resonate. You seem to suggest it's because, you know, black people think that democracy was flawed anyway. Is that it?

[05:15:04]

ALBRIGHT: Yeah. I mean, the threat of Trump, I mean, two things. One, because of our experience with this democracy has been that it has always been flawed. So that's part of it.

The other part is that people, you know, black voters in particular saying, you know, we've been through that. We've heard that before. We know that he was bad and all that. But a lot of stuff that he tried to do this last term was stopped.

I'm not saying that the second term would be the same way by any means, but that's what a lot of black folks, you know, feel like. But what we are more concerned about is the president's policies. And so, so far, the messaging has largely been about Trump and his threats to democracy.

But I think that if you look at some of the more recent materials, especially after the State of the Union, where President Biden and his campaign are starting to focus more on those policies, focus more on all these infrastructure projects that Republicans have tried to take credit for, and now doing the same thing that Trump did, which is basically putting his face and name on some of those projects, you know, I think some of the policies are now about to get more messaging. And as you see that happening, then you'll start to see some of the -- some of the favorability and some of the polling starting to shift. But that process is only just now getting started.

BRUNHUBER: All right. So what I'm taking from this so far is that, you know, polls are kind of an illusion. They don't match what's happening on the ground. But, you know, we're seeing from the actual votes from year to year, we have seen a drift from the Democratic Party, I mean, not just with African-Americans, with Latino voters as well.

Could it be that this represents a more general trend, that it's -- it's not actually President Biden, that racial minorities in America are just slowly voting more and more like other racial groups?

ALBRIGHT: Yeah, you know, there was a research that was put out over the past week or so that said that there's this realignment taking place that non-white voters are voting increasingly Republican over the past 20, 30 years. The reality is, I think you just hit on it, right? As you look at the, quote unquote, "non-white voters of color," what's happened more so than Black voters shifting is that the composition of the non-white electorate has changed, where you have more Latino voters and some AAPI, Asian-American voters.

But the composition of what that electorate looks like has shifted, and Latino voters are less likely to vote heavily Democratic as Black. So it hasn't been so much that Black voters have been shifting, it's been that there's been a shift in the composition of non-whites. But as you said, Latino voters and Asian-American voters have always voted at a lower percentage than Black voters for Democratic Party, not at 90%, but maybe it's like 75% or 70%.

And so that shift is changing the total numbers. But if you look at it over the past 30 years, the Black vote has really been remarkably consistent, always somewhere between 88% and, of course, the Obama highs of like 96%.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Well, we will see whether you're right in eight months or so. Clifford Albright, thank you so much for being with us. Really appreciate it.

ALBRIGHT: Thank you.

BRUNHUBER: All right. Turning now to the state of New Jersey, which saw an hours-long armed standoff Saturday with the suspect in a triple homicide case. 26-year-old Andre Gordon was apprehended not far from a home that authorities thought he was barricaded inside. He's alleged to have killed three women Saturday morning in Pennsylvania, just north of Philadelphia.

Police claim he killed his stepmother and sister before driving to another home, where he allegedly shot and killed the mother of his two children. Authorities say he then carjacked a vehicle and fled.

A manhunt this weekend for a man accused of shooting and killing a police officer in New Mexico. Jeremy Smith is accused of shooting the officer who stopped to help him with a flat tire. State police consider him armed and dangerous.

Investigators say Smith was driving this woman's car during the New Mexico incident. She's paramedic Phonesia Machado Fore of South Carolina, and she was found dead on Friday.

Police in Indianapolis, Indiana, have arrested a man. They say he opened fire in a nightclub early Saturday morning. One person was killed and five others wounded. According to the gun violence archive, the Indianapolis incident is one of 77 mass shootings that have happened here in the U.S. in the first three months of 2024.

There are new signs this weekend of a growing rift between U.S. President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Also ahead, what Biden is saying about a speech by the Senate's top Democrat calling for new elections in Israel.

Plus --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 200 tons of food delivered here in northern Gaza. It's going to go up to Gaza City, not tonight. It's pretty late, but soon.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The World Central Kitchen is unloading food aid in Gaza. Meanwhile, another country has joined the effort to airdrop supplies. That's ahead.

[05:20:00]

And CNN is on the ground in Haiti, where gang violence is spreading into more neighborhoods in the capital.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BRUNHUBER: You see, there are protesters in Israel clashing with police while calling for new elections. Police made several arrests in the towns of Caesarea where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has a private

residence. Thousands rallied in the town angry about the government's handling of the hostage situation in Gaza.

In Tel Aviv, thousands more protested Netanyahu's government. Protesters called for the government to make a deal with Hamas to get the hostages home.

In Jerusalem, some protesters played music in the streets as they demanded more be done to free the hostages.

Meanwhile, cease fire and hostage release talks are expected to resume on Monday in Qatar. Now, this comes amid frayed relations between President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

On Friday, Biden embraced Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer's speech calling for a new election in Israel. Later, the White House attempted to clarify those comments but refused to say whether Biden believes Netanyahu should resign. Listen to this.

[05:25:03]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Does President Biden want to see new elections in Israel and for Prime Minister Netanyahu no longer remain in power?

JOHN KIRBY, WHITE HOUSE NATIONAL SECURITY COMMUNICATIONS ADVISER: That's going to be it for the Israeli people to decide. The President spoke about the passion in which Leader Schumer made that speech and the President said that he knows that those remarks, they resonate with many Americans out there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: The U.S. is one of several countries airdropping aid to Gaza. The German air force says it dropped four tons of humanitarian aid on Saturday. The United States and Jordan conducted airdrops on Friday and Saturday.

The U.S. Central Command says an American aircraft delivered rice, flour, milk, pasta, and canned food provided by Jordan.

Journalist Elliott Gotkine joins me now live from London. So, first, Elliott, more aid getting into Gaza but still nowhere near enough. What's the latest?

ELLIOTT GOTKINE, JOURNALIST: That's right, Kim. We've seen, as you say, airdrops from the U.S. again in conjunction with the Jordanian air force, now the Germans as well. But the simple fact is that even though there's also a ship that's made it to Gaza with some 200 tons worth of aid, which is due to be distributed as well, the most efficient way of getting aid into the Gaza Strip is over land.

And even, you know, by the Israelis' own calculations, they say that over the past three weeks, more than 150 aid trucks have made it to northern Gaza. But overall, if you remember before October the 7th, there was something like 500 trucks going into the Gaza Strip on a daily basis, and that was before there was a humanitarian crisis, before there was famine-affecting -- or potential famine-affecting large swathes of the Gaza Strip, and before a lot of the Gaza Strip was in the state that it's in now following all these months of war. So more aid is required to go in there.

And although these airdrops and even ships are helping, they are still, relatively speaking, a drop in the ocean compared with what is actually needed. And as part of these truce talks that are due to resume this week, there is going to be, you know, the hope that more aid will be able to go into the Gaza Strip if that truce comes about, Kim. BRUNHUBER: OK, well, let's turn there, then. These hostages and ceasefire talks, as you say, expected to resume on Monday. So take us through where things stand right now and what we're expecting.

GOTKINE: So right now, where things stand is that there is an Israeli war cabinet meeting due to take place at 10 a.m. Eastern time. About 90 minutes later, a full cabinet meeting where they're going to decide upon the position that Israel is going to take at these truce negotiations, which are due to resume this week in Doha in Qatar. And it's David Barnea, the Head of Israel's Foreign Intelligence Service, the Mossad, who, again, will be Israel's point person there. He'll be joined by top Egyptian officials. The Qatari Prime Minister is expected to be a part of these negotiations as well.

We did reach out to Hamas to understand if they were going to be there, obviously not in the same room as the Israelis, because they speak to one another through the Qataris and the Egyptians, but they couldn't give us a straight answer. It's unclear if Hamas will be there, too. Kim.

BRUNHUBER: Interesting. All right, Elliott Gotkine in London. Thank you so much.

Haiti is facing a growing humanitarian crisis as gang violence ramps up, but the U.N. has found a way to get some aid into the country. We'll have the latest just ahead.

Plus, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis taking matters into his own hands as he prepares his state for a possible influx of Haitian refugees. We'll have more on that ahead. Please stay with us.

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[05:31:47]

BRUNHUBER: We'll come back. To all of you watching us here in the United States, Canada and around the world. I'm Kim Brunhuber. This is "CNN Newsroom."

A humanitarian tragedy is gripping Haiti where violence is widespread in the streets as a gang uprising limits access in and out of the country. Sources tell CNN the first flights of a U.N. air bridge between Haiti and the Dominican Republic have been completed. It will help bring much needed humanitarian aid into Haiti as people struggle to find food and supplies.

Meanwhile, police say several bandits were killed during an operation in Delmas on Friday. Police seized firearms and unblocked roads in the lower Delmas neighborhood. Authorities say they're hoping to take back some areas held by armed gangs.

CNN's David Culver is on the ground in Haiti's capital. He explains how people are trying to stay safe as gangs expand their control.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE) DAVID CULVER, CNN SENIOR U.S. NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Neighbors protecting neighbors. That's essentially what this has become here in Port-au-Prince, just to survive. And this is one community that we're in that feels rather safe. And that's just because several blocks out, you've got perimeter after perimeter that is set up by the community and works with the police. So the police essentially allow the community to do what they need to do to set up these blocks at entries and exits. And the community in turn helps empower the police so that they can then do their patrols.

But for many of them, it's about setting these up to block what is not far from here. And that is an expanding gang territory, one that has been trying to encroach on this community in particular many times over the past year or so. And it got to a point where community members, according to one police commander, had to take justice into their own hands.

And they were able to take into custody 14 suspected gang members. They then executed those gang members right in the middle of the street. It was a very public display, but for them it was to send a message to other gang members to keep out of their community.

It hasn't stopped the gangs from trying to push further and further in. But for the folks who live here, they say everyday life has gotten increasingly difficult. We see a few street vendors, but not many.

When we were here three weeks ago, many of the sidewalks were filled with street vendors. Folks now simply don't have things to sell. And so they've resorted to trying to secure as best as possible, using the police's help, some of the supply lines, trying to bring water and food into areas like this.

I asked some of the community members, how is it that they're able to stay afloat? And he said, we rely on each other. Essentially, they will have some of these community members go door to door, collecting food, maybe some money, some water, and then that provides some substance for the folks who are securing these communities.

If you ask who's in charge, they look around and they say no one. That's why they've taken matters into their own hands. If you ask what do you need, what can help Haiti in this moment, the first thing that most folks have told us is for the international community to not intervene in the way they have in the past. Instead, they want help in the form of aid.

[05:35:08]

They also say that they need some sort of security backup. What that looks like, they didn't really articulate. Folks really didn't want to go into too much detail in trying to explain what that added security might come in the form of. But for most here, it's just about trying to figure out how to get to tomorrow and knowing that tonight could bring another round of violence. David Culver, CNN, Port-au-Prince Haiti.

(END VIDEOTAPE) BRUNHUBER: So as the unrest continues in Haiti, concerns are growing in Florida about a possible influx of Haitian refugees. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis says the federal government isn't doing enough to prevent that from happening and he's acting on his own. CNN's Rafael Romo has the latest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAFAEL ROMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Governor Ron DeSantis announced Friday that he's boosting law enforcement in Florida by increasing the number of officers and agents. The goal is helping federal officials deal with a potential increase in the number of migrants trying to get to the United States through Florida as the unrest continues to grow in Haiti. DeSantis said he's beefing up agencies like the Florida Department of Law Enforcement as well as Fish and Wildlife.

According to the governor, as part of this new directive, he has increased the National Guard by 48 guardsmen, the Florida State Guard by up to 133 soldiers and the Florida Highway Patrol by 30 additional officers in addition to equipment and aircraft like four more helicopters to be used by the National Guard. DeSantis specifically referred to the crisis in Haiti and the potential for a new wave of migrants from the Caribbean nation trying to get to Florida by boat. This is part of what he had to say.

GOV. RON DESANTIS (R-FL): What we decided to do, given the situation that's happening in Haiti, some brutal reports that are happening, we want to make sure that we're protecting Floridians. And so we have authorized additional officers with the relevant agencies, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Florida Fish and Wildlife.

ROMO: Also on Friday, DeSantis signed three new bills into law, including one that increases maximum sentences for people driving illegally without a license in the state. Another one that enhances penalties for a crime committed by an individual who returns to the country after deportation. The third one says that Florida will not recognize IDs issued to undocumented migrants elsewhere.

DeSantis also said that since he declared a state of emergency over migrant entries in January 2023, Florida law enforcement agencies have intercepted 670 vessels carrying over 13,500 undocumented migrants.

Once again, DeSantis criticized the federal government for not doing enough, he said, to secure the border and says states have been left to fend for themselves.

Last month, the White House blamed House Republicans for rejecting a bipartisan bill that it said contained, quote, the toughest and fairest reforms to secure the border we have had in decades.

Rafael Romo, CNN Atlanta.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BRUNHUBER: All right, coming up, if there's one thing that the majority of Republicans and Democrats can agree on, it's that weed should be legal in the U.S. What the White House is doing to make it happen. That's coming up next. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:41:32]

BRUNHUBER: The Biden administration is hoping to rally voters with an issue that's become very popular across the political spectrum, marijuana reform. Right now, cannabis is listed as a schedule 1 controlled substance. Meaning the U.S. government says it has no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. The Biden administration is reviewing that classification right now.

On Friday, Vice President Kamala Harris held a roundtable discussion on the issue. She was joined by musicians, U.S. officials, and people who have received pardons for marijuana convictions. Harris told them what she thinks about how the federal government treats the drug and its users. Here she is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAMALA HARRIS, U.S. VICE PRESIDENT: This issue is stark when one considers the fact that on the schedule currently, marijuana is considered as dangerous as heroin. Marijuana is considered as dangerous as heroin. And more dangerous than fentanyl, which is absurd, not to mention patently unfair.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BRUNHUBER: In recent years, American support for legal marijuana has skyrocketed. According to a Gallup survey, 70% of U.S. adults say the use of marijuana should be legal. And that's the highest figure yet. That same poll found that 17% of Americans in 2023 reported that they currently smoke marijuana.

Patrick Nightingale is a criminal defense attorney who specializes in the rights of people who consume cannabis. And he joins me now from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Thank you so much for being here with us. So, clearly, from what we're seeing, this latest roundtable, the President's comments during his State of the Union, the Biden administration's hoping to capitalize on the relative popularity of marijuana reform as an election issue. They like to tout their achievements, I guess, going into the election. So how far has the Biden administration gone on this issue?

PATRICK NIGHTINGALE, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, good morning, and thank you very much for having me on, on this St. Patrick's Day. I would say that the Biden administration's position on legalization right now would be very welcome had it come a decade ago. I think that we're really dealing with, you know, half steps, half measures by calling for rescheduling to Schedule 3, as opposed to complete de- scheduling and allowing states to set their own cannabis policies.

And, you know, certainly the President's position relative to pardons for individuals who have simple possessions -- simple federal possession convictions for cannabis is welcome. But practically speaking, the vast majority of possession convictions are at the state level. So while I'd certainly welcome the administration's, you know, change in position, I would submit that, you know, we need the President to go further.

If this is something that he wants to have motivate young voters and motivate voters in general to turn out and support his reelection campaign.

BRUNHUBER: And to that, do you think it will actually motivate Americans? And you highlighted, especially the younger ones to actually come out and vote for Democrats?

NIGHTINGALE: You know, right now, if all the president is offering is rescheduling to Schedule 3, I don't know that that's really going to resonate with younger voters. I think that younger voters want to hear a more stronger message from the administration, a more firm commitment to de-scheduling, to allowing states to set their own policies.

[05:45:02]

And, you know, to be completely honest with you, I'm somewhat surprised and have been for years that this isn't an issue that conservatives and Republicans try to steal from Democrats.

Because to me, cannabis reform and legalization is something that should appeal to conservatives and does appeal to conservative voters. Maybe not so much conservative politicians, because it calls for individual liberty, individual responsibility, business development and limiting government interference in people's day to day lives. But heretofore, it has remained an issue that seems to be on the left side of the political spectrum.

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, it is -- it is strange. I mean, we have the map showing, you know, how many states have legalized marijuana, including swing state Ohio next door to you, right? But many American states, as you say, continue to block what seems to be really popular with a plurality of voters, which is some form of legalization. I mean, can you explain it?

NIGHTINGALE: Yeah, it seems to come down to at least here in Pennsylvania, you have Republican leadership. You know, we have Republicans who control the Pennsylvania Senate, you know, saying, well, you know, we're in the midst of an opioid crisis. We don't want to add another drug. Some shamelessly resort to -- to the gateway myth or the gateway drug myth, saying if we legalize marijuana, then we're going to exacerbate the opioid crisis.

And it really just doesn't hold water anymore. And I think that Republican legislators are coming around more and more as they realize this is not a political liability. And they hear from their constituents that say this doesn't make sense. We would like to see the jobs in our neighborhoods and our communities that are being created by this -- by this growing industry. And why should anyone face a law enforcement encounter over something that is now legal for two, three hundred million Americans for either adult use or medical purposes?

BRUNHUBER: Yeah, that's exactly it, because, you know, not only there's the side of making it easier for people to consume and, you know, presumably to enjoy, but also on the other side of it, the cost of it to society and to people who have -- to have those encounters with -- with the law enforcement. We'll have to leave it there. Patrick Nightingale, thank you so much for being here with us. Really appreciate it.

NIGHTINGALE: Thank you very much and have a wonderful morning. Take care.

BRUNHUBER: Still ahead here on "CNN Newsroom," the Windy City assisted one major league soccer team on Saturday. CNN Sports' Coy Wire joins me next to break down this unbelievable goal. Stay with us.

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BRUNHUBER: March Madness is about hit in full swing in just about 12 hours. The 68 team fields for both the men's and women's NCAA tournament bracket will be revealed. And I'm going to reveal CNN Sports Coy Wire right now.

So, Coy, I mean, it hasn't even started already. We have some surprises before Selection Sunday, right?

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS: Unbelievable, Kim. Forget reality TV if you are looking for high drama, look no further than college hoops. And when it comes to the NCAA tournament, you got to be in it to win it, right? And NC State defies all odds to make it to the big dance. The Wolfpack went into their conference tournament as the 10th seed out of 15 teams and likely needed to run the table to get in.

But it never struck midnight for these Cinderella's capping off their fifth win in five nights by knocking off North Carolina. That's the fourth ranked team in the country, 84-76 for their first ACC title since 1987. The Wolfpack also grabbing an automatic NCAA bid. Senior guard DJ Horne, who led the way with 29 points, gets emotional talking about the moment.

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DJ HORNE, NC STATE GUARD: I love my brothers. I couldn't play in the first game because I was hurt. And they got it done for me and gave me the opportunity to make this happen. And I wouldn't be here right now, man, if it wasn't for them, man. So I just want to say, man, shout out Wolfpack Nation, man. The job not done. And like I said from the jump, man, why not us?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WIRE: How about number one, Houston? Dominating the Big 12 conference all season long. But Iowa State spoiling the Cougars' first trip to the conference tournament. The Cyclones scoring early and often. They were up by 32 at one point in the second half. Cruising to an impressive 69-41 win.

The 28-point victory margin is the largest over a number one since the 1968 Final Four when UCLA won by 32 over by, you guessed it, the Cougars. Despite the loss, Houston is still one of the betting favorites to be the number one overall seed in the NCAA tournament.

The Wisconsin Badgers are one win away from punching their ticket. But they had to put in some overtime against third-ranked Purdue to reach the Big 10 title game.

Chucky Hepburn coming up clutch at the end of regulation with a layup at the buzzer to force the extra period. Then with time running down in OT, Hepburn gets the ball to Max Klesmit. He drives, hits the floater, but still some time for Purdue. Lance Jones puts up the desperation three, but his prayers are unanswered. Wisconsin pulling off the upset 76-75. Badgers will take on Illinois in the title game later this afternoon.

Warriors in LA. Steph Curry back after being out with injury, facing LeBron and the Lakers. Tight game all night. Curry, team-high 31 points, putting on a show for J Lo and Ben. But LeBron says not so fast, my friends. LeBron tying his season high, going for 40 points. Wasn't enough, though. Warriors win 128-121 in a battle between these two teams currently sitting in the Final Two playoff playing spots in the West.

How about tennis legend Novak Djokovic there getting a jersey from Curry. Curry getting a tennis racket from Joker.

Finally, stop what you're doing and watch this. One of the most jaw- dropping goals you'll see in stoppage time. Chicago Fire FC's Kellyn Acosta from midfield trying to break a 3-3 tie. And he gets his team its first win of the year. It's his first goal with the team.

[05:55:05]

Well, give the assist to Mother Nature on this one. The wind helping to float the shot right over and off the hands of FC Montreal keeper Jonathan Sirois. He couldn't stop the momentum. Ball ends up in the back of the net. And Kim, they don't call Windy City for nothing Chicago there.

Kellyn Acosta, the Chicago Fire, they scored in the 84th, 95th and 99th minute there to get that win. Hard earned.

BRUNHUBER: Pauvre Montreal. Shaking my head. All right, Coy Wire, thanks so much. Appreciate it.

WIRE: You too.

BRUNHUBER: Well, St. Patrick's Day celebrations in New York City and Chicago left the two cities seeing green. Have a look here.

In the Big Apple, large crowds lined the streets decked in green Saturdays, marching bands performed. Politicians walked the parade route to celebrate Irish heritage. Along with New York City Fire and Police.

And in Chicago, the Windy City's world-renowned St. Patrick's Day event drew thousands of spectators from across the globe. With the Chicago River glowing emerald green as you can see there. It's a tradition that goes back nearly 70 years. Courtesy of the City's plumbers union dying the river green each year.

All right, before we go on the St. Patrick's Day, we want to remind our viewers who celebrate the occasion. Patrick is often shortened to the anglicized pat or going back to those Irish roots. Paddy, P-A-D-D- Y -- Patty, P-A-T-T-Y is never to be heard. So in Ireland and elsewhere, the holiday is St. Patrick's Day, Patty's Day or nothing. We thought this was very important to remind you here on St. Patrick's Day.

All right that reminds -- that's wraps us to our "CNN Newsroom." I'm Kim Brunhuber. For viewers in North America, "CNN This Morning" is next. For the rest of the world, it's "Decoded."

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