Return to Transcripts main page

CNN This Morning

Manchin Fuels Third-Party Speculation; Key Inflation Gauge Cooled; SAG-AFTRA Strike; Long Passport Delays. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired July 13, 2023 - 08:30   ET

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

[08:30:00]

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN ANCHOR: Offered jobs and money while she was cooperating with the committee. "Enough," the title of the book, will be released September 26th.

PAMELA BROWN, CNN ANCHOR: And moderate Democratic Senator Joe Manchin is heading to New Hampshire, raising questions about a possible third- party run for the presidency. Here is what he's saying now about that, up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOE MANCHIN (D-WV): No, no, this is nothing about a third party, this is not about running, about any office at all. It's about a dialogue for common sense, which is very hard to have here, finding commonality. And we're going around the country basically talking to people that want this commonality and common sense approach to how we fix problems. It's not happening here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: Yes, nobody goes to New Hampshire to talk about politics. That was moderate Democratic Senator Joe Manchin appearing to dispel rumors to our Manu Raju that he plans to run for president on a third- party ticket.

So, why is there speculation in the first place? Well, it's because he plans to travel to New Hampshire for a town hall event with the group called No Labels. It's a centrist political organization that is actively considering running a third-party candidate in 2024.

[08:35:00]

Joining us now to explain to us everything we need to know about all the things related to politics, our chief national affairs correspondent Jeff Zeleny.

Jeff, I was fascinated - I was out of Washington and talking to family and friends who aren't tied into Washington. They're asking about third-party candidates. They're asking, to some degree about No Labels, which was stunning to me. I'm also a little bit dismissive of it. Third-party candidates. What's a real threat out of the third- party candidates that are out there or potentially out there?

JEFF ZELENY, CNN CHIEF NATIONAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: Well, it certainly causes alarm, particularly in the Biden world. And this is why. This No Labels organization has been around a little while, several years actually. And it -- what they're talking about is a unity ticket. Putting up a Republican and a Democrat, or a Democrat and a Republican, in whichever order, to be an alternative if Biden and Trump are the nominees of their representative parties next year.

The challenge with this is, Democrats are concerned about this because they believe it siphons more votes from the Democratic side than from the Republican side because Trump voters are loyal, they believe some Biden voters aren't as enthusiastic.

It's hard to know. You can argue this several different ways. We look back to history. Ross Perot, for example, in 1992. Did he help Bill Clinton and hurt President George H.W. Bush? Perhaps. You can also look back in 2016, Jill Stein was the Green Party candidate.

So, there is worry. And Senator Manchin there has not said, a, if he's running for re-election in West Virginia. So he's going to New Hampshire Monday night with this No Labels group, causing some - raising some eyebrows in terms of what exactly he's up to.

BROWN: Yes, that's -

MATTINGLY: But is he -- is that the biggest threat?

ZELENY: It's not the only threat.

MATTINGLY: It's Biden - and I'm talking specifically about Biden.

ZELENY: It's not the only threat. And we mentioned Jill Stein. The Green Party is on the ballot in most every state.

MATTINGLY: Right.

ZELENY: And Cornell West is going to be -- trying to be the candidate for the Green Party. And many Democrats, including our colleague David Axelrod, the former architect of the Obama campaign, is really causing -- he says that this should raise the alarm among Democrats, particularly in the blue wall, Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania. Would he siphon votes away from Biden? So, we're a long aways away from the general election, but plenty of time for Democratic bed- wetting and hand-wringing.

BROWN: All right, let's look on the other side of the aisle and who is qualifying for the debate. You have Tim Scott announcing, as well as Chris Christie, saying that they have reached that donor threshold. Of course, Chris Christie has been one of Trump's biggest antagonists. And I'm wondering, does that put pressure at all for Trump to show up as we start to see who is qualified?

ZELENY: It is really interesting. Chris Christie, he thought he was going to hit the threshold. Yesterday he did. All week long he's been calling the former president a coward. Yesterday he said, Donny, come on in, are you not going to debate? So we'll see if he can goad him into this.

We don't know what Donald Trump is going to do. My guess is there will be plenty of reading of the tea leaves on both sides from now until probably the week of August 23rd, when that debate happens in Milwaukee. But, look, I think this is something he might be wise to skip because he is, by and away, the frontrunner in this party. But he does not always play to conventional strategy. Can the former president sort of, you know, turn away the oxygen and the attention from that debate? So, we'll see. But huge for Chris Christie to get on that stage. Mike Pence still hasn't qualified yet. So that will be a big question. Can he get 40,000 donors in 20 different states? It's harder than it sounds.

MATTINGLY: Gift cards. That's - gift cards.

ZELENY: Gift cards. If you've got the money to do it.

MATTINGLY: It's fascinating to watch them try and meet the thresholds.

Jeff Zeleny, good to see you, buddy. Thank you.

ZELENY: You bet.

BROWN: Thank you.

And this just in, a key inflation report has just been released. We're going to break down those numbers up next.

MATTINGLY: And major Hollywood studios and streamers have failed to reach a deal with the union representing actors.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ZOE SALDANA, ACTRESS, "SPECIAL OPS: LIONESS": I just hope that studios and streaming services are able to be as open and collaborative with the actors union so that people can go back to work immediately.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:42:48]

BROWN: And this just in, a key inflation report and this week's jobless claims have just been released.

CNN's Rahel Solomon joins us now.

Rahel, there was good news on inflation yesterday, and this was better than expected on both fronts, right?

RAHEL SOLOMON, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Better than expected. So, two economic reports coming out in just the last 12 minutes or so. Both proving better than economists were expecting. It's becoming a bit of a trend here, right? So, let's start with the Producer Price Index. This is the inflation index where the producers of goods and services, right, not to be confused with the CPI, or the Consumer Price Index. So this index increased 0.01 on an annual basis. That is better than economists were expecting on a monthly basis. Also increasing 0.1 percent. That is better than economists were expecting. It's the lowest level, guys, in three years for PPI.

Here's why this report really matters because what we see in this data tens to give us a sense of what we can expect to see with consumer inflation, with consumer prices, the things that you and I and all of us spend. And so the sense is that if it's falling here it should continue to fall in consumer inflation, which, of course, when that report yesterday we saw, right?

Let's go talk about jobless claims. So this is the most real-time indicator of what's happening in the labor market. This comes out once a week and it gives us a sense of how many Americans are filing for unemployment benefits. We were expecting this number to actually tick up slightly, but it ticked down to 237,000. That ticked down 12,000, I want to say, from the week prior. Continuing claims, that is the number of people who continue to file for unemployment benefits, that ticked up slightly, but was pretty much in line with what expectations were.

Guys, this is a sense of -- in a labor market that we had been expecting would start to soften. We're not really seeing that. Perhaps marginally, but we're not really that. This is a labor market that continues to defy expectations and continues to be strong, at least right now.

BROWN: All right. Rahel Solomon, thanks for breaking it down for us. Appreciate it.

MATTINGLY: Well, Hollywood is on the verge of yet another work stoppage after the latest round of talks between the SAG-AFTRA Union and Hollywood studios collapsed overnight. The actors union is preparing for its national board to authorize a strike.

CNN's Natasha Chen is live for us in Los Angeles.

Natasha, is this strike a done deal at this point?

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: We're very much expecting this strike to happen, Phil.

[08:45:01]

That's because the membership of 160,000 actors in this guild had already overwhelmingly authorized a strike if a deal was not reached. And this is already an extension of their first deadline. So, we'll wait for that result at noon in Los Angeles, 3:00 p.m. Eastern.

I want to read you a little bit about what the chief negotiators said about the negotiations. He said, the studios and streamers have implemented massive unilateral changes in our industry's business model while at the same time insisting on keeping our contracts frozen in amber. The studios and streamers have underestimated our members' resolve as they are about to fully discover.

Here is one actor who was on the picket line this week talking about that resolve.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOEL KIM BOOSTER, MEMBER OF SAG-AFTRA AND WGA: I think, like, people assume that, you know, writers in Hollywood or actors in Hollywood are all sort of wealthy and successful and, you know why should we need even more money than we're getting now? But what I don't think people realize is that there's a whole middle class of writers and actors that is disappearing because they're making it more and more difficult to just make a living.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHEN: Difficult because they are asking for more wages and also they see on the horizon how artificial intelligence could threaten their work. The studios said that they actually offered a groundbreaking deal with protections regarding AI. And here's part of what they said. We are deeply disappointed that SAG-AFTRA has decided to walk away from negotiations. This is the union's choice, not ours. Rather than continuing to negotiate, SAG-AFTRA has put us on a course that will deepen the financial hardship for thousands who depend on the industry for their livelihoods.

Phil.

MATTINGLY: All right, Natasha Chen, thank you.

BROWN: So, if you're planning on traveling soon, do yourself a favor, make sure your passport is up to date and where you left it last. Harry Enten has this morning's number next, as he has a prop in his hands.

MATTINGLY: He even brought a prop. Brought a prop. Of course he brought a prop. At least he's not dancing.

BROWN: Of course, because it's Harry.

MATT: At least he's not dancing.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:51:12]

MATTINGLY: Well, if you're planning to travel overseas at some point in the near future, go ahead and make sure you have your passport up to date or else you may be out of luck. The State Department reports wait times of up to three months for routine passport processing because of high demand.

CNN's senior data reporter Harry Enten has a private back channel passport - no, I'm kidding. But he does have the morning number. Harry, what is it?

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: All right, this morning's number is 22 plus million. Why? That's the number of U.S. passports issued in 2023 expected. Beating the old record, which was just last year, in 2022, of a little bit less than 22 million. So, I don't have a back channel, but the fact is, a lot of people want to go overseas at this point.

BROWN: A lot of people want to go overseas. Are there enough people processing all these requests? Tell us about the problem here.

ENTEN: Yes, you know, you were talking about the fact that processing times are way up. Look at this, the normal is three to five week -- or six to nine weeks for routine. Look what it's up to now, 10 to 13 weeks. Let's say you want an expedited passport. The normal there is three to five weeks. Look here, it's still up to 7 to 9 weeks. Do not be like our friend, Elie Honig, who arrived at the airport and realized, wait a minute, my passport's out of date. I can't (INAUDIBLE) go overseas.

MATTINGLY: This is a true story. This actually happened. He didn't -- his family went without him, which I totally respect his family for doing that.

BROWN: Poor guy.

MATTINGLY: What does this passport rush say about kind of the Covid pandemic and the aftermath?

ENTEN: Yes, so, you know, Americans who say the Covid-19 pandemic is over, look at this, 64 percent, the majority now say it's over. Americans believe it's over. It's the first time during this entire pandemic period in which the majority say the Covid-19 pandemic is over.

Guys.

BROWN: All right.

MATTINGLY: And, again, if you want Harry's back channel - his black market passport, it's 212 - no, I'm kidding.

Thanks, buddy. Good to see you.

BROWN: Thanks. Great to see you, Harry.

ENTEN: Thank you.

BROWN: Well, this just in, the FDA approving the first over the county birth daily control pill. Perrigo's once-a-day Opill will be sold without a prescription and there will be no age restrictions on sales. This move comes six decades after birth control pills were introduced into the U.S. and it allows women and girls to buy contraceptive medication from the same aisle as aspirin and eye drops. MATTINGLY: Well, it's been six months since the Buffalo Bills training

staff saved Damar Hamlin's life after he went into cardiac arrest on the football field. Those trainers, they were honored at last night's Espy Awards.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NATHAN BRESKE, BUFFALO BILLS HEAD ATHLETIC TRAINER: Damar, first and foremost, thank you for staying alive, brother.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:58:11]

MATTINGLY: Well, if it wasn't for the quick response from the Buffalo Bills training staff, Damar Hamlin probably wouldn't be alive. It's something he has said time and time again ever since those trainers ran onto the field to save him. Hamlin was in cardiac arrest after being hit in the chest while making a routine tackle during the Bills game in Cincinnati in January. Wednesday, Hamlin had the opportunity to honor his heroes, presenting the team of trainers who saved his life with the Pat Tillman Award for Service at the Espy Awards. A moment that brought the 25-year-old to tears as his emotional tribute was met with a standing ovation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NATHAN BRESKE, BUFFALO BILLS HEAD ATHLETIC TRAINER: This team next to me, who are celebrated tonight, we're not used to having the spotlight on us. Like, we -- we were just doing our job. But the idea of service is definitely something that is engrained in our profession and that we take great pride in. If there is one thing we hope you take away from this tonight, learn CPR and how to use an AED, because they save lives.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: Wow, that was beautiful.

MATTINGLY: It was an important message, first and foremost. But also the way Damar Hamlin, throughout the course of his recovery and constantly putting the focus on that team of people that saved his lives - his life, and just the way he's touched individuals by how he's addressed the situation throughout, it's -- I don't know, it's incredible. And his speech last night it was - his remarks last night were outstanding. He just seems like a really great guy.

BROWN: I mean, and it was so authentic, right, his emotion.

MATTINGLY: Yes, that's the biggest thing.

BROWN: Everything about it, it was just - it was beautiful.

MATTINGLY: It was real. BROWN: And those heroes, they deserved to be recognized the way that they were, saving his life. It's one of those feel good stories that -

MATTINGLY: He has been a whirlwind of a year for him.

BROWN: I know, right.

MATTINGLY: And he's coming back. He's coming back.

BROWN: He's coming back.

MATTINGLY: He's training. He's going to play again. Heck of a story.

BROWN: Coming back strong.

All right, well, "CNN NEWS CENTRAL" starts right now.

[09:00:01]

Have a great day, everyone.