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Biden Speaks at Gun Violence Prevention Conference; Trump Speaks About Taylor Swift; Caution About Bird Flu Spreading. Aired 9:30-10a ET

Aired June 11, 2024 - 09:30   ET

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

[09:30:00]

MARC STEWART, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Try to fill in the gaps in all of this. It also is important to look at the current environment right now in China for -- for Americans. There is this rise of nationalism. It's something that I've heard in conversations with Chinese folks. It's something that is on social media.

But yet, at the same time, we are hearing these overtures from the Chinese government, from President Xi Jinping, to increase these educational exchanges between universities and colleges in the United States, like that one in Iowa, with China. In fact, Xi Jinping set a goal of 50,000 American students to come study here.

So, at this point we'll have to see if what happened here today, this single incident, perhaps dampers that enthusiasm.

Finally, Kate, as you mentioned, a lot of these images have been scrubbed from social media. In fact, we just saw a group of people here tonight in this park gathered around a phone who were learning about what happened for the first time, about 24 hours after it happened. It's been away from the headlines, censored from the headlines, until very recently, Kate.

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: Marc, thank you so much for your reporting, especially given -- in light of that. Thank you.

John.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: All right, what makes Donald Trump walk on eggshells, or maybe who. Apparently it is Taylor Swift. The revealing and some say bizarre new interview.

And why health officials are keeping a very close eye on the bird flu outbreak in the United States.

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[09:36:10]

BOLDUAN: President Biden will be speaking to survivors of gun violence today and try to highlight his efforts to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people. CNN is reporting also that Biden plans to draw a contrast with Donald Trump here, and he's expected to announce a new round of charges from the Justice Department following passage of the new federal gun law he signed in 2022.

CNN's Arlette Saenz is at the White House. She's got much more on this.

Arlette, this is another contrast, very clearly that Joe Biden wants to draw with Donald Trump. Why does the Biden campaign think this is going to resonate?

ARLETTE SAENZ, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kate, the Biden campaign believes that tackling gun violence is an issue of importance to young voters, but also to voters in black and Latino communities. And so part of President Biden's goal today is trying to promote what his administration has done to try to tackle gun violence, including touting the bipartisan gun safety bill that he signed into law just two years ago.

Biden, today, specifically will announce that the Justice Department has charged more than 500 defendants with violating gun trafficking and illegal straw purchasing provisions that were part of that gun safety legislation. He will be speaking to survivors of gun violence, as well as volunteers and activists at Everytown for Gun Safety's conference here in Washington, D.C. This is one of those groups that's really risen in prominence in the wake of mass shootings in this country.

The president also is expected to tout the drop in violent crime. The FBI, yesterday, released some preliminary data that showed that violent crime in the first three months of the year is actually down 15 percent. If you take a look at the number of murders in the country in those three months, that's down by 26 percent.

President Biden has praised this, saying its good news for American families, and also arguing that this isn't happening by accident, promoting his own legislative and executive actions relating to this. He said, quote, "my administration is putting more cops on the beat, holding violent criminals accountable, and getting illegal guns off the street. And we are doing it in partnership with communities." He added, "as a result, Americans are safer today than when I took office."

So, part of what the Biden campaign and the White House are hoping the president can do today is really try to lay out the steps that he has taken to try to address issues relating to crime and also gun violence.

It comes as he's not just looking to rally his own base on this, but you also have former President Donald Trump who has sought to rally Republicans around gun initiatives. He has vowed to undo many of the efforts that Biden has put into place while he's in office, while the Biden campaign argues that Trump would simply be beholden to the gun lobbies. So, both men, in their own ways, really trying to use gun issues as a way to rally their bases heading into November's election.

BOLDUAN: Arlette, thank you.

John. BERMAN: So, this morning, what makes Donald Trump nervous, or who? The answer might be Taylor Swift. So, asked about Taylor Swift for an upcoming book, Trump says, quote, "I think she's very beautiful, actually, unusually beautiful." That's according to a forthcoming book from "Variety" co-editor in chief From Instituta.

With us now, CNN political commentator and Democratic strategist Paul Begala, and CNN political commentator and Republican strategist Shermichael Singleton.

And, Paul, there are people who look at that comment and note it's, you know, a little strange from a guy who's going to turn 78 later in the week, that maybe those are the types of things that he shouldn't be observing right there. But another way of looking at it is, for a guy who will say mean things about anybody, he seems to be really careful when it comes to Taylor Swift.

PAUL BEGALA, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: Right. Well, both are true. It's an incredibly creepy -- I'm sorry, I know it's morning, but I just threw up a little bit in my mouth when you read those quotes. It's just a disgusting thing and Mr. Trump should -- Mr. Trump should pay himself hush money.

[09:40:04]

He should just shut up about Taylor Swift. And you can tell he is scared of her. You know, Trump understand celebrity. He understands the power of celebrity. That's how he got where he is.

Ms. Swift is far more powerful as a celebrity than Donald Trump ever dreamed of being. And so he's clearly scared of her. And I find that wonderful and amusing, even though the comments about her appearance are deeply creepy.

BERMAN: You know, Shermichael, I was trying to think if there was another figure who people have -- politicians have had to, you know, walk on eggshells around. You have to be really careful with no matter what you say or how they feel about you. And I was thinking, you know, maybe Oprah when Oprah went behind Barack Obama in 2007, 2008, everyone, Hillary Clinton's campaign had to be really careful, then John McCain's campaign had to be really careful. I can't really think of everyone else -- anyone else that would make a politician so nervous.

SHERMICHAEL SINGLETON, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: I mean, John, I can think of one other person, and I think that would be Beyonce. And I have to say this because my girlfriend would kill me if I did not, she's one other person that I think a lot of politicians have to be very, very careful with.

But, look, I think a lot of these celebrities and younger voters, attractiveness to them not only because of their music, but their lifestyles and also the way they live vicariously by the politics that they adopt is certainly a pervasive thing. And if you're a politician right now trying to win the election, which we know will be very close and you want to galvanize young people, you certainly don't want to anger them by attacking some of the individuals they look up to. And I think this is the case with Taylor Swift, who is an incredible songwriter.

So, here's someone who galvanizes not only young liberals, John, but she also galvanizes young conservatives being a former country star who's now into pop music. So, there's an interesting dichotomy here that I think the former president is trying to thread the needle on.

BERMAN: I know the Biden campaign would love it if Taylor Swift came out in public and endorse the Biden candidacy like she did in 2020. They are waiting for that to happen.

I was looking at the calendar, Paul. I still can't wrap my arms around the fact that there is a general election presidential debate in like two weeks. And, yes, it is right here on CNN. And I'm not doing this to promote the debate, which is, I should note, right here on CNN. But it just shatters everything I know about presidential campaigns. And it strikes -- I covered George Bush in 2000, and he disappeared for days before the first debate for debate prep. And we learned later that he'd been preparing like a ton for months before.

Should these candidates be deep into debate prep for what could be the most important presidential debate any of us have ever seen?

BEGALA: Oh, yes, debates do tend to freeze the campaign. And, you know, our president has to go to Europe for a G-7 meeting. And if I were a campaign strategies for him, I would be tearing the last three hairs out of my head. But you can use that time on Air Force One.

So, let's watch the manifest on Air Force One. If my old pal Ron Klain, the president's former chief of staff, is on that trip, that means they're doing debate prep on the plane.

No one -- I've done this all my adult life. No one is better at debate prep than the president's former chief of staff, Ron Klain.

But they do need to do some. And, by the way, so does Mr. Trump. And I know he doesn't like it. I shouldn't say this because debates are about expectations. Joe Biden is going to clock Donald Trump in that debate. Incumbents presidents rarely, rarely win the first debate because they're used to having their rings kissed, shall we say. But Mr. Trump has talent. He does. And he's great at these rallies. But he's never won a national presidential general election debate. He had two -- three against Hillary, two against Biden.

In the polling, in a one or two point race, he consistently loses those debates by nine to 12 points. So, honest, earnest, free advice to Mr. Trump, you need to hunker down and prepare for this, Mr. Trump. And I promise you Joe Biden is.

BERMAN: You just like broke the major one rule of pre-debate expectations, Paul, right there. You're going to get a call from Biden's (ph) campaign.

BEGALA: I know. I spoke the truth, Berman. I try never to do that with you. But once in a while. BERMAN: So, Shermichael, if you are the Trump campaign, a, the likelihood that they follow Paul's advice and Donald Trump goes into debate prep, and if you are Donald Trump, or if you are the Trump campaign, what kind of prep would you have him do?

SINGLETON: I mean, look, in 2016, he had Chris Christie helping him out. Chris Christie and Donald Trump are no longer friends. So, I don't think you can call up Chris and say, hey, come and help us.

But I agree with Paul, presidents usually don't do well during the first debate. So, this is a very unique opportunity for the former president. And I think Donald Trump is really effective, John, at being able to communicate very simply -- in a simple way, rather, on issues that people really care about. And so if you can figure out a way to drive and hone in that skill in a more focused way on actual issues, I think the former president could potentially surprise people, but you have to be disciplined in order to do so.

So, I would spend a couple of days, maybe a week or so practicing these things. Maybe some of his best zingers, figuring out a way to be more surgical with them during that one hour debate. And let's see what happens.

[09:45:02]

But this could be -- and I'll say this quickly, John, I don't think Trump should debate the president for a second time because, to Paul's point, presidents don't do well during the first debate, but they usually come back and knock it out of the park during the second debate. So, if I'm Trump, I would try to hammer this in with a victory and say, you know what, that's it, I'm not interested in debate number two.

BERMAN: You know, Paul, very quickly, Shermichael said the issues, one of the issues is crime, usually is an issue every four years. And these new numbers out from the FBI, violent crime going down, murder rate dropping dramatically. It could be the biggest drop on record in one year.

You know, how should -- can the Biden campaign talk about this in a way that it will connect with people?

BEGALA: Absolutely. And I think it's all about Mr. Trump catering to the most extreme and Joe Biden being part of the mainstream.

You know, Arlette's report is right, young people and people of color really support the Biden gun safety genic (ph). Guess what? So do older white people in the suburbs where Trump is very weak. And it's a web issue. You know, you always used to talk about wedge issues. This is a web issue. Its stitches together the base. where Joe Biden frankly needs a lot of help, and these suburban college-educated swing voters, where Biden is surprisingly strong. Once a Republican stronghold. Biden is really strong with those suburban, college- educated voters. So, it's a great issue for Biden to be touting. And Mr. Trump, by the way, who can no longer even own a gun because he's a felon, he went to the NRA and he said, I will be your loyal friend and fearless champion. So that's -- that's the way to posit Trump is as a -- he can't own a get himself, but he is going to be owned by the NRA.

BERMAN: Paul Begala, Shermichael Singleton, great to see both of you. Thanks so much.

SINGLETON: Good to see you, John.

BERMAN: So, health experts increasingly concerned that the bird flu could turn into a much bigger problem. And marther's vineyard, Martha's Vineyard, all the vineyards off the coast of Massachusetts, running out of marijuana.

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[09:51:32]

BOLDUAN: It is at the top of the list in terms of bad guy viruses. That is the take from one longtime avian flu researcher, saying about the recent outbreak of bird flu in dairy cows. There have now been three confirmed human cases, all among people who have been working closely with dairy cows when they got sick. But there is real concern and a new warning now, humans ignore this outbreak among animals at their own peril.

CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta has much more on this. He's joining us now.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning.

BOLDUAN: And, Sanjay, this is a focus of this week's episode of "Chasing Life."

How serious are these human cases and how significant are they?

GUPTA: Well, they're not that serious, but they might be significant because they can be sort of red flags and little warnings that we've got to pay attention to.

So, what we know at this point is there have been three people who have had symptoms due to H5N1. They've all been farm workers. The first two people mainly had eye symptoms, you know, conjunctivitis, pink eye, those types of symptoms. This third person, which is getting -- getting a lot of attention is a farm worker in Michigan who had symptoms that were more respiratory.

So, the big question I think for a lot of people was, is this related -- is this sort of more severe in some ways or is it -- is it not? Is it something else? And what they think at this point is that it's -- doesn't necessarily appear to be more severe. It may be that they -- that the third person got infected in a different way. The first two people may have touched a surface, then touched their eyes, which is what often happens. This -- the third person, who's a farm worker in Michigan, may have actually inhaled some of the virus. So, that's worth paying attention to.

What they have not seen, Kate, and this is a big thing that they look out for, is there evidence then that it spreads as a result of those respiratory symptoms to another human. Human to human spread. And so far at this point they have not seen that, but that's what they're looking for.

BOLDUAN: And short of that, what are the other red flags that they're wanting for?

BOLDUAN: Yes, I think, you know, one thing is to see, look, are there other mammals that are starting to get infected? There's lots of different mammals that have been infected so far. But are there other ones as well? Because each time you get new mammals that are infected, especially ones that are closer and closer to humans, you may -- the virus may mutate into something that can more easily infect humans and they -- and could potentially spread among humans.

But one of the big ways to figure this out is testing. And, Kate, we talked about this a lot during the pandemic, are we doing enough testing? And the answer right now with H5N1 is that we're not. If you test a lot of people, and you say, hey, there's a lot of people that are carrying the virus but they're not getting sick, that's an important message. It may mean that this is not as, you know, deadly or is making people as sick as we thought. Testing is the key to sort of get an idea of just how widespread this is.

I talked to Rick Bright, who's a virologist and immunologists, about this specifically. And here's what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICK BRIGHT, VIROLOGIST AND IMMUNOLOGIST: I really think that's the tip of the iceberg. We are not doing enough testing, or even the right kind of testing, to get a better answer to that question. It's really unusual that we would find just one or two cases with so much virus prevalent in so many places, as such close contact to the source, such as the infected cow or the milk supply.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GUPTA: Every virologists that you talk to says, we need to be doing more testing, just like we said at the beginning of the Covid pandemic.

[09:55:04]

So, that has to happen. And then again, looking for human to human transmission, that's where a lot of focus is.

BOLDUAN: It's good to see you, Sanjay. Thank you so much.

And a new episode of "Chasing Life" with Sanjay Gupta. The podcast available right now.

John.

BERMAN: Then there's this. A dog ran for help after his owner crash a car into a remote, steep ravine at a national park in Oregon. The man was traveling with his four dogs when he crashed. One of the dogs was able to get free and then walked/ran nearly four miles to the family's campsite. Rescue crews put up a pulley system to get the man who was then airlifted to safety. The three other dogs were found alive at the crash site. We are efforting comment, Kate, from them.

BOLDUAN: I was waiting for that. I was like, and where are we on that one (ph)? It's really amazing how they pulled that off though.

BERMAN: Yes. And the dog.

BOLDUAN: And --

BERMAN: I mean you're giving the rescuers credit. The dog deserves all the credit.

BOLDUAN: Dogs get credit too. Sorry about that, everyone.

Thank you so much for joining us today. This is CNN NEWS CENTRAL. "CNN NEWSROOM" with Jim Acosta, up next.

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