Return to Transcripts main page

CNN This Morning

Biden Slams Trump, Warns Israel, Touts Economy In CNN Interview; Biden Issues Ultimatum To Israel On Rafah Incursion; Severe Storms Shift To Southeast, Mid-Atlantic Regions. Aired 5-5:30a ET

Aired May 09, 2024 - 05:00   ET

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

[05:00:39]

KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: It's Thursday, May 9th.

Right now on CNN THIS MORNING:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: You're not going to get our support if in fact they go on these population centers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: A CNN exclusive, President Biden threatening to cut off weapons shipments to the Israelis if they decide to invade Rafah.

Plus, Donald Trump's defense team planning to get even tougher on Stormy Daniels when she returns to the stand this morning.

And a tornado emergency declared in Tennessee at least two deaths reported. The threat, not over yet.

(MUSIC)

HUNT: All right. Five a.m. here in Washington, a live at New York City. Good morning, everyone. I'm Kasie Hunt. It's wonderful to have you with us.

President Biden making big headlines and in an exclusive wide-ranging interview with CNN yesterday, issuing a new warning for Israel and trying to sound the alarm about Donald Trump's intentions if Biden loses the November election. We'll bring it all to you -- excuse me, if Trump loses the November election, we'll bring it all to you throughout this morning.

The president in an exclusive sit down with CNN's Erin Burnett, also making the case that his policies have created a robust economy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: The idea that we're in a situation where things are so bad that folks -- I mean, we've created more jobs. We've made -- we're in a situation where people have access to good paying jobs. When I started this administration, people were saying there's going

to be a collapse in the economy. We have the strongest economy in the world.

No president has had the run we've had in terms of creating jobs and bringing down inflation. It was 9 percent when I came to office, 9 percent. But it -- look, people have a right to be concerned.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: All right. Joining us now national politics reported for "Axios", Sophia Cai.

Sophia, good morning to you. Thank you so much for being here.

I think it's important to actually fact check the president there because when he came to office at the -- at the end of January 2021, it was 1.4 percent. And it hit 9 percent around June of 2022. So there in that interview with Erin Burnett, he's trying to make the case that he has saved the economy, basically, that he's turned it around.

But there still is this major disconnect between what he says, what the administration says, what his campaign it says, and how people seem to be feeling because his ratings on the economy are down in the mid 30s. When we ask people how they feel about the job he's doing on the economy.

SOPHIA CAI, NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER, AXIOS: Yeah. I think that's absolutely right.

As you said, just because Biden is defending his economy, doesn't mean that its going to translate to voters and that's the number one thing that I hear from Trump voters on the campaign trail when I asked them about why they're supporting Trump.

I think one thing though that we saw Biden do this time in the CNN interview is he mentioned specifically that he has put a cap on late fees for credit cards and he's also put a cap on the amount that banks can charge when checks bounce. I mean, late fees is something that everyone has received and they're very annoying so I think doing those specific things, he's counting on, pointing out some specific actions he's made.

But the reality to your point is voters know that inflation was low under Trump and higher under Biden.

HUNT: Yeah. And, of course, the really -- the central question, too, especially heading into the fall, there had been this period where we thought the federal reserve might actually start to cut interest rates for people. But instead, it looked like inflation was so stubborn. Now, they say, they're going to hold them steady for the time being, but definitely a shift here right ahead of the alliance section, they could have major ramifications.

Biden also talked extensively about the potential ramifications of a Trump loss in the fall and some of the rhetoric that Donald Trump has been using around what might happen if he were to lose the election. Erin pressed Biden about this and asked him about -- about what Trump had to say.

Watch what Biden had to say about whether the election would be legitimate or not.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: Look, you can't only love your country when you win, number one. number one. How many court cases did they have, Supreme Court cases? They said -- they all said this is a totally legitimate election.

[05:05:01]

This is Trump.

I mean, it's the same whether he -- and he may not accept the outcome of the election? I promise you he won't.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: I promise you he won't accept the outcome of the election, a very kind stark framing up from President Biden. How do you think this is going to play out on the campaign trail?

CAI: So I think the Biden campaign is counting on that issue, democracy, small D, being, one of the biggest issues. That's not what I've been hearing so far, doesn't mean that may change, but I really don't think that voters who are concerned about, you know, paying their grocery bill, putting their gas bill maybe sitting here and thinking, well, let me think about choosing the president who is going to be best for this democracy.

HUNT: Right. And speaking of -- well, I mean, look, I will say in 2022, in the midterm elections, we did find that there were more voters than perhaps we initially thought in polls who did list democracy as a top issue.

But again, on the pocketbook issues, this was Ken Buck recently talking about what voters are going to focus on in terms of how they decide who to vote for in the fall. Watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEN BUCK, FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE: But voters are going to decide on, are the very pocketbook issues when they go to the grocery store, when they go to the gas station, is are they better off now than they were four-and-a-half years ago. But voters see right now are a lot of people coming across the border that are taking jobs and lowering wages in America.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HUNT: So one thing he did there that I think is also interesting, and this is, it plays into Republican hands quite honestly, is that voters often linking their minds -- I'm curious if this is what they tell you when you're out on the campaign trail. They link immigration in the economy together when they see images from the border. They view it as something that is inextricably tied together, in their minds. And both of those issues seem to be playing two Republicans' hands.

And we do have those numbers from our economy poll, 34 percent approve of what Joe Biden is doing on the economy, 66 percent disapprove. So, at the end of the day, how do you see this playing out with those voters in terms of the tying together the economy and immigration?

CAI: So we see that happening a lot with how Trump is talking to voters. I mean, the economy as we just said, is not a great issue for Biden immigration is also an issue for Biden is trying to show voters that he's -- you know, that he has been taking some steps and that he is serious about a strengthen border.

And so, tying those together is something that Trump has been doing in city centers. He's on trial right now, and so he's been in New York City at telling New York City voters that Biden has letting immigrants come in and they're taking peoples jobs. I mean, that's something that they're trying to resonate with voters.

HUNT: Yeah.

CAI: And I think what -- what some of them who are non-white voters especially Latinos who are already here, I think Trump is counting on that, making his case.

HUNT: All right. Sophia Cai for us this morning, Sophia, thank you. I really appreciate it.

All right. Coming up here --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: I have made it clear to Bibi and the war cabinet they're not going to get our support.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: All right. President Biden sending a clear warning to the Israelis in an exclusive interview with CNN.

Plus, deadly tornadoes tearing up Tennessee with more severe weather on tap for today.

And a near disaster on an airport runway in Orlando. We'll have your morning roundup, ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:13:10]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: If they go into Rafah, I'm not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, to deal with that problem.

We're going to continue to make sure Israel is secure, in terms of Iron Dome and their ability to respond to attacks like came out of the Middle East recently.

But it's -- it's just wrong. We're not going to supply the weapons and the artillery shells used.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: For the first time since October 7th, President Biden issuing an apparent ultimatum to Israel, warning that he'll halt some military aid if there's a major invasion of Rafah.

New satellite images do appear to show Israel expanding its incursion into Rafah with some airstrikes and ground operations. CNN can confirm that 35 people have died in eastern Rafah since Monday, including seven women and nine children.

The president facing mounting pressure from young voters protesting the Gaza war on college campuses nationwide and from Democrats, those in his own party as well, to limit weapons shipments as the humanitarian crisis deepens in Gaza.

Last week, President Biden paused the shipment of 3,500 U.S. made heavy bombs to Israel and yesterday he acknowledged in this exclusive see in an interview that American bombs have killed civilians in Gaza.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: Civilians have been killed in Gaza as the consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: Joining us now, CNN's Max Foster live for us in London.

Max, good morning to you. Always good to see you.

So this is a really remarkable statement from President Biden. It's -- you know, all over the front pages of the papers here this morning. It's a move that some in his own party in the Senate have -- have asked for.

[05:15:03]

But it is a significant potential break with the Israeli government that he has been supportive of so otherwise so far in terms of providing these weapons.

MAX FOSTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yeah. And it's that clarity as well, isn't it, about this specifically about Rafah and whether or not Israel should be going in, America making it very clear he doesn't want to -- you know, President Biden doesn't want a large invasion of Rafah the first time since the '80s has America withheld weaponry to Israel. It's a hugely significant moment, not just because America is the biggest military backer in Israel, it's also its biggest diplomatic backer.

So this is making Israel look more isolated, which is very damaging for Israel. But it's also a huge test for President Biden. This is basically but its credibility on this move, if Israel doesn't respond, it could be pretty embarrassing for him.

HUNT: Max, we have satellite images that seem to show bulldoze buildings, heavy machinery, IDF activity in Rafah. Some of those does look similar to what we saw when they went in to northern Gaza. But President Biden was careful to say that what has gone on in Rafah so far does not cross the line that he has set. Listen to a little bit more of what he told our colleague Erin Burnett.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: I have made it clear to Bibi and the war cabinet they're not going to get our support if in fact they go on these population centers.

We're not walking away from Israel's security. We're walking away from Israel's ability to wage war in those areas.

ERIN BURNETT, CNN HOST: So it's not over your red line yet?

BIDEN: Not yet. But it's -- we have held up the weapons. We have held up the one shipment.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: So there he is acknowledging on camera that he did hold up that one shipment, but he also says what we've seen so far isn't the thing that he is mostly warning Bibi about, is not a full-scale invasion.

How do you understand where things are on the ground right now and how that plays into the politics here?

FOSTER: Well, there is, you know, in the Rafah crossing, there's an area of Rafah that they have gone into. But I spoke to a very respected journalists at "Haaretz", a critic of the Netanyahu government within Israel, and he doesn't feel as if the line is quite been crossed either because this they haven't gone into the populated areas of Rafah. It's not a wide scale invasion.

So while some people are suggesting can argue that Israelis have gone into Rafah, it hasn't crossed that red line for most people. Of course, the test is when they do that, how does Biden respond to that and there's a lot of pressure, isn't there, on Netanyahu to go into Rafah from the right wing but also just to finish this off to clean out Hamas. That was his big strategy going into this separately from getting the hostages out.

HUNT: All right. Max Foster, live for us in London -- Max, always grateful to have you. Thanks very much for being here.

FOSTER: Thanks, Kasie.

HUNT: All right. Ahead here, severe weather turns deadly in Tennessee. Two people killed the threat not over yet.

Plus, Stormy Daniels back on the stand today. The questioning likely to get a lot tougher.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:22:48]

HUNT: All right. Twenty-two minutes past the hour. Here's your morning roundup.

Today, the Biden administration expected to propose a new rule that would make it easier for creation officials to reject asylum claims from immigrants who are deemed ineligible. The move comes as the White House tries to flip the script on Republicans by toughening policies at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The FAA is investigating a runway incursion incident in Orlando. An American Airlines flight forced to abort its takeoff while accelerating downward runway Monday night after an air traffic controller told the crew of a Frontier flight to taxi across the same runway.

Miss Teen USA surrendering her title just two days after Miss USA also resigned. The now, former Miss Teen USA says she's stepping down because her personal values no longer align with the direction of the pageant.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're just in shock because everything is gone. I just want them -- I just want them to find my mom and my Aunt Nimby (ph), okay?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: Powerful storms killing at least two people and injuring several others in Tennessee. Maury County getting hit the hardest. Strong winds, flash floods, and a tornado carved a path of destruction just south of Nashville.

And the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic now bracing for severe storms.

Our meteorologist Allison Chinchar is tracking all of it.

Allison, good morning.

ALLISON CHINCHAR, AMS METEOROLOGIST: And good morning.

Yes. This is video from that storm that we talked about yesterday, Columbia, Tennessee, which is just south of Nashville for reference, adding to the overall tornado count for the last 24 hours, 13 total tornado reports over 160 wind reports and 180 hail reports.

And again, that's just in the last 24 hours, but if it feels like we've had a lot of tornadoes, you are not wrong. Again, since January 1st, we have had a total of 639. That's the preliminary numbers so far. Average to date, we would only have about 550.

So, again, we are above average in terms of where we normally would be this time of year, even though this is the season to get a lot of the severe storms. You've still got some strong storms rolling their waste across the mid-South and Southeast right now, lots of lightning, lots of thunder, but they're not moving very quick.

[05:25:06]

So another concern too is also the potential for flooding. You've still got this tornado watch in effect for areas of Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, until about 10:00 a.m. Central Time this morning.

So still the potential there for some of those storms to get a little bit stronger, these little boxes you see here. We've got some severe thunderstorm warnings. That pink box right there that indicates a tornado warning. So still some ongoing severe weather there are even at this hour this morning.

Also, we talked about the flooding. A lot of these storms moved incredibly slowly overnight. So you've got a lot of these flash flood warnings and even a flash flood emergency, Kasie, just to the north of Nashville where they've had about four to seven inches of being already today.

The main threat for this afternoon, and as we continue the rest of the day is really going to be focused across pasta southeast.

HUNT: All right. Allison Chinchar for us in our weather center, Allison, thank you very much for that.

Coming up next here, Stormy Daniels back on the stand today and Trump's lawyers planning a change of strategy. We'll explain that.

Plus --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: There's not a legitimate right to block people access to class. That's against the law.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUNT: President Biden drawing the line an on-campus protests in an exclusive CNN interview.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[05:30:00]