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Focus Group: Most Trump Swing Voters Oppose Jan. 6 Pardons; Trump Speaks After Touring Helene Storm Damage In NC; D.C.'s New Giant Pandas Are Now Accepting Visitors. Aired 12:30-1p ET
Aired January 24, 2025 - 12:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[12:30:01]
JAMIE GANGEL, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT: I don't understand where this is going. I have spoken in the last 48 hours to top people, career people, Justice Department, State Department, DHS. They are appalled by this because they see a brain drain. They see experts, experienced people who really the American public doesn't see.
You were talking about how the government bureaucracy is seen as perhaps not effective. But what the American public has to realize is there are true experts who are being sidelined or fired or forced to retire. And across the board, I've been told by intelligence officials that we are losing decades of critical experience.
DANA BASH, CNN ANCHOR: I think, and I know you were asking this question rhetorically --
GANGEL: Right.
BASH: -- to what end. And the end is that he wants all of that. He wants the career people to go away because he and the people who are working for him see them as the deep state and as part of the problem and the people who stop him from what he wants to do, which is to keep Americans safe, to be fair. But it's also to do all these other things, just some of which was on that list.
ASTEAD HERNDON, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Right. I mean, in the good faith telling, those experts provide guardrails for our government. They provide expertise. They provide knowledge. They can constrain elected officials.
In the Trump telling, over the last couple of years, they've been talking about them as the folks who were stopping him from bringing his agenda to fruition, particularly in the first term. So they've been motivated by the act of thumbing their nose at them intentionally, come -- if he were to get back in office, as he is now.
And I think this is a big change from what happened to 2020 to now. I mean, I think post-2020, there was a kind of feeling of like the trust the experts kind of-ness was in the air, whether it be Fauci and coronavirus, whether it be -- I think even things that were happening with George Floyd at the time.
There was a sense, I think, that folks could trust these elite decision makers. But that has really changed over the last four years. And you could feel it when you were out on the trail. These institutions have eroded in trust.
Even things like media, we should put ourselves in that. Like, that relationship has been broken. And I think from coming after the 2024 election, the opposite feeling in the air. Trump is trying to make those experts, those elites, the enemy. And that's the -- to what end, to my opinion of this.
I think Jeff was right to point out Project 2025 --
BASH: Yes.
HERNDON: -- at the top of the show, because I actually think it's a pretty good roadmap --
BASH: Absolutely.
HERNDON: -- for how they view the reshaping of presidential power and their goals over the next four years.
BASH: Jackie, I just want to remind our viewers what Donald Trump said his day one promises and priorities are. Close the U.S.-Mexico border. OK, he's heading there. Begin massive deportation program, he's heading there. Pardon January 6th rioters, he did it. Roll back environmental regulations on its way.
End Russia-Ukraine war, has not happened yet. Impose tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada, and China, threats there. Hasn't happened yet. Cut funding for schools over racial, sexual, and political content. Well, a version of that has happened, not the actual cutting of funding.
JACKIE KUCINICH, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: I mean, and I think the most attention, which you said earlier, is being paid to the January 6th rioters, to the -- their pardons, and to the closing of the U.S.- Mexico border. But I think a lot of these things and some of the other things that were listed, there hasn't been a lot of attention paid to what happens after.
What happens when you freeze NIH grants? That's -- you're freezing research. You're freezing labs. And it --
BASH: That affects people's lives.
KUCINICH: That affects people's lives. You know, when you let out some, you know, violent criminals, that could affect people's lives. Some of the police officers who testified against them, for example. So, really, the kind of rash, you know, fully --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
GANGEL: Velocity.
KUCINICH: Yes, yes, exactly. The velocity of this.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
KUCINICH: There really isn't a care taken to, OK, so what happens next? What is the repercussion of this?
GANGEL: Could I give one quick example?
BASH: Please.
GANGEL: Donald Trump, COVID, and the vaccine. Under Donald Trump, one of the things he can take credit for was this remarkable fast-tracking of the vaccine that saved lives after more than a million Americans died. But it ended up saving lives. Now we're shutting down NIH. That's why I say, to what end?
BASH: Right. Well, again, I know --
GANGEL: Right.
BASH: -- you're doing it rhetorically because he doesn't want to take credit for vaccines because it suddenly became not popular to do so among his base. I just want to get to some of what voters who voted for him think. We have some terrific focus group sound from somebody who is a Georgia swing voter, voted for Donald Trump in 2024.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
[12:35:08]
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's mind-boggling.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's setting a bad example that people can do all this criminal activity and get away with it. So then, to me, it'll just cause others to feel that they can do it, and it'll increase, and they can just get away with it.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It says to the president that if Trump says something, they go off, something he ignites, that possibly they won't have to face the consequences of their actions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: People that commit a crime should pay for their crime.
(END VIDEOCLIP)
BASH: So these voters --
HERNDON: Yes.
BASH: -- are pretty upset about the pardons for the January 6th rioters.
HERNDON: And we saw that even back in his debate with Kamala Harris. Like, that was his weakest moments were the times in which he was seen as defending them. I mean, when he does his kind of defense, this was a day of love. Like, that universally is not received. You know, I think this is why I sometimes struggle with the kind of lionizing of Trump as this unbeatable political figure in 2024. I don't think that was true at all. I think a lot of people have had a lot of problems with him, and this is really one of those things.
But I would say, in the, you know, from the polling I've seen, and even speaks to some of these focus groups, it's not only the January 6th pardons that are unpopular. It's the Hunter Biden pardons that are unpopular. I think folks really view this as an abusive system broadly.
BASH: Yes.
HERNDON: And so one of the things I think is going to be important for Democrats is, are they about defending the system as is, or are they going to take some of the signs of the last six months and talk about improving the system -- I mean, improving pardon powers, things like that. And so I think that's a key distinction that speaks to some of what we see from these voters.
BASH: Before we sneak in a break, I do want to bring up something that Trump said earlier in the hour, which is he talked about the fact that they're pulling security for some of the officials who worked in both administrations who have gone crosswise with him.
GANGEL: Right. So to me, one of the shocking things, excuse me, is that he pulled the security for John Bolton and for former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Those two men needed that security because they carried out a Donald Trump order, which was an assassination hit on Soleimani, an Iranian.
That kind of security threat, that doesn't go for the rest of your life. It is constantly looked at, reviewed, and it's clear that the FBI, other security agencies have felt these two men need it. I've spoken to high-ranking former Trump officials who say that this was petty and that if something happens to these two men, it's on Trump.
BASH: Yes. He was asked -- separate from that, he was asked that very question today about Fauci.
GANGEL: Right.
BASH: If something happens to him, is it on you? And he said, no. No.
Thank you all. You're incredible. Happy Friday.
It has been a long, wild week here in Washington, but we're going to show you something that we can all get behind, and that is pandas. Behind-the-scenes access after a quick break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[12:42:48]
BASH: We have trade to Asheville, North Carolina. President Trump has just toured damage there. He's been meeting with families of the people who were affected, lost their homes. Let's listen.
DONALD TRUMP (R), PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE UNITED STATES: -- rip it down and build them a new one, because sometimes you can do that just as easily, but we're going to take care of the people. I want to thank our great First Lady for coming today. She really wanted to be here. She said, no, I want to go.
And, you know, she sees what happened, and she felt very badly, and she wanted to go. And we're then going out together to Los Angeles. But she wanted to be in North Carolina. She saw what happened. She has a feeling like I do for North Carolina.
So thanks as well to a great gentleman, Franklin Graham, and his father, Billy Graham. I used to go with my father to Yankee Stadium and places to watch his father preach, and he was some preacher. What is he up to is some -- you got good stock. You come from the ultimate genes, I can tell you. But he was really something.
And Franklin, though, has done so much, and his father is looking down on him right now. I guarantee for a long time he's been looking down on Franklin, saying, I'm very proud of you, son. He really is, because what Franklin has done with Samaritan's Purse is incredible.
They told me just yesterday that Samaritan's Purse has been great, but the FEMA people sort of left you high and dry. But we're going to change that around. We're not happy with FEMA.
As well as all of the representatives, you have great representatives here. Chuck Edwards, who's here someplace. Where is Chuck?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right here.
TRUMP: Where is Chuck? Chuck. Tim Moore. Tim, thank you, Tim. Great job, too. Both of you guys. Virginia Foxx, a power. She's a power, that one. Don't ever have her as your enemy. It's not good. It's not healthy.
Pat Harrigan? Good job, Pat. Addison McDowell, these guys were just here, just put in. And they're doing a fantastic job. Addison, thank you very much. Great. Mark Harris? Thank you, Mark. Thank you, Mark.
Brad Knott? Thank you, Brad. Greg Murphy, fantastic guy. My friend for a long time now, right?
[12:45:04]
And the RNC Chairman, Michael Whatley, who really, as I said, brought us to a great victory with Lara. The chairman of the party, the whole Republican. I took Michael Whatley from North Carolina because he did the best job and put him in charge of everything. And the job they did together was incredible.
Last September, Hurricane Helene became one of the deadliest natural disasters in modern American history. Rainfall rose to far more than 30 inches, which is lethal, unleashing unprecedented devastation throughout western North Carolina and many other states, as you know. But you got hit the hardest.
The highest responsibility and deepest obligation of the American government is to protect its people. And that's never truer than in times of emergency like this. Unfortunately, our government failed you. But it wasn't the Trump government. It was a government run by Biden.
What a terrible situation. But our government failed the people of North Carolina in this horrible crisis. For two months, Asheville lacked running water. And even today, some North Carolinians can't take a hot water shower. They can't drink water.
They don't know where to get it. They have to -- it's delivered to them by somewhere. They just go out and somehow find some. It's been four months since the storm made landfill and still 180 roads remain closed. And in ruins earlier this month, the Biden administration kicked 2,000 displaced North Carolinians out of their temporary housing into freezing 20-degree weather.
I don't know how they did that one because it was cold, even while your government provided shelter and housing for illegal aliens from all over the world. But under the Trump administration, the days of betrayal and neglect are over. They are over.
As I said in my inaugural address, we restore the integrity, competency, and loyalty of the American government. And I think I said most of it in the inaugural address. We said a lot of things, but one of the groups of people I was thinking about is you in North Carolina. A lot of that was in reference to you and what you've had to suffer.
I'm pleased to announce that under our leadership, the federal government will be surging housing solutions to the state that go beyond mere temporary hotel stays that ended up being very short term. The government wouldn't do it any longer, which is ridiculous.
We'll marshal all available resources that bring back potable water and make your water and infrastructure dramatically more reliable very quickly. Today, I'll also be signing an executive order slashing all red tape and bureaucratic barriers and permits to ensure the rapid reconstruction of the roads here in western North Carolina.
We're going to go through a permitting process that's called no permitting. Just get it done. That's the way they built them many years ago. I guarantee you that, right? We will get them back very quickly, and we'll begin the work of fundamentally changing, terminating, or overhauling FEMA.
FEMA has been a disaster no matter where they are. We're honored to be joined today very quickly by several families affected by the vicious storm. I'd like to ask each of them to share their story. Chris and Kim West, you could come forward. Ramona Nix, Jackie Mitchell, and Thomas Gary Bright. And finally, the Wright family.
And come on up and maybe say a few words, please. Thank you very much.
Hello. UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi.
TRUMP: Come on in here.
BASH: OK, we've been listening to President Trump on another stop and meeting with and talking to people who have really suffered from the devastating flooding that happened in North Carolina about four months ago. We heard a lot of what he said before he got on the plane and then when he landed about the promises to help rebuild North Carolina, talking about, in this case, that there will be no permits needed to get things done.
I'm not sure what is needed to make that happen. We did fact-check a lot of this at the beginning of the hour, and I would encourage you to go on CNN.com to get more information on that.
We're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
ALL: Four, three, two, one!
(END VIDEOCLIP)
[12:54:06]
BASH: D.C.'s new pandas are officially accepting visitors. For the first time in more than a year, D.C. residents and visitors can see two giant pandas right here in the nation's capital. Officials had a little fun at the welcome ceremony this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEOCLIP)
XIE FENG, CHINESE AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S.: It is a great delight to come to the District of Panda and witness the debut of Bao Li and Qing Bao together with all of you. Washington, D.C. is no longer unbearable, and I believe all of you can barely wait to see them.
(END VIDEOCLIP)
BASH: Earlier this week, I got to visit the pandas and help prepare their breakfast. It's what we call our Inside Politics Friday palate cleanser.
(BEGIN VIDEO TAPE)
BASH: There she is.
BILL CLEMENTS, NUTRITION SCIENCE CURATOR, SMITHSONIAN'S NATIONAL ZOO: There she is, enjoying some breakfast.
BASH: Ah, that is just an iconic image right there.
[12:55:06] BASH (voice-over): Bao Li and Qing Bao are already settling right in at the Smithsonian National Zoo, the place they'll call home for the next 10 years. Two giant pandas with giant appetites.
BASH: All of that bamboo that she's eating right now, the bamboo that's on top of the wood structure there.
CLEMENTS: Is a small part of what she'll eat today.
BASH: That's a small part of what she'll eat today, and she is so happy.
CLEMENTS: We prepare each diet as if it's room service specifically to each animal. All the diets are prepared in a centralized kitchen and then delivered out like mail in the morning.
BASH (voice-over): We were invited into that kitchen and got to help prepare the pandas' food.
BASH: So show me what the pandas are going to eat today.
ERIN KENDRICK, CLINICAL NUTRITIONIST, SMITHSONIAN'S NATIONAL ZOO: All right, so today we're working on part of their diet. This is their produce portion. So we have apples and carrots that they get every day.
BASH: You're really testing my cooking skills here.
KENDRICK: So then the next thing is, is we got carrots. We're going to do 800 grams.
BASH (voice-over): This precision down to the gram is part of a decades-long commitment to panda conservation between the Smithsonian and its partners in China.
BASH: This is just one little percentage.
KENDRICK: This is a very small proportion of their diet. You know, pandas in particular are very much a bamboo-eating animal. This is more of like an enrichment item or a treat item. We just prepared Bao Li's produce. So we're going to find Bao Li's label right there.
BASH: There you go.
KENDRICK: That gets peeled off. That way, when it gets delivered to the house, they know exactly which animal it's going to.
BASH: Bao Li.
KENDRICK: Yes. We do have other parts of the diet. These are called leaf-eater biscuits.
BASH: And what's in here?
KENDRICK: So this is a commercial pellet for leaf-eating animals. And it's a soy-based product, and it's going to have some soy, some wheat, but then a vitamin and mineral pre-mix.
BASH: Very cool.
KENDRICK: So --
BASH: Very cool.
KENDRICK: -- this is done for the pandas' portion proportion there.
BASH: By the way, this is the easiest recipe I've ever followed.
KENDRICK: Right. So this is --
BASH: If this is -- if this was cooking, I would be all in. This is --
KENDRICK: Yes.
BASH: -- all ready. Two pandas.
KENDRICK: Two pandas. Now we're going to take it --
BASH: Two meals.
KENDRICK: So we're going to deliver it up to the panda house and go feed them.
BASH (voice-over): Off to the panda house at the other side of the zoo.
BASH: Breakfast?
CLEMENTS: Breakfast is served.
BASH: Amazing.
CLEMENTS: We're going to drop it off over here.
BASH: Let's do it.
CLEMENTS: And we will let the panda keepers know that we left them some tasty breakfast. Nutrition to panda keepers, your diets have been delivered. Have a great day. And that's it.
BASH: You have a cool job.
CLEMENTS: I do have a cool job. This is one small part of it. The other part of the job involves a lot of bamboo.
BASH: Wow.
CLEMENTS: So this is the bamboo shed. They're going to pull big bunches out, weigh them up, and then they're going to stick them in the inside or outdoor exhibit. Depending on what the pandas are preferring for the day. They can be quite picky.
She's making selections. They'll watch and see what they eat, and they'll come back and choose more of that type. Three or four times a week, my crews will go out to different sites in Maryland, Virginia, D.C., or on grounds here at the zoo, and they'll cut ground-level these pieces of bamboo.
Each panda gets roughly 50 kilos of bamboo a day. Translates to about 110 pounds offered to them. Whether they eat it all or not is up to the panda.
BASH: 110 pounds of bamboo each day?
CLEMENTS: Yes, it's a lot of bamboo.
BASH: How do you grow that much locally?
CLEMENTS: We go far and wide.
BASH: The notion of being able to just eat this with your teeth.
CLEMENTS: Yes, daunting task, right?
BASH: I guess they are bears.
CLEMENTS: They're bears. And they've got a thumb to hold it, so it makes it easy.
BASH: Time to eat. Qing Bao is now trying to find those little biscuits that we saw in the kitchen.
CLEMENTS: Yes.
BASH: And they're hidden in that roly-poly red toy.
CLEMENTS: They'll put six, seven, eight of those biscuits in there, and it gives her enrichment and activity. She'll roll it around, hoping they pop out of a little hole. It's great fun for the pandas. It's great exercise.
BASH: She is so cute. So this is the bamboo that we just saw being weighed and delivered. Now she's eating it.
CLEMENTS: That's right. That's right.
BASH: And this is basically what they do all day. I mean, this is her breakfast.
CLEMENTS: This is what they do all day, yes.
BASH: But it's also her snack, lunch.
CLEMENTS: Yes. Eat --
BASH: Dinner.
CLEMENTS: -- sleep, and poop. That's pretty much their agenda. And put smiles on lots of people's faces.
BASH: Yes, that is for sure.
(END VIDEO TAPE)
BASH: That was really, really fun. And there's so much more here on CNN this Sunday on The Whole Story. A lot more pandas.
You want to see this. David Culver has an extraordinary report. He got pretty incredible exclusive access, starting in China, and then all the way here to Washington as he explores the worldwide effort to save the pandas.
You've got to tune into this. "The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper" airs Sunday at 8:00 p.m. right here on CNN. Also Sunday morning, join me on State of the Union. Senator Lindsey Graham is on the program, along with Governor JB Pritzker of Illinois.
I hope to see you Sunday, 9:00 a.m. Eastern, right here on CNN.
Thank you so much for joining Inside Politics today. CNN News Central starts now