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CNN International: Slovakia PM Fighting For His Life After Assassination Attempt; Russia Claims More Advances In Kharkiv Region; Biden & Trump To Face Off In CNN Debate On June 27; Democrats Face Difficult Senate Map In November; Despite Arms Embargo, Guns Keep Flowing Into Haiti. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired May 15, 2024 - 15:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[15:00:40]
JIM SCIUTTO, CNN INTERNATIONAL HOST: It's 8:00 p.m. in London, 9:00 p.m. in Slovakia, 10:00 p.m. in Kharkiv, Ukraine, 3:00 p.m. here in Washington.
I'm Jim Sciutto. Thanks so much for joining me today on CNN NEWSROOM. And let's get right to the news.
We are following political developments here in the U.S. as President Biden and former President Trump have agreed today to debate each other twice with the first presidential debate of this season on CNN next month.
We do begin, however, with breaking news out of Slovakia, where the Prime Minister Robert Fico seen here is still fighting for his life following what authorities there say was a politically motivated assassination attempt.
That video you saw there showed the moment security personnel help the prime minister to a car, later taking him to the hospital. The assailant, we are told, shot him multiple times following a government meeting in Handlova, two hours east to the capital, Bratislava. President Biden and many European politicians have now condemned the attack. Slovakia's president called it, quote, at attack on democracy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ZUZANA CAPUTOVA, PRESIDENT OF SLOVAKIA (through translator): I am shocked. We are all shocked by the terrible and malicious attack on Prime Minister Robert Fico. Something serious has happened we can't even realize yet, a physical attack on the prime minister is primarily an attack on a person, but it also an attack on democracy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: CNN's international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson joins me now.
Nic, you have been following this. From the moment we learned about it, it does sound like based on official statements, he's still on the operating table and still fighting for his life. NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It's a very dire
situation and outlook for the prime minister at the moment, there were five shots, so we've looked at the video where you can see the prime minister coming out of that meeting in a building, walking up to a small metal security barrier, his known for going out and meeting his supporters. He's loved by many of the electorate, hated by others, is quite a divisive politician, but there he was walking up to the security barrier about to shake hands with a group of ladies who were waiting to talk to him there.
And you see the gunman pull out a handgun and government officials are saying he was shot five times. He literally reels over backwards. Before his security team could pick him up.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (voice-over): Pulled from the ground, unable to walk, manhandled by bodyguards into a car, the Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico moments after he was shot multiple times in an assassination attempt on Wednesday. Meters away, the alleged shooter immediately pounced on by the police, pinned down and arrested.
Fico was initially rushed to a local hospital where a spokesperson said he was conscious his life functions stabilize before being rushed by helicopter to another hospital about 30 kilometers away for higher level care. Fico's office says he is now in a life-threatening condition, warning that the hours after the attack would be decisive.
The shooting occurred after a government meeting in Handlova, two hours drive from the capital.
This eyewitness says she was there to meet the prime minister, detailing there were no police checks for those waiting to shake his hand. But first, she thought someone had set off firecrackers.
LUBICA VOLKOVA, EYEWITNESS (through translator): I heard three shots. It was quick, one by one. Like if you throw a firecracker on the ground, I saw scratch on his head and then he fell next to the barrier.
ROBERTSON: But on the reality, however, more than a scratch on his head quickly sinking in.
Sirens continued to pierce through the afternoon when the president of the country declaring a terrible malicious attack.
CAPUTOVA (through translator): A physical attack on the prime minister is primarily an attack on a person, but it is also an attack on democracy.
ROBERTSON: As the country waits for more news, they'll reflect on a man known as a divisive political figure.
[15:05:03]
Fico, a populist who is anti-immigration, anti-Islam and pro-Putin and Russia had a political comeback last year, winning the election as prime minister for a third time, despite long-running corruption allegations. He was forced to resign during his second term amidst mass protests over the murder of an investigative journalist, back in 2018. As much hated as he is loved, he will have had no shortage lets potential enemies.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROBERTSON (on camera): So despite the fact that police have now had the suspect, gunman in custody for a number of hours, about five hours now, there are no details about who this person was that are being released publicly, but I think it was very telling, Jim, that the two people well, but gave the press conference at the hospital where the prime minister has been being treated were the defense minister and interior minister, and their appeals for calm really speak to the divisive nature of politics, the divided nature of the country and genuine concerns and shocking about what happens next.
SCIUTTO: Yeah, two primary security ministers there speaking out.
Nic Robertson, thanks so much.
To Ukraine now, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has announced an additional $2 billion in military funding for Ukraine that support could not becoming a more crucial point in the war. Russian forces have effectively redrawn the front lines from Kharkiv in the northeast to Donetsk in the east, as they exploit a window of opportunity while Ukraine waits for America's long-delayed weapons and ammunition.
Kharkiv is under heavy fire as Russia pushes forward with a massive air and ground offensive there. On Tuesday, a Russian glide bomb attack injured almost two dozen civilians, according to Ukrainian officials.
In a telling tale of two wartime presidents, Zelenskyy under significant pressure as Russia makes gains in Ukraine, has canceled all upcoming international trips while Putin perhaps emboldened by those advancements on the front line is traveling to China later this week to meet with the Chinese President Xi Jinping.
CNN's chief international security correspondent, Nick Paton Walsh, is in Kharkiv.
Nick, I wonder what the level of concern is there as Russian forces move closer to Kharkiv, and really how Ukrainian forces are responding given that Russia seems to be testing the lines up and down the front.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN CHIEF INTERNATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, I mean, absolutely, this is probably the worst position Ukraine's founded ten since the early days of the war in truth. And what we've seen here north of Kharkiv is not another incremental gain by Russia, at a wholehearted new offensive from their territory into an area of Ukraine they'd been kicked out off in late 2022 to Kharkiv City here, Ukraine's second city, feeling almost as though it could begin to live normally, but now in the last week or so. In fact, in the last hours, a missile landing near the city center, repeated airstrikes, making civilians here remember those first days of the war back in 2022, the idea being in a shelter yet again, something people are having to contemplate because it's to their north near the Russian border, the Russians appear to be making significant progress, admitted by the Ukrainian military in the last hours, earlier on this mornings, suggesting it has to take more favorable positions in a town called Vovchansk, essentially a euphemism for a tactical withdrawal there. A local police chief admitting that there seems to be Russian forces on the streets of that town.
I spoke to one woman who'd been evacuated this afternoon. She said Russians in the street neighboring her house where she'd been hiding in the basement for days described the whole town that's essentially on fire. Russia claimed it's taken almost double digits of villages in that area and continues to push forward.
They have the resources, Jim. They have it seemed the manpower that Ukraine does not out, startling, too, to drive up there towards (INAUDIBLE), the reaction of the border. We heard ourselves four Russian air strikes or minimal fortifications in two areas. They were being urgently built.
It's clear Moscow has been planning for this, resourcing this, and seizing the momentum. At the same time, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Jim, canceling his trips abroad, so vitally needed to get better and faster aid from their allies because of the very situation here, and having to remind you cranium that developments in the north don't necessarily, he hopes, mean a change in their fortunes the east and in the south.
But it's already pretty stark and awful there, Jim. We've seen in the last month near Avdiivka and the Donetsk area, a key prize to Vladimir Putin, his forces, too, have been moving forward very slowly, but very steadily. And what we described a week ago was the best momentum frankly, bets advancing for Russia from but 18 months or so. Now, they're doing even better in the north here. And that is essentially just a reflection of the slowdown of U.S. aid.
[15:10:02]
Back in December, January, the morale here was cratering featuring because of Republican congressional dysfunctionality, not sending it on time. That has translated into real territorial losses.
The announcements from Anthony Blinken in Kyiv: yes, sure. That's money. It's coming. It's not in peoples hands, right here right now. And we're seeing Ukraine losing because of that really.
Yes, they're not prepared as they could be in every area, but they hadn't had the ammunition. They haven't had the backing, and they haven't had the certainty they needed it seems to be sure that they can meet Moscow's remarkable challenge in the past last week or so, really, Russia throwing everything at it because as you said, Jim, this window of opportunity before the weapons from the U.S. really get into the game here, short about a month, maybe two, and Moscow really going for it, Jim.
SCIUTTO: Yeah, and we reported last week that Russia saw it as an opportunity for them the strike.
Nick Paton Walsh, please keep yourself and your team safe there.
Joining me now to discuss, Democratic congressman from Massachusetts, Jake Auchincloss, who's followed this issue very closely from the beginning.
Congressman, thanks for taking the time.
REP. JAKE AUCHINCLOSS (D-MA): Good afternoon, Jim.
SCIUTTO: I wonder based on what you've seen, do you believe Russia's verging on a major breakthrough here?
AUCHINCLOSS: No, I think that Ukraine can stabilize the northeast, but this is a consequence of USA being delayed by House and Senate Republicans listening to Donald Trump instead of listening to Volodymyr Zelenskyy and we now need to surge the materiel that Ukraine needs, and not just put the weapons in their hands, but also remove any restrictions on how they use those long-range weapons. That includes attacking Russian energy infrastructure, because ultimately, our leverage over Russia comes down to one word, energy.
We need to strike their energy infrastructure within the Russian mainland. We need to use all available leverage over China to get them to stop importing Russian oil and natural gas, and thereby providing hard currency to the Kremlin and we need to tighten up the existing Western and East Asian energy sanctions on Russia so that they cannot sustain their circumventions of the oil embargo.
SCIUTTO: So let me ask you this because there's been much debate about lifting specifically restrictions on Ukrainian -- the Ukrainian forces ability to use U.S. weapons to strike Russian forces inside Russian territory. The UK allows Ukrainian forces to use UK weapons to do so, should the U.S. lift that restriction?
AUCHINCLOSS: Yes. From day one, we should have been allowing the Ukrainians to use our weapons, whether F-16s or ATACMS and other long- range surface to air, surface to surface weaponry to attack Russian energy infrastructure.
I think this focus on risk of escalation is frankly misplaced. The real risk of escalation is that Russia takes Kyiv and then they want to take Warsaw or Moldova or Lithuania. We should not have Russian saber-rattling over tactical nuclear weapons dictate our strategy. We need to allow the Ukrainians to threaten not just Russian oil and gas fields but also Crimea, because ultimately, that may be the leverage that gets Vladimir Putin to the table.
SCIUTTO: Is the White House considering such a change? I know you're in touch with the White House. Are they considering because, of course, this is a White House that has been very focused, one might say on limiting the chances for escalation or at least that's their calculation.
AUCHINCLOSS: The White House was effective in using its political capital to get this Ukrainian aid across the finish line in Congress, took four months too long. And for that the Republicans have the full measure of blame. And now, I incurred the White House to make full use of that material by allowing the Ukrainians to strike within the Russian heartland.
SCIUTTO: Secretary of State Antony Blinken, he announced today an additional $2 billion in foreign military aid, including weapons, ammunition, et cetera.
How soon exactly will these -- these weapons, this ammunition be in place on the front lines in quantities, in numbers that those forces can use to help propel this attack?
AUCHINCLOSS: I don't want to signal exact time and place, but the shipments are in transit. What is going to be critical is that we actually supplement this aid as significant as it is with hundreds of billions of dollars more. And that age should come not from the U.S. taxpayer exclusively, but from Russian -- Russia's frozen assets. We need to reallocate the $300 billion plus being held in Europe and the United States towards the rearmament and the reconstruction of Ukraine.
SCIUTTO: As you know, there's an election in the fall, Donald Trump, as you say, has a very different vision for the Ukraine war. Given his statements, is this aid potentially only a temporary reprieve for Ukraine in its war against Russia?
AUCHINCLOSS: Well, it underscores why it's so important that we reallocate the Russian assets.
[15:15:01]
As you know, Jim, $250 billion plus at those assets are held not in the United States, but in Europe. And so, the ability to provision Russian assets to arm Ukraine would to a certain extent be an insurance policy against the worst decision impulse of a potential Donald Trump.
Now, the United States and the free world are going to have even bigger problems should he be reelected. But that at least can help ensure that Ukraine has the money it needs to sustain itself.
SCIUTTO: Is that happening? I mean, the administration has expressed its support for that. Antony Blinken said so much a number of days ago, of course, there's European support to do the same is it happening? And when exactly are some of those assets or at least the earnings on those assets going to be used to -- well, for instance, aid Ukraine in rebuilding?
AUCHINCLOSS: Yes, it's happening is the short answer. As you mentioned, the interest payments are already being reallocated. The United States has been making moves to seize the actual principal held in New York banks. And we're moving multilaterally for our allies in Europe to do likewise.
There's going to be some financial engineering here, the ability to issue bonds for example against the proceeds and that's all well and good. I -- we got plenty of talented financiers to help figure out the most effective way to get this money channeled into munitions and then towards Ukraine. But the core point has got to be that Russia never gets that money back. And then that money is instead applied towards the defense and rebuilding of a sovereign free Ukraine.
SCIUTTO: Before we go, you're aware of this assassination attempt on the Slovak prime minister. I wonder what your reaction is, and do you see it perhaps as a sign of a political divide in Europe, potential for political violence?
AUCHINCLOSS: Well, it's certainly an example of political violence. I think that's undisputed. I'm going to withhold judgment until law enforcement in Slovakia issues more clarity about the fact pattern behind the attempt. But certainly, my thoughts and best wishes are with the prime minister and his family. And I know that the president has extended his as well.
SCIUTTO: Congressman Jake Auchincloss, nice having you back on the show.
AUCHINCLOSS: Good to be with you.
SCIUTTO: Still to come this hour, President Biden and former President Trump agree to one-on-one debates. You can watch the first one here, June 27, on CNN. We're going to have the details, coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:20:30]
SCIUTTO: Ready, set, debate. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have both now agreed to two one-on-one debates -- first on June 27th, hosted by CNN and again on September 10th with ABC News.
President Biden threw down the gauntlet this morning with a message to his opponent.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Donald Trump lost two debates to me in 2020. And since then, he hadn't shown up for debate. Now, he's acting like he wants to debate me again. Well, make my day, pal. I'll even do it twice.
So let's pick the dates, Donald. I hear you're free on Wednesdays.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: Free on Wednesdays, reference to the trial, of course.
Both have terms, here are Biden's, just two debates instead of three, one in June, one in September. And earlier calendar campaign says that reflects the reality of early voting, more and more of it in these election cycles. No live audience as well. And firm time limits, including cutting off the mic when those time limits are up.
So how did the two campaigns get to a deal? How are they preparing?
Here for an inside look, MJ Lee at the White House, Kristen Holmes, she covers the Trump campaign.
First, MJ, tell us more about the Biden campaign's thinking here, just in agreeing to these debates and particularly it seems quite quickly, right? This -- this all seem to come together quite quickly.
MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, it's actually kind of amazing how quickly these two presidential debates came together and were agreed upon by the two campaigns. The first one is you said is going to be hosted by CNN on June 27th.
And what we saw happen this morning was basically both campaigns saying that they are going to not agree to the presidential debate calendar that was set forth by the commission on presidential debates. And the idea there from both campaigns again, was that we are not okay with the first general election debate taking in place in September when there's so much early voting. And we are eager to reach voters a lot earlier in the cycle.
And our reporting actually is that there was some informal back channel contact between the two campaigns that had largely to do with agreeing that they were not big fans of the commission on presidential debates.
Now what is going to be unusual about the CNN debate is that the Atlanta studio where it will take place is not going to have a live audience. And what the Biden campaign had made clear is that they saw these previous debates as having become big spectacles and that they didn't think the audience members presence was actually conducive to an effective debate. And one person, this is just one detail as we're trying to figure out, what is the debate prep going to look like now that it's only just six weeks away.
One person that is going to be joining the Biden campaigns debate sessions is Ron Klain. This is, of course, the president's former chief of staff, one of his closest and most trusted advisors. He says, he's going to be taking some vacation to participate in debate prep, not really the most relaxing way I think to have some downtime, but nonetheless, he is going to be involved.
We don't know the answer to the question of who is going to be filling in in the role of Donald Trump. I should remind everyone in previous cycles and back in 2020, that role was played by Bob Baer, the president's personal lawyer. So all of these details like going to come together as the debate prep really gets underway in earnest. But again, the two campaigns now agreeing that they are going to have two presidential debates, one in June, one in early September.
SCIUTTO: Kristen, as you know, Trump has been very vocal cool about wanting to debate Biden for months though, we should note he skipped all the Republican primary debates. Tell us why this is different for him.
KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, look, Donald Trump wants to take control of the narrative here. And when I'm talking to his campaign, they believe that he is a, quote/unquote, stronger debater than President Joe Biden. So that's one reason why they feel strongly about actually participating in general election debate.
But I do want to talk about a little bit about what's going on now, because as you mentioned, Donald Trump has really tried to control the narrative around the debates he has gone to these rallies and had an open podium next to him, saying Biden won't debate me. He has said he will debate anywhere at any time.
But what happened today was President Biden really taking that control back, saying exactly what he would agree to, accepting to these various debates at CNN and ABC immediately before Trump did. Now, we're seeing is Trump kind of trying to catch up. He posted on truth social that he wanted to do a third debate, that he was accepting an invitation to a Fox debate on October 2.
[15:25:01]
Now the Biden campaign has already said that's not happening, that wasn't one of the things that we agreed to. We agreed to two debates only, but it is interesting to see this kind of scrambling by the Trump campaign to catch up on an issue that they felt that they were ahead on. But obviously, after today, felt like they were catching up on.
Indeed, MJ Lee, Kristen Holmes, they got to fight about everything, right? Thanks so much.
So, let's talk to too political experts now who know the behind the scenes of a presidential debate and preparing for presidential debate well.
Meghan Hays, former director of messaging and planning in the Biden administration, Scott Jennings, CNN political commentator, long experience with Republican leader Mitch McConnell.
Good to have you both.
Meghan, first to you, why is Biden agreeing to this debate now? And one might -- could one read this as an internal recognition of his weakness in the polls?
MEGHAN HAYS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: No, I think that it debating is people need to see people debate, right? They need to see that contrast. And there's no better way to do it.
I think that there needed to be some parameters. There has been long disagreements with the way the commissions debates way back into 2000 with George W. Bush had issues with it. So I think they needed to sort that out.
And then he went forward and said, let's do it, let's debate, let's do this, let's go. You complain, you're on the campaign drill. Let's have the American people see us.
SCIUTTO: Scott, I imagine you have a different view.
SCOTT JENNINGS, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I do. I mean, Donald Trump has been talking about getting debates on the schedule for weeks. Joe Biden hasn't been interested.
On Monday of this week, "The New York Times" drops a bunch of swing- state polls. Biden campaign goes into panic, 48 hours later, they're throwing a Hail Mary by throwing out a June debate. I thought Trump accepting it, saying, sure, I'll be there, whatever you want was fine.
But it's obvious Biden needs to change the narrative and trajectory of this campaign. They got trapped, locked up in a courtroom in New York City, and he's getting better in all this polling. If I were Biden, I'd be trying to find something to change the trajectory as well.
SCIUTTO: Well, locked up the courtroom because he's been indicted for those charges.
What's your response to Scott -- Scott's argument there? I mean, the polling has been bad for trying and I don't want to emphasize one particular poll, but "The New York Times"/Siena particular battleground polls, but it was not out of line with other polling that shows Biden behind in the key battleground states.
HAYS: Right. I mean, we're six months out from anyone casting ballots. So I think that this is one of those things where the polls are, you know, you're not going to live and die by the polls. These are statistically basically in a dead heat here. So I don't really think that's the reaction, but I would go to Scott and say, if Donald Trump was so prepared, why is ever all the reporting saying he was caught flat-footed that they were going to actually debate here.
So I think that this is the president's way of taking back control.
SCIUTTO: Scott, is it possible Trump overestimates his chances of success in a debate? When you look back to the first debate, for instance, in 2020 which one could I think reasonably call contentious, and at times unfriendly, even rude, his polling dropped after that debate? I mean, there are folks who, when they see Trump in that kind if cantankerous mood, they may celebrate it on social media. But when a wider portion of the American public sees it, they don't necessarily react well. Is that a risk for Trump in your view?
JENNINGS: Absolutely. There's really risks for both of them. For Trump, as you correctly point out in the first debate in 2020, he way overdid it, far too aggressive. It hurt him. I think he actually won the second debate. But by then, it was too late. He did a lot of damage to himself in the first debate.
And the risk for Biden here is that this doesn't work. This is a gambit to reclaim the narrative. And the narrative that Trump is running on his strength versus weakness. If Biden doesn't have a great debate, if he looks like he's out of it, if the vibe is wrong for him, he may never forever dig out of his whole that he's just not up to a second term.
So, both of them have some risks. I would just point out incumbent presidents, the first debates almost always go poorly. It happened to Obama, happened to Bush back in my day, and so it does happen. And incumbent presidents sometime they'll come out as prepared because obviously they're distracted by their day job.
So risk for both candidates here but I think Biden felt like they needed to do something over the summer to keep this campaign from getting away from them.
SCIUTTO: The argument for incumbent presidents not performing well traditionally has been because they weren't in a primary contests, so they didn't get beaten up by -- they weren't in practice in effect. But you didn't have that a bit for Trump, but not for a great deal of time. Would you say that same weakness is present in this cycle?
HAYS: Yeah. I mean, look, they're not used to going out there and having these conversations, again, directly against each other. You'll see that on the campaign trail when they have these big rallies that it takes a minute to get into their group.
But I think that at the end of the day, you know, Scott is saying strength over weakness. I think the president's message is going to be truth over lies, just like it was in 2020. So I think that well see how it is in June.
SCIUTTO: Well, if we wanted our memories jogged about that 2020 debate, we do have a clip of it which will give us a sample, perhaps of what we might see you next month. Let's have a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(CROSSTALK)
JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: He's the racist.
You're the worst president that America has ever had. Come on.
(CROSSTALK)
DONALD TRUMP, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT & 2024 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Let me -- you used the word smart. So you said you went to Delaware State but you forgot the name of your college.
(CROSSTALK)
[15:30:05]
BIDEN: Would you shut, man?
TRUMP: Listen, who is on your list?
MODERATOR: All right, gentlemen, I think --
(CROSSTALK) (END VIDEO CLIP)
SCIUTTO: I mean, Scott, you see there what Trump does. In fact, he's done more recently, as he said -- he said that Biden can't string two sentences together, which is, of course, not true. We've seen him do exactly that.
But the trouble with Trump and there are rules in this debate, we should note, as agreed to by the parties that the mics go off when the time is up, there's not going to be talking over that red light as it were.
But one of the difficulties with Trump, as you know, Scott, is he can't help himself, right? And even his own campaign, sometimes will say, you know, wish they could hold him back, but they can't. So how does he measure that and does a turning of the mics off solve the problem?
JENNINGS: Yeah, I'm fascinated with this demand because I don't know how it's going to work.
SCIUTTO: Yeah.
JENNINGS: I mean, both campaigns may suffer from this. I mean, it's not like Joe Biden is concise and coherent all the time. I mean, he could get his mic cut off too during this thing. And so I'll be kind of interested to see how this haggling goes back and forth.
I think if I were Trump, I would try to be as measured as possible as crisp as possible. He didn't do that in that first debate back in 2020. By the way, that clip you just showed the thing that stood out to me the most how much younger Joe Biden look back then.
I mean, this is as much about optics as anything, when those two guys step on the stage, what is Biden look like? What is Trump look like, and which to the American people perceive is up to the job, which is one of the biggest things plaguing Biden right now.
SCIUTTO: Well, as a matter of bringing up the memories, right, Trump was as I remember, was ill in the second debate, later found out that he had tested positive for coronavirus.
Meghan, there are risks though, for Joe Biden here in it does he have and I imagine his campaign wants him to have a state of the union moment as opposed to other moments. State of the Union is different because you don't have constant interruption, you don't have constant quick questions but to be fair, it's a risk because he has to -- he has to come out and show what he showed them.
HAYS: Yeah. I think in the next six weeks, there'll be doing that during prep. I mean, you talked about that in the last segment. I think that they'll be working on him to have those strong, concise answers that he'll be giving. But it is a risk, but I do think that he's up to the task just as Trump will be up to the task. And I think it will provide the American people good contrast. It's what we need to be doing in our elections. SCIUTTO: Scott, one reason both of them agree to September debates is
because there's a lot of early voting. And while Trump push back against voting, claiming it was -- it was fraudulent and last cycle, his advisers have told him this time around, you need early voting and that hurts you buy discouraging at last time around. It's notable though, right, isn't it, because it shows it, you know, this vote begin not just the election campaign, right, we're in it, but the vote begins in three months. I mean, this is -- this is happening.
JENNINGS: Yeah, I agreed with both campaigns on this that the Commission on Presidential Debates was trying to do this way too late. The American people need to see these debates. I loved one in June, I love the one in September. I know Trump has agreed to this Fox debate and Biden hasn't.
But I think moving it up gives people what they need. By the time, you get to October, you know, half of America has voted. Most people have made up their mind. And so this has been a sleepy campaign. June is going to jumpstart it. Then were going to have the conventions and then well have one more debate. At that point, I think we've got the calendar about right.
So I agree with the way they've scheduled this out. I agree with Meghan. I think were in for a good show this summer and we need it because the consequences of this election are important in this campaign has gotten pretty sleepy.
SCIUTTO: Yeah, maybe we start calling them June surprises, not October surprises anymore in these cycles.
Meghan Hayes, Scott Jennings, thanks so much for sharing your insights. I know it's not going to be the last time we talk about it.
When we do come back this hour, it is not just the presidency, control of the Senate, of course, will without a doubt be up for grabs in November's elections. And yesterday, two primary races in Maryland and West Virginia set the stage for expensive, high-stakes contest. We're going to dive into the map for winning the Senate, next.
Please do stay with us.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:37:21]
SCIUTTO: Just two seats plus the White House, vice president, currently give Democrats control the Senate, but that majority is deeply imperiled this November.
As Democrats are defending a number of red state Senate seats with few pickup opportunities.
Yesterday, we got a clearer picture of the contest in two key races. In Maryland, Democrat Angela Alsobrooks, a county executive, will take on former Republican governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan, whose popular record in the state is shaken up what was expected to be a relatively safe Democratic race.
And in West Virginia, retiring Democrat Joe Manchin has opened up a prime pickup chance for Republicans who got their choice candidate last night with Governor Jim Justice. He'll face, Wheeling Mayor Glenn Elliott in November.
For more on these primaries, setting up and undoubtedly bitter and extremely expensive fight to control what's been dubbed the most deliberative body in the world, sometimes doesn't quite live up to that, CNN's Evan McKend joins me now.
Let's begin if we can in Maryland because this is reliably a blue state, not just in presidential races, but for the senate, but now you've got a popular Republican governor in Larry Hogan, going to match up against Angela Alsobrooks.
What is the current race shaping up to right now, who's got the -- who's got the advantage?
EVA MCKEND, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS CORRESPONDENT: Well, Jim, Governor Hogan has proved that he can win statewide in this solidly blue state, not only once but twice, you remember that last com desk, he just completely trounced the former head of the NAACP in the state, Ben Jealous, who was at the time a rising star in the Democratic Party.
But the dynamics could not be more different this time around. For the next several months, what we're going to hear from Democrats is them making the case that Governor Hogan would not be the same as a Senator Hogan, that this is not the time for a kumbaya bipartisan moment that a Senator Hogan could be in a position, for instance, to elevate a national abortion ban or elevate another conservative to the Supreme Court. And in Angela Alsobrooks, they have someone who potentially could make history. You know, she would be the first black woman that Marylanders could elevate to the Senate.
So that is why the dynamics are so different this time around. But Hogan has proved to be persistently popular in the state.
SCIUTTO: All right. So Maryland, at least in danger for Democrats.
West Virginia, really bad, I mean, let's be frank Joe Manchin was somewhat unique.
Then you've got Democrats defending seats in Ohio and Montana, states that Trump won, and then you've got toss-up states like Nevada and Arizona, where Democrats have to defend territory.
[15:40:02]
This is a truly difficult map for Democrats, is it not?
MCKEND: It is, Jim. The Senate map not pretty for Democrats at all. But what they're going to do is they are going to rely on really popular incumbents. So, you have Senator Brown in Ohio, who has been known for years to be an every man that really advocates for the working class. And then you have Senator Jon Tester, for instance, in Montana, a dirt farmer who routinely Republicans have tried to pick off and been unsuccessful because of his deep ties to the state.
On the Republican side, you see a lot of wealthy challengers trying to take on these incumbents. But many of them don't have local ties. And so that is what Democrats are going to try to lean on to hold onto the upper chamber, but it will be very, very difficult to do.
If some of the polling, granted, it's early. You do see some split ticket cases here, like you look in Arizona, Trump's got the lead there, but Gallego has the lead on the Senate, in somewhat closer races then the presidential horse race, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, where the senators are out the Democratic candidates were senator out running Biden there. Is that rare in races like this?
MCKEND: It is really rare. You know, both sides are sort of crossing their fingers here for some split ticket outcomes.
But I was looking this up today. According to UVA Center for Politics, in both the 2016 and 2020 presidential election actions, only one state, the state of Maine in 2020 produced a split presidential Senate outcome.
So it is really uncommon for people to do this, but it is possible. And I think both Democrats and Republicans are hoping for that outcome in these battleground states.
SCIUTTO: Eva McKend, thanks so much as always.
Boy, that's going to be interesting in November. We're going to be right back with more.
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[15:45:07]
SCIUTTO: Welcome back.
Guns and ammunition are still flowing into Haiti, virtually unabated, despite a U.N. weapons embargo. They come in by air and by sea, earmarked for violent gangs who were essentially in charge in the beleaguered Caribbean capital of Port-au-Prince.
CNN's David Culver shows the disparity between the availability of guns and have humanitarian aid, like food and medicine.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID CULVER, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Touching down in Haiti's gang controlled capital, we move quickly, armed guards holding the perimeter as a long line of anxious passengers hurry out the way we came in.
Driving deeper to Port-au-Prince, we pass those desperately trying to survive a crippling humanitarian crisis.
Can you give us a sense how dire the situation is getting with each passing day? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look, were very worried right now, you've got 5 million people in Haiti who are acutely food insecure. That's the highest on record, the highest it's ever been, and were going through the worst crisis in Haiti since the 2010 earthquake. It's that simple.
CULVER: The WFP warns food supplies across the country are rapidly dwindling as hunger worsens.
For folks who are getting this, how many of the meals a day are they going to get --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This will be their one meal.
CULVER: And delivering that one daily meal to starving communities increasingly risky.
The logistics alone are incredibly challenging. I mean, just every corner. You don't know what you're going to come across.
Not to mention the constantly shifting gang boundaries.
Do you ever get scared delivering the food?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sometimes.
CULVER: The U.N. estimates gangs control more than 80 percent of Port- au-Prince severing crucial supply lines for food, fuel, and medical supplies.
And yet, while basic necessities are scarce, guns and ammo, seemingly plentiful and ravaging this country.
How are the weapons getting here and from where?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. We'll do one low pass. We'll make a hard right turn, won't be back in bound.
CULVER: We're at the central plateau. This is an area that year its been known for drug smuggling here in Haiti.
More recently, the U.N. says weapons also come in this way, arriving into Haiti's mountainous and hard to reach rural areas.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Likely its going to be a light -- light airplane up. I've seen a lot of Cessnas. But it does look like that grass has been tampered with right there.
Often landing in the dark of night under the radar or smuggled across the land border or by sea. Law enforcement believe arms and ammo arrive at the dock of what once was a flour mill, taken over and now controlled by gangs.
Haitians security sources, sharing with us these images of seized weapons from other locations. The U.N. says most guns are shipped illegally from the U.S. and end up in the hands of various gangs.
VITEL'HOMME INNOCENT, LEADER OF KRAZE BARYE: There are always guns that come in. There are always bullets.
CULVER: One of the most influential gang leaders, Vitel'homme Innocent, even explaining how easy it is to import guns and ammo compared with food or medicine, though not confirming where the weapons originate from.
Are your weapons coming in from the U.S.?
INNOCENT: No, I don't go to the U.S. I cannot accuse the U.S. to say weapons come from there.
CULVER: To be sure, we had weapons experts review our footage with members of Vitel'homme's gang, examining images like these. They tell us that many of these firearms and accessories are in fact made in the U.S., smuggled directly or stolen from Haitian police. The end result here is often the same.
With the innocent caught in the crossfire, like eight-year-old Woodjina Cadeaus (ph) shot earlier this year while playing with friends. When we visited in February, her family was living in this makeshift encampment as she was recovering from surgery. Her little sister keeping watch.
But days later, gangs torched the whole neighborhood.
Hi, Woodjina, how are you? Good to see you? You're walking.
We meet again as Woodjina heads to a doctor's appointment. We learn her family now sleeps on a church floor. Woodjina's sister sent to live with other relatives. Her mom says it was too difficult to flee the gangs while carrying both kids.
LOVENCIA JULIEN, WOODJINA'S MOTHER: When we had to run, I could not have ran with both of them.
CULVER: Back alongside the WFP, we arrive at our stop to distribute those meals. It's a school turned displacement camp. We step out to a crowd of several hundred. Recent gang violence forcing most here to become refugees in their own city.
And did you see that firsthand, some of violence?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, I see. I ran from it.
CULVER: You ran from it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I ran from it.
CULVER: What --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I ran from a lot of like a lot of shots, a lot of --
CULVER: People shooting at you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People shooting and they're burning houses. CULVER: Folks here, grateful for the one meal they'll get today.
[15:50:04]
What about tomorrow?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't know about tomorrow. We're just hoping for tomorrow.
CULVER: Here, thinking about tomorrow, even that is a luxury.
David Culver, CNN, Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
SCIUTTO: Graduates at a nursing school in Philadelphia could barely recognize their own names because the announcer reading them at their commencement ceremony mangled pretty much every single one of them.
Here's Jeanne Moos.
ANNOUNCER: Victoria Leigh Zubath-Bross (ph).
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: -- butchered beyond recognition, be it Megan --
ANNOUNCER: Michilu Iyabri (ph).
MOOS: -- or Alison --
ANNOUNCER: Alessuna Cole Bishop (ph).
MOOS: -- and how can you mangle Molly.
ANNOUNCER: Malina Zubath-Kamp (ph).
MOOS: The announcer at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia was reading off phonetically spelled names on cards, but how hard is it to pronounce Thomas?
For the record, Thomas, can you state your full name for us?
THOMAS CANEVARI JR., THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY GRADUATE: Thomas Michael Canaveri Jr.
MOOS: Thomas was the first College of Nursing grad to actually correct the mispronunciation.
ANNOUNCER: Tah moo may --
CANAVERI JR.: Thomas.
JIMMY FALLON, HOST, THE TONIGHT SHOW: Thomas, the name of our school, Thomas Jefferson University. MOOS: Thomas says at first it felt like a slap in the face.
ANNOUNCER: Tah moo may --
CANAVERI JR.: Then she never even said my last name at all.
MOOS: But now that the video has gone viral --
CANAVERI JR.: I just cannot stop with thinking of laughing about it. I'll never forget that day for as long as I live.
MOOS: Neither will Sarah Virginia Brennan.
ANNOUNCER: Saiyeer Uvun Jinju Brennan.
MOOS: On her Instagram, Sarah posted a new degree and name. Thanks, I guess.
The announcer apologized. So did Thomas Jefferson University, saying each graduate deserves to have their name honored correctly. But for now, Thomas is AKA Tah moo may.
CANAVERI JR: That's my new nickname all my friends have gave me.
MOOS: And when Thomas congratulated his new friend --
[15:55:01]
ANNOUNCER: Saiyeer --
MOOS: -- he addressed her and signed off with their new names.
ANNOUNCER: Tah moo may --
MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
ANNOUNCER: Thomas.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
SCIUTTO: Well, It's Jim Sciutto, that was pretty easy. Thanks so much for joining me today.
Another man with a -- it should be easy to pronounce name -- Richard Quest.
"QUEST MEANS BUSINESS" is up next.
