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New Day

Biden Says, U.S. Will Respond Militarily If China Invades Taiwan; Biden Says U.S. Recession is Not Inevitable; Zelenskyy Calls for Maximum Sanctions Against Russia. Aired 7-7:30a ET

Aired May 23, 2022 - 07:00   ET

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

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Late in the second half.

[07:00:00]

They had to win in order to claim the EPL title. Fans, they're pretty distraught in the stadium until City scored three goals in a five- minute span. Everyone started going crazy. And there was a great moment after the game, Ukrainian Midfielder Oleksandr Zinchenko draped his country's flag over the trophy and then broke down in tears and was surrounded by his teammates. And, John, he said in an interview later that he cannot wait to one day bring that trophy back to the Ukraine.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: Such a beautiful moment, Andy. Thank you so much for that.

New Day continues right now.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Brianna Keilar alongside John Berman on this New Day.

President Biden catching his own administration off-guard with a tough message for China, how China just responded.

And Ukrainian President Zelenskyy addressing Davos just moments ago, what he told the world's top business leaders about opportunity in Ukraine.

BERMAN: President Biden shifting his warning about monkeypox as another possible case is being investigated in the United States.

And a heart-stopping rescue in California, a helicopter swoops in to save a man dangling from the side of a cliff.

KEILAR: Good morning to viewers here in the U.S. and around the world. It is Monday, May 23rd.

And this morning, President Biden is making unexpected headlines in Tokyo, even his top aides were caught off-guard by what he said. The president was asked if the United States would, quote, get involved militarily if China were to invade Taiwan, and this is the exchange.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) REPORTER: You didn't want to get involved in the Ukraine conflict militarily for obvious reasons. Are you willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan if it comes to that?

JOE BIDEN, U.S. PRESIDENT: Yes.

REPORTER: You are?

BIDEN: That's a commitment we made.

We agree on a One China policy, we signed on to it and all the attendant agreements made from there. But the idea that it can be taken by force, just taken by force, is just not -- is just not appropriate. It will dislocate the entire region and be another action similar to what happened in Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: The United States already provides defensive weapons to Taiwan and has previously maintained what is called strategic ambiguity about intervening militarily in the event of an attack by China.

The comments this morning seemed a little less ambiguous, as you can see there, as to whether they were strategic. China has learned the president's comments caught his top aides by surprise and they are already issuing some clarifications this morning. Beijing issued a response a short time ago as well.

BERMAN: CNN Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins is traveling with the president, she joins us now live from Tokyo.

And, Kaitlan, you know, no mistaking this at all, it was a clear question and a clear answer.

KAITLAN COLLINS, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: No. And it was kind of this moment where in the room that was at the end of the press conference, we're seated next to the president's top national security aides, Secretary of State Blinken, his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, their trade adviser, Katherine Tai, all of these advisers sitting right there in the room, watching the president as he was unequivocal when he answered this question about, yes, the U.S. would get involved militarily should China invade Taiwan.

And that is incredibly significant. As you saw, the president did not offer any caveats or clarifications as he was making those comments, saying very bluntly that that is what he believes the United States would do. That is what he would do, he said, if that situation were to happen. And, of course, that is a situation that more and more world leaders have been talking about as they watch this Russian invasion of Ukraine because it's been a long-standing concern that China would become more aggressive and trying to use force against Taiwan.

And the reason the president's comments are so significant is because, in the past, the United States has warned China against using force in Taiwan but they have not gone as far as to say what exactly that would warrant when it comes to the United States' response. They have not said that it would include the U.S. military and instead they have been purposefully vague, they've used this thing called strategic ambiguity not saying exactly what they would do.

And now the president has gone kind of close to this before, he did so in a CNN town hall with Anderson Cooper last fall, where he talked about the United States' commitment to China, it's a statement that aides later walked back. And moments after the president wrapped up that press conference today, you also saw aides inside the White House saying there have been no change in the president's position when it came to Taiwan.

But what he articulated is definitely a change. It is the clearest that you heard any United States president be in quite some time when it comes to what they would do. And he was very clear there. And so I think when you look at what the president says, you look at how some of his advisers sometimes try to walk it back, often when the president has said it multiple times, it's pretty clear what he means there.

[07:05:09]

We should note that that is a statement that caught some of the president's advisers off-guard when he said it, they did not exact him to be that blunt when talking about what the United States would do if that were to happen. We should note though, the president did say he doesn't ultimately think China will invade Taiwan. He really explained, John, why he thinks that, but he did say he doesn't think that's something that's going to happen.

BERMAN: Yes. Again, probably the biggest news from the news conference, no doubt, was that statement. And I am sure we will hear much more about it in the coming hours from the White House and, no doubt, from countries around the world.

Kaitlan, also, this is happening in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which President Biden is well aware of. And President Biden made some further comments about his views on what Vladimir Putin is trying to do there.

COLLINS: Yes. And that's another thing that's so important to consider here when officials say nothing has changed when it comes to Biden's position. Actually, a lot has changed because the invasion of Ukraine has happened since the president was last talking about this in the fall, during that town hall.

And now this has become a lot more real for so many nations because I think the big question and the reason you've seen such a united response is that nations want to make sure that they are showing China what would happen if China does to Taiwan what Russia is doing to Ukraine. And the president was talking about setting an example for China when it comes to President Putin.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: Showing bombings of schools, no military purpose, schools, hospitals, day care centers, all the things -- museums, blowing up all the museums. I believe what Putin is attempting to do is eliminate the identity of Ukraine, the identity. He can't occupy it, but he can try to destroy its identity. And the reason I bother to mention that is he has to pay and Russia has to pay a long-term price for that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COLLINS: Now, Russia's invasion has been something that has been brought up in almost every conversation the president has had while here on his first trip to Asia. He's got the big quad summit coming up on his final day in Tokyo, that's meeting with the brand-new leader of Australia, of course, the Indian prime minister as well in these meetings they are going to be having, in addition, to, of course, the Japanese prime minister.

And so this is still something that is looming over every single dynamic that they are talking about when it comes to Japan's defense. And all of these matters now are being seen through a very different light, including Taiwan, given this invasion. John?

BERMAN: I think you bring up a great point, Kaitlan. What you're seeing in real-time here is diplomacy in a post-Ukraine world, even as that war continues there.

Kaitlan Collins for us in Tokyo, terrific reporting, thank you.

Just minutes from now, I will speak with Republican Congressman Mike McCaul on Taiwan and the statements from the president and what he saw from China during Ukrainian President Zelenskyy's address in Davos just moments ago.

KEILAR: President Biden was also asked about the state of the U.S. economy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: In your view, is a recession in the United States inevitable?

BIDEN: No.

Our GDP is going to grow faster than China's for the first time in 40 years. Now, does that mean we don't have problems? We do. We have problems that the rest of the world has, but less consequential than the rest of the world has because of our internal growth and strength.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: CNN's Richard Quest is joining us now from Davos, Switzerland, where the World Economic Forum is taking place.

And, Richard, I know that your ears perked up when President Biden said that he would consider lifting those Trump-era China tariffs. Tell us how that would impact the economy. RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS EDITOR AT LARGE: It would give it a boost. It would keep things moving. It would be an extra, if you like, oomph at a time when everything is slowing down and will continue to slow down as interest rates go higher. But his big problem, of course, is whether China opens up, whether China opens the economy and the supply chains to start moving again.

This question, Brianna, of whether or not they can avoid a recession is really parsing words. Everybody will tell you, yes, they can avoid a recession, the Fed, but will they avoid a recession? And there, everybody becomes a lot more skittish in answering it because the truth is interest rates are going up and the Fed's integrity is on the line.

When I talk to people here, they say to me, when the going gets tough, will the Fed continue to push rates higher? Will they inflict the necessary pain in their view to bring inflation down? So, yes, this is a test of the Fed, it is a test of markets and, ultimately, they can avoid a recession, but will they?

[07:10:01]

No one knows.

KEILAR: Richard, I know President Zelenskyy just addressed the forum where you are moments ago. What did he say?

QUEST: President Zelenskyy reminded everybody at Davos of 1938 and the fundamental point that the price of a dictator eventually goes higher, and in '38, '39 had to be dealt with and every since has had to be dealt with eventually.

He also asked for the toughest sanctions to be implemented and he wanted more. He wanted oil and gas, he wanted the west to give them more sophisticated armaments. This was basically saying to a place where Russia had been fated in previous years.

Look, I promise you, you go down the promenade as you used to see adverts for Russia, for VTB Bank, for Spur Bank, they were all here. Now, there is not a Russian in sight. And the reason ultimately that they are having to now deal with this, Zelenskyy says, is because they didn't deal with it soon enough. If they had stood up to Russia with sanctions earlier, if the Crimea sanctions had been properly enforced, then we wouldn't be in the situation that they are.

I can tell you one thing, Brianna, I've done 20 Davoses at least. This is by far the most serious, the noise and froth, the parties, all the rubbish that usually goes on up there, there will be a bit of it. But there are serious people in the congress hall saying that they don't know what to do and it's the most difficult times that they can remember.

KEILAR: Will it be consequential? We will see. Richard Quest, thank you, live for us from Switzerland.

BERMAN: I have to say, the description of the changes at Davos, fascinating.

All right, this just in. The White House is looking at potentially tapping an emergency diesel reserve to help ease the skyrocketing prices of fuel.

CNN's Matt Egan joins us live now. Matt, great to see you. This is different than the Strategic Petroleum Reserve that a lot of us know about. What's going on here?

MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Yes. This is different and it's smaller than that Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Clearly, the White House is very concerned about this supply crunch in diesel, as they should be, because this is piling further pressure on the worst inflation that anyone has seen in 40 years.

Remember, diesel is what's used to power trucks and trains and boats and tractors, pretty much anything that hauls stuff around the economy. Alarmed by soaring prices, Biden officials have begun consultations internally and externally what's going on. And a senior White House official tells me they are considering potentially tapping the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve, which, despite its name, holds an emergency stockpile of diesel.

Now, it's only been used once before, in 2012, in the aftermath of Hurricane Super Storm Sandy. But the situation today, like then is serious. The national average is at $5.55 a gallon, just shy of the record set last week, up 75 percent from a year ago. For a number of reasons, demand is strong, the war in Ukraine has scrambled the supply of energy and also there has been a lot of retirements of refineries so the system doesn't have as much firepower as it used to.

The situation is worse than the northeast, the average in New York, for example, is a dollar higher than the national average, it's up more than 100 percent year-over-year. All of this explains why the administration is considering emergency steps. And a senior White House official tells me, quote, the system is definitely under strain.

BERMAN: All about trying to keep shipping costs down, because, though, shipping costs ultimately get passed on to the consumer.

EGAN: Exactly.

BERMAN: All right. Matt Egan, thank you so much for being with us. Brianna?

KEILAR: More than 100 confirmed or suspected cases of monkeypox have been reported in 12 countries including the U.S. Yesterday, President Biden said, quote, everybody should be concerned about it. Today, while on his trip to Asia, he dialed that back.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BIDEN: Thus far, there doesn't seem to be a need for any kind of extra -- extra effort beyond what's going on. And so I just don't think it rises to the level of the kind of concern that existed with COVID-19 or -- and the smallpox vaccine works for it. But I think people should be careful.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KEILAR: Let's talk about this now with Dr. William Schaffner, Infectious Disease Professor at Vanderbilt University.

Okay. Doctor, I wonder, the president's shift here in concern, does that track with how you view this disease?

DR. WILLIAM SCHAFFNER, PROFESSOR, DIVISION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES, VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER: Yes, Brianna, it does. I think this is a matter of interest but not concern. You see this exotic virus that came out of Central and West Africa is spread slowly. It requires close contact, unlike COVID, which can spread very, very readily. So, the public health authorities in Europe, in Canada and now in the United States are going out and finding all the contacts of people who are currently infected, putting them under surveillance. I think we will have this under control in the next week or so.

There will be a few more cases before we lock it all up, but I think we've got this under control pretty much.

[07:15:01]

KEILAR: So, what are the symptoms? Obviously, there are the pox, the blisters, but what else should people be on the lookout for?

SCHAFFNER: Well, it usually starts with high fever and then people get very -- a sense of feeling ill, they can be nauseated, they can develop swollen lymph glands, and within a day or two the rash, this unsightly rash begins usually on the face and on the extremities, it can involve the palms.

So, it's a very distinctive disease and, as I say, it requires close contact, often skin to skin contact, some of these cases have been transmitted sexually. So, it doesn't travel widely and rapidly the way COVID does.

KEILAR: Okay, that is good news.

Separately, speaking of COVID, I do want to ask you about Pfizer just announcing that its vaccine shows a, quote, strong immune response, high efficacy and favorable safety in children six months to under five years of age following the third dose, so the third dose, just to be clear here. How significant is this?

SCHAFFNER: Well, it's very important. You and I and many other folks out there have been waiting for this because we have children, grandchildren out there who are eligible. This is a reduced dose, one- tenth the amount that older children and adults receive and it's three doses, right? So, we're thinking of this as a three-dose vaccine, and the preliminary data acquired during the omicron era say it's actually 80 percent effective.

We will want to look at that very carefully, but so far that's good news. KEILAR: I find it interesting, Dr. Schaffner, that this is a one- tenth dose compared to the next age group or compared to, I think, the -- is it the adult version? You correct me if I'm wrong there. So, you could have, for instance, in my family, by the time my second child has this, will be four years old compared to what my other child who when he was five had, they are having a fraction, just a fraction of what the other dose was. Do you think that's going to change in the future so that this is a little more normalized for age?

SCHAFFNER: Well, I think the companies, the vaccine scientists, have been very careful to try by age to adjust the dose so you get a good effect with a minimum of side effects and they've done it very carefully age by age. So, I think your pediatrician, once it's available, and it will take some time yet, will know exactly which vaccine to give to which child depending on their age.

KEILAR: All right. Okay, still waiting, still waiting, Dr. Schaffner. We appreciate you talking to us about this important news, though. Thank you.

SCHAFFNER: My pleasure.

KEILAR: Male T.V. news readers in Afghanistan showing solidarity with their female co-workers after the women were ordered by the Taliban to cover up their faces on air.

Plus, new emails reveal the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas pressed Arizona lawmakers to overturn Biden's win there.

BERMAN: And an archbishop in California banning House Speaker Nancy Pelosi from receiving communion in the fight over abortion rights.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:20:00]

BERMAN: A show of solidarity by Afghan men for their female co- workers under Taliban rule. CNN is covering developments around the globe.

NADA BASHIR, CNN REPORTER: I'm Nada Bashir in London. And in Afghanistan, men working at the independent TOLOnews Channel have been pictured wearing face coverings in solidarity with their female colleagues. Their one day show of support comes after the Taliban sent a notice ordering female presenters to cover their faces during all T.V. broadcasts starting Sunday.

According to the network, the Taliban's ministry of vice and virtue said the order was final and not open for discussion. It's a decision the channel's director has described as sad and marks yet another way in which women's freedoms in Afghanistan are being rolled back by the Taliban.

CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I'm Clare Sebastian in London.

U.S. President Biden repeated calls Monday for OPEC to pump more oiling, piling pressure on the cartel as oil prices remain near 11- year highs.

And yet in an interview with the Financial Times, Saudi Arabia's energy minister said it would continue to work with Russia, which is part of OPEC-Plus to coordinate any production increases. So far, the group has resisted demands to pump more and Russian production has actually decreased in year because of western sanctions, while, of course, higher prices have propped up revenues.

ISA SOARES, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: I'm Isa Soares in London. In a show of public anti-war sentiment, concertgoers in Russia chanted and anti-war slogan at a punk rock show. All these members at a Kiss Kiss concert in St. Petersburg on Friday they were seen chanting F the war in a video shared online and verified by CNN.

Kiss Kiss is a Russian punk rock band which in the past has shared anti-war views on their social media. Earlier this year, the band postponed all concerts in March due to, quote, moral principles.

BERMAN: All right. The major news this morning speaking in Tokyo a short time, President Biden caught his own advisers off-guard when asked whether the United States would get involved militarily if China invaded Taiwan. This is what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPORTER: You didn't want to get involved in the Ukraine conflict militarily for obvious reasons. Are you willing to get involved militarily to defend Taiwan if it comes to that?

BIDEN: Yes.

REPORTER: You are?

BIDEN: That's a commitment we made.

[07:25:00]

We agree with the One China Policy. We signed on to it and all the attendant agreements made from there. But the idea that -- that it can be taken by force, just taken by force, is just not -- is just not appropriate. It will dislocate the entire region and be another action similar to what happened in Ukraine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: The White House has since said that its policy has not changed.

Joining me now is Republican Congressman Michael McCaul of Texas. He is the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and he is in Davos where President Zelenskyy of Ukraine just gave the keynote address at the World Economic Forum.

Congressman, I will ask you about that address because, frankly, this is all connected. But, first, I want your reaction to President Biden's comments this morning. Yes, he says, the U.S. would get involved militarily if China invades Taiwan.

REP. MICHAEL MCCAUL (R-TX): Well, I do think that's a premature comment, off-the-cuff, and everybody listens to the commander-in- chief, however, I think deterrence is important here, John. China needs to know that if it invades Taiwan, just like when Putin invaded Ukraine, there will be a response. And I think that's why it's important we have our Pacific command fleet there. It's also important we send our weapons to Taiwan to defend itself.

And, remember, Taiwan controls about 90 percent of our advanced semi- conductor chip global capacity. It would be a disaster if President Xi invaded Taiwan.

BERMAN: You said it's a premature comment and off-the-cuff, but the president of the United States just said, yes, at some level, the United States would get involved militarily. We don't know what that is. Do you approve of that policy?

MCCAUL: I don't think the intelligence community would appreciate this remark. Having said that, John, I personally kind of like it because it does provide a deterrent message that we will defend Taiwan. And coming from the president, it's very, very strong. And I think China needs to understand that, that they can't take this lightly and that we're not going to sit back idly and watch them invade Taiwan and the South China Sea. And just like with Putin, it's not a question of if but when he decides to do it.

BERMAN: Yes. Richard Haass of the Council of Foreign Relations called what the president said this morning strategic clarity rather than strategic ambiguity. Do you think that's fair?

MCCAUL: Well, it's a very clear message. Again, I think he got out in front of Jake Sullivan, his national security team, certainly the National Security Council, but, you know, I think sometimes speaking frank and straightforward is a good foreign diplomacy, foreign policy. And China needs to understand what's at stake and that there will be consequences, right? He needs to hear this.

BERMAN: So, it's interesting, given where you are right now. You are in Davos for the World Economic Forum, where President Zelenskyy just addressed the forum there. And you served as our photographer, our man on the scene there.

After President Zelenskyy spoke, he received a standing ovation from everyone but, according to this picture you took, the Chinese delegation. Explain to us what you saw.

MCCAUL: They were sitting right behind me. You know, Zelenskyy gave as always a very powerful speech talking about brute force and time is of the essence and pulling the international community together to rally behind him. Standing ovation after his speech with the exception of the Chinese delegation, who sat down through the entire standing O and then they proceeded to walk out after that picture that was taken by me actually, sending a clear message they do not support Ukraine, they do not support Zelenskyy and we know that President Xi made this unholy alliance in Beijing at the Olympics with Mr. Putin. They have blood on their hands. And I don't think we can sit back idly and somehow, you know, let them off the hook for this.

I think that picture, John, speaks -- you know, it speaks 1,000 words, that picture speaks volumes.

BERMAN: Yes. I was going to say what do you think it tells you about China, their policy not just toward Ukraine, but maybe Chinese ideas on the rest of the world?

MCCAUL: Well, it shows as their unholy alliance with Putin showed a demonstrable aggression against the west, against NATO, that Putin will support China if they invade Taiwan, just as China has supported Russia in their invasion of Ukraine.

This is not World War II anymore. That was my father's war. This is not supposed to be happening at this time, this decade. History -- the world is watching. History will judge us by our actions. And I do think these dictators will go down in history, certainly Putin, as a war criminal and anybody associated with him as contributing to war crimes.

[07:30:03]

BERMAN: Congressman, I do want to ask you, you've been very supportive of the effort to get Ukraine all the help that they want and can.