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CNN This Morning
Alito Discusses Political Polarization In Secret Recording; Trump "Polite, Respectful" At Pre-Sentencing Interview; Flood Threat In South Florida, Heat Dome Over West. Aired 6-6:30a ET
Aired June 11, 2024 - 06:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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[06:00:30]
KASIE HUNT, CNN ANCHOR: It's Tuesday, June 11th.
Right now on CNN THIS MORNING:
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JUSTICE SAMUEL ALITO, U.S. SUPREME COURT: One side or the other is going to win.
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HUNT: Secret recordings of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito discussing politics and ethics.
Donald Trump promoting values to Christian conservatives and facing his New York probation officers, all on the same day.
Jury watch in the Hunter Biden trial. How the Biden family might impact back the verdict.
And this --
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You're not staying, sir?
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HUNT: The Georgia congressional candidate who just walked off the stage in the middle of a debate.
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HUNT: All right, 6:00 a.m. here in Washington. A live look at the U.S. Capitol on this Tuesday morning.
Good morning, everyone. I'm Kasie Hunt. It's wonderful to have you with us. Samuel Alito's private beliefs apparently exposed in a secretly recorded audio tape, the conservative Supreme Court justice seeming to endorse a fight to, quote, return our country to a place of godliness, end quote. It was a liberal activist, and filmmaker who secretly recorded the justice and his wife at a Supreme Court Historical Society dinner earlier this month.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
LAUREN WINDSOR, PROGRESSIVE ACTIVIST: People in this country who believe in God have got to keep fighting for that, to return our country to a place of Godliness.
ALITO: Oh, I agree with you. I agree with you.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HUNT: Important to underscore, during that dinner, the activists misrepresented herself. She claimed to be a religious conservative.
The executive director of the Supreme Court Historical Society issued this statement on Monday saying, quote, we condemn any sort surreptitious recordings of justices at the event which is inconsistent with the entire spirit of the evening. Attendees are advised that discussion of current cases, cases decided by current sitting justices or justices, jurisprudence is strictly prohibited and may result in forfeiture of membership in the society.
Earlier in the conversation, the activist told Alito that she didn't think that the right could negotiate with the left. Here was his response one.
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ALITO: One side or the other is going to win. There can be a way of working -- a way of living together peacefully. But it's difficult, you know, because there are differences on fundamental things that really can't be compromised. They really can't be compromised. So, it's not like we're going to split the difference.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HUNT: A little hard to hear there.
Our panel is here. Molly Ball, senior political correspondent at "The Wall Street Journal"; Meghan Hays, former special assistant to President Biden; and Matt Gorman, the former senior adviser to the Tim Scott presidential campaign.
Welcome to all of you.
Molly Ball, this, of course, I think underscores the pressure that Alito is at the moment in our highly charged political environment where the justices are about to decide whether or not Donald Trump is immune in the January 6 case. Clearly, he's in a situation where he is responding in the affirmative to someone he is encountering at a party.
And yet, the remarks are still illuminating in terms of how he thinks about things.
MOLLY BALL, SENIOR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT, WALL STREET JOURNAL: Yeah. I mean, I think as you said on the one hand, we've all done the thing where someone approaches you that you don't know and you just kind of play along, right? You just sort of say you're agreeing with whatever it is that they're saying.
At either end, its no surprise to anyone that he's a conservative, right, and that he does view, society as, as somewhat corrupted by a lack of godliness or -- you know, I wouldn't be surprised to hear him say any of those things in a judicial opinion, for example. So it's all pretty broadly consistent with the judicial philosophy and the political philosophy that we know that he subscribes to.
I think also the fact that, you know, this recording is coming out tells you that increasingly, the Supreme Court is being treated as another political branch of government. The people are sending trackers after them basically like they would with a political candidate monitoring their every utterance and looking through it for potentially damaging or politically useful bits of audio that can be used against them in what's essentially become a full-time political campaign.
And that I think as we and others have reported, has contributed to a very high level of tension and division on the court itself, has made it increasingly difficult to function.
[06:05:00]
HUNT: Yeah, speaking of division on the court itself -- I mean, in this highly fraught moment that we find ourselves in as a country, whether there does seem to be this kind of looming question about violence. Certainly we have had more violence in our politics in recent years than we had seen in another monitor campaigns with what happened on January 6. John Roberts was also approached by this activist and he approached this very differently and it underscores a little bit of tension on the court as Molly was just touching on.
Again, John Roberts, appointed by George W. Bush. He is the chief justice. He is also a conservative but has carved out a much different kind of role for himself on the court.
So when he was approached by this activist and some of these same themes of godliness. The question I believe was, is the U.S. a Christian nation?
Here's how John Roberts responded.
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CHIEF JUSTICE JOHN ROBERTS, U.S. SUPREME COURT: Since I've been here, all of 20 years, I've been quieter times. But the idea that the court is in the middle of a lot of tumultuous stuff going on, that's nothing new.
The Civil War -- we did that. During Vietnam, people were getting killed. And I was there in Vietnam and this is all right. I mean, it's not all right. But it's not like its dramatically different people as -- it's a common thing, people with their own perspective think this is so ordinary. Eh, I don't know.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HUNT: So, the Christian nation question Roberts actually responded that he has Jewish friends, Muslim friends who might disagree with that. He went on to talk about it a little bit, but, Meghan Hays, there, he was saying -- he was talking about other cataclysmic periods in our history, the Civil War, Vietnam basically saying that were going to be all right in the end.
What is your view of all of this? And the way it's an unfolded, but particularly this difference between Alito and Roberts here.
MEGHAN HAYS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Yeah. I mean, I do think that we're going to be all right. Our democracy is built to survive and hopefully it will survive regardless of who wins the election in November. But I do think that there is a difference here, and I think that there was a difference. If you listen to Alito's wife and how she responds and her reaction system of the questions that she got are also extremely stark.
And so just -- just goes to show how these justices are thinking and how that they are forming their opinions. And it is, it is quite different and it is jarring when you hear their responses.
HUNT: Lets listen to a little bit of what Martha Alito also who was approached by the same activist again, here's a little bit of what she had to say.
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MARTHA ALITO, WIFE OF JUSTICE ALITO: You know what I want? I want a Sacred Heart of Jesus flag because I had to look cross the lagoon at the Pride flag for the next month.
WINDSOR: Exactly.
ALITO: And he's like, oh, please don't put several.
My heritage is German. You come after me, I'm going to give it back to you. And there will be a way -- it doesn't have to be now, but there will be a way they will know. Don't worry about it.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HUNT: Okay. She also said that Justice Alito doesn't control her at one point. But she does seem to admit there that he did ask her not to put up a flag in this case.
MATT GORMAN, FORMER SENIOR ADVISER TO TIM SCOTT'S PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN: Definitely know who put the flag up.
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GORMAN: I mean, look, at this whole thing. I saw on Twitter, the person Lauren Windsor put up, that this is going to be a big undercover storage, tweeted out, teased it out before it came out. And then when it came out like this, this is what this is?
I mean, this was the same person that was the one reported by "The Intercept" who sent the kind of Democratic activists to Charlottesville dressed as neo-Nazi with Tiki torches to kind of stand outside the Glenn Youngkin event, But with the Lincoln Project.
So I'm not getting -- I'm not surprised by this, but I will say that I think a lot of what Molly said his right. It's also just his religious philosophy. He makes no kind of bones that he's a devout Christian.
Now, I was at church over the weekend and a lot of those same themes, it's let country but more about the world, and sin, and godliness -- those same themes are kind of prevalent at churches. I'm really not surprised.
HUNT: I mean, I think that the piece of it that I really I got caught on was where he seems to go on and say that there may not be a way to resolve these differences ever, which I suppose is part of what you're saying.
GORMAN: I mean, it's -- it's again, I think we stepped back from the politics of it. I think the way the Christians look at it is, you know, sin and, you know, whatever faith. I'm not putting it very eloquently. The priest has better job in his homily over the weekend, but -- you know?
But no, I think that is more of the way that he was talking about it. For me, again, he's devout Christian. I don't really see what the big thing is.
HUNT: Meghan?
HAYS: But these people, I just think our Supreme Court justices sort of need to rise above this. And I agree with Molly that like we've all been in a situation where you just like nod and say.
But like he went further and then when his wife's comments, it just shows that like -- they're just -- they're not viewing themselves as above and making laws for our country.
GORMAN: It was -- it was his faith like it was not, it was not about politics. They're talking to say, it also she was goading him. She would want to introduce godliness into it. She was the one that introduced, he's just agreeing, yeah, I agree. Like it's these ideas weren't germinated on their own. She was leading him.
HAYS: A hundred percent, I don't agree with what she did. I think it's terrible and I think both sides do it and I think it's awful. I don't think wed be putting -- [06:10:00]
GORMAN: It's gets a lot more -- I mean, if we haven't talked about Project Veritas in '09, and rightfully so, fine, but the amount of media saturation on this. I read that "New York Times" is covering this now. It's ridiculous.
Who would never do this? It was James O'Keefe and practice but Veritas.
HAYS: That's not true. But I just think --
GORMAN: In '09, we haven't done it since. Shirley Sherrod, with ACORN, that was the last time --
HAYS: What about Ashley Biden and her diary?
GORMAN: I think we all project, okay?
HUNT: It's not Project Veritas --
HAYS: Sorry --
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HUNT: That's Garrett Ziegler who is sitting in court that clearly act --
GORMAN: When there was a "New York Times" article on straight reporting, what was it Ashley Biden's journal. I don't remember it, like there was with this.
HUNT: I will be honest, I am not, in this particular question, but I do think the big picture here. I mean, I think you guys are actually both an agreement --
(LAUGHTER)
HUNT: -- that what people should do is not act like this.
HAYS: Correct.
HUNT: You know, I just -- I think Molly to the big picture point this really underscores even farther just the significance of the moment that we are facing as a country, the role of the Supreme Court in our politics.
It's been historically viewed as an institution that's supposed to be above all this. I think, you know, those of us who cover this realized it's been political for awhile, but now the country is really starting to see that.
All right. Coming up next, Donald Trump meets with probation officers while his campaign asks potential VP candidates if they ever committed a crime.
Plus, the dog days arriving early. Millions of Americans facing sweltering heat.
And this --
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is where I get back in my trunk and head make the southwest Georgia.
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HUNT: The congressional candidate who walked off the stage and went home in the middle of a debate.
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[06:16:08]
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JIMMY FALLON, "TONIGHT SHOW" HOST: Former President Trump had his first meeting with his New York City probation officer. He's got off to a rough start when Trump offered the probation officer $130,000. You know, stop, stop doing that.
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HUNT: The 45th president of the United States and the presumptive Republican nominee for president this time around, met Monday with his New York City probation officers, think, you know, spend a second with that.
Trump apparently answered all questions in the virtual interview and was described as polite, respectful, and accommodating to the probation officers, that's according to a New York City official familiar with the interview, Trump even told the officers to be safe at the end of the session.
His approach might have something to do with the fact that his demeanor and cooperation could influence the judge's decision on sentencing day. The hearing comes as his campaign moves forward with a more shall we say traditional process of selecting a vice presidential running mate.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All of them have been asked to submit documents to be vetted. You're not at that level yet? Or are you/
SEN. J.D. VANCE (R-OH): Well, look, they -- they've asked us for a number of things. I think that a number of people have been asked to submit this and that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Like your taxes or something?
VANCE: You know, I don't know everything that they've asked.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your criminal background?
VANCE: But, yeah, I mean, certainly like, you know, have you committed a crime? Have you ever lied about this?
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HUNT: Have you ever committed a crime, Matt Gorman? Apparently not okay for the VP.
GORMAN: I know what we laugh. I know we laugh. It does -- it does make sense why you'd ask that.
HUNT: I mean, it does.
GORMAN: It does, it does.
HUNT: Yeah.
GORMAN: Look, I did the first of that of Paul Ryan when Mitt was selecting his VP, and we're at the point now, where you're bringing in not just the candidate, but the family, the accountants, the lawyers, and you are asking, we were just trying to get to the central question. Number one, do we know everything about this person that we need to know? Number one. And number two, if we don't, what is it that we don't know and trying to get that. So the candidate, no matter who it is, can evaluate and make a decision because let's face it this way, right?
We know Trump is indicted on four things, found guilty on one, find (ph) three others, right? In the limited space, we don't want a new one coming out all of a sudden that they can't price in that they don't have an awareness of.
HUNT: It does seem like an acknowledgment that committing crimes is bad, which the president has so far not seemed to want to cop to.
BALL: I don't think they have formally conceded that point.
(LAUGHTER)
BALL: But no, I mean, to Matt's point, it's less about any particular deal-breaker than about not being surprised, right? That's what's vetting process is for, it's just anything that's in there. The campaign wants to know in advance so they can get out ahead of it if that's the case or just again, just not to be surprised by something.
It's one thing to say, oh, you know, this came up in his first campaign and he had a good explanation for it, or the voters didn't seem to care. And so it's known part of someone's bio. It's another thing for it to be, you know, late October and all of a sudden, you're finding out that someone was arrested for a felony 30 years ago, that they neglected to tell anybody about, and it becomes a big news cycle.
HUNT: I will just say that it also seems to underscore the difference between Donald Trump and the rest of the political universe where gravity still seems to apply even if it doesn't to Donald Trump. All right. Coming up next, Hunter Biden's fate in the hands of a jury.
We're going go live to Delaware to cover those deliberations. Plus, a kite surfer scooped up by rescue crews after being stranded on a California beach.
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HUNT: All right, 23 minutes past the hour.
Five things you have to see this morning, starting with a debate walk off.
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CHUCK HAND (R), GEORGIA CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE: This is where I get back in my trunk and head back to southwest Georgia, because I got two races to win.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you very much. Doug Reardon, you're not staying, sir?
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HUNT: Georgia congressional candidate, Chuck Hand, who was convicted on January 6 related charges stormed off the debate stage Sunday after a question about a farm bill and is running in a GOP primary runoff next week.
New video of votes engulfed in flames over the weekend at Lake Mead in Las Vegas. Two people were injured, 26 boats were damaged, 15 of them were destroyed. The investigation into the cause of that fire is ongoing.
A curious mama bear causing major headaches after breaking into three homes and multiple vehicles near Sacramento. Eventually, she got too close to someone and as you can see, you got doused with bear spray. I do hope she's okay.
All right. Check out this video.
[06:25:00]
A brazen thief in Columbus, Ohio, who stole a package seconds after it was dropped at the door while the driver was knocking.
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That's all please -- just -- don't do that. Police say they're hunting for the thief.
All right. A stranded -- this one is incredibly -- a stranded kite surfer rescued off a California beach after take a look at that, he used rocks to spell out the word "help".
And get it -- get this, it worked. The plea was spotted by a private chopper pilot flying overhead who alerted 911.
So there you go. If you ever on a deserted island, if that really work for you.
All right. Time now for whether. Excessive heat settling over the southwest from California through Texas as the flood threat ramps up for parts of southern Florida.
Our meteorologists Derek Van Dam here to break it all down for us.
Derek, good morning.
DEREK VAN DAM, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning, Kasie.
So we're focusing in on southern Florida because you're frankly going to get walloped with heavy rainfall this week. In fact, the radar right now showing a band of moderate to heavy rainfall about to enter that busy corridor along I-75 between Tampa Bay, southward towards Fort Myers and Naples.
We currently have a flood watch in effect. This last right through Wednesday will likely get extended because this stationary boundary is drawing and moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and it will send wave after wave of moisture, flash flooding, a real potential right through the week, Fort Myers to Miami, even northward into Fort Pierce, some of our rainfall accumulation maps pick up more than a foot of rain through the end of week. That would be very localized, but nonetheless, that could cause some problems.
Now the other big story has been the heat over the southwestern U.S. Over 20 million Americans, including Phoenix to Las Vegas. Some authorities there warning people to avoid sun exposure from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. tonight.
Kasie, this is busy.
HUNT: Yikes! I don't like that.
All right. Our weatherman Derek Van Dam -- Derek, thank you. See you tomorrow.
VAN DAM: All right.
HUNT: Coming up next here, the fate of the president's son now in the hands of the jury.
Plus, another mug shop for a Trump ally.
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