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Senate Set To Vote Today On Final Passage Of Same-Sex Marriage Bill; CNN Speaks With Georgia Governor One Week Before Senate Runoff; Astronaut Scott Kelly Meets With President Zelenskyy In Ukraine. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired November 29, 2022 - 07:30   ET

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

[07:30:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: "Who do you want to fight for you in the Senate? Do you want a guy who represents our values, like Herschel Walker, or do you want somebody who has voted with President Biden 96 percent of the time?"

Does Herschel Walker share your values?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: So this is happening today. The Senate is set to vote on a landmark bill to protect same-sex marriages nationwide. While it does not set a national requirement that all states much legalize same-sex marriage, it would require individual states to recognize another state's legal marriage.

CNN's Melanie Zanona joins us live from Capitol Hill this morning. Good morning to you.

A major win for Democrats in a rare show of bipartisanship in the Senate. It doesn't go all the way for codification of codifying but it is a step in the right direction.

MELANIE ZANONA, CNN CAPITOL HILL REPORTER: Yes, good morning, Don.

A big bipartisan moment and a historic moment not just for Democrats but for the entire country. This bill had been gaining steam ever since this summer when Roe v. Wade was overturned and when Justice Clarence Thomas suggested that same-sex marriage could be under threat next.

[07:35:02]

But the votes weren't there initially. Democrats really worked behind the scenes with Republicans. They made some changes to the bill. They also delayed the vote until after the midterm elections in the hopes of alleviating some political pressure that some of these GOP senators may have been under.

And look, it appears to have paid off because a dozen Republicans voted to advance this bill yesterday. We are expecting a similar amount if not more to vote for final passage in the Senate today.

But there's still one more step that this has to go through. It still has to go through the House. That could happen in the coming days. We're expecting another big bipartisan vote there since 47 Republicans voted for a different version earlier this summer.

But all that to say this landmark bill could be on President Joe Biden's desk by the end of the week, Don.

LEMON: And Melanie, we'll be following it. Thank you, Melanie -- appreciate it.

COLLINS: All right. It was a record day of voting in Georgia's Senate runoff. They have had many runoffs in the state there now. More than 300,000 voters turned out to cast their ballots early. It was the most in a single day in the state's history and it comes after more than 180,000 Georgians voted when the polls opened over the weekend. There was that early voting that happened on Saturday.

So I took a trip yesterday after the show to Georgia to speak with the Republican governor there, Brian Kemp. He is not on the ballot after he just won reelection a few weeks ago but he is at the center of the race and could be pivotal to Herschel Walker's campaign, who he is now campaigning with.

That's a change of pace after Brian Kemp distanced himself from Walker in the midterms ahead of that. It could make all the difference as Walker is appealing to 200,000 voters who voted for Kemp just a few weeks ago but did not vote for Walker.

Here's what Brian Kemp told us.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COLLINS: Over 180,000 Georgians have already cast their ballots over the weekend, taking advantage of that extra day of early voting that they got because of that lawsuit that was filed by Sen. Warnock.

Did you agree with the judge's ruling in that case?

GOV. BRIAN KEMP (R-GA): I don't even know why there was a discussion on that. Look, people got plenty of time to vote in this election. Let them go vote. This is going to be a turnout election. My message to people is don't get distracted with things like that. Just get the vote out.

COLLINS: So you think it's good that there was that extra day of early voting?

KEMP: Well, I mean, look, counties have always had the option from when they can do early voting or not. So, I mean, fighting that fight -- we could have been doing other things. But, you know, look, it wasn't my decision. I wasn't involved in it.

All that matters is that on Election Day who's got the most votes. It's really that simple. And I just think Republicans don't need to get distracted. That's what happened in the last runoff we had here in Georgia and it didn't turn out very good for us.

COLLINS: Well, I want to return to that. But since I have seen you, you have won your reelection. You got 200,000 more votes than the Republican candidate for Senate, Herschel Walker did. You're now appearing with him on the campaign trail in a much bigger way than you were the last time I saw you.

Why now? And why do you think there were 200,000 people that voted for you but not for Herschel Walker?

KEMP: Well, listen, I was focused on making sure that I got reelected. And I was also, as you know from our past interviews and what people saw us doing and our campaign doing -- it wasn't just helping me, it was helping our whole ticket.

And we had a really good night here in Georgia. We won every statewide race -- Republicans did. And then we got an incumbent U.S. senator in a runoff. So we had an incredible night here.

But really, to me, the runoff now is a very simple choice. Are you going to vote for somebody that's been with Joe Biden 96 percent of the time, or are you going to vote for somebody that's going to up there and fight for Georgia? And that's the way I'm voting.

COLLINS: Well, Herschel Walker was the only Republican who did not win on November 8 on the statewide ticket.

What you just said about the choice -- something you said -- it reminds me of something you said on the campaign trail recently, which was -- you said, "Who do you want to fight for you in the Senate. Do you want a guy who represents our values, like Herschel Walker, or do you want somebody who has voted with President Biden 96 percent of the time?"

Does Herschel Walker share your values?

KEMP: Well, listen, when I'm talking about going to Washington, D.C. and fighting for what Georgians need, I'm talking about the border, 40-year-high inflation, astronomical gas prices since Joe Biden took office, and the agenda that Raphael Warnock has supported up there.

I mean, to me, it's that simple in this race. And that's why I'm voting for Herschel Walker. I want somebody to go up there that's going to fight for our state and fight for our citizens -- not fight to support a president that really, in my view, is not upholding the values of what Georgians want.

COLLINS: And you think Herschel Walker does that when it comes to values?

KEMP: I think he will do that in the United States Senate. COLLINS: You're campaigning with Herschel Walker but Sen. Warnock has

kind of been campaigning with you. You have been featured in some of his ads. He is showing voters who cast their ballots for you.

KEMP: Well, they did a -- did a press conference talking about me and my agenda, which hopefully, because they did that people will listen to what I've been telling them -- to vote for a guy that's going to fight for us.

[07:40:03]

COLLINS: It's pretty rare to see a Democratic Senate candidate campaigning with people who voted for the Republican governor.

KEMP: Yes. I mean, look, Warnock's got a lot of resources. He can do whatever he wants. But at the end of the day, I don't think any of that stuff matters. The money doesn't matter. Somebody's views that's going on a television commercial doesn't necessarily matter.

It matters what people think. I mean, what they're dealing with in their everyday lives. And I know people are dealing with 40-year-high inflation. I know that they know that the border is a disaster and you've got Joe Biden saying after the November election he's not going to change a thing.

And I just think there's a lot of Georgians that want things to change in Washington, D.C. and they want people fighting to lower gas prices and lower 40-year-high inflation. Interest rates are going up. I mean, it's -- you know, a lot of people starting to get laid off -- big companies that are out there. Thankfully, our economy has been more insulated than most around the country and we're very thankful and blessed by that, but we don't want to risk that continuing into the future.

COLLINS: You talked about lessons learned after the last runoff election. What are those lessons?

KEMP: Well, I think that's one reason we controlled our own destiny on our ground game, which we've turned that over to the Senate leadership fund and they're out there working. They're knocking on doors. We're getting people to the polls, which is what this race is all about.

And we've built something pretty special here that worked. It didn't just work for me, it worked for the rest of the Republicans on the state ticket. And we're trying to make that work, hopefully, in this runoff.

COLLINS: We'll find out on next Tuesday.

KEMP: Yes.

COLLINS: Since I last saw you, Georgia's highest court has reinstated a ban on abortion after six weeks. It basically put on hold a decision by a lower court that overturned that 2019 law that you signed into law. If the appeals court comes back and overturns the law, what will you do?

KEMP: Well, we're going to keep fighting the legal process. I mean, we knew three years ago when we passed this bill that it was going to take a long time to be -- to get it through the courts and to get it implemented. And we knew there would be a lot of people fighting us. But that's the path that we've taken and that's what we'll do.

And so, we're just going to wait and see what the court does, and then we'll reassess. I believe that they'll uphold our law and it'll be implemented.

COLLINS: Let me get your reaction to something that former President Trump has been under fire for in recent days, which is having dinner with Nick Fuentes, this outspoken white supremacist and antisemite.

KEMP: Well, I just put a statement out there. I'll let that statement speak for itself. I mean, that was a bad decision. There is no place for that in the Republican Party. I know he's got his answer to that question and I'll let him speak to that. But my views on that are very clear.

COLLINS: He has defended it, saying he was a guest of Kanye West, who was his guest. But he hasn't criticized or denounced the statements that we've seen -- this hateful language from Nick Fuentes.

KEMP: Well, listen, I am not privy to who said what and all of that. I'll just let my statement speak for itself. It's very clear.

COLLINS: In recent days, you have filed paperwork to create a federal PAC of your own. It makes people wonder if you've got --

KEMP: Yes.

COLLINS: -- some of your own future national ambitions. What would you tell them?

KEMP: I would tell them that we're working hard to get Herschel elected -- Herschel Walker elected to the United States Senate and that's what the people in Georgia need to stay focused on. We cannot get distracted with other things.

And so, that PAC is designed to do that, but also to help federal candidates in the future in our state. I mean, what we built with our ground game in the Georgians First committee was very effective at the state level and we want to have that same tool available to help some of our friends that may be serving in Congress or perhaps other nominees or other folks in the future.

And so, we thought it was wise to do that and to capitalize off of, really, a great effort that we've put together and to continue to build off that and to keep our state in good hands, and have people in Washington, D.C. that are voting Georgia values.

COLLINS: Could that be to help other people who are running for the Republican nomination for president, potentially?

KEMP: Well, that's what -- that's not what the focus is. You do not need -- you need to worry about next Tuesday. That's what I'm worried about -- staying focused on getting Herschel over the goal line.

COLLINS: Next Tuesday is obviously what everyone's eyes are on, but you did see the former president announce that he will be running in 2024. Would you support him for that?

KEMP: I did -- I did see that.

COLLINS: Would you support him in that run?

KEMP: Well, I haven't seen who else is going to run, so I'm going to keep focused on getting Herschel elected to the United States Senate. We do not need to get distracted from that.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: That was so fascinating. It felt like he really opened up.

COLLINS: I think he's a little more emboldened. He just won reelection handily.

[07:45:02]

I thought what he said there at the end was really interesting. Of course, Trump actively tried to make sure that he was not the next governor -- or that he did not get reelected as governor of Georgia. He did so. And it will be interesting to see how he uses that federal PAC.

LEMON: What's interesting -- he said I'm going to take a wait-and-see attitude. Let's see who the other person or other people are.

HARLOW: Are.

LEMON:

COLLINS: Yes -- the attitude we've seen from other Republicans.

I also want to note while we were on the ground yesterday --

HARLOW: Yes.

COLLINS: -- we were very busy driving all around -- Jason Morris and I. We did also go to a Sen. Warnock event to talk to him. He was there meeting with students -- a huge line of students waiting to talk to him. Of course, they're also trying to get those 200,000 voters who voted for Kemp and not for Walker. They're also trying to appeal to them.

I did ask Sen. Warnock about this controversy that is happening with Trump and his meeting with Nick Fuentes.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. RAPHAEL WARNOCK (D-GA): Antisemitism has no place in our political system. And what we know about the former president is that he is quite skilled and well-practiced in the politics of division. My opponent is his acolyte.

I'm proud of the fact that Georgia, in one fell swoop, sent its first African American senator and its first Jewish senator to the United States Senate, and we've been able to do great work for Georgia together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: We'll see if Georgia does that again next Tuesday -- if they send Sen. Warnock back to Washington. We'll have more of that interview tomorrow.

LEMON: Yes. It's hard to knock him off of message. Warnock is very good at staying on message in interviews, as Kemp is, too. (INAUDIBLE).

HARLOW: That's great. I mean, they don't do a lot of interviews. The fact that you could go -- I don't know how you got to Georgia -- that's the reason back (PH) -- but good job.

COLLINS: I didn't sleep a lot last night.

HARLOW: You didn't sleep.

They don't talk -- I mean, Kemp barely does interviews, and Warnock -- I haven't seen a lot. So I'm looking forward to tomorrow. Thank you, Kaitlan.

OK, Russia continues to launch airstrikes on critical infrastructure across Ukraine. That has left millions without power and the cold, cold winter is upon us.

Up next, we'll talk to former astronaut Scott Kelly, who was just on the ground in Ukraine and just met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

(COMMERCIAL)

[07:51:23]

HARLOW: The first lady of Ukraine is urging the world not to forget the tragedy Ukrainians are facing this Christmas. Her plea comes as Russia continues to launch airstrikes on critical infrastructure across Ukraine, leaving millions without power ahead of the cold winter months.

Captain Scott Kelly, a retired NASA astronaut, and ambassador for Ukraine's UNITED24 fundraising platform, just went to Ukraine and met with President Zelenskyy, and joins us now from Kyiv. Thank you so much for being here.

Good for you for going. And you were -- not only did you meet with the president, you were focused on the children. You went to a children's hospital. What did you see?

CAPT. SCOTT KELLY (RET.), FORMER NASA ASTRONAUT, U.S. NAVY (RET.), AUTHOR, "READY FOR LAUNCH: AN ASTRONAUT'S LESSONS FOR SUCCESS ON EARTH", Yes, Poppy. I went to this children's hospital in Kyiv. It's the largest children's hospital in Ukraine called Ohmatdyt.

And absolutely inspiring to talk to the doctors and nurses, and the administration personnel that have been living there for the last several months in the hospital. It's kind of like being in space where you're at work when you wake up, you're at work when you go to sleep -- so a little bit similar there.

But also, seeing the children, some severely injured by Putin's attacks of this country. But also to see their spirit. They're -- even though their bodies have been broken by this, their spirit has not been broken.

LEMON: Listen, it -- I see you're in your vest. It gets very cold there, right, so there's a great, great need for a lot of things there, right? They need -- many people need food, they need shelter, and they need clothing.

The interesting thing for me is all the money that is being sent from the United States. A lot of that's going to the munitions and ammo and toward the war effort. But what about for people who actually need help there? Speak to us about the need on the ground, please.

KELLY: Yes, Don, that's -- there is serious need. I met last night with some of the other U24 ambassadors and with President Zelenskyy, and their biggest need right now is for power infrastructure -- generators and the fuel to run them. Because Putin and the Russian military is attacking civilian infrastructure.

You know, when I got here there were no lights on. Slowly, they've been coming back over the last couple of days.

But if we can't get that power to them, people will die over this winter because they don't have electricity and heat, and water.

COLLINS: I know ambulances is another big need that they have when it comes to that infrastructure that's just being pummeled by Russia.

But you did -- you came face-to-face with President Zelenskyy. What is -- what did he say? What is -- what is his biggest concern right now?

KELLY: Yes. So from a humanitarian perspective, his biggest concern is the electricity -- keeping the lights on and the heat running. They have a central heating system but it uses hot water, but it does require electricity. So right now, that's their biggest need because the Russian military, directed by Putin, is basically committing genocide here by attacking this civilian infrastructure. So that's the big need right now.

My other focus is raising money for ambulances. Russia destroys 10 of those a week. And they save people's lives. So whatever anyone can do to help in those areas I would much appreciate it. And obviously, the Ukrainians, of course, will as well and really, really need that.

COLLINS: Yes, not just appreciate it -- it's lifesaving.

Capt. Scott Kelly, thank you for being there, and thank you for joining us to share what it's like to be on the ground there.

LEMON: Be safe over there.

[07:55:00]

COLLINS: Yes.

KELLY: My pleasure, Kaitlan. Thank you.

COLLINS: All right.

Also this morning, Will Smith is speaking out about that infamous slap. It's an emotional new interview from Will Smith. That's ahead.

HARLOW: It has been 35 years since the '80s classic "Dirty Dancing" hit theaters, and 35 years was all it took to finally get a sequel. We have the details next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

Clip from "Dirty Dancing."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

Clip from "Dirty Dancing."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: OK. So, it's a timeless classic. Hard to believe it has been 35 years since Johnny pulled Frances Houseman up on stage. Good news for all of our "Dirty Dancing" fans. A sequel is still in the works -- yes. It's set to being -- that filming -- next year.

Jennifer Grey says that she'll be represing -- or reprising -- however you want to say it -- her role as Baby. She teased the new movie in a recent interview with "EXTRA."

HARLOW: That's exciting.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNIFER GREY, ACTRESS: I would say that you can count on it being at Kellerman's -- returning to Kellerman's --

JENN LAHMERS, REPORTER, "EXTRA": OK.

GREY: -- and Baby, quite a few years older. You will see other characters that are from the original.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: Well, sadly, the one familiar face we won't be seeing, obviously, again is Patrick Swayze. He lost his battle with pancreatic cancer back in 2009.

COLLINS: It won't be the same without him.

LEMON: No, no, and he was so, so great. I mean, they both -- together, the chemistry -- both of them.

HARLOW: That moment was everything. OK --

LEMON: And we tried here on CNN THIS MORNING -- whoa! Poppy, I didn't -- look, I mean, I got it.

COLLINS: You're watching a live audition right there on the right.

LEMON: I just -- I didn't want her microphones to fall off. I didn't want to, you know --

HARLOW: Kaitlan was very concerned for me, right? Looking out for me.

COLLINS: A lot of movement for 7:00 a.m. in the morning.

LEMON: Well, that was the 6:00 a.m. hour.

HARLOW: It was the 6:00 a.m. hour. No one puts Baby in a corner.

COLLINS: No one puts Poppy in a corner.

[08:00:00]