Return to Transcripts main page
CNN This Morning
Mexico Dealing With Migrant Surge At Its Southern Border; Menendez Says He Won't Resign As More Dems Calls For Him To Step Down; Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) On Potential Government Shutdown. Aired 7:30-8a ET
Aired September 26, 2023 - 07:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL)
[07:33:12]
PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN ANCHOR: Well, this morning, a new report says the U.S. Immigrant Court has a backlog of nearly three million cases even as the migrant crisis continues to escalate. Thousands more migrants arrive each day to cities like El Paso and Eagle Pass, stretching resources thin.
Meantime, U.S. officials have a new agreement with Mexico to deport migrants from border cities back to their home countries because this unprecedented surge is also overwhelming Mexico's southern border with Guatemala. And that's where we find CNN's David Culver.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAVID CULVER, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (on camera): To get a better sense of the migrant crisis impacting the U.S., we wanted to come to the border. Not the border you might be thinking of. Rather, we're at Mexico's southern border with Guatemala. And that's Guatemala over there.
And that, if you look here, are folks crossing, waving at us -- migrants who have made the journey from various countries. We've met folks from Haiti, from Cuba, from Honduras. Ultimately, though, many of them tell us, if not all, they want to go north.
By the way, that's the official crossing -- that bridge -- and not many people using that. Instead, they come to this side -- the Mexico side. And this is into a city that's called Ciudad Hidalgo. And they've set up little encampments. You can see here you've got folks with tents set up. They've got clothes hanging. They're cooking food. You see a lot of families -- a lot of young children, in particular.
And the plan for many of them is to be here in Ciudad Hildalgo until they can find a way, usually by bus or by car, to get to Tapachula, which is the largest city in this area in the state of Chiapas in southern Mexico.
And many of them plan then to go meet with officials and they hope to then claim asylum here in Mexico or, at the very least, try to get transit documents. And that buys them time to stay in Mexico as they plan their way into the U.S. Most of them will tell you -- and they've told me this directly -- they want to enter the U.S. legally.
[07:35:02]
But what you notice here -- and we've seen this in the past several months here in Mexico, in particular -- is the influx in the surge is a real strain on the resources for Mexican cities. And you notice it as you see a lot of these folks are really trying to on their own figure out how to find food, how to find clothes.
And they're filling up cities like Tapachula -- 15,000 to 17,000 right now. That's the number of migrants alone in Tapachula. Huge numbers that plan to wait and stay.
And so, essentially, if you look at the U.S. border as a river and you cut it off in one part -- at least that's the intention from U.S. border officials -- well, upstream it's still flowing and it's flowing rapidly -- and this is the impact. It's coming on over the banks. You've got migrants here who ultimately, yes, want to go to the U.S. but frankly, most of them don't know how or where they'll end up.
It really has become a humanitarian crisis and most everyone you speak with here acknowledges that.
David Culver, CNN, Ciudad Hildalgo, Mexico.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: Again, David Culver with remarkable perspective and view of what is driving this.
MATTINGLY: Yeah.
Well, Sen. Bob Menendez is digging in as calls for him to resign grow louder following his indictment on bribery charges. Three senators from his own party now say he should step down.
HARLOW: Well, some House Republicans are threatening their colleagues should they work with Democrats to keep the government running? Some senators say there should be bipartisan solutions to avoid a shutdown now and in the future. One of those senators is Republican James Lankford of Oklahoma. He's here next.
(COMMERCIAL)
MATTINGLY: Well, there are growing calls this morning for New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez to resign. Three Democratic senators -- Peter Welch, Sherrod Brown, and John Fetterman -- join a long list of Democrats calling for Menendez to step down, including now former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
CNN's Lauren Fox has more.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LAUREN FOX, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Calls for embattled Democratic Sen. Bob Menendez to resign are growing as he faces down federal corruption charges again.
REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA): The charges are formidable and it would probably be a good idea if he did resign.
FOX (voice-over): Three Democratic senators are now calling for his resignation, including Vermont's Peter Welch writing, quote, "The shocking and specific allegations against Sen. Menendez have wholly compromised his capacity to be that effective senator. I encourage Sen. Menendez to resign."
[07:40:03]
In his first on-camera statement since the charges were filed Friday, Menendez remained defiant, vowing not to step down.
SEN. BOB MENENDEZ (D-NJ): I firmly believe that when all of the facts are presented not only will I be exonerated but I still will be the New Jersey's senior senator.
FOX (voice-over): Federal prosecutors allege Menendez received hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes in the form of cash, gold, and a luxury vehicle in exchange for the senator's influence. The conspiracy counts also charge his wife and three people described as New Jersey associates and businessmen.
Prosecutors say some of that evidence included DNA and fingerprints of one of the business contacts Menendez allegedly accepted bribes from.
MENENDEZ: For 30 years, I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account, which I have kept for emergencies and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba. Now, this may seem old-fashioned but these were monies drawn from my personal savings account based on the income that I have lawfully derived over those 30 years.
FOX (voice-over): One Democratic congressman says this explanation is not good enough.
REP. JEFF JACKSON (D-NC): He didn't disclose having that cash. All senators have to disclose their income. And, of course, he didn't address the gold bars. He didn't address the Mercedes. He only addressed the cash. So, no, I don't think that's a very good explanation.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
FOX: Senator Menendez is due in court on Wednesday. But when he returns to the Capitol we expect that he will no longer wield the powerful gavel of the Senator Foreign Relations Committee. Instead, he will temporarily step aside. Sen. Ben Cardin, another Democrat on that committee, will rise to become the top Democrat in his absence. Menendez will continue serving on the committee, just not in that top slot -- Phil, Poppy.
MATTINGLY: All right, Lauren Fox, keep us posted. Thank you. HARLOW: All right. So this just into CNN. A warning from the White
House about a shutdown and potential damage to the United States as the White House puts the blame squarely on House Republicans.
According to a new statement from the White House, quote, "A government shutdown would have damaging impacts across the country, including undermining our national security and forcing servicemembers across the country and around the world to work without pay."
So at the center of these negotiations is new military assistance, funding for Ukraine, according to the Times.
Also, in the Senate, a bipartisan idea gaining traction to take the threat of a government shutdown off the table not just now but for good. Senators and House members circulating a letter pushing legislation that would automatically fund the government past spending deadlines. That is addressed to top party leaders and here is part of it.
Quote, "It is a simple bill that offers an" enmity reasonable -- an eminently, I should say, "reasonable solution to one form of recurring congressional gridlock."
Well, our next guest co-sponsored that bipartisan bill and has been pushing it for five years -- Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma. Boy, is it relevant now, Senator. Thank you very much for joining us.
The question is would leaders give up the leverage that they get from spending deadlines and shutdowns to forever end the possibility of a shutdown?
SEN. JAMES LANKFORD (R-OK): We do need to take the shutdown issue off the table entirely. At the end of the day, this is not good for the United States of America as a world leader. It doesn't typically solve the problem at any point. In fact, I don't know of a shutdown that solved the issue on it. We do need to have hard, grown-up conversations about debt and deficit, but during a shutdown is the wrong time to do it.
And quite frankly, the way the bill is shaped, the leaders still have leverage. The way that we shaped the bill -- this is Sen. Maggie Hassan from New Hampshire -- she and I wrote this together five years ago that members of Congress and our staff -- we stay in session seven days a week. We can only work on appropriate bills. It forces Congress to be able to do its job. But it holds federal workers and their families, and the American people harmless in the process while we're trying to -- while we work through the issues that we've got to get done.
HARLOW: Senator Schumer -- senators Schumer and McConnell are working towards a short-term agreement in the Senate to basically force this on the House if they can't figure it out. And according to Politico, it would be about four to six weeks of funding with minimal Ukraine funding.
Would you get behind that? Would you support it?
LANKFORD: Yeah. As with everything, we've got to be able to see the details on it. We do need to be able to keep the government open and operating while we get a chance to be able to talk through the hard issues that we've got to be able to resolve. So we'll see what they actually come together. They're going to file that, we understand, later on today and all of us will get a chance to be able to read it.
HARLOW: But on its face, it sounds reasonable?
LANKFORD: On its face it's reasonable. We do have to be able to keep basic government operations going.
HARLOW: When it comes to Ukraine funding, I thought that this was notable from John Kirby at the White House. Here is what he said -- listen.
[07:45:02]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN KIRBY, NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL COORDINATOR FOR STRATEGIC COMMUNICATIONS: Without the supplemental requests that we asked for it will absolutely have an effect on our ability to support Ukraine well into the fall and into the winter months.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: I wonder if you have a message to some of your fellow Republicans who not only are pushing to exclude more Ukraine funding from a continuing resolution but from the budget entirely?
LANKFORD: Yes. So a lot of folks are saying hey, we've got to take care of our problems here in America so we can't take care of Ukraine. We have to be able to do both. We are the United States of America.
Now, this is not an endless war that can just go on forever but we cannot allow the thug Putin to be able to go next door and slaughter his neighbors. That cannot be allowed. That's why Japan and South Korea, Europe, the United States, and so many others -- even countries in Africa -- have chipped in to be able to help Ukraine. That's why there's a lot of oversight that's actually happening on those weapons systems.
But it is a bad thing for the world for Putin to be able to go slaughter his neighbors. And the world just to be able to turn away from that, that would be a signal to Iran, that would be a signal to North Korea and to China, and so many others.
HARLOW: You must --
LANKFORD: So we need to stay engaged and we need to allow Ukraine to be able to win this war.
HARLOW: Senator, you make a good point that there are a number of Americans who say what about us at home. And I just want to point to one thing. In your state, right, Oklahoma City is home to the FAA's training academy for air traffic controllers. A critically important position.
LANKFORD: Right.
HARLOW: We remember the shutdown end of 2018, end of 2019. They had to cancel contracts, cancel training for those folks.
Talk about what the impact would be at home in your state that would actually affect all Americans.
LANKFORD: Yeah, a lot of folks say that shutdowns are just a slowdown of government and it doesn't really affect people. It absolutely does affect us not only on the international stage but all the contractors are not paid. They're actually cut out and then they're not paid.
So areas like you mentioned -- the air traffic control training -- that's a lot of contractors that actually do that. They're put out. They're not paid at all. And if it's there long enough they not only have to restart their program, as they did last time, that's puts us behind in air traffic control where we've already got a slowdown.
That's true on our southern border right now as well. The border patrol and CBP are dependent on contractors working with them to be able to help facilitate all the transportation and everything else that's going on. If those contractors go away, a really horrible, chaotic situation at the border gets even worse when those --
HARLOW: Yeah.
LANKFORD: -- folks have, at that time, no pay and also no help.
HARLOW: Right. Let's talk about the border. You've been almost a dozen times as a ranking member of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border Management. There was a congressional report in 2019 and it looked at what that shutdown meant for the border. And yes, although border patrol agents continued to work they didn't get paid. There was a delay in maintenance. A delay in repairs.
And it, quote, according to this congressional report, had a "serious impact on how law enforcement officers operate and their safety, including those responsible for border security."
Do you have a message for Republican hardliners that care a lot about the border -- a lot of people do -- but who are standing against the deal here given what this shows us happened last time at the border?
LANKFORD: Yeah. My biggest message is let's have the argument about debt and deficit. They're not wrong on those issues. But to be able to say to a chaotic border it's going to get even worse while we're trying to be able to negotiate what's happening on debt and deficit is the wrong method to be able to do it.
Not only those members of law enforcement down there now suddenly are not paid, it's already incredibly difficult on them day-to-day and what they're actually facing. But then also to have no pay during that time period is really difficult. And to lose access to all those contractors.
We have got to, as Congress, focus on redefining and clarifying what the word asylum means so we don't have 10,000 people a day crossing our border and being waved into, that we have no background checks, no information, or no details. We can't have that as a country. That's a national security problem. But we also can't make it worse in the process.
HARLOW: And 2.6 million of those asylum claims backed up on the immigration courts right now.
Before we go, obviously, you're on the Ethics Committee.
LANKFORD: Right. Up to 10 years --
HARLOW: Yeah.
LANKFORD: -- waiting.
HARLOW: I know. Our Rosa Flores was just reporting that to us this morning. It's pretty stunning.
Senator Bob Menendez defiant after these -- this indictment on multiple bribery counts. I want you to listen to some of his response yesterday. Here it is.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MENENDEZ: For 30 years, I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account, which I have kept for emergencies and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba. Now, this may seem old-fashioned but these were monies drawn from my personal savings account based on the income that I have lawfully derived over those 30 years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARLOW: He believes he will be exonerated. He believes he will stay the senior senator from New Jersey.
You're on the Ethics Committee. Will you guys investigate this?
LANKFORD: So I can't talk about anything on ethics. That has been a standard rule that all of us that are on the Ethics. Myself and Chris Coons, that lead that committee -- we never talk anything that's part of the process of the ethics.
[07:50:00]
HARLOW: So let me ask you if you think -- if you --
LANKFORD: I would tell you --
HARLOW: You think something like this would be worthy of investigation, then? LANKFORD: Certainly, it would be. There -- when individuals from outside or people inside, actually, make accusations or that they file a request to be able to inspect that, the Ethics Committee always follows up on those things. It is a unique challenge to be able to walk through the process where we have to be able to do it in silence.
Obviously, the Department of Justice -- they have to continue to be able to do their investigation and that investigation will move on the criminal side.
It is difficult to be able to think through a member of the United States Senate that says they don't trust their own government in their operation of their government enough that they would have to be able to maintain that much cash at home. That is a challenging, obviously, issue to be able to try to explain.
We in the Ethics Committee will work through it as we always do and the Department of Justice will do their work as well.
HARLOW: Senator James Lankford, it's nice to have you with us this morning. Thank you.
LANKFORD: It's good to see you again.
HARLOW: Thanks -- Phil.
MATTINGLY: Well, the warm temperatures in the Pacific Ocean could be having a major impact on how bad this winter will be. What you can expect. That's next.
HARLOW: And we promise no song title puns here --
MATTINGLY: Hey.
HARLOW: -- to Phil's dismay. But new financial evidence that Swifties and football fans are all in on this rumored relationship between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce.
(COMMERCIAL)
MATTINGLY: Well, if you needed any more proof that Taylor Swift's appearance at the Chiefs game Sunday was resonating -- and Poppy needed more proof. She's very clear about that. People appear to be putting their money literally on the rumored couple.
According to Fanatics, Travis Kelce was in the top five of jersey sales this weekend, surging more than 400 percent. It was likely driven on this exclusively by Swift fans.
And this is the best part of this entire story, including the future of their relationship. One surprising Swift fan weighed in yesterday.
[07:55:00]
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Where do you fall on that -- the Travis Kelce- Taylor Swift power couple in the NFL?
BILL BELICHICK, NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS HEAD COACH: Travis Kelce has had a lot of big catches in his career, but this would be the biggest.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
MATTINGLY: Yeah, that was Patriots coach Bill Belichick. And he actually went to Taylor Swift's concert at Gillette Stadium earlier this year. After that performance, he called Swift "tough and impressive, and I love that."
HARLOW: It was the moment of the morning to get Bill Belichick to laugh and smile at a reporter's question.
MATTINGLY: To show any personality.
HARLOW: It is a big deal.
MATTINGLY: To answer a reporter's question.
HARLOW: It's a big deal.
All right. We are only a few days into the fall and with winter not far behind this year could bring drastic changes. Experts say this winter will be the first in a few years to feel the effects of El Nino because of warmer-than-normal ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific Ocean.
Here to explain the phenomenon, our expert meteorologist, Derek Van Dam. Does it just mean more blizzards or what?
DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, I think a lot of people along the East Coast will be quite happy actually, Poppy, because last year they were robbed of a proper winter.
HARLOW: That's true.
VAN DAM: This could be the year of retribution, right? So, yes, you can expect more winter storms along the East Coast.
In fact, this is the typical weather pattern than an El Nino drives during the core of the winter months, December to February. And take note of what we call an amplified storm track. That is the southern polar jet stream and that is basically just running across the southern tier of our U.S. and making its way into the Eastern Seaboard as well.
So to conjure up my favorite HBO Max show, yes, winter is coming.
So expect that. That's the trend. In fact, according to the Climate Prediction Center, they're actually calling for above-normal precipitation favoring much of the Eastern Seaboard during the core of the winter season. And that means that the weather patterns generally are going to favor that area for more snow.
So what about temperatures? Well, climatologists look towards other winter seasons with strong El Ninos, like we're entering into and they compare Decembers, Januarys, and Februarys of previous years and this is what they predict. The above-average temperatures will be located across the northern tier of our country with the cooler weather kind of defined to the southern portions of the U.S.
So if you're looking for snowy and cold weather anticipate that along the Eastern Seaboard. This may be your winter -- Phil, Poppy.
HARLOW: Yay.
MATTINGLY: Derek Van Dam in "GAME OF THRONES." It was the crossover we never knew we needed but now have to have.
HARLOW: I was going to make you name that show.
VAN DAM: File that one away.
MATTINGLY: Thanks, buddy.
VAN DAM: A crop promotion.
HARLOW: This just into CNN. Hunter Biden now suing Rudy Giuliani. We'll explain why next.
MATTINGLY: And Cassidy Hutchinson releasing a book about her time as a top aid to Trump's former chief of staff, Mark Meadows. Some shocking revelations and the allegations she is making. That's next.
(COMMERCIAL)
[08:00:00]
