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New Poll Numbers for Trump and Biden; Mexico and U.S. Officials Agree to Depressurize Border Cities; Milley Leaving Office; Super and Swiftie NFL Sunday. Aired 6:30-7a ET

Aired September 25, 2023 - 06:30   ET

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

[06:30:00]

ERROL LOUIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: What changed in the last six months with Latino voters to suddenly abandon. If - is that the problem? So, if you wanted to compare it to a car that doesn't seem to be functioning, you've got to ask yourself, is it out of gas? Is there something wrong with the carburetor? Is it defective from the factory? What is going on here?

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.

LOUIS: And I don't think the poll really suggests that. I don't - I don't know if it's time to really panic.

Democrats will panic. We know that that's what they do. But the reality is, unless something has fundamentally changed, if -- unless, you know, important parts of the Democratic coalition have either defected or are seriously annoyed at the leadership, you know, the suggestion that women are going to walk away or suburban voters or college educated voters or black or Latino voters, unless you've got an explanation or a story that kind of matches that, it really is too soon to panic, I think.

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN ANCHOR: And I think it's a great point because we -- I think we seize on individual polls, particularly national polls, at this stage in the game and it's, to some degree, nonsensical. I understand looking at it for trend lines that don't make sense. Snapshot in time. There are outliers.

The coalition that you're talking about ends up tracking with this poll. Donald Trump's going to win with like an 84 Reagan-style level blowout. And that -- nobody sees that happening.

What is interesting, though, and what consistent poll after poll after poll is on the economy. And you've covered this issue closer than anybody over multiple administrations. And I'm interested because Shelby makes this point, in terms of connecting what this administration has done, both legislatively and through executive action, the broader macro numbers versus how people are feeling. Where is the disconnect, do you think?

SALEHA MOHSIN, SENIOR WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT, "BLOOMBERG": A lot of it is in the messaging, but a lot of it is just when you're at the grocery store checkout, what are you seeing? You can hear a narrative from President Biden, who is hopscotching across the country to tell everyone that Bionomics is infrastructure, it's construction jobs, but all people are seeing is that egg prices are really high. I'm being told they've come down, they're still really high, and my wages have just not come up.

The other side of it is also, it depends on who you ask. Republicans see Bidenomics as inflation. A lot of Democrats see it as job creation. And then there's the people in between. And there's a lot of apathy right there right in between.

HARLOW: I think it -- you make a great point. And then, Shelby, adding on to what's to come, student loan repayments start October 1st. No idea where this UAW strike is going to land. That's why you've got Trump and Biden going there this week. So, you have -- you also have GDP predictions. I think Goldman Sachs' prediction for growth in the fourth quarter is not good. So, those are things, by the way, that haven't even hit people yet.

SHELBY TALCOTT, PLITICS REPORTER, "SEMAFOR": Yes, I mean, it's, again, it's a long ways to the general election. There's time for things to move in either direction. And I think you make a really good point that, you know, things can change. This is one poll. This is just a few polls. And I think at this point it is in part up to the Biden administration to kind of hone in that messaging. But a lot of it is not necessarily going to be up to them because we don't know what's going to happen with all these issues.

HARLOW: Then why -- I don't know, you've covered this White House, why are they talking about it like this, knowing what people are feeling ?

MATTINGLY: I'm not on the panel. I'm just supposed to ask them.

LOUIS: Well, listen, there's a cautionary tale for - for this White House.

HARLOW: You totally bailed Phil out, Errol.

MATTINGLY: Keep going, Errol, you're doing great.

LOUIS: The cautionary tale for this White House is -- is 1990 when the presidency of George H.W. Bush was endangered because there was a recession. And technically we were coming out of the recession. It's just people didn't feel it in time and they voted him out of office. And that -- that's what they want to try and avoid above -- above everything. It would be, you know, a great problem for them if while they're doing all of the right things, and technically inflation is coming down, but if people just don't believe it, they don't feel it, then they're not going to act on it. That's, I think, when they say, give us time. They are racing against time.

HARLOW: It's -- it's technically not coming down on things like food, energy in some respects. I think gas prices.

LOUIS: Well, inflation is the rate of change. So, the rate of change is coming down. And, you know, OK, fine. So, you know, the prices are too high but - and they're still getting higher.

HARLOW: Yes.

LOUIS: But they're not getting high as quickly as they were last year. By the time you've explained that to a voter, they're like, you know what -

HARLOW: When you're explaining you're losing.

LOUIS: Yes. Well, exactly.

HARLOW: Yes.

LOUIS: And - and, you know, look, we all feel it. You know, you fill up that gas tank. It's like, wait a second.

HARLOW: I know.

LOUIS: What -- what just happened here.

HARLOW: I think in California it was like six bucks in one place last week.

TALCOTT: And that's what - that's what voters ultimately vote on is kitchen table issues.

HARLOW: Yes.

TALCOTT: Things that are affecting them.

MATTINGLY: They think time will allow their legislative policies to sink in.

HARLOW: Oh, now - now you're on the panel?

MATTINGLY: No, I just -- you know, you caught me off guard. I was a little unsettled. And I know there's smart people around me who can answer better.

HARLOW: OK.

MATTINGLY: And they also think the contrast is the biggest thing. And once you put head-to-head him and Trump, and you look at Trump's economic record, and then you look at what's actually -- particularly on issues like abortion across the board, they feel like they have a net positive. So, will that carry the day?

HARLOW: (INAUDIBLE).

MATTINGLY: We should ask the panel next hour.

HARLOW: OK.

MATTINGLY: Shelby Errol, Saleha, thanks, guys, very much. We appreciate it.

HARLOW: Thank you.

So, Phil just mentioned there's a new detail -- deal, rather, between the United States and Mexico. This is aiming to ease the migrant crisis that is really overwhelming border towns.

[06:35:02]

We've got those deal -- details ahead.

MATTINGLY: And happening today, some residents of Lahaina will begin returning to what's left of their homes, seven weeks after those devastating wildfires. What they're expecting to find, that's ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

MATTINGLY: Well, this morning there's a new agreement between Mexico and the U.S. to deport migrants at border cities back home to their countries. It's part of an effort to fight the massive surge in illegal crossings in recent weeks. Mexican officials have also agreed to prevent migrants from using railways to reach the border.

Now, this agreement comes as Texas border towns are feeling the weight of the crisis, with the mayor of El Paso saying the city is at its breaking point.

CNN's Rosa Flores joins us live from Houston.

Rosa, I was reading your reporting throughout the course of the weekend. There is a ton to unpack here. But what's the significance of this agreement?

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You know, Phil, this is really significant because it could be the difference between the U.S. seeing another surge on the southern border and not. See, what Mexican officials here are saying is that they are going to, quote, "depressurize" their northern Mexican border cities by deporting migrants back to their home countries, which in essence means Mexico would be rerouting the flow of migration before migrants actually get to the U.S. southern border.

[06:40:08]

U.S. Representative Henry Cuellar, over the weekend, applauded this move, saying that this is a strategy that has worked in the past under presidents Obama and President Trump. But it's notable to add that advocacy organizations, immigration advocates and human rights organizations have, in the past, condemned this type of strategy.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FLORES: From Mexico to the riverbanks of Eagle Pass, thousands of migrants have crossed the border, wading across the Rio Grande, crawling under the razor wire and overwhelming Eagle Pass and other southern Texas cities.

MAYOR ROLANDO SALINAS JR., EAGLE PASS, TEXAS: We're here abandoned. We're on the border. We're asking for help. This is unacceptable. Please, just enforce the laws that are on the books.

FLORES: In an effort to, quote, "depressurize" northern Mexico border cities, the United States and Mexico have brokered a new agreement. Meeting in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, on Friday, the countries agreed to a 15 action plan, which includes Mexico deporting migrants to their home countries by land and air. U.S. border patrol agents will be able to expel migrants to the bridge that connects El Paso to Ciudad Juarez. Mexico has also agreed to carry out negotiations with Venezuela, Brazil, Nicaragua, Colombia and Cuba to determine their willingness to accept citizens deported from the U.S./Mexico border.

The agreement also includes Mexico submitting a daily report of the number of migrants on its train system, establishing checkpoints along the rail route and conducting interventions on railways and highways, according to Mexican officials.

REP. HENRY CUELLAR (D-TX): Look, you know, what we need to do is to do this. One, we need to have repercussions at the border. What does that mean? You've got to deport people and you've got to show those images of people being deported. When was the last time we saw people going the other way instead of just seeing people flow in?

FLORES: On the ground in Eagle Pass, CNN witnessed the reality for migrants.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Speaking in foreign language).

ED LAVANDERA, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: He said, we faint, we pass out. This is crazy but thank God we are here.

FLORES: Just like Jorge Carrillo (ph) of Venezuela and his three-year- old child.

According to a federal law enforcement source, border patrol agents in the Rio Grande Valley are encountering about 1,000 migrants per day. This reality leaves Texas border towns like El Paso at their breaking point with thousands of migrants in custody.

MAYOR OSCAR LEESER, EL PASO, TEXAS: You know, we seem to be doing the same thing over and over again. They keep spending us money. We keep trying to find shelter and we try to make sure people are off the street, make sure our community is safe, make sure they're safe. But at the end of the day, the immigration system is not changed.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

FLORES: Now, back to the agreement between the U.S. and Mexico. It's notable that we know more from Mexican officials about what Mexico is doing in this agreement than what the United States is doing. It was U.S. Customs and Border Protection that attended this meeting on Friday. We've asked USCBP a lot of questions. We haven't heard back.

But USCBP did issue a statement yesterday from the acting commissioner saying in part, quote, "the United States and Mexico remain committed to stemming the flow of irregular migration driven by unscrupulous smugglers while maintaining access to lawful pathways. So, in other words, them doubling down on the enforcement action. It's

important to note as well that Mexico's top diplomat announced on Friday that Mexico's president wants to meet with President Biden in November in Washington, D.C. Among the things that the president wants to discuss is, of course, migration.

Back to you guys.

MATTINGLY: Rosa Flores, great reporting, as always. Thank you.

HARLOW: So, today, people who live in Lahaina on Maui will be able to go home. They are able to return to their homes for the first time since they were just destroyed in the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century.

The disaster area has been split into zones. The first zone has been cleared for reentry today. Officials say it will likely take about three months before everyone can go back to their property. And the governor warns people likely are going to have to wear protective gear because of the potentially toxic ash.

This comes seven weeks after that fire killed at least 97 people. Officials just released the names of six newly confirmed victims, and they include an 11-year-old little boy.

MATTINGLY: Well, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mark Milley, is scheduled to step down this week. We have new CNN reporting about his legacy and controversies. That's next.

HARLOW: And before we go to break, the lottery, Powerball jackpot growing, $785 million. Now the fourth largest prize in history. There have now been 28 consecutive drawings without a grand prize winner since one lucky person took home more than a billion bucks in July. Officials say the odds of hitting the jackpot, one in more than 292 million. So, good luck.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:49:00]

HARLOW: Welcome back to CNN THIS MORNING.

The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, will retire from his post at the end of this week. Milley served in that role under both President Trump and President Biden and he served during the political upheaval of the 2020 election, the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, and the war in Ukraine.

Our Katie Bo Lillis has new reporting on all of it this morning. She joins us now.

Good morning.

KAITE BO LILLIS, CNN REPORTER: Good morning.

HARLOW: He - he has been broadly criticized by Trump, both while he was still serving for the former president, and as recently as last week. What can you tell us about his legacy as he steps down from this role now?

LILLIS: Well, Poppy, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs is meant to be the president's top military adviser. They are outside of the chain of command. And it's supposed to be a strictly apolitical role.

But in ways big and small during the Trump era, the military was often sort of sucked into the chaotic domestic political environment of the moment in ways that Milley was often forced to respond to, in particular surrounding the events of January 6th. Milley, at that point, took a number of sort of extraordinary steps to try to safeguard against some of the president's more outlandish impulses, as well as just kind of the general chaos of the moment.

[06:50:10]

He's also become sort of the face of the so-called woke military for some critics on the right who say he has leaned too far into LGBTQ issues, as well as his public support for renaming Army bases in the south that were named after confederate generals.

And one detail that we learned, Poppy, about the degree to which Milley has sort of been attuned to the domestic politics surrounding both the military and himself personally is that every morning his staff pull the transcripts from the primetime Fox shows, like Sean Hannity and at one point Tucker Carlson, to kind of monitor them to see if they are talking about Mark Milley.

And so now there is this big debate, I think, over for his legacy and his sort of tenure. Did he -- did his conduct sort of fit an extraordinary political moment, or did he sort of lean into the domestic politics far enough that it has done some sort of - or made some irrevocable changes to the apolitical role of chairman of the Joint Chiefs.

HARLOW: He's also profiled in the big, you know, front page piece of "The Atlantic" as being the man who stood between Trump and the Constitution and the steps that he took.

Look, he apologized for the Lafayette Square moment, right, saying that that was a pure political -- he shouldn't have done it. But in other ways, things that he did through his tenure to stand between Trump and actions that would have been antithetical to the Constitution.

LILLIS: Yes. I think one way that we sort of found that Milley would kind of try to stand in the breach, so to speak, is he would listen to these tirades from President Trump and he would just stay silent. And if the president didn't give him a direct order, which he often would not, that would allow Milley to essentially walk out of Trump's office and just kind of not do anything.

And, of course, for some of his critics on the right, that's a dangerous perversion of civilian control of the U.S. military, which is this kind of bedrock principle. HARLOW: Your reporting is fascinating.

Katie Bo, thank you very much for joining us this morning.

LILLIS: Thank you.

HARLOW: Thanks.

Phil.

MATTINGLY: Well, the breaking news overnight, the writers' strike could finally be coming to an end. What we know about the potential deal and when shows could be back on air.

HARLOW: Plus, he's Chiefs' captain and she's on the bleachers. The new details behind Taylor Swift's big game day appearance.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[06:56:31]

MATTINGLY: So, has Taylor Swift entered her red era. And, OMG, the NFL has a Super Bowl halftime show confession. That reminds me, Poppy, did you see all the connectivity there that just - it's - it's -

HARLOW: I just can't - I can't - I'm glad they made you read that intro, OMG.

MATTINGLY: I respect great writing. And that's great writing right there.

Oh, by the way, Coy Wire is here.

Coy, we're going to connect all of those dots in a second. But first and foremost, the Miami Dolphins, I have no puns or pop culture to tie to. They just destroyed the Broncos yesterday.

COY WIRE, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Oh, man. You may not have puns, but they had punishment. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would see something like this. The Miami Dolphins putting up 70 points in a game. They told the Broncos, welcome to our house. And it took them less than 90 seconds for them to show, like DJ Khalid, we the best offense in the NFL. Tua Tagovailoa feeling this moment with four touchdown passes. Tyreek hill going 54 yards on this one. Cheetah, a man of the people, hopping into the stands. But this only begins the begin.

Raheem Mostert moseying into the end zone for one of his four touchdowns. And watch this celebration. Come on, shake your body, baby. Do that conga kind of.

Miami had 35 points at the half. And then in the fourth quarter, how about rookie Davon Achane, like a runaway train, 67 yards. So swift for one of his four touchdowns as well.

Miami, 70 points. They're the most in a game since 1966 by any one team. It's NFL regular season record was 72.

All right, speaking of Swift. Sparks flying in Kansas City as Taylor Swift sits next to Mama Kelce after an invite from Mr. Perfectly Fine, the Chiefs' Travis Kelce. So, you knew his quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, was going to find a way to make sure Trav caught a touchdown. Nothing new as Kasey's (ph) original power couple revs it up for seven catches and this touchdown. T. Swift trending with this reaction right here.

Chiefs embarrassed the Bears, 41 to 10. My goodness, I mean, Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift, it had been rumored that they were maybe dating, and it looks maybe more like that might be the case.

MATTINGLY: Can we just talk about, like, we try and be creative and funny with puns, and then - then Coy comes in and just -

HARLOW: So good.

MATTINGLY: Just absolutely destroys our efforts.

HARLOW: Punishment. We da best. You're the best, Coy. You're the best.

MATTINGLY: Did I see a Beguin (ph) reference in there somewhere?

HARLOW: I have no idea.

Stay here.

Let me bring in Nischelle Turner.

Coy, stay with us.

I keep saying to the team this morning, I'm like, do we know anything about Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce? So, I'm just going to ask you, do we know anything? Are they dating? What is happening?

NISCHELLE TURNER, CO-HOST, "ENTERTAINMENT TONIGHT": I mean, I think we're all seeing this play out in front of us.

But I will have to say, you know, Taylor Swift wrote "Mr. Perfectly Fine" about Joe Jonas. So, I don't know if Travis Kelce wants to actually be Mr. Perfectly Fine because that was a breakup song. So, he might want a new lyric coming up.

What we do know is that Travis has been very vocal about the fact that he's pursuing Taylor in some way, shape or form. He went on his podcast and talked about the fact that he wrote his number on a friendship bracelet, took it to her concert, tried to give it to her, but she didn't get it. He's been very vocal about wanting her to come to a game.

We know now that she was there. We don't know if they connected before. But we do know that they did leave the game together. They were seen leaving together. They were seen getting into his car.

[07:00:00] And here's a thing. You guys know, you talked about the era. If she's in her red era.