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New Year's Eve Security Concerns; Michigan Keeps Trump on Ballott; Poll Numbers on Immigration; Brandon Johnson is Interviewed about Immigration; Cari Champion is Interviewed about College Football. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired December 27, 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: To start with, what should - what are law enforcement officials looking at right now given some of the increased concerns.

ANDREW MCCABE, CNN SENIOR LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: Phil, it's a really broad threat picture right now that law enforcement folks are looking at. And I think nothing sums that up better than the joint intelligence bulletin, or JIB as they're referred to in the business, that was just released by the FBI, NCTC and DHS. And that bulletin, if you read it, it's very broad. The language is open ended. That reflects the fact that our counterterrorism experts believe that the threat could come from any number of directions. It could be racially motivated, lone offenders, it could be folks who are motivated by the Israel-Hamas conflict, could be folks who are just opportunistic actors and looking to take advantage of large events in which -- that will grab a lot of media attention and which we're always concerned about this time of year.

But as you know, there is one factor that's really the wild card in the deck this -- at the end of this year and the threat picture, and that is, of course, people who are motivated by the Israel-Hamas conflict.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: You talk about this joint intelligence bulletin, Andy, really changing in just a matter of weeks. That there was this sort of one draft that came out on the 5th of December and the one that came out on the 21st of December is dramatically different. How is it different, why is it different, and what does it tell you as we head to New Year's?

MCCABE: Sure. So, the one that came out on the 5th was very focused on those folks who might be motivated to take action based on the conflict in Israel right now. And it's important to note that that's not just, you know, describing or referring to people who may be motivated to strike out against Muslims or people who may be motivated to strike out against Jews directly related to that conflict. It's also opportunistic actors like operators from ISIS or connected to Iran or connected to al Qaeda who are looking at that conflict as an opportunity to push their own agenda, to grab attention for their own group. So, that December 5th JIB is very focused on that threat specifically.

The JIB we got on the 21st is much broader and it's saying, hey, that is the threat we're probably most concerned about, but we can't forget about the threat from domestic violent extremists, racially motivated extremists, people who are motivated by immigration issues and those sorts of things. So, we're telling law enforcement, you've got to really keep a very wide aperture this New Year's and focus very closely on your gatherings -- large gatherings of people.

MATTINGLY: Does the bandwidth exist for an aperture that's that wide?

MCCABE: You know, that's a great question, Phil. And I think the answer is different depending on what piece of the law enforcement infrastructure you're focused on. So, the FBI certainly has the bandwidth. This -- you know, those resources are in place permanently at the bureau. They can always add to those resources by pulling from lower priority programs.

The place where the rubber hits the road, though, is tough. State and local police agencies, of which, you know, we have 18,000 police agencies in this country, they are strapped. They're having a hard time recruiting. Their folks are overworked as it is. So, to add to them an additional threat picture that they really need to address on top of all the stuff they do every day really pushes those state and local resources to the very limit.

HARLOW: Andrew McCabe, thank you so much. If we don't see you before, Happy New Year.

MCCABE: Thanks, Poppy. You, too.

MATTINGLY: Well, this just in, Michigan supreme court rejecting the insurrectionist ban and keeping Trump on the 2024 ballot. We are going to have those details ahead.

HARLOW: We're also going to be joined by the mayor of Chicago. How they're responding to the migrant crisis, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:37:45]

HARLOW: Well, this just in, Michigan's supreme court has just rejected an attempt to remove former President Trump from the Michigan ballot in 2024. This decision, obviously, is in contrast to Colorado's high court last week ruling that Trump is ineligible to appear on the ballot.

Katelyn Polantz joins us now with more.

There's so many states considering this right now. This is a crucial decision in a crucial state in this election. Tell us more.

KATELYN POLANTZ, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A very crucial state. One of those states that Donald Trump wanted to contest after the 2020 election. But here in Michigan, the Michigan supreme court is saying, this isn't something that we want to even look at. The lower courts sided with Donald Trump previously, and the justices today in Michigan this morning say, we are not persuaded that the questions presented should be reviewed by this court. That is what their opinion held. That is essentially them saying, we're not touching it. What has happened so far stands, and, thus, Trump is going to remain on the ballot in the state of Michigan.

This follows a couple other major lawsuits where he has been successful in keeping his name on the ballot wherever there have been major challenges to him. Minnesota, New Hampshire, Arizona are where those other states have had that, where Trump has had that success. Very different from Colorado.

In Colorado, not only did the supreme court there take up the case, they had a fully fleshed out case to look at and in one of the writings from the justices today out of Michigan, they even noted that Michigan state law is much different than Colorado. Colorado law essentially says that the primaries, you have to be qualified and show that you're legally able to be on the ballot. In Michigan, doesn't have that law at all. So, just highlighting how all of these states have such different procedures for who is on the ballot in their states -

HARLOW: Right.

POLANTZ: Why they're coming down in different ways, why they're handling these cases differently, legally.

HARLOW: Yes.

POLANTZ: Why Colorado is splitting out from others. And then, of course, why the Supreme Court may want to take this up.

HARLOW: I think it really is surprising to people. Colorado goes one way. Michigan's high court isn't taking it up. Maine's secretary of state gets to decide. I mean it's all very different.

Thank you, Katelyn, for the reporting.

MATTINGLY: Well, this morning, U.S. Customs and Border Protection is monitoring a migrant caravan of around 6,000 migrants set to leave southern Mexico on its way to the U.S. and advises that these groups generally move slowly and then splinter before they reach the U.S. border.

[08:40:12]

It is the largest migrant caravan since June of last year. At the same time. President Biden is sending top officials to Mexico for direct talks on efforts to curb mass migration at the U.S. border. It includes Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas and White House Homeland Security Adviser Liz Sherwood-Randall. They are all going to meet with Mexico's president and their counterparts to talk about the border crisis, which, of course, on the policy front is critical, what about the political front? Where do voters stand on these issues? Well, Harry Enten, our CNN senior data reporter, is going to tell us.

Harry, what do voters think about immigration right now?

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: Yes, it's becoming a real top issue here. So, the top issue facing the nation.

Look, the economy is still number one. It was number one in August. It's number one now.

But take a look at the immigration/border security. It was just at 11 percent in August. Look where it's hopped to now, 19 percent. So, it's closing in on the economy.

In a number of different polls I've looked at, immigration and border security is running a closer second place to the economy as we head into 2024.

And you might be thinking, Phil, OK, this is just Republican voters who are feeling this way, but I want you to take a look here because I think this is rather interesting. The most Google searches for migrants by state, look at all these states, Phil. They are all blue states. Illinois is one. New York is two. Massachusetts is three. New Jersey is four. Colorado is five. And, of course, there's been a lot of talk about the migrant crisis in both Illinois and New York and it seems like even voters in those states, very blue states, states that Democrats win in general elections almost always, they are focusing on this issue as well.

MATTINGLY: The Massachusetts governor also calling for a state of emergency. So, one of the questions Democrats have always kind of raised is language matters. When people are very harsh about migrants or about immigrants, that could help us politically. Is that true?

ENTEN: Not necessarily. So, this, to me, is one of the most interesting numbers that I have come across. So, I looked at our last two CNN/SSRS polls and this is immigrant voters, who they say they're going to vote for president. Look here. Look at this wording, no clear leader. Well, of course there's no clear leader if one guy's at 48 percent and the other guy's at 48 percent. This is a race that has been within the margin of error in a number of our CNN polls. And this is vastly different, Phil, than what we saw in 2020 in which Joe Biden won that race by 20 points.

Now, you mentioned to me last week, immigrant voters are very diverse, right?

MATTINGLY: Yes.

ENTEN: They're not just people who are concentrating on the border. What issues are they concentrating on? What's immigrants' number one top issue? It's the same as it is for voters overall, it's the economy. Immigration/border again number two at 14 percent. But the fact is, immigrant voters are concentrate on a lot of things and their views on the border are very diverse, just like immigrants are themselves, Phil. MATTINGLY: That's fascinating and very important numbers.

Harry Enten, thank you, as always.

MATTINGLY: Thank you, Phil.

MATTINGLY: Poppy.

HARLOW: So, one of the cities facing a surge in migrants right now is Chicago. Over the weekend some 90 migrants arrived by bus from Texas to the suburbs of Chicago before taking the train into the city. And earlier this month Chicago passed an ordinance preventing buses from dropping off migrants in the city without a permit. Last week Texas Governor Greg Abbott escalated his efforts and flew more than 120 migrants from El Paso to Chicago, saying Chicago's mayor is, quote, "failing to live up to his city's welcoming city ordinance by targeting those migrant buses from Texas." The governor went on to explain why Texas is now flying some of those migrants instead of busing them.

Since last year, Texas has bussed more than 80,000 migrants to cities across the United States. The mayor of Eagle Pass, Texas, which is right on the border, you're looking at images from it, this is what he said on CNN last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR ROLANDO SALINAS, EAGLE PASS, TEXAS: Our city here in Eagle Pass, we've been getting slammed with 2,000 to 3,000 people a day. And it's just an unfair, unethical situation what's going on here in Eagle Pass. We feel ignored by the federal government.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Joining us now is Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Mr. Mayor, thanks very much for joining us.

I wonder if you also feel like --

MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON (D), CHICAGO: Thank you. Appreciate you being - appreciate you having me.

HARLOW: Of course.

I wonder if you echo those sentiments, if you also feel like Chicago is being ignored on this front from the federal government?

JOHNSON: Well, since taking office a little bit over seventh months ago, my administration has responded to this humanitarian mission with the full force of the government. We have roughly 15,000 people living in shelters, temporary shelters, here in Chicago. Nearly 27 shelters total. And 4,500 children in our Chicago public schools system, providing health care, also making sure that we are screening individuals as they come through the city of Chicago, providing, again, on-site vaccinations at all of our shelters. And this certainly has been a remarkable challenge that my administration has had to face.

[08:45:03]

And, quite frankly, a challenge that we are experiencing all over the country.

But let me just say this and make this very clear. What I have said repeatedly is that we have to have coordination. Since taking office, we've had an uncoordinated approach. And what I have worked to do, instead of having chaos, is provide some structure and calm around the situation. And without significant federal support, this is not sustainable.

HARLOW: Well, look, I know you partnered with Governor Pritzker in October and talked to high-ranking White House officials this and what Chicago needed. And if you're saying you guys are using the full force of your local government but this is an uncoordinated approach, this is what Secretary Mayorkas told me when asked about the criticism that Governor Pritzker had about the federal government on this front.

Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEJANDRO MAYORKAS, HOMELAND SECURITY SECRETARY: With respect to Governor Pritzker, we provided him with tremendous assistance, not just financially, through our shelter and services program funding that the president achieved, but also in providing technical advice.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARLOW: Is it enough? Or by uncoordinated do you mean we need more from the federal government?

JOHNSON: Well, what I mean by uncoordinated, you know, what Governor Abbott is doing is, quite frankly, it's reckless. You know, I had a delegation to actually go to the border and see firsthand the challenges that our bordering states and our bordering cities are experiencing right now. And what I have called for repeatedly is, again, a coordinated approach between state and local municipalities so that we can address this crisis.

As far as what the federal government is doing, look, I've said repeatedly that we need more resources. And I've asked for $15 billion for the entire country. I know I have congressional delegation -- a congressional delegation here in Illinois that has asked for $10 billion.

Look, the technical support that we've received from the federal government, we appreciate that. Work authorization to put people on the pathway to sustainability, I certainly appreciate that. And without real significant investment from our federal government, it won't just be the city of Chicago that won't be able to maintain this mission, it's the entire country that is now at stake. But in no way what the state of Texas is doing is helping the cause. As much as we recognize that there are challenges, significant challenges at the border, and we do need real substantive immigration reform and policies that allow us to have a structure and a pathway to citizenship.

But again, sending buses all over the state of Illinois and all over the country is reckless and, quite frankly, is dangerous.

HARLOW: I want -

JOHNSON: I met with 80 mayors just last Friday to have a more coordinated approach for the state of Illinois along with county officials. That is what is required in this moment, a real sophisticated coordination while also pushing the federal government to provide the resources and support so that we can actually sustain this mission.

HARLOW: Mayor --

JOHNSON: Anything short of that, quite frankly, is reckless.

HARLOW: I have a couple of questions for you about what is happening in your shelters in Chicago right now. A five-year-old boy, his name is Jean Carlos Martinez Rivero, died in a migrant shelter right before Christmas. Three others children around that time were transported to hospitals. Are children safe in the shelters right now?

JOHNSON: Well, what we have seen is, again, repeatedly is that when the migrants are arriving in the city of Chicago, because -- or New York or anywhere else for that matter, there's not a real coordinated approach to make sure that migrants and those who are seeking asylum are getting the services that they need at the border. There's no screening, there's no health checks, there's no vaccinations.

HARLOW: Yes, but, sorry, Mayor, because you're the mayor of Chicago - I apologize for jumping in, but because you're the mayor of Chicago, I'm asking you about what's happening in the shelters in your city. I hear your point you're making about your frustration with Governor Abbott and with the federal government, the Biden administration, but what about what's happening in these shelters right now?

JOHNSON: Well, it's all connected. It's not an isolated dynamic.

HARLOW: I understand.

JOHNSON: And what I've said repeatedly, the lack of coordination - and I'll get to it, I promise - the lack of coordination is causing the amount of turmoil and stress. We're talking about individuals who have suffered miles -- thousands of miles of treachery, quite frankly, to get to - to the border. And so what we've seen, and I've - I've expressed this here, is that that lack of coordination has caused tremendous stress.

Now, as far as this little boy that, unfortunately, passed away, I have offered and continue to offer my deepest condolences to the family. And there is no evidence at this point, and we're still waiting as more and more evidence -- as we go through the investigation here, as more and more evidence comes to fruition, there is no evidence that the condition of the shelter caused the death of this young boy.

HARLOW: OK. Our thoughts, of course, also with his family.

I do -- I know you're about seven months in as mayor of Chicago. I do want to ask you about crime in Chicago. Just pouring through the latest data from the Chicago Police Department. The murder rate is down from 2022, but all other forms of violent crime, Mr. Mayor, are up from a year ago, up 17 percent overall.

[08:50:07]

Are Chicagoans going to be safer in 2024?

JOHNSON: Well, what I've built within these last seven months, in order for us to have a better, stronger and safer Chicago, it really requires the full force of government. And as you've indicated, homicides are down, shootings are down, but, yes, what we've experienced in the city of Chicago, cities all over the country are experiencing. And I've just released my full-out community safety plan that not only gets at the root causes of violence in the city of Chicago, but we're making critical investments. Those investments look like what I've presented in my last budget. A quarter of a billion dollars to address homelessness, $100 million for violence prevention. We added 80 million more dollars to our youth employment program, of which we hired 25,000 young people just this summer. That's a 20 percent increase from the previous year. I'm going to hire 4,000 additional young people this summer.

We have stood up an entire office dedicated to re-entry so individuals who are returning to our communities who have been incarcerated because of failed policies, we'll have a welcoming space for them. I've added a half a million dollars for restoration and reparations to address, again, the cycle of violence, which looks like school closings, closing of mental health facilities, of which I've invested in now. We're going to open up two mental health clinics that were closed from two previous administrations ago. And so in order for us to build a better, stronger, safer Chicago, it requirements investments. And that's what this budget has done, a $16.77 billion budget without raising property taxes. And we're just getting started in the city of Chicago.

Look, the last thing that I'll say on this, look, my wife and I, we're raising our three children on the west side of Chicago. It's a beautiful part of the city. We love it. But it also has been the side of the city of Chicago that has experienced gross disinvestments from school closings, from lack of transportation, from lack of investments. And so I wake up every single day in one of the most toughest parts of the city. And so there is no one in this city who thinks about public safety more than someone like me, who is raising a family on the west side of Chicago. So, I'm very much committed to investments so that the better, stronger, safer Chicago that we're all hoping for we can actually see the full fruit of our labor.

HARLOW: And you know I spend a lot of time in the city and I'm a big, big fan of Chicago.

Well, we appreciate you joining us. Please do come back, Mayor, in the new year and let's check in.

JOHNSON: I promise. Happy New Year to you and to everyone.

HARLOW: Happy New Year to you as well.

MATTINGLY: Well, college football bowl season is on. We're going to break down some of the biggest matchups.

HARLOW: The Detroit Pistons made history. Not the kind of history any team wants.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:56:38]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) inside the 20, the 10, the 5, touchdown! Sixty yards for the score and the lead!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: You didn't think you'd say Rock Jock Jayhawk (ph) in football. A nine-win season, though. That's Kansas quarterback Jason Bean leading the Jayhawks to a big win over UNLV in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl last night. Everybody knows about that bowl game. The college football bowl season is now in full swing and the next few days are jam packed with the biggest games.

HARLOW: Louisville will square off with USC in the Holiday Bowl tonight. Arizona plays Oklahoma tomorrow in the Alamo Bowl. Missouri will take on Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl on Friday, Mattingly. And Georgia will take on Florida State in the Orange Bowl on Saturday.

With us now, CNN contributor and host of "The Cari Champion Show," Cari Champion.

Good morning.

CARI CHAMPION, HOST, "THE CARI CHAMPION SHOW": Good morning. Good to see you.

HARLOW: I guess we have to talk about Ohio State because --

CHAMPION: Yes. Well, I was saying to him, I wanted to really get into it. I think you -- Phil and I off camera, guys, had a really good point. College football, especially around bowl season, it used to be this situation where everyone loved to come and play the game because it was for the team and it was for the pride. But with the advent of NIL, name, image and likeness, these kids are businessmen now. They're like, no, I'm not going to play, I may injure myself, so you go ahead and play these bowl games.

Most of the bowl games, in my opinion, are going to have a little - a little less because these kids aren't playing. The bowl game, though, that everyone should be watching for, and you and I talked about this when we were here -

MATTINGLY: Yes.

CHAMPION: Orange. Because it's Georgia and it's Florida State and you know that everyone thinks that Florida State was robbed, if you will.

HARLOW: Y es.

CHAMPION: And they're going to see if the college football committee got it right.

MATTINGLY: But to that point, though, like half of Florida State's best players are opting out. Eighteen guys have already gotten on the transfer portal for Georgia.

CHAMPION: Yes.

MATTINGLY: So it's even -- it's a difficult game to - it's a fascinating time that we need to do like a four-hour special on it.

CHAMPION: We need a four-hour special on it.

MATTINGLY: Book everyone.

I do have to ask, because you're the - you're my NBA sherpa.

CHAMPION: Uh-huh.

MATTINGLY: The Pistons not doing so great.

CHAMPION: Oh.

MATTINGLY: Not exactly making the history you want to make right now. What is going on in Detroit?

CHAMPION: So, 27 straight losses. That is a record for consecutive NBA losses. And no one wants to have that record. What has happened is that that franchise, for the last maybe 15 years, has been awful in terms of how they've drafted, in terms of people they decided to trade, and they haven't even tried to fix it. They went and hired a coach and paid him one of the biggest contracts ever in NBA history.

But here's the deal, this particular franchise is unlike any other. They had the bad boy Pistons, they won three world championships. I can count on two fingers how many teams in the league, in the NBA, have won three or more championships. So, the distance between the bad boy Pistons and what they are today is really sad. And the NBA is suffering for it because you need all your teams to be competitive.

MATTINGLY: Right. Right. And they had -- they had the Shid (ph), Rip (ph), that - that team.

CHAMPION: Oh.

MATTINGLY: They had two great, come home (ph), dynamic (ph) teams.

CHAMPION: They did.

MATTINGLY: And now we're there. At least save the Lions. I mean for Detroit -

CHAMPION: Over the three decades.

MATTINGLY: Over three decades.

CHAMPION: Yes.

HARLOW: Why are you doing that to me?

MATTINGLY: Why am I doing what?

HARLOW: The Lions?

MATTINGLY: The Lions.

HARLOW: Who beat the Vikings.

MATTINGLY: Oh, did they play somebody this week? Did they play - did they -

HARLOW: He thought by wearing a purple tie it would make up for it.

MATTINGLY: Is this - this - this right here. It's a -

HARLOW: We have another shot. In two weeks we have another shot.

MATTINGLY: Lions' fans deserve this.

CHAMPION: They do.

MATTINGLY: Lions' fans deserve -

CHAMPION: They do deserve something.

MATTINGLY: Cari Champion, you're doing some awesome stuff on New Year's Eve.

HARLOW: Great to see you. Thank you.

MATTINGLY: You have to be watching on New Year's Eve.

CHAMPION: Thank you, friend.

MATTINGLY: Some other person you're hiding out with, isn't it Sara -

CHAMPION: Sara Sidner. I love it.

[09:00:01]

We're going to - we're going to have a little fun on New Year's Eve, I hope you guys will be watching.

HARLOW: We will. CHAMPION: And to that end, Happy New Year.

HARLOW: Happy New Year.

CHAMPION: It's so good to see you both.

MATTINGLY: Likewise.

HARLOW: Good to see you too.

MATTINGLY: I'm a little bitter I wasn't invited. But I will watch and hope for maybe next year.

Cari Champion, thank you, as always. We love you.

HARLOW: Thank you.

MATTINGLY: "CNN NEWS CENTRAL" starts right now.

HARLOW: If we can stay up past midnight.