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CNN This Morning

Ukrainian Town Hammered by Fire; Mark Esper is Interviewed about the War in Ukraine; Adderall Shortages in the U.S.; Biden Faces Toxic Disaster and Immigration. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired February 23, 2023 - 06:30   ET

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

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[06:30:07]

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Now to a CNN exclusive.

We are getting a first-hand look inside the battered town of Vuhledar, which is in southeastern Ukraine. This town has been hammered by Russian fire for weeks. And in the last couple of months, it has been the focus of Russia's destructive campaign.

Our Alex Marquardt is on the ground.

Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL SECURITY CORRESPONDENT: The fight for Vuhledar right now is one of the most important and difficult in the country. While the fight for Bakhmut is largely symbolic, this is a very strategic fight for both sides.

Vuhledar is unique in that it sits at the intersection of the two main active fronts in Ukraine, the southern and the eastern front. That is why Russia wants to try to push through here, to launch an offense into Donbas. It is believed that this is one of their shaping operations. The beginning of a large offensive to come in the next few weeks.

But they are struggling very badly right now. They've lost a huge amount of men and armored vehicles as they try to cross open fields, including mine fields, where the Ukrainians have been able to inflict a huge amount of damage on their troops. At the same time, the Russians are absolutely pummeling this town.

You can see all around me, these are Soviet-era apartment blocks. Now, largely empty. The residents have fled. And almost every single one destroyed in varying degrees. All of the windows are been blown out. Craters here in the ground where children used to play.

Ukrainians have the benefit of the higher ground here, and these buildings to use in the fighting. But as with so many of the battles here in eastern Ukraine, it is a fight of attrition. Who can hold out the longest? The Ukrainian side saying they need more ammunition to be able to keep the Russians at bay, to keep them from advancing.

Alex Marquardt, CNN, Vuhledar, in eastern Ukraine.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: All right, Alex, thank you very much for that. Appreciate it.

So, joining us now, the former defense secretary under President Trump, Mark Esper.

Good morning, sir. Thank you so much. We appreciate you joining us here on CNN THIS MORNING.

MARK ESPER, FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARY UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP: Good morning. Good to be with you all.

D: So, you say that the U.S. has the right strategy but needs an end game for Ukraine. What exactly should that be?

ESPER: Well, I think we need to follow the lead of President Zelensky. And his vision has been that Russian forces would be expelled from all of Ukraine, to include Crimea, as the first step. And I think that's what we need to aim toward and support.

Look, your reporter just talked about attrition warfare in Ukraine. It's happening right now. It looks much like World War I. And at this point, if we don't give Ukraine the means to really take on a World War II style counteroffensive, we could see this war grind on and on and end up in another frozen conflict like we see in other parts of the - of Europe.

LEMON: We've been talking about this for a year now about the public interest, especially here in the United States, and how do you - how do you keep that up because democracy is at stake worldwide.

There's a recent poll that shows that the majority of Americans support the U.S. continuing to give weapons to Ukraine. But that number is slipping, 48 percent are in favor today, versus, this was just in May, 60 percent -- May of last year.

So, how do leaders keep up public support here? What has to be done?

ESPER: Well, first of all, Vladimir Putin is counting on western support to ultimately fail. And, of course, the western unity right now all hinges on American leadership. So, I've argued that President Biden needs to come out more frequently and speak to the American people about what's at stake here. Put into broader context, as he did the other day, about democracies versus autocracies in this world, and then take it down to the household level, the kitchen table where we can explain to the American people what it means to them or what it could mean to them if we don't help the Ukrainians.

And, look, the other part of this is, it has gone on for 12 months. The Ukraine's constantly ask for more weapons, whether it's stingers or HIMARS or patriots or tanks now or F-16s, and we keep trickling these things out instead of just giving them what they need to fight and win and then align them to go on a counter offensive that could really finish off the Russians.

LEMON: Yes. Another question that we have been talking a lot about is fighter jets and whether they should give fighter jets - we should give fighter jets to the Ukrainians. Do you think -- the concern is that it would look like an escalation, right, on the - on the part of the United States and that we were actually fighting the war. Do you think that is so and should we give fighter jets to Ukraine?

ESPER: Unfortunately, that's been the White House theory for 12 months now. We've been self-deterred to the point of, again, disabling the Ukrainians from what we're doing. It seems like we're giving them just enough not to lose but not enough to win. Yes, they need F-16s.

LEMON: That's a question. That is a question, do we want Ukraine to win or not to lose?

[06:35:04]

And that is a question that everyone is asking. In order to win, there are certain things that NATO may have to do that they don't necessarily want to do. Is that correct?

ESPER: Well, we do want Ukraine to win because, again, Ukraine is fighting the first major fight of the 21st century, when it comes to autocracies versus democracy. If we don't beat back the Russians now, it will be another country somewhere else.

And, look, Beijing is watching as well. They are taking notes. They are trying to determine western resolve, western support. That's why I've argued also that we need to be delivering arms to Taiwan today. If we don't like fighting these wars, if we don't want to see a replay of what's happened the last 12 months, give the Taiwanese the means to defend themselves now so that China doesn't try to make a move on them in the coming years.

LEMON: All right, well, speaking of -- Putin held talks in Russia with China's top diplomat yesterday. Chinese President Xi Jinping also reportedly expected to travel to Moscow to meet with Putin soon. Plus, the secretary -- Secretary Blinken, is warning China's considering sending lethal aid for Russia to use in the war. What are your concerns about the relationship between Russia and China?

ESPER: Well, it seems to be deepening, right? And my sense is that Xi Jinping thinks -- believes that Vladimir Putin is losing, which, of course, he is. And he cannot afford - Xi Jinping that is - cannot afford to allow Russia to fail. And so, look, China has been providing Russian with assistance, technical assistance. They've been buying Russian oil and gas. For them to make the next leap in terms of providing lethal military aid, that would be dramatic and it would - it would prompt a - I would hope a large-scale western response that would include financial and economic sanctions. And when you really step back, what that means is the further decoupling between China and west when it comes to our economic integration. LEMON: Yes. Listen, I have to ask you about this. I wouldn't, you know, be doing a good interview if I didn't ask you about the Chinese spy balloon.

You were on - you were talking about Chinese spy balloon. This was just a few weeks ago. And we have the new image this morning. And we're talking about China potentially getting involved, as you said, in the Ukraine invasion. Plus, we previously reported that the memo where a top Air Force general warned of a potential conflict with China as soon as 2025. Are the American people fully aware of the threat from China, sir?

ESPER: No, I don't think so. I think they're rightly skeptical of China's intentions and ambitions. The Chinese have told us they want to dominate the Pacific by 2049, if not change the global order in their favor.

But this is where I think President Biden needs to come out. He's talking the right themes in terms of autocracies versus democracies, but we have to hear it more frequently and we have to bring it, again, down to the household level, to explain to the American people what's at stake because it - look, it is going to require some sacrifice if we are going to defend the global order as we know it now and our way of life and our - and our ideals of freedom and liberty and human rights.

LEMON: Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper, thank you. Appreciate you joining us.

ESPER: Thank you.

LEMON: And be sure to tune in to CNN tonight. Fareed Zakaria will host top Biden national security officials for a CNN town hall "Russia's Invasion of Ukraine: One Year Later." That's at 9:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

Again, our thanks to Mark Esper.

So, pharmacies across the nation are running low on Adderall. What's behind the shortage and when could it ease up?

HARLOW: Also ahead for us, the special counsel investigating Donald Trump is digging deeper into his inner circle. Who they are eyeing now.

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[06:42:42]

HARLOW: This morning, with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, are facing a critical Adderall shortage. This is forcing them to turn to other versions of the medication. What is troubling is that no one seems to know why.

Our Elizabeth Cohen joins us now to talk about it.

Good morning, Elizabeth.

I think we talked about this a few months ago, and is this just a continuation, an exacerbation of that big problem?

ELIZABETH COHEN, CNN SENIOR MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: It is, Poppy. A couple of months ago when CNN said, hey, when is this going to end, we were told pretty shortly. And it hasn't. It's been going to for months. Folks are showing up at the pharmacy to fill their prescription for Adderall, or a generic equivalent, and they're being told there just isn't any.

One of those people is Clara Pitts, a high school senior in Utah.

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COHEN (voice over): Clara Pitts is from a musical family.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Just go ahead - just - this section right there.

COHEN: She studies hard at piano.

CLARA PITTS, ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER PATIENT: I've been using this spreadsheet since 11th grade.

COHEN: A high school senior with a heavy load of AP and honors classes. Clara's dream, to get accepted at nearby Brigham Young University.

And these pills have helped a lot, Adderall, because Clara has ADHD. She started taking Adderall in the 10th grade.

C. PITTS: As soon as I got my medication, I started getting 100 percent on every test, to the point where my teacher forgot later in the year that I'd ever struggled.

COHEN: She even won a national merit scholarship.

But then, I few months ago, just before exams, right when her BYU application was due, she got this text from her mom, Rebekah, who was at the pharmacy. There's some manufacturer shortage and they don't have any. I don't know what to do. Honestly, I'm just sitting here crying because I can't get you these meds.

REBEKAH PITTS, CLARA'S MOTHER: And I spent several hours calling, I think, eight pharmacies. I felt really emotional about it in that first week or two that, strangely, like I had failed my child, even though it wasn't my fault. It was hard to tell her and try to help her to understand, we won't be getting this medication any time soon. And I felt scared for what that would mean for her as a senior.

COHEN: Clara is one of many Americans impacted by recent widespread drug shortages, of cancer drugs, antibiotics, pain medicines, and, since last fall, Adderall.

[06:45:08]

The FDA says one reason is that demand for Adderall has increased from 35.5 million prescriptions in 2019 to 45 million last year.

Plus, some companies that make Adderall tell the FDA they've had shortages of an active ingredient or supply constraints. Another company just says "other" as a reason for limited supply. The FDA telling CNN, manufacturers are working to meet the demand, and the FDA is helping with anything we can do to increase supply.

The FDA doesn't give many details about what's gone wrong or how they're going to fix it. And experts who study drug shortages say that's part of the problem.

DR. YORAM UNGURU, JOHNS HOPKINS BERMAN INSTITUTE OF BIOETHICS: I think transparency is extremely important. It's really difficult to be able to anticipate and let alone come up with meaningful solutions if you don't know what the problem is.

COHEN: Clara did get a prescription for a different ADHD medication, but she says for her it's not the same.

In the meantime, her hard work at school has paid off.

C. PITTS: Rise and shout Clara. I am happy to offer you admission to Brigham Young University.

COHEN: Acceptance at her first choice college.

C. PITTS: I'm going be a Cougar, mom. I'm so glad.

COHEN: Thrilled, but still hoping to get Adderall to help her through it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COHEN: Now, Adderall has something in common with many other drugs that are in shortage. It is not a terribly expensive. This means the drug companies, relatively speaking, aren't making a ton of money off of this drug.

Poppy.

HARLOW: That was fascinating.

LEMON: Yes.

HARLOW: Elizabeth, thank you. I hope they figure out a solution for people who really need it soon.

LEMON: Well, coming up, it's not a UFO and it's not a stray mine.

HARLOW: What is that?

LEMON: Well, I can't give it away. Honestly, no one - I don't want to say what this is. But this is this iron ball falling from the sky, washed up in Japan. Can officials or even Neil deGrasse Tyson figure it out? So, he's going to join us.

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[06:51:24]

LEMON: President Biden back at the White House after his momentous trip to the war zone in Ukraine. But now he is facing multiple issues here at home, including the chemical disaster in Ohio and fury over a new and controversial immigration policy aimed at turning away migrants.

Bring in now senior White House correspondent MJ Lee, on the White House lawn this morning.

Good morning, MJ. The president now has to confront some pretty urgent issues now that he's back on U.S. soil.

MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Don. You know, it has been a whirlwind 72 hours for the president, first visiting a war zone in Ukraine and then his visit to Poland. But now that he is back home, he is confronting a number of serious, domestic issues. First and foremost, there is the situation at the U.S. border.

You know, earlier this week, we saw this very striking contrast and a split screen when he gave this speech in Warsaw thanking Poland for taking in some 1.5 million refugees from the war. He said Poland's generosity and their willingness to open their homes was extraordinary. But back at home here, on the same day, just several hours later, the Biden administration announced one of its toughest policies yet to turn away migrants at the U.S. southern border and not allow them to seek asylum.

Now, of course, the situation confronting refugees of war and asylum seekers coming to the U.S. are not going to be the same, but we are still generally talking about freedoms and protections for displaced people. And so that contrast and the timing of this announcement by the Biden administration, while the president was aboard, that didn't go unnoticed by immigration and human rights activists and Democratic lawmakers as well. We can report this morning that they are extremely furious with the administration for making this announcement, for feeling like they were blindsided and for what they say has been a lack of engagement from this White House. This is a policy that they say is akin to a controversial Trump era policy.

So, all of this has been such a reminder of how the situation at the U.S. southern border has been a huge headache for the Biden administration.

And, Don, of course, as you mentioned too, the situation in East Palestine, Ohio, that is a huge situation to watch for. This administration, of course, the transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, is headed there today. But he is expected to face a lot of anger and questions about whether the administration took action too late.

Don.

LEMON: All right, we'll be watching. MJ Lee, at the White House, thank you.

HARLOW: MJ was just talking about what's happening in East Palestine, Ohio. Angry, frustrated residents there confronting officials about the train derailment that released toxic chemicals into their town. Two residents who were at our town hall last night will join us live on the set. They're right there. Did they get the answers they deserve?

Plus this.

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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our daughter was told that she would have - she was going to get one too. That it was going to be a slave hanging from a tree and say that you're my favorite slave.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON: A disturbing incident at an elementary school involving students handing out racist drawings for Black History Month. How the families and the school are reacting, straight ahead.

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[06:59:05]

LEMON: I was trying to get my sports voice on.

In sports this morning, on the 50 yard line!

Oh, it's not bad (ph).

HARLOW: You can do a little better than that.

LEMON: A little bit.

HARLOW: Netflix has given us popular series on Formula One racing, tennis and golf. Now the streaming giant is turning to football. The streaming platform is partnering with NFL Films for a docuseries titled "Quarterback" that will give viewers a behind the scenes look at three players, including Super Bowl XVII MVP Patrick Mahomes, or mahomey (ph) as I like to call him. The series will also feature Vikings QB Curt Cousins and Marcus Mariota of the Falcons. Payton Manning's Omaha Productions is producing this show, along with Mahomes' newly formed 2PM Productions. "Quarterback" is set to premier later this summer.

HARLOW: I'll watch it.

LEMON: Omaha. Omaha.

HARLOW: Goal!

[07:00:00]

LEMON: Yes. That's a different one. CNN THIS MORNING continues right now.