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KC Chiefs Kicker Harrison Butker's Comments Drawn Further Criticism; Many Continue to Struggle Despite Recent Encouraging Economic Indicators; As Main Street Suffers, Dow Hits 40,000; Inexplicable Squabbling, Greene and AOC Disrupt House Meeting; Upside- Down Flag Spotted at Justice Alito's House, According to New York Times. Aired 10:30-11a ET

Aired May 17, 2024 - 10:30   ET

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

[10:30:00]

RACHEL NICHOLS, HOST OF SHOWTIME'S "HEADLINERS WITH RACHEL NICHOLS": He went so far as to say that his wife feels that her life began when she married him, when she became a wife and eventually a mother. And the fact that he's talking to female graduates there, this is supposed to be the crowning moment of an incredible amount of hard work and sacrifice. And he's basically telling them to go home to their parents' house and then to their husband's houses. It's incredibly insulting for the women in the audience.

But the thing is that there are parts of this country and parts of the NFL fan base who are applauding him. Legendary coach Lou Holtz, who for a long time was a stalwart at Notre Dame, actually put out a tweet saying, don't back down to Harrison, and saying that he supports him. There are jersey sales that have skyrocketed. In fact, his jersey is selling better right now than Patrick Mahomes, the quarterback for the Chiefs.

And look, Obviously, this is a country divided into what we feel about all kinds of issues and the locker room in Kansas City is clearly going to be divided because Patrick Mahomes himself is a huge supporter of women's sports. He's the co-owner of the women's soccer team in Kansas City and has been very outspoken about what women can do.

We know that Travis Kelce has, of course, been very supportive publicly of his girlfriend Taylor Swift's career.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN NEWSROOM ANCHOR: Absolutely.

NICHOLS: But there is a division about his comments. And I think the NFL is a little bit trying to play it both ways as they try to keep that huge record female audience that they gained through this NFL season and Super Bowl, but also please some of its base that is supporting Butker.

ACOSTA: Well, and is there a double standard here? I mean, Colin Kaepernick, I mean, he takes a knee to protest police brutality and gets banned from the NFL. Can't get a job in the NFL. Harrison Butker gives this speech. Goes wide right, so to speak. And the NFL says, well, you know, he was on his day off when he gave this speech, no big deal. I'm sorry, what?

NICHOLS: Yes, I mean, the NFL will tell you that they didn't ban Colin Kaepernick, and there's been no official ban on Colin Kaepernick. Of course, anyone paying attention would tell you that unofficially, teams sort of feel that he cannot be touched.

And it is a double standard. There is no question about it. Many times, in professional sports, and frankly, particularly in the NFL, if you deliver results, a lot is excused. And in this case, Butker was a key part of winning that Super Bowl for him. He's got the longest kick in Super Bowl history. He's very good at his job, and he does have some support.

Of course, there's also voices on the other side who are pro-family, pro-religion, pro-God who are making the point you can still be all of those things and support women's rights. There are certainly plenty of men in this country who are equal partners in raising their children, some as single dads who would argue with his comments, even if they are dedicated church members.

ACOSTA: Absolutely. And a lot of women in sports making tremendous strides these days. You and I love to talk hoops. We didn't get to talk about Caitlin Clark. I mean, who just totally transformed women's basketball right now. So much to talk about. We don't have enough time, but we'll bring you back soon. Rachel Nichols, great to see you as always. Thanks so much. Really appreciate it. Good to see you.

All right. Still ahead, the stock market soaring, but Americans are still struggling to feel the effects of the economy. Making ends meet still difficult for people.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why I make over three times the federal minimum wage, and I cannot afford to live. And I do not want to hear the --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Why what's going on on Wall Street does not translate to a lot of people struggling out there. We'll talk about that just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:35:00]

ACOSTA: New economic data is easing worries of a recession, but -- and inflation is cooling. The stock market is soaring, but a lot of Americans not feeling it. Yesterday, the Dow crossed 40,000 points for the first time ever. Right now, you can see it, it's about 43 points up, getting close again to that 40,000 mark.

Despite that, as we said, Americans are still struggling to make ends meet. Just one example, four years ago, ground beef, cost $4.34 a pound, now it's $5.28. Many Americans say they're fed up. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can somebody explain to me in crayon eating terms why I make over three times the federal minimum wage and I cannot afford to live. And I do not want to hear the pull yourself up from your bootstraps, work 90 hours a week. That's not the goal guys.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you all see the -- that's going on in these -- grocery stores? This is my favorite -- Simply Orange Juice, $7, that's simply too -- high. Put this -- Simply -- way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: I'm with that guy. The orange juice is way too expensive. With me now is Mark Zandi, the chief economist at Moody's Analytics. Mark, I mean, just to quote that first guy, explain it to me in crayon eating terms, although the crayons might be expensive these days. What is going on? Dow hits 40,000. People who have 401(k)s, they're feeling it. They like what's going on there. But people are still struggling with these prices that they're seeing in the supermarkets and at the drive through.

MARK ZANDI, CHIEF ECONOMIST, MOODY'S ANALYTICS: Yes, indeed. That was a pretty compelling sound that you played there.

ACOSTA: Yes.

ZANDI: You know, just to give you a statistic, the typical American household is spending just over $1,000 more a month than they were three years ago to buy the same goods and services. So -- and that, you know, it's food, that's the obvious place. It's a rent, you know, the typical rent now is $1,400 a month, you know, three, four years ago, it was closer to $1,100 a month. It's gasoline, we're paying $3.60 for a gallon of regular unleaded. You go back before the pandemic it was below $3.

[10:40:00]

So, these are staples. You know, people -- you know, you need these things. You got to buy them.

ACOSTA: Yes.

ZANDI: And it's very expensive. You know, I do think it goes back to lots of reasons, Jim. You know, there's a lot of things going on here. But in each food item has its own kind of story, but broadly speaking, it goes back to the pandemic and the Russian war in Ukraine.

I mean, the pandemic scrambled supply chains, and we're still kind of figuring that out and disentangling all that. And the Russian war sent oil, natural gas, agricultural prices, fertilizer, grains prices skyward. And, you know, we're still feeling the ill effects of that, unfortunately.

ACOSTA: Interesting. ZANDI: Now, the good news is inflation is moderating, but you know, it's going to take a while to -- for people to feel the benefit of that.

ACOSTA: Yes. And that's affecting what's happening at the Fed because the Fed is reluctant to lower interest rates. And so, mortgages, cars and so on become more expensive. And I wonder, you know, the stock market hitting 40,000, how -- you know, we don't see enough Americans investing in 401(k)s. Is that what it is? Or they're just -- the 401(k) system just isn't working well enough for middle and lower- income Americans?

Is that part of it? I mean, should we be making as much of a deal out of the Dow hitting 40,000 if Main Street is struggling, as the Chiron (ph) says on the screen right now?

ZANDI: Yes. Well, you know, only half of Americans, maybe a bit more own stock, and it's probably only a third of Americans that own enough stock to really make a difference. You know, two thirds of Americans own their own home. So, they're benefiting from the run up in house prices. But a third of Americans rent, and you know, that means that for many of them they will be locked out of buying a home because they can't afford the high house prices with the high mortgage rates.

ACOSTA: Yes.

ZANDI: So, you know, if you're in the top third of the income distribution, everything's fine. You know, you're doing really well, you're enjoying those high stock prices, you got a job, wages are rising. You're in the middle part of the distribution. The middle third, you're doing OK. You're kind of, it's not great. It's not bad. It's just about typical. But if you're in the bottom third of the distribution, very, very difficult. Very, very tough to navigate through that. And that's why we're hearing these angry voices.

Now, I'm hopeful, you know, if things are moving in the right direction. Inflation is down. Food prices, by the way, Jim, haven't moved in a whole year in aggregate. They've not gone anywhere. Wages are rising. And, you know, with these passing months, I think people will feel a bit better. But it -- there's no game changing event here. This is a process.

ACOSTA: Yes, and we're just showing a few moments ago, Gen Zers are maxing out their credit cards. And if the interest rates are high, then your credit card payments get out of control. Mark, let's get back to this, if you can. We can steal you back on the program sometime to talk about this further. Really, I would like to do that because this disconnect. I mean, that's just something we're not talking about enough. Mark Zandi, thanks so much. Really appreciate it.

ZANDI: Anytime. Take care, Jim.

ACOSTA: All right. Good to see you.

All right. All right. Moving on to this, a comment about eyelashes from Congressman Marjorie Taylor Greene about Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett setting off a screaming match inside a committee hearing. Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. JASMINE CROCKETT (D-TX): You know what I'm talking about? I just --

REP. MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R-GA): I think your fake eyelashes are messing up what you're reading.

CROCKETT: No, it ain't nothing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hold on. Hold on.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Why is it that Marjorie Taylor Greene is always in the middle of these things? The insults, the finger pointing. We'll talk about that next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[10:45:00]

ACOSTA: It's the story all of Washington is talking about waking up to this morning. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez trading insults, derailing a House hearing late last night. The meeting was supposed to be about whether to hold Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress. Instead, the American people had to hear about fake eyelashes and so on. Let's listen to that exchange.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROCKETT: Do you know what we're here for? You know we're here about AG --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just to -- point of order.

GREENE: I don't think you know what you're here for.

CROCKETT: Well, you know what I'm talking about. I just --

GREENE: I think your fake eyelashes are messing up what you're reading.

CROCKETT: No, it ain't nothing --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hold on. Hold on.

CROCKETT: Listen. Listen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Order.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Chairman, that's beneath even you, Ms. Greene. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Order. Order.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's beneath even you.

REP. ALEXANDRIA OCASIO-CORTEZ (D-NY): I do have a point of order, and I would like to move to take down Ms. Greene's words. That is absolutely unacceptable. How dare you attack --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Meeting will suspend.

OCASIO-CORTEZ: -- the physical appearance of another person?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Meeting will suspend.

GREENE: Are your feelings hurt?

OCASIO-CORTEZ: Move her words down.

GREENE: Aw.

OCASIO-CORTEZ: Oh, oh, girl, baby girl.

GREENE: Oh, really?

OCASIO-CORTEZ: Don't even play with me.

GREENE: Baby girl?

OCASIO-CORTEZ: We're going to --

GREENE: I don't think so.

OCASIO-CORTEZ: We are going to move and we're going to take your words down.

CROCKETT: If someone on this committee then starts talking about somebody's bleached blonde bad built butch body, that would not be engaging in personalities, correct?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What now

GREENE: Calm down. Calm down.

CROCKETT: No, no, no, because this is what you all do.

GREENE: I would like to get through proceeding.

CROCKETT: So, I'm trying to get --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Ms. Crockett, you're not recognized. Ms. Crockett --

(CROSSTALK)

GREENE: I can't hear you with your yelling.

CROCKETT: And you don't want me to be --

GREENE: Calm down.

CROCKETT: No.

GREENE: Can you please calm down?

CROCKETT: Don't tell me to calm down --

GREENE: Calm down.

CROCKETT: -- because you all talk --

GREENE: Please calm down.

CROCKETT: noise and then you're playing --

GREENE: You're out of control.

CROCKETT: As if I --

GREENE: Well, Chairman, can we send her out --

CROCKETT: If I comment talk -- about her --

GREENE: -- to take a break for five minutes?

CROCKETT: -- you all going to have a problem.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All right. Chair -- OK. Order. Chair now recognizes Ms. Greene for four minutes and 21 seconds.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: All right. TGIF. Let's discuss with CNN Political Commentator, Republican Strategist Shermichael Singleton and Democratic strategist Chuck Roca -- Rocha.

I -- Shermichael, I got to go to you first. Why is Marjorie Taylor Greene always in the middle of these things? She always -- it just seems like there's something blowing up. There's a food fight on the Hill. She's throwing the first, you know, ham sandwich.

SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR AND REPUBLICAN COMMENTATOR: I mean, look, Jim, first, let's look at this from a historic perspective, right? We can go back to the history of our country in the 1800s.

[10:50:00]

You had Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner who was attacked physically by a walking stick by another member. They were debating over abolition issues. Fast forward to the House, you had members in a gun duel which resulted in one actually dying. So, we have made some progress.

Now, to answer your question, there isn't any incentive for Marjorie Taylor Greene to act differently. She can send out campaign e-mails. People in her district love this and she can say, look, I am giving it to the left. This is what we should be doing as Republicans.

The reality here, Jim, is simple. The American people are struggling on a whole host of issues from infrastructure, health care, education for their children, et cetera.

ACOSTA: Yes.

SINGLETON: They expect members of Congress to do their jobs and they're not doing it. And that's frankly embarrassing, as entertaining as it may be.

ACOSTA: I mean -- but, Chuck, I mean, to make a comment about fake eyelashes, I mean --

CHUCK ROCHA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST AND FORMER SENIOR ADVISER, BERNIE SANDERS PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS: Right. I mean, I think --

ACOSTA: What are we doing here?

ROCHA: I think we've hit rock bottom. I think that's what we're doing here. I think that you see her using this to raise money. Look, I've been in bare knuckle fights my whole life. I've run campaigns at every level. It looked like a city council race right here in Washington D.C. right now.

Like, things happen. It can get personal when people's emotionals getting -- emotions get in effect. You know, tonight is the D.C. Kennedy-King Dinner and Congresswoman Crockett's going to be there in a room full of activists talking about what she's going to be doing for the party. I support the D.C. Party. She's going to be there supporting the D.C. Party.

I think it's going to be interesting the way she react to this in these settings when she's going to have a moment to talk about why you don't do this and you attack somebody's physical appearance?

ACOSTA: Thanks for the heads up. We'll be monitoring that.

I mean, Shermichael, the other thing I wanted to ask you about -- to talk to you both about is what's been taking place up at the Trump trial all this week. Not what's going on inside the courtroom, but what's going on outside the courtroom. You have these members of Congress who support the former president. Standing behind them. In many cases, it looks like the MAGA Matrix, they're all wearing the same suit and red tie, you know.

And yesterday, Matt Gaetz tweeted a photo of himself at Trump's trial saying, standing back and standing by, Mr. President. Of course, that is, you know, essentially echoing what Trump told the Proud Boys to stand back and stand by during that 2020 debate. I -- you know, what's going on here? I mean, isn't that kind of -- that's getting into some rhetoric that is just has no place anymore after what took place on January the 6th.

SINGLETON: Yes, I mean, look, Jim, that's become part of the course in our politics right now, right? I mean, look, we just talked about the clip with Marjorie Taylor Greene and Congresswoman Crockett, who I've had the opportunity to talk politics about she's a Democrat. I'm a conservative. And we differ on a couple of things, but we agreed on a whole host of things.

So, I do know that she, for example, is someone who actually is willing to have those complex conversations about policy.

ACOSTA: Sure.

SINGLETON: But to that fundamental question, I think many of those Republicans are really trying to find a workaround, if you will, that Donald Trump simply can't do. He can't go after some of the witnesses. He has to be careful about going after the judge's daughter. So, what do you do next? You bring on some Republicans who can do the exact things that the former president can't do.

And what it also showcases, Jim, is that despite all of these things, the Republican leadership, the Republican Party is still solidly behind Donald Trump. If they were not, those members wouldn't be there.

ACOSTA: Oh, sure.

SINGLETON: They know that this is what the Republican base wants to see. They want to see them supporting the former president.

ACOSTA: Shermichael, I do want to follow up on that because they have been saying -- and I talked about this with Fareed earlier in the hour, they're going up and talking about how the judge is conflicted and so on. And yet, here it is in "The New York Times", I don't know if we can put it up on screen again.

Sam Alito, Supreme Court Justice, flying a flag upside down outside of his house. He says, his wife did it. He didn't do it. That is a symbol of the insurrection from January 6th. You have Clarence Thomas' wife texting Mark Meadows about overturning election results. I mean, come -- I mean, isn't there a little hypocrisy going on there, isn't there?

SINGLETON: I mean, it reminds me of Bob Menendez blaming his wife for what's going on in his trial in New Jersey. I just don't understand --

ACOSTA: Right, he's on trial and he's a Democrat. He's on trial. I mean, Hunter Biden --

SINGLETON: Right, right.

ACOSTA: -- facing charges. You know, are we all going to -- are members of Congress going to show -- start showing up at these trials and making speeches about, I mean, just let the system work it's -- you know what it does.

SINGLETON: As we should, Jim. I mean, look, this is very concerning. Chuck and I are both practitioners of electoral politics, and though we may differ, I've known Chuck a long time. We love this because you think about the art in the process of electing good people to create policies and vote for policies that will hopefully move the country in a new direction.

And sometimes you're going to have a vociferous disagreement on those sorts of things. But you want to maintain that integrity in terms of the foundation of this republic that we have. And in terms of the justice, I mean, my goodness, conservative, liberal, whatever you may be, we want to make sure that all jurists are as non-bias and objective as possible.

ACOSTA: That's right.

[10:55:00]

SINGLETON: And when you see those sorts of things, it is going to raise flags for a third of the country who may not be conservative and they may lose trust in the Supreme Court.

ACOSTA: Last word to you, Chuck.

ROCHA: I think that Donald Trump has given an excuse to people to act the worst that they could act. I've been doing this a long time and you have never seen this much visceral in the electorate. People have real problems, to Shermichael's point. Folks are trying to figure out how to make it. And what he's given people the OK to do is act the worst that you would act, what your mom and daddy would never allow you to do. Do it out in the open and act a fool as my grandmama would say.

ACOSTA: Yes, don't act a fool. That's right. All right. Good lesson for Washington on this Friday. I'm not sure anybody's listening, but good to get it out there from Chuck's grandma out to the American people. Thanks a lot, Shermichael and Chuck. Really appreciate it.

Still ahead, the world's number one golfer, Scottie Shepherd. We've been following the breaking news all morning, has teed off at the PGA Championship after being arrested this morning, charged with a felony. More details ahead next on the "CNN Newsroom with Wolf Blitzer". Have a great weekend, everybody.

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