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Biden Courts Black Voters as Trump Heads to Fundraiser in Minnesota; Young Americans Maxing Out Their Credit Cards; Surf and Science: An Unconventional Approach to Studying Coral Reefs. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired May 17, 2024 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

KEILAR: BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN HOST: ... in support among Black voters. The president often credits African American support for his 2020 victory, but polls have been showing Biden is losing young voters of color over the economy in his stand on the war in Gaza. We have CNN's MJ Lee at the White House for us. MJ, how is the president trying to win back Black voters?

MJ LEE, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Brianna, we are seeing a series of events over the course of a few days where President Biden is really focused on outreach to the Black community. Earlier today, we saw the president meeting with the plaintiffs of the historic Brown v. Board of Education case, this case, of course, so historically significant because it deemed unconstitutional segregationist laws.

And then we saw him head over to the Museum of African American History, where he talked about the significance of that case. And of course, this kind of outreach to the Black community is so important because the president is clear that this is a community that helped deliver him his victory back in 2020. And he's hoping that they will turn out again come November.

And when we heard the president talking at the museum about the significance of this case, he said that as important as that case was and given its significance -- its significance just in the history of this country, he made clear that he believes that civil rights still remain under assault as he invoked his predecessor, Donald Trump. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: My predecessor and extreme MAGA friends are responsible for taking away other fundamental freedoms from the freedom to vote to the freedom to choose. But I've always believed that the promise of America is big enough for everyone to succeed. And I mean that. Everyone to succeed. That's what Brown is all about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEE: And Brianna, that outreach to the Black community will continue over the weekend. On Sunday, as you mentioned, he is going to be delivering that commencement address to Morehouse College, one of the preeminent historically Black colleges in this country, of course, is going to be a very high profile speech, given the discussions about the possibility of protests when he gives those remarks.

And then he heads to Detroit, where he is going to be giving a speech at an NAACP dinner. Now, all of this, of course, comes as there is growing concern about the erosion of support among Black voters for the president, whether it is because of just a general lack of enthusiasm or concerns about the president's policies when it comes to Israel and the ongoing Israel Hamas war.

Of course, this is something that the Biden campaign is very much hoping to turn around before November -- Brianna.

KEILAR: All right, MJ Lee live for us from the White House. Thank you -- Jessica.

JESSICA DEAN, CNN HOST: As President Biden heads south tonight, his Republican rival Donald Trump will be in the Midwest attending a fundraiser in Minnesota. Let's dive into the state of the race with veteran pollster and communications strategist Frank Luntz.

Frank, always good to see you. We always learn things when we hear from you. Let's dive into this New York Times Siena College poll that found Trump had more than 20 percent support among Black voters in key battleground states.

Now, it is just May, so he has to sustain this. But if he can, that would be the highest level of Black support for any Republican presidential candidate since the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Why do you think Trump is right now doing historically well with Black voters? And is Biden in real, unreversible trouble here?

FRANK LUNTZ, POLLSTER AND COMMUNICATION STRATEGIST: Well, nothing is unreversible because you cannot predict anything in this election campaign. I'm asked what will be the October surprise. It's that every week is going to bring us an October surprise.

But specifically with Black voters, it's not all Black voters. It's younger Black voters and particularly younger Black men. I discovered this when I got off a plane at JFK when two baggage handlers came over to me to tell me that I don't get it, that they're going to vote for Donald Trump because they think they are being victimized the same way that he is.

And some of these votes that have left Joe Biden over the last four years, it's because of Biden's weakness. In this case, young Black men see in Donald Trump the same kind of oppression, the same kind of persecution, the idea that Trump is a victim and they feel victimized by the system. And so they're endorsing Trump because of the fight that he's having.

And I actually think it's possible that among Black voters, male Black voters under age 40, that even a third of them could end up with Trump in the fall. Make no mistake, Black women hate Donald Trump. But Black men are giving him a look, giving him a listen. And the younger you are, the more likely you are to vote for him.

DEAN: So interesting. And we now have this debate that's set for June 27th here on CNN. And as you just kind of said, it's an October surprise every week. This race is historic for a lot of reasons.

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This debate is different and historic for a lot of reasons. What's your takeaway knowing now what the setup will be and that they both agreed to it?

LUNTZ: We don't know the setup and the rules are going to be critical. If I'm Donald Trump, I want to stand because I'm at my best when I'm performing. If I'm Joe Biden, I absolutely want to sit because he's at his best when he's seated and when he's working.

If I'm Donald Trump, I want as short a response as possible because I'm not as well informed on the specifics. If I'm Joe Biden, I want as long a response as possible because it takes me longer to get to the point.

That how these rules are determined will have a big impact. For example, are they going to shut their microphones off if Trump tries to speak over Joe Biden?

That was critical in the last debate in 2020, and it'll be critical in 2024. I believe the rules are so essential this time, and what each candidate wants is dramatically different. Trump and Biden have very few similarities in terms of their debating, and they should be recognizing this.

And frankly, I know that they've agreed to a debate, but I don't know how they're going to agree to some of these rules because, look, if the rules are for pro-Biden, Trump may not want to do it and vice versa.

DEAN: Right. And we do know, too, that there won't be an audience, which also kind of shakes things up a little bit.

LUNTZ: Well, that's something that Joe Biden absolutely wanted because Trump people are more likely to yell. They're more likely to participate. And that's going to be critical because we've never had a debate without an audience in a long, long time.

And the other point I would make is what are the issues that are going to be discussed? If it's going to be social issues because you don't have two hours or 90 minutes on one issue. They're going to bring them all up.

How much time will be spent on abortion? That's critical for the Biden campaign. How much time will be spent on inflation, affordability and immigration? That's critical for the Trump campaign. So I can't wait to hear the rules because that tells me exactly what the outcome is going to be.

DEAN: And Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., the third party candidate here, one of the third party candidates, appears to have been boxed out of these debates. It is interesting that both the Biden and Trump camps see him as an issue.

And polling has showed he pulls from their voters, but in different ways in different places.

LUNTZ: Yes, and in fact, this is a disaster for his campaign. What we've known is that if you aren't part of the debate, you're not real.

So he continues to pull at about 10 percent of the vote, sometimes a couple of points higher, sometimes a couple of points lower. But if his voice is not heard in these debates, and I've got to tell you something, every human being who has a television or who can get online is going to be watching. They're going to create drinking games.

People who never watched politics before are going to watch this. But Robert Kennedy will not be part of that conversation. And you're going to see his vote crater as a result.

This will be the most impactful debates in my lifetime. And you know what? It gives me reason to get excited over this campaign.

DEAN: All right. Frank Luntz, we'll leave it there. Thanks so much for joining us. We appreciate it.

LUNTZ: It's a privilege. Thank you.

DEAN: Ahead, Max Dow, why one of America's youngest generations is already having trouble with credit card debt.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KEILAR: All right, we've just been listening in to a press conference. Well, really a press availability. Where Scotty Scheffler, the number one golfer in the world who was arrested this morning on his way to the Valhalla Golf Club to play in the PGA Championship second round. I was just talking about what happened to him this morning. We're going to try and turn that for you.

But in the meantime, what he said was his head is still spinning from what happened. He said he did not get his normal warm-up this morning. He actually stretched in the jail cell where he was taken after being handcuffed here in this video that was shot by ESPN's Jeff Darlington.

He said he was fortunate to make it back out to the course where he did end up shooting five under. And he said this is all just a huge misunderstanding. He's expecting that this is going to get resolved quickly.

So that is the very latest from Scotty Scheffler himself very calmly telling reporters that from Valhalla Golf Club there in Louisville, Kentucky. We'll continue to follow that.

In the meantime, as a growing number of Americans sink deeper and deeper in debt, a new report finds about one in seven members of Gen Z have already maxed out their credit cards. That's the age group of young adults born between the mid-90s and 2011.

CNN's Matt Egan is joining us now with more on this. Matt, tell us what the other takeaways are from this report.

MATT EGAN, CNN REPORTER: Well, Brianna, credit card debt is a problem really across all age groups. Americans are sitting on $1.1 trillion of credit card debt as of the end of March. Believe it or not, that's actually down slightly from the end of last year.

What's concerning is that more and more people are actually failing to even make the minimum payments. The New York Fed found that the rate of severe delinquencies, people who are at least 90 days late, that has climbed to a 12-year high.

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And listen, this is a reflection of the fact that people are struggling with the high cost of living right now. I mean, food, groceries, daycare, it is tough out there. And some people are unfortunately turning to credit card debt.

I spoke to a 28-year-old woman from Jackson, Mississippi, who said that she fell into credit card debt in college and she just hasn't been able to get out. She said she's got seven maxed out credit cards, $30,000 in credit card debt, and she's not alone. This report found that 15 percent of Gen Z credit card users are maxed out. That is triple the pace from baby boomers.

Now, New York Fed researchers, they explain that part of the reason why younger Americans are more likely to be maxed out is because they just don't have the credit histories built up. So they have lower credit limits. Still, though, one in seven is a startling figure.

And I think it's just another reminder that sometimes behind all of those positive national economic indicators, there is some trouble lurking below the surface. I mean, yes, unemployment is low. The stock market's never been higher. But millions of people are hurting from high interest rates, high cost of living.

Now, experts say that for people who are struggling with high credit card debt, there are steps that you can take. One thing you can do is you could try to transfer that high-interest credit card debt to a zero-percent balance transfer card.

That will buy you time, sometimes up to 21 months, to try to pay down that debt. You could also try to get a personal loan at a lower interest rate. In a perfect world, you'd either boost your income or cut expenses or do both. Of course, that's easier said than done.

Brianna, perhaps the best advice out there is to just avoid falling into credit card debt in the first place because it's really hard to get out of, especially when rates are this high.

KEILAR: Oh, my gosh. I mean, if you have like a 29 percent APR or something, it's like you're just trying to get water out of a boat that keeps filling up. Matt Egan, thank you so much. Obviously, that's pretty alarming.

So, ahead, we're going to introduce you to a surfer and scientist who is combining those jobs and hobbies to fight climate change.

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(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DEAN: Time now for Champions for Change. All this week, we're spotlighting creative people, making big changes in business, technology, and how we live our lives. And today, we showcase one of the world's top big-wave surfers who's also a professor, fighting to save the coral reefs he loves.

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CLIFF KAPONO, PROFESSIONAL SURFER AND SCIENTIST: It's a familial relationship that we have as native Hawaiians with the coral reef. We have a creation story that emphasizes life really starts with the coral. It's my greatest grandmother.

My name's Cliff Kapono. I'm from Hilo, Hawaii, and I'm a surfer and a scientist.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is this one beat? One beat.

KAPONO: MEGA Lab is a science research group, essentially, but we're not the average scientists.

We're a bunch of surfers and skaters and artists. We develop technology to protect our ocean, and we provide it to communities who need it the most.

I've come to realize that some of the most creative individuals are not necessarily formally trained in academia. Not to say those degrees aren't important. I've just found, especially here in the islands, there's so much creativity and intelligence that's surrounded by being a part of nature.

JOHN BURNS, THE MEGA LAB: We met many years ago, and we shared a feeling that in the conventional science framework, you were expected to be very one-track. Cliff's a renowned surfer. I love to fish, surf, skateboard, like all these things that we kind of had to hide as being parts of ourselves.

BURNS: You see all these little madronas, though?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

BURNS: And so early on in that academic journey, we sort of vowed, like, hey, if we ever get to the position that we have PhDs, let's do it differently.

KAPONO: If you have a particular skill set that can help us develop technology to protect our ocean, whether they're artists who also love chemistry, or whether they're musicians who also enjoy doing statistics, the weirder you are, the more we want you here. We try to make sure all of our data and research is open source, available to anyone who wants to participate.

BURNS: We wanted to create the world's greatest underwater observatory, which was ambitious for sure, but we love a good challenge.

KAPONO: Over one and a half million people watch this thing. We should be able to see John cleaning the camera.

Ha, ha! He's giving it a good wipe down.

KAPONO (voice-over): The heart of it is a camera that streams live 24- 7. Right away, we started capturing wildlife interactions and organisms that are typically never seen when there's a human in the environment.

KAPONO: Coral reefs are foundational to stabilize an ecosystem. There are estimates that by the year 2050, up to 80 percent of the coral reefs could be lost. We've mapped more of the surface of Mars than we have our oceans, which to us seems a bit problematic.

KAPONO (voice-over): So we have this ambitious goal over the next 6 years to map a million reefs by 2030. And how we want to get there is by training 10,000 mappers with a simple iPhone or GoPro. Anyone can do it.

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We came up with a way to take regular digital cameras, collect a bunch of images, and then make perfect 3-dimensional reconstructions of the reef at millimeter-scale accuracy.

KAPONO: I like to think about my ancestors who I've never met, but they were thinking about me. Seven generations before me, and I want to make sure that seven generations down the road can enjoy what a beautiful place we have today, tomorrow.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DEAN: And you can watch our one-hour special, "CHAMPIONS FOR CHANGE." It's tomorrow night at 9 Eastern. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DEAN: Meet Major League Soccer's newest superstar. They call him "Raquinho," and he's taking the league by storm. Yep, there he is. Look at him, taking the league by storm. This was a match between the Philadelphia Union and New York City FC. Wow.

Yes, he had a lot of moves, Brianna.

KEILAR: He sure did. So cute. Hopefully not rabid.

[16:00:00] Taking the grounds crew there. You can see harmed at the trash can. A few attempts. Eventually they got him.

The MLS tweeting, quote: Unofficially Raquinho, the raccoon spent 161 seconds on the field tonight, which was the most by a raccoon in MLS history. And the trading card company, Tops, is now selling Raquinho's trading card for the bargain price of $8.99.

I think his sister, Raquinha, may live in my trash can, to be honest. It's a constant battle. She's also fast like that.

DEAN: Is she worth $8.99 a card? I don't know.

KEILAR: I think so. "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts now.

END