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Shenna Bellows is Interviewed about Maine's Ballot Decision; Three Mayors Discuss Plea for Federal Help with Migrants; New York Beefs up NYE Security; Americans Feelings Heading into 2024. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired December 29, 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]

ERICA HILL, CNN ANCHOR: Legal scrutiny. The state's Republican senate leader says the decision undermines democracy and "Maine voters deserve a primary process that allows for each party to decide its own candidates."

The Maine GOP has said it will appeal that decision.

Here's what the party chairman told CNN last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOEL STETKIS, CHAIRMAN, MAINE REPUBLICAN PARTY: She has kicked a serious hornet's nest. I have heard, just in the last couple hours, from so many independents, Democrats and Republicans alike.

This isn't about Donald Trump. This is about our constitutional rights and the ability of the American people to elect into leadership the people that they choose.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HILL: And Maine Secretary of State, Shenna Bellows, joins us now.

Good to have you with us this morning.

I'm sure you had already seen and heard much of that criticism and more. How do you respond this morning?

SHENNA BELLOWS (D), MAINE SECRETARY OF STATE: Good morning. Thank you for having me.

I think it's really important that people understand the process. As a general matter, states have the power to control their own ballots. And, in fact, do under the Constitution.

And Maine law specifically delegates to me, as secretary of state, a requirement to review the qualifications for any candidate running for office. So, for example, last week the superior court found that my decision to bar Mr. Chris Christie from Maine's presidential primary ballot due to lack of signatures was lawful and correct. So my job, I qualified Mr. Trump for the ballot, and under Maine law

any registered voter can bring a challenge to that qualification. In this case there were three challenges, and I was required by law to hold a hearing, an administrative hearing, to review the evidence, hear testimony. Both sides were represented by council. Mr. Trump was represented by an attorney. And then I'm required to issue a decision. That's my obligation under the oath I swore to the Constitution.

HILL: In terms of the criticism that your decision takes away the right for voters to have their voice heard, do you believe that's a valid concern?

BELLOWS: Again, my first and foremost obligation is my oath to uphold the constitution and the rule of law. Now, different states are different. For example, our neighboring New Hampshire, they are more than a dozen candidates on the Democratic presidential ballot, but Mr. Joseph Biden is not on a Democratic presidential primary ballot in New Hampshire, and there are more than a dozen Republican candidates. In Maine there are two candidates on the Democratic presidential primary ballot and less than a dozen Republican presidential candidates. So, every state is different. My obligation and duty, my sole consideration, is my oath to uphold the Constitution.

HILL: As you note, in laying out there, how things do work in Maine, given the amount of pushback you've seen, though, to doing your job, as it's laid out in the state constitution, do you anticipate there could be a legislative challenge in the future to the duties of the Secretary of State in Maine?

BELLOWS: So, again, with the process, this decision now goes to the superior court. It then can go to the main supreme judicial court and then --

HILL: Right, but I mean specifically with your - with your role, not in the way that this lays out Maine state law. But given the pushback that you're hearing, including from folks in your own state, who know what your role is and what the state constitution of Maine lays it out to be in the state, do you anticipate that there could be some sort of a legislative challenge to that role or even to the state constitution?

BELLOWS: So, the legislature can always change the laws. I would be surprised if they directed me to stop enforcing qualifications for office. Some have suggested, of example, that I can't enforce age or residency or citizenship qualifications, or the 22nd amendment. I don't think that I'm permitted to put an 18-year-old on the ballot or a non-citizen on the ballot. My job is to look at the qualifications, and if those qualifications are challenged, to make a determination. But there's also a court process. The legislature, if they change that, I will absolutely adhere and follow the law.

HILL: In your decision you argue that Donald Trump engaged in insurrection. You did hold a public hearing ahead of the decision. It's interesting to note Democratic congressman from Maine, Jared Golden, said in a statement in response to this decision, quote, "until he's actually found guilty of the crime of insurrection, he should be allowed on the ballot."

Did that consideration weigh on your decision or give you any pause?

BELLOWS: I reviewed Section 3 of the 14th amendment very carefully and determined that section 3 of the 14th amendment does not say conviction. It says engage. And let's go back and keep in mind that the events of January 6, 2021, were unprecedented and tragic. This was an attack, not only on the Capitol and the government officials, the former vice president, members of Congress, but an attack on the rule of law. And the weight of evidence that I reviewed indicated that it was, in fact, an insurrection, and Mr. Trump engaged in that insurrection under Section 3 of the 14th amendment.

[08:35:05]

HILL: We are waiting to see if the Supreme Court will, in fact, take up this Colorado case. I know you mentioned the Colorado case in your decision. When you look at where things stand, there is a question our own senior legal analysts bringing this up, he doesn't believe that if the Supreme Court takes this up that they will, in fact, rule on what engaging in an insurrection means, whether there needs to be criminality with it. If they do not, are you concerned about the fallout?

BELLOWS: I will always implement what the court decides. And this type of proceed is not unusual. It's part of my duties in Maine under Maine election law. In 2022, for example, I held a similar hearing on the qualifications of a district attorney candidate. Found him unqualified. That was appealed. The court upheld my ruling.

I mentioned Mr. Chris Christie. Just last week the superior court finding that I had made the right decision in barring him from the ballot under Maine law.

HILL: Right.

BELLOWS: But I will always uphold what the court does and it's part of the job of being Secretary of State.

HILL: And -

BELLOWS: Should the U.S. Supreme Court rule that Mr. Trump be on the ballot, I will, in fact, place him on the ballot. It's part of why I suspended the effect of my decision until the courts can act. So, no ballots are being printed until that superior court decision or Supreme Court decision might come down, although we're looking at a very tight timeframe.

HILL: I was just going to say, it is a very tight timeline. Yes or no, do you think this can get done in time?

BELLOWS: I certainly hope so.

HILL: OK.

Shenna Bellows, appreciate your time this morning. Thank you. BELLOWS: Thank you.

MATTINGLY: Well, the mayors of major cities across the U.S. are asking the federal government for help as migrants are sent from the border to their states and cities. The mayors of New York, Denver and Chicago will join us next to discuss.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:40:39]

MATTINGLY: As top White House officials and their Mexican counterparts are set to continue border talks next month in the U.S., big city Democratic mayors are stepping up their pleas, urgent pleas, for more federal help over the wave of migrants seeking asylum.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR ERIC ADAMS (D), NEW YORK: For many months we were able to keep the visualization of this crisis from hitting our streets, but we have reached the breaking point.

MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON (D), CHICAGO: All of our cities have reached a point where we are either close to capacity or nearly out of room.

MAYOR MIKE JOHNSTON (D), DENVER: We need more federal support to be able to manage this amount of inflow. It will crush city budgets around the country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: Now, since last year, Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott has bussed more than 80,000 migrants to cities, including Denver, New York and Chicago.

And let's take a look -- a closer look at the numbers in those cities. Take Denver, which has received more than 35,000 migrants. The mayor says the city will potentially spend 10 percent of its budget on migrant shelter and aid next year. New York City, which has received 161,000 migrants, estimates the influx will cost $12 billion over three years. And in Chicago, with 26,000 migrant arrivals, city officials say the shelter system has, quote, "reached capacity."

Joining us now are the mayors of those three cities, Mike Johnston, Brandon Johnson, and Eric Adams.

Gentlemen, we appreciate your time this morning.

Mayor Adams, I want to start with you.

You met with White House officials earlier this month. You called the meeting, quote, "very productive." Has there been any follow-up? What do you need most right now from the federal government?

MAYOR ERIC ADAMS (D), NEW YORK: Well, first of all, I want to really commend my colleagues, both the Mayor of Denver and the Mayor of Chicago, because this national crisis is really impacting and it has the potential of destabilizing the financial obligation that we have in our cities. And the meeting with the White House, I think much more could be done, and with all of our national leaders from a decompression strategy to making sure the cost of this is not falling in the laps of everyday taxpayers in our cities. So, it's not just about New York City, it is all of these cities that are being impacted from Brownsville, El Paso, Houston, Chicago, New York, Denver. This is really an issue that you're seeing play out on the streets of our cities.

MATTINGLY: Mayor Brandon Johnson, you know, we spoke to you - my colleague, Poppy Harlow, spoke to you a couple days ago about this issue as well. The words "breaking point" are consistently used, both in border towns and more in the internal areas of the country right now, your guys' cities. What does that mean? Is it just a money thing? Is it a capacity thing? What does breaking point actually mean for people who want to understand this?

MAYOR BRANDON JOHNSON (D), CHICAGO: Yes, what it means is, is that, you know, we have infrastructure in our local communities that are not designed to carry such a burden. Local municipalities are not structured to be able to carry the weight of a crisis like this. And I've sent a delegation to the border to see firsthand what our bordering cities are experiencing. And what we have said repeatedly is that there has to be better coordination. And without a coordinated operation, this is going to crush local economies because there is a financial responsibility that we have all taken on.

And look, the bottom line is this, for -- at least for my experiences, is that we have a governor in Texas that is governing out of fear. And what we need right now, we need sound minds. And that's why I'm grateful for the leadership of Mayor Eric Adams and the leadership of Mayor Mike Johnston because we are working collectively together to be able to bring infrastructure around this crisis.

MATTINGLY: Mayor Johnston, what do you say - and you've laid out very clearly both financial assistance, expansion of work permits, better entry plans. There are very specific things you have made clear are necessary at this point in time. But to Mayor Johnson's point, as cynical as it may be viewed, had Governor Abbott not done what he's done in terms of busing migrants to interior cities, would it be getting the attention that it's getting right now?

MAYOR MIKE JOHNSTON (D), DENVER: Yes, I think the frustrating thing for us is, we know this problem is solvable. Actually for Americans who have lost hope, it's actually clear for us there is a path to solve it.

[08:45:04]

And that's why we need Congress to take action. I think the White House sees the same path to solve it, which is, there's nothing more un-American than allowing someone to come to this country and pursue the American dream, and then once they get there denying them the chance to work. What we need is everyone that gets paroled into this country should have the ability to work as soon as they enter. They should have federal dollars to help support them in the cities that they arrive in. And we should have coordinated national plan for where those folks arrive. I mean Mayor Johnson in Chicago talks powerfully about, America knows how to do this. We did it when we helped relocate refugees from Ukraine. We did it when we relocated refugees from Afghanistan. We had a coordinated system. Everyone had work authorization and we had federal support. And that worked miraculously and beautifully. We know we can make it work here, too. And that's what we want to see our Congress do. That's why we're pushing Congress to act on those things.

MATTINGLY: What you're referring to in terms of Ukraine and Afghanistan, those can be done unilaterally through executive action, if I'm correct, through the TPS system. Is that -- is the administration falling short on that?

JOHNSTON: Well, part of the challenges is we know we need federal resources also. And that's where I think the supplemental budget that the president has pushed is being held up in Congress right now. What, you know, The break point, as Mayor Johnson described, for us is, when you're talking about 10 percent of the budget to allocate for cities on this, that's unsustainable. When we have every single hotel room in the city full of migrants that have arrived, that's unsustainable.

And so the federal resources are what the Congress has held up. Along with that, Congress could directly authorize the resources that are needed to accelerate that work authorization. Right now you come to America, you get an asylum claim but that court date for your asylum claim is four years out right now -

MATTINGLY: Right.

JOHNSTON: Because these judges don't have the capacity at the border to adjudicate those issues quickly. So, we have someone waiting four years without the capacity work for those four years. That's also unsustainable.

MATTINGLY: Mayor Adams, this week you signed an executive order requiring all charter buses companies to provide 32 hours of advanced notice of the arrival of busloads of migrants into the city. Do you have the kind of second order effects of that? I understand your rationale for doing it. You've laid it out very clearly. What is that going to mean in practice, and does this mean buses may be dropping people off outside of the city in New York?

ADAMS: Well, it's about collaboration and turning this disorder into order. We have to orderly run the cities. And I think Mayor Johnson has stated how we're coming together, not only as the three mayors here, but also you're seeing the governor of Massachusetts and mayors of Houston and Los Angeles and other mayors across the entire country. We want to collaborate together. We know this is a national problem. And one of the initiatives that we're doing is with that executive order we're saying that between a certain period of time you are allowed to drop off migrants in the city, but you're going to do it at the location that we specify so we don't overtax our resources, our manpower and create a disorderly environment. I think the question you ask is so significant, what does breaking

point looks like? Breaking points looks like having to cancel my police class, stopping some of my trash picks up, looking at some of my school programs that will have to be canceled, cancel some of my library hours, resources that was going into our seniors and our older adults. Every agency and delivery of service in my city is going to be drastically impacted by the actions of picking up the tab of $5 billion this fiscal year, $12 billion over three years that's coming out of a substantial amount of our budget.

MATTINGLY: Mayor Johnson, while I know this is a policy issue, this is a human issue. There's also very clearly a political element of this. Your city is the host of the Democratic National Convention in 2024. Are you concerned that that will make Chicago more of a target on the political side of things and stretch the resources of your city even further?

JOHNSON: Well, look, Chicago's the greatest city in the entire world. And so I know Denver and New York has already capitulated to that.

(LAUGHTER)

And so, you know, look, it's clear, since the DNC was confirmed that it would be in my city, Governor Abbott has literally sent hundreds of buses to the city of Chicago. And at one point in the summer we had 25, 30 buses showing up every single day without any coordination or any notification.

The previous administration set up a policy where buses were being dropped off at police districts. It put an incredible strain on our police department. I've since cleared all of our police districts. We've set up, you know, almost 30 shelters. We're educating 4,500 children, providing health care right on site.

And it is very evident that you have a governor who is committed to recklessness and lawlessness. We've set up parameters a month ago asking the state of Texas to coordinate with our city to provide the type of structure and calm that is needed in this crisis.

[08:50:04]

And he has circumvented that at every hand. In fact, he is now sending buses outside of the city of Chicago, in some instances 100 miles away, where people are being dropped off, they're being told that they are in the city of Chicago, literally dropped off in the middle of nowhere.

MATTINGLY: Right.

JOHNSON: I find that to be inhuman and unconscionable.

And so, clearly, we understand that there are politics at play here. But as I've said repeatedly, as a country we cannot allow one individual to sow seeds of discord and not be held responsible.

MATTINGLY: Right. JOHNSON: Look, sending airplanes to New York and Chicago without

regulation is -- quite frankly is dangerous. So, you know, as a country we're going to continue to come together. I'm grateful for the leadership of both of our mayors. I've had over 100 mayors in the state of Illinois that we have brought together to provide the type of structure and calm that is needed in this crisis. But I want to make this very clear, the international crisis that we are experiencing right now is being subsidized by local economies. That is not sustainable. And that's why we need Congress to actually have appropriations, to make sure that what refugees from Ukraine receive, we have to ask our question, why aren't those same support services being provided for individuals who are coming from the continent of Africa and central and South America.

MATTINGLY: That's certainly a question Congress will have to debate when they come back.

Mayors Eric Adams, Mike Johnston, Brandon Johnson, I'm not going to confirm that there was an agreement when you said Chicago's the greatest city in the world, but we'll have to get into that a little bit later. We appreciate your time, all three of you. Thank you.

ADAMS: Thank you.

JOHNSON: Thank you.

JOHNSTON: Thanks for having us.

HILL: Wise words from the guy who recently moved to New York, Phil Mattingly.

We are just days away now from a brand-new year, so, are Americans happy with how 2023 played out? Who better than to fill us in than our own Harry Enten, breaking down the past year, looking ahead to 2024. It's going to be good.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:55:21]

MATTINGLY: All eyes will be on Times Square Sunday night -- at least that's what New Yorkers want you to think -- as we count down to 2024.

HILL: Oh. Oh.

MATTINGLY: This year there are concerns, and a serious matter, that the Israel-Hamas war will spark a lone wolf attack.

HILL: CNN's John Miller takes us inside the security preparations underway.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST (voice over): New Year's Eve in New York City. Security, always tight, has been increased this year. While officials stress there is no specific reporting regarding any threats, a joint threat assessment, based on analysis from ten law enforcement agencies warns, "the Israel/Hamas conflict has created a heightened threat environment, therefore the intelligence community remains concerned about lone offenders using online platforms to express threats of violence against Jewish, Muslim and Arab communities, as well as committing simple, unsophisticated attacks that are difficult to detect in advance."

The assessment, obtained by CNN, "reminds police that massive, live, televised events remain an attractive target for foreign terrorist organizations, as well as domestic violent extremists."

It's a threat stream that will be monitored minute-to-minute leading up to midnight New Year's Eve, in multiple command posts, from the NYPD's Joint Operation Center, to its intelligence bureau, to the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, gathered in an operation center in lower Manhattan.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: October 7th was something of a flash point. The horrific attacks on Israel and the ongoing war and conflict that's happening right now is certainly motivating and inspiring people to do bad things.

MILLER: Last year, a 19-year-old man from Maine traveled to Times Square with an attack plan that investigators believe was inspired by online ISIS propaganda. New York City Police say Trevor Bickford was shot by officers after he attacked three of them with a machete at a Times Square New Year's security checkpoint. Bickford has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.

The security package, not just crowd control and traffic, but what they call the counterterrorism overlay includes a network of cameras, NYPD counter sniper teams in skyscrapers above, bomb detection canines moving around the perimeter, dogs that can pick up the whiff of explosives, even moving through a crowd 100 feet away, radiation detectors worn by police on the street, and an especially equipped NYPD helicopter high above.

Police are also focused on potential demonstrations. The war between Israel and Hamas has brought on protests in New York and clashes with police when some protesters announce their intent to disrupt the lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. The live, televised event in Times Square is another potential target for disruption.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know what their tactics are. We're going to make some adjustments to our tactics. No one's getting to that ball, I can put it to you that way.

MILLER: But protests, and even disorder, is not what keeps the NYPD or the FBI up at night. Terrorism is. And while the officials say there is no specific, credible threat on their radar, this year they are doing more than ever, they say, to ensure that.

John Miller, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE) HILL: All right, some of you may be ready to say good-bye to 2023. Some of you may be excited for 2024. What do the numbers tell us? Only one man knows. CNN's senior data analyst Harry Enten here.

Harry, how are the people feeling?

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: How are the people feeling? Well, for them, 2023, for you personally, was it a year filled with more happiness, 29 percent, sadness, right there at 29 percent. Equally both, 42 percent.

Of course we're tossing 2023 out the window. Let's usher in 2024. Thank God.

Thinking about the year ahead, for the world next year are you more optimistic or pessimistic?

HILL: Ouch.

ENTEN: This is a troubling trend. Sixty percent said they were more optimistic in 2018, 49 percent in 2021, now it's just 40 percent. Pessimism takes the lead at 59 percent. Way up from 37 percent.

But, guys, I have a reason for optimism.

MATTINGLY: Yes.

ENTEN: Because American workers who get a paid holiday, just 15 percent for New Year's Eve.

[09:00:00]

But how about New Year's Day? Ninety percent of us get a paid holiday. So, you know what, there is some pessimism in the world, but at least we won't have to work, most of us, on New Year's Day.

MATTINGLY: Do you know what makes me optimistic?

HILL: What makes you optimistic, Phil?

MATTINGLY: Harry's face every day at the end of the show.

ENTEN: Thank you.

Oh, and let me just say, happy birthday to my mom. We're not going to reveal how old she is, but it's a great birthday. She birthed me. She grew me up. She's wonderful. I love you so much.

MATTINGLY: A big 21st birthday.

ENTEN: There you go.

MATTINGLY: We can't wait to celebrate with you, Harry.

HILL: Happy birthday.

MATTINGLY: We love you, my friend. Happy New Year.

And "CNN NEWS CENTRAL" starts -- let me look at the clock -- right now.

HILL: There you go.