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Biden Mocks GOP For Taking Credit For Legislation They Opposed; King Charles On Way To Buckingham Palace To Address World. Aired 8:30- 9a ET

Aired September 09, 2022 - 08:30   ET

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

[08:30:00]

CHRIS WALLACE, CNN HOST, "WHO'S TALKING TO CHRIS WALLACE?": So, if you don't have the documents, and it's harder to pursue that part of the investigation to find out whether or not other people actually saw them.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: They need the cooperation of DOJ. They need that information the DOJ would have.

WALLACE: Yes, absolutely. And DOJ is saying, we need to have access to that, to be able to talk to investigate it, and then to talk to the intelligence community and sort this whole thing out.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: So Chris, after Labor Day, which means we can't wear white anymore, but it also means that President Biden, is --

WALLACE: Really, you know, that's kind of an insult to Brianna.

KEILAR: We call it winter white. We call it winter white.

BERMAN: Shouldn't.

WALLACE: I mean, we were all thinking at John, but I don't think I would have said it.

BERMAN: But beyond that, it also means we're in full campaigns to dig myself out here. President Biden is in full campaign season, right? And he was giving a speech last night to Democrats. And he pointed out something and this happens from time to time, he pointed out what he considers, I think the hypocrisy of Republicans claiming credit things they didn't vote for listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We also passed once in a generation investment in our nation's roads, highways, bridges, railroads, ports, airports, water system, high speed Internet. We got little help from Republicans, but not a lot, but enough to get it passed. But the truth is, there are a lot more Republicans taking credit for that bill, than we actually voted for it. I see them out there. And now we're going to build this new bridge here. We're all for it. And by the way, there's new road and we're going to have an Internet, there's going to be all the way. I love them, man. They ain't got no shame.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: President on the campaign trail, Chris.

WALLACE: Yes, you know, when that shows you an example of what a good retail politician Biden is. This is an unprecedented. We've seen this before, where Democrats will vote against something in Congress. And then if there's some goodies being handed out, they'll take credit for it on the campaign trail. You'll see it more often with Republicans just because Republicans are more likely to vote against big spending projects. But then if it's a dam or a bridge, or some other project in their district or their state, they're going to say, oh, yes, that's great. And they even want to announce it. You know, it's God -- I mean I'm shocked that there was politics going on in this city.

KEILAR: Do you think that's fair when they, I mean, maybe it's not fair, but part of the argument that some lawmakers will make is, I didn't support the entire bill. I can support some of what's in it, even if I didn't vote for it is that time --

WALLACE: Does it passes smell test? Well, no, because what they're basically saying is I don't support all of that federal spending. However, this project in my district is so great that I would have voted just for that. I mean, you know, it's politics.

KEILAR: It sure is. Chris, thank you so much. And we're really looking forward the countdown to your show, of course is on, so that's great.

WALLACE: Thank you. Yes, two weeks from today.

KEILAR: Two weeks. Get ready for it.

We are about to hear from the new King of England, King Charles III. What will he say to a mourning nation and what will his new rule mean for his country in the world? We're live from London ahead.

BERMAN: Tributes pouring in from across the globe for Queen Elizabeth including from some of the world's biggest stars.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[08:33:12]

HARRY STYLES, MUSICIAN: Please join me in a round of applause for 70 years of service.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

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DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: Don Lemon here live at Buckingham Palace. Just moments ago, King Charles III just arrived in London where he'll give the biggest speech of his life. He's going to address the world after the death of his mother, the Queen. So let's discuss all of this, joining me two people who know a lot about what's going on here as we watch this plane arriving here in London and that is CNN royal historian Kate Williams. Also Bonnie Greer will join us in a moment the former deputy chair of the British Museum. She is a columnist and an American who has lived half of her life here. She has also met the Queen. So I am happy to have you both of you here. I'm going to start with you Kate, Bonnie is just getting in. Bonnie was in a bit of traffic.

BONNIE GREER, FORMER DEPUTY CHAIR, BRITISH MUSEUM: Yes, in Southside Chicago.

LEMON: So it's good to have you on. So let's start with you, Kate. What do you most interested in? Is it -- we've been talking you said the totality of Elizabeth's reign is that what's on your mind today?

KATE WILLIAMS, CNN ROYAL HISTORIAN: Well, President Biden said, she defined an era and how true that was came to the phone in 1952, when very few people here in the U.K. had telephones or televisions or washing machines, very few of us had ever been overseas. And here we are now a globalized nation. She also came to the phone at time of empire, much of it fueled by oppression, exploitation, and presided over the end of empire, countries fighting for independence, the growth of the Commonwealth, and has seen the world change in so many ways.

When you think of what she seen all in 1926, when not all women had the vote, saw World War II, the Wall Street crash, saw a man on the moon. And when you think she's older than Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, the incredible longevity, there were only, you know, a tiny percentage of people in this country and the world who can't remember her being here. I can't remember her being the monarch. And she has both seen history. And she's been history.

LEMON: That's amazing. You describe all those events because I was talking earlier about, you know, what she has, if you think of 1952 until now, so many things has happened and she has been the one constant and stability really, here. How you doing, Bonnie?

GREER: I'm done. If you knew what I could call here from where I live, OK, so it's taken me like, (INAUDIBLE) hours to get here. Nevertheless, that's the way it is. It is the way it is. And that's the way it is. That's the way it is. And it is the best of British too. Everybody is chill. It's just wonderful.

LEMON: So why do you say, that's the way it is and it's the best? Talk to me about that.

GREER: Well, you know, what I, and Kate, of course, is the expert historian. But I've always say, and I've lived here half my life, like you said, I'm the deputy chair of the British Museum, all of these things. The royal family is the British people's, the Queen was very, very smart. And if we listen, for instance, to her accent, when she was 21 years old, when she vowed to the country of what she was going to do, this lady even changed her accent, it was very subtle.

[08:40:24] LEMON: One second, please, I can't really see the pictures, please don't have to tell me because it's kind of dark here. We're looking at the airport, Charles, the King, just walked out the plane. He's arrived here in London. And there you see the plane. And there is Camilla, the King Consort walking down now. Go on, please.

WILLIAMS: It's just that we always expect the Queen to address as at moments of national crisis, the COVID pandemic, and also in World War II. And now of course, it will be the King. King Charles will be speaking to us about the transition of monarchy, about the new monarchy, and then a new era.

GREER: And we have to also, there's some huge things are going to happen. And my husband's a lawyer, so he wanted me to tell you, Don, that the chief lawyers in this country are called QCs. Now that we call KCs, the Kings console. In our country in America, prosecutions are brought in the name of the people. In this country, they're brought in the name of the crown. So they become KCs, the coins change, the national anthem is going to change. All sorts of signs are going to change.

LEMON: Well, the money change? Will the King beyond the money?

GREER: He will be on it at some point.

LEMON: At some point.

GREER: Yes. But so, you know, what's was incredible to, what I admire about the British people, this stuff, it almost says some -- this stuff is laid out to the mesh, it is absolutely pristine. It is of itself. And the British people, this monarchy belongs to them. You know, we -- sometimes in America, I think sometimes we think there's some sort of fairy tale thing where they're lording it over this country, old country.

LEMON: Because many -- most Americans really don't understand it.

GREER: They don't understand it. And as I know, you know, we grew up saying the King and the Queen of England because we shorthand it. But for the folks here so people are -- I'm learning this, some people get upset because no it's a Queen of the United Kingdom. We know that. The King of the United Kingdom, but it's sorted as the King of England, the Queen of England.

GREER: But it is important to say, because there has been a Queen of England for 200 something years, you know, so this is the Queen of the United Kingdom. And I think working 18 other countries, this is what he is and the succession, and Kate correct me once, you know, set to on heir, but the succession now flips. So now the heir is William and Harry's children if they want to, are now Prince and the Princess. So it's that sort of moving up. It's done. We'll talk about transition, a peaceful transition of power. This is what it looks like.

LEMON: Yes. I think people say that King and Queen of England, by the way, because they live in England, right?

GREER: Right, but that's not what it is.

LEMON: But we did see the succession. And Harry and Meghan's kids were listed in there. I think Harry is fifth. And then his kids are sixth and seventh.

GREER: Yes. But they become a prince and a princess, if they want to. And I mean, you and I last met at the wedding. We were at a -- we were both at Windsor. And we had an argument. But, you know --

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: -- an animated discussion.

GREER: But it was, it is I think, being here half my life, and being a part of some of the great institutions of state knowing wonderful people like Kate, this country is a lot more than what's shown in the media. It's a lot more than the crown. The royal family are the last silent movie actors.

LEMON: Can we talk about that because, well, first, if you look at Elizabeth, she was young when she became queen, she got all of it, right? When it was -- she got the movie star treatment, what it was -- when it was really, even, I think more significant at the time, to be in a role like she was as queen. And she, you know, she went from young to middle age to old age, over 70 years. She to see times change. She got to see the advent of social media. I mean, back then, you know, it was no real paparazzi in the sense that there is now so she really got and she changed over time. She --

GREER: She flowed with it. And I think as ages goes on, and when historians like Kate write their books, they're going to show how extraordinary (INAUDIBLE) this woman was. She not in a rule with the times. That's hard. She flowed with the times. And it was amazing. I mean, you know, the era of Charles. You know, Charles was a little man in the 60s and we were trying to figure out, this dude doesn't even have hair, you know. But she has sure observed.

[08:45:01]

LEMON: And listen, you observed something that I said earlier, that I noticed earlier. I said because people don't remember necessarily remember Elizabeth, Queen Elizabeth, the former Queen. They don't remember her when she was a young, young, beautiful young lady, right? They don't necessarily remember that but there are folks who do. And so when I look at Charles now, it is somewhat, I shouldn't say startling, but it's notable, the difference because I remember him as a young man, frolicking on the beach, you know, in his little bathing suit or driving his -- no, no, I'm older than you think. And I remember when him, you know, driving around his sports car and even dating, you know.

GREER: Well, you know what, my mother and there's a coterie of black ladies back in the day who emulated themselves on Elizabeth. I mean, the hair, the tiny waist, the big blue, my mother named me after Prince Charles, my mother named my baby sister after the Queen. Oh, yes, it was the whole deal. And the elegance of her, a lot of black ladies especially southern black lady took place like my mother was emulated her. And I think all of this is going to start to come to the surface.

LEMON: Well, there's a similarity too, if you look at what I call it the church ladies with their hats. Have you grown, because again, as I say, many people, the United States don't really appreciate it, don't understand, right, the monarchy? Have you grown living here? Have you grown to appreciate it more?

GREER: I've grown to appreciate the British people. Because sometimes, I mean, I've met the Queen, like I said, I was going to say, and I've met Charles, the King, a couple of times, I have an honor from the Queen. You watch, when you live here, the really delicate balance that the British people and the monarchy have. It's a dance. It's a superb dance.

LEMON: Kate, what changes, I don't know if you can predict that now, I asked Max earlier, how does it change as the temperament in some way change? Is the mood of the people, the flow, as Bonnie said, with a King rather than a Queen, because, you know, I don't want to -- she had I think a velvet glove if that's fair to say?

WILLIAMS: He had a velvet glove. And like you say she was a movie star. When she came to the podium in 52, there was actually a lot of people who felt, as a woman shouldn't have the job at what over time when women were expected to go back to their home. And they really women who were in jobs were single, and they did not have children. So a young married mother, it was really something that a lot of the political class thought was going too far. Winston Churchill was dubious about her --

LEMON: He was worried about her and think that she could handle it.

WILLIAMS: He thought she was a child.

LEMON: And then immediately he said --

WILLIAMS: He couldn't handle it. And then he changed his mind. He said no movie star could do the role better. And that's what she became. She became this ultimate movie star and really sold the monarchy with the coronation, with the televised addresses. And things are going to change. She was a monarch who was held with such respect and such affection. She was so deeply loved and her sense of humor meeting Paddington, almost jumping out of a helicopter at the Olympics, that is going, I think it's Charles has a different personality. He's much more serious, we're not going to see the same flushes of humor. And so we will see a very different monarchy. He's has expressed a lot of opinions.

And I think the big change we're going to see is that many countries of which the Queen have a stage. She's had 14 other countries, they've already said Australia, Jamaica, Belize, Antigua that they will probably move now the Queen is no longer, when the Queen is no longer here to no longer having the Queen as head of state. So we will see that change following Barbados last year. And I think we also see to Commonwealth which to the Queen was a unity of nations. But to many people in the Commonwealth now they feel it was still founded in Empire. And they also feel that there were other alliances they could have, but Britain isn't as powerful as it was. So I think the Commonwealth, the heads of state, that's all going to change. So the monarchy is going to be a huge transition. And of course, you may see Scotland asking for another independent referendum.

GREER: And Wales possibly.

WILLIAMS: And Wales too.

LEMON: Wow. So there's a lot -- big transition.

GREER: One quick thing.

LEMON: Quickly, please.

GREER: These children breath of her transition, he Prime Minister, of course, one was born in 1874, Winston Churchill, the last one was born in 1975, Liz Truss, 100 years.

WILLIAMS: That's a fact.

LEMON: No animated discussion. Thank you Bonnie. Thank you Kate. I appreciate it. In full transparency, we're in a giant media area, and they're moving tents around striking them because of the weather. And so you may hear a little bit noise -- a little bit of noise behind us. But, you know, looking at -- what you're looking at, we've got a split screen here. Again, thank you very much. Let's screen here. Charles arrives, King Charles, I should say, arrived in London, arrived just moments ago.

He was at Balmoral in Scotland where of course his mother lost her life two days ago there. So he will supposedly come to Buckingham Palace, maybe to look at the flowers just moments from now. But this all comes as a tributes pour into the Queen including some from her friends, like Sir Elton John, take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[08:50:00]

ELTON JOHN, BRITISH SINGER: And we are very honored to be here tonight to play for you OK. Thank you.

(SINGING)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: All right we have live pictures we would like to show you now from London. In that car there is the King, King Charles III, arriving in London for his first time as King. Ahead of remarks to the nation really remarks to the world, marking the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II. Joining us now CNN's Julia Chatterley and Zain Asher. And again, as we keep on watching King Charles make his way toward, we believe, Buckingham Palace, I was just speaking to both of you, you know, his parents, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, they were married for 74 years. I mean, it's an almost impossible love story.

JULIA CHATTERLEY, CNN BUSINESS ANCHOR, FIRST MOVE: I can't get used to hearing King Charles, which is the first thing that came into my mind when you said it. But the only thing that endured longer, I think than her incredible reign is this marriage of 74 years, as you said, and it was funny. My first reaction yesterday was that if there's any solace in this and consolation, it's the fact that in my heart then are back together. And we've watched, and she said it, he was her strength and stay, we've watched I think some of that strength leaper in the last 17 months. And I think the first word she will say to him is, you know, this has been the longest 17 months of my life.

ZAIN ASHER, CNN PERSONAL FINANCE & BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: I think it's interesting, because when a member of the royal family chooses a spouse, yes, of course, you have to choose someone that you're in love with, of course, but you also have to choose someone who is right for the job. And you cannot underestimate the importance of the level of self-sacrifice that's involved in the job of being the spouse of the Queen, because this is a family. But more importantly than that, it is a family business.

And the business is on a country, it's the business of duty, and it is the business of Commonwealth. And you think about just how much Prince Philip sacrifice just in terms of giving up his career in the Navy, in terms of, you know, early on his own children couldn't even take his last name. I mean, that changed but early on his children can take his last name and --

CHATTERLEY: I think actually you're lucky if you have loved and I think that's one of the things about this. I think there was love. And she said actually, at the Christmas speech, which was her first Christmas speech without him. She sort of remembered him for his sense of service and intellectual curiosity but the other thing was her capacity, his capacity to squeeze fun at to every situation and I think he kept her laughing and I think part of what we remember about him and I think we'll remember about her and why irrespective I think of whether you're a royalist or not as British people or a citizens of the Commonwealth. Her smile, her megawatt smile, and their capacity to laugh together, I think is one of the reasons why she is beloved.

[08:55:28]

ASHER: It's interesting, because when you look at videos of the coronation in 1953, there is this famous scene of her husband, Prince Philip literally bowing towards her. I mean, in the eyes of the country. They're not equals, yes, you know, he was her husband. But more importantly than that, he was her subject. And he was her subject first.

CHATTERLEY: He was as close to equal as it gets, so remember, for any monarch, for a Queen or King. And she lost, she lost that 17 months ago. So I think that in terms of the real love story, I think we won't see the like of it again, certainly not in terms of time, and what the two of them brought to us and I'm what she did. I mean, as much as we now have to learn to live without her and I think for most of us still, it's unimaginable even today waking up, it's unimaginable. She had to learn to live without him.

BERMAN: And I'm still, I still have one eye on right now that aerial footage somewhere down there is the car carrying King Charles as he makes his way into London city center. Brianna?

KEILAR: Yes. And you know, one of the things we've heard over and over Berman is people saying they feel like, you know, she was almost their honorary grandmother. And the other thing we keep hearing Zain is about her sense of humor. I mean, part of that was clearly something that she enjoyed with Philip. But the former prime minister, Theresa May paying tribute to her with this anecdote about how she was actually up there at Balmoral and they were setting the table to eat.

And Theresa May dropped a chunk of cheese on the floor, made a split second decision what to do with it, put it back on the plate, realize the whole time the Queen was watching her. And yet the Queen let the cheese stand on the table. So just this funny kind of anecdote, we're hearing these she observes the five second rule clearly. But we're here on these very, you know, cute moments of remembrance, Zain.

ASHER: Yes, I mean, there was so many sort of layers to her personality. I mean, you and I were talking just yesterday about the famous scene during the London Olympics of her having a stunt double essentially parachute out of a plane. And then her alongside James Bond, her alongside Paddington Bear, so yes, it was all about self- restraint. I mean, obviously, if you're a monarch, you can't really showed that much individuality, you sort of have to leave it at the door. But, you know, her personality had these beautiful sort of contradictions and flourishes that I think made her that much more beloved with the British public.

CHATTERLEY: Regal, but real.

BERMAN: Regal but real. And much as it can be. Julia Chatterley, Zain Asher, again, as two British soldiers (ph), we are sorry for your loss. Thank you so much for being with us today. We continue to look at the screen right there. King Charles making his way into London, his first time in the city as King, CNN special live coverage continues right after this.

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