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CNN This Morning

Funding Battle; Climate Crisis; Super Bowl LVIII. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired February 12, 2024 - 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: Major hurdle in the chamber over the weekend lawmakers, including 18 Republicans, voted to advance it. And it is a clear sign that GOP support for the measure has continued to be steady and even grown in recent days. But even if the Senate passes the bill, and it is all but certain it will, its fate in the House very uncertain as many Republicans stand strong in their opposition to more Ukraine aid.

Joining us now, Democratic congressman from Colorado, Jason Crow. He's member of the Foreign Affairs Committee and was just in Ukraine last week. And, congressman, that's actually where I want to start because I'm looking at pictures of your bipartisan CODEL to Ukraine to meet with -- you met with President Zelenskyy, you met with US officials there as well. Mike Turner, who is a powerful chairman in the House Republican Conference, there was French Hill, who was also a veteran, senior member of the House Republican Conference. If you put this bill on the House floor, at minimum, it gets 300 votes, probably more. And I'm not sure it's going to get put on the floor.

REP. JASON CROW (D-CO): Yes. That's right, Phil. There's still overwhelming support for Ukraine and the House of Representatives. And if it was put to a vote today, it would pass overwhelmingly. And we have a procedural challenge that's been designed by largely the House Freedom Caucus, you have a few dozen House Freedom Caucus members. And these are the most extreme MAGA Republican members of the House Conference who have really held hostage the entire House.

And as a consequence of that our allies, our partners, Ukraine, who are fighting for their very survival, don't have the weapons and equipment that they need. So it's terrible, but there is a group of us who are leading are pushing hard to force about essentially, and there are mechanisms to do that.

MATTINGLY: Do you think that you're going to have to utilize that mechanism or is there still hope that the speaker will eventually put it on the floor, either straight up via rule or through suspension, some other way of doing it?

CROW: Well, I'm a former Ranger as you know, Phil. And the same in the military, that hope is not a plan. So I don't sit around hoping for anybody to do anything, especially when my friends and my partners are at war, and fighting and dying. So we're going to come up with a plan. Leader Jeffries has been working very, very hard at this. So I'm going to work with him this week to do everything possible. We're not going to sit around and we're not going to wait for Speaker Johnson and the Republicans to lead. We will do what we've always done, and we will step up and we will lead when it's necessary to do so. And this coming week is going to be a very critical one.

MATTINGLY: You mentioned your military service. The former president appeared to go after Nikki Haley's husband who is currently deployed over the weekend. I wonder, when you talk to your Republican colleagues about things like that, I'm struck at how little response there has been today, to that very specific comment about somebody who's serving overseas right now in the US military. How do you see that?

CROW: Well, listen, Donald Trump has shown us repeatedly who he is. You know, he has maligned disabled veterans, he has maligned World War II veterans, he maligned Senator John McCain for being captured during the Vietnam War. This is a man who doesn't understand the nature of service, has no interests of anybody else but beside his own. In his own mind, he cares only for himself and his own personal interests. And he's shown himself over and over again, to be that type of person.

And, of course, over the last couple of days, actively encouraged Russia to attack our allies, in places where there are tens of thousands of US troops and their families stationed. And he's sitting here encouraging Russia to attack these countries. It's really beyond the pale, but really not surprising because this is who Donald Trump is and we know that by now,

MATTINGLY: How unsettling is it then for you when you look kind of at the current landscape, and I'm not going to do kind of run polls by you right now. But the reality is, November is going to be a close election, no matter what. And that this could go either way, at this point, with the current incumbent. Despite what Democrats say, President Biden has done in office.

There's a reality right now. He's unpopular, and this is going to be a very close race.

CROW: There's no doubt. There's so much at stake, international, global security, our national security, the fate of our democracy is at stake. So for those who are listening, and may not be totally happy with what President Biden has done. I, for one, have think he's done a remarkable job and has delivered so much for this country over the last couple of years. You just look at his legislative track record, you look at our economic recovery.

But listen, you never fully agree with a president, especially if they're being honest with you. President Biden always is with the American people. So this is not an issue of who you like all the time or agree with all the time. This is really an existential choice between President Biden versus somebody like Donald Trump, who does not have any interest for the country who will put our national security at tremendous risk. It is untenable. MATTINGLY: Can I ask you quickly, for all the news of this weekend, the most striking moment for me was when Mike Gallagher announced that he was going to retire. A Republican congressman, a well respected, the resume speaks for itself. He is like the dream Republican conservative. Paul Ryan used to talk about him constantly is the future.

[08:35:06]

His decision to leave the House -- he's a Republican. You guys don't always get along. I know you guys have worked together. What does that tell you about the direction of the chamber?

CROW: Well, it tells you more about the direction of the House Republican Congress than it does about the chamber at large. Mike Gallagher is a close friend of mine. We're fellow combat veterans. We've legislated a lot. We've passed a number of bills together. We belong to caucuses together. We sit on the Intelligence Committee together.

He is a principled, ma'am. He's somebody who I could work with. I obviously had some fundamental disagreements, but he's somebody who understands that the sky is blue and the earth is round. And you can have policy disagreements with somebody like that and actually be productive.

So it's not good for the country. It's not good for the Republican Party that you're rational smart, a sober-minded professionals are deciding that there's no place for them in this conference right now. It just shows you the trend that's really not good. And I'm very disappointed to see that Mike Gallagher is leaving and I will miss him. And I hope him success in the future.

MATTINGLY: Congressman Jason Crow from Colorado, appreciate it. Thank you.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: That was such a surprise.

MATTINGLY: Stunned.

HARLOW: See that stun, right?

MATTINGLY: Stunned.

HARLOW: Me too. And so young, and --

MATTINGLY: Stun. He'll go on to do amazing things. I was stunned.

HARLOW: Me too, all right. Species on the brink of extinction, a new study reveals how humans are changing the planet so much it's putting migratory animals at risk.

MATTINGLY: And we are live in Las Vegas as the Kansas City Chiefs win their third Super Bowl in five years. And something, there's a new America's team after the overtime thriller.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TRAVIS KELCE, KANSAS CITY CHIEFS TIGHT END: Viva Las Vegas. Viva Las Vegas. Viva, viva Las Vegas.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HARLOW: It is a busy Monday morning. Here are five things to know.

The Pentagon says Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is being treated for an emergent bladder issue at the critical care unit at Walter Reed Medical Center. He transferred his duties to his Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks. And this comes after Austin was criticized for failing to tell President Biden in the public that he was hospitalized for prostate cancer treatment in December.

MATTINGLY: Police in Houston are trying to figure out why a woman opened fired inside mega church pastor Joel Osteen found it. Police say the woman walked into Lakewood Church wearing a trench coat with a child by her side and began firing with a long rifle. The child and another man was shot but survived. The officers shot and killed the woman.

HARLOW: Today is the deadline for Donald Trump's legal team to appeal the ruling that he does not have absolute immunity in his federal election diversion case if he appeals. The case would be heard by the Supreme Court and likely delay the start of the trial.

MATTINGLY: President Biden meets with Jordan's King Abdullah at the White House today. They're expected to discuss the Israel-Hamas war, and what a two state solution could look like.

HARLOW: Tonight, Jon Stewart returns as host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central after he stepped down in 2015. He will only host, as of now on, Mondays with a rotating lineup for the rest of the week. I cannot wait for that.

More on the stories and all day on CNN and cnn.com. Don't forget to download the 5 Things podcast every morning.

A stunning new UN report reveals nearly half of all migratory species are shrinking in population. What's worse, one in five are at risk of total extinction. As far as what's the blame for this decline, manmade climate change is among the factors.

MATTINGLY: CNN's chief climate correspondent Bill Weir joins us now. Can you just tell people like walk through what the major threats are to the species?

BILL WEIR, CNN CHIEF CLIMATE CORRESPONDENT: It's us. It's human.

HARLOW: Shocking.

MATTINGLY: Quick and easy. WEIR: It's almost 8 billion human beings, and our supply chains, and our extraction industries, and cutting up habitats for these creatures that know no boundaries. They don't know political borders. They're just moving around the world as they have for, you know, millions of years in some cases.

But the pressures are adding up now. And this is sort of a groundbreaking report that looks at 1,000s of species and really finds the toll that's there. One in five at critical risk right now, a lot of species are trying to move from the heat. And these are animals we think about, you know, the narwhals and the elephants, and the leatherback turtles that are so charismatic. But plant species are doing the same thing, trying to escape the heat.

MATTINGLY: These also like the eco -- yes, ecological balance here matters. This isn't just your throwing off what these animals do or what their patterns are. Explained that.

WEIR: Exactly. What our attitude toward nature for so long is one of opposition or dominion. And think of bats for example, not the most cuddly creature out there. Not everybody's favorite but enormously valuable when it comes to the free insect control it does.

HARLOW: Right.

WEIR: You know eating, all the bad mosquitoes and also pollination, pollinating flowering fruits and vegetables, hundreds of them. If we lose that piece of the ecosystem, what do we do? We have to do it by hand. In some cases, you've seen that with hand pollination in China when they've had insect populations crash. So the things that we take for granted are so vital.

HARLOW: What about the good news?

WEIR: The good news is that, some species have come back with some attention. We just did this special on the humpback whale one of the great success stories, the populations have come back. The really alarming thing is what's happening at sea right now. 97% of migratory species are at risk of extinction because of the tyranny of the seas, right? The high seas nobody owns them, nobody takes care of them.

But there is a new open seas treaty that has been passed by the UN. If 60 countries ratify it, it could enforce these places and make it safer for all creatures from turtles to whales to everything that lives in the sea. But it just takes a different mindset about how vital these planetary roommates are not, just in nature films but really as part of our lives as part of our economies.

HARLOW: I love that way you said it planetary roommates.

WEIR: They are, yes.

HARLOW: Yes.

WEIR: They are. And, you know, what it's like to live with some roommates -- HARLOW: You have to deal.

WEIR: -- with someone nicer another others, and we need to be nicer to ours.

HARLOW: Oh, I love.

MATTINGLY: Bill Weir appreciate you, my friend. Thank you for that.

We're breaking down the biggest and busiest moments and Super Bowl ads. Speaking of ads, how many times did you see this one?

[08:45:00]

HARLOW: It's so good.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

STEPHEN COLBERT, CVS HOST: Gambling ads were all over the broadcast tonight. One for the sports book "Bet MGM" featured Vince Vaughn, Wayne Gretzky and a whole lot of Tom Brady. And, you know, after his Crypto ad, you got to respect Tom's dedication to helping your uncle lose the rest of his money.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: It's actually what I was thinking last night at various points. None of the real reason everyone watches the Super Bowl. I don't actually agree with this but not the game, not Taylor Swift, the commercials.

Yes, Tom Brady, making his presence felt constantly, even though it wasn't on the field, also appearing alongside Ben Affleck, JLo, Matt Damon and a spot for Dunkin'.

[08:50:04]

HARLOW: Yes, also survey lotion.

MATTINGLY: Which is the best.

HARLOW: Yes. I didn't -- somehow I didn't see this one. And of course the Verizon's featured with Beyonce, that was amazing. I saw that a lot. That teed up her announcement of her next studio album. Senior data reporter Harry Enten with us to take a look at the biggest hits.

I mean, Dunkin', just for me, Dunkin' sold the show.

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORTER: No. Dunkin' stole the show for me as well. It was probably one of my favorite ads. And that is why I want to play it for you right now. Just to remind the audience of what that ad was.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEN AFFLECK, ACTOR: The Boston Massacre, the DunKings, touchdown (inaudible), playing coach.

TOM BRADY, FORMER NFL SUPERSTAR: Got it.

AFFLECK: I hope.

BRADY: Got it, I'm open.

AFFLECK: And need no introduction, my partner.

MATT DAMON, ACTOR: Sometimes it's really hard to be your friend.

AFFLECT: You said you will support me?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: DunKings.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ENTEN: I just absolutely love that ad. But there was some other ads that I thought were pretty good that were rated highly by Northwestern. They have the Kellogg School there. They rated some ads.

And some other ones that rated highly to had celebrities in them, how about Beyonce in that Verizon commercial? Love that one you mentioned that papi broke the internet. I was a big -- I'm a big fan of Beyonce. I'm might argue I'm a bigger fan of Beyonce than Taylor Swift. But we can go back and forth on that.

How about the T-Mobile ad with the Scrubs guys. That came on (inaudible) towards the end of the game. But I was a huge fan of Scrubs. I love Donald Faison and Zach Braff. So that was one that really sort of hit for me. Plus, I love the singing from Jason Momoa.

And how about the Paramount Plus ad with Patrick Stewart? You know what, I think I'm more of a Star Wars fan than a Star Trek fan. But the fact is, whenever Patrick Stewart is involved in anything, I think it's a pretty good thing. So those are some of the good celebrity ads that I really liked.

MATTINGLY: Harry, what didn't work, and let's all just agree there should be a ban on Temu ads for eternity.

ENTEN: Yes. Let's play that Temu ad for you, because I don't think it worked either.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I live it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's mine.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The prices blow my mind. I feel so rich. I feel like a billion. Come shop like a billionaire.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ENTEN: So at the Super Bowl party that I was at, we really started talking about Temu and not necessarily in such a great way. It was rated poorly by the guys at Northwestern as well. There was that homes.com ad as well that had the celebrities in it, where there was just a lot of action that was going on. It just seemed a little bit too much for me?

I'd also note what was rated poorly -- was a political ad from American Values for RFK. And this is an ad that some people really like some, people really didn't -- they get people talking about RFK Jr. So I guess that's a good thing in general if you're a candidate, a third party candidate who wants to get going.

But overall, I would say the Temu ad was definitely one that got a lot of people talking and not necessarily in a good way because they're wondering where is Temu get its funding from? So not really good.

HARLOW: But how about Arnold Schwarzenegger in the shower? That was amazing.

ENTEN: I love that one as well. I mean, I just love Arnold Schwarzenegger.

HARLOW: It's so good.

ENTEN: And I love when celebrities are able to play sort of a version of themselves and play on the things that they're doing.

HARLOW: Coy Wire was there. He's a celeb along with so many celebs. Coy, at that game, not to mention all over these commercials.

COY WIRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes. There was house full of celebrities every, you know, kind of time out. Even stuff that wasn't shown on the broadcast, they were showing everyone from, you know, Paul Rudd is a huge Chiefs fan. We had Blake Lively, of course, was there with Taylor Swift.

And Leonardo DiCaprio was shown on the Jumbotron. He didn't know he was on the Jumbotron, and he was kind of digging for gold a bit. And the whole stadium kind of went to. So embarrassing moment for him in the '67,000that were in there.

But yes, absolutely star-studded event. Every wants to be part of it, especially in the first ever Super Bowl in Las Vegas. I mean, this place has been rocking all week long. Not a lot of sleep happening for any of the fans and most reporters as well as we're burning the candle at both ends. But those Chiefs they're still out there partying right now at what are we, 500-550 in the morning and they're still rocking celebrating the back to back championship.

MATTINGLY: Coy, can I just say your Instagram feed has been extraordinarily annoying over the course of the last several days. It's like, oh, here's me with The Rock. Oh, here's me with Tom Brady. Oh, she -- that's -- it's insufferable. I'm just going to be candid with you.

Can you tell me about Usher? Like what was it like in person? Was it as amazing as I thought it was on TV? WIRE: So yes, OMG. "My Confessions," Usher absolutely crushed it. I mean, it went from a football stadium to a 65,000 seat nightclub on steroids. And lights went down, Usher's shirt came off, people want to make love in this club.

I mean, it started a little slow, had some slow jams at first, but then it turned it up with marching band, acrobats, rollerskating? I mean, it was a show worthy of Vegas.

[08:55:05]

I love the simplicity of it, though. Not a ton of fancy gimmicks like we seen in past years. He just let his artistry shine, the singing, the dance and bringing the world to the A, as he said. Rise up, Atlanta.

Jermaine Dupri, Little John, yes. And we Luda in the house. And how about that duet with Alicia Keys' chef's kiss.

MATTINGLY: Can ask you real quick, though. Harry?

ENTEN: Yes.

MATTINGLY: Since you're here.

ENTEN: Yes.

MATTINGLY: Did you feel the same way I did when Ludacris hit the stage? I assume yes, right?

ENTEN: Yes.

MATTINGLY: Describe that feeling you have.

ENTEN: I have to tell you, there's only three great moments in my life. Number one was graduating high school, number two is when I met my current girlfriend, and number three was when Ludacris jumped on that stage.

MATTINGLY: Exactly.

ENTEN: So the fact is, it was just a tremendous moment, not just for Ludacris but for mankind as well.

HARLOW: OK. I'm not sure I was vibing the same thing but I did love it. Coy. You just dropped the mic with all that. And I have to say when Usher took his shirt off, my seven-year-old daughter does whoo, iww. I'm like, what?

ENTEN: No, no.

HARLOW: Not the reaction -- she's not in "The Voice" yet. You know, not the reaction most women in America, I'll tell you that.

ENTEN: Well, (inaudible) have a good one now.

HARLOW: He was amazing truly, guys. Thank you. Coy, glad you had fun.

MATTINGLY: Coy, Harry, we appreciate you guys sending. CNN News Central starts after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)